Sunday, May 27, 2007
GUEST SAY'S "Fantastic Little Place"
We stayed in Akwa for 5 nights from 16th May to the 21st May 07 and really enjoyed our stay. You pay for what you get and you get a lot at AKWA. The rooms, which i think there are only 5 of them are really funky with bright blues and reds and everything but they pull it off very well. Its really the small things that make the difference at AKWA though, such as the DVD player in each room, with a pretty big dvd library to pick from available in the hallway. They even provide you with travel books to read in your room and it just makes for a very homely feeling. They even booked a different hotel for us for earlier dates when AKWA was full up and put a deposit on for us so would definitely reccomend AKWA. Enjoy.. jbolger, Dublin May 27, 2007 -----------http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293918-d620300-r7702561-Akwa_Guesthouse-Ko_Samui.html
Kipmee Kipmee Kipmee Kip In Loas
I had a great sleep in the silence and peace right in the middle of the country way way inland of any city in Thailand a few weeks ago. I was close and very close to the boarder of Lao. And yet I was, as I classed my self the FFU = First Farang Up (I guess you have all gathered I love a great acronym ("Farang" is the Thai pronunciation (and word) and sometimes pronounced "falang", it is the generic Thai word for a foreigner of European ancestry. While generally farang is a neutral word, it can be used in a mocking manner, (and this has happened to me many many times) or even as an insult depending on the context.) So FFU to me! (First Farang Up) I had to be up at 6am in order to Bucket, Pale & Pour any and all freezing water available at 6am (apart from the fact I have always seamed to have been very very quick in any bathroom, this morning I was apparently not.) I had to drive my newfound adopted family to the main town of Udon Thaini. They were on a mission as we all had to drive Me and Aum to the local City. "Tan" (Tim’s perhaps future "Son") of course did not miss out. The moment he found out Aum and I were to leave - he was going anywhere the pick up truck took him. He is a good kid!
"Kips" is what the Laos call the official currency! To me it sounded a little more a take on the AbbA song Gimme Gimme Gimme - Kip! I decided to do my own take on it Kipmee Kipmee Kipmee Kip. Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked socialist republic in Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar (Burma) and the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, and Cambodia to the South, and Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. After a period as a French colony, it gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended when the communist Pathet Lao came to power in 1975.
Aum and I took a bus from Udon Thani, Thailand to the capital of Laos "Vientiane" I have never crossed a boarder before on a bus! Nor have I crossed a boarder filling in an entry form on a shaky wrikeddy bus where your handwriting really gets a work out! My Handwriting has never been the best at any point in my life let alone with the assistance of rethreaded Dunlop bus tires assisted by the unlubricated shock absorbers. Any one who has ever had the privileged to see my signature would understand. My exit form looked like I had written it all out with a pen in my mouth. Yet I left Thailand and then had to get my entry visa to Lao. Aum had it a little easier as Thai's have some form of agreement with Lao - where they do not need a passport - they just have to pay a fee and produce a signed form and a copy of their ID! (Mind your their ID has a photo and micro chip contained in the back of it) even more security than a credit card I would say. I sailed through (almost) just like a yacht that would enter the Sydney to Hobart race! Some shaky starts and some shaky interrogations - but hey "bring it on I say"!!! Been here done that!
It was nice to be on a bus, it reminded me of my train trips around Europe from country to country. I can now proudly say that my passport now no longer has any more pages left in it. There are of course spaces for a re-entry stamp for Thailand - But God forbid if I need a new visa. The day arriving in Vientiane went well. After being chased down by Tuk Tuk drivers, which I have, an absolute trained rudeness in ignoring we then did what I call the Sandi/Schwan Hotel Hop! (Sandi is a close friend I went to Cambodia with) we both mastered the art of quickly going from hotel to hotel seeking out the best room for the best price! Aum and I went from dive to a further dive - a little bit like deep sea diving the further you went the darker it became - both in rooms and colour! (Thou he did not see think that any of them were dives) I did thou!!! I wanted a little bit of comfort. I was not seeking out 100% full down feather pillows but I did want some comfort... and please no more tiny LUX soap! There was one day in the past (when I was 10 years old), which I think we all thought LUX Soap was Luxury. Well its way way past it’s used by date!
