Although I love Melbourne, I was getting a little stir-crazy spending all my time either in St. Kilda or in the city itself. Since I had decided that I would see penguins in NZ and therefore didn't need to attend the "Penguin Parade" on Phillip Island, a trip on the great ocean road was a logical choice. My original choice of tour didn't pan out, so I wound up doing one that also went to nearby Grampians Nat'l Park.
This wound up being a really nice tour. There were only 11 of us, and everyone was really friendly, including the driver, Bill. In fact, Bill was a bit too friendly... it seemed that he never shut up!! But he had a lot of interesting things to tell us, especially since he grew up in a small town on the great ocean road. This road was built by workers after WWI in a program very similar to the CCC (civilian conservation corps) the US. In fact, it was modeled after the pacific coast highway in Oregon and California, although it's much shorter.
The absolute highlight of the trip for me was seeing a group of wild koalas in the trees just off the road as we were driving along!! Unfortunately, most of them were asleep (not surprising since they sleep an average of 20 hours a day), but we did see a couple snacking on Eucalyptus leaves and backing up and down the tree trunks. Later we saw an entire group of grey kangaroos feeding in a grassy field near our hostel, but I was still much more intrigued by the koalas.
At many of the beaches we saw heaps of people in wetsuits surfing on brightly colored surfboards. In fact, many of them were attending surfing school. The "king tide" will soon be approaching the southern coast, in time for the world professional surfing championships, held over Easter weekend. The most famous sights on the great ocean road are called the 12 apostles, and are solitary pieces of land left out in the ocean through wind and water erosion. Because they are mostly composed of sandstone, which is fairly soft, eventually they will return to the sea. The landscape reminded me a lot of the Oregon coast, and parts of northern California. Except for the wind, which was unbelievable. I have a picture of myself standing overlooking the 12 apostles, with my face completely obscured by all my hair blowing around in the wind.
The Grampians are also beautiful, although much less dramatic. A huge forest fire ripped through the area one year ago, and the evidence of the fire is everywhere, even as the land heals. Ferns have returned as ground cover, and even though the gum trees still sport black, charred trunks, they are also growing new leaves. In fact, the fire blasted seeds into the bark of many trees, so that they are growing leaves all along their trunks, which is totally abnormal.
We visited a temperate rainforest with giant 300 foot tall Eucalyptus trees, very reminiscent of Olympic or the California redwoods. The oldest trees there are actually the ferns, which only grow an average of 1 mm a year. The tallest of those in the park are therefore 10,000 years old!! Other wildlife included the kookaburra, a substantial white and brown bird with a distinctive silhouette and light blue patches on its wings, and the Rosella, a beautiful scarlet and blue bird.
We ended the trip with a visit to the largest gold mine in Victoria (really not so interesting) and a local winery (much better), which made the most delicious port I've ever had. Unfortunately, I really can't cart a bottle of it around Oz and NZ. Oh well. Two more days in Melbourne, and then I'm flying to Cairns and the great barrier reef. Hope it's great.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Water Polo and other Diversions
After attending the quarterfinals of women's water polo last Tuesday, I decided that I liked it enough to fork out money for the finals on Saturday. The fact that the US was playing Australia in the gold medal game also had some influence on my decision!! Again, the cheap seats for the bronze and gold medal games were only A$38, much cheaper than the swimming. There goes their strange pricing again.
Russia beat Hungary in the bronze medal game, 8-6. It seemed that the whole stadium was rooting for Hungary, not just the Hungarian fans. Perhaps because they were the defending world champions. All I have to say is that the Aussies are fantastic sports fans, especially when their own are competing. There were several cheering squads in the stands, decked out in yellow shirts, wigs, and even face paint. There is something stirring about listening to a cheer of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie", "Oi, Oi, Oi" in the stands, even if it is against your own team. They were also very fond of "Aussie fans, in the stands, let me hear you clap your hands...".
It was a very exciting game, close at the half at 1-1. I was one of only a few Americans in the stands, but at least I felt safe cheering for the opposing team. God knows you take your life in your hands when cheering for anyone but the Eagles at the Linc. After a close game and terrific performance by both goaltenders, the US eked out a victory, 6-5. And then promptly dragged the entire coaching staff into the water fully clothed :)
I took the tram back to St. Kilda, but didn't feel like eating yet another night of my own cooking. I went to a local restaurant, Lentil as Anything, which serves terrific veggie food and suggests that you pay what the meal was worth. I got seated at a table with two other single diners, an Aussie and a Swiss. It's a good idea, and in my opinion, much better than eating dinner alone, which I hate doing. The entire restaurant was lit by candlelight (to save on the electricity), and we were entertained by a fire-eating performer. Not a bad evening.
Russia beat Hungary in the bronze medal game, 8-6. It seemed that the whole stadium was rooting for Hungary, not just the Hungarian fans. Perhaps because they were the defending world champions. All I have to say is that the Aussies are fantastic sports fans, especially when their own are competing. There were several cheering squads in the stands, decked out in yellow shirts, wigs, and even face paint. There is something stirring about listening to a cheer of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie", "Oi, Oi, Oi" in the stands, even if it is against your own team. They were also very fond of "Aussie fans, in the stands, let me hear you clap your hands...".
It was a very exciting game, close at the half at 1-1. I was one of only a few Americans in the stands, but at least I felt safe cheering for the opposing team. God knows you take your life in your hands when cheering for anyone but the Eagles at the Linc. After a close game and terrific performance by both goaltenders, the US eked out a victory, 6-5. And then promptly dragged the entire coaching staff into the water fully clothed :)
I took the tram back to St. Kilda, but didn't feel like eating yet another night of my own cooking. I went to a local restaurant, Lentil as Anything, which serves terrific veggie food and suggests that you pay what the meal was worth. I got seated at a table with two other single diners, an Aussie and a Swiss. It's a good idea, and in my opinion, much better than eating dinner alone, which I hate doing. The entire restaurant was lit by candlelight (to save on the electricity), and we were entertained by a fire-eating performer. Not a bad evening.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Hey, I Saw Ian Thorpe
(From across the arena, but it was still cool :) I wound up going to the second night of swimming at the FINA world championships with two girls from my new, wonderful hostel. It's just down the street from the old one, but it might as well be in a different world. I'm in a small 4 bed female dorm, it's quiet and peaceful, and boasts the biggest, handsomest kitty in the world (sorry, Kuching) named Alex, short for Alexander the Great. He's still warming up to me, but I have faith.
Karenza, one of my dorm mates, is a volunteer for the event, and I went with another girl named Franzie. They both know quite a bit about swimming, which is cool. The swimming is held at Rod Laver arena, which normally hosts the Australian Open. They created a temporary pool on center court, named after the Australian butterfly champ Susie O'Neill. The arena was only 2/3 full, and many seats were filled by team members or sponsored groups. I'm not sure how many paying ticket holders they actually got. Since the cheapest decent seats were A$98, I think FINA priced themselves out of a full house. I also bought tickets for water polo this afternoon. By contrast, admission to see three water polo matches only set me back A$25. I don't know what's up with their price structuring.
Anyway, we saw Brendan Hansen win the men's 100 breast, the Aussie women go 1-2 in the 100 fly, and Katie Hoff set a new Championship record in the 200 IM. Phelps and Van Den Hoogenband swam heats in the men's 200 free. They're both desperately trying to break Ian Thorpe's world record, but they've got quite a ways to go. And I forgot half the words to the star spangled banner. Quite embarrassing.
Melbourne's a great city, and I'm really enjoying my time here. St. Kilda beach is beautiful, although it does take a bit to get into the city center on the tram. Melbourne is much more continental European, in contrast to Sydney's strong British influence. There is actually a synagogue across the street from my first hostel, and a fair number of eastern European immigrants have settled here.
I plan to go on a tour of the great ocean road on Thursday and Friday, and I may just have to see the fairy penguin colony on Phillips Island. It is the biggest tourist attraction in Victoria, but I just might not care. How often am I in the southern hemisphere, anyway?
Karenza, one of my dorm mates, is a volunteer for the event, and I went with another girl named Franzie. They both know quite a bit about swimming, which is cool. The swimming is held at Rod Laver arena, which normally hosts the Australian Open. They created a temporary pool on center court, named after the Australian butterfly champ Susie O'Neill. The arena was only 2/3 full, and many seats were filled by team members or sponsored groups. I'm not sure how many paying ticket holders they actually got. Since the cheapest decent seats were A$98, I think FINA priced themselves out of a full house. I also bought tickets for water polo this afternoon. By contrast, admission to see three water polo matches only set me back A$25. I don't know what's up with their price structuring.
Anyway, we saw Brendan Hansen win the men's 100 breast, the Aussie women go 1-2 in the 100 fly, and Katie Hoff set a new Championship record in the 200 IM. Phelps and Van Den Hoogenband swam heats in the men's 200 free. They're both desperately trying to break Ian Thorpe's world record, but they've got quite a ways to go. And I forgot half the words to the star spangled banner. Quite embarrassing.
Melbourne's a great city, and I'm really enjoying my time here. St. Kilda beach is beautiful, although it does take a bit to get into the city center on the tram. Melbourne is much more continental European, in contrast to Sydney's strong British influence. There is actually a synagogue across the street from my first hostel, and a fair number of eastern European immigrants have settled here.
I plan to go on a tour of the great ocean road on Thursday and Friday, and I may just have to see the fairy penguin colony on Phillips Island. It is the biggest tourist attraction in Victoria, but I just might not care. How often am I in the southern hemisphere, anyway?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Open Water Swimming
Today was a beautiful fall day in Melbourne, bright and sunny, but with cool temps a blustery 18 knot wind off the water. I started the morning with a yoga class, my first foray into Iyengar. I was really excited to do yoga again after all this time, but wasn't prepared for the amount of prop use in this class. Not only do you use bolsters, blankets, straps, and blocks as aids to get into poses, but we also used ropes on the walls to hold ourselves in downward dog without putting pressure on our arms. An interesting class, to be sure, but not my thing. I think you should be able to practice yoga with your body and a mat. I'll have to look for other classes in the neighborhood.
