Marc has been hassling me a bit to write about Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand that we visited in October. Seems ages ago when I put it that way but the memories are still so fresh! This is the place where I had a bit of an awful experience so I wasn't too keen on writing about it, but here we go...
We were in Chiang Mai from October 25 until October 30. The city is very relaxed, somewhat of a tourist town but not overwhelmingly so. There is a moat around the older part of the city which kind of cuts the city in half. On either side are one way streets with the rare stoplight that is only used when a pedestrian pushes the button. The expected result is for all vehicles to stop and wait for the person to cross, no? Well... here they briefly slow down just long enough for you to pass their vehicle and off they go at top speed! Take your time crossing and you're roadkill!
During our time here we checked out some of the hundreds of wats (temples) in the city. We rented bicycles and rode around, checking out the various shops and markets - so much faster than walking! We also participated in a renowned one day cooking school, during which we learned to make six dishes and proceeded to eat them all. I have never been so stuffed in my life! I felt as if I didn't want to see food again for days, which, as it turns out, is near enough to what happened! We also had some clothes tailored - a suit for Marc and a hot pencil skirt for me. Just a taste of what was to come in Vietnam!
One of the draws in Chiang Mai is the treks through northern Thailand. Marc was really interested in this so we signed up for a two day trek, with a homestay in a 'village', which turned out to be one family's living space. Cool enough, right? We also would hop onto an elephant and be carried through the jungle (I had mixed feelings about this - poor elephants carting around tourists, but on the other hand, they are fed, washed and cared for...), and float through the rapids on a bamboo raft. It all sounds like so much fun, doesn't it?
The trek: Realization set in that I do not enjoy this whole walking through the woods thing. A city girl am I - give me the scenery of skyscrapers and asphalt any day and I'm a happy camper. Wait, no, a happy... city dweller? Anyway, I'm cursing and agitated as I watch the others easily manoeuvering up and down the hills, over the rocks, streams and logs, and I'm thinking, I"m so bad at this because I didn't grow up doing it. I can practically cross a busy street full of traffic with my eyes closed (so prepared for Vietnam, I can tell you now!) but drop me here and I completely lack the experience that all of the others so clearly possess, having grown up in rural areas and what not.
Bitter, party of one, we arrive at our overnight spot in the dark. Our group consists of six of us, five guys and myself. Everyone was super friendly and we were getting on very well. Despite carrying these crap, uncomfortable backpacks, but that's another story. We're all to sleep on mattresses on the floor in this candlelit bamboo house on stilts. We proceed to wash ourselves off in the cool nearby river, only to discover the next day the water is brown and manky. Lovely. We eat dinner, and I have no appetite. Odd. Afterwards, as we sit chatting, my stomach ache turns a bit violent so I get up to wander off, mostly to determine the best place to throw up, should I need to. No time for that for as soon as I hit the end of the table, up dinner came! Ugh. Eventually we move to the bonfire, Marc is playing guitar and we're all talking... the guys are drinking beer and I'm trying to get some water down to soothe my tummy. Not sure what's coming next, I head over to the squat toilet, no running water outhouse. Just outside, (I couldn't even make it to the outhouse but was skeptical anyway as how does one throw up into a squatter?), I proceed to chuck up my lunch, repeatedly. It's pitch black, so as I'm about to turn on the flashlight to make sure I'm still presentable, I feel these sharp, stinging pains on my feet. Ouch! Flashlight on, I realize I'm being attacked by ants! Trying not to freak out, I manage to get them off of me. I walk back over to the group and inform Marc what has happened, so he ushers me to bed immediately.
What a night. Have you ever tried using a squat toilet while feverish and weak? In the dark? Not fun. I kept waking either in a complete sweat or shivering cold. I was advised, should I feel the need to throw up again and didn't think I could make it outside, to simply part the bamboo flooring and relieve myself through it. Thankfully, it didn't come to that! Poor Marc barely slept a wink all night.
The next morning, I was incredibly weak but didn't want to ruin the day so we participated in the elephant ride, which turned out to be a pretty cool experience, and the bamboo rafting, which was fun if a little painful for me as I just wanted to be lying down, but we had to stand most of the time as the raft kept getting completely submerged in water!
That night, upon our return to Chiang Mai, I had to miss the famous Sunday night market as rest was the priority. I took it easy on the food for the next two days but my stomach bounced back nicely. Oh yes, and reflecting back, all of my difficulties in the trekking itself had much to do with the fact that I was battling whatever was about to hit me. It turns out I'm not so bad at the whole trekking, jungle walking, boulder jumping thing after all! Still, I'll take the city any day...
On our last day we had a fantastic Thai massage. It was incredible... and well deserved I reckon!
A side note: A strange thing we started noticing at this point was that many (not all) dishes in Thai restaurants are served with a fork and spoon, not chopsticks, as expected. Why did we do all of that practicing? ;)
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Our adventure is coming to an end
In just under 3 hours, we'll be on our way to Bangkok. It'll be our last boat ride and our last train ride of our 4 month trip across Asia. Then we'll have 3 full days in Bangkok to do some final sightseeing and shopping. The next day, we board a plane bright and early in the morning, back to Toronto. There are a few things that I'm looking forward to, when I think about being back home. Namely, not having to live out of a backpack, being able to feel clean for more than 10 minutes and having my order in a restaurant or shop understood on the first try. I will miss the heat, the sights, the people, the awesome Asian food and the relatively cheap prices.
I updated the "Map of our trip destinations" with all our stops and routes that we took in the different countries. Please have a look by clicking the link above. We're pretty amazed with the sheer number of places that we've visited in the past 4 months. It was an awesome adventure that I will never forget!
I updated the "Map of our trip destinations" with all our stops and routes that we took in the different countries. Please have a look by clicking the link above. We're pretty amazed with the sheer number of places that we've visited in the past 4 months. It was an awesome adventure that I will never forget!
LadyBoys
Last night at dinner we were served by what are now renowned as Thai Ladyboys. Briefly, as I prefer not to delve any deeper, these are males at some stage in the process of converting to females.
It's an odd experience to have what generally looks to be a female saunter over (they're so good at it) and begin speaking to you in a distinctly male voice, gesticulating with, well, man hands. (Anyone remember that Seinfeld episode?) I find myself averting my eyes as it feels I'm staring, only to realize, now I'm being rude by looking away as he's (she's?) responding to a question I've asked!
I suppose this blog falls into the category of unusual experiences in Asia... This time, that rare, uncomfortable situation of finding the delicate balance between polite attentiveness and full on staring...
It's an odd experience to have what generally looks to be a female saunter over (they're so good at it) and begin speaking to you in a distinctly male voice, gesticulating with, well, man hands. (Anyone remember that Seinfeld episode?) I find myself averting my eyes as it feels I'm staring, only to realize, now I'm being rude by looking away as he's (she's?) responding to a question I've asked!
I suppose this blog falls into the category of unusual experiences in Asia... This time, that rare, uncomfortable situation of finding the delicate balance between polite attentiveness and full on staring...
Ice Pop Flavours in SE Asia
I understand affinities for different flavours and textures across the world - you know how chocolate tastes different in the UK or Europe vs. North America? Or, more recently discovered, how chocolate is powdery in China to prevent it from easily melting?
Here's how this phenomenon, as I'm choosing to refer to it, is affecting my life in SE Asia: I keep trying different popsicles/ice cream on sticks, testing out the ones that look really appealing based on the packaging. I'll admit I inspect the package for any English and if, upon reading the flavour, it sounds gross, I don't try it. However, much of the writing is in Thai, so the result is I'm repeatedly surprised (dismayed) to find the 'treat' laced with all manner of strangeness - beans in coconut, mmm, or, dark 'chocolate' coated vibrant yellow ice cream filled with the mild and well-intentioned taste of... sesame seeds?! I guarantee not to be returning for seconds of either of them.
I have discovered some really good ones though! Of course, these are all the normal flavoured ones...
Here's how this phenomenon, as I'm choosing to refer to it, is affecting my life in SE Asia: I keep trying different popsicles/ice cream on sticks, testing out the ones that look really appealing based on the packaging. I'll admit I inspect the package for any English and if, upon reading the flavour, it sounds gross, I don't try it. However, much of the writing is in Thai, so the result is I'm repeatedly surprised (dismayed) to find the 'treat' laced with all manner of strangeness - beans in coconut, mmm, or, dark 'chocolate' coated vibrant yellow ice cream filled with the mild and well-intentioned taste of... sesame seeds?! I guarantee not to be returning for seconds of either of them.
I have discovered some really good ones though! Of course, these are all the normal flavoured ones...
