Rannalla!

Cambodiassa ollaan!

Anteeksi nyt arvoisan lukijat, mutta cambodialainen tietokonevirus soi valokuvat muistikortilta! Eli ette tule nakemaan kuvia valilta Vientiane - Sihanoukville.

Anyway. Vientianessa oltiin useampi paiva. Sielta ajeltiin Thakhekiin jossa myytiin mopot kun Jukkiksen korvatulehdus aityi liikaa ja mun revahtany niska ei ottanu parantuakseen. Saatiin ihan mukavasti rahaa takas. mun mopon osti GuestHousen omistaja ja Jukkiksen mopon osti paikallinen poliisi.

Si mentiin Pakseen ja sielta Si Phan Donille (4000island). Paikka oli mahtava. isohko saaristo Mekongissa. lohoiltiin useampi paiva ja pulikoitiin.

Raks aijat hommissa!!
Taysin omissa oloissa palmurannalla

Ajan saastoksi lennettiin Paksesta Phnom Penhiin. Siela kaytiin katsomassa Pol Ptin hirmuteoista. ja shoppailtiin russian marketilla. Jugi osti uuden rinkan ja maa paidan ja flipflopit.

Si lahdettiin Sihanoukvilleen. Kavin SSI Open Water kurssin EcoSea Dive firmassa.

Yon ylireissu ja 6 sukellusta!

Mun suosikkeja oli 'joulukuuset'!

Uskokaa tai alkaa, mut MAHTAVAA OLI!!
Sitten olikin pakko lahtea viela uusiks sukellusreissulle yhden lepopaivan jalkeen!

Huomenna lahden kohti Bangkokia ja sielta lennan 8. paiva MELBOURNEEN moikkaan Anttia, Jennia ja Johannaa.

Wednesday, 31 January, 2007

On the beach!

Were in Cambodia! I apologise for my dear readers but a cambodian computer virus ate all the photos from my memory card! Which means you won’t see the pictures from the leg Vientiane-Sihanoukville.

Anyway... In Vientiane we spent quite a few days. From there we rode to Thakhek, where we sold the bikes, as Jukkis’s ear infection got too bad and my sprained neck just wouldn’t get better. Got quite a nice refund, a local guest house owner bought my moped and Jukkis’s was sold to local police.

From there on to Pakse (?) and from there to Si Phan Don (400 Island). The place was great. A large archipelago in Mekong. For many days we laid around and swam.

(caption: Constructors at work! Had the whole palm beach for ourselves.)

To save time we flew from Pakse to Pnom Penh. There we went to see the horrors from Pol Pot era and shoppping in the russian market. Jugi Bought a new backpack and moí a shirt and flip flops.

Then to Sihanoukville. I was to SSI open water course at Ecosea dive company.

(captions:)

An overnight trip with 6 dives!

My favorites were the “christmas trees”.

Believe or not but it was AMAZING!

After one day of rest I just had to again for a dive trip! Tomorrow I’ll head off to Bangkok and from there I’ll fly to MELBOURNE on 8^th to see Antti, Jenni and Johanna.

Aringon palvontaa

Vihdoin paastiin taas t-paita mestoille, kun laskeuduttiin vuoristosta alas ja tultiin Luang Brabangiin. Siella pari paivaa. Ei jaksettu kayda katoon kyllakaan yhtaan temppelia, mutta hierojalla ja saunassa kaytiin! Oli mahtavaa saada parin viikon pakokaasut ja "maantiepolyt" pois iholta! Talla maantie valilla on ollu pelkaa polya.

Parin paivan paasta aamulla, jukan takavanteen vaihdon (siis motskarim) jalkeen annoimme rataaijen laulaa ja ajelimme etelaan Vang Viengiin. Sielta loytyi ensimmainen unelma-loho-hammokki-pulikointi-tuubing-levytys paikka johon jamahdettiin yli viikoksi! Paivat kuluivat lahinna hammokissa lueskellessa ja aurinkoa ottaessa (aika usein myos valtellessa).
Illat kulu sitten lahinna hammokissa lueskellessa ja viidakon aania kuunnellessa!

No joo. Tehtiin sita muutakin. Mm. kaytiin tuubaillessa, eli kelluttelemassa koko paiva jokea alas, valilla pysahdellen ranta ravinteleissa huurteisella legendaarisella Bear Laolla!