A very nice woman with blue hair on the mat next to me told me about a great veggie restaurant where you "pay what the meal was worth". I wonder what people normally pay, but I had a great mug of chai and a huge lentil burger. I then made my way over to St. Kilda beach where the final day of the open water world championships, the men's' 25 K swim, was underway. To put this in perspective, 25 K is 14.5 miles swum in 10 laps in the choppy, cold, unpredictable ocean.
It's 10 laps around a 2.5 km course, and there are people on small power boats following each swimmer in case of injury. The course also features 2 feeding stations on opposite ends of the loop. This is the most amazing part, I think. A crew member will extend a long pole over the water, containing a cup with the swimmer's fuel of choice, whether power drinks, gels, or bananas. How they manage to chug the contents and get right back into the rhythm of their stroke is quite beyond me. The wind was brutal on land; I can't imagine how it impacted the swimmers.
An Australian was favored, but a Russian wound up winning.... in 5 hours, 15 minutes. I cannot fathom swimming for that long, especially in the ocean. I probably would have been seasick after the first 100 meters!! An Italian finished second, and an Egyptian third, which was a surprise to me. He had quite the fan club, including guys wearing capes and silly hats who followed him around beating a drum and chanting. I bet they're going to have quite the party tonight!!
I had thought initially that an American and the Egyptian were in a race for third...until I realized that the American was being lapped. I cannot think of anything more disheartening... realizing you have another entire 2.5 km lap to go. I wound up watching the end with a nice Irish couple I met in the cafe while getting out of the wind. They have moved to Melbourne and are in the process of renting a house and finding jobs in communications. We had fun bitching about the people in Australian hostels. It was definitely nice to find others with the same frame of mind. Happily I am moving to another hostel tomorrow, one that will hopefully be a little more my speed.
Now on to see if I can get tickets for this evening's swimming finals...
A very nice woman with blue hair on the mat next to me told me about a great veggie restaurant where you "pay what the meal was worth". I wonder what people normally pay, but I had a great mug of chai and a huge lentil burger. I then made my way over to St. Kilda beach where the final day of the open water world championships, the men's' 25 K swim, was underway. To put this in perspective, 25 K is 14.5 miles swum in 10 laps in the choppy, cold, unpredictable ocean.
It's 10 laps around a 2.5 km course, and there are people on small power boats following each swimmer in case of injury. The course also features 2 feeding stations on opposite ends of the loop. This is the most amazing part, I think. A crew member will extend a long pole over the water, containing a cup with the swimmer's fuel of choice, whether power drinks, gels, or bananas. How they manage to chug the contents and get right back into the rhythm of their stroke is quite beyond me. The wind was brutal on land; I can't imagine how it impacted the swimmers.
An Australian was favored, but a Russian wound up winning.... in 5 hours, 15 minutes. I cannot fathom swimming for that long, especially in the ocean. I probably would have been seasick after the first 100 meters!! An Italian finished second, and an Egyptian third, which was a surprise to me. He had quite the fan club, including guys wearing capes and silly hats who followed him around beating a drum and chanting. I bet they're going to have quite the party tonight!!
I had thought initially that an American and the Egyptian were in a race for third...until I realized that the American was being lapped. I cannot think of anything more disheartening... realizing you have another entire 2.5 km lap to go. I wound up watching the end with a nice Irish couple I met in the cafe while getting out of the wind. They have moved to Melbourne and are in the process of renting a house and finding jobs in communications. We had fun bitching about the people in Australian hostels. It was definitely nice to find others with the same frame of mind. Happily I am moving to another hostel tomorrow, one that will hopefully be a little more my speed.
Now on to see if I can get tickets for this evening's swimming finals...
Friday, March 23, 2007
In which I spend much time on the train...
Other Britishisms... the "look right" signs printed on the sidewalks (very helpful to idiots like me), toilets which say "engaged" rather than occupied, "posting" a letter rather than mailing it, "call outs" for fire alarms, and the breakfast I just ate which came with fried mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach (actually very good since I didn't get the nasty bacon or sausage).
I hated my hostel in Sydney so much (and had seen most of what I wanted to see in the city) that I decided it was time to move on to Melbourne. I mean, this is a place where people are drinking beer and smoking cigarettes at 7:30 am on a Thursday morning. The entire place smelled like Armstrong late night. People are practically tripping over each other to get the wonderful free breakfast: which consisted of cornflakes and milk, or toast with margarine and Vegemite. If you have not been introduced to the wonderful world of Vegemite, consider yourself lucky. Why anyone would want to slather a dark brown extremely salty spread composed of fermented Brewers' yeast on perfectly good bread is totally beyond me.
So, I discovered that Sydney's central train station is indeed a wonderful place. I bought an overnight train ticket to Melbourne (12 hours), for only A$74.50, and was able to check my baggage at 8 am even though it was an evening train. Amtrak could learn a few things from the Aussies. I then bought a one day pass to the Blue Mountains, which consisted of a round trip train ticket to Katoomba, and the bus to get around the area. All the urban subway lines and suburban commuter lines start and terminate in this station as well. It's really very well constructed.
The Blue Mountains are a 2 hour train ride from Sydney, and were originally a holiday retreat for rich city people. There's a famous rock formation called "the three sisters" and something called echo point overlooking the valley. Katoomba is a cute, although touristy town, and you are able to get off the bus and do some trail walking, which is a great way to escape the crowds, although not a very loud couple from New York who insisted on talking the entire way.
There were also several good used book stores to be perused. You would not believe the price of new paperbacks in Australia; they regularly cost A$ 20-25. Even a lot of the used books cost $A 8-10, which I think is a complete rip-off. Mom, you could make a killing selling used books here!! I enjoyed Bill Bryson's book on Australia so much that I bought a used copy of Notes from a Big Country (about the US) and have been happily making my way through it. He's very popular here, but all the titles are published in the UK and then shipped Down Under. I also bought a copy of The Thornbirds, which I remember as a very bad US '80's miniseries, but is supposed to be Australia's version of Gone With The Wind.
Mom... yes, Aussies are just as guilty of shouting into their cellphones in public places as people anywhere else. A prime example were the group of teenagers on my return train from Katoomba who were on their way to "the Footy" (that's Australian rules football for the rest of us). It just proves that teenagers are obnoxious all over the world :)
The train to Melbourne was quite comfortable, if extremely cold. I am so greatful to have brought my sleeping sack with me, although I have discovered that I cannot sleep better with two seats instead of one. We arrived into a world of cold weather and rain (low of 10 deg C) ... i'll be wearing that pair of jeans at last. I took the tram to the hostel... here's hoping this one proves better than the last. I loved the places I stayed in Vietnam and Laos; I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here in Australia.
The FINA (swimming, diving, syncro swimming, and water polo) world championships are all over the news, including the Aussie womens' swim team's prospects vs. the US and Germany. Apparently the Aussie men are in a rebuilding year, except for Grant Hackett. If I can get tickets, I'd like to see the opening night of swimming tomorrow. The open water swim is also held tomorrow at St. Kilda, which is where I'm staying. I'll have to see if you need tickets for beach viewing.
It is still pouring... I'm thinking this is a shopping and museum day. Oh well, it can't be sunny all the time. cheers.
I hated my hostel in Sydney so much (and had seen most of what I wanted to see in the city) that I decided it was time to move on to Melbourne. I mean, this is a place where people are drinking beer and smoking cigarettes at 7:30 am on a Thursday morning. The entire place smelled like Armstrong late night. People are practically tripping over each other to get the wonderful free breakfast: which consisted of cornflakes and milk, or toast with margarine and Vegemite. If you have not been introduced to the wonderful world of Vegemite, consider yourself lucky. Why anyone would want to slather a dark brown extremely salty spread composed of fermented Brewers' yeast on perfectly good bread is totally beyond me.
So, I discovered that Sydney's central train station is indeed a wonderful place. I bought an overnight train ticket to Melbourne (12 hours), for only A$74.50, and was able to check my baggage at 8 am even though it was an evening train. Amtrak could learn a few things from the Aussies. I then bought a one day pass to the Blue Mountains, which consisted of a round trip train ticket to Katoomba, and the bus to get around the area. All the urban subway lines and suburban commuter lines start and terminate in this station as well. It's really very well constructed.
The Blue Mountains are a 2 hour train ride from Sydney, and were originally a holiday retreat for rich city people. There's a famous rock formation called "the three sisters" and something called echo point overlooking the valley. Katoomba is a cute, although touristy town, and you are able to get off the bus and do some trail walking, which is a great way to escape the crowds, although not a very loud couple from New York who insisted on talking the entire way.
There were also several good used book stores to be perused. You would not believe the price of new paperbacks in Australia; they regularly cost A$ 20-25. Even a lot of the used books cost $A 8-10, which I think is a complete rip-off. Mom, you could make a killing selling used books here!! I enjoyed Bill Bryson's book on Australia so much that I bought a used copy of Notes from a Big Country (about the US) and have been happily making my way through it. He's very popular here, but all the titles are published in the UK and then shipped Down Under. I also bought a copy of The Thornbirds, which I remember as a very bad US '80's miniseries, but is supposed to be Australia's version of Gone With The Wind.
