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Hunting unexploded ordnance
UXO Lao team in field work
UXO Lao team in field work
Empty streets of Phonsavan resemble an abandoned arid town somewhere
in the Middle East. Burning sun penetrates mysterious alleys. The vivid blue sky with
occasional little clouds sets an interesting contrast with sandstone architecture.
The silence is disturbed by 4x4 off-road cars, rickshaws and motorcyclists. I
rent a motorbike to visit the Plain of Jars Site 1. Even this tourist object
has not been entirely cleared of UXO or unexploded ordnance. These are
the consequences of American bombings in the 70's. I will try to trace some of
the past warfare remains.
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Lao motorcycle diaries
While the four guys came up to the fence, the fifth one hid behind a tree
While the four guys came up to the fence, the fifth one hid behind a tree
Bolaven Plateau is an area located at an altitude of 1000-1350 meters in southern Laos. The region
is famous for its picturesque waterfalls. Making your way to the waterfalls you
will pass little scattered villages inhabited by ethnic minority tribes. We pack
our luggage to bare minimum, which is a shared towel, toothpaste, a spare T-shirt
and a sleeping bag. The goal is to explore the Bolaven Plateau on our Japanese-made
moped, an indestructible Suzuki 110cc. This little bike will soon undergo a
harsh endurance test on steep and difficult dirt roads.
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Southern Cambodia
A curious but still timid girl, southern Cambodia
A curious but still timid girl, southern Cambodia
Cambodian 'four hours' equals roughly 'seven regular hours' and it is the amount
of time to reach Kampot by bus. We discover another pleasant city,
whose once slow life bustles on when you visit a marketplace. The local market
is divided into sections making some sort of a logic. In one corner
I see stands with twenty sewing machines and exhausted tailors still involved in
sewing dresses and trousers to order. Just nearby are further stands with fresh
fish, pork brains, live ducks, geese and already slaughtered but still plumaged chickens. On Friday evening just before dark
the place slows down and a moment later
- becomes nearly deserted. All is left are the evening food stands with some unsold food
in massive pots. So are scavenging rats.
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The last fisherman in Phnom Penh
A break at work
A break at work
Phnom Penh is probably
the only capital in the world with no official public transport. It has some
further consequences. Nearly every second guy chooses to be a tuk-tuk
rickshaw driver.
Indeed walking down the street, it is hard to ignore enthusiastic shouts coming
from all over
"tuk-tuk cheap cheap for you my friend " or "special price for you my friend".
Shortly after we reach the district at Boeng Kak Lake filled with backpackers, hippies
and all sorts of lost travelers. I'm in the middle of the Cambodia's capital to find
the last fisherman on the lake which is about to disappear.
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Thai notes
Colorful Thai fashion
Colorful Thai fashion
Khanom is a medium sized town. This is our first destination, also a place
to visit Thai
family of a Swedish friend. We wait for a bit and two young guys arrive on their
scooters to give us a ride. After a few minutes we find ourselves in a modern hut on the beach.
Soon I am convinced that scooters are omnipresent and most likely the only
reasonable means of
transportation. Just not to stand out, the next day we start exploring the area
on a scooter as well. The rainy season continues and it can be felt that at the
moment it is at its best. In general, the downpour is possible to predict with a few minutes'
advance, but sometimes these few minutes is not enough. Once we make most of it
at a neck breaking full speed (meaning around 80 km/h) to literally miss it by two minutes.
The two minutes would have been enough to find a shelter and save us from being completely soaked.
Next we might be more lucky.
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Through India to Diu island
A boy playing cricket, Indian national sport, Diu Island
A boy playing cricket, an Indian national sport
It's Wednesday and the deadline is tight as we have an appointment in a few
days on Diu island in southern Gujarat. To get there we have to cross nearly half of India! There are no highways.
We transfer in Jaipur, known also as 'Pink City'. Not for no reason. The entire
city center has been entirely painted pink, according to a decree issued in the eighteenth century by Jai Singh II, the
then ruler of Rajasthan.
Buildings, walls, all types of architecture is pink. We carefully watch the process in which the
Pink City comes to life. At the beginning there are merchants passing by. They
have big carts pulled by camels going towards central marketplace. Wherever I
look around I see monkeys. The animals seem to have successfully taken over the city.
They are rampant on rooftops, terraces, windows and facades of buildings.
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Upstream Ganges river
Loading the boat upriver Ganga, Rishikesh
Loading the boat on the Ganges, Rishikesh
An early morning wake-up to check-out the Star Palace Hotel. We leave our luggage to take advantage of an
entire day in New Delhi. As for now we have no concept how to handle lack of connections to Varanassi. Problems
should not be solved before having breakfast. We visit Golden Cafe, a familiar bar. As it turns out
that Golden Cafe is not only a bar and a foreign exchange office. It also sells bus tickets.
Wide-range of services is key to a good business in India. We eat a second dish
having already a new concept. We are taking a overnight bus to Rishikesh, a
randomly picked destination.
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Kashmir Valley
Shikara on Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kaszmir
Shikara on Dal Lake, Srinagar
Kashmir and the Pakistani-Indian border is a region of long lasting dispute. All the time
the area remains restricted for visitors. Once in New Delhi we have to take
obtain permission to enter Kashmir. We hire a jeep and our driver is supposed
to take care of any problems.
Along the way I smell ubiquitous, thick smog. Other drivers may not be
unfriendly, but everyone keeps using the horn at every opportunity. We pass a
sign saying "horn prohibited", this must be a joke, I thought at the time when my thoughts
are drowned out by horns from all different sides.
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Travel stories 
