Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Bali News!

Tisdag 4 jan 2000 

Hej! 
Nu har det gatt sa dar lang tid igen, mer an en manad sakert Sist vi skrev var vi precis pa vag fran Thailand till Malaysia, och blev utslangda fran det internetcafet vi satt pa. Det blev lite abrupt slut da.Men samman fattnings vis var Cambodia guld, hur bra som helst. Bast ditintills. Vi avslutade med ett par dagar till med badande och solande pa Sihanoukvilles strander, innan vi satte av mot Thailand och Bangkok for tredje gangen. Vi skulle inte ha akt tillbaka dit frivilligt, men var tvugna eftersom vi hade lamnat vara storvaskor pa ett storage room dar. Den har gangen behovde vi dock bara tillbringa en natt dar innan vi akte tag, buss och bat till Paradison Ko Pha Ngan, utanfor Thailands ostkust. 

Resan gick faktiskt forvanansvart smartfritt, for att vara oss. En av de fa reor pa var resa som har gatt nagorlunda enligt schemat. Det var natttag fran Bangkok. Sov bra, men som vanligt stotte vi bara pa otrevliga thailandare som arbetade pa taget. Buss mellan tagstationen och baten, proppfull med scandinaver. Solen sken och vi satt och solade pa dack pa baten. 

Nar vi kom fram stod det magnder med hotellagare som ville att man skulle inackordera sig hos just dom. Vi valde en liten bungalo pa stranden, men bot stalle efter en natt pga lite otrevlig personal. vadret var sadar, eftersom det var regnsasong, vilken aven gjorde att vattnet var ganska grumligt och stranderna skrapiga av drivved och tang. Vi blev helt klart besvikna. Had ehort av alla att det skulle vara sa himla fina strander och vatten dar, men stranderna I Cambodia lag hastlangder fore! 
Vi hyrde motorcykel och akte runt pa on lite. Extremt branta vagar, men iallafall for det mesta asfalterade. (Till skillnad fran vagarna som vi akte pa for det mesta I Cambodia) En dag akte vi till en harlig strand pa norra sidan av on, otroliga vagor dar.Vi firade forsta advent med ljus och alt I bungaloon en regnig och askig kvall. 

Visst var det harligt och sola och bada lite, men det gick absolut inte upp mot stranderna I Cambodia och manniskorna var inte tillrackligt trevliga, sa vi kom fram till att vi nu hade gett Thailand all den tiden vi tankte ge det. Akte istallet till KL for att se om vi kunde ta oss till Myanmar (fd Burma). Hade hort mycket gott om det landet av ett par andra resenarer. Myanmar och Thailand har ju som ni kanske last, brakat lite pa sistone, sa vi kunde inte ga landvagen fran Thailand, som annars ar det vanliga, utan var tvugna att flyga fran Kuala Lumpur I Malaysia. 

Vi blev fast I KL I fyra dagar medan vi vantade pa att kunna ansoka om Visum till Myanmar. Vi lyckades namligen komma dit pa en helg, och fick vanta till mandagen for att kunna aka till ambassaden. Man KL ar nog den vasterlandska storstad som vi hittils har tyckt bast om. Mycket trevliga manniskor, och sa extremt bra shopping (till min fasa, eftersom jag inte har nagon plats till att ta med allt jag ville kopa. sa det blev bara tre par skor till mig. Vi kan nog gora lite mer utrymme I garderoben, oroa dig inte Kalle) 

Vi var pa IKEA och at kottbullar, brunsas, potatis och lingonsylt och gravad lax en dag. Mums! Ni kan inte tanka er vad gott det kan smaka med svensk husmans kost efter drygt tre manader!IKEA var precis som det ar hemma, som det ska alltsa, med bokhyllan Billy och soffan Klippan. Vi kande oss riktigt som hemma, och folk maste ha trot att vi inte var riktigt kloka nar vi tog massa foton pa oss I de moblerade rummen och atandes kottbullar. 

En kvall bestamde vi oss for att inviga vara Nyars klader som vi latit sy upp I Hoi An, Vietnam, och ga pa stadens casino. Vi tog en taxi upp pa det tvatusen-nanting hoga berget som casinot lag pa. Daruppe var det svinkallt, bara 10-15 grader kanske. 