Mom... yes, Aussies are just as guilty of shouting into their cellphones in public places as people anywhere else. A prime example were the group of teenagers on my return train from Katoomba who were on their way to "the Footy" (that's Australian rules football for the rest of us). It just proves that teenagers are obnoxious all over the world :)
The train to Melbourne was quite comfortable, if extremely cold. I am so greatful to have brought my sleeping sack with me, although I have discovered that I cannot sleep better with two seats instead of one. We arrived into a world of cold weather and rain (low of 10 deg C) ... i'll be wearing that pair of jeans at last. I took the tram to the hostel... here's hoping this one proves better than the last. I loved the places I stayed in Vietnam and Laos; I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here in Australia.
The FINA (swimming, diving, syncro swimming, and water polo) world championships are all over the news, including the Aussie womens' swim team's prospects vs. the US and Germany. Apparently the Aussie men are in a rebuilding year, except for Grant Hackett. If I can get tickets, I'd like to see the opening night of swimming tomorrow. The open water swim is also held tomorrow at St. Kilda, which is where I'm staying. I'll have to see if you need tickets for beach viewing.
It is still pouring... I'm thinking this is a shopping and museum day. Oh well, it can't be sunny all the time. cheers.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Britishisms
There are several subtle things here in Sydney that remind me that I am in a former British colony. Instead of take out, they have "take away". The rail system urges you to "mind the gap", and points you to the "way out" instead of the exit. When you get on the escalator, you are advised to stand on the left and walk on the right (the reverse of what one does on the Metro). Apartments are "for let", not for rent. I am constantly looking the wrong way before trying to cross the street. Perhaps by the time I reach New Zealand it will have become second nature.
I forgot to mention the wildlife in Sydney itself. I have seen what I think are cockatoos (Cailin, help me out here), and the royal botanical gardens supports a huge colony of flying foxes in the trees. I walked through there just before dusk yesterday when they were all starting to stir. The rooster alarm clock has been replaced by some other bird, which I fancy to be a kookaburra (it's probably not).
Last night I made the unfortunate discovery that the woman with the bunk below mine snores. loudly. With a pair of earplugs to join my sleep mask, I was undisturbed by the kookaburras and slept until 9:30. oops. I purchased a combination rail and ferry pass and set my destination for Manly Beach. It's a lovely 1/2 hour ride there on a different ferry. This one takes you to the north shore, past the entrance to Sydney harbor. At Manly, you can swim in either the harbor or the south pacific ocean. The overcast weather didn't detour multitudes of swimmers and surfers, or sunbathers for that matter.
I had a proper beach meal of fish and calamari with chips and ate it on some steps overlooking the water. How many cities have a beach of this caliber just 30 minutes from their city center, and accessible by ferry? And it's not the only one; Bondi beach on the south shore is far more well known (have you ever seen photos of Australians celebrating Christmas by wearing Santa hats along with their bikinis?... that's Bondi beach).
Friday I'm headed out... not sure if it'll be to Melbourne or the Blue Mountains, a few hours from Sydney. Tomorrow, since I've already been to the zoo, perhaps I'll take yet another ferry over to Sydney Olympic Park. And then I can visit an additional Olympic stadium in Melbourne. Oh, the possibilities are endless :)
I forgot to mention the wildlife in Sydney itself. I have seen what I think are cockatoos (Cailin, help me out here), and the royal botanical gardens supports a huge colony of flying foxes in the trees. I walked through there just before dusk yesterday when they were all starting to stir. The rooster alarm clock has been replaced by some other bird, which I fancy to be a kookaburra (it's probably not).
Last night I made the unfortunate discovery that the woman with the bunk below mine snores. loudly. With a pair of earplugs to join my sleep mask, I was undisturbed by the kookaburras and slept until 9:30. oops. I purchased a combination rail and ferry pass and set my destination for Manly Beach. It's a lovely 1/2 hour ride there on a different ferry. This one takes you to the north shore, past the entrance to Sydney harbor. At Manly, you can swim in either the harbor or the south pacific ocean. The overcast weather didn't detour multitudes of swimmers and surfers, or sunbathers for that matter.
I had a proper beach meal of fish and calamari with chips and ate it on some steps overlooking the water. How many cities have a beach of this caliber just 30 minutes from their city center, and accessible by ferry? And it's not the only one; Bondi beach on the south shore is far more well known (have you ever seen photos of Australians celebrating Christmas by wearing Santa hats along with their bikinis?... that's Bondi beach).
Friday I'm headed out... not sure if it'll be to Melbourne or the Blue Mountains, a few hours from Sydney. Tomorrow, since I've already been to the zoo, perhaps I'll take yet another ferry over to Sydney Olympic Park. And then I can visit an additional Olympic stadium in Melbourne. Oh, the possibilities are endless :)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Down Under...
My flight from Bangkok to Sydney on British Airways was quite delightful. I had a comfortable window seat with no one behind me, and I watched the new Bond film, Casino Royale, on my own little TV screen. I forgot to order a veggie meal and was confronted with the very British options of chicken or beef. Luckily the flight attendant was able to snag me a nice salad from business class to fill the gap.
I had a shuttle from the airport to the hostel driven by an Iraqi who wanted to have a long discussion about W and all the various wars. Next time I'm going to be from Canada; it's just easier. I'm in backpacker hell right now, which is somewhat my fault since I accidentally booked the wrong hostel online. It's called the Jolly Swagman (which is a uniquely Australian term for an itinerant traveller) and advertises that it's open 24 hours. So exactly my cup of tea.
I think part of my uneasiness is that I'm in sticker shock after over a month in the wonderfully affordable land of SE Asia. I'm spending the same amount for a bed (around $20) as for an entire day in Vietnam or Laos. I may have to start working a couple hours per day at the hostel to cover my board. Then I can afford to eat better. But I should remember that I am in the NYC of Australia, and hopefully costs will be somewhat cheaper elsewhere.
I did have a wonderful day at the Taronga Zoo, including the ferry ride there and back across
Sydney's famous harbour, including views of the opera house and Harbour Bridge (AKA the coat hanger), which just celebrated its 75th anniversary last week. I really tried to focus on the Australian animals, which included spending much quality time with the koalas, who make the most wonderful growling/barking sounds when they are getting peeved with each other (in addition to chasing each other up and down the Eucalyptus trees). I also discovered the wonders of Wombats (a nocturnal burrow-dwelling marsupial) and the Binturong, which can only be described as an adorable tree-dwelling cross between a cat, a bear, and an otter, residing mainly in Indonesia.
I walked from the hostel in Kings Cross to and from Circular Quay, from where all the passenger ferries depart. It was around noontime, and I was struck by the sheer number of people outside exercising, whether running, playing soccer, rugby, or practicing kickboxing. It was as though the entire city was outside being virtuous on its lunch break. And most of these people weren't exercising to get fit; they were fit. Really fit. Almost an equal number were running or biking home at the end of the day, presumably with their work clothes stashed in the backpacks most of them sported. Talk about an outdoor culture.
Beer is surprisingly expensive here. Single bottles in a liquor store sell for A$2.50-4.00. A six pack of a local beer can easily cost A$15-18 (the conversion rate is 0.80...woe to the falling USD). That's worse than take out from a bar in Philly (the only way you can buy beer other than at a state liquor store). It's just odd for such a beer loving culture.
Cheers, mate.
I had a shuttle from the airport to the hostel driven by an Iraqi who wanted to have a long discussion about W and all the various wars. Next time I'm going to be from Canada; it's just easier. I'm in backpacker hell right now, which is somewhat my fault since I accidentally booked the wrong hostel online. It's called the Jolly Swagman (which is a uniquely Australian term for an itinerant traveller) and advertises that it's open 24 hours. So exactly my cup of tea.
I think part of my uneasiness is that I'm in sticker shock after over a month in the wonderfully affordable land of SE Asia. I'm spending the same amount for a bed (around $20) as for an entire day in Vietnam or Laos. I may have to start working a couple hours per day at the hostel to cover my board. Then I can afford to eat better. But I should remember that I am in the NYC of Australia, and hopefully costs will be somewhat cheaper elsewhere.
I did have a wonderful day at the Taronga Zoo, including the ferry ride there and back across
Sydney's famous harbour, including views of the opera house and Harbour Bridge (AKA the coat hanger), which just celebrated its 75th anniversary last week. I really tried to focus on the Australian animals, which included spending much quality time with the koalas, who make the most wonderful growling/barking sounds when they are getting peeved with each other (in addition to chasing each other up and down the Eucalyptus trees). I also discovered the wonders of Wombats (a nocturnal burrow-dwelling marsupial) and the Binturong, which can only be described as an adorable tree-dwelling cross between a cat, a bear, and an otter, residing mainly in Indonesia.
I walked from the hostel in Kings Cross to and from Circular Quay, from where all the passenger ferries depart. It was around noontime, and I was struck by the sheer number of people outside exercising, whether running, playing soccer, rugby, or practicing kickboxing. It was as though the entire city was outside being virtuous on its lunch break. And most of these people weren't exercising to get fit; they were fit. Really fit. Almost an equal number were running or biking home at the end of the day, presumably with their work clothes stashed in the backpacks most of them sported. Talk about an outdoor culture.
Beer is surprisingly expensive here. Single bottles in a liquor store sell for A$2.50-4.00. A six pack of a local beer can easily cost A$15-18 (the conversion rate is 0.80...woe to the falling USD). That's worse than take out from a bar in Philly (the only way you can buy beer other than at a state liquor store). It's just odd for such a beer loving culture.
Cheers, mate.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Shopping Heaven
Bangkok is shopping heaven, here's no doubt about it. Anything you've ever thought (or not thought) of buying, you can find it here. There are your traditional upscale shopping malls, featuring name brand stores you can find in the states, then the luxury malls with Versace and Prada, the slightly seedier and more fun outdoor markets, such as the Chatuchak weekend market, and then the craziest of all, the electronics emporiums. I went to an electronics emporium called Fortune something yesterday because Jon needed a new router. It is an entire shopping mall filled with nothing but hardware, accessories, mobile phones, MP3 and MP4 players, CD's and DVDs, and unbelievably cheap computer software. You can buy a copy of the new Windows VISTA operating system for 120 Baht (about $3.50). The prices for computers and laptops are comparable to the US, although they have more Taiwanese brands that I haven't heard of (like Acer, for example).