Friday, December 14, 2007
The Beach - Installment #2
Thai Island: Ko Tao
Our journey to Ko Tao was, well, a bit on the horrendous side... or, rather Thai, I'll admit! We left Ko Lanta by minibus at 12:30 pm - basically, a large minivan, as always loaded to capacity. My wonderful seat for the journey slanted inwards towards Marc, with an uncomfortably awkward lump in the middle. The supposedly two hour journey to the mainland was extended due to our wait, at several locations, for two Thai females, joining us for the ride, undoubtedly a few extra Baht directly in the driver's pocket, if you follow! At least at the first wait I legged it to a 'nearby' 7-11 (love Thailand for that!) for chips and ice cream for the ride. Off we go, only to realize we've detoured significantly (As in, 'ahem, driver, we just passed a sign with our destination in the opposite direction') to drop off these two stowaway Thais! Marc and I weren't surprised but some of our fellow travellers were right upset. We're finally dropped off in the middle of nowhere at this outdoor restaurant when we were expecting to arrive at the pier. So we eat... and eventually are picked up by a sort of pickup truck, 12 of us hop in the back with our bags on top and we're taken - directly - to the pier. It's now about 9 pm and our cargo boat to Ko Tao doesn't leave until 11 pm. What to do? Nothing but sit at an outdoor restaurant and wait... Just before 11 we climb aboard a very desperate looking wooden boat, which, thankfully, has a roof. Our sleeping quarters are basically one big room (the boat) lined with mattresses. Fifty-five of us, happily crammed on a loud, damp boat. Oh, how well we slept!
At 7:30 am we had completed the 50 km journey (if I hadn't seen the boat workers sleeping on the hard wooden floor of the boat I would have thought they'd paddled us to the island... that loud motor would've been difficult to explain though) and we'd arrived on Ko Tao. The resort we're staying at is great, quite comfy and very clean, but there's basically no beach, so we have to venture elsewhere to truly sunbathe. Of course, given we'll be covering up any sort of tan as soon as we step off the plane in Toronto there isn't too much worry over getting some even colour, is there?? Today it rained and was relatively overcast all day, so we relaxed... Tomorrow, should the sun deem us worthy to grace us with its presence, we'll be heading to a nearby island for the day... nothing to do but soak up the rays!
The island is really chilled, can't comment on the beach or the water but the people are friendly! Still can't seem to escape the 'Taxi?! Taxi!' requests though...
On Sunday we hop on board another boat to the mainland - it's a day boat though, should be so much better... one hopes! Our last train journey in Asia will be up to Bangkok on the overnighter, arriving at the ungodly hour of 5 am! At least we'll be better rested than our most recent overnight journey... And other than final shopping and sightseeing, the best part is we're meeting up with Kelsey, our little Londoner from our tour through China!
I'll find a spare moment amidst the Bangkok madness for the final post from Asia... Hard to believe it's almost arrived!
Our journey to Ko Tao was, well, a bit on the horrendous side... or, rather Thai, I'll admit! We left Ko Lanta by minibus at 12:30 pm - basically, a large minivan, as always loaded to capacity. My wonderful seat for the journey slanted inwards towards Marc, with an uncomfortably awkward lump in the middle. The supposedly two hour journey to the mainland was extended due to our wait, at several locations, for two Thai females, joining us for the ride, undoubtedly a few extra Baht directly in the driver's pocket, if you follow! At least at the first wait I legged it to a 'nearby' 7-11 (love Thailand for that!) for chips and ice cream for the ride. Off we go, only to realize we've detoured significantly (As in, 'ahem, driver, we just passed a sign with our destination in the opposite direction') to drop off these two stowaway Thais! Marc and I weren't surprised but some of our fellow travellers were right upset. We're finally dropped off in the middle of nowhere at this outdoor restaurant when we were expecting to arrive at the pier. So we eat... and eventually are picked up by a sort of pickup truck, 12 of us hop in the back with our bags on top and we're taken - directly - to the pier. It's now about 9 pm and our cargo boat to Ko Tao doesn't leave until 11 pm. What to do? Nothing but sit at an outdoor restaurant and wait... Just before 11 we climb aboard a very desperate looking wooden boat, which, thankfully, has a roof. Our sleeping quarters are basically one big room (the boat) lined with mattresses. Fifty-five of us, happily crammed on a loud, damp boat. Oh, how well we slept!
At 7:30 am we had completed the 50 km journey (if I hadn't seen the boat workers sleeping on the hard wooden floor of the boat I would have thought they'd paddled us to the island... that loud motor would've been difficult to explain though) and we'd arrived on Ko Tao. The resort we're staying at is great, quite comfy and very clean, but there's basically no beach, so we have to venture elsewhere to truly sunbathe. Of course, given we'll be covering up any sort of tan as soon as we step off the plane in Toronto there isn't too much worry over getting some even colour, is there?? Today it rained and was relatively overcast all day, so we relaxed... Tomorrow, should the sun deem us worthy to grace us with its presence, we'll be heading to a nearby island for the day... nothing to do but soak up the rays!
The island is really chilled, can't comment on the beach or the water but the people are friendly! Still can't seem to escape the 'Taxi?! Taxi!' requests though...
On Sunday we hop on board another boat to the mainland - it's a day boat though, should be so much better... one hopes! Our last train journey in Asia will be up to Bangkok on the overnighter, arriving at the ungodly hour of 5 am! At least we'll be better rested than our most recent overnight journey... And other than final shopping and sightseeing, the best part is we're meeting up with Kelsey, our little Londoner from our tour through China!
I'll find a spare moment amidst the Bangkok madness for the final post from Asia... Hard to believe it's almost arrived!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Recent Animal Encounters
In India I was being headbutted by highly revered cows and chased down temple-topped mountains by shrieking monkeys (or was that my voice?)...
In Thailand, I've graduated (downgraded?) from mammals, a bit of a relief, to be honest. In Ko Lanta, I'm happily strolling the dirt path to our bungalow on the beach when I feel a whizzing by my face and immediately hear a loud slap beside me. In confusion, I turn, as does Marc, who points and shouts, "OMG, a massive snake just flew past your head! Was it aiming for you?" Thanks, husband, how very sweet and reassuring of you. Looking to our other side, the only place the snake could have come from, with that height and speed, was this excessively high palm tree. Was it trying to attack me? We'll never know... Curious.
On the previous day, we're (again, happily) cruising on our motorbike when I notice this black 'thing' on the road directly in front of us. I was confused as to what it was but Marc, ever the knowledgeable, points out in fascination and awe (I would bet on a tremble in his voice had we been walking!) that it's a scorpion. Casually crossing the street. Hmm. Can I end two subsequent paragraphs with the same word? Curious.
In Thailand, I've graduated (downgraded?) from mammals, a bit of a relief, to be honest. In Ko Lanta, I'm happily strolling the dirt path to our bungalow on the beach when I feel a whizzing by my face and immediately hear a loud slap beside me. In confusion, I turn, as does Marc, who points and shouts, "OMG, a massive snake just flew past your head! Was it aiming for you?" Thanks, husband, how very sweet and reassuring of you. Looking to our other side, the only place the snake could have come from, with that height and speed, was this excessively high palm tree. Was it trying to attack me? We'll never know... Curious.
On the previous day, we're (again, happily) cruising on our motorbike when I notice this black 'thing' on the road directly in front of us. I was confused as to what it was but Marc, ever the knowledgeable, points out in fascination and awe (I would bet on a tremble in his voice had we been walking!) that it's a scorpion. Casually crossing the street. Hmm. Can I end two subsequent paragraphs with the same word? Curious.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Relaxing Holiday - At Last: The Beach, Installment #1
Our travels have finally turned to relaxation vs. the stress of moving every two days, finding safe and reliable transportation and accommodation, planning out which sights or markets to visit and how to fit them all in (oh, how I've managed to bring my love of lists with me), trying to get enough sleep, what with all of the above and the 'must see' sunrises...
The Islands of Thailand: Ko Lanta
Since relaxation is the prime motive, we have decided to minimize our island hopping. We're currently stationed on Ko Lanta, on the Andaman Sea and are not disappointed. Perhaps this is because we had our expectations set relatively low? Seems the guidebooks and some people we've spoken to don't actually know what white sand is... End result is we're happy with our beach. It's a less busy beach on a less touristy island - exactly as planned. We somehow swung an amazing deal on a brick/concrete, secure bungalow, complete with en-suite washroom, on the beach. No, not for $6 a night (don't believe the rumours - tourism is in full swing here, plus, it's high season). 500 Baht, approximately $15.
We have been spending our days simply relaxing, reading, sunning ourselves, and... eating. We've been touring the island on our sweet, very new motorbike (our most powerful one yet!), checking out the other beaches and the Old Town, taking wrong turns and ending up on the other side of the island... noticing our flat rear tire and me sitting roadside at a gas station (a.k.a., someone's home) waiting for Marc to return from his very carefully made four km trip to the repair shop... and finally, discovering some incredible restaurants. Mealtime has probably been the highlight, oddly enough. Picture this, if you will: Being served delectable, not too pricey (cheap, by Western standards) dishes while kicked back, on cushions or bean bag chairs, in your own private open-faced bamboo hut, lanterns and torches providing atmospheric light at night, DJ spinning chilled tunes, the waves gently lapping at the shore... Marc and I, reading, chatting, relaxing... Pure Bliss, I say! Almost like a second honeymoon, no?