Kan ni tanka er att Casino dar man inte kan kopa alkohol och drinkar? Tankte val det, men Malaysia ar ju muslimskt, sa dar var det faktiskt sa. Ville man ha nat att dricka fick man ga flera vanigar ner for att ta nat I restauranten! Vi spelade ort nagra fa dollar som det sig bor, innan vi kande att vi var redo att dra oss hamat hotellet. Men det var ju lattaare sagt an gjort. Medan vi hade besokt Casinot hade det varit ett jordskred som hade sparrat vagen, se det var omojligt att ta sig ner med bil. (Var vanliga tur med transporter) Vi var tvugna att vanta tills dom hade rojt undan pa vagen, och det kunde droja flera timmar. 

Vid fya tiden lyckades vi klura ut att man kunde ta en linban ner forbi jordskredet, och darifran sedan taxi in till KL. Klockan var efter fem innan vi kom till hotellet och fick sova till slut. Dagen efter var vi daremot tvugna att ga upp tidigt for att aka till ambassaden och fixa visum. Bara ett par timmars somn, och kvallen darpa packade vi till tre, men skulle upp fem for att aka till flygplatsen. Kontentan blev fem-sex timmars somn pa tva natter. Vi sov alltsa ganska bra pa planet till Yangoon, Myanmar, och missade filmen, vilken det nu var dom visade?!? 

Nar man kommer till Yangoons flygplats ar man tvungen att vaxla US$ 300 per person till regeringens egen valuta FEC, som folket inte anvander. Det ar en latsas valuta som dom hittat pa for att fa in pengar til Staten, folket anvander annars Kyat.For US$ 10 lyckades vi muta till oss att bara behove vaxla in US$ 300 totalt for bada. Det skulle annars bli ganska svart att ora av med US$ 600 for oss pa endast en vecka. 

Yangoon, huvudstaden, kandes inte sa stor. Men vi laste senare att den faktiskt hade dubbelt sa stort invanarantal som KL; 4 miljoner. Men det var lite som en stor smastad med mcyket fin gamla kolonialhus. Paminde lite om Indien faktiskt. Massor av olika dofter/lukterna, kaoset och hygenen och renligheten pa gatorna. 

Pa flygplatsen blev vi uppraggade av nagra killar som tog oss till ett Guesthouse. Men det var faktiskt riktigt bra. Traffade dar tva grabbar fran Scottland som hade ret runt I Myanmar I tre veckor, var valdigt fortjusta och tyckte att vi som bara skulle vara dar I en vecka inte skulle hinna mad nat. Vi borjade val inse sjalva att det skulle bi lite svart, men tankte att en vecka I alla fall var battre an ingen 

Dagen efter tog vi en buss till en liten by Nyaungshwee, som ligger vid en insjo Inla Lake. Vi kom fram klockan fen pa morgonen, tittade pa soluppgangen, och hittade sedan ett riktigt mysigt hotell, med den mest odmjuka och serviceinriktade personal man kan tanka sig. sa fort man bad om nat spurtade dom genom korridaren for att hamta det. 

Det var en himla mysig liten stad. Folk lastade sina flodbatar pa morgonen med korgar fylla av tomater, chilifrukter eller vad det nu var dom skulle salja pa den flytande marknaden. Inte for de extremt fa turister som fanns, (vi var den andra och tredje svensken som overhuvudtaget hade bott pa vart guesthouse) utan for att det var deras vanliga liv. Stor skillnad fran de delar av Thailand vi sag.

Nyaungshwee traffade vi av en slump en burmesisk kvinna, Nyo Nyo, som tog oss pa en battur pa sjon. Himla mysig tjej/tant som verkligen bjod pa sig sjalv. Det slutede med att vi I stort sett tillbringade resten av var vistelse I Myanmar tillsammans med henne. Pa Inla Lake visade on oss cigarr tillverkning, flytande tradgardar, tempel, flytande byar och mycket annnat. Det var en lang dag, men valdigt intressant. 

Fortsättning

(Forts)
Dagen efter akte vi tidigt tidigt mot Kalaw, for att gora lite trekking I de omgivande bergen med Nyo Nyo. Vackra berg och dalar, och valdigt intressant att se byar, som mer eller mindre levde trehundra ar tillbaka I tiden enligt oss. Nasta dag bar det av tidigt igen. En liten buss med extremt lite benutrymme skulle ta oss till Bagan pa nagra timmar, men handelsevis pajade fjadringen, och vi fick stanna otaliga ganger innan vi till slut kom fram till Bagan pa kvallen. Tur att Nyo Nyo hade ordnat hotell at oss sa att vi slapp springa runt och leta I morkret. 