After this electronics fest, Tap and I went to the Chatuchak weekend market, which contains something like 20,000 stalls selling merchandise from pork parts to high end furniture. We got there via Taxi, which cost about $1.40. It is extremely affordable to take taxis (at least for short distances) in Bangkok; I could get used to this!! I wound up buying a t-shirt with a picture of a dove composed of many smaller bird silhouettes, and the most comfortable wide legged black pants in the world (I should have bought 2 pairs). Not all shops carry western sizes, but these did. Tap was looking for a traditional Thai outfit to wear to work (she works at the UN, and everyone was supposed to come in native dress). That meant an entertaining bargaining session with the old lady who owns the stall. I bought a whole cut up mango for 0.50 and was quite happy.
I cooked a veggie and shrimp stir-fry for dinner, which wasn't bad except that it could have used some more seasonings. Then Tap and I went to a beauty salon in the Soi (street) next door where she got her hair done and I got a foot massage. Ah, bliss :) You can buy anything in this street. There are internet cafes, copy centers, beauty parlors, a photo store, three 7-11's, more food vendors than you can shake a stick at; even a small supermarket. There are guys on motos waiting to take you to the sky train station for 10 baht (0.30). Except for the congestion and insane traffic, there's a lot to be said for the area.
I bid SE Asia farewell this evening with an overnight flight to Sydney. I've been doing some preparatory reading for this trip with Bill Bryson's hysterical book on Australia, appropriately entitled Down Under. I just have to share this one passage about Cricket (which in all fairness, I have never seen).
"It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavors look interesting and lively; that was merely an unitended side effect. I don't wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game. It is the only sport that encorporates meal breaks. It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect. It is the only sport in which spectators burn as many calories as players (more if they are moderately restless). It is the only competitive activity of any type, other than perhaps baking, in which you can dress in white from head to toe and be as clean at the end of the day as you were at the beginning."
After this electronics fest, Tap and I went to the Chatuchak weekend market, which contains something like 20,000 stalls selling merchandise from pork parts to high end furniture. We got there via Taxi, which cost about $1.40. It is extremely affordable to take taxis (at least for short distances) in Bangkok; I could get used to this!! I wound up buying a t-shirt with a picture of a dove composed of many smaller bird silhouettes, and the most comfortable wide legged black pants in the world (I should have bought 2 pairs). Not all shops carry western sizes, but these did. Tap was looking for a traditional Thai outfit to wear to work (she works at the UN, and everyone was supposed to come in native dress). That meant an entertaining bargaining session with the old lady who owns the stall. I bought a whole cut up mango for 0.50 and was quite happy.
I cooked a veggie and shrimp stir-fry for dinner, which wasn't bad except that it could have used some more seasonings. Then Tap and I went to a beauty salon in the Soi (street) next door where she got her hair done and I got a foot massage. Ah, bliss :) You can buy anything in this street. There are internet cafes, copy centers, beauty parlors, a photo store, three 7-11's, more food vendors than you can shake a stick at; even a small supermarket. There are guys on motos waiting to take you to the sky train station for 10 baht (0.30). Except for the congestion and insane traffic, there's a lot to be said for the area.
I bid SE Asia farewell this evening with an overnight flight to Sydney. I've been doing some preparatory reading for this trip with Bill Bryson's hysterical book on Australia, appropriately entitled Down Under. I just have to share this one passage about Cricket (which in all fairness, I have never seen).
"It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavors look interesting and lively; that was merely an unitended side effect. I don't wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game. It is the only sport that encorporates meal breaks. It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect. It is the only sport in which spectators burn as many calories as players (more if they are moderately restless). It is the only competitive activity of any type, other than perhaps baking, in which you can dress in white from head to toe and be as clean at the end of the day as you were at the beginning."
Saturday, March 17, 2007
My trip to Bangkok
It was time to bid a sad farewell to Laos and head to Bangkok and the next leg of my journey. There is a very convenient tourist bus from Paksae through the Lao-Thai border and all the way onto Ubon, a major city where one can catch the train or the bus to Bangkok. This bus was full with Lao, Thais, and Falangs alike, including two Canadians who felt it necessary to each bring a small Styrofoam cooler of beer along for the journey (I innocently asked if they had been fishing). You have to get off the bus at each side of the border to clear customs, and these two were almost left at the Thai side. They got back on the bus, huffing a bit, and saying "what a country, eh!!!" (no, I did not make that up).
We arrived uneventfully at the Ubon bus station, and several people and I took a tuktuk over to the train station because I was really looking forward to that sleeper car. Sadly, everything except third class was sold out, which then meant we had to take another tuk-tuk the 20 minutes back to the bus station where we started. And then I got charged 3 baht to use the squat toilet... and it was extra if I wanted toilet paper (I always carry my own, thank you very much). Grrr. :)
We took the "regular" bus for 300 Baht ($8.50) instead of the VIP bus. Both had air-conditioning, which was all I cared about. It turned out this bus also stopped along the way, but since no one was bringing on any chickens, sacks of grain, or any other large, bulky items, I could care less. After about an hour my seat mate left and I was able to stretch out a bit. We arrived at the bus station at 5:30 a.m., which was really far too early an hour to call on the Hargers', my surrogate family in Bangkok. I therefore decided that I was going to get there via public bus #77. I traipsed around for hours trying to find public bus #77. And all the time, all the helpful Thais who saw me traipsing around lugging my big backpack, suggested "Taxi". I am not frequently stubborn, but this was going to be one of those times. Until I finally realized that nothing was worth this amount of hassle and went and got a damn taxi. It took 10 minutes, cost me less than $2, and got me right to the Hargers' door. I hate it when I'm wrong :)
I have now met the nicest cats in Thailand, all 8 of them. 4 of them are female orange tabbies, which are somewhat rare in the US. They are all silky, clean, and friendly, and I feel like I'm in cat heaven at the moment. Things have changed a bit here: Bouquet is 18 today, and Jamie will turn 13 later this year. Jamie, Tap and I went shopping for a new camera. I was able to find the same camera at the same price I paid in the US (except made for the Japanese market), so I'm thrilled. We spent the better part of the morning wandering through various malls in downtown Bangkok. Wow... this has become a shopping culture, make no mistake. And the number of Thai males I saw with "product" in their hair was astonishing. Jamie and I saw the movie "300," based on a graphic novel about the stand of 300 Spartan warriors against a much larger Persian army. Too much gratuitous violence, but good for a couple hours of air-conditioned entertainment. Now back to kitty heaven :)
We arrived uneventfully at the Ubon bus station, and several people and I took a tuktuk over to the train station because I was really looking forward to that sleeper car. Sadly, everything except third class was sold out, which then meant we had to take another tuk-tuk the 20 minutes back to the bus station where we started. And then I got charged 3 baht to use the squat toilet... and it was extra if I wanted toilet paper (I always carry my own, thank you very much). Grrr. :)
We took the "regular" bus for 300 Baht ($8.50) instead of the VIP bus. Both had air-conditioning, which was all I cared about. It turned out this bus also stopped along the way, but since no one was bringing on any chickens, sacks of grain, or any other large, bulky items, I could care less. After about an hour my seat mate left and I was able to stretch out a bit. We arrived at the bus station at 5:30 a.m., which was really far too early an hour to call on the Hargers', my surrogate family in Bangkok. I therefore decided that I was going to get there via public bus #77. I traipsed around for hours trying to find public bus #77. And all the time, all the helpful Thais who saw me traipsing around lugging my big backpack, suggested "Taxi". I am not frequently stubborn, but this was going to be one of those times. Until I finally realized that nothing was worth this amount of hassle and went and got a damn taxi. It took 10 minutes, cost me less than $2, and got me right to the Hargers' door. I hate it when I'm wrong :)
I have now met the nicest cats in Thailand, all 8 of them. 4 of them are female orange tabbies, which are somewhat rare in the US. They are all silky, clean, and friendly, and I feel like I'm in cat heaven at the moment. Things have changed a bit here: Bouquet is 18 today, and Jamie will turn 13 later this year. Jamie, Tap and I went shopping for a new camera. I was able to find the same camera at the same price I paid in the US (except made for the Japanese market), so I'm thrilled. We spent the better part of the morning wandering through various malls in downtown Bangkok. Wow... this has become a shopping culture, make no mistake. And the number of Thai males I saw with "product" in their hair was astonishing. Jamie and I saw the movie "300," based on a graphic novel about the stand of 300 Spartan warriors against a much larger Persian army. Too much gratuitous violence, but good for a couple hours of air-conditioned entertainment. Now back to kitty heaven :)
Friday, March 16, 2007
In which I get a little bit crabby
The rest of my day on the motorbike was amazing. I rode to a massage and sauna place a little outside of town and had a traditional Thai massage. This is done while wearing pajamas and involves the masseuse using her body as a lever to manipulate and stretch parts of yours. Actually, it's quite enjoyable, just very different from Swedish massage. The grand total for my hour-long massage: 20,000 Kip, or about $2. All the massage girls kept looking at me and giggling when I was done and sitting drinking a cup of tea. I realized later that I had gone to a very local place, not the one I had intended. But it was a nice slice of local life.
I began to get crabby the next day as I waited for our boat to leave for its trip down the Mekong to Champasak. As far as I could tell, the only impediment to our departure was the boatman, who was sitting there on shore smoking yet another cigarette and waving at me when I motioned that it was time to leave. I was also crabby because I realized I didn't have my camera, and wasn't at all sure that I hadn't lost it the day before on the motorbike. Once we got started, the trip down the Mekong to Champasak was lovely. Although it was a hot day, the breeze moving past us cooled things off. We passed numerous villages on the shores, and people in boats fishing among the large rocks in the river.
