Hello from Bangkok!
Finally in a few days we'll be back in
Europe! Thailand was the last country visited on our 500 days round the world journey, and our stay here was like a
kind of transition. Indeed during 2 months we rather lived than travelled in this country: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, the northern mountains and the southern islands were on the program, and I enjoyed
as much as possible the end of my dream... which basically isn't a dream anymore cause I made it come true! Ready for a dive into shiny temples, exotic food, motorbike aventures and sunny
beaches? Take a deep breath and come wih us...
BANGKOK
If you have a good memory, you may remember that we left Kuala Lumpur (Malaisia) by plane early december and arrived in Bangkok. Before our trip through Cambodia and Laos, we made our first steps
in Thailand in the busy capital city, where Vladi learnt the foot massage - or plantar reflexology - in the famous Wat Pho massage school. We arrived on a saturday, in the middle of the
celebrations for the King's birthday. Fireworks, processions, shows... etc...We stayed one week, and while Vladi was attending her classes, I went exploring the city... But first together on
sunday we strolled around (and inside!) the beautiful Wat Pho temple, also known as "the temple of the reclining Buddha". Wat Pho is the largest and oldest wat in Bangkok and is home to more than
1000 Buddha images, more than any other temple in the country. It also shelters, obviously, the golden Reclining Buddha, 46 meters long and 15 meters high!
As an accomodation, we found after a first night in a "chicken cage" (we arrived at midnight) a nice wooden house converted into a beautiful guesthouse, amazingly peaceful for Bangkok! It was
located in the old city, more precisely in Banglamphu, in a less urban section of town, relatively speaking, with low-slung residential homes and shops built along the khlong (canals).
It was cheap, with a friendly staff, and we even found some french books. In a city like Bangkok (population +6 millions), busy, noisy, where crossing roads as a pedestrian is a difficult
mission, believe me it was great to sleep in this quiet retreat.
On monday I walked to the Royal Palace (saving a tuk-tuk ride), payed the expensive entrance fee (7€!) and got quickly amazed by the beauty of the glittering temples, buildings, statues,
stupas... The Grand Palace is nowadays used only for occasional ceremonial purposes and is no longer the royal residence. Still it's a real symbol of power and richness, and it's dawn beautiful!
The King of Thailand is everywhere in Bangkok, and I was about to discover that he's in fact everywhere in the country too!!! In every house, street, shop, tuk-tuk, restaurant, building, you'll
find a portrait or a painting of him. He became king of the kingdom of Thailand in 1946, and is now almost considered as a God by the thai people! His face is everywhere in the streets, on every
banknote, on TV... Whenyou go to the cinema, before the movie you have to stand up to pay homage to the king, watching a short movie about his life and good deeds. He's now the longest reigning
monarch in the world, and each day he seems to become more deeply loved and respected by his subjects. I've never seen such an enthusiasm about a king or a president, in all the countries I've
visited so far. Well... Long live the King!!!
Bangkok is a city always on the move. Ancient temples in the shadow of space-age shopping malls, soaring skyscrapers towering over tumbledown hovels, ubercool cafeés and restaurants surrounded by
simple street stalls: this city is an interchange of the past, present and future. It can be surprising sometimes: delve beneath the elevated highways and skyways and you'll find a small village
napping in the narrow soi (lanes) with an unmistakable khwaam pen thai (thai-ness). The shopping malls here are even bigger than in kuala Lumpur, and once again I was happy to
watch some movies in the gigantic cinemas...
With over 15,000 stalls and more than 200,000 visitors every Saturday and Sunday, Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok is the mother of all markets - and possibly one of the biggest and most
famous markets in the world. I went there on a Friday afternoon, it was less busy but lots of stalls were open. It's impossible not to get lost here, and more unlikely that you won't find
something to get excited about. Sometimes you can even forget that it's daylight through the never-ending maze of crowded, narrow alleys... Claustrophobics or agoraphobics: stay away! I found
some cheap books, and also tasted different "things": no, I still don't have a clue today of what it was!!! After 2 hours, it was enough for me. Fortunately, Vladi was not there, cause we would
have spent all day long here! So I took a ride on the skytrain, then by bus, to come back home...
Lastly, in the modern city center, I was puzzled by this building below and soon discovered it was a brand new art & cultural center. Very curious, I entered and visited for free an
interesting, crazy, lively exposition about the sickness of Japanese people (where I found myself, among other things, transported in a "Matrix" atmosphere), and another one about the travel
pictures of the King of Thailand's daughter. Thank you Bangkok!