Bagan ar kant for sina manga tempel, 2500 stycken, som ligger mer eller mindre valbevarade utspridda kring staden. Valdigt fint I solupp- och nedgang, men det var inte riktigt lika imponerande som Angkor I Cambodia. Vi tillbringade tva dagar vid templena. Akte runt mellan dom med hast och vagn.

Tog nattbussen till Yangoon, gick faktiskt ganska felfritt, men dom spelar som alltid hog mysik hela natten, sa det var lite svart att sova. Och dagen darpa flog vi till KL, och tog natttaget till Singapore. Stor stad, men inte sarskilt trevlig, var dar I tre dagar innan vi flog till Bali. Men det som var trevligt var maten pa IKEA. Vi at faktiskt dar tre ganger. Och kopte pa oss massa julmat. Pepparkakor, sill, lax, nubbe, glogg, knackebrod, julmust, julost, och sa lite salta fiskar sa klart. 

Pa Bali hittade vi efter tre natter ett stalle som vi trivdes pa, Lovina pa nordkusten. Vi hade ett mysigt rum med altan pa stranden. Vi var dar I sex natter, och tog det bara lungt och slappade. Urskont efter allt stressande I KL, Myanmar och Singapore. Hyrde motorcykel en dag och tog n dagstur till Ubud. Valdigt vacker natur. 

Pa julafton ringde vi hem for istort sett forsta gangen under resan. Harligt att prata med er dar hemma igen. Sen at vi julmiddag pa verandan med utsikt over stranden och havet. Blev faktiskt nastan lika matta som man blir hemma I Sverige pa julen. 
Den 26:flog vi till Sydney for att fira nyar, men det far ni hora om nasta gang. Maste aka till flygplatsen for att flyga till Myanmar igen.

Hälsningar 
Lina & Richard
 
 
 
 
 

(Continued)
Took the night bus to Yangoon, worked out pretty much without hassle, but as always they were playing music all the night through, so we had difficulties sleeping. And the day after we went by air to KL, took the night train to Singapore. Big City, but not very nice, were there for three days before flying to Bali. But what was nice was the food at IKEA. Actually we had dinner there three times. And bought a lot of Xmas food. Ginger snaps, herring, salmon, schnapps, gloegg, crisp bread, yule soda, Xmas cheese and salt licorice fish, of course!

On the island of Bali we found, after three days, a place we liked, Lovina on the north coast. We got a cozy hotel with a verandah on the shore. We were there six days, took it easy, relaxed. Jolly good after all the stress in KL, Myanmar and Singapore. Rent motorbikes one day and took a ride to Ubud. Vely nice environment.

On christmas eve we phoned home for the first time during our tour. Lovely to speak with you at home again. Then we had yule dinner on the poach overlooking the shore and the sea. Became as full as we usually do at home, almost. On the 26th we took a flight to Sydney for new years eve partying, but about that you will read next time. Gotta go to the airport to fly to Myanmar again.

Cheers
Lina & Richard

Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Bali News!

Tue., 04 Jan 2000

Hi!
Now, such a long time has gone again, more than a month for sure. Last time we wrote we were just on our way from Thailand to Malaysia, and was thrown out of the internet cafe. A bit abruptly. All together Cambodia was gold. We rounded up with a couple of days at the beaches of Sihanoukville, before heading towards Bangkok for the third time. We wouldn't go there voluntarily, but we had to because we had our big trunks in a storage room in Bangkok. This time we just spent one night there before going by train, bus and boat to the paradise island of Ko Pha Ngan, on the east coast of Thailand. 

The trip was surprisingly free of trouble. One of the few of our travels that ran almost according to schedule. Night train from Bangkok, slept well, but as usual we only met unpleasant Thai people working on the train. Bus to the boat, full of Scandinavians. Sun shining, got a tan on the deck.

When we arrived, there were huge amounts of hotel owners wanting you to stay at their places. We chose a little bungalow on the beach, but stayed only one day because of the unpleasant personnel. The weather was only half good because of the rain season, which also made the water troubled and the beaches full of drift wood. We were disappointed. We'd heard that the water and the beaches would be so nice, but the Cambodian beaches were much better. We rode around on MC. Extremely steep roads but they were paved. One of the days we went to a lovely beach on the north side, incredible waves there. First of Advent we spent in the bungalow a thunder stormy night, with candle lights and everything.