I was also crabby because the boat dropped us off, not at the public boat landing, but at a guest house almost 1 Km north of there, where you were almost forced to rent their conveniently more expensive bicycles. And the boatman, after leaving 1/2 hour late, tried to tell me to be back at 2:00, not the stated time of 3:00. I told him he would be lucky if I showed up before 3:30 ( Ok, I was crabby).
The bicycle ride from Champasak to the Angkor-era ruins of Wat Champasak was a delight. I don't think that many falangs ride through these villages and so all the children were very friendly, waving to me and smiling as I rode past. I could not believe how difficult it was to cycle just 10 km under that mid-day sun. I was exhausted by the time I reached the entrance to the ruins. But it's amazing what one liter of water and a glass of lemon juice (what everyone in Asia seems to call lemonade) will do for you.
The ruins of Wat Phu Champasak are lovely, striking, and blessedly free of tourists. Well, that was my impression until I stepped the wrong way off a rock and decided walking on the uneven ground was no longer a good idea. I limped back to the entrance and managed to convince a lovely pair of older Swiss tourists to give me and my bicycle a ride back to Champsak. Along the way, I also met the nicest cat in Laos, who sat on my lap, purred, and decided my arms needed some grooming.
The boat ride back was blessedly uneventful, and once again a lovely way to see the river. But once back at the guesthouse and after looking in all the places I had been the day before, I was forced to conclude that my camera was gone. Thankfully all my pictures from HK and Vietnam are saved to disk, but those from Laos were not. Why couldn't I have lost something less important. You know, like my passport :)
My final impression of Laos is of a young monk in his orange robes on the back of a motorbike smiling and laughing at the sight of a sweaty falang (me) riding along the Mekong on a crappy blue bicycle. I have no idea why that's funny, but I am thrilled to have brought some humor into his day!!
I began to get crabby the next day as I waited for our boat to leave for its trip down the Mekong to Champasak. As far as I could tell, the only impediment to our departure was the boatman, who was sitting there on shore smoking yet another cigarette and waving at me when I motioned that it was time to leave. I was also crabby because I realized I didn't have my camera, and wasn't at all sure that I hadn't lost it the day before on the motorbike. Once we got started, the trip down the Mekong to Champasak was lovely. Although it was a hot day, the breeze moving past us cooled things off. We passed numerous villages on the shores, and people in boats fishing among the large rocks in the river.
I was also crabby because the boat dropped us off, not at the public boat landing, but at a guest house almost 1 Km north of there, where you were almost forced to rent their conveniently more expensive bicycles. And the boatman, after leaving 1/2 hour late, tried to tell me to be back at 2:00, not the stated time of 3:00. I told him he would be lucky if I showed up before 3:30 ( Ok, I was crabby).
The bicycle ride from Champasak to the Angkor-era ruins of Wat Champasak was a delight. I don't think that many falangs ride through these villages and so all the children were very friendly, waving to me and smiling as I rode past. I could not believe how difficult it was to cycle just 10 km under that mid-day sun. I was exhausted by the time I reached the entrance to the ruins. But it's amazing what one liter of water and a glass of lemon juice (what everyone in Asia seems to call lemonade) will do for you.
The ruins of Wat Phu Champasak are lovely, striking, and blessedly free of tourists. Well, that was my impression until I stepped the wrong way off a rock and decided walking on the uneven ground was no longer a good idea. I limped back to the entrance and managed to convince a lovely pair of older Swiss tourists to give me and my bicycle a ride back to Champsak. Along the way, I also met the nicest cat in Laos, who sat on my lap, purred, and decided my arms needed some grooming.
The boat ride back was blessedly uneventful, and once again a lovely way to see the river. But once back at the guesthouse and after looking in all the places I had been the day before, I was forced to conclude that my camera was gone. Thankfully all my pictures from HK and Vietnam are saved to disk, but those from Laos were not. Why couldn't I have lost something less important. You know, like my passport :)
My final impression of Laos is of a young monk in his orange robes on the back of a motorbike smiling and laughing at the sight of a sweaty falang (me) riding along the Mekong on a crappy blue bicycle. I have no idea why that's funny, but I am thrilled to have brought some humor into his day!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Some observations from Laos
I'm taking it easy a bit here in Pakse, which is not so hard to do. Yesterday I just wandered around town a bunch, and wound up taking a nap in the shade overlooking the Mekong River. It just fits with the pace of life in this town, especially during the heat of the afternoon. I finally managed to do a bit of shopping here; I found a shop run by a woman who makes her own jewelry (stamped and formed) out of old silver. Expensive for Laos, cheap for the US. But very nice, so I bought a few things. I also had a traditional Lao skirt made for me at the market. It's plain, with a thick band of embroidery at the bottom. I hope I don't look ridiculous wearing it around :)
My name is really hard for Lao people to pronounce because there is no d- or r- sound in Lao. It usually comes out sounding more like "jeblah"!!
I love this town so much because I am practically invisible. Aside from the random tuk-tuk driver, no one calls out to me as I walk down the street "Hello, how are you, where you from, what's your name, how old are you, etc...". I can browse the stalls in the market without being swarmed by shopkeepers wanting me to come to their store. I actually have to ask someone for help if I want it.
In America, schoolkids get to and from school via schoolbuses. In Laos, they use tuk-tuks. It is absolutely adorable seeing this beat up open-aired truck full of little kids in their matching school uniforms (ok, it doesn't look that safe, but everyone travels this way).
In Tad Lo, it was impossible to sleep past 6 am, even if you wanted to. Not only did the sunlight begin to stream through the windows, but we began to get all the morning sounds from the adjacent village. The women cooking breakfast didn't bother me. The babies crying didn't really bother me. But those damn roosters...
Aftetr getting tons of advice on how to ride a motorbike last night from Annika the German and this really nice Cuban couple (who now live in Spain), I decided to attempt it again this morning. And it's really not that hard!!! I had gotten myself so psyched out about the idea of having to change gears while driving, but you don't need to. You can actually start the bike in neutral and then change to second gear before you start driving. Ok, this is not the "correct" way to drive, but it works just fine. Having to increase gears once you have both feet on the bike and are driving is something I can handle. And the sense of freedom having your own wheels brings is unbelievable. Once you get out of the city, there is not much traffic and it is just you and the open road (and the goats, and the cows). And it's so much fun!!
I finally drove this morning the 15 Km to the weaving village I had wanted to visit for some time. The good news was I saw groups of women weaving on wooden looms set up in the shade under their raised stilt houses. And I was the only falang (Westerner) there. However, most of the weaving they do there is with artificially dyed non-natural fibers, which was not exactly what I was looking for. I did find a nice length of cotton cloth in the market, and another fancier length of silk cloth in a store, so I can't complain. All in all, a very good day.
My name is really hard for Lao people to pronounce because there is no d- or r- sound in Lao. It usually comes out sounding more like "jeblah"!!
I love this town so much because I am practically invisible. Aside from the random tuk-tuk driver, no one calls out to me as I walk down the street "Hello, how are you, where you from, what's your name, how old are you, etc...". I can browse the stalls in the market without being swarmed by shopkeepers wanting me to come to their store. I actually have to ask someone for help if I want it.
In America, schoolkids get to and from school via schoolbuses. In Laos, they use tuk-tuks. It is absolutely adorable seeing this beat up open-aired truck full of little kids in their matching school uniforms (ok, it doesn't look that safe, but everyone travels this way).
In Tad Lo, it was impossible to sleep past 6 am, even if you wanted to. Not only did the sunlight begin to stream through the windows, but we began to get all the morning sounds from the adjacent village. The women cooking breakfast didn't bother me. The babies crying didn't really bother me. But those damn roosters...
Aftetr getting tons of advice on how to ride a motorbike last night from Annika the German and this really nice Cuban couple (who now live in Spain), I decided to attempt it again this morning. And it's really not that hard!!! I had gotten myself so psyched out about the idea of having to change gears while driving, but you don't need to. You can actually start the bike in neutral and then change to second gear before you start driving. Ok, this is not the "correct" way to drive, but it works just fine. Having to increase gears once you have both feet on the bike and are driving is something I can handle. And the sense of freedom having your own wheels brings is unbelievable. Once you get out of the city, there is not much traffic and it is just you and the open road (and the goats, and the cows). And it's so much fun!!
I finally drove this morning the 15 Km to the weaving village I had wanted to visit for some time. The good news was I saw groups of women weaving on wooden looms set up in the shade under their raised stilt houses. And I was the only falang (Westerner) there. However, most of the weaving they do there is with artificially dyed non-natural fibers, which was not exactly what I was looking for. I did find a nice length of cotton cloth in the market, and another fancier length of silk cloth in a store, so I can't complain. All in all, a very good day.
Monday, March 12, 2007
In which I ride an elephant!!
I'm in southern Laos right now, in a town called Pakse. I've been travelling for the last couple days with two Irish girls, Laura and Kellianne. They can be a bit crazy at times, but they definitely make me laugh. We had hoped to rent motorbikes to explore the surrounding area, but unlike the mopeds, these require changing gears, and we didn't feel comfortable driving them. That meant it was back to the Chicken bus, which was supposed to leave at 3 but departed more like 3.45. It took more than 2 hours to go the 86 km to Tad Lo, our first stop. But at least there were no bags of sugar, or people for that matter, in the aisle!!