After 5 days of training (30 hours), Vladi passed the test and got her certificate of foot massage! Then, as usual, I once again sacrificed myself, and she trained on my feet to improve her new
skills... Here are some pics of her training books and her diploma. Congratulations, honey!
CHIANG MAI
Mid-january, after Cambodia & Laos, we came back to Thailand entering the country in the north. We went straight to Chiang Mai from the border with a direct bus (6h). We stayed (lived) one
month here, even if I was away for one week on a motorbike trip as you'll read later. Vladi offered herself 2 new massages curses:
- hot stones massage (3 days, 15 hours) in the Mantra spa, affiliated to ITM (International Massage School)
- thai massage (2 weeks, 60 hours) in another school called Sunshine.
We lived in a cheap and comfy guesthouse called Pakinai. For 5€, we had a new room with private bathroom, hot shower, cable TV and wifi, ideally located in the old city of Chiang Mai. The old
city is a neat square bounded by moats and remnants of a medieval wall built 700 years ago to defend against Burmese invaders. A furious stream of traffic flows around the old city, but inside
narrow soi branch off the clogged arteries into a quiet world of charming guesthouses, leafy gardens and friendly smiles. Chiang Mai has more than 300 temples!!! Almost as many as
Bangkok, which is a far larger city. So while Vladi was learning massages, I spent my time strolling around the little streets to discover some beautiful wats...
The temple architecture here is markedly different from other parts of Thailand. The intricate woodcarvings and colourful murals are hallmarks of the Lanna period (13th & 14th centuries).
Three-tiered umbrellas adorning the tops of the temples, Singha lions guarding the entrances and high-base chedi are all Burmese influences imported into the city by the wealthy teak
merchants when they migrated to this important trade center. Some of the wats are more interesting inside, and others more beautiful from outside, but all are worth a visit!
I also visited an ancient temple, Wat oo-Mong, in the forest just outside Chiang Mai. A former king built this temple for a highly respected monk who liked to wander in the countryside, hence the
isolated location where the monk could stay quietly and meditate. It is unusual cause it has tunnel like chambers in the ground, some of the walls of which still have the original paintings of
birds and animals visible. On the trees "proverbs" full of wiseness. Nowadays it's not "isolated" anymore, but the place remains very peaceful, and the monks slowly repair the numerous sculptures
eroded by the time...
Chiang Mai seems to be "the" city to learn massages. Vladi choosed carefully beetween the different massage schools, ang get a new certificate from the Mantra spa and the ITM school after a 3
days training. Below she's with her dipoma, in the company of the teacher and another friend/student. As far as I'm concerned, I like receiving a thai massage, which involves stretching and deep
massage. It's performed on the floor, no oils are used, you wear comfortable clothes that allow for movement, and soon you forget the world around, as expert hands and feet relax your body.
It is known in Thailand as "nuat phaen boran" (นวดแผนโบราณ), literally the ancient-manner massage. Look at my face after a great thai massage! Can you read the
"peace & love" message in my eyes?
In Chiang Mai we met plenty of couchsurfers! We were first hosted for 4 nights by Lucy, a 70 years old lady from the USA, then we met David, a 60 years old english guy, for a tea time at his
place. He's now one of the biggest traveler I know, he's been in more than 115 countries so far! I organized in a local pub a CS meeting to watch France playing Scotland in the 6 nations rugby
tournament, David came and we also met during this evening a nice young couple, Claudia (Austria) and Jens (Germany). At last, we were invited by a german guy, Pico, for a ride in his side-car
and an afternoon at his place 8km outside Chiang Mai. He introduced us to his wife Sao (Thailand), and we enjoyed a lot this relaxing coffee time along the Ping river, in the garden of his
lovely house. We came back 2 days later, Vladi gave Sao & Pico some massages, then we were invited in a fancy restaurant in Chiang Mai. Travelling is really easier and more interesting with
Couchsurfing, don't you think?
There are several outdoor markets in Chiang Mai (Warorot is a good one), and each night you can visit the "night bazar" to go shopping too. On sunday nights there's also a night market at the
famous "Thapae gate", the center of the city for tourists. But we were lucky to be in Chiang Mai during the flower festival early february. Plenty of floats well decorated with flowers, and a
good market to buy exotic flowers of course (including carnivorous plants!) but also to taste... well... let's say "interesting" food: fried beetles, worms, cockroaches... Yummy! And as I told
you before: the king of Thailand is everywhere! You can even find his portrait in flowers...