We ended up at the Novotel - cheap for the price - nothing like using the industry (as in saying you own a hotel) to get the price you need! ... "Hi, here is my card I am a owner of a hotel in Thailand - what’s your best rate for the industry?" It worked I got 45% off! So here we are! I don’t think Aum has ever in his life ever stayed at a place like this. He keeps on saying that its 5 star - I let him think it is! It’s like 2.5 in my books! Try the, Bali Ritz Carlton, The Ritz Carlton in New Orleans, Mandarin in San Francisco, Shangri-La in Hong Kong, Park Hyatt in Sydney, Park Hyatt in San Francisco, Park Hyatt in Tokyo, Park Hyatt in Melbourne or the Park Hyatt in Canberra (thanks Marls) - not to mention the Hotel De Crillon in Paris or the Philippe Starck designed St Martins Lane Hotel in London or if you wish The Swiss Hotel Berlin!!! Stop Stop Stop. Ok I have stayed in them all - but hey who cares now! I have soap (not lux) a shower a bed and Air conditioning along with hot water! I am in bliss in LAO.
I have come to understand how wonderful water pressure is! Koh Samui has none! AKWA has none! (Yet we try with 2 pumps) We do ok and our showers are fine! but WOW when you jump under a shower that has some pressure - h_ly Cr_p. You want to stay there for the rest of the day! I certainly did the other morning - yet alas no time. There is nothing like a great shower! Private enterprise apparently increased in Laos since the mid-1980s, but development here has been hampered by poor communications in the heavily forested and mountainous landscape. Despite this, the economy of Laos grew at 7.2% in 2006, 35th fastest in the world. Eighty percent of the employed practice subsistence is agriculture. The country's ethnic make-up is extremely diverse, with only around 70% belonging to the largest ethnic group, the Lao. The country name in the Lao language is "Muang Lao". The French, who made the country part of French Indochina in 1893, spelled it with the "s" which is usually retained in the spelling but rarely pronounced in the English name (pronounced as one syllable). The usual adjectival form is "Lao" (as in "the Lao economy"), not "Laotian", although the latter is commonly to describe the people of Laos (to avoid confusion with the Lao ethnic group. (thanks wikipedia)
Speaking of French I have seen some great old houses that I would love to buy and renovate! They would be just amazing once finished. (photos below) Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang, founded in the fourteenth century, which lasted until the eighteenth century, when Siam (Thailand) 5 invaded and assumed control of the separate principalities that remained. To avoid a costly war with the French, the Siamese king ceded lands now known as Laos to them, and these were incorporated into French Indochina in 1893. The French saw Laos as a useful buffer state between the two expanding empires of France and Britain. Under the French, the capital (Vieng Chan) was changed to Vientiane. Following a brief Japanese occupation during World War II, the country declared its independence in 1945, but the French re-asserted their control and only in 1950 was Lao granted semi-autonomy as an "associated state" within the French Union. Moreover, the French remained in de facto control until 1954, when Lao gained full independence as a constitutional monarchy. Under a special exemption to the Geneva Convention, a French military training mission continued to support the Royal Lao Army. In 1955, the U.S. Department of Defense created a special Programs Evaluation Office to replace French support of the Royal Lao Army against the communist Pathet Lao as part of the U.S. containment policy. Political unrest in neighboring Vietnam dragged Lao into the Second Indochina War, a destabilizing factor that contributed to civil war and several coups d'état. (thanks again wikipedia)
So after a long long great sleep, I jumped out of bed and the Tuk Tuk Driver which took us hotel hopping came and collected us from the hotel. I really wanted to see if I could get some deals. Deals In printing, Sheets and so forth. I was on a mission! After 2 unsuccessful attempts at copy (Xerox) shops I found a great 4 colour offset printer who has been able to do some great work, Invoice Books, 4 Color Cards, Small Brochures etc all with in 48 hours! I have been in an out of his shop. all for less than $325 AUD, B8,500 THB, or $270 USD. A deal if you could see what I had done!