The low tide/high tide situation here is interesting and unlike anything I've seen before. While the water is swimmable 24/7, especially directly in front of our resort as there are so few rocks - lucky! - at random times during the day it's low tide. At high tide, all you see is water. At low tide, the beach is transformed and all of the black rocks hidden by the water are suddenly completely visible. It's incredible, as if we're on another beach entirely. It's a wild experience to watch the tide moving out. Yes, we've done it. Yes, while eating...!
On our first two nights, we were woken up at random hours by the strange chanting of a bird(?), gecko(?), some other unknown creature(?) that appears to be living in our bathroom wall. I'd really like to know what it is that makes such a sound... On that note, did you know geckoes make an almost birdlike chirping noise? News to us.
Unrelated side note: My mouse has been entertaining me (and Marc, as he's the one who noticed) by continuously changing colours. Funky.
Island Bonus #7: The lack of begging. Sweet, sweet relief!
Island Bonus #12: No real markets on the islands and beach areas, so far. Plus, too pricey so we wouldn't shop here anyway. Marc is thrilled...
Prior to Ko Lanta we were in Krabi, which is on the mainland but has plenty of beaches. We visited one beach area, Ao Nang, for dinner one night, and were shocked by the number of tourists (Scandinavians, mostly), the cost of our meal, the prices they were charging in the shops, and the sheer Western-ness of it all. Happy we hadn't chosen to stay there, we head back to our hotel! Instead of being typical holiday tourists hanging out on a crowded beach, we rented a little jeep. It didn't take Marc long to figure out the whole left-hand driving but those first few minutes were a bit tense! I thought I was going to have to pull out my 'Side!' call used many a time while driving in Australia and NZ! We visited the Emerald Lagoon, this incredible blue water filled hole, really, in the middle of nowhere. There were a few other tourists there but just before we left a group of young Thai boys came dive-bombing in, splashing and laughing. It was a great sight. We also went to these natural hot springs, where we dipped in the small pools formed by the rocks. Apparently 20 minutes is good for your health!
It Was All Yellow...: The King's 80th birthday was celebrated while we were in Krabi. Every Thai wore pale yellow to commemorate the event. Not so unusual, actually, as this is the first thing we noticed upon our arrival in Bangkok. What's with everyone wearing light yellow??
In a few days we're off to Ko Tao, a tiny island on the Gulf of Thailand. Our last beach on this trip! :(
The Islands of Thailand: Ko Lanta
Since relaxation is the prime motive, we have decided to minimize our island hopping. We're currently stationed on Ko Lanta, on the Andaman Sea and are not disappointed. Perhaps this is because we had our expectations set relatively low? Seems the guidebooks and some people we've spoken to don't actually know what white sand is... End result is we're happy with our beach. It's a less busy beach on a less touristy island - exactly as planned. We somehow swung an amazing deal on a brick/concrete, secure bungalow, complete with en-suite washroom, on the beach. No, not for $6 a night (don't believe the rumours - tourism is in full swing here, plus, it's high season). 500 Baht, approximately $15.
We have been spending our days simply relaxing, reading, sunning ourselves, and... eating. We've been touring the island on our sweet, very new motorbike (our most powerful one yet!), checking out the other beaches and the Old Town, taking wrong turns and ending up on the other side of the island... noticing our flat rear tire and me sitting roadside at a gas station (a.k.a., someone's home) waiting for Marc to return from his very carefully made four km trip to the repair shop... and finally, discovering some incredible restaurants. Mealtime has probably been the highlight, oddly enough. Picture this, if you will: Being served delectable, not too pricey (cheap, by Western standards) dishes while kicked back, on cushions or bean bag chairs, in your own private open-faced bamboo hut, lanterns and torches providing atmospheric light at night, DJ spinning chilled tunes, the waves gently lapping at the shore... Marc and I, reading, chatting, relaxing... Pure Bliss, I say! Almost like a second honeymoon, no?
The low tide/high tide situation here is interesting and unlike anything I've seen before. While the water is swimmable 24/7, especially directly in front of our resort as there are so few rocks - lucky! - at random times during the day it's low tide. At high tide, all you see is water. At low tide, the beach is transformed and all of the black rocks hidden by the water are suddenly completely visible. It's incredible, as if we're on another beach entirely. It's a wild experience to watch the tide moving out. Yes, we've done it. Yes, while eating...!
On our first two nights, we were woken up at random hours by the strange chanting of a bird(?), gecko(?), some other unknown creature(?) that appears to be living in our bathroom wall. I'd really like to know what it is that makes such a sound... On that note, did you know geckoes make an almost birdlike chirping noise? News to us.
Unrelated side note: My mouse has been entertaining me (and Marc, as he's the one who noticed) by continuously changing colours. Funky.
Island Bonus #7: The lack of begging. Sweet, sweet relief!
Island Bonus #12: No real markets on the islands and beach areas, so far. Plus, too pricey so we wouldn't shop here anyway. Marc is thrilled...
Prior to Ko Lanta we were in Krabi, which is on the mainland but has plenty of beaches. We visited one beach area, Ao Nang, for dinner one night, and were shocked by the number of tourists (Scandinavians, mostly), the cost of our meal, the prices they were charging in the shops, and the sheer Western-ness of it all. Happy we hadn't chosen to stay there, we head back to our hotel! Instead of being typical holiday tourists hanging out on a crowded beach, we rented a little jeep. It didn't take Marc long to figure out the whole left-hand driving but those first few minutes were a bit tense! I thought I was going to have to pull out my 'Side!' call used many a time while driving in Australia and NZ! We visited the Emerald Lagoon, this incredible blue water filled hole, really, in the middle of nowhere. There were a few other tourists there but just before we left a group of young Thai boys came dive-bombing in, splashing and laughing. It was a great sight. We also went to these natural hot springs, where we dipped in the small pools formed by the rocks. Apparently 20 minutes is good for your health!
It Was All Yellow...: The King's 80th birthday was celebrated while we were in Krabi. Every Thai wore pale yellow to commemorate the event. Not so unusual, actually, as this is the first thing we noticed upon our arrival in Bangkok. What's with everyone wearing light yellow??
In a few days we're off to Ko Tao, a tiny island on the Gulf of Thailand. Our last beach on this trip! :(
Friday, December 7, 2007
I've been to Cambodia!
We're now in Southern Thailand on a warm beach, not missing the fact that it's super cold up in Canada! Although we will be there in less than 2 weeks. Our trip is almost over... :(
In our normal way of keeping up with our blog, we've been out of Cambodia for 6 days now but here are my impressions of our last country. Note that we've only been to the two major cities in Cambodia, so these things might not be true of the rest of the country.
1- The smell hit us like a dirty shovel the second we got on our tuk tuk to our hotel in Phnom Penh. It smells of crap in this city. Not everywhere, but every now and again, it will catch you off guard. It's better to practice shallow breathing to avoid the sour smells.
2- It's seems that everyone here speaks English very well. It's very easy to communicate with the locals and shop staff.
3- It reminds me much more of India than the rest of SE Asia. There's a lot of dirt on the road and there's lots of garbage on the streets. This was mostly the case in Phnom Penh and also because they just had finished their water festival.
4- The people are very smiley. It's hard to walk around this place without smiling because the people are so nice.
5- The tuk tuks here are trailers attached to standard 110cc motorbikes. Very different!
6- You can't walk down the streets without being asked if you want a moto or tuk tuk ride every 2 minutes.
That's it! We only spent a bit over 5 days in Cambodia so we didn't take it in as much as the other countries.
In our normal way of keeping up with our blog, we've been out of Cambodia for 6 days now but here are my impressions of our last country. Note that we've only been to the two major cities in Cambodia, so these things might not be true of the rest of the country.
1- The smell hit us like a dirty shovel the second we got on our tuk tuk to our hotel in Phnom Penh. It smells of crap in this city. Not everywhere, but every now and again, it will catch you off guard. It's better to practice shallow breathing to avoid the sour smells.
2- It's seems that everyone here speaks English very well. It's very easy to communicate with the locals and shop staff.
3- It reminds me much more of India than the rest of SE Asia. There's a lot of dirt on the road and there's lots of garbage on the streets. This was mostly the case in Phnom Penh and also because they just had finished their water festival.
4- The people are very smiley. It's hard to walk around this place without smiling because the people are so nice.
5- The tuk tuks here are trailers attached to standard 110cc motorbikes. Very different!
6- You can't walk down the streets without being asked if you want a moto or tuk tuk ride every 2 minutes.
That's it! We only spent a bit over 5 days in Cambodia so we didn't take it in as much as the other countries.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Back in the Saddle, um... Tuk-Tuk?
Whew! It becomes rather an easy feat to avoid posting a blog entry when you're really busy with the whole travelling and sightseeing thing... But alas! Marc has taken me by the shoulders, steered me into the internet cafe, sat me in a rather comfy chair and demanded I type away! Not literally... but he has, with words. And guilt. People won't know if we're alive! They'll stop checking our blog! Sheesh. When I don't write, we're just off having fun. Or simply exhausted from the travelling. Either or. Or as they would say in Southeast Asia, "Same, same".
