Lea presented her paper on ground water vulnerability in the Philippines. It's a study of how ground water usage near an industrializing zone (Sta. Rosa, Laguna) is impacting on the lives of people in a local community - Pulong Sta. Cruz. I got to sit though the two-day conference with the hydro-geologists, geo-engineers and scientists from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. Even joined the group in their cement-factory tour in Thailand and wine tasting in a vineyard.
After the conference - Lea and I are off to Cambodia and Vietnam for our backpacking adventures then back to Khaosan Road for our taste of the Bangkok nightlife.
tatagalugin ko na lang... GANDA ng mga shot mo dito! ndi ko lang talaga magustuhan ang thailand. parang komersyalisado ang kultura masyado. siguro biased lang ako. pero kung tunay na kultura ang hanap mo, nasa cambodia ang pinagmulan ng kultura nila. pero maganda talaga mag pictorial sa thailand.
ReplyDeletefeeling ko nga habang naglalakad sa grand palace - lalo na yung sa galleries, sinasabi ko sa isip ko - this is the new version of the angkor complex. buti na lang hinuli namin ni lea ang tour ng bangkok at nauna naming puntahan ang angkor thom, angkor wat and ta phrom.
ReplyDeletephnom penh pa lang nga low batt na ako kaya ang tendency is to just point and shoot. syempre follow the tourists with the professional cameras para alam ko na kung saang angle ako titingin - really helped in saving precious camera battery life ....
kapag may internet ang guesthouse namin and i see you going online - gusto na kitang tanungin on tips - kaya lang i figured - ok pa naman kami and we're staying with our itinerary - di naman kami naliligaw or naghihirap - kaya hindi na lang.
dami naming experience sa cambodia kaya last siya sa pag-upload - i have like you - lots of pictures sa 450 kong kuha for the 3 countries - parang 300 yata sa cambodia....sabi ko nga kay lea, kung maiiwan ako or ma-stuck ako sa 3 countries - i'd choose cambodia kasi feeling ko mas kailangan nila ang talents ko, ;P
nauna ka pa sa akin? sa 15 kami alis manila. kaso unahin namin ang bangkok. bago siem reap, phnom penh and ho chi minh. tips!!!
ReplyDeletei was planning to write a journal entry regarding the trip kasama na ang travel tips kaya lang dami kong pinagkakaabalahan.
ReplyDeleteare you going on a tour package - meron daw kasi sa cebu pacific eh. we stayed away from the package and made our own IT - tapos - we have to consider pa na may paper presentation siya. pero here are some tips na naisip ko agad if you're backpacking through the 3 countries:
thailand - noong mahirap na kami kasi hindi na binabayaran ng conference organizers ang hotel - we stayed at khaosan road - walking distance lang ang grand palace and the whole road is para sa mga backpackers - you can also buy all kinds of pasalubong dito - marami ring bars. hindi talaga natutulog. kung hindi kayo maarte - you can go for the 250 baht na common ang toilet or share kayo like what we did - hanap lang kayo, we were able to get one na twin sharing for as low as 430 baht. may airport limousine din that costs 150 baht per person - pa sked ka lang - you can discover their kiosk - basta lakad ka lang - marami - doon.
nag-give in na kami at hindi nagtipid when we got an offer from a tuktuk na 5 baht lang yata per person at iikot ka sa bangkok and the attractions - tapos nakakita kami ng pinay in one of the temples at sinabing modus operandi daw yon - they'll take you to shops na over priced and parang compelled ka na to buy - well victim ako nito - kasi feeling ko posh ang jewelry store at hindi nakakatawad.
mabubuhay ka sa street food sa thailand - masarap lahat lalo na ang noodles. try din namin ang mga coffee shops sa tatlong countries. yun ang lahat tinikman ko - noodles in bangkok, siem reap and HCM. cheaper siya if you go to groceries and buy provision like 1.5 litres of water everyday - yan ang quota ko. thailand dito na rin ako bumili ng mga pasalubong kasi nga last leg na and ayaw ko namang may bitbit except for my backpack and handbag. what else pa ba? stay safe - ride their buses although mas mahirap maki-communicate sa kanila. i forgot na some common phrases like thank you and how much but knowing them really helps - alam mo yon kasi may japan experience na tayo.
siem reap - kung asa thailand ka - travel by bus to aranyaprathet - border ng thailand and cambodia. i think from bangkok - we paid 211 baht per person - first class bus na yon. eh kinuha namin ang bus sa pathumthani where the conference was held kaya super sign language kami on how to get that particular bus - we made our hotel staff write the town's name in thai. from the bus station ng aranyapratet eh may mga tuktuk drivers that will take you to the border (80-100 baht) - pa-stamp kayo and then walk to the cambodian side
ReplyDeletepagdating ninyo sa cambodia - lots of things can happen: helpful itong website na ito: www.talesofasia.com - may cambodia portion doon and believe me - even the travellers tales eh tamang tama. yung iba daw eh may lalapit na para lang i-guide ka papunta ng poi pet border and they expect you to pay them - don't - lakad lang kayo hanggang sa may mga casino. somebody may approach you and offer the free shuttle busride - don't accept kasi - sasabihin you need to change your dollars or baht to riels (currency nila) kasi last bank na daw yon where you can change your money and so on. sa cambodia - dollars ang ginagamit - parang US - even the signs are all in dollars.
