Sawasdee ka (Hello)

Every place in town is in walking distance, with the highest point in town, the That Chomsi stupa on mount Phousi, visible as a landmark from every point in town. Make sure you're in good shape before climbing the 300 steps up and be amazed by beautiful views of Luang Prabang.

The center of this town, in the north of Laos, is quiet and small. There is one main street, which you can easily walk in under 10 minutes. This is the street were you'll see most guesthouses, some combined with a restaurant. Though eco tourism is on the uprise in this area, you will not see mega hotels in this area, there is no party scene. Luang Namtha is for nature lovers that love to explore and come back to town to relax with a cold Beerlao (Lao beer).

The workshop started with an early visit to the market. Here our cooking class got to see and smell different vegetables and herbs that are used in the Thai kitchen. Our teacher explained the variety in ingredients that depict typical thai food. I saw various products I hadn't seen before and it was fantastic to learn what was actually in the different dishes I'd tasted already.

I took the nighttrain from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. The nighttrain is a great way to travel and buy time at the same time. If you have to sleep anyway, why not travel comfortably at the same time. After 12 hours I arrived in Chiang Mai. Outside of the trainstation there are a lot of small red firewagon looking buses. These buses are typical Chiang Mai taxis, that will take you anywhere in the city for a reasonable price. After settling in my hostel (private room with private bathroom, I am a bit of a glampacker) in the old city center I took an exploratory walk. As the old city center is just ..., it is perfect to get around on foot, though the main method of transportation used by tourists that have a longer stay in the city is a scooter. I prefer walking, because I believe it's the best way to observe and well, I have the time. But, as in any major city, you will have no trouble finding a taxi(bus) or a tuktuk that will get you wherever you want to go.

A homestay means that you will be staying on the property of a local Thai person. There are different variations, ranging from booking a room in a familyhouse to different rooms with bathrooms on one property. In some cases it is possible to eat with the family. In my case I'd booked a separate room with private bathroom and optional breakfast. Booking a homestay is a way of supporting local entrepeneurs. Besides that, it really feels like you're on a holiday when you're trying to communicate with locals that only speak basic English. It has it's charms. If you're ever in the Ban Krachao area, I do recommend 88 Homestay . It looks exactly as pictured and the people there are really friendly. After settling in the room, I took a short biking trip. Biking is the best way to get around in this area as there is so much to see. It is also relatively safe, there aren't a lot of cars and people drive cautiously. The area is a mixture of modern villas, which are quickly being build all around the area, and the wooden, more traditional, pavillions. The contrast between wealthy and poor is also visible in this part of Bangkok. Between uprising villas there are also homes, made out of cheap materials, where whole families (including grandparents) live in a small amount of space. Different from Bangkok though is that people aren't living on the street. You might encounter some stray dogs though. Even though Ban Krachao is still part of Bangkok, it has a different and much more relaxed atmosphere. It reminds me of a caribean island, with multicoloured houses and concrete highways, intertwining with nature. People grow a variety of fruit trees including mango, coconut, durian and bananas. Gardens are well taken care of, with a variety of flowers and plants. Inbetween homes you might find some small banana and coconut orchards. It is a village within a city, where everyone seems to know each other and every person, native or foreign, is greeted. People are polite, a bit shy, but wiling to help and answer any questions you may have. As tourism is still up and coming in this area (it isn't even mentioned in my Lonely Planet!), there aren't a lot of tourists. You might have to rely on your hands and feet to get around, but people are willing to help, sometimes even supported by Google translate. The second day I got up early and took a walk to Sri Nakhon Kuenkhan Park. This park is accesible by bike or on foot. In between the concrete paths you will find a reconstruction of the biodiversity that used to exist within the area. The swamp-like lakes make for picture perfect views. As it is yet to be discovered by foreign visitors, it is a very quiet place to observe the animals that live here. You might see some squirls, a variety of birds, fish, butterflies and if you're lucky even a water monitor (giant lizard). On my way back I found a local restaurant serving Thai food. For only 50 Baht (about €1,50) I had my first pad thai of the trip. This typical thai dish is made with rice noodles, vegetables and any type of protein stir fried in a fish sauce and with ground peanuts. Why go? If you like a relaxed athmosphere and you don't mind not having everything at arms reach (restaurants and supermarkets are scarce and you will not find a Starbucks or any other foodchain here), this is a perfect place to relax. Rent a bike, take your time, enjoy some peace and quiet. Perfect when you've just come of the plane and want to adjust to the change in climate, without the noise of the city (though at night you might hear some dogs barking). The first pictures have been uploaded to the photo gallery.

The last couple of weeks I've been meeting up with a lot of friends and family, wanting to meet up with me before my journey. Unfortunately I couldn't see everyone, but I received a lot of phone calls, messages and even practical gifts that I can use along the way (you know who you are and I will be writing one line a day ;-)). A lot of people asked me which places I will be visiting. I will start in Bangkok, where I will be staying near Ban Krachao, which is also known as the green lung of Bangkok because of it's green character. After that, I will be travelling up north to Chiang Mai to see it's beautiful temples and hopefully learn how to cook proper Thai food. After that I will travel to Chiang Rai and, among other things, visit the golden triangle. This is where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. After this I will cross the border over to Laos. After Laos I will visit Vietnam and Cambodia, and return to Thailand for my flight back to Amsterdam. As you might have noticed, my itinerary is a little vague after I leave Thailand. The reason for this is that I simply do not know how I will be travelling trough these countries. I have a couple of months and will be taking my time getting from one place to another. Hopefully I will receive some tips along the way to safely deviate from the beaten track and experience some truelly amazing things. During this journey I will be using trains and buses as much as I can. This has different reasons. It leads to places you might have missed when flying and I do have time to make unplanned stops. It is a great way to meet people making a similar journey and share travel tips. Taking a night train saves time, as you need to sleep anyway. Last but not least, it is very affordable. In a couple of hours I will be boarding and my journey will begin. I will be arriving in Bangkok on the morning of 5 February. As you might have heared, there is a lot of smog covering this city at the moment. Though action has been taken to lower the smog levels this is a continuing issue, caused by extreme traffic pollution. As I will be staying near Ban Krachao, 'the green lung' of Bangkok, I hope the air quality will be better. I will keep you updated in the next couple of days.