A MOTORBIKE TRIP IN NORTHERN THAILAND
The figures? 5 days. 800 km. 4000 bends. 1 accident.
The road? Chiang Mai - Pai - Mae Hong Son - Doi Inthanon - back in Chiang Mai.
Why? Waterfalls. Caves. Forests. Mountains. Geysers. Hot springs. Hill tribes. Rivers.
Overall impression? GREAT TRIP!!!
The Mae Hong Son province is the most mountainous and forested province in Thailand. It's also the least densely populated province, called the 'Land of 3 mists' due to the year round mist, and
was once known as the 'Siberia of Thailand' due to its isolated location...
First I was thinking of taking a minibus to Pai and spend some days there. But Pico, the german couchsurfer, gave me the excellent idea of trying instead the Mae Hong Son Loop. More freedom, more
places to see, just better! I really wanted to get out of the tourist bubble of Chiang Mai and explore the wilderness and mountains of the North, so that was a perfect match! Leaving Chiang Mai
the first day, I rode north and after 50km on a fast road, I took left towards Pai and a great adventure began...
After a first stop and a little hike at a nice waterfall, I took a long break at the Pong Deud hot springs. In this deserted national park, a walk on wooden platforms leads you to a geyser in the
middle of the thick forest. The waters run out at a temperature of 100°C, then cascade down forming a little stream to some natural and human-made pools. Completely alone in a gorgeous nature, I
enjoyed some mineral baths like a king in a royal private spa! Definitely one highlight of the trip...
The road to Pai was breathtakingly beautiful through jungle lined valleys, past small streams with spectacular views at every turn. The descent to Pai itself was very long and very steep. The
locals drive at breakneck speed round the bends, but for those who are not actually suicidal it’s a road best taken very slowly... Arriving just before dusk, I found myself a quiet and cosy
bungalow, and stayed 2 nights. Pai is a little town along a river and surrounded by hills, where the real fun lies. Too touristic for my taste, but with wonderful dirty roads to explore,
sometimes leading you to remote villages, sometimes to peaceful valleys, sometimes to hidden farms. Even in the dry season, it was beautiful, especially for the stunning sunsets.
On the third day I arrived in Mae Hong Son, a city near the Myanmar border. Nearby I visited the lost long neck village of Baan Hui Poo Kaeng, nestled along the river bank of Pai
surrounded by lush forest and mountain ranges. The village can be easily accessed water transportation, but as renting a long-tailed boat is expensive (1OOO Thai Bahts = 22€, for that price you
can rent a motorbike for one week!), I tried to reach it by road. Bad road & no signs of course. First I got lost but managed to find a little path leading to the river in front of the
village. I let the motorbike, called for a guy to pick me up by boat, and I finally entered the village (free for the locals but a foreigner like me - a farang - has to pay 250 THB to
help the community).
When I arrived at the village of the Kayan in the late afternoon, the long necked Karen women wearing colourful head gear were either selling souvenirs or demonstrating the art of traditional
Kayan weaving to 2 or 3 tourists. They are pretty friendly and willing to pose a photo upon request. The children peeked shyly at the visitors from the balcony of their wooden stilted home. As a
tradition, Kayan people place beehives in front of their wooden houses to ensure good luck.
Kayan tribe girls starts wearing brass rings around their necks, as well as rings on the forearms and legs, at the age of five or six years. Normally, a Kayan woman carries 5 kg of brass coils
around the neck. In the past, it made the women looked more attractive or simply preventing them from getting bitten by tigers... After a while, they can not remove the rings or they die. The
woman with the longest neck is considered the most beautiful woman in the village. Surprising customs for us, aren't they?
The Long Neck Karen (Kayan) are a Burmese tribe who reside in Thailand on refugee status. They cannot travel out of their designated area, and must stay in the provincial managed locations unless
they had permission from their district office. So paying the entrance fee, you help the villagers, and get to know better a remarkable hill tribe. They still live without electricity, growing
vegetables, breeding chickens, building their houses with wood, bamboos and dried leaves. It was an eye opening experience to witness the Kayan culture, lifestyle and traditions. Really a nice
encounter, far for the human zoos sometimes sadly organized for tourists, where I (kind of) found out what I lost when life became as easy as the click of a switch...