Tad Lo is a bit of a touristy area, with several waterfalls, but it is beautiful. We got a little bungalow (for a total of $5 a night) at Tim's, which is where everyone seems to hang out. The first night we met an awesome Kiwi couple, Julie and Brandon. They had started travelling in Europe with a converted postal van and had just gotten engaged en route. The 5 of us wound up going on a trek the next morning through the local countryside, which encompasses several villages, guided by an extremely spry 72 year old!!
That afternoon, Laura and I rode an Asian elephant. She was a spring chicken at about 65 years old!! (I believe the other elephant was 67). It takes a while to get used to the slow, rocking motion that characterizes elephant ambulation. I liked that our guide did not have a hook or crop and simply directed her with his feet behind her ears. I tried sitting on her neck at the end, which was so cool!! You can feel the motion of her shoulders beneath you as she walks, so it is a bit of a balancing act.
Today, on the other hand, was totally crazy. We arranged to take a tuk-tuk the 80 or so kilometers to Paksong, the center of Laos coffee growing area on the Bolaven plateau. We got there, intending to rent bicycles and travel to Tad Fan, a spectacular waterfall at the edge of a national protected area. Unfortunately, you cannot rent bicycles in Paksong, nor can you really find anyone who speaks English or French. In fact, there's really nothing at all to do. We then decided we would take our bags and stay the night at Tad Fan resort right by the waterfall, even though it was a bit pricey. The tuk-tuk ride there was not bad, although we did backtrack to a woman's house at the start so she could bring her duvet with her!!
We get to Tad Fan, only to find the prices were double what was listed in our guidebook. After seeing the waterfall, we decide the best option is to return to Pakse. It's around 5 pm, at which time the bus and tuk-tuk traffic starts to die out, so getting transport might be a little iffy. We had been standing by the side of the road a few minutes when a westerner in a nice NGO-type 4 wheel drive vehicle stops and agrees to take us to Pakse!! It turns out he was a Swiss doctor named Vincent who was working for a small Swiss medical NGO in Attapeu, one of the more remote provinces in southern Laos. His whole family, including wife and 2 and 4 year old daughters were here, and his older daughter attends a Lao school. It was a huge stroke of luck at the end of a day that hadn't turned out exactly as planned!
I have twisted my left ankle a bit and so need to take it easy for the next few days. I learned from Annika, the nice German woman at the hostel who gave me Ibuprofen, that it and most other NSAIDS are prescription only in much of Europe. And I thought having the Sudafed behind the pharmacy counter was a pain!! I think tomorrow I will visit several weaving villages around Pakse and then take it from there.
If you're reading this, please comment. I would love to hear from you :)
Tad Lo is a bit of a touristy area, with several waterfalls, but it is beautiful. We got a little bungalow (for a total of $5 a night) at Tim's, which is where everyone seems to hang out. The first night we met an awesome Kiwi couple, Julie and Brandon. They had started travelling in Europe with a converted postal van and had just gotten engaged en route. The 5 of us wound up going on a trek the next morning through the local countryside, which encompasses several villages, guided by an extremely spry 72 year old!!
That afternoon, Laura and I rode an Asian elephant. She was a spring chicken at about 65 years old!! (I believe the other elephant was 67). It takes a while to get used to the slow, rocking motion that characterizes elephant ambulation. I liked that our guide did not have a hook or crop and simply directed her with his feet behind her ears. I tried sitting on her neck at the end, which was so cool!! You can feel the motion of her shoulders beneath you as she walks, so it is a bit of a balancing act.
Today, on the other hand, was totally crazy. We arranged to take a tuk-tuk the 80 or so kilometers to Paksong, the center of Laos coffee growing area on the Bolaven plateau. We got there, intending to rent bicycles and travel to Tad Fan, a spectacular waterfall at the edge of a national protected area. Unfortunately, you cannot rent bicycles in Paksong, nor can you really find anyone who speaks English or French. In fact, there's really nothing at all to do. We then decided we would take our bags and stay the night at Tad Fan resort right by the waterfall, even though it was a bit pricey. The tuk-tuk ride there was not bad, although we did backtrack to a woman's house at the start so she could bring her duvet with her!!
We get to Tad Fan, only to find the prices were double what was listed in our guidebook. After seeing the waterfall, we decide the best option is to return to Pakse. It's around 5 pm, at which time the bus and tuk-tuk traffic starts to die out, so getting transport might be a little iffy. We had been standing by the side of the road a few minutes when a westerner in a nice NGO-type 4 wheel drive vehicle stops and agrees to take us to Pakse!! It turns out he was a Swiss doctor named Vincent who was working for a small Swiss medical NGO in Attapeu, one of the more remote provinces in southern Laos. His whole family, including wife and 2 and 4 year old daughters were here, and his older daughter attends a Lao school. It was a huge stroke of luck at the end of a day that hadn't turned out exactly as planned!
I have twisted my left ankle a bit and so need to take it easy for the next few days. I learned from Annika, the nice German woman at the hostel who gave me Ibuprofen, that it and most other NSAIDS are prescription only in much of Europe. And I thought having the Sudafed behind the pharmacy counter was a pain!! I think tomorrow I will visit several weaving villages around Pakse and then take it from there.
If you're reading this, please comment. I would love to hear from you :)
Friday, March 9, 2007
Trekking in Savannakhet Province
The two day trek in Dong Natal National Protected Area really turned out to be a pleasant surprise. There were 5 of us : me, a British couple, Ellie and Adam, and two Irishwomen, Kellianne and Laura. We took a tuktuk to the start of the trek, which was near the Hang Ing Stupa, one of the most important in Savannakhet province. The base was built in the Hindu style by the Khmer (Cambodian people) almost 2000 years ago. When the area came back under Lao control, they finished the stupa in the Buddhist style. All the women had to put on these ridiculous long wrap skirts to enter the temple; I don't remember other temples having such stringent rules.
We then started our trek through the rice fields and the surrounding forest. We had a local guide who really knew some amazing things about our environment. He showed us the larval forms of butterflies (which are edible) resembling white fluff. They are insects and will jump off the branches if disturbed. We learned about a species of red ant whose insides (when crushed) are good for treating insect and snake bites. We saw many different species of spiders, some poisonous, some not. Even the plants are amazing. We ate leaves from several different plants., sucked the nectar from flowers, and drank water from the inside of thorny vine plants. One species of tree even yields a type of tar or pitch that can be lit to use for lamps and torches.
The first day was 18Km, which is not that far, but it was very hot when we weren't in the shade. I felt bad for our guides, who were carrying all the food for lunch. The sticky rice was wonderful. The other foods were less so, except for the very tasty and filling bananas. I especially avoided the liver on a stick!! We arrived to our host village around 4 pm. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming to us. Even though this village is only 15 Km from Savannakhet, it seemed like they were much less used to foreign visitors than any of the places around Sapa. The owner of the house and some of his neighbors had a welcoming ceremony for us, during which they tied on Lao-style sashes and loosely tied pieces of string around our wrists. Each one is for a different aspect of safe travelling, and you are supposed to let them fall off of their own accord. Even though I know it was made up for us tourists, the ceremony was quite nice.
We chatted with our guide in the evening, teaching him various English words. Somehow he got started on "This is the BBC, reporting from Laos. Now back to the news desk." It was much funnier said by someone with first a British, and then a Lao accent. That theme continued throughout the night and into the next day. We slept on mattresses on the floor and were covered by a big mosquito net. Quite comfortable, really.
The only bad thing about the trek was breakfast: a bowl of noodles in a glue-type broth. I absolutely could not make myself eat them, even with scallions, fish sauce, and chili. I wound up spooning some into another dish and giving them to the nursing dog who had been eyeing me hopefully. I know it was a rude thing to do in someone else's house, but I wasn't going to eat them, and the dog was starving. I hope my actions didn't offend our hosts too much.
Overall, the trek was a great experience. We visited the school the next morning and said hi to all the children, who are absolutely adorable. Ellie and Adam wound up teaching an English class to a group of 15 year olds. No one was willing to volunteer information on their own, but they did much better when they could answer questions as a group. I met the principal, who was old enough to speak French, and had a nice conversation with him. Then it turned out that our guide also spoke French. Quel surprise!!
The 5 of us are taking the bus to Pakse, further south, this evening. And stop asking me for pictures of the Swedish girls; I don't have any :)
We then started our trek through the rice fields and the surrounding forest. We had a local guide who really knew some amazing things about our environment. He showed us the larval forms of butterflies (which are edible) resembling white fluff. They are insects and will jump off the branches if disturbed. We learned about a species of red ant whose insides (when crushed) are good for treating insect and snake bites. We saw many different species of spiders, some poisonous, some not. Even the plants are amazing. We ate leaves from several different plants., sucked the nectar from flowers, and drank water from the inside of thorny vine plants. One species of tree even yields a type of tar or pitch that can be lit to use for lamps and torches.
The first day was 18Km, which is not that far, but it was very hot when we weren't in the shade. I felt bad for our guides, who were carrying all the food for lunch. The sticky rice was wonderful. The other foods were less so, except for the very tasty and filling bananas. I especially avoided the liver on a stick!! We arrived to our host village around 4 pm. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming to us. Even though this village is only 15 Km from Savannakhet, it seemed like they were much less used to foreign visitors than any of the places around Sapa. The owner of the house and some of his neighbors had a welcoming ceremony for us, during which they tied on Lao-style sashes and loosely tied pieces of string around our wrists. Each one is for a different aspect of safe travelling, and you are supposed to let them fall off of their own accord. Even though I know it was made up for us tourists, the ceremony was quite nice.
We chatted with our guide in the evening, teaching him various English words. Somehow he got started on "This is the BBC, reporting from Laos. Now back to the news desk." It was much funnier said by someone with first a British, and then a Lao accent. That theme continued throughout the night and into the next day. We slept on mattresses on the floor and were covered by a big mosquito net. Quite comfortable, really.