We then went to all the symbols. Vientiane is situated on a bending bend on the Mekong river, and I have to tell you it is dry! There is water but not much! But B_oody Hell is it big and wide! Yes no water. This huge river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point. That is why it is so close to Thailand. Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos. The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official socialist states - began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. (Not that you would ever have an Idea that they did) Laos has no railways, although a short link is planned to connect Vientiane with Thailand over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.(what ever that is or means) The major roads connecting the major urban centers, mainly forming Route 13,(funny that it is a 13) have been significantly upgraded in recent years, but villages that are far from major roads are accessible only through unpaved roads that may not be accessible year-round. There is limited external and internal telecommunication, particularly of the wire line sort, but mobile cellular phone usage has become widespread in urban centre. (my Phone has had no issues in Global roaming) In many rural areas electricity is either not available or offered only during scheduled periods. I have of course had to divert it to my Boy friends phone as he has a differing service provider. It is funny how all that works in all most all of the world. You learn to divert.
Yet off we went - looking at every thing going to the Morning Market (which is big but nothing like Bangkok) thou most of all the product that they sell is form Thailand. The printer told me that all his ink and paper comes from Thailand as it is easier to get - as in Loa they do not make it and it is very difficult to get. Lots of things get smuggled across. I asked if taking printing and other things across would be ok? He said yes, as if they search then you would have to just pay a tax. At the morning market I discovered some amazing DVD deals I went a little crazy! Then found some cheap things to! But Kipmee Kipmee Kipmee Kip is a very difficult thing to do in Lao! Try and take money out of your bank account via a ATM or Passbook in order to get Kip and well it is IMPOSSIBLE. Totally! I went to about 8 ATM machines and none would accept my cards - from Australia, Thailand or New York! I then went to the local branch of my Thai Bank with my passbook and they even said NO! We do not accept Thailand books or ATM cards even thou they are the same bank! Crazy! The only way I could get any cash was to get a Credit Card cash Advance. Yet now that I had a little Cash I was lucky as we then both stumbled onto a great French Restaurant! Wow was it great or was it great! It was Great! It brought back memories of my days at Bistro Moncur. Those were the heady days! I had a great Steak, Aum had a Great Prawn dish! Was yummy! Even Yummier at 15$ total including 2 glasses of wine!
But 3 days went very quick and it was time for us to jump back on the back of a bus and head back to Thailand and fly into our Island Idyllic Life. It was nice to arrive at 8pm with my staff greeting me with a "Cosmopolitan" My drink of the month, a bunch or roses and big hugs, the ritual of little present giving! 10 days away was like 10 months to them, back at the wheel Samui is in a ditch! very slow, it is classed a slow season, more like Stop!- Phuket has done a very very good job at marketing itself after the impact of the Tsunami and there are huge travel deals there. So Samui is hurting a little. A correction I think! Though the rooms are full (with discounts) yet our restaurant is slow. It will change thou. Hope all is well in your life.
Tim xo
"Kips" is what the Laos call the official currency! To me it sounded a little more a take on the AbbA song Gimme Gimme Gimme - Kip! I decided to do my own take on it Kipmee Kipmee Kipmee Kip. Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked socialist republic in Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar (Burma) and the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, and Cambodia to the South, and Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. After a period as a French colony, it gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended when the communist Pathet Lao came to power in 1975.
Aum and I took a bus from Udon Thani, Thailand to the capital of Laos "Vientiane" I have never crossed a boarder before on a bus! Nor have I crossed a boarder filling in an entry form on a shaky wrikeddy bus where your handwriting really gets a work out! My Handwriting has never been the best at any point in my life let alone with the assistance of rethreaded Dunlop bus tires assisted by the unlubricated shock absorbers. Any one who has ever had the privileged to see my signature would understand. My exit form looked like I had written it all out with a pen in my mouth. Yet I left Thailand and then had to get my entry visa to Lao. Aum had it a little easier as Thai's have some form of agreement with Lao - where they do not need a passport - they just have to pay a fee and produce a signed form and a copy of their ID! (Mind your their ID has a photo and micro chip contained in the back of it) even more security than a credit card I would say. I sailed through (almost) just like a yacht that would enter the Sydney to Hobart race! Some shaky starts and some shaky interrogations - but hey "bring it on I say"!!! Been here done that!
