Before starting to write anything… we just want to wish to all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS… Hope you could enjoy a good time with your family and good food ;-)

Let’s now come back where we left you… meaning in Bangkok.  After 14 hours of bus and 1h30 of boat... Here we go on the famous Kho Phi Phi (under the rain)!  It should be the dry season but it seems it has rained a lot during the last months… BUT again we are lucky… the rain has stopped a few hours later… still cloudy but no rain J

To be honest, we can say that we have taken holidays during our holidays… 6 nights at the same place (the longest since we left Belgium)… in order to relax on the beach, do some shopping, snorkel and party J

We have celebrated the Full moon party (21^st December) on the beach… quite an amazing and crazy party over here ;-) People completely drunk and dancing (when they can still stand on their two legs ;-) ) until the morning on the beach!

Regarding Xmas, just to make you jealous… We spent Xmas under 30 degrees, feet into the water looking at a beautiful sunset ;-) (OK, I stop there ;-) ). We had for you a big thought … knowing that you are the feet in the snow and freezing in Belgium!

After 6 nights on Kho Phi Phi, we left for Koh Lanta (for the French speaking… yes, it is the island that you see on TV on TF1 ;-)).  Kho Lanta is different than Kho Phi Phi… More vegetation into the island with a national park and you can drive on the island which is not the case on Kho Phi Phi…  where the only way to go from one place to the other is by long boat!

Tomorrow, we are leaving Kho Lanta for a long trip in order to reach the Thai East Coast and some other islands: Kho Tao and Kho Phanang (where we will spend New Year Eve!)

See you,

PS/ Thanks for the sms, mails,… we have received with your best wishes J

26-12-2010 om 09:43 geschreven door Marjan & Isa  

Late arrival at Bangkok airport after 16 hours journey from New Zealand… No issue to get our tourist VISA at the airport. We spent our first night in a hostel close by the airport in order to avoid entering busy Bangkok in the middle of the night.

The day after we met Ilse, a friend of Marjan and ex-colleague of Isa, at the NewJoe Guesthouse (for the ones going to Bangkok soon, a really good address to remember!)… The hostel is located in the busy area of Bangkok next to Khao San road (road with all small shops and restaurants).

We decided to walk through the city instead of taking a famous Tuk Tuk as we heard from tourists that they were not always reliable… bringing you to shops & travel agencies instead of your destination! On the agenda, visit of the Wat Pho temple, Old Siam area and Khao San road… first shopping for all of us ;-) I have to admit that prices are quite tempting ;-)

Second day, visit of the famous Grand Palace… Obligation to wear a beautiful blue shirt as shoulders and legs need to be covered (and a scarf is not enough). See pictures below… This palace is the old residence of the king… gold and wealth is everywhere… quite impressive!

Afternoon in China town… nice but sooooo busy and polluted! In Thailand, best way to recover from such a busy day is MASSAGE… J We tried the Oil massage… very nice!

Third day… Ilse left us early in the morning to catch her plane to Singapore and then to Belgium.  We spent the morning finding a transport and an accommodation on Kho Phi Phi, a bit busy with Christmas and New year! In the afternoon, walk to the King residence (the one he is living in today)… New haircut for Marjan… After long hesitations, she decided to experience the local hairdresser.  The best price quality haircut she ever had… 2.5 EUR!!! In the meantime, I enjoyed a pedicure J

Bye bye Bangkok…. Hello the islands!

PS/ Funny anecdote… for our Visa to Laos, Vietnam,… we need ID pictures so we decided again to try the local market ;-) So funny, after taking the picture of us… she started to “redesign” our face… on the pic, my skin has the color of a “poupée” and Marjan has no “sproetjes” anymore! ;-)

23-12-2010 om 09:37 geschreven door Marjan & Isa  

After two months being on the road, we wanted to share with you some anecdotes and things we are missing while travelling as a backpacker… Don’t forget to write them down for the time we will be back in Belgium ;-)

We just made the calculation and since we left, we slept in 35 different youth hostels or campgrounds… Not bad! ;-) Most of the time we are sleeping in female dorms… Dorms being the cheapest!

What we have experienced or heard about dorms…

-          People snoring like hell!

-          People waking up at 4AM to pray in the dorm!

-          People starting cooking in the middle of the night (when a kitchen is available)

-          People switching on the big dorm light in the middle of the night when there are small personal lights available…

-          People having sex on the bed on top of your head !!! We didn’t experience it but heard it from other backpackers… It is always funny to see the face of the ones having fun during the night the day after… They always do as “Nothing happened” ;-)

-          Etc

Cooking is also a challenge… most of the time we are cooking in shared kitchens… A few tips: always avoid the peak hours otherwise you will spend time running after a spoon or a pan and always cook food for which you need maximum 2 pots  ;-)

What we are missing…

-          A big and soft towel for shower… We only have with us a towel that can dry quickly. Size is rather limited and they are a bit too “synthetic”…

-          A good washing machine and dryer… We are washing our clothes in the youth hostels but machines are often old and make our clothes shrinking very fast…

-          Ironed clothes… we don’t miss the ironing part but we miss the result ;-)

-          Proper pots and pans with a flat bottom… so that you don’t need to wait hours before having boiling water!

-          Thick toilet paper… we always got the cheapest one in all hostels ;-)

-          Our bed!... it remains the most comfortable! J

-          Our Belgian Chocolate and bread … but also cheese!

-          Some heels and sexy clothes ;-)

-          And of course… YOU !!!! J

And what we love…

Not knowing what tomorrow will be… You never know who you will meet on the road and what will your next hostel look like!  In one word… the ADVENTURE!

23-12-2010 om 09:33 geschreven door Marjan & Isa  

Already last time we are writing to you from New Zealand… time has been flying!  Our last days have been again full of surprises… After Dunedin, we have been heading to Lake Tekapo! Again a lake you will say … but still different… The water is just “light turquoise” as it is directly coming from the glaciers.  We have been enjoying the beach along the lake and the hostel on our second day as it was raining ;-) A good opportunity to connect to the internet and catch up with Belgium J

On our last day in Tekapo, we did a one day excursion to Mount Cook which is New Zealand highest mountain.   Under the sun, we have done the Hooker Valley walk.  This 4 hours hike walked you through the bottom of the glaciers until a lake where you can admire Mount Cook in the background.  Again a postal card! J See our pictures to be convinced!

After enjoying the mountains, we took our last bus to Christchurch… We were positively surprised about the city reconstruction after the earthquake that happened a few months ago.  To give you an idea, Christchurch is the biggest city of the NZ’s South island but still really quiet!

We chilled out on a terrace and enjoyed the calm… as we know that these moments will be exceptional in Asia! J

In the evening of our last day, we enjoyed a diner with Kevin and Marijke, two friends of Marjan, on holiday in New Zealand for a few weeks J  It was really nice to get to know each other / see each other at the other end of the world!

From Christchurch, we also did a one day excursion to the Banks peninsula and more exactly Akaora which is a French settlement. Street’s names and restaurant are “really Frenchy” over there ;-)

Time has now come to say goodbye to New Zealand!!! L We heavily recommend this destination to anyone who loves nature and adventure!

See you in Asia!!!!!

23-12-2010 om 09:31 geschreven door Marjan & Isa