But my trip was not over! The fourth day, I rode the motorbike all day long, stopping here and there to breathe in serenity facing great landscapes, or to walk numerous nature trails. Rice
fields, green or dry valleys, rural life, tiny villages... and always those amazing waterfalls. I was driving carefully, sometimes slaloming beetween water buffaloes, but unfortunately in the
middle of the afternoon, I didn't see in time 2 crazy dogs appearing suddenly on the road. I had a stupid accident. On the steep hairpin bend, I had to swerve to avoid them and literally ran off
the road, falling on my right side under the motorbike, which carried on to some nearby thorny bushes. I struggled to bring the motorbike back on the road. I wasn't driving fast. I was wearing a
helmet. The consequences were not too bad. My right leg, hip, elbow and shoulder were hurt. I got a mean burn on my left calf too. Regarding the motorbike: rear brake pedal out of shape, front
basket destroyed, plus some little scratches. I'm certainly not having much luck with the motorbikes (who said I don't have a gift for them? OK, you may be right!).
I managed to start again, and stopped 10km later. Thanks to the help of a kind - and unhoped for - country mechanic, I healed my wounds - very sketchily - and got the rear brake pedal repaired -
blowtorch! - very quickly. I finally did 50km more before darkness, and spent the night in a pleasant bungalow at the entrance of the Mae Cham village. I needed to recover, so after the
problematic shower (with my new painful wounds) and a good dinner, I fell asleep like a baby...
In the morning I felt better, and was ready for a fifth day on the marvelous but dangerous mountain roads. Definitely the route that defines why motorcycling in northern Thailand is such a draw
is the Mae Hong Son loop. Hundreds of kilometres of amazing views, challenging (!) roads, great places to stay, remote hill tribe settlements and, just for good measure, the highest mountain in
Thailand (Doi Inthanon, 2560m) approached through an avenue of fragrant rhododendrons... The last day of the trip was one of the best, the roads became more and more beautiful, it was a pleasure
riding the motorbike under the sun, smelling respectively burning wood, flowers, pine trees, aromatic plants...
Once again, I hiked completely alone to the nearby idyllic Mae Pan waterfalls. What a great feeling to be in harmony with nature, without any human-made noises or pollutions. Only me in a green
decor, with the sounds or running waters, squirrels and birds... My only regret is that I wasn't able to swim in the chill pools, because of my wounds... Snif!
After filling up my gas tank a last time, and a final break near an impressive waterfall, I concluded this great trip and came back to Chiang Mai & Vladi. I bought a new basket, changed it on
the motorbike, cleaned it and tried to make the little scratches disappear. A success cause the motorbike rental didn't notice anything, and gave me back my deposit! Ouf!
BACK IN CHIANG MAI
I came back in Chiang Mai just in time to:
- watch the great victory of France upon Ireland in the 6 nations rugby tournament
- prepare a "surprise" breakfast for Vladi, on Valentine's day
- rest my old bone in our comfy room after the exhausting motorbike trip!
As you were plenty asking for Vladi's come back, here she is, telling you in french the story of her thai massage curses for 2 weeks in the Sunshine Massage School of Chiang Mai...
Et pourquoi ne pas apprendre à masser?
Très chers et fidèles lecteurs,
Mon intérêt pour le massage ne date pas d’hier. D’ailleurs dès les premières semaines de ma vie, il a joué un rôle très important. Peu d’entre vous le savent mais je suis née avec une déformation
importante du pied gauche d’origine inconnue. Faut dire que pour ce genre de «détails» à la fin des années 70, dans un pays comme la Bulgarie en pleine guerre froide, les médecins ne se posaient
pas trop de questions. Le verdict médical est tombé comme une évidence dès le premier examen: « Bah vous allez avoir du mal à la marier celle-là, une boiteuse….faut espérer
qu’elle sera très commode pour avoir une chance! ». On peut dire que toubib n°1 n’y est pas allé avec le dos de la cuillère, n’est-ce pas?
Heureusement que mes parents ont eu la TRES bonne idée de consulter un autre spécialiste qui leur a suggéré une longue rééducation et l’usage de semelles orthopédiques pendant quelques années.
Des kinés il n’y en avait que dans les hôpitaux, des hôpitaux que dans les plus grandes villes, et comme on habitait dans une petite mon père a suivi les instructions du toubib N°2 à la lettre:
massages du pied et mouvements appropriés tous les jours. Est-ce pour cela que j’adore me faire masser et masser les autres, j’en sais rien. Ce long voyage en Asie - le berceau de toutes les
techniques de relaxation manuelle - a été pour moi une opportunité inespérée d’apprendre quelques types de massage à un prix dérisoire.
