|
At Koh Mook, we stayed at Mookies bungalows and enjoyed playing with a very friendly and endless energetic little puppy. We also greatly appreciate the kindness of the owner Wan and her legendary fried prawn in a tamarin sauce. The bungalow was only 300 meters from sunset beach. The best swimming beach of the whole island where Éloïse, dad and I played Marco Paulo for hours in the warm ocean. One morning, we rented a kayak and went to visit the majestic Emerald cave. An ancient pirate hiding place. Unfortunately we did not find any remainings of a treasure, but since we were at low tide, we did find the entrance of the cave. We swam across, in complet darkness, before reaching a beautiful lagoon and a small beach surrounded by impressive karstique cliffs. Not too far away we also encountered a beautiful secluded beach where we found tons of sand dollars and imagined faces in the rock formations.  Do you see the resemblance with the rock formation?
 We had this beach all to ourselves!  This is inside the cave, it opens up to this beautiful beach to reveal the pirates hiding place! On our way back, we had the chance to encounter a large flock of males hornbills (females are nesting at this time of year) playing and eating in a huge nearby tree.
Unfortunately for us, during our stay, we experienced 2 days of heavy rain. Making most of our time, we therefore took the opportunity to do some blog writing and some homework. Our last morning on the island before moving to Koh Kradan, we met a very enthusiastic guy that was happy to share with us his latest discovery. Freshly baked donuts with custard dipping. He even lent us the keys of his motor bike for us to go and taste them. I must say, he was right, it was yummy in our tommies.
1 Commentaire
After visiting the northern part of Thailand, we were excited to finally meet up with the sand and sea of the southern islands! Koh Tao, in Thai, means Turtle Island... but we didn't see any haha! We stayed at a beachfront bungalow at the Big Fish Resort. After a v-e-r-y l-o-o-n-g travel (plane from Chiang Mia in the morning yesterday, waiting around in Bangkok all day to finally take a night bus at 11pm to Chumpung, arriving at the pier at 4 am and waiting for the speed boat departing at 8am, and a taxi to the resort) we were relieved to cool off in the beautiful turquoise waters just a step away from our bungalow.   The resident dog is a golden retriever, she reminded us of Jabaw! She spent her day pacing in the water fishing...and had that same "intellegent" look that Jabaw has :) Feeling refreshed, we got ready to head out in search of a quick lunch. Luckily for us, we saw that a few people were sitting out in the garden having what looked like really good sandwiches. They were happy to share with us the location of the sandwich lady. They not only looked good, they were delicious and we went back several times for more! Our favorite was the Hawaiian fried chicken with pineapple sandwich! Dad also enjoyed the more spicy chicken sandwich. We layed back and enjoyed the beach for the rest of the day. The next day we set out to explore the island. The neighboring cove hosted a small secluded beach that we were recommended to visit. However, we had to pay 50 baht (2$) per person to access to the beach... so we decided it was a better idea to swim over instead! It was only a 15 minute swim and we used the small passageway to the beach from there. We landed on a lovely beach that was quiet and there were only a few people to share it with. We spent the day snorkeling and playing card games together at the small restaurant that had both a fabulous view and the best Pad Thai we have had so far! 
 We headed back to our bungalow and enjoyed some drinks on the beach as we watched the sun set. What a peaceful moment!  We rented motorbikes for a few days and headed out to eat in town. We quickly found what we were looking for... a small place filled with locals! Mama Tam's restaurant was just what we like: great food, decent portions and cheap-cheap price!
 We also took some time for some school work... I have to say the classroom was somewhat distracting! Pai is 3 hours north of Chang Mai. We took a minivan and I can tell you that it was a lo-o-o-ng and cu-u-u-rvy road. But I think it was worth it! Turns out that Pai is a small and lovely town. We stayed at Golden Hut Bungalows which is a nice resort by the river and is only a 1 minute walk from the town center and the awesome walking street that we adored!!
 My mom simply liked the option of: a little this and a little that ... but never went without the mango smoothies. Finally, my favorite was the BBQ chicken wrap with vegetables and a sweet chilly sauce.  She's making my wrap, miam !Besides the walking street, I enjoyed visiting Lod Cave. We rented motorbikes and the scenery to get there was magnificent. The cave itself was pretty big and my favorite part was exploring part of it on a bamboo raft. The small river inside was home to thousands of blind fish (of coarse since they live in the dark) and we feed them which was exciting! When they first discovered the cave, they found some paintings on the walls and also some really old coffins carved in tree trunks that we could see during our visit. I found this to be quite interesting.  Lod Cave: notice theThaï alphabet, it is composed of 46 letters!