For sure it was nice bathing and tanning but it was really not like Cambodia and the people wasn't nice enough, so we decided that we had done Thailand. Instead we went to KL to see if we could travel to Myanmar (Burma). Had heard a lot of that country from other travelers. Myanmar and Thailand have been in trouble with each other lately so we could not go by land, the usual, but had to go by air from Kuala Lumpur i Malaysia.

We were stuck in KL for four days waiting for visa applications. We managed to get there during a holiday, and had to wait until Monday to go to the embassy. KL is the western type big city we like best so far. Very nice people, extremely good shopping (to my despair, because I haven't room for everything I want to buy. So I only got me a couple of pair of shoes). 

We visited IKEA and had Swedish meatballs, gravy, potatoes, lingonberry jam and burried salmon one day. Yummy! You don't understand how well it can be eating Swedish food after three months away! IKEA was exactly like at home, the way it should, that is. We felt at home, and people must have thought that we were lunatics when we took photos of ourselves among the furniture an eating meatballs.

One night we decided to use our new years eve suits that we had got tailored in Hoi An and go to the casino. We took a cab up on the two thousand something meter mountain where the casino is. Up there it was freezing cold, only 10-15 centigrades.

Can you see before you a casino where you can not buy alcoholic drinks? Thought you couldn't but Malaysia is a muslim country so this is the way it is. If you want to have drinks you have to go downstairs several stairs to the restaurant. We lost a few dollars, like one should, before turning back to our hotel. But, easier said than done: During our casino stay an avalanche had blocked the way down. (Our usual luck with transportation.) We had to wait until they had cleaned the road, which could take several hours.

By four o'clock we managed to figure out that we could take a cable car passing the avalanche and take a cab from the landing. It was five o'clock when we got back and finally went to sleep. The day after we were up early to go to the embassy to get visas. Just a couple of hours of sleep and in the night we packed until three, and had to get up by five to go to the airport. Only 5-6 hours of sleep in two days. We slept rather well on the plane to Yangoon in Myanmar. and missed the in-flight movie.

When coming to Yangoon airport you have to exchange US$ 300 per person to a tourist currency (FEC), which the natives don't use. It is a value found up to earn money to the state. The ordinary currency is Kyat. For ten dollars we managed to bribe the attendant to let us change 300 for both of us. It would be really difficult to use up 600 dollars in a weeks time.

Yangoon, the capital did not feel very big.
But we read later that it is double the size of KL, 4 million people. But it was a little like a big small town with many old colonial buildings. Resembled India, really. A mass of odors, the chaos and the hygiene and the clean streets. 

At the airport we were picked up by a couple of guys taking us to a guesthouse. It was really good, really. Meet two blokes from Scotland that had been traveling around for three weeks, they were very delighted and thought that we, who planned to be there only for one week, would not have time to see anything. We began to realize that it would be difficult, but thought that one week is better than no week.

The day after we took a bus to a little village Nyaungshwee, at Inla Lake. We arrived at five in the morning, watched the sunrise, and found a cozy hotel, having the most humble and service minded personnel you could think. As fast as you asked for something they ran through the corridors to get it. 

It was a darned nice town. People loaded their riverboats in the morning, with baskets full of tomatoes, chilies or whatever they were selling at the market. Not to the extremely few tourists (we were the second and third Swede staying at our guesthouse ever) but to themselves. Big difference from the parts of Thailand we experienced. In Nyaungshwee we met, by chance, a Burmesan woman, Nyo Nyo, who took us on boat on the lake. An awfully nice old lady/gal who really gave out of herself. It ended up that we spent the rest of our stay in Myanmar with her. At Inla Lake she showed us manufacturing of cigars, floating gardens, shrines, floating villages an much else. It was a long day, but interesting.

The day after we left early towards Kalaw to trek in the surrounding mountains together with Nyo Nyo. Beautiful mountains and valleys, and very interesting to see villages, living as we did three hundred years back. Next day we left early again. A small bus with extremely little space for our legs was taking us to Bagan in a few hours time, but incidentally the suspension went kaputt, and we had to stay innumerable times before we arrived at Bagan. Luckily Nyo Nyo had booked the room for us so we didn't need to look for one on the dark. Bagan is known for its many shrines, temples, 2500 of them, more or less well preserved, spread out around the town. Vely nice at dawn and dusk, but not as impressing as Angkor in Cambodia. We stayed for two days by the temples. Traveled between them by horse and carriage.
Continues