Now that the background has been spilled, I am writing from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. When thinking about this post on our way into the city, I was going to title it "No Roads in Cambodia". I would have been kidding, of course, but it certainly felt like a statement of fact on our bus ride from Vietnam yesterday. I've never been bounced around so much on a bus in my life. At least the bus was air-conditioned. Having spent the better part of the past week in the cooler, rainier climate of Central Vietnam, our bodies are slowly readjusting to the heat. Now don't go getting any funny ideas - by 'cooler' I mean low to mid-20s, at night, and on the rainy days. Although a local across from me had the A/C vent fully open and I had to pull out my sweatshirt as I was freezing! What are we going to do when we arrive back home?
On the subject of temperature, to give you an idea of temperatures over the past few months, when in an A/C room (not all that often in some of the countries!), if it was set any cooler than 25 degrees, we were cold, and turned it up or off altogether.
We underwent the strangest Visa process to enter Cambodia. We never actually came face-to-face with an official, but were simply handed our passport by the bus staff, visa in place. However, in every hotel we've stayed in, we've had to hand over our passports and usually they are kept at reception for the duration of our stay. What's that they say about never allowing your passport to leave your sight? Yes well... cannot happen in Asia. It's unreal to realize we can be tracked for an entire four months.
Cambodia. Country #6! I didn't know too much about the country when we decided to visit, but while in Vietnam I read an eye-opening, well-written book about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot regime of the mid-to-late '70s. I've been trying to read a book about every country we're visiting on this trip, but realize I have missed Laos and Vietnam.
Phnom Penh itself was once a rather bustling city but now still appears to be recovering from the '70s. It's no wonder. Apparently half of the country's population was born post-1980... That just shows how many people were brutally killed by the Khmer Rouge. Phnom Penh seems to be one of the hardest hit cities. The Khmer Rouge was this ultra Communist party that took over the country in April 1975 and set about 'purifying' Cambodia and in essence, setting it back about a hundred years. The 'pure Khmers' were the rural farmers - the uneducated, the poor who lived off of the land and did not rely on outside influences or imported goods to survive. The city dwellers were considered evil and were to be killed as they had been exposed to western ideas and culture. Further, anyone who was not fully Cambodian, such as descendants of the Chinese, were also not permitted life as part of the new regime. Essentially, anyone that might have the education or experience to question the new regime had a mark on their head and was as good as dead. I suppose the lucky few managed to escape, including our tuk-tuk driver today, who was 14 when the KR came to power. He fled into the jungle but at some point was held prisoner for three months. He lost his father (a university professor), mother and brother. His sister managed to survive but they did not find one another until years later.
Today we visited S-21, a former high school, now a museum, that was used as a detention centre and interrogation and torture chamber by the Khmer Rouge. It still houses some of the tools used and blood-stained mats remain on some of the metal beds. There are also rows of pictures of the victims, including many young children. Feeling rather disturbed, we moved on to the Killing Fields. Might as well deal with the horrors all in one day, no? Besides, seeing the aftermath is nothing like living the reality. Despite having read a detailed account, I can't begin to imagine myself going through it.
The Killing Fields of Choueng Ek were exactly what the name suggests. This is where the Khmer Rouge brought their victims, including those tortured at S-21, and killed them. They've excavated some of the mass graves and there is a massive memorial displaying thousands of the victims' skulls. As we were walking around, we noticed a bone sticking out of the dirt on the path we were walking. Creepy. There is even a tree from which they suspended a loudspeaker to drown out the screams so neighbouring farmers/residents wouldn't get suspicious. I don't get that, as I thought they'd essentially cleared out the city, but I'm obviously missing many facts of the entire period. All told, approximately 1/4 of the country's population was killed during the Pol Pot regime.
As we were driving around today, Marc commented the city reminds him a bit of India, I suppose due to the dirt-lined streets, and the sand everywhere. It seems some of the ruined monuments and parks are being fixed up, yet much also seems to be completely functional. It's rather stinky here, what with the somewhat open sewage and all. The system is similar to Hanoi but somehow nose-grippingly putrid. There are few streetlights in the area where we are staying, so after dark there is a very eerie, creepy feel as the street and pedestrian traffic reduces significantly. Couple that with the fact we've heard it's a little dangerous in Cambodia and it's cause for a bit of discomfort. Honestly, I don't think we have anything to worry about, but you won't catch me wandering after dark. During the day though, the people are fabulous. All smiles and warm greetings. And incessant offering of tuk-tuk and motorbike rides - this is SE Asia, after all. Thankfully we haven't seen too many orphaned or limbless beggars (landmines, courtesy of the unbelievable Khmer Rouge, are rampant outside of the well-trod areas). It sounds crude and insensitive, but it's very difficult to not be affected by, well, the affected. This is also why we try to eat and purchase from establishments working to assist orphans, street youth, and the disabled (common in both Vietnam and Cambodia, due to relatively recent circumstances).
A side note - we use $US here and it's actually on the pricey side! Go figure... never believe what you hear or read, eh?
Tomorrow morning we head to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. We were going to make a detour for the beach but have decided to save the relaxation for the islands of Thailand.
Now that you're caught up on the past two days, I'll move back into Vietnam.
My best to all,
Trish
Now that the background has been spilled, I am writing from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. When thinking about this post on our way into the city, I was going to title it "No Roads in Cambodia". I would have been kidding, of course, but it certainly felt like a statement of fact on our bus ride from Vietnam yesterday. I've never been bounced around so much on a bus in my life. At least the bus was air-conditioned. Having spent the better part of the past week in the cooler, rainier climate of Central Vietnam, our bodies are slowly readjusting to the heat. Now don't go getting any funny ideas - by 'cooler' I mean low to mid-20s, at night, and on the rainy days. Although a local across from me had the A/C vent fully open and I had to pull out my sweatshirt as I was freezing! What are we going to do when we arrive back home?
On the subject of temperature, to give you an idea of temperatures over the past few months, when in an A/C room (not all that often in some of the countries!), if it was set any cooler than 25 degrees, we were cold, and turned it up or off altogether.
We underwent the strangest Visa process to enter Cambodia. We never actually came face-to-face with an official, but were simply handed our passport by the bus staff, visa in place. However, in every hotel we've stayed in, we've had to hand over our passports and usually they are kept at reception for the duration of our stay. What's that they say about never allowing your passport to leave your sight? Yes well... cannot happen in Asia. It's unreal to realize we can be tracked for an entire four months.
Cambodia. Country #6! I didn't know too much about the country when we decided to visit, but while in Vietnam I read an eye-opening, well-written book about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot regime of the mid-to-late '70s. I've been trying to read a book about every country we're visiting on this trip, but realize I have missed Laos and Vietnam.
Phnom Penh itself was once a rather bustling city but now still appears to be recovering from the '70s. It's no wonder. Apparently half of the country's population was born post-1980... That just shows how many people were brutally killed by the Khmer Rouge. Phnom Penh seems to be one of the hardest hit cities. The Khmer Rouge was this ultra Communist party that took over the country in April 1975 and set about 'purifying' Cambodia and in essence, setting it back about a hundred years. The 'pure Khmers' were the rural farmers - the uneducated, the poor who lived off of the land and did not rely on outside influences or imported goods to survive. The city dwellers were considered evil and were to be killed as they had been exposed to western ideas and culture. Further, anyone who was not fully Cambodian, such as descendants of the Chinese, were also not permitted life as part of the new regime. Essentially, anyone that might have the education or experience to question the new regime had a mark on their head and was as good as dead. I suppose the lucky few managed to escape, including our tuk-tuk driver today, who was 14 when the KR came to power. He fled into the jungle but at some point was held prisoner for three months. He lost his father (a university professor), mother and brother. His sister managed to survive but they did not find one another until years later.
Today we visited S-21, a former high school, now a museum, that was used as a detention centre and interrogation and torture chamber by the Khmer Rouge. It still houses some of the tools used and blood-stained mats remain on some of the metal beds. There are also rows of pictures of the victims, including many young children. Feeling rather disturbed, we moved on to the Killing Fields. Might as well deal with the horrors all in one day, no? Besides, seeing the aftermath is nothing like living the reality. Despite having read a detailed account, I can't begin to imagine myself going through it.
The Killing Fields of Choueng Ek were exactly what the name suggests. This is where the Khmer Rouge brought their victims, including those tortured at S-21, and killed them. They've excavated some of the mass graves and there is a massive memorial displaying thousands of the victims' skulls. As we were walking around, we noticed a bone sticking out of the dirt on the path we were walking. Creepy. There is even a tree from which they suspended a loudspeaker to drown out the screams so neighbouring farmers/residents wouldn't get suspicious. I don't get that, as I thought they'd essentially cleared out the city, but I'm obviously missing many facts of the entire period. All told, approximately 1/4 of the country's population was killed during the Pol Pot regime.
