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 :)
Monday, March 12, 2007
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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