The castle was built by the local lord Cormac MacCarthy, other tourists find it disappointing being relatively small compare to the other castles (He must be in tight budget perhaps). The castle itself sits on a cliff of rock, serving as an excavation site for the castle. The castle structure implied that it was built...
First published Sept 19, 2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Nepal —Trekking is something one has to do with a group. Unless one has really mastered the trek route and/or prefers solitude (like if you want to meditate in the forest), trekking alone especially in an unfamiliar territory (like the rugged terrain of Nepal), is just plain stupid...
First published Sept 13, 2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Nangi Village, Nepal — We arrived in Nangi village at 7 pm. It took us 12 hours to walk (and climb rocky hills) from our guesthouse in Beni to reach the hillside village of Nangi. The trek usually takes 7 hours, but I was really slow. Plus we...
First published Sept 12, 2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Beni, Nepal — Kulu and Maita – both are Magars whose families live in Nangi Village, took me to the local bus station in Pokhara. The Magars are one of the major ethnic groups in Nepal. They’re of Tibeto-Burmese origin and live in the middle hills. The hardy...
First published Sept 11, 2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Pokhara, Nepal —My trekking adventure commenced in Pokhara – 200 km east, a 7 hour-bus ride away of Kathmandu. The laidback town of Pokhara is a gateway to the magnificent Annapurna range, and its also near the popular trekking routes. Which is why Pokhara’s Lakeside area is...
First published Sept 11, 2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Pokhara, Nepal — It took me some time to update this blog as I was ill. For the past few days, I was dizzy and nauseaous. Everything I ate weighs like lead. I didn't have an appetite, but I had to force myself to eat biscuits,...
First Published Sept. 11, 2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Pokhara, Nepal —Most of the time I travel light, preferring to buy essentials like pocketbooks, t-shirts or toiletries in any country where I'm staying. Given the might of the Singapore dollar (1 SGD = 2.2 ringgit = 22 baht = 5,000 kips=41 Nepali rupees ), I...
First Published September 8,2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Kathmandu — Despite the hot and dry weather (and the fact that I can’t wear shorts and spaghetti straps in this conservative country) and my dizziness (side effect of the anti-malaria tablets that I ingested), I still managed to take a tour around the Kathmandu Valley, visiting some...
First Published September 5,2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Kathmandu — One of the first things I bought when I arrived in Thamel – Kathmandu’s backpackers center – was a calculator. Given my propensity to convert everything (in Singapore, US and Philippine currencies) and also to curtail my spending, a calculator is a necessity for me. Although I...
First Published September 4,2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Bangkok –I flew from KL and had to spend a night in Bangkok to catch an early flight tomorrow for Kathmandu. For that, I went to Khao San Rd. The backpackers ghetto of Khao San in Bangkok isn’t an ideal place to write. The whole area...
First Published August 22,2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Vang Vieng, Laos — After a 7-hour drive in unpaved, muddy roads; occasional toilet breaks in the bushes; surviving a road block (caused by a landslide) and heavy monsoon rains, we finally arrived in Vang Vieng. The laidback town of Vang Vieng, which is about 155 km north...
Kuang Si Waterfalls Not as majestic as the Niagara Falls, but fabulous just the same (First Published Aug 21, 2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal) Luang Prabang — Our last day in Luang Prabang was a day for trekking and shopping. We started the day with a trip...
First Published August 19,2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal Luang Prabang — On our way to Luang Prabang, we had two brief stop overs. First was in an Hmong hill village, where curious kids follow us around as they love posing for our digicams. Me, with my pair of flat feet struggled to climb the muddy hill. Fhan...
First Published August 18,2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal PAK BENG, LAOS — We spent a night in the tiny village of Pak Beng – a halfway point between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang. The slow boats don't travel at night so we have to stop here for dinner and get some sleep. A rustic town clustered with...
MEKONG RIVER — Call me Fhan and we'll have a FUN time," that's what our Lao tour guide told us when he met us at the immigration checkpoint in Huay Xai. It was also him who taught us what's "Hello" in Lao. It's Sabaydee (and it's said with a smile). We completed visa...
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