As we were driving around today, Marc commented the city reminds him a bit of India, I suppose due to the dirt-lined streets, and the sand everywhere. It seems some of the ruined monuments and parks are being fixed up, yet much also seems to be completely functional. It's rather stinky here, what with the somewhat open sewage and all. The system is similar to Hanoi but somehow nose-grippingly putrid. There are few streetlights in the area where we are staying, so after dark there is a very eerie, creepy feel as the street and pedestrian traffic reduces significantly. Couple that with the fact we've heard it's a little dangerous in Cambodia and it's cause for a bit of discomfort. Honestly, I don't think we have anything to worry about, but you won't catch me wandering after dark. During the day though, the people are fabulous. All smiles and warm greetings. And incessant offering of tuk-tuk and motorbike rides - this is SE Asia, after all. Thankfully we haven't seen too many orphaned or limbless beggars (landmines, courtesy of the unbelievable Khmer Rouge, are rampant outside of the well-trod areas). It sounds crude and insensitive, but it's very difficult to not be affected by, well, the affected. This is also why we try to eat and purchase from establishments working to assist orphans, street youth, and the disabled (common in both Vietnam and Cambodia, due to relatively recent circumstances).
A side note - we use $US here and it's actually on the pricey side! Go figure... never believe what you hear or read, eh?
Tomorrow morning we head to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. We were going to make a detour for the beach but have decided to save the relaxation for the islands of Thailand.
Now that you're caught up on the past two days, I'll move back into Vietnam.
My best to all,
Trish
I've been to Laos!
Since we really haven't been keeping up with the blog, I haven't been able to post my "country impressions post" while we were in Laos. I'm going to try and go back in the past and remember what I found interresting about being in this beautiful country. And then I'll have to do the same about Vietnam because we're now in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
So here we go.
1- The cars drive on the same side as back home. It was a complete switch once we crossed the border. I was looking the wrong way when crossing the streets and looking for the driver in the wrong seat all over again. Very weird.
2- They have a huge French influence in their cuisine. The street food was switched from Asian foods to French Baguettes and La Vache Qui Rit cheese.
3- Again, everyone seems to own a truck or moped.
4- The young girls are very cute but they don't seem to age very well (as Trish explained in her last post).
5- There's a super good cafe called Joma in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane owned by a Canadian couple that we couldn't get enough of.
6- Traditional Laos food has tons of garlic and coriander.
7- Beerlaos is a very good and very cheap beer!
8- We found Laos to be much more developed than we expected (at least the two cities that we saw - most of the country is rural so that's probably not the case in most of Laos)
9- Renting a $4 motorbike for the day guarantees you a good time!
That's about all I can remember for now!
Marc
So here we go.
1- The cars drive on the same side as back home. It was a complete switch once we crossed the border. I was looking the wrong way when crossing the streets and looking for the driver in the wrong seat all over again. Very weird.
2- They have a huge French influence in their cuisine. The street food was switched from Asian foods to French Baguettes and La Vache Qui Rit cheese.
3- Again, everyone seems to own a truck or moped.
4- The young girls are very cute but they don't seem to age very well (as Trish explained in her last post).
5- There's a super good cafe called Joma in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane owned by a Canadian couple that we couldn't get enough of.
6- Traditional Laos food has tons of garlic and coriander.
7- Beerlaos is a very good and very cheap beer!
8- We found Laos to be much more developed than we expected (at least the two cities that we saw - most of the country is rural so that's probably not the case in most of Laos)
9- Renting a $4 motorbike for the day guarantees you a good time!
That's about all I can remember for now!
Marc
I've been to Vietnam!
Here's Part 2 of my "I'm no longer there, but I want to keep up with my country impressons posts" posts. This time, it's a bit closer. We've only left Vietnam yesterday so the country is a bit fresher in my head. Although we were in the country for almost three weeks so I'm sure I forgot about some of the things in the north.
1- In the whole of the country, the mode of transportation of choice is by 110cc (or smaller) motorcycles. That's pretty much all you see in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. There are literally millions of them in each city. They twist and turn in rows of four or more down the city streets. It's really impressive that we didn't see an accident.
2- We had to deal with the sound of a million horns again. As it was in India, the Vietnamese don't think it enough to turn on their signal lights, they also have to blow their horns. But once isn't enough, they keep on doing it. Even when they're not turning and even if there's no danger. And everyone does it. So you can imagine how annoying it can get.
3- Every hotel we stayed in had at least one computer with free Internet access. So really, we shouldn't have any excuses for not posting any blog entries in Vietnam!
4- Hanoi is very different than Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). In the Old Quarter in Hanoi, where we spent most of our time, the streets are narrower and the shops are all local (no big commercial centres or chain names). The city shuts down early. The opposite is true of Saigon.
5- Pho is great and it tastes pretty much the same as home.
6- We've had some pretty amazing Italian food (crazy good gnocchi, pasta and risotto) in this country, and have had parmesan cheese for the first time since we left home. It's pretty impressive since I'm sure most of the locals don't really like western food.
7- The overnight Vietnamese train from Saigon to Hoi An was the nicest one we've been in for the whole of our trip. The beds were soft, in sets of four and in a compartment with a lockable door. The toilets were clean and had toilet paper and hand soap. Although the journey did end up taking 22.5 hours instead of 15 hours. But you can probably blame that on all the rain they've had and the flooding.
8- Hoi An is the best place to get tailor made clothing for very cheap. You can basically get a whole new wardrobe for under $1000.
9- Amazingly, Hoi An gets flooded every year. This year the water level rose 3 meters higher than its normal level. They're used to that! They had to evacuate tourists to higher grounds. That's the reason why we went to Saigon before heading to Hoi An. When we got there, there was still a bit of water on the lower streets but it was all gone by the time we left. You wonder why they decided to build a town there.
10- Vietnam Post has some pretty expensive rates for their air mail service. We ended up paying way too much to ship all our tailored clothes from Hoi An. It would have been much cheaper to ship by sea but there's a huge time discrepancy between the two services. 1-3 weeks by air, 3-4 months by sea. Sea is way too long since we'll be in Dallas in less than 2 months. They need a Sea-Air service like all the other countries we've been to!
That's it for Vietnam, see you in Cambodia!
1- In the whole of the country, the mode of transportation of choice is by 110cc (or smaller) motorcycles. That's pretty much all you see in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. There are literally millions of them in each city. They twist and turn in rows of four or more down the city streets. It's really impressive that we didn't see an accident.
2- We had to deal with the sound of a million horns again. As it was in India, the Vietnamese don't think it enough to turn on their signal lights, they also have to blow their horns. But once isn't enough, they keep on doing it. Even when they're not turning and even if there's no danger. And everyone does it. So you can imagine how annoying it can get.
3- Every hotel we stayed in had at least one computer with free Internet access. So really, we shouldn't have any excuses for not posting any blog entries in Vietnam!
4- Hanoi is very different than Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). In the Old Quarter in Hanoi, where we spent most of our time, the streets are narrower and the shops are all local (no big commercial centres or chain names). The city shuts down early. The opposite is true of Saigon.
5- Pho is great and it tastes pretty much the same as home.
6- We've had some pretty amazing Italian food (crazy good gnocchi, pasta and risotto) in this country, and have had parmesan cheese for the first time since we left home. It's pretty impressive since I'm sure most of the locals don't really like western food.
7- The overnight Vietnamese train from Saigon to Hoi An was the nicest one we've been in for the whole of our trip. The beds were soft, in sets of four and in a compartment with a lockable door. The toilets were clean and had toilet paper and hand soap. Although the journey did end up taking 22.5 hours instead of 15 hours. But you can probably blame that on all the rain they've had and the flooding.
8- Hoi An is the best place to get tailor made clothing for very cheap. You can basically get a whole new wardrobe for under $1000.
9- Amazingly, Hoi An gets flooded every year. This year the water level rose 3 meters higher than its normal level. They're used to that! They had to evacuate tourists to higher grounds. That's the reason why we went to Saigon before heading to Hoi An. When we got there, there was still a bit of water on the lower streets but it was all gone by the time we left. You wonder why they decided to build a town there.
10- Vietnam Post has some pretty expensive rates for their air mail service. We ended up paying way too much to ship all our tailored clothes from Hoi An. It would have been much cheaper to ship by sea but there's a huge time discrepancy between the two services. 1-3 weeks by air, 3-4 months by sea. Sea is way too long since we'll be in Dallas in less than 2 months. They need a Sea-Air service like all the other countries we've been to!
That's it for Vietnam, see you in Cambodia!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Sound of Horns
Good evening, Vietnam! Our arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam was met with... honking horns. Not for us - I'm sure the people here could care less that we'd descended on their city - but simply to... indicate they are a vehicle driving on the road? We thought India was bad, but here, the honking is incessant, often with no apparent reason for it! Hanoi is FULL of mopeds, especially in the Old Quarter, where we're staying - narrow streets with nothing short of 100 mopeds flying past in both directions. How to cross the street??!