Baarien oheistoiminta oli melko hulvatonta. Erilaiset keinu- ja koysiratahyppyjutut oli mainioita. ja niissa tuli pelmuttua jonkin verran! Tavatiin paljon uusia hauskoja ja mielenkiintosia ihmisia ja kaytiin ajelulla Vang Viengin ulkopuolella katselemassa, yllattaen, uusia uimapaikkoja. Muutaman kilsan paassa polytieta pitkin loytyi useita uima"laguuneja," suurehkoja luolia ja ademetsatunnelmaa!

PartaHeikki ja suurehko perhonen!!!

Nyt kun saatiin ittemme kammettua ylos hammokista, ollaan Laosin paakaupungissa Vientianessa. Taalla saadetaan Cambodian viisumia ja lisaaikaa Laosin viisumiin. Matkaa etelalaosiin on viela 730 kilsaa ja mopoilla se on melko pitkamatka. Turvallisuuden kannalta tietysti ihan jees ettei ne kulje yli kahdeksaa kymppia, mutta aika indokiinassa alkaa kayda vahiin. N. 8. helmikuuta kun pitais olla Melbournessa, taitaa sukellus kurssi jaada valiin talla kertaa ja kierran cambodian ja thaimaan sitten kun tuun tanne uudestaan. Silloin toivottavasti vahemman karvaisen matkakaverin kanssa. Nyt lahden syomaan ja parturiin!!!

JA KOMMENTOIKAA JA KIRJOTTAKAA KUULUMISIA SIELTAKIN SUUNNASTA!!! EMMAA TATA HUVIKSENI KIRJOTA! JOTAIN LUETTAVAA MULLEKKIN!!!!

Ja kiitoksia kaikille niille joilta on jo tullu kommentteja ja sahkoposteja! Jokainen on ollu ennemman kun iloinen yllatys kun oon passy koneelle! Anteeksi etten kaikille oo ehtiny erikseen vastata, taallakun ollaan painettu paa kolmantena jalkana. Nyt on lohoilty paa toisena selkana, joten jaksaa vahan jaaritellakkin.

Monday, 8. january 07

Sun worshipping

At last we’re back in the t-shirt climate after descending from the mountains and arriving Luang Brabang. A couple of days there. We did’nt actually have the energy to visit a single temple, but quite enough to visit massage and sauna! It felt great to wash off two weeks of exhaust gases and road dust. The roads from there to here have been plain dust...

In the morning, couple of days later, after changing Jukka’s rear rim (his MOPEDS, that is ;) ) we let the gears sing and cruised down south to Vang Vieng. From there we found the first dream come true-slacking-in-a-hammock-skinny dipping-tubing-relax-a-max spot in which we were stuck for over a week! The days passed mostly by reading in a hammock and bathing in the sun (pretty often avoiding it, too). The nights, on the other hand, passed mostly by reading in a hammock and digging the sounds of jungle.

Well... To be frank, we did something else, too. Eg. went tubing, which is floating down the river for the whole day, occasionally popping to the beach inns for some frosty legendary Bear Lao!

The leisure activities of these bars were pretty hilarious. Different swing- and ropeway-jump thingies were great. And we hassled around in them for some time! We met plenty of new and interesting people and cruised around Vang Vieng to find, surprise surprise, new swimming holes. A few kilometres by the dust road we found several swimming lagoons, quite large caves and jungle ambience.

(caption: Heikki the Beard and a sort of big butterfly.)

Now, when we were finally able to gather momentum to break free from the hammock, we’re in the capital of Laos, Vientiane, to arrange visas to Cambodia and extra time for the Laos ones. We still have 730 km to south Laos and with a moped that’s quite a trip. For safety of course it’s good that their top speed is 80km/h, but our time in Indochina is running short. Since I’m supposed to be in Melbourne around 8th of February, the diving course is likely to be skipped this time and anyway I’ll tour Cambodia and Thailand when I come here again. That time hopefully with a less hairy companion. Now I’m off to eat and find a barbershop!!

AND HEY, DO COMMENT AND TELL THE NEWS FROM THERE ALSO, I’M NOT WRITING THIS JUST FOR FUN! SOMETHING TO READ FOR ME ALSO!!

Thanks also for every one who’s commented and emailed! Each of those have been more than a happy surprise, whenever I’ve made it to a computer. I’m sorry I have not had time to answer each one individually, for I’ve been running around in circles. Now when I’ve been mostly horizontal, one has had some time to babble also.