Cevennes: South-East France

Travelling through Europe is not something I have posted on a lot. But then, for the past eight years, I've been to Europe during my summer holidays. The place we’ve been to the last six(!) times is a camping site called Cevennes Provence near Anduze in the South of France. The first time we went to Cevennes Provence, we fell in love with the place, and since then we’ve just been going back. Either going to the camp site after a bad experience somewhere else, or as a starting point for discovering some other part of Southern Europe. However, every year, we’ve had a different place for our tent. The best thing about the camp site is the amount of privacy you have at the vast majority of places. Of course, there is a ‘pull-hut’ (caravanning) area in the flat lower part of the camp site. This is where the places are nice, orderly and where the people are nice and orderly. Our site, was not so orderly, like we are not so orderly.

Camping is nice, but one needs to eat as well. Eating in this sense, is more than just using the rudimentary camping kitchen tools. Our favorite tool for selecting restaurants is the Guide Rouge, or the online version at ViaMichelin. This time, we selected a simple restaurant near Ales: Auberge des Voutins in Mejannes Les Ales. However, the restaurant is a Bib Gourmand (), which is the Guide Rouge's indication that you get a good meal/menu for a decent(relatively low) price. While Anna enjoyed her lamb, I enjoyed duck breast and a fish soup. We finished of course with a selection of cheeses and a beautiful dessert!

However, even North Europeans looking for a warmer climate can become climate change refugees. When the weather forecast predicted a couple of days with 36 degree Celsius, we decided that warm is good, but hot is probably a little too much. Especially for our poor dog. So after a week we left the Cevennes again and moved to the French Alps.

Koh Tao

Koh Tao, a white pearl in the Gulf of Thailand and Diver's paradise. However, the trip to Koh Tao is more like a ride to hell. It starts with the pick up truck drive from the trainstation to the ferry pier.
Then, when (or if) you have survived the ride, you should hope for good weather. Fortunately, this year the weather was good. This gave me the opportunity to take a picture of my 2007 vacation love: the garbage/puke can. Last year's ferry was the first in a couple of days because of the bad weather. However, the weather had improved only marginally. I ended up holding the railing with one hand and this garbage can with the other, while Anna was preventing my head from slamming to other parts of the boat and two Singaporese guys were drinking beers and throwing empty beer cans in *my* garbage can every 15 minutes. But, this year's ferry ride was like a walk in the park (taking travel sickness pills helps ;-).

On Koh Tao I went back to dive with Seashell divers, the dive school where I got my PADI Open Water last year. Last year's crew was gone, but the school was still good. However, no diving to the Chumpung dive site, so no sharks..... Apparently, I chose the wrong week to dive since most people had left for the full moon parties.I did some good dives at Green Rock and White Rock and even did a night dive (one closer to my Advanced Open Water). But no Chumpung. When the Friday dive turned out to be the same as the Wednesday, I had to choose a different school. Bad plan.... Even though Jeff (from Seashell) advised me the school, JBL (I'm not sure of the name, tried to forget) was not really a success. First, my dive guide dived like he was completely alone, oblivious of me. Second, the trip was not to Chumpung, but Shark Rock (but no sharks) and finally, the longboat from the dive boat to the beach, sunk. Yes, indeed, it did sink. It started with a new guy steering the long boat in the dive boat (it's the guy in the picture on the right), smashing some woodwork to pieces, then hitting it again, almost throwing some air tanks overboard. Then, when we had all boarded this fast attack boat, we sailed off and after 30 seconds, the engine stopped and we started drifting to the reef (which is when I took this picture).... and continued drifting until we hit the reef (I had packed my camera already fortunately).Then, most of the passengers had expected the dive school crew to act professionally or at least to take the lead, but no: they got out and told everyone else to stay in the boat until the boat almost collapsed and people started leaving without instructions. Then, when everyone had abandoned ship (it's the small boat in the middle) we just swam, walked (for those who had brought their shoes) or drifted to the shore. Later that day I paid for the dive and had a well deserved mango-strawberry shake.

Bangkok

This is what Thailand looks like and this is the Thailand I dream of when I'm not in Thailand. However, this is not really the Thailand I'll be posting on.Although I will be lazy in this post, there are two stories definitely worth sharing. The first is a night out in Bangkok.
First to the Gullivans at Koa Sang Road, a shabby place with cheap drinks, waiters stalking you for an order the moment you set foot inside, backpackers (the younger ones) and Thai girls (no boys, unless you would count the ladyboy in the corner). Here I met two guys, one from Vanunu(?) and one from somewhere else (we met pretty early and the party lasted till pretty early so forgive me for not remembering all the details, but I do have the picture!). When Gullivans closed we went for a snack and some local info to the 7Eleven. Here we learned that the best place for this time of night, would probably be the Spicey. When Gullivan is shabby, this would be shabbiest (see my VirtualTourist tip). However, first we had to get there. Since Tuktuk drivers are paid by delivered customer (bad sign) 200Bath (I learned this the next day by asking a taxi driver), they don’t need to make money on the ride, so the tuktuk was for free!
After paying the 300baht(!!!!!!!!!) entrance fee (outrageous expensive for Bangkok) we entered a big sports hall with a bar on one side, three small higher podiums in the middle, a fair amount of horny drunken white guys and double the number of Thai girls (including the ladyboys). After 10 minutes, my first friend disappeared after getting into trouble: he took pictures under a hooker’s skirt(indeed, somewhat of a pervert) who was not amused and complained to her pimp (although there are not many pimps in Bangkok, this girl had one and wanted the protection). The pimp got a little upset, but after calming him down (“my friend is drunk, I’ll keep him under control”), he was cool too and understood that the girl had her part. Anyway, my new found friend thought it was time to call it a day and left. The party went on (see the YouTube insert movie) and on, and on and on, no more pics of the even shabbier places we went to afterwards. But I can tell you that I did not see the sun rise....it was already high up in the sky when I hit the sack.