Je me suis lancée dès notre arrivée sur le continent, en Indonésie avec le massage Balinais. Cette formation a été suivie par une autre de Réfléxologie dans la fameuse école Wat Po à Bangkok,
puis une troisième de massage aux pierres chaudes à Chiang Mai (nord de la Thaïlande). Pour finir j’ai choisi la plus difficile: formation de 60 heures sur deux semaines au Massage Thaïlandais.
Suivre ces cours en dernier lieu était une sage décision car cette étonnante technique, mélange de yoga, de stretching & de massage s’est avérée assez complexe…
Mais commençons par le commencement! D’abord le choix de l’école. Faire le tour des nombreuses écoles à Chiang Mai m’a paru indispensable. Avec tout le temps libre que j’avais, c’était d’ailleurs
un réél plaisir. A pied, une carte de la ville à la main (qui me servait plus souvent d’éventail tellement je suis nulle avec les cartes!) ou en tuk-tuk (moto-taxi local), je me perdais sans
arrêt dans les rues de cette grande ville. Et puis quelle meilleure excuse pour s’offrir une troisième noix de coco de la journée ou s’acheter un bracelet ultra flash que de se dire qu’on est
obligé de passer par tous ces petits marchés avant d‘arriver à destination??? « Sunshine massage school » m’a tout de suite plue: spacieuse, calme, ancienne, réputée. Les profs parlent
un anglais correct et circulent dans les couloirs sans traîner les pieds (se comporter ainsi au travail m’est aussi incompréhensible que mettre le réveil lorsqu’on est en vacances). L’accueil y
est fait par un personnage différent que l’hôtesse d’accueil à Wat Po (Bangkok), qui avait l’air à la fois amoureuse de son téléphone et de sa lime à ongles, et dotée d’un QI tout juste supérieur
à celui de mon chien…
Notre groupe est multinational, 9 personnes de 7 pays (Bulgarie, Laos, UK, USA, France, Allemagne, Belgique). Les deux semaines passées ensemble sont extrêmement gaies & sympas. Tout le monde
est motivé, on masse et on se fait masser 6 heures par jour! Travail en duo avec changement du partenaire chaque jour. C’est très important pour se familiariser avec les différents types de
corps. Je ne vous étonnerais pas si je vous disais qu’une fille de 1m70 - 55 kg est plus facile à masser qu’un mec de 1m90 - 95 kg, ni que les postures yoga utilisées lors du massage thaïlandais
ne sont pas les mêmes pour les personnes de 30 et de 60 ans. Les journées passent à une vitesse folle entre le travail, les rires, les cris (et oui, c’est le métier qui rentre!), les pauses
déjeuner, les récits des mésaventures amoureuses de notre prof thaïlandaise - une fille fort belle ayant un léger problème de sélection…..de mecs. J’ai beaucoup apprécié la sagesse de Michèle,
une française d’origine laotienne âgée de 42 ans. Elle fait partie de ces gens avec qui je commence une conversation sûre de moi et de mes idées du haut de mes 30 ans, et grâce à qui je finis en
me disant que je ne sais rien, que je commence seulement à deviner la vie, que la connaissance est encore loin, très loin devant moi. Cotoyer l’anglaise Faye était aussi intéressant. Elle me
rappelle ma sœur cadette Monica, et moi même aussi…il y a 10 ans! Fraîche, jeune, naïve, audacieuse et radieuse. La vie sera-t-elle le changement permanent, un changement qui entraîne et qui
marque tout le monde?
Le jour de l’examen final arrivé, tout le monde potasse jusqu’à la dernière minute. Un tirage au sort décide de mon passage avec le belge Philippe. Dire que j’ai depuis toujours de la chance aux
examens ne sera pas exagéré. Je sait que Faye aurait échangé sans la moindre hésitation son modèle britannique de 95 kg (Richard) contre le mien: 70 kg made in Belgium! Mais il n’est pas
questions de tricher lors d’un examen (surtout si ça m’arrange pas JJ). Je me présente lors de l’examen en effectuant un massage Thaï complet de 2h15. A la fin la figure endormie d’un Philip
ultra relaxé me confirme que j’ai réussi l’épreuve. Yes!!!
La remise des certificats se fait dans une ambiance chaleureuse et zen à la fois, musique de relaxation oblige! D’un commun accord, le rendez-vous pour faire la fête le soir même est fixé dans
une espèce de resto-marché-barbecue de 400 m2 en plein air. La fiesta se poursuit dans le très pris Reggae Bar où je danse beaucoup, m’amuse bien, bois peu… 30 ans l’âge de raison?
