TravelStream™ news feed for member cnnnews on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/cnnnews en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:26:15 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1221236580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1221236580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1221236580/tpod.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:26:15 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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London, England, United Kingdom

It was a very close call for Niamh for her next two flights............
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1220845620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1220845620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1220845620/tpod.html Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:35:11 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Flight out of Bangkok was delayed by 3 and a half hours because something in the engine was broken. We also found out it wasn't a direct flight when we got on board so it stopped in India, Mumbai. We had to circle there for a good while in a queue to land. The landing in Dubai was aborted then because of another plane didn't get off the runway. So the pilot had to step on the gas to lift us up again when we were pretty close to the ground. There was lightning and bad turbulance thrown into the equation along the way too. Nerve wrecking enough days travelling and a long one. Got to bed around 3 or 4a.m. here which is 7 or 8 bangkok time. The hotel is brilliant though.... and the buffet breakfast this morning....mmmm.

The first day wasn't a total write off but we obviously had a late start. Walked for ages and ages looking at the crazy looking skyscrapers. Ended up at the biggest of the big, the Burj Dubai a.k.a. The World's tallest building. It's still under construction but is already nearly 700 m in height. That's about 200m above the Athena at the top of Taipei 101, now the World's 2nd tallest building. So at the moment, it's got 160 floors, and the final height is being kept secret. After that we took a taxi down to the Burj Al Arab Hotel (which is the world's only 7 Star Hotel) on the coast but also Dubai's version Eiffel tower or most distinctive landmark.
We kicked off with another buffet breakfast the following day. Then used the gym which nearly killed us, eapecially after stuffing ourselves. Niamh was like a Connemara fishing man on the rowing machine, clocking up 5km. Took it easy by the pool 'til 3 when the Pakistani guy called up to take us on a "Desert Safari". Had to drive way across the city to pick up another few people we shared a jeep with. I'll finsh this off some other time but riding over massive sand dunes in a 4x4 is really good fun.

Today we went to the beach and then went skiing. Skiing in the desert, with real snow. Saw one of the Palm shaped man-made islands too which are pretty cool.

I'll probably finish this properly when I'm bored and depressed back home.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1220526480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1220526480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1220526480/tpod.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:19:39 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Bangkok, Thailand

In Bangkok, or "Bangkok Dangerous" (starring Nicholos Cage) as we like to call it. They're busy trying to overthrow the P.M. here at the minute. Going meeting Feena that we met Australia and New Zealand on the Khoa San Road tonight. We're staying on the other side of the city in Little Arabia.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219940280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219940280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219940280/tpod.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:08:35 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Vang Vieng, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Just arrived after nearly 8 hours on the bus. Painfully slow towards the end. We only travelled 100 miles as the crow flies. The road through the mountains was really scenic (but as bent as Elton John) and sunset was something else. The "lonely planet" says 85% of Laos has unmanaged, natural growth on the land. They weren't lying.
Going down a river on a rubber tube tomorrow and stopping at bars for drinks as we go. They throw you a rope and pull you into their bars on the river bank. "Don't go in the water after drinking"...... without your rubber tube.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1217513640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1217513640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1217513640/tpod.html Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:42:09 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia

We were sauntering around Thailand for the last month going "'Ah, we'll pop into Sub-way for a sandwich" or the 7-11 to pick up this or that. Good luck to all that. You can get your hair cut on the curb-side and top up your motorbike with a 2 litre glass pepsi bottle of petrol before heading off again. I don't remember seeing a petrol station, or any familiar chain stores/restaurants or even an ATM (apart from the one at the airport).
It's mahem on the roads here. No photo can catch the constant stream of scooters on the streets here. It's a free for all at the junctions but amazingly we haven't seen one accident. The way it works is; you give way to things that will crush you. If you're on a scooter for example, you give way to trucks, buses and cars. If you're a pedestrian, you wait for when the traffic looks least busiest and start a slow but steady paced walk across the road and people swerve to avoid you. 3 or 4 people on a scooter is common. 5 is the highest number we've seen. Imagine trying to fit 5 fat Irish arses on the one scooter.
Went to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) where the Khmer Rouge set up a concentration camp style prison in the mid to late 70's. 7 out of the 20,000 prisoners that set foot inside the gates of the place over the 3.5 years survived. In total 1.7 million people died during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. That's a third of the Cambodian population. Pol Pot and his psychotic communist friends thought it would be a really good idea if everyone in the country was a peasant or a factory worker. To achieve this, they tortured and killed people with an education, with any significant standing in society, as well as people related or connected to them. The same went for anybody that spoke out against what they were doing. After torture and interrogation, which lasted weeks or months in some cases, they were taken to the "Killing Fields" where a blow to the head was the most common ending. Madness.
We're going to be travelling back through Phnom Penh. We'll go to the Killing Fields (which we put off doing due to bad weather) and see a little more of the place.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1218199200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1218199200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1218199200/tpod.html Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:08:12 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Battambang, Cambodia

The 8 hour boat ride to get here was nuts. Somebody ripped the steering wheel and pedals out of an old Toyota to use as the controlls for the boat. We went through rough water in the lake and up a river to get to Battambang. In places the trees were growing in so much that you'd to put your hand up to stop the branches hitting you in the head. There were other places where it looked like weren't on water at all. It was covered in plants that were a foot or two above the water level. Everybody we saw along the way gave us a big wave, especially the kids. Vietnamese people aren't allowed to own land in Cambodia, so lots of them live on the river. We'd sore bottoms after the wooden benches (like you'd see in a school or mass or something), but it was well worth it.