The only bad thing about the trek was breakfast: a bowl of noodles in a glue-type broth. I absolutely could not make myself eat them, even with scallions, fish sauce, and chili. I wound up spooning some into another dish and giving them to the nursing dog who had been eyeing me hopefully. I know it was a rude thing to do in someone else's house, but I wasn't going to eat them, and the dog was starving. I hope my actions didn't offend our hosts too much.
Overall, the trek was a great experience. We visited the school the next morning and said hi to all the children, who are absolutely adorable. Ellie and Adam wound up teaching an English class to a group of 15 year olds. No one was willing to volunteer information on their own, but they did much better when they could answer questions as a group. I met the principal, who was old enough to speak French, and had a nice conversation with him. Then it turned out that our guide also spoke French. Quel surprise!!
The 5 of us are taking the bus to Pakse, further south, this evening. And stop asking me for pictures of the Swedish girls; I don't have any :)
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
The SLOWWW Life
I think Savannakhet, Laos is the slowest place on earth. Now mind you, as I travel further south in Laos, my opinion could change!! This is the 3rd largest city in Laos, yet it resembles a ghost town, even during rush hour. There are some cars and motorbikes moving past, and some tuk-tuks, but the streets are largely and surprisingly empty. The main plaza in town now sports two boys kicking around a ball, but has been completely devoid of life the other times I've walked past. Most of the restaurants close by 9 pm. I think after a few days of this, I would be tearing my hair out. Because except for eating, sleeping, and walking around town, there is nothing to do here. OK, there's a dinosaur museum. But that's it. For today, however, being a bum has been lovely.
I do get to stretch my legs a little tomorrow as I have scheduled a 2 day trek into a local national protected area to see some local people and spend the night in the forest. I think there'll be 4 other Brits along. Scheduling it was a good example of the Lao concept of time; the office is only open from 8-11:30 and 1:30-4:00. We arrived at 2 pm to find the office still locked up because the "boss" wasn't back with the key yet. You would think they'd want our money!!
The Swedes and I are parting company after tonight, now that they have paid me back the money I lent them to buy visas. They are all very nice girls, but I am really feeling the difference between 30 and 19!! We parted ways for a bit this morning because they don't really eat breakfast and I was craving a proper meal at a little French cafe. I even had a Cappuccino. YUM. The other thing that bugs me about them is that they are all wearing strapless tops and short or semi see-through skirts. While this is great beach attire, I don't feel it's appropriate dress in a country where all the women wear loose blouses and long skirts. But maybe that's just me showing my age again :)
After the trek, I plan to catch the evening bus to Pakse, from where it is most convenient to explore the rest of Southern Laos. This place does have one thing going for it: not one person has asked me my name, where I'm from, or for money today :)
I do get to stretch my legs a little tomorrow as I have scheduled a 2 day trek into a local national protected area to see some local people and spend the night in the forest. I think there'll be 4 other Brits along. Scheduling it was a good example of the Lao concept of time; the office is only open from 8-11:30 and 1:30-4:00. We arrived at 2 pm to find the office still locked up because the "boss" wasn't back with the key yet. You would think they'd want our money!!
The Swedes and I are parting company after tonight, now that they have paid me back the money I lent them to buy visas. They are all very nice girls, but I am really feeling the difference between 30 and 19!! We parted ways for a bit this morning because they don't really eat breakfast and I was craving a proper meal at a little French cafe. I even had a Cappuccino. YUM. The other thing that bugs me about them is that they are all wearing strapless tops and short or semi see-through skirts. While this is great beach attire, I don't feel it's appropriate dress in a country where all the women wear loose blouses and long skirts. But maybe that's just me showing my age again :)
After the trek, I plan to catch the evening bus to Pakse, from where it is most convenient to explore the rest of Southern Laos. This place does have one thing going for it: not one person has asked me my name, where I'm from, or for money today :)
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
In which I pay $25 for the Chicken Bus!!!
Oh, this is a good one. It's mostly my fault for being a sucker and paying way too much for bus service that, in practice, doesn't really exist, but I'm still ticked at myself. I think I was just so excited to find that I could take a bus from Hoi An, rather than having to return to Hue and spend the night, that I didn't question how expensive it was. I was the only person on the bus going to Laos; the rest were travelling north to Hanoi. The bus driver was absolutely no help in trying to explain to me what was going on; I had to rely on the good graces of a fellow Vietnamese passenger.
When we got to Dong Ha, I got personally handed off to the owner of the cafe where everyone ate dinner; he was going to take me to the hotel where the bus would pick me up the next morning. The hotel was totally crappy with rock-hard beds, an insufficient hot water heater, and a very loud cooling system. I had stayed in $2.50 hotels that were better, and this one charged $10. Wonder if my driver was getting a kick-back for bringing me there?
At 5:45 the next morning, I got on the minibus for the thankfully uneventful drive to the border. Once there, I had a breakfast of vegetarian Pho (noodle soup). I think I identified a piece of liver in my neighbor's bowl, and really didn't want to think about the identity of the rest. Then we waited, and waited, and finally caught up with the 4 Swedish girls we had been waiting for at the border.
You get on a new bus once in Laos. For some reason, given the price of my ticket, I assumed this would be a nice tourist bus. Whatever could I have been thinking? Oh no, we were on the chicken bus to end all chicken buses, and at least we had seats, as opposed to all the poor buggers sitting on the sacks in the aisle. There were boxes under all the seats, in the cargo areas. and covering the entire top of the bus. People with businesses basically use the public bus as a means of transporting goods; no matter that they're inconveniencing everyone else.
The bus honestly would not have been quite as bad had not all the people around me been constantly smoking cigarettes, throwing all their trash out the window, and spilling beer all over me. And it was really, really hot. My entire left arm is sunburned from sticking it and my face out the window trying to avoid the cigarette smoke. Oh, and let's not forget the food vendors who hold their wares up to the bus windows at "rest" stops. I would swear that one of them was selling cockroaches on a stick. The rest were just holding up unidentifiable meat and stretched out chicken wings. The biggest joke of all was being constantly passed by nicer, more comfortable tourist buses. And all I could think was : why aren't I on one of those?
Price to the locals: $3. Price to me (from Vietnam): $25.
At least I am now clean and fed (and had my first BeerLao of the trip). I'm sharing a room with two of the Swedish girls, since we all needed a place to stay, and I lent them $85 to pay for their Laos visas!! The banks were closed when we arrived, so we'll have to go tomorrow morning. I may be heading to Pakse tomorrow, as there is not much to do here in Savannakhet. I think most of the people here are very nice. I've just had my fill of "local" transit for a while.
When we got to Dong Ha, I got personally handed off to the owner of the cafe where everyone ate dinner; he was going to take me to the hotel where the bus would pick me up the next morning. The hotel was totally crappy with rock-hard beds, an insufficient hot water heater, and a very loud cooling system. I had stayed in $2.50 hotels that were better, and this one charged $10. Wonder if my driver was getting a kick-back for bringing me there?
At 5:45 the next morning, I got on the minibus for the thankfully uneventful drive to the border. Once there, I had a breakfast of vegetarian Pho (noodle soup). I think I identified a piece of liver in my neighbor's bowl, and really didn't want to think about the identity of the rest. Then we waited, and waited, and finally caught up with the 4 Swedish girls we had been waiting for at the border.
You get on a new bus once in Laos. For some reason, given the price of my ticket, I assumed this would be a nice tourist bus. Whatever could I have been thinking? Oh no, we were on the chicken bus to end all chicken buses, and at least we had seats, as opposed to all the poor buggers sitting on the sacks in the aisle. There were boxes under all the seats, in the cargo areas. and covering the entire top of the bus. People with businesses basically use the public bus as a means of transporting goods; no matter that they're inconveniencing everyone else.
The bus honestly would not have been quite as bad had not all the people around me been constantly smoking cigarettes, throwing all their trash out the window, and spilling beer all over me. And it was really, really hot. My entire left arm is sunburned from sticking it and my face out the window trying to avoid the cigarette smoke. Oh, and let's not forget the food vendors who hold their wares up to the bus windows at "rest" stops. I would swear that one of them was selling cockroaches on a stick. The rest were just holding up unidentifiable meat and stretched out chicken wings. The biggest joke of all was being constantly passed by nicer, more comfortable tourist buses. And all I could think was : why aren't I on one of those?
Price to the locals: $3. Price to me (from Vietnam): $25.
At least I am now clean and fed (and had my first BeerLao of the trip). I'm sharing a room with two of the Swedish girls, since we all needed a place to stay, and I lent them $85 to pay for their Laos visas!! The banks were closed when we arrived, so we'll have to go tomorrow morning. I may be heading to Pakse tomorrow, as there is not much to do here in Savannakhet. I think most of the people here are very nice. I've just had my fill of "local" transit for a while.
Match Day
Match day finally arrived yesterday. Results were available at 8 am EST, which meant that I had to wait until 8 pm with the time difference here. By 8 pm, I had already been on a bus for 6+ hours, yelled at the driver for not telling me when, where, and how I was supposed to get to Laos the next day, and been dropped off at the very crappy hotel from which I would be picked up the next morning. So it was with great trepidation that I logged into the VIRMP website from a internet cafe in Dong Ha, Vietnam.
The good news is that I matched. The great news is that I matched to an academic program. So next year I will be one of 8 small animal interns at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. I have never been there, and I know nothing about the program other than what they post in their description on the website. So this is a huge leap into the dark, but very exciting nonetheless. I guess I'll have to learn to say pop instead of soda (no, never). Wow... talk about the hands of fate in your life.