 With the motorbikes, we also went to some hot springs. The water was not too hot but still I would say as hot as the air temperature so around 30 degrees or maybe a bit more. Finally, we also walked on a long bamboo bridge that went over a rice field. The field was not in season but the views were really nice. I especially enjoyed watching some buffalo calves playing and running around and the others grazing in the field.  Here, there was a really old, handmade big wheel swing. My sister and I tried it out with the help of dad, but it wasn’t long before we determined that it was definately unsafe and so although it was fun... we quickly got off before someone got hurt. Le départ et l'arrivée à BangkokC’est en chemin vers notre test PCR prédépart que maman reçoit un courriel nous informant de l’annulation de notre vol vers Bangkok prévu demain. Maman est déconfite, mais au final tout s’arrange pour le mieux et on part comme prévu à quelques heures près :-) Nous arrivons donc à Bangkok après 26 heures de trajet (Montréal- Frankfurt-Bangkok). Un petit autobus nous amène ensuite à l’hôtel 5 étoiles, le Sukosol, où nous ferons un nouveau test PCR et où nous serons en quarantaine jusqu’à la réception de notre résultat négatif (programme « test and go »). Heureusement, après une bonne sieste, nous recevons nos résultats, et pouvons enfin profiter de la magnifique piscine!!
Après deux nuits à Bangkok nous prenons un vol interne vers le Nord pour Chiang Mai. Chiang MaiArrivé à Chiang Mai, nous emménageons à l’hotel Kristie. Un bel hotel, en plein centre ville tout juste en face d’un temple où nous entendons le chant des moines lors de leurs périodes de prières.  Le garçon à la réception nous informe que nous sommes dimanche. Hé oui, en voyage nous perdons la notion du temps assez vite ;-) Il nous suggère donc d’aller souper au «Sunday night market». C’est le retour pour nous des marchés de rue, des kiosques de nourritures alléchantes et des « smoothies » à la mangue, à l’ananas, aux fruits de la passions, etc.
Le lendemain, nous rencontrons un jeune couple Tayne (Thaïlandaise originaire de la région) et Liam (anglais) avec qui nous nous lions d’amitié. Ils ont tôt fait de nous recommander pleins de bonnes petites adresses pour manger. Notre préférée est le marché de nuit situé près de la porte sud de l’ancienne murale où nous nous sommes régalés à plusieurs reprises de jarrets de porc longue cuisson, de saucisses, de smoothies, de crêpes au Nutella et à la banane. Un vrai festin et pour pas chère à part de cela!!
Toutes cette nourriture nous ayant inspiré, un cours de cuisine c’est donc imposé au programme. Le temps d’une journée, nous avons ainsi appris à concocter Tom Yum, soupe à la coconut, Pad Thai, riz frit, rouleaux de printemps, sauté au poulet et aux noix de cashew, curry vert-jaune-rouge, riz collant à la mangue et banane dans le lait de coco. Inutile de vous dire qu’on est sortie de là le bedon bien rond et avec des restants pour deux jours! Récolte d'ingrédients frais aux jardins Sous la direction de la Cheffe cuisinière... on exécute!
Les rouleaux de printemps, miam!
Soupe à la noix de coco! La dégustation festive!! Sans oublié les déserts! "Mango sticky rice" et bananes dans le lait de coco.. trop bon!
Nous louons ensuite des motos quelques jours afin de mieux explorer la région. Le premier jour, nous nous lançons dans une randonnée pour aller voir un temple enfouie dans la jungle. Il est éblouissant de beauté! Il compte de nombreuses statues en pierre de Bouda et divers animaux (paons, lions, tigre, etc.). Notre préférée est un bas relief représentant un bébé éléphant tenant une fleur de lotus dans sa trompe. 
Nous poursuivons ensuite notre chemin en direction du temple Doi Suthep. Un temple bien vivant où de nombreux Thaïs viennent se recueillirent et où se trouve un immense gong. Le plus grand que nous avons vu et testé ;-) à ce jour.
 Le deuxième jour, sous les recommendations des cousins, nous allons à la découverte des « sticky waterfalls ». Des chutes d’eau dont la pierre calcaire très adhérente nous permettent de jouer à les remonter nus pieds pendant des heures. Que de plaisir ! De retour à Chiang Mai, nous avons ensuite échangé nos motos pour une voiture et nous voilà en direction du parc national Doi Inthanon où se trouve le sommet de la Thaïlande (2599m). Petites randonnées, rencontre avec les habitants issues de minorités ethnique montagnarde, forêt vierge, oiseaux rares-endémiques et camping sont au rendez vous.
