TravelBio

Sorry for the delay in posting; since I've been without Internet I haven't kept updating the blog.  Well to be fair I haven't written any blog entries lately either, mostly out of laziness.  But here is a recap of my return trip to Laos: From Isaan in northeastern Thailand I crossed the border into Laos near Vientiane, the capital.  Until the 90s there was no bridge connecting the two countries within reach of Vientaine, so travelers had to take a ferry.  Luckily now I could use the Thai-Laos friendship bridge and get to the city with little hassle. you can see Thailand from the Lao capital Before I crossed over the tuk-tuk driver (motorcycle turned taxi with a back seat compartment installed) took me to a tourist info center.  They asked to see my passport and gave me immigration papers to fill out.  Then they told me I had to pay the 400 Baht fee ($13).  Now the visa fee for Laos is $35 USD - what am I paying them extra for, I asked? ...

Once the festivities on Phi Phi were finished it was time for me to say my goodbyes to the group of travelers I had been with since Koh Phagnan.  The four Welsh guys were soon off to Australia via Malaysia and Singapore.  Their plan was to find jobs once they arrived in Australia, or Oz as they called it.  The two English girls were already off to Singapore too. As for me I was reversing course and heading back north.  After a stopover in Bangkok my next destination was Isaan.  Isaan is the northeastern region of Thailand, home to over 20 million people but rarely visited by backpackers.  One reason is that Isaan lacks the beaches of the south or hip mountain towns of the far north. Isaan is in green But that was fine with me.  After spending more than enough time in the touristy areas of Thailand (and there are many) I was ready to get off the beaten track a bit.  Isaan as a whole isn't necessarily a wild frontier for tourists - ma...

Following the festivities for the Full Moon Party on Koh Phagnan, it may have made sense to take a few days off.  But no, we were headed to Koh Phi Phi, another party island.  There aren't any huge festivals on Phi Phi, but it is known for the nightly party vibe at bars beachside.  Last time on Phi Phi I took a shot at the fire jump rope but didn't repeat the act this time. Once is enough for me On of the most famous bars on Koh Phi Phi is Reggae Bar.  The name is misleading because it is anything but a chill out spot.  The bar features a muay thai ring where foreigners can fight each other and where Thais put on a show of their skills.  Muay Thai is a fighting style where combatants can use their hands and legs, but cannot wrestle on the floor like MMA (mixed martial arts).  Luckily the foreigners get lots of pads, because the kicks can be brutal. If a foreigner volunteers to fight they 'earn' a free bucket of alcohol.  Typicall...

The Welsh / English group I had traveled with in Laos was headed to Koh Phagnan for the Full Moon Party on May 25th.  As it turned out my flight from Germany back to Bangkok arrived on the 20th, so I decided to join in for the fun.  After a night in Bangkok plus a red eye overnight train I met up with the gang on the 22nd. While traveling in Vietnam they had met an American who owned a hostel on Phagnan and he booked us for five nights at his place.  The hostel itself was quite nice, but it was a ways away from the full moon beach.  We had to take a taxi, or more appropriately a pick-up truck, to the party beach (all taxis are either pick-ups or moto bikes).  It really wasn't that bad; the drive took only 15 minutes, plus we rented out scooters to drive around the island as well (though not for the night of the party - I wouldn't want to try and navigate those hairpin turns after a few too many drinks!). Here is a map of Koh Phagnan; the Full Mo...