I'll post seperately on the second worthy / blogggable story to post later on. For now, a slideshow with some captions for the pictures.

Singapore

Singapore is special, very, very special. It is like the white sheep in the family of Asian cities. Singapore looks like Hongkong, has a somewhat similar history, also includes a large Chinese group but Singapore is different, very, very different. So what makes it special and different? First of all, Singapore is clean. Of course you will see some sigarette buts on the pavement (but you need to look carefully) and there might be some occassional litter, but generally speaking, Singapore is as clean as for example Oslo or Stockholm. Of course, clean is a consequence of rules, very strict rules. Reason two why Singapore is different. Left, you'll see a picture from the subway showing the local fine menu. The fines are in Singapore Dollar which is worth around 50 Eurocents.

First stop: Chinatown for some dinner and cheap beers. This is the good thing about Chinatown, no matter where on earth you go, it's always the same: good food, low prices. It's like a McDonalds, but better. Singapore has more etnic areas like little India (pic left) and the Arab area (the other pic). However, although we had some good beers in Little India and excellent tea in the Arab quarters, nothing beats Chinatown!

Eating every night in Chinatown would be a little too much, so we headed for Boat Quai, a more tourist oriented area, where we paid tripple for fair food (in Chinatown it was simply good). However, the atmosphere on Boat Quai was pretty good. A lot of people and a zillion pubs and clubs close by. Our local guide Rebecca(not really local, but East coat American, but still more local than we ;-) told us to check out the Ministry of Sound. As obedient good researchers, we set out to take a closer look at this place.

Almost forgot to mention the great hotel: Sheraton Towers, not directly on Orchard road, but definately a good pick (mine :-). Below is a small movie of the relaxed coffee/smoking area outside to chill a little after breakfast and before starting a day of work.

Alan's farewell party

Lifeblog-item
Excellent lobster and steak at Alan's farewell party! Originally uploaded by iljambonsen

Fri 28/03/2008 22:21 28032008057 Alan's farewell party in Amsterdam

Istanbul

Istanbul is a great location for a conference! Pity, it was my first and probably last for a while. While posting, this is also a test of how to post using Nokia LifeBlog, which sucks.... So one should focus on the Istanbul part of the post and not on the layout of the post. Some tips for Istanbul: Sofitel hotel with a view over the Bosporus and the Blue Mosque, the Roxy (an excellent club with a acceptable line....) and enjoying Taxim!

Istanbul
Originally uploaded by iljambonsen

Istanbul
Originally uploaded by iljambonsen

Istanbul
Originally uploaded by iljambonsen

04 March 2008 21:14:46 Here some pictures from my stay in Istanbul

Istanbul
Originally uploaded by iljambonsen

Istanbul
Originally uploaded by iljambonsen

07 March 2008 22:16:26 Here some pictures from my stay in Istanbul

Mekong Delta

No more luxury, goodbye Hyatt.......our trip to the Mekong Delta starts at 7:45 when we are picked up by our tour guide and driver. After picking up another couple who booked the same tour, we drive for two and a half hours to XXX. The driver and guide unload the bikes and assemble them. Our first real exercise is about to start.We start cycling to a boat that will bring us to our first destination. After unloading the bikes from the boat, we start biking over small paths next to side rivers of parts of the Mekong. Lunch is served at a restaurant overlooking one of the 9 big splits (still a good mile wide) of the Mekong river. We are served grilled Elephant fish. The waitress shows us how to cut parts of the fish, put them on rice paper together with some herbs and fold them like a spring roll. With a little sauce, it is a great treat (not for Anna though, she gets the vegetables ;-). After lunch, we cycle another 15 kilometers to the ferry, to be picked up at the other side by our little van. A short drive takes us to the rice paddies. Cycling here, you really understand why the Mekong Delta is known as Vietnam's rice barn. Although the terrace style rice fields in China and around Sapa were stunning, the flat landscape filled with rice paddies is also great.

For dinner, we end up in one of the most touristic places in town on advice from our tourguide.....not the best advice. But French fries fried in fish oil is something special you should taste at least once in your life (trust me, once is more than enough).

Next morning, we visit the floating market of XXX. Since it is hard to describe, I've put in a slide show with pictures of the market (and the rest of the Mekong...PicasaWeb does not allow me to take only a few pictures from an album in a slideshow). The morning ends with another 15 kilometer bicycle ride. However, I decide to do another 5 with the guide into town to see how much a man can sweat in the burning sun ( a lot).
A quick shower in the hotel and we leave for the bus station to say goodbye. Mark and Lou-Ann are brought back to Saigon with the van while we continue our trip to Rachia with a Mailingh suicide express minivan.