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northern Thailand – Chiang Mai

Andrei — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:19:17 +0000

Chiang Mai is small town in northern Thailand, famous for the many activities one can do. From elephant riding, trekking, rafting, visiting the tiger zoo to enjoying the many markets and strolling the old town.

And of course you cannot skip the many temples in the old town. When I left for Asia I was thinking that all the temples will look mostly similar. Yet I couldn’t be further away from the truth! It’s such an amazing variety, that I never suffered from “temple fatigue”.

The days I spent in Chiang Mai were split between a short trek to an elephant camp – were I enjoyed riding the huge beasts (great fun), visiting the main city and going to Doi Suthep (one of the larger temples in Thailand and definitely a sight to behold). Today’s photos are from the Chiang Mai proper, with elephant pictures and Doi Suthep coming the next days.

see the rest of the gallery

leaving Laos

Andrei — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:40:23 +0000

This is the last photo gallery from Laos – images from Luang Prabang street life, temples and life on the river. The last pictures are taken from the airplane, leaving for Siem Reap. Previous galleries from laos can be found here and here.

Enjoy the photos. Laos is an amazing destination, with friendly people, beautiful places and a certain French air. Also some of the best coffee I ever drank (second only to Vietnam’s finest).

Laos is one of the smaller countries in the region, yet it managed to really amaze me. Luang Prabang has a relaxed rhythm and the best night market I found. A real pleasure to stroll around stalls with handicrafts, even if not buying. The old colonial French buildings, and the large number of French signs, give an air of unassuming sophistication. I have never seen so many beautiful guesthouses, cafes and restaurants in such a small town. It’s no wonder that Luang Prabang is on the UNESCO heritage list. Last but not least, walking on unpaved roads, exchanging ‘goodmornings’ with young monks and schoolchildren, and enjoying fruit juice in a plastic bag (delicious by the way) has a certain charm, lacking in the larger cities of the region.

For a holiday away from holiday place, Laos is a wonderful choice.

see the rest of the gallery –

Luang Prabang in images

Andrei — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:29:42 +0000

Here are a few more pictures from Luang Prabang. These photos were mostly taken at the different temples in Luang Prabang. For more images you can check my previous post.

Luang Prabang – Laos

Andrei — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:21:06 +0000

alms giving to monks

For some Laos is the “real” Asia. Of course, every country is very real. From the BTS in Bangkok to the hill tribes to relaxed Laos to crazy traffic in Hanoi. Looking for the “real” Asia (re: rice fields, fastest vehicles being bicycles and a very slow life) means ignoring the places and people in-front of you. And enjoying the differences between the countries and peoples is a whole part of my (great) experience I had In Asia.

Having said that, once you step out of the plane in Luang Prabang you feel that time slows down a bit. Life gets a bit more sluggish, the traffic IS made up mostly of bicycles and life seems more relaxed (at least for the tourists).

At one point I got scared by a car horn. One gets used to quietness, and starts to appreciate it (more-so in retrospect as after Laos I went to Cambodia with crazy Phnom Penh).

Enjoy some of the photos I took in Luang Prabang.

night market in Luang Prabang

See the full photo gallery…

Luang Prabang (Laos)

sign at hostel entrance

night market in Luang Prabang

alms giving to monks

street traffic

parasols

happy birthday…to me and my blog

Andrei — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:01:59 +0000

Well, doing a bit of cleaning around the blog I discovered that I started writing and posting photos exactly last year. First post – a ‘hello world’ kind of message – was posted on Jan 31, 2009. So, with a delay of 4 days – happy birthday to my blog!

I wonder what the second year will bring – more photos for sure – but what else? Last time I traveled I found that it is pretty hard to blog ‘on the road‘ so probably travel posts will come once I return home. A lot of people asked me how much a specific trip did cost (there is a general idea that traveling is extremely expensive) or how I organize things (when I …err….organize). Maybe this kind of information would be helpful / interesting.

I am also playing with a few idea in my head regarding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ I travel – so maybe some posts on these themes. It’s going to be an interesting year…I think.

Any comment with suggestions on themes will be appreciated. Not necessarily put in practice of course.

Hanoi

Andrei — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:43:14 +0000

Following the last post – and as a sign of my re-found travel itch – here are some photos took last year in Vietnam. I spent only about 5 days in Vietnam, of which 3 were in Halong Bay (I put some pictures on my blog). The remaining 2 days were spent in Hanoi – a big yet beautiful city. With a crazy traffic (a bit more crazy than the rest of SE Asia).

