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Post by thetravelingyeti on Feb 10, 2015 17:35:47 GMT
Hi again! I've just finished part 1 of a (sort of) new video series about a 9 week Southeast Asia trip I did exactly 3 years ago. I had made some videos earlier, but had to take them down from YouTube due to A) using copyrighted music (oops), and B) being quite poorly edited (they were my first attempt at making videos). Being older and wiser now, I have re-edited them with better (and copyright free) music, and cleaned up the worst of the editing issues from the first time around. The footage still isn't quite top notch, but they are an entertaining watch and manage to tell the story of my trip pretty well.
Looking back on my trip, I probably would have done some things differently (such as pass on Tiger Kingdom, mainly for ethical reasons), but on the flip side, that's part of the appeal of photography and videography - they're a portal through which to view events from another place and time. It was a really neat experience going back through all my footage from 3 years ago to both re-live the memories, and to see how things (myself included) have changed.
Part 1 shows some highlights of the first couple weeks of the trip, starting out in Bangkok (which I didn't really enjoy), then heading up to Chiang Mai (which I enjoyed very much).
I hope you enjoy it!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2015 18:12:10 GMT
You don't need to worry about sloppy editing very much. My own primitive videos will always be sloppier than yours.
"Part I" definitely gives a delightful feeling of the ambience of Thailand. It would be great if it would convince a few people here that Southeast Asia is not as scary as they think it is.
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Post by bjd on Feb 10, 2015 18:39:03 GMT
I have never thought of southeast Asia as being particularly scary but can't say that I really want to go anywhere other than Laos. Your video is well done but I don't like crowds -- and all the tourist attractions and streets you show seem rammed -- and I wouldn't go to a zoo anywhere. So it's interesting to see but doesn't make me want to hop on a plane.
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Post by thetravelingyeti on Feb 10, 2015 20:41:29 GMT
Fair enough. If I'm honest, crowds and touristy things aren't really my thing either (which is ironic, seeing as that's mostly what's in the video...). There were a lot of areas around Chiang Mai that were quite the opposite: my favorite day there was renting a motorcycle and exploring the areas outside of the city - it's incredibly beautiful. And definitely not scary, as long as you avoid the scam artists, which really isn't that hard. On the topic of Laos, I went there after Thailand and would highly highly highly recommend it. Very undeveloped and untouristy (except for the few touristy parts, of course) in general compared to Thailand. I wasn't planning on sharing this video until I had done a mild "rework" on it as well, but I'll share is here because I feel like it would be more up your alley bjd. It sums up the essence of Laos quite nicely I think.
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Post by questa on Feb 10, 2015 22:14:11 GMT
Thanks yeti, I was in Laos in 1999 when there wasn't much tourism as such. Your images brought back many memories. Did you get to the Plain of Jars? I happened to meet a school teacher (bearing terrible scars from napalm burns as a child) who showed me around on his motorbike. Weird place, desolate and beautiful. Luang Prabang is my 2nd most favourite place in my travels (after Kashgar )
I'd love to see more of your photos and videos. I might dig out some of mine.
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Post by htmb on Feb 10, 2015 22:42:55 GMT
Beautiful videos! I enjoyed those very much, yeti.
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Post by bjd on Feb 11, 2015 6:53:11 GMT
Thanks, yeti. That's much nicer. It must be a very pleasant way to travel -- by boat along the river.
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Post by thetravelingyeti on Feb 11, 2015 8:08:35 GMT
The only thing the video doesn't really communicate is how LOUD the "slow boats" are... It gets old after a while. But other than that, it really is a brilliant way to travel, especially when you get further up north and things (in my opinion) get even more beautiful and less traveled by tourists. And questa, I sadly didn't make it to Plain of Jars. I ended up spending too much time in Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi, two of the most beautiful little secluded villages imaginable (plus I was laid up with food poisoning for a few days in Muang Ngoi...). But it sounds like you had a great experience there! And I agree about Luang Prabang - it's an amazing city, with probably the best sunsets I've ever seen in my life.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 11:41:49 GMT
Oh yes, I remember those roaring and sputtering outboard motors. I am afraid to return to Luang Prabang -- I'm sure it has changed far too much from when I paid US$1.75 a night for my guesthouse.
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Post by questa on Feb 11, 2015 13:31:55 GMT
I was terrified by the super fast ones that screamed up and down the river at LP. There were so many rocks sticking out of the water (and so many just under the water) The day before I arrived one 'fast boat' had hit a rock and disintegrated, the showing off driver was killed but luckily he had no-one else on board. The river rises very high in season, then drops away long enough for the people to grow a crop of vegetables on the recently exposed mud banks. The boatmen have to contend with a different set of reefs and outcrops of rock becoming exposed every day.