I realized on our flight over that I'd neglected to share the tale of our lively day yesterday. But first, how cool is it that the middle seat on the plane was wider than the window and aisle seat? Cooler still, we were served KitKat bars!
Back to yesterday: We decided to rent mopeds (110cc bikes) to visit the Buddha Park 25 km outside Vientiane. The park is full of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures - competing for top spot on the list of strangest places I've ever been... It goes to show how accustomed you can become with what is around you - I had to remind myself we needed helmets! And it's a good thing I did... there's nothing like loosely fitted plastic wrap to protect you from a harsh connection with asphalt! The helmets were like the type my niece would put on her doll; I could probably break it with my own hands. With no other option, we donned these ineffective helmets and hoped for the best. Even better than the quality of the helmets was the fact they kept slipping back on our heads - oh, to have a head larger than a peanut.
Clearly, since I'm writing this, we survived unscathed! The roads in Vientiane are excellent, smooth, lined (thanks to millions kicked in by the Japanese government)... that is, until you hit the Friendship Bridge leading over to Thailand. From that point on, the roads were a combination of destroyed asphalt, dirt and gravel. Safe! By the end of the day, I actually had visible dirt and dust all over my face, and a layer of dust on my sunglasses. Shower, anyone? Fun and convenient, but I was happy to hit the pavement with my own two feet once again. Unfortunately, both the conditions and my inexperienced driver were freaking me out!
Marc certainly had a blast though and later went out 'racing' with Alex. By that point he'd definitely gotten the hang of driving the moped around and arrived back at our hotel with the biggest grin on his face. I'm definitely enchanted by the cool models though and hope, in future, to live somewhere so we can have our own mopeds - with our own top-safety rated helmets!!
We also checked out Patuxai yesterday - Vientiane's own Arc de Triomphe. Much smaller than the real thing, but still attractive and a great view of the city from the top!
The children in Laos are gorgeous, especially the little girls. I can't count the number of times our heads swivelled to gawk at the children - so adorable! The guys commented, half joking, that it must be a disappointment to the men as the women don't seem to age well, but I think there are a few reasons for this, namely, they aren't wearing makeup and using heaps of age-defying facial products, as we Westerners do; it may be a reflection of their difficult lives and the pollution in the cities; and finally, these women whose appearance we're judging - we have no idea of their actual age. Perhaps these are women in their 60s... who knows?
I've little energy left to write any more so Thailand will have to wait for another day. I've been emailing with my mom and sister while writing this and it's been great catching up, but I'm now tired so my blog shall suffer!
Good night all,
Trish
I realized on our flight over that I'd neglected to share the tale of our lively day yesterday. But first, how cool is it that the middle seat on the plane was wider than the window and aisle seat? Cooler still, we were served KitKat bars!
Back to yesterday: We decided to rent mopeds (110cc bikes) to visit the Buddha Park 25 km outside Vientiane. The park is full of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures - competing for top spot on the list of strangest places I've ever been... It goes to show how accustomed you can become with what is around you - I had to remind myself we needed helmets! And it's a good thing I did... there's nothing like loosely fitted plastic wrap to protect you from a harsh connection with asphalt! The helmets were like the type my niece would put on her doll; I could probably break it with my own hands. With no other option, we donned these ineffective helmets and hoped for the best. Even better than the quality of the helmets was the fact they kept slipping back on our heads - oh, to have a head larger than a peanut.
Clearly, since I'm writing this, we survived unscathed! The roads in Vientiane are excellent, smooth, lined (thanks to millions kicked in by the Japanese government)... that is, until you hit the Friendship Bridge leading over to Thailand. From that point on, the roads were a combination of destroyed asphalt, dirt and gravel. Safe! By the end of the day, I actually had visible dirt and dust all over my face, and a layer of dust on my sunglasses. Shower, anyone? Fun and convenient, but I was happy to hit the pavement with my own two feet once again. Unfortunately, both the conditions and my inexperienced driver were freaking me out!
Marc certainly had a blast though and later went out 'racing' with Alex. By that point he'd definitely gotten the hang of driving the moped around and arrived back at our hotel with the biggest grin on his face. I'm definitely enchanted by the cool models though and hope, in future, to live somewhere so we can have our own mopeds - with our own top-safety rated helmets!!
We also checked out Patuxai yesterday - Vientiane's own Arc de Triomphe. Much smaller than the real thing, but still attractive and a great view of the city from the top!
The children in Laos are gorgeous, especially the little girls. I can't count the number of times our heads swivelled to gawk at the children - so adorable! The guys commented, half joking, that it must be a disappointment to the men as the women don't seem to age well, but I think there are a few reasons for this, namely, they aren't wearing makeup and using heaps of age-defying facial products, as we Westerners do; it may be a reflection of their difficult lives and the pollution in the cities; and finally, these women whose appearance we're judging - we have no idea of their actual age. Perhaps these are women in their 60s... who knows?
I've little energy left to write any more so Thailand will have to wait for another day. I've been emailing with my mom and sister while writing this and it's been great catching up, but I'm now tired so my blog shall suffer!
Good night all,
Trish
Haute Cuisine in Laos
I've finally found a spare few minutes to catch everyone up on our travels. Apologizing is futile as I don't imagine anyone's lives are hanging on our updates - plus, a lapse in blogs is sure to happen again!
I sit in an internet cafe in Vientiane, Laos, digesting yet another fabulous meal from Joma, this absolutely fantastic cafe with locations in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane, owned by (who better?) a Canadian couple. Mmm... to be able to eat this well every day!
The Canadian dollar is now worth $1.10 US... Unbelievable. A bit of a bonus for us as we can use $US in Laos and Vietnam! Not that we have any on us... but we get a nice exchange rate when we use our credit cards - which balances out the 3.5% service charge we get hit with each time! Sometimes it can't be avoided though... in Laos the only ATM service available is for cash advances on a credit card!
Despite the lack of advancement in some areas, Laos has been a pleasant surprise and comfortable experience overall. We are enjoying our last few hours in Laos, as we're flying to Hanoi, Vietnam early this evening. Laos cities in brief: clean, friendly and well-developed. There is quite a bit of visible affluence in the cities of Luang Prabang and Vientiane (never mind the spelling or pronounciation as consistency in these areas is unknown in Asia!) - we've actually seen a Lexus and a Nissan Murano... unexpected! The food has been excellent in Laos. I'm not sure we've fallen in love with the traditional food... That's not to say we don't enjoy it but have had so many other options we haven't been forced to try many of the obscure sounding dishes! They do love their spice though, which I keep rediscovering as I realize I've once again forgotten to request 'Not Spicy'... There is a strong French influence here, so we've been treated to cafes, real cheese, and proper bread! Mmm, what heaven to be served warm, buttered baguettes before our meal!!
We didn't make our way into the rural areas of Laos, which is home to the majority of the population, but we did see a great deal of it from our two day boat ride along the Mekong River - not as romantic as it sounds! - and our bus ride from Luang Prabang to Vientiane (the ride that almost made us wish we were back on the boat!). Our two day boat ride was 70 travellers packed on this very old, dirty, BASIC wooden boat, sitting on tiny, narrow, hard wooden benches... It rained much of the way so at times our view was obliterated by the big plastic sheets acting as windows. Thankfully it wasn't an overnight boat and we stayed for the night in a small port town called Pak Beng, in a decent guesthouse that ran out of both electricity and water at around 9 pm... I should mention we selected the two-day 'slow boat' for its relative safety vs. the 'fast boat', which only takes one day but is known to regularly sink!
The morning we were boarding the slow boat we met another couple, Ashley and Alex, like-minded travelling companions with whom we've travelled through Laos and intend to do the same in Vietnam. Alex is Canadian, and Ashley is from Bermuda, but has been studying at Queens for the past few years.
The boat journey ends in Luang Prabang, a quaint town catering to tourists. We really enjoyed ourselves there, biking around and checking out the sights, shopping, and treating ourselves to the famous Southeast Asian massages (Not that kind!! This isn't Bangkok, folks...). In my admittedly limited experience, I have concluded the traditional Laos massage is a far more painful experience than its Thai counterpart. As I lay on my stomach, clenching my pillow as if my life depended on it, and to prevent myself from shouting out in painful agony, I wondered how bruised my body would be the next day. Effective? Therapeutic? Perhaps... but relaxing it was most certainly not! At $4 an hour though, one moves on with little regret.
The bus ride to Vientiane, the capital city, took us through the mountains on some very twisty-turny roads. It was touted as a Special VIP bus... Movies, On-board washroom, lunch... the works! The 'movies' was in fact a Lao karaoke DVD, looping through three songs (five? I really couldn't tell as all videos only used two settings). The washroom was a black-lit box, with a super elevated toilet and the obligatory bucket of water for the standard scoop 'n flush. Remember the twisty roads I mentioned above? Yes, well, I had issues staying in my seat at times, so imagine trying to use the toilet! I cracked my head on the ceiling three times, nearly went headfirst into both the door and the mirror (which was above the sink, behind the elevated toilet... completely inaccessible). With water splashing everywhere, it was a proud feat to make it out of there relatively dry.