It was nice to be on a bus, it reminded me of my train trips around Europe from country to country. I can now proudly say that my passport now no longer has any more pages left in it. There are of course spaces for a re-entry stamp for Thailand - But God forbid if I need a new visa. The day arriving in Vientiane went well. After being chased down by Tuk Tuk drivers, which I have, an absolute trained rudeness in ignoring we then did what I call the Sandi/Schwan Hotel Hop! (Sandi is a close friend I went to Cambodia with) we both mastered the art of quickly going from hotel to hotel seeking out the best room for the best price! Aum and I went from dive to a further dive - a little bit like deep sea diving the further you went the darker it became - both in rooms and colour! (Thou he did not see think that any of them were dives) I did thou!!! I wanted a little bit of comfort. I was not seeking out 100% full down feather pillows but I did want some comfort... and please no more tiny LUX soap! There was one day in the past (when I was 10 years old), which I think we all thought LUX Soap was Luxury. Well its way way past it’s used by date!
We ended up at the Novotel - cheap for the price - nothing like using the industry (as in saying you own a hotel) to get the price you need! ... "Hi, here is my card I am a owner of a hotel in Thailand - what’s your best rate for the industry?" It worked I got 45% off! So here we are! I don’t think Aum has ever in his life ever stayed at a place like this. He keeps on saying that its 5 star - I let him think it is! It’s like 2.5 in my books! Try the, Bali Ritz Carlton, The Ritz Carlton in New Orleans, Mandarin in San Francisco, Shangri-La in Hong Kong, Park Hyatt in Sydney, Park Hyatt in San Francisco, Park Hyatt in Tokyo, Park Hyatt in Melbourne or the Park Hyatt in Canberra (thanks Marls) - not to mention the Hotel De Crillon in Paris or the Philippe Starck designed St Martins Lane Hotel in London or if you wish The Swiss Hotel Berlin!!! Stop Stop Stop. Ok I have stayed in them all - but hey who cares now! I have soap (not lux) a shower a bed and Air conditioning along with hot water! I am in bliss in LAO.
I have come to understand how wonderful water pressure is! Koh Samui has none! AKWA has none! (Yet we try with 2 pumps) We do ok and our showers are fine! but WOW when you jump under a shower that has some pressure - h_ly Cr_p. You want to stay there for the rest of the day! I certainly did the other morning - yet alas no time. There is nothing like a great shower! Private enterprise apparently increased in Laos since the mid-1980s, but development here has been hampered by poor communications in the heavily forested and mountainous landscape. Despite this, the economy of Laos grew at 7.2% in 2006, 35th fastest in the world. Eighty percent of the employed practice subsistence is agriculture. The country's ethnic make-up is extremely diverse, with only around 70% belonging to the largest ethnic group, the Lao. The country name in the Lao language is "Muang Lao". The French, who made the country part of French Indochina in 1893, spelled it with the "s" which is usually retained in the spelling but rarely pronounced in the English name (pronounced as one syllable). The usual adjectival form is "Lao" (as in "the Lao economy"), not "Laotian", although the latter is commonly to describe the people of Laos (to avoid confusion with the Lao ethnic group. (thanks wikipedia)
Speaking of French I have seen some great old houses that I would love to buy and renovate! They would be just amazing once finished. (photos below) Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang, founded in the fourteenth century, which lasted until the eighteenth century, when Siam (Thailand) 5 invaded and assumed control of the separate principalities that remained. To avoid a costly war with the French, the Siamese king ceded lands now known as Laos to them, and these were incorporated into French Indochina in 1893. The French saw Laos as a useful buffer state between the two expanding empires of France and Britain. Under the French, the capital (Vieng Chan) was changed to Vientiane. Following a brief Japanese occupation during World War II, the country declared its independence in 1945, but the French re-asserted their control and only in 1950 was Lao granted semi-autonomy as an "associated state" within the French Union. Moreover, the French remained in de facto control until 1954, when Lao gained full independence as a constitutional monarchy. Under a special exemption to the Geneva Convention, a French military training mission continued to support the Royal Lao Army. In 1955, the U.S. Department of Defense created a special Programs Evaluation Office to replace French support of the Royal Lao Army against the communist Pathet Lao as part of the U.S. containment policy. Political unrest in neighboring Vietnam dragged Lao into the Second Indochina War, a destabilizing factor that contributed to civil war and several coups d'état. (thanks again wikipedia)
So after a long long great sleep, I jumped out of bed and the Tuk Tuk Driver which took us hotel hopping came and collected us from the hotel. I really wanted to see if I could get some deals. Deals In printing, Sheets and so forth. I was on a mission! After 2 unsuccessful attempts at copy (Xerox) shops I found a great 4 colour offset printer who has been able to do some great work, Invoice Books, 4 Color Cards, Small Brochures etc all with in 48 hours! I have been in an out of his shop. all for less than $325 AUD, B8,500 THB, or $270 USD. A deal if you could see what I had done!