 
Le souper est quand à lui l’occasion de découvrir les « hot pot » version Thaïlandaise. Un genre de repas à la mi-chemin entre la fondue et le BBQ. On vous dépose d’abord un recipient de terre cuite au centre de la table dans lequel se trouve le charbon de bois surmonté d’un sombréro (perforé) en aluminum. Le rebord faisant office de récipient, on vous verse ensuite le bouillon dans lequel sera bouilli légumes, fines herbes, œufs et viandes diverses. Au sommet du sombréro, un morceau de gras est planté et dégouline au fur et à mesure du repas le long du sombréro jusque dans le bouillon. Ce dernier à donc la double fonction d’anti adhérent, puisque le sombréro est utilisé comme espace de grillade, et de rehausseur de goût pour le bouillon. Dommage que nous n’ayons pas de place dans les bagages, j’aurais bien rapporté un set à la maison !!  Dernier arrêt de notre périple avant Pai, les pagodes flottantes. Comme leurs nom l’indique, il s’agit de pagodes juchées sur la crête d’une petite montagne et qui par temps de brouillard donnent l’impression de flotter. N’empêche, après avoir gravie une bonne partie de la montagne en 4x4 puis les 750 marches, la vue y est magnifique et il s’y dégage une ambiance d’une sérénité peu commune  From Siem Reap (Cambodia), we took a flight to Louang Prabang in the northern part of Laos. Initially we were supposed to cross the boarder by land and visit the south and center of Laos, too, but 8 months is just not enough... so we decided to concentrate our visit to the north and take the time it takes to visit this part well. We landed just in time for sunset! Flying over Louang Prabang, the first impression was how mountainous the region seemed. The second impression came when we stepped off the plane. Up until now we have been exposed to temperatures of over 30 degrees... and now it felt soo cold!! Ok, so the temperature after verification was 24 degrees, but it took us a few days to adjust and to stop wearing our coats!
My parents kept saying how much it looked like the villages in Switzerland. The streets were clean and the houses made of wood reminded them of the architecture of those in Switzerland. It was really beautiful and now I can't wait to visit Switzerland too! I also noticed that the Tuk Tuks were really different. They looked more like minivans. The passenger space was able to accomodate up to 10-12 people (as opposed to 2-4 in Cambodia). We saw seberal boudist pagodas and there were many monks walking in the streets.   We learned a bit about the life of monks. For example. monks can only eat after the sunrise and until noon. They fast the rest of the time but they can drink water at any time. It is incouraged for all boudist men to become monks at least once in their lifetime for an undertermined duration of their choice.
When someone becomes a monk, they give up all material possessions including money so they rely on donations for living. They also give up anything that represents beauty in order to concentrate on things that really matter. This is why 4 times a month, they shave their hair and eyebrows. They spend their days taking care of their pagoda and doing alot of mediation and praying, individually and in groups. This includes chanting which we had a chance to witness. It was a beautiful moment, I suggest you close your eyes and listen :)
The atmosphere in Louang Prabang was very serene. Just walking around and seeing their way of life was intriguing and peaceful. For example, here are corn paddies and hot chilies set out to dry in an alley. Also, have a look at the bamboo bridge. Every year they have to rebuild this bridge because during the rainy season it gets washed out!
 The other thing that was great about Lounag Prabang was the discovery of a roadside pancake and smoothy shop. Since my dad was able to negociate with the kind lady, a price that felt like a prize, we went back every morning! Hey… 1$ goes a long way here so we, the children, were not about to argu, besides why would we not enjoy fresh fruit smoothies (passion fruit, mango, pineapple, etc) and delicious nutella and fresh fruit (banana, pineapple) pancakes!! Also, the money in the different counrties is different. Here in Laos they use Kips... and we are millionnaires!! 
Finally, we went to visit some near by falls. They were gorgeous and it was great to jump in for the refreshement after the hike up!
They use the ladder to climb up and reach the palm flowers. There are male and female flowers, I thought that was interesting. The flowers don't really look like flowers though, they look more like green banches with little spikes about the size of my forearm. For about 2 weeks, they climb up every day and use a wooden tool to squeeze the flowers in order to soften them. After this, they cut the tip, a little more everyday, and collect the sap in small bamboo containers.