That's Laos in short. Speaking of short, we're running out of Lao Kip (their currency) so I should sign off now. Perhaps next time I'll fill you in on my wonderful trekking experience in Thailand... or, it'll have to wait to be shared over drinks upon our return!
- Trish -
I sit in an internet cafe in Vientiane, Laos, digesting yet another fabulous meal from Joma, this absolutely fantastic cafe with locations in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane, owned by (who better?) a Canadian couple. Mmm... to be able to eat this well every day!
The Canadian dollar is now worth $1.10 US... Unbelievable. A bit of a bonus for us as we can use $US in Laos and Vietnam! Not that we have any on us... but we get a nice exchange rate when we use our credit cards - which balances out the 3.5% service charge we get hit with each time! Sometimes it can't be avoided though... in Laos the only ATM service available is for cash advances on a credit card!
Despite the lack of advancement in some areas, Laos has been a pleasant surprise and comfortable experience overall. We are enjoying our last few hours in Laos, as we're flying to Hanoi, Vietnam early this evening. Laos cities in brief: clean, friendly and well-developed. There is quite a bit of visible affluence in the cities of Luang Prabang and Vientiane (never mind the spelling or pronounciation as consistency in these areas is unknown in Asia!) - we've actually seen a Lexus and a Nissan Murano... unexpected! The food has been excellent in Laos. I'm not sure we've fallen in love with the traditional food... That's not to say we don't enjoy it but have had so many other options we haven't been forced to try many of the obscure sounding dishes! They do love their spice though, which I keep rediscovering as I realize I've once again forgotten to request 'Not Spicy'... There is a strong French influence here, so we've been treated to cafes, real cheese, and proper bread! Mmm, what heaven to be served warm, buttered baguettes before our meal!!
We didn't make our way into the rural areas of Laos, which is home to the majority of the population, but we did see a great deal of it from our two day boat ride along the Mekong River - not as romantic as it sounds! - and our bus ride from Luang Prabang to Vientiane (the ride that almost made us wish we were back on the boat!). Our two day boat ride was 70 travellers packed on this very old, dirty, BASIC wooden boat, sitting on tiny, narrow, hard wooden benches... It rained much of the way so at times our view was obliterated by the big plastic sheets acting as windows. Thankfully it wasn't an overnight boat and we stayed for the night in a small port town called Pak Beng, in a decent guesthouse that ran out of both electricity and water at around 9 pm... I should mention we selected the two-day 'slow boat' for its relative safety vs. the 'fast boat', which only takes one day but is known to regularly sink!
The morning we were boarding the slow boat we met another couple, Ashley and Alex, like-minded travelling companions with whom we've travelled through Laos and intend to do the same in Vietnam. Alex is Canadian, and Ashley is from Bermuda, but has been studying at Queens for the past few years.
The boat journey ends in Luang Prabang, a quaint town catering to tourists. We really enjoyed ourselves there, biking around and checking out the sights, shopping, and treating ourselves to the famous Southeast Asian massages (Not that kind!! This isn't Bangkok, folks...). In my admittedly limited experience, I have concluded the traditional Laos massage is a far more painful experience than its Thai counterpart. As I lay on my stomach, clenching my pillow as if my life depended on it, and to prevent myself from shouting out in painful agony, I wondered how bruised my body would be the next day. Effective? Therapeutic? Perhaps... but relaxing it was most certainly not! At $4 an hour though, one moves on with little regret.
The bus ride to Vientiane, the capital city, took us through the mountains on some very twisty-turny roads. It was touted as a Special VIP bus... Movies, On-board washroom, lunch... the works! The 'movies' was in fact a Lao karaoke DVD, looping through three songs (five? I really couldn't tell as all videos only used two settings). The washroom was a black-lit box, with a super elevated toilet and the obligatory bucket of water for the standard scoop 'n flush. Remember the twisty roads I mentioned above? Yes, well, I had issues staying in my seat at times, so imagine trying to use the toilet! I cracked my head on the ceiling three times, nearly went headfirst into both the door and the mirror (which was above the sink, behind the elevated toilet... completely inaccessible). With water splashing everywhere, it was a proud feat to make it out of there relatively dry.
That's Laos in short. Speaking of short, we're running out of Lao Kip (their currency) so I should sign off now. Perhaps next time I'll fill you in on my wonderful trekking experience in Thailand... or, it'll have to wait to be shared over drinks upon our return!
- Trish -
Monday, November 5, 2007
I'm in Thailand! (Part 1, Bangkok and the North)
Hey all,
Sorry for not keeping up the blog. We haven't been able to access the Internet as much as before. Well, maybe we haven't made the time for it. But that's OK since we've been keeping busy! :)
We're actually in Vientiane, Laos, right now, and have been out of Thailand for over a week now, but I have to keep up with my mandatory "New Country Impressions Posts". This will be the first of two parts since we're going back to southern Thailand in December. I should probably post another one about South India as well, since our impressions were a bit different in the South. We really got into the Indian groove and were really enjoying the country near the end.
Thailand is a huge contrast to both China and India. As Trish wrote in her post, we actually got culture shock when we landed in Bangkok because it's so similar to back home.
1- We were surprised to see that cars drive on the Left side of the road. Just like India and Hong Kong.
2- Pretty much all you see on the roads are pickup trucks or mopeds.
3- Tons of people wear yellow shirts. We think it's the official government worker uniform.
4- Taxis have meters here but the drivers will try and get more money from you by quoting you a lot more (double the cost) and not using the meter. So it's always good to force them to turn it on.
5- The roads are clean and smooth and lined with proper street signs, the air is pretty clean, there are no animals in the streets, it smells much better.
6- There's a 7-11 store at the corner of almost every street.
7- It's full of tourists and Westerners, probably because it's so easy to travel around here.
8- It's much more hygienic. Almost all places have Western toilets with toilet paper and soap.
9- As with all the places we've been to, the food is great. Especially Green Curry. Mmmmmm.
10- ATMs are everywhere and accept our TD Bank card. Phew!
That's about all I can remember for now. Thailand has a much better infrastructure for tourists, especially since it's the main source of income for the country. So everything is very well tailored to western tourists. So it makes for a less interesting impressions post. Even so, we've had a blast in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and our 2-day trek up in the hills where we rode Elephants and Bamboo rafted down a white water river. Although you'll see in the next post that Trish didn't really enjoy the trekking as much.
Again, sorry about the long gap in our blog. Trish will follow this one up with her own post tonight or tomorrow.
Sorry for not keeping up the blog. We haven't been able to access the Internet as much as before. Well, maybe we haven't made the time for it. But that's OK since we've been keeping busy! :)
We're actually in Vientiane, Laos, right now, and have been out of Thailand for over a week now, but I have to keep up with my mandatory "New Country Impressions Posts". This will be the first of two parts since we're going back to southern Thailand in December. I should probably post another one about South India as well, since our impressions were a bit different in the South. We really got into the Indian groove and were really enjoying the country near the end.
Thailand is a huge contrast to both China and India. As Trish wrote in her post, we actually got culture shock when we landed in Bangkok because it's so similar to back home.
1- We were surprised to see that cars drive on the Left side of the road. Just like India and Hong Kong.
2- Pretty much all you see on the roads are pickup trucks or mopeds.
3- Tons of people wear yellow shirts. We think it's the official government worker uniform.
4- Taxis have meters here but the drivers will try and get more money from you by quoting you a lot more (double the cost) and not using the meter. So it's always good to force them to turn it on.
5- The roads are clean and smooth and lined with proper street signs, the air is pretty clean, there are no animals in the streets, it smells much better.
6- There's a 7-11 store at the corner of almost every street.
7- It's full of tourists and Westerners, probably because it's so easy to travel around here.
8- It's much more hygienic. Almost all places have Western toilets with toilet paper and soap.
9- As with all the places we've been to, the food is great. Especially Green Curry. Mmmmmm.
10- ATMs are everywhere and accept our TD Bank card. Phew!
That's about all I can remember for now. Thailand has a much better infrastructure for tourists, especially since it's the main source of income for the country. So everything is very well tailored to western tourists. So it makes for a less interesting impressions post. Even so, we've had a blast in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and our 2-day trek up in the hills where we rode Elephants and Bamboo rafted down a white water river. Although you'll see in the next post that Trish didn't really enjoy the trekking as much.
Again, sorry about the long gap in our blog. Trish will follow this one up with her own post tonight or tomorrow.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Culture Shock in Bangkok
Marc and I have waved farewell to India... a bit sad, I must admit. Our last day and a half was spent in Mumbai (Bombay). Incredible city. Despite our short amount of time in this massive, rather developed city by Indian standards, we managed to see and experience a fair amount of it. Well, not really, as it is so spread out, but we did venture out of the major tourist beat!