Voilà les amis, maintenant que vous êtes au courant de mes nouveaux talents, n’hésitez pas à me demander un petit massage lors de notre prochaine rencontre. Je me ferai un plaisir de vous
détendre car il paraît que la France est morose, que l’économie se porte mal, que la côte du président est tombée à 36 % et que le port du casque sur les pistes de ski sera rendu obligatoire
d’ici 3 ans!!!
Je vous embrasse tous de loin en y mettant du cœur.
VLADISLAVA
KOH LANTA
From Bangkok, it took us 46 hours to reach the island of Koh Lanta! A true nightmare! The first bus was very late, then we had to change buses several times (each time losing hours). Once we
broke down on the motorway and spent the night in the middle of nowhere waiting for another bus, then a second night in a poor guesthouse in Krabi, cause it was too late to take the boat! Finally
the next day, after 2 last short crossing by ferries, and a tuk-tuk ride, we found a cheap and quiet bungalow, in front of a lovely beach. Ouf!
We loved Koh Lanta. Perfect weather, nice beaches, green mountains, awesome sunsets, and fortunately no tsunami! The island has some roads, so you can easily discover it by renting a scooter, and
find yourself a "private" deserted beach for the day. Especially in the southern part of the island. My advice: GO SOUTH!!! We shared a bamboo bungalow near Klong Nin beach with spiders, ants,
mosquitoes, geckos, mice, cockroaches, beetles, flies, crabs, and we enjoyed it! We stayed 12 days, sometimes just chilling out reading, snoozing and having the occasional pineapple shakes,
sometimes exploring the different beaches, sometimes going on day-trips to nearby other paradisiac islands...
Not too far from our bungalow, and looking down on the gorgeous Nui beach, let me introduce you to our favourite bar. When we were there, sipping cold beers, watching the beauty of the Andaman
sea, we really began to think that our lucky days were about to end... But not yet!
One day we went snorkeling by speed boat to Koh Rok, which is 45km south of Koh Lanta. Two perfect little neighbouring islands in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by reef and beautiful clear
water. It was a good day and we spotted plenty of fish, including some new stuff we hadn't seen yet. Vladi has improved a lot, and now she really enjoys snorkeling! We had lunch on a beautiful
beach, surrounded by huge varans, and numerous tiny "bernard l'hermites'...
Each beach on Koh Lanta has its own charm. But I think we found a hidden heaven within the island: the little Nui bay. A piece of paradise. With charming soft golden sand and calm emerald green
water, this picture-perfect hideaway beach offers both views: in front of you the azure-water Andaman sea, at the back tropical green hills and coconut trees... Only a few people come around this
area, cause it's more difficult to reach. Indeed the paved road changes to a dirty-dusty road, and you need a good motorbike or a four wheel drive vehicle. But if natural beauty is what you're
looking for, it's definitely worth stopping by... Here no bungalows, no restaurants, almost no tourists, just a guy playing guitar, selling pineapples and coconuts in a little hut called the
"Robinson bar". This wonderful beach was so delightful and tranquil, that we came several times to get some great relaxation...
Obviously it was impossible to come to Koh Lanta without visiting the nearby Koh Phi Phi island. Since I'd watched Danny Boyle's movie "the Beach" with Leonardo Di Caprio, Virginie Ledoyen and
Guillaume Canet, 10 years ago, I was dreaming of this place. Of course it's now very touristic, with tons of people, not the kind of place we love to stay, but the island of Kho Phi Phi Leh is
still magic. Worth a daytrip. Enjoy the pictures!
OK! That's it! We are now back in Bangkok, and in a few days we'll be back in France. Below is the map of our itinerary in Southeast Asia: five months through Indonesia (Bali + Lombok), Malaisia,
Thailand Laos & Cambodia. It was great, but it's finally time to end this amazing 500 days trip around the world. I hope you liked the pictures, and that I was able to make you, in a way,
travel with us. Don't worry, I'll right one or two more articles to conclude that blog, to take stock of our journey, to thank all the people that have helped us during this "once in a lifetime"
adventure. So take care and see you soon, my friends!!!
IN FRENCH FOR THEO
Aujourd'hui ton parrain est faineant! Donc juste une chose: J"ARRIVE!!!!!!
Autumn in Patagonia (ARGENTINA)