We spent a few hours tearing around the countryside on the back of 2 motos (scooters) driven by two Cambodian lads we paid to take us to some of the local sights. We went up this hill where the Khmer Rouge used to kill people by throwing them into a cave. About 10,000 people died there. There was a stack of skulls and bones in this huge cabinet. We say the Wat (temple) at the top of the hill before setting off along some more dodgy roads. Eventually, we came to train tracks where you get a bamboo train back towards Battambang. They sit two sets of wheels on the track, put the bamboo floor on top and hook up the motor to the back wheels. Stick the scooters on, everyone jumps on board, start the motor and off you go. Probably better off to see a photo when I get a chance to put in on. Goes pretty fast and there is a tudd everytime the sections of old track aren't lined up properly. There's only one line. So if you meet the freight train, or another bamboo train, you need to stop and dismantle it to get everything off the track. Good fun. We had 2 scooters on our bamboo train so when we met another they had to take there's out of our way. Thankfully we didn't come across any freight train. There's a good "youtube" video that'll show you what I'm talking about. Google: "you tube bamboo railway Cambodia".

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219292340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219292340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219292340/tpod.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:44:54 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Hanoi, Vietnam

We arrived on the plane today. We've been on two buses, in one restaurant, one cab, 6 billion scooters have passed us on the street (I've been counting), and one local f*#ked us out of it cos we refused to stay at his hotel when he randomly approached us on the street. Apart from that I've had 2 cokes, Niamh had 1 sprite, we both had a lemon juice and did alot of walking around (in circles for a while too before we got that cab). Over and out.

The water puppets originated in the rice paddies (or the water logged fields they grow rice on) as entertainment years and years ago. Basically it's a puppet show where the controls are underwater as opposed to being controlled from above using strings. Accompanied by traditional Vietnamese music they put on quiet a show in the theatre in Hanoi. It's very well done and takes a lot of skill. That said..... the 45 min show is just about the right amount of time.

We'd got the locals bus in from the airport when we arrived, which took a while and involved changing bus. We teamed up with the only other westerners (Luke and Sally from England) on the bus to try figure out where we were etc.. We ended up going for a drink with them when we reached the city center. We all met up again another night at a place on Hang Buom Street that sells draft beer for 3000 dong a glass. So you can sit out on the street on your plastic chair and for 1 euro you can drink 8 glasses of beer. We don't remember anymore about that night. Nah, only joking. Met loads of Irish people around that area. They must have smelled the cheap beer.

Two girls from Westmeath had been to a "snake bar" on the edge of Hanoi. They showed us a video on their camera of a snake being killed and the blood dripping into a shot of vodka. It showed the heart still beating in another glass of vodka. One of them had drank the shot with the snakes heart and they both drank shots with blood in it. I cringe at the thought of it (I hate Vodka). We also met a crowd from Dublin who were good craic and it turned out to be a fairly late night.

The traffic in Hanoi is absolutely crazy. Motorbikes everywhere. It's great just to sit and watch the mayhem. The maddest looking junction we could find was near the lake. About 6 or 7 roads meet there and it's brilliant to watch from the 3rd floor balcony of the Highlands Café right in the center, where Ta Hien Street meets the Lake.

Went to Ha Long Bay for a day too. Weather was overcast but it's cool no matter what the weather is like. The tour includes entry into a huge cave. It's naturally amazing, but somebody decided to dress it up with multi-coloured neon lights make it more amazing. And guess what they called it??? "Amazing Cave".

Bought loads of DVD's (originals of course) on Hang Be Street. The Kangaroo café on Hang Be Street (just off Hang Bac Street) serves top quality food, but unfortunately we'd to listen to West Life each time we were there.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219758720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219758720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219758720/tpod.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:16:00 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Luang Prabang is a small city where the Nam Khan river flows into the Mekong. It's surrounded by mountains and is a UNESCO World Heritage City. The streets are lined with beautiful old style buildings and there are temples everywhere. It's a really nice place.

There's a nice walk up to the temple on the hill overlooking the town for a 360 view for miles. It's a great place to stroll around and, although it's touristy, it's hassle free in comparison to Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia. The tuk tuk drivers don't roar across the street or come running towards you. They're up to their usual tricks though..... claiming you gave them 5000 not 50000 kip when you go to pay.

Bumped into the Dubs we met in Hanoi and arranged to meet up for "a drink". We went to Lao Lao Garden pub (Lao lao is rice whiskey) that evening where we ended up playing pool with a few lads from Clare while waiting for the others to turn up. The lot of us went to the bowling alley/late bar together. There we met a group of Irish girls and it was a joke sitting around with about 20 other Paddy's.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219072680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219072680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1219072680/tpod.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:20:06 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The bus journey across the border went pretty smooth. It took over 7 hours to get from Phnom Penh and we crossed the Mekong river on a ferry type thing. Cambodians are crazy on the road. The bus drivers blow the horn every couple of seconds and basically runs people off the road every now and again.
The weather has been crap since we arrived. We've been up to no good as a result.... beer or telly.
We played pool with a local guy called "Chin". If there was an olympics for cheating Chin would take gold (and probably silver and bronze aswell because he's a cheat). He was hilarious.... clinching his fist and punching the air after every game. It was good craic all the same.
Apart from that it was the markets full of fakes like Louis Viotton bags and wallets.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1218748560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1218748560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cnnnews/xr4k1k/1218748560/tpod.html Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:19:03 -0400 "Hi I´m Cathal" ... "and I´m Niamh" ... "and welcome to C n N news".

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Sihanoukville, Cambodia

A beach town south of Phnom Penh. Here for 2 days to swim and take it easy.
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