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Post by thetravelingyeti on Feb 16, 2015 8:56:07 GMT
Hello again! Just got finished up with Thailand "Part 2"!
After my time in Chiang Mai (which again, was amazing) I rented a scooter and headed into the mountains to a town called Pai, which admittedly, I knew very little about. It turned out to be one of the main highlights of my time in Thailand. I liken the vibe to that of a laid back coastal surf town, minus the ocean, of course. I had planned on staying for 1 night, but ended up being there for several. Beautiful mountains, refreshing waterfalls, and friendly people were just a few of the highlights. I'd go back again in a heartbeat.
Video:
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Post by questa on Feb 16, 2015 12:50:49 GMT
Such lovely pictures again, yeti. Playing with elephants in a river is one of the most joyous times in my life. I was surprised to find that once the elephant lay in the water for me to scrub her, the temperature of the water around her big body rose for about 60cm from her. As the river was quite cold, I stayed close to her where it was warm.
Looking forward to more of your images and story.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 12:52:40 GMT
Yeti is just tormenting the people in the northern hemisphere.
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Post by thetravelingyeti on Feb 16, 2015 20:28:39 GMT
Ha, working on these videos is how I'm coping with being in the Northern Hemisphere right now...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 20:46:03 GMT
I suppose that if the truth should be told, Thailand is also in the northern hemisphere, but not my version of it.
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Post by mossie on Feb 17, 2015 16:17:41 GMT
Must bring back super memories, thanks for sharing.
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Post by thetravelingyeti on Feb 24, 2015 16:14:03 GMT
aaaaaaand right on schedule, here is Part 3! This video shows the highlights of my time on Koh Tao, Koh Phi Phi, and Krabi/Railay Beach. I saved these places for the end of my trip with the idea of just lounging around and laying on the beach all day, because I'd be so worn out from traveling through Northern Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. It turned out (unsurprisingly) that there were so many amazing things to do and places to see that I hardly spent any time "relaxing" on the beach. Snorkeling, rock climbing, off-road-scooter-mountain-climbing (an activity I invented on Koh Tao), and day trips to other little islands filled up my remaining time pretty quickly. I hope you enjoy the video!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2015 19:34:05 GMT
At last, somebody who can film underwater! The water looks almost as clear as in the Maldives and most certainly clearer than what I saw in southern Thailand, although I did not go to any of the diving or major snorkeling areas.
I am always perplexed by people who want to just relax on a beach in a place like that -- there is so much to see and do that every moment spent lying on the beach seems like a waste of time to me.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 25, 2015 16:48:26 GMT
I've gotta come back to this. It deserves more attention.
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Post by htmb on Feb 25, 2015 22:13:14 GMT
Really nice, yeti!
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Post by thetravelingyeti on Feb 26, 2015 20:57:17 GMT
Thanks again for the positive comments!
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Post by questa on Mar 5, 2015 4:46:04 GMT
Beautful, Yeti, and I like your editing too. As the climber on the rock is just about to take his step you cut to the macaque climbing the wall...sweet! Usually I don't like the horrid things but the ones you were with seemed better mannered and didn't jump all over you for food.
So, which is your favourite place in S.E.Asia and which your least favourite? I'm guessing you liked the North.
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Post by thetravelingyeti on Mar 5, 2015 14:51:34 GMT
Ooh, that's a tough one... It's hard to compare the North with the South (islands) because they're so different. But you're right - if I had to pick I would say that Chiang Mai and Pai were my favorite places. Koh Tao comes a close second, as it's small, has amazing snorkeling, and is more rugged and less overwhelmed by tourism than the other major islands. Least favourite place by far was Bangkok. I'm definitely not a big city person so I'm a bit biased I guess, and to be fair, I hardly gave it a chance either. I only stayed for 2 days because that's all I could handle...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2015 20:26:43 GMT
Good videos. I have a friend with a guesthouse in Chiang Mai so I spend a lot of time in the same place.
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 21, 2015 4:08:40 GMT
Great videos. I've been to Koh Phi Phi and Krabi/Railay and that last video brought back fond memories. What a stunning place. I think you got better snorkeling than I did, though. The year I visited, the water was just a bit warmer than usual, which killed a lot of coral, which greatly diminished the amount of fish. I still saw some pretty fish, though.
Like you, I think I'd like Chiang Mai but not care for Bangkok.
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