negotiate for a shared taxi (for 4 pax) - 1800 baht lang or 60 dollars - pero yung iba they can get the taxi for as low as 20 dollars. lakad ka lang sa main road - di mo aakalaing main road yon pero try and discover. then talk or negotiate with a taxi driver, mahirap at feeling mo mag-give up ka na pero kung ok lang naman sa iyo ang 15 dollars per person na rate then go na sa mga taxi mafia touts.
appalling ang road conditions - buti na lang hindi kami naabutan ng bagyo noon. anyways, good na rin if you have an inn or guest house na tutuluyan. yung sa amin ni lea we got a twin sharing with our own t&b for 6 dollars a day. kaya lang syempre di ganoon kaganda pero ok na - just be prepared. yung guest house namin eh greentown guesthouse - grumpy ang inn keeper or owner pero ok lang - mura eh. then arrange for a tuktuk driver para sa tour ninyo ng angkor temples (15 dollars - 6 am to 6 pm na yon - pero sa sobrang pagod namin - nagpabababa na kami sa market ng 3 pm - wala na kaming sunrise or sunset ek). from there ok ka na. go to their old market din and sample their khmer food, maraming markets pero eto ang nakita naming maraming restaurants. masarap din - i even got to like their curry - siguro kasi gutom talaga ako
ho chi minh - we got the 25 dollars bus tour from siem reap to HCM. Have it arranged via your guesthouse or just ask around. ok na ito kasi 12 hours and believe me - kailangan mo lahat ng comfort if you're riding the bus that long. worth it na! bababa kayo sa center ng HCM - left side lang ang De Than street - backpackers street din ito - just look around for a place or guest house - yung iba offer ka lang and may room sa loob ng bahay nila. cheap itong mga ito - lea doesn't want that arrangement kaya we stayed at vinh's guesthouse - nahahanap siya sa net. try to negotiate - kasi yung room namin 12 dollars - naging 10 lang - sabi walang aircon but the staff forgot to turn it off kaya when he was demonstrating - yon parati rin kaming naka-aircon. city tour ka na kinabukasan and try to look or shop for the packaged tours nila like hue, mekong, cuchi channel, etc - marami kang pagpipilian and not bad na kasi may transpo and food na doon sa iba.
ReplyDeletekung cheap kayo - gaya namin - city tour lang - ask for a map sa hotel or guest house ninyo. madali lang lahat kung may map. sa suvarnabhunmi airport - may free map ng bangkok - helpful siya kasi i was able to pin point where to stay para eventually maka mura - kasi lakad lang diba? sa siem reap - we asked our guest house owner for a map.
masasarap din ang street food nila - ang pho - superb kahit sa palengke lang. ang iced coffee sa side streets - parang gourmet. lea loved their baguettes pero ako - ok lang. may mga instant street restaurants sila sa gabi - try ninyo rin - i had my pho and baguette doon plus the baby duck egg or balut - marami ring ibang klase pa that i can't name - basta - pag gabi na try to eat sa side streets.
may french bakery rin - di namin na-try kasi we settled for the local ones. pero kung tinitignan ko - parang hindi pahuhuli sa mga patisseries in kobe and kyoto - di ko lang alam sa paris kasi never been there. hehehe!
have fun!
wow daming tips! dapat try nyo rin ang dogs sa vietnam... bawawaw... hehe! nova, ipakita mo ang expertise sa paghingi ng tawad... yun ang secret dun. start lagi 50% of the price. tyagaan lang at may kakagat dyan lol! enjoy your trip nova... kaya mo yan!
ReplyDeleteisa pa, spend more time in siem reap. BKK and HCM pwede na one day city tour yan.
ReplyDeletetruly. adjust ko ang it. feeling ko nga babalik ako sa cambodia e. baka next time mag-laos and myanmar naman ;)
ReplyDeletethanks martina. balitaan kita kung ano mangyari sa amin. hehe. excited na 'ko :D
ReplyDeleteSiempre eto talaga ang dahilan kung bakit tayo biglang nakarating sa thailand. at hindi lang thailand, nakapagsidetrip pa tayo sa cambodia at vietnam. dalawang camera na nga ang dala natin, pareho pa ring malabo ang kuha sa presentation ko, odiba? para tuloy hindi yata ako yung nagsasalita sa harapan, kamukha ko ba yan, he hehehehe.
ReplyDeletekaya nga - i was so sure na yung camera ko eh hindi ako ipapahiya. maski nga yung nikon mo - ewan ko ba - what happened. hayaan mo na - ikaw naman ang nagbigay ng pinaka-mabentang presentation eh kaya hindi ka na makakalimutan ng iba - tsaka asan na yung official photo noong taga tokyo university - from undergrad to phd ba na utusan lang ng mga chief research engineers and university professors? di ko matandaan ang name niya - siguro naman sa ganda ng camera niya - hindi ka blurred doon... nagbigay ba siya sa cd ng pics ninyo or puro copies lang ng presentation ang laman non? kung wala yon - hay, sayang talaga!
ReplyDeletesiguro kaya blurred kasi mag-conference ka pa sa greece and turkey? hahaha!