Did you ever wonder where silk comes from? We got a chance to visit a silk farm to see for ourselves. Here is a video to share what I learned!
On arrival, we scattered around the whole city looking for the best adventurous trek in the jungle. We decided to wait for our French friends Clement, Robin, Madelaine and Édouard to see if they would be interested in joining us in a 2 day trek during which we would have the chance to sleep into hamacs in the middle of the jungle! What a great adventure !! Gladly, everything work out and on the next morning we jumped into a tuk tuk and off we went... direction the jungle :-) We soon found out that both of our supposedly english speaking guides had quite limited english communication skills as the answer of any question was always “I do not know”!!!
We walked all morning through a dense forest until we reached a first waterfall. We had the chance to dip in and cool off. Soo great !! 
In the afternoon, the walk became a bit more difficult with quite a few rivers and streams to cross, sometimes on precarious bridges or rocks and sometimes simply walking through the stream. Removing our shoes and putting them back on was a bit long and annoying so all the children start using theirs dads shoulders as tuk tuks... until the guides decided to build little bridges with rocks in the shallower streams. At one point, we thought one of our guides went crazy! After helping 2 of the 4 children to cross on the rocks, he took a big rock and threw it on one side of the stream with a big “Hurgh” like sound. He then grabbed something by the tail and wacked it on a rock. At first, mom thought it was a fish, or a frog or a ... then we all realized it was a big lizard (iguana type of lizard). As if nothing happened, he then proceeded to help the other 2 children cross the stream. Once we were all on the other side, our guide simply grabbed it by the tail and carried it over his shoulder. He then said two new words “hum supper”. That promised to be interesting!  Arrived at our spot for the night, we hung out our hamacs and started a fire to cook the supper. The guides then cut some bambou to make glasses for the parents to drink rice whisky. Judging by their faces it must be quite strong. Our guides then cut 1 meter long bambou pieces in order to use them as pots over the fire. They sliced all the vegetables and pork, added a little bit of water and placed them on an angle over the fire. That made a delicious stew !! The lizard was cooked separately, boiled in a regular pot. Surprisingly, it was very good and had a sweet taste. Shortly after, it was time to sleep as we were all tired. We had one of our best night in this trip so far listening to all the jungle sounds was just amazing! Despite a quite difficult trek, the second day went by just as fast as the first, between walking and swimming under cascades and waterfalls, we had such a great time with our friends and family. I hope we will have the chance to see them again in Siem Riep!
This island was magical !We had an awesome bungalow, with a great view on the ocean and with hammocks on the front porch to relax and enjoy the view. We met really nice people that we now call friends. They were all from different regions of France so we got to speak lots of french ! We spent time playing pool (a new game I learned how to play). One of the beachfront restaurants offered pizza, cooked in a woodstove oven, right on the beach. YUMMY !!! And what to say about watching the sunset, swimming and drinking a mango shake on the beach, life is good!  
Bioluminescent PlanktonPlankton is a very very small organism that can be present in the oceans of the world. It is eaten by many fish. Around Koh Rong Samloem, this plankton is bioluminescent. This means that it glows in the dark ! To see it glow, we have to trigger it by moving our hands or feet in the water. This causes stress on the plankton which in turn causes a chemical reaction that creates a blueish light. The plankton uses this strategy to scare away preditors. When we first stepped into the water and moved our feet around… we saw nothing. My dad was about to say « lets go for supper, there is nothing to see ! » But, that is when I put my head under water and saw the magic ! It was like a star filled sky under water ! I would move my hands and it was like fireworks in front of my eyes !!! I was screaming in my snorkel so all my family quickly joined me and the fun. It also reminded me of fireflies. We stayed at least one hour enjoying this natural spectacle. We couldn’t miss out on going back the next night. Some of our friends joined in the fun with us, what a wonderful time we had ! Although we did spend some time doing school work (it was hard to concentrate because there was soo much to see and do) we had a great time and we were really sad to say goodbye to all our new friends when it was time to go...
We explored the island on bicylces and saw lots of beautiful flowers. We also saw chickens everywhere, some had chicks following them. There were also many cows along the way. We did a boat tour and saw some fish farms. Vietnamese men went underwater to fish using a hose connected to a pump that provided them with oxygen. They put the hose directly in their mouth! We also visited a fruit plantation and got to see and taste rambutans. We ate them fresh, but also cooked. Yummy!!!
We had some fun family time, playing cards in the hamacs :) Cheers!  |
AuteurOlivier: 10 ans Archives
Septembre 2022
|
Flux RSS