I was lucky to spend the weekend there, so all the parks were full with people enjoying the late autumn. Lots of photo opportunities!

Here are some of the photos, and as I process more I will continue to upload. Enjoy!

And here is the part two of the gallery. As I have not posted in a pretty long time there is a large number of photos just waiting to be uploaded and shared. Vietnam is such a colorful anf photographic country that I caould not stop taking pictures.

beginning of spring ?

Andrei — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:15:35 +0000

After a long period of freezing under the snow and quietly longing for the weather in Asia, it seems we are nearing spring. Finally.

And so I start again to fret about new destinations, new travels, new adventures… Maybe I will not leave very soon (or who knows?) however I started again to look over guidebooks and most importantly over pictures I took last year.

And so – expect to see a new set of pictures coming soon!

de casa noua

Andrei — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:13:17 +0000

Nu, nu e (inca) vorba de mine in casa noua, desi o sa fie in curand un post si despre asta.

Este vorba de relocarea “virtuala” a unei bune prietene, care acum are propriul domeniu si a shiny new Wordpress. La a carui instalare cu modestie am participat. Bianca scrie despre fotografie, despre ceea ce incercam sa realizam ca oameni, despre pasiunea ei pentru biciclete (haha) si ii place sa creeze liste. De cate 20 de lucruri.

Va recomand saaruncati un ochi - blogul Biancai >

Bangkok

Andrei — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:54:25 +0000

Bangkok is a very interesting city for a tourist. It is the gateway to Asia, so sooner or later everyone arrives here. Some will leave the city as quickly as possible, and some will stay longer. Besides the heat, air pollution, traffic and the annoying distances between the interesting places, Bangkok has a lot to offer.

From the amazing Royal Palace, which can take the better part of a day to fully visit to the beautiful temples, and from a cruise on the river to people watching from a bar on Sukhumvit there is something for everyone. And of course, there are the famous places like Khao San Rd or Nana Plaza, and shopping opportunities for every taste.

And of course, there are countless massage places, go-go bars, clubs, beer bars and a general nice party atmosphere. One cannot survive in a city so big without a healthy doze of ’sanuk’or fun.

Enjoy the photos – and there are some tips after the gallery.

I stayed in Bangkok at the beginning of November, and here are some of my thoughts and findings about the city:

the food – be it from the little street stalls or the countless little restaurants scattered everywhere – is amazing. I especially liked pad thai and my favourite yom tom.
at first it seems confusing, but you adapt pretty quickly – in Thailand people drive on the left of the road
no need, especially when traveling alone, to take a cab to/from the airport. From the airport one can take the Express buses which serve most areas with hotels or hostels. To the airport I took the public bus 552 from the On Nut BTS station. Which brings me to…
the BTS – or better known as Skytrain – is the (not quite complete) best way to get around Bangkok. It is fast, cannot get stuck in the traffic jams and it has AC (actually it feels like a freezer)
a boat trip on the river – even with the express boat – is a great experience
while at first it might seem a great idea, Khao San Rd is not the best place for accommodations, except if you really want to live “the Beach”experience
maybe the most important advice – which is also prominently featured in Lonely Planet – the Royal Palace is not closed. Nor is there such a thing as “thai only day”. And even if you arrive in shorts, they have pants, skirts and shirts for rent so neither is this a good reason for not gaining admittance. The number of scams starting at the Royal Palace is amazing.

S.21

Andrei — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:58:32 +0000

This is not going to be a cheerful post. S21 – for those who do not know – is the codename for one of the most brutal prisons, where thousands of people were tortured. It all happened when the Khmers Rouges rulled Cambodia, between 1974 – 1979. In the name of creating a better society – a perfect agrarian utopia – the Pol Pot regime managed to kill more than 3 millions Cambodians. From the moment the Khmers came to power and Phnom Penh fell, a giant program of extermination started. Until the Vietnamese army invaded in 1979 and put a stop to the madness, Pol Pot regime hunted its own people. Mass exodus from the cities (the city symbolized corruption), imprisonment, torture and ultimately death were what Khmers Rouges did. Even though that 30 years have passed, only now one of the last chapters of the nightmare ends. Deuch – the chief of the best known prison S21 – faces the tribunal for genocide. Some of the leaders of that regime already escaped justice – Pol Pot died.

Visiting S21, an old high school located in central Phnom Penh is an eerie experience. The countless photos of the killed (men, women, children) are haunting.