We then went to all the symbols. Vientiane is situated on a bending bend on the Mekong river, and I have to tell you it is dry! There is water but not much! But B_oody Hell is it big and wide! Yes no water. This huge river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point. That is why it is so close to Thailand. Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos. The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official socialist states - began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. (Not that you would ever have an Idea that they did) Laos has no railways, although a short link is planned to connect Vientiane with Thailand over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.(what ever that is or means) The major roads connecting the major urban centers, mainly forming Route 13,(funny that it is a 13) have been significantly upgraded in recent years, but villages that are far from major roads are accessible only through unpaved roads that may not be accessible year-round. There is limited external and internal telecommunication, particularly of the wire line sort, but mobile cellular phone usage has become widespread in urban centre. (my Phone has had no issues in Global roaming) In many rural areas electricity is either not available or offered only during scheduled periods. I have of course had to divert it to my Boy friends phone as he has a differing service provider. It is funny how all that works in all most all of the world. You learn to divert.
Yet off we went - looking at every thing going to the Morning Market (which is big but nothing like Bangkok) thou most of all the product that they sell is form Thailand. The printer told me that all his ink and paper comes from Thailand as it is easier to get - as in Loa they do not make it and it is very difficult to get. Lots of things get smuggled across. I asked if taking printing and other things across would be ok? He said yes, as if they search then you would have to just pay a tax. At the morning market I discovered some amazing DVD deals I went a little crazy! Then found some cheap things to! But Kipmee Kipmee Kipmee Kip is a very difficult thing to do in Lao! Try and take money out of your bank account via a ATM or Passbook in order to get Kip and well it is IMPOSSIBLE. Totally! I went to about 8 ATM machines and none would accept my cards - from Australia, Thailand or New York! I then went to the local branch of my Thai Bank with my passbook and they even said NO! We do not accept Thailand books or ATM cards even thou they are the same bank! Crazy! The only way I could get any cash was to get a Credit Card cash Advance. Yet now that I had a little Cash I was lucky as we then both stumbled onto a great French Restaurant! Wow was it great or was it great! It was Great! It brought back memories of my days at Bistro Moncur. Those were the heady days! I had a great Steak, Aum had a Great Prawn dish! Was yummy! Even Yummier at 15$ total including 2 glasses of wine!
But 3 days went very quick and it was time for us to jump back on the back of a bus and head back to Thailand and fly into our Island Idyllic Life. It was nice to arrive at 8pm with my staff greeting me with a "Cosmopolitan" My drink of the month, a bunch or roses and big hugs, the ritual of little present giving! 10 days away was like 10 months to them, back at the wheel Samui is in a ditch! very slow, it is classed a slow season, more like Stop!- Phuket has done a very very good job at marketing itself after the impact of the Tsunami and there are huge travel deals there. So Samui is hurting a little. A correction I think! Though the rooms are full (with discounts) yet our restaurant is slow. It will change thou. Hope all is well in your life.
Tim xo