The good news is that I matched. The great news is that I matched to an academic program. So next year I will be one of 8 small animal interns at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. I have never been there, and I know nothing about the program other than what they post in their description on the website. So this is a huge leap into the dark, but very exciting nonetheless. I guess I'll have to learn to say pop instead of soda (no, never). Wow... talk about the hands of fate in your life.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Hoi An
The bus to Hoi An was much more comfortable, as it was only a 4 hour trip. The only thing I didn't like was that they dropped us off at a specific hotel they had a contract with, instead of at a nice central location in town. I'm staying at the Greenfield Hotel, the most expensive place yet in Vietnam ($8), although they do have a very nice swimming pool. Hoi An is a beautiful old historic city that is largely intact because both sides during the Vietnam War agreed not to bomb it. There are several old temples, a historic Japanese bridge, and tailor shops EVERYWHERE!! I hate shopping for clothes, but I have seen many many tourists walking around in their new creations. Actually, I am having a custom pair of blue jeans made, since it will be chilly in New Zealand when I get there. I also decided to buy a pair of suede sneakers in purple, black, and blue. They are either going to be really cool, or really lame (and if they are it is totally my fault).
Yesterday I took a cooking class at the Red Bridge Cooking School, which also supports WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) projects in Vietnam. There were only 7 of us (all women), and first we had a tour of the market, looking at the fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Our guide was a really funny (or at least I thought he was funny) Vietnamese man. The school is about 4 km upstream, so we had a nice boat ride to get there. It turned out the menu was entirely vegetarian or seafood, so I could eat everything. We even learned how to make fresh rice paper for spring rolls. You actually make a batter from soaked rice and water, and steam it on a piece of cloth stretched over a pot of boiling water. It's somewhat like making a steamed crepe. We also made Hoi An pancakes, which are made with the same batter but include shrimp, scallions and bean sprouts.
One of the things I have noticed on the trip so far is how incredibly friendly all my fellow travellers are. The night before I was invited to play pool by a couple from Auckland who were on their honeymoon. They gave me their address and contact info and I hope to see a rugby match with them when I am there. Then at the cooking class, two Australian ladies (one in Brisbane and one in Sydney) both offered me a place to stay. It's just amazing; I don't think most Americans would do the same. I don't know if it's because we're not as welcoming, or not as used to meeting people on journeys. Last night at dinner ( a really excellent place called Cafe des Amis) I wound up getting into an hour conversation with the couple sitting next to me, who were from Alberta halfway between Calgary and Edmonton.
I finally caught up with Andi and Tassi last night. We were supposed to meet yesterday afternoon at the Japanese bridge, but my cooking class ran late and our paths never crossed. We shared a room last night, and then they are off to Nha Trang this evening. I am catching the bus to Savannakhet in Laos tomorrow at 2 pm. I will be sad to leave Vietnam; this really has been a great part of my trip.
Yesterday I took a cooking class at the Red Bridge Cooking School, which also supports WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) projects in Vietnam. There were only 7 of us (all women), and first we had a tour of the market, looking at the fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Our guide was a really funny (or at least I thought he was funny) Vietnamese man. The school is about 4 km upstream, so we had a nice boat ride to get there. It turned out the menu was entirely vegetarian or seafood, so I could eat everything. We even learned how to make fresh rice paper for spring rolls. You actually make a batter from soaked rice and water, and steam it on a piece of cloth stretched over a pot of boiling water. It's somewhat like making a steamed crepe. We also made Hoi An pancakes, which are made with the same batter but include shrimp, scallions and bean sprouts.
One of the things I have noticed on the trip so far is how incredibly friendly all my fellow travellers are. The night before I was invited to play pool by a couple from Auckland who were on their honeymoon. They gave me their address and contact info and I hope to see a rugby match with them when I am there. Then at the cooking class, two Australian ladies (one in Brisbane and one in Sydney) both offered me a place to stay. It's just amazing; I don't think most Americans would do the same. I don't know if it's because we're not as welcoming, or not as used to meeting people on journeys. Last night at dinner ( a really excellent place called Cafe des Amis) I wound up getting into an hour conversation with the couple sitting next to me, who were from Alberta halfway between Calgary and Edmonton.
I finally caught up with Andi and Tassi last night. We were supposed to meet yesterday afternoon at the Japanese bridge, but my cooking class ran late and our paths never crossed. We shared a room last night, and then they are off to Nha Trang this evening. I am catching the bus to Savannakhet in Laos tomorrow at 2 pm. I will be sad to leave Vietnam; this really has been a great part of my trip.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
(Getting to) Hue
It is indeed warmer, as I am currently in central Vietnam, in the town of Hue. I continue to be healthy, with my fingers crossed. It seems as though the flu is truly a thing of the past. Getting here,however, was not the most enjoyable experience. We were supposedly taking the nice "tourist bus" from Hanoi to Hue, with only one other stop in Ninh Binh. What do you know, but magically that one stop expanded into one of the side of the road for a large bundle from a guy driving a moto, and multiple stops to pick up people seemingly in the middle of the road.
This resulted, when we arrived in Ninh Binh, in a totally overcrowded bus. The bus driver solved this by throwing several people off the bus. Why he let them on in the first place when he knew the bus was full is beyond me. Even still, several backpackers couldn't get on the bus, and several more had to spend the 13 hour drive lying in the aisle. To say they were not pleased about this arrangement would bean understatement. Probably the most comfortable person on the bus was the guy who pulled out his hammock and went to sleep in the aisle, seemingly oblivious to the numerous people trying to step over and around him.
I tried to deal with the situation in good humor, as things could have been SO much worse. However, I thought we were paying enough money to get past the "chicken bus" mentality. When I saw the actual chicken bus, I realized we were about 5 steps up from there. I cannot imagine spending 13 hours standing up in the aisle of a bus, not to mention it would be incredible unsafe.But we arrived and were assaulted by the usual barrage of touts and their hotels and tour packages. That is always my least favorite part of travelling: arriving hot and tired in a place lugging your huge backpack and trying to find a place to stay so you can get off the street.
Hue is an old walled city, although in actuality nothing here is older than 200 years. Hue is also the only town in South Vietnam to have been occupied by the Viet Cong for several weeks early in the war '68 or '69. There is a lovely forbidden city which was home to the rulers of Vietnam before the overthrow in 1945. Otherwise, Hue is not that interesting. I did have an amusing experience at lunch, when I asked to see the kittens from the owner's obviously nursing cat. She brought me one; like all the animals in Vietnam it was cute, but quite sickly and desperately needed a bath. When we were leaving she asked if I wanted to take the kittens with me!! Tempting, but impossible.
We encountered people selling all sorts of Vietnam War (here it is called the American War) memorabilia. One boy said his father had been collecting it from the jungle for the last 30 years. Although they had lots of ammunition, body armor, and weapons, the part that creeped me out were all the dogtags. Although I don't know for sure that all these men died in the war, it's a very stark reminder of the recent past. We wound up getting a cyclo (basically bicycle rickshaws) tour of the old city. The main driver had this whole story about how his father was killed in the war, which caused him to become a devout Buddhist and renounce violence. I have to wonder if it was true, or made up for the tourists (I don't mean to sound so cynical, but it is entirely possible). At the end, they just wanted to get more money out of us, but I did still think the tour was a valuable experience.
I have arrived in Hoi An without the Germans, although Andi and Tassi are coming tomorrow. Sven, alas, has to head back home. They are touring the DMZ and Ho Chi Minh Trail today. I will wander around Hoi An and set up a cooking class for tomorrow, I think.
This resulted, when we arrived in Ninh Binh, in a totally overcrowded bus. The bus driver solved this by throwing several people off the bus. Why he let them on in the first place when he knew the bus was full is beyond me. Even still, several backpackers couldn't get on the bus, and several more had to spend the 13 hour drive lying in the aisle. To say they were not pleased about this arrangement would bean understatement. Probably the most comfortable person on the bus was the guy who pulled out his hammock and went to sleep in the aisle, seemingly oblivious to the numerous people trying to step over and around him.
I tried to deal with the situation in good humor, as things could have been SO much worse. However, I thought we were paying enough money to get past the "chicken bus" mentality. When I saw the actual chicken bus, I realized we were about 5 steps up from there. I cannot imagine spending 13 hours standing up in the aisle of a bus, not to mention it would be incredible unsafe.But we arrived and were assaulted by the usual barrage of touts and their hotels and tour packages. That is always my least favorite part of travelling: arriving hot and tired in a place lugging your huge backpack and trying to find a place to stay so you can get off the street.
Hue is an old walled city, although in actuality nothing here is older than 200 years. Hue is also the only town in South Vietnam to have been occupied by the Viet Cong for several weeks early in the war '68 or '69. There is a lovely forbidden city which was home to the rulers of Vietnam before the overthrow in 1945. Otherwise, Hue is not that interesting. I did have an amusing experience at lunch, when I asked to see the kittens from the owner's obviously nursing cat. She brought me one; like all the animals in Vietnam it was cute, but quite sickly and desperately needed a bath. When we were leaving she asked if I wanted to take the kittens with me!! Tempting, but impossible.
We encountered people selling all sorts of Vietnam War (here it is called the American War) memorabilia. One boy said his father had been collecting it from the jungle for the last 30 years. Although they had lots of ammunition, body armor, and weapons, the part that creeped me out were all the dogtags. Although I don't know for sure that all these men died in the war, it's a very stark reminder of the recent past. We wound up getting a cyclo (basically bicycle rickshaws) tour of the old city. The main driver had this whole story about how his father was killed in the war, which caused him to become a devout Buddhist and renounce violence. I have to wonder if it was true, or made up for the tourists (I don't mean to sound so cynical, but it is entirely possible). At the end, they just wanted to get more money out of us, but I did still think the tour was a valuable experience.
I have arrived in Hoi An without the Germans, although Andi and Tassi are coming tomorrow. Sven, alas, has to head back home. They are touring the DMZ and Ho Chi Minh Trail today. I will wander around Hoi An and set up a cooking class for tomorrow, I think.
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