For me, it was really cool being in Mumbai, as I was just finishing up the book, Shantaram, (a fabulous read, which is mostly based in Mumbai), so I was busy checking out how places compared to the way I imagined them!
After five weeks in this grand country, I know I will be missing some things about it in the weeks to come, and perhaps even upon our return to North America. The friendliness of the people; 1 L water bottles; McDonald's!; the famous Indian head wiggle; the painted advertisements (KingFisher beer, chips, sodas, chocolate bars, building materials...) on houses, shops, fences, i.e., stone walls; the delicious food, especially the Naan bread! There are more, but I'll move on for now.
In Mumbai we realized we'd adapted to India, as much as is possible in five weeks, at least. The smells, the crowds, the garbage everywhere, the constant hassle from taxi drivers/rickshaw wallahs/street vendors, etc... Initially I simply thought Mumbai lacked the bulk of these things (we didn't see any cows, although we did see - and smell - evidence of their existence), until I took a second look around with fresh eyes and nostrils, and realized it was all there, we'd just grown accustomed to it. Having said this, however, the city is very developed, and has a much different feel from the other cities we've visited across the country.
I didn't have an opportunity to write much about South India, and to be honest, at the moment I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around my thoughts. I will point out a few of the things we noticed in the southwest. We flew from Delhi directly to Kochi (Cochin) which is on the lower west side of the country, in Kerala. From there we moved north into Karnataka and Goa to breathe some fresh air and lounge in the Arabian Sea (or, on some days, ride the waves but that doesn't sound as relaxing!). Check out the Map of Our Destinations link on the right menu bar.
Okay, thoughts. Kochi was found to be much more developed, cleaner and advanced than previous cities we'd visited in the north. The streets were lined with billboard after billboard advertising new housing (condos) - and they were rather attractive! The literacy rate is incredibly high in the Kochi and backwaters area. One region boasts a literacy rate of 99.8%! English is more widely spoken in Kochi. There is plenty of clear English signage on shops, although still not on streets - where are the street signs? Speaking of signage, the writing is different in the South, and, given the Portugese influence, Catholicism is common. We were happy to have included the South in our itinerary.
Almost forgot... Marc and I arrived at a beach in Goa, literally on the sand with our big packs on, and we hear a shout, look over and see Chris, one of the guys on our North India trip who was continuing on for a two week tour of the South, along with four others from our tour in the North. Knowing our timing was not meant to match up with their South India trip schedule, we were surprised. It turns out they couldn't stand their incompetent tour leader and ditched their tour - with no refund! Lucky for all though as more than half of our original group was back together again for a couple of days!
Bangkok hit us as hard as our initial arrival in Delhi. Who knew it was so developed? It felt as if we'd arrived home. Brand-spanking-new airport, a/c leather-interior taxi, English speaking taxi driver, lines on the roads, 7-11s and McDonald's everywhere, Mango, Zara, so many shops from home, subway and SkyTrain, air conditioning!... I suppose when tourism is your main industry it's to be expected, but Marc and I certainly weren't ready for it! Unexpectedly, we also weren't prepared to be in a vehicle driving faster than 60 km/h. The cab was cruising along at 120 km/h and it felt as if we were flying! Another example of something we became accustomed to in India. :)
Did we tell you about all of the festivals in India? Yesterday, while we're still dealing with the culture shock, we venture out on foot for dinner. On our way we encounter the main street clogged with thousands of people - drums, chanting, bright lights, flowers, gods on moving pedestals... wait, this is all seeming very familiar... Just when we thought we'd left India, we walk directly into a Hindu celebration. Small world, no?
Our hotel, pre-booked from Ottawa, is superb. Completely unexpected, and it's class! We are enjoying the upscale break and have already managed to fit in some shopping. We've also discovered Marc has suffered significant weight loss so we're on a mission to fatten him up again! It's a good thing he loves Thai food - and there is plenty of chocolate and McDonald's available!
The plan is to move north in the next couple of days, wade through a few cities and make our way over to Laos within the next two weeks.
What's happening at home (other than the Canadian dollar jumping over the US$!)? We're two months into our trip... emails, comments on our blog - keep them coming please!
Missing you all,
Trish
For me, it was really cool being in Mumbai, as I was just finishing up the book, Shantaram, (a fabulous read, which is mostly based in Mumbai), so I was busy checking out how places compared to the way I imagined them!
After five weeks in this grand country, I know I will be missing some things about it in the weeks to come, and perhaps even upon our return to North America. The friendliness of the people; 1 L water bottles; McDonald's!; the famous Indian head wiggle; the painted advertisements (KingFisher beer, chips, sodas, chocolate bars, building materials...) on houses, shops, fences, i.e., stone walls; the delicious food, especially the Naan bread! There are more, but I'll move on for now.
In Mumbai we realized we'd adapted to India, as much as is possible in five weeks, at least. The smells, the crowds, the garbage everywhere, the constant hassle from taxi drivers/rickshaw wallahs/street vendors, etc... Initially I simply thought Mumbai lacked the bulk of these things (we didn't see any cows, although we did see - and smell - evidence of their existence), until I took a second look around with fresh eyes and nostrils, and realized it was all there, we'd just grown accustomed to it. Having said this, however, the city is very developed, and has a much different feel from the other cities we've visited across the country.
I didn't have an opportunity to write much about South India, and to be honest, at the moment I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around my thoughts. I will point out a few of the things we noticed in the southwest. We flew from Delhi directly to Kochi (Cochin) which is on the lower west side of the country, in Kerala. From there we moved north into Karnataka and Goa to breathe some fresh air and lounge in the Arabian Sea (or, on some days, ride the waves but that doesn't sound as relaxing!). Check out the Map of Our Destinations link on the right menu bar.
Okay, thoughts. Kochi was found to be much more developed, cleaner and advanced than previous cities we'd visited in the north. The streets were lined with billboard after billboard advertising new housing (condos) - and they were rather attractive! The literacy rate is incredibly high in the Kochi and backwaters area. One region boasts a literacy rate of 99.8%! English is more widely spoken in Kochi. There is plenty of clear English signage on shops, although still not on streets - where are the street signs? Speaking of signage, the writing is different in the South, and, given the Portugese influence, Catholicism is common. We were happy to have included the South in our itinerary.
Almost forgot... Marc and I arrived at a beach in Goa, literally on the sand with our big packs on, and we hear a shout, look over and see Chris, one of the guys on our North India trip who was continuing on for a two week tour of the South, along with four others from our tour in the North. Knowing our timing was not meant to match up with their South India trip schedule, we were surprised. It turns out they couldn't stand their incompetent tour leader and ditched their tour - with no refund! Lucky for all though as more than half of our original group was back together again for a couple of days!
Bangkok hit us as hard as our initial arrival in Delhi. Who knew it was so developed? It felt as if we'd arrived home. Brand-spanking-new airport, a/c leather-interior taxi, English speaking taxi driver, lines on the roads, 7-11s and McDonald's everywhere, Mango, Zara, so many shops from home, subway and SkyTrain, air conditioning!... I suppose when tourism is your main industry it's to be expected, but Marc and I certainly weren't ready for it! Unexpectedly, we also weren't prepared to be in a vehicle driving faster than 60 km/h. The cab was cruising along at 120 km/h and it felt as if we were flying! Another example of something we became accustomed to in India. :)
Did we tell you about all of the festivals in India? Yesterday, while we're still dealing with the culture shock, we venture out on foot for dinner. On our way we encounter the main street clogged with thousands of people - drums, chanting, bright lights, flowers, gods on moving pedestals... wait, this is all seeming very familiar... Just when we thought we'd left India, we walk directly into a Hindu celebration. Small world, no?
Our hotel, pre-booked from Ottawa, is superb. Completely unexpected, and it's class! We are enjoying the upscale break and have already managed to fit in some shopping. We've also discovered Marc has suffered significant weight loss so we're on a mission to fatten him up again! It's a good thing he loves Thai food - and there is plenty of chocolate and McDonald's available!
The plan is to move north in the next couple of days, wade through a few cities and make our way over to Laos within the next two weeks.
What's happening at home (other than the Canadian dollar jumping over the US$!)? We're two months into our trip... emails, comments on our blog - keep them coming please!
Missing you all,
Trish
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Comforts of Home
I cannot be blamed for failing to stick to my weekly post promise. We've been on the move at an unbelievable rate and when we've had the opportunity to stop and use the Internet, it has either been a completely outdated version that prevented us from accessing the sites we needed, or, the electricity has been down so the lifeless computers were useless to us!
Relaxing on the beaches in Goa and Karnataka has been a wonderfully well deserved reward after nearly five weeks of sweating in the dusty heat of India. Catching up on emails and facebook messages has eaten into our swimming and sunning time though, so I will post a proper blog hopefully later this evening - as long as the power holds up, as we went the bulk of yesterday with no electricity and no water.
Tomorrow morning we are leaving Palolem, the beach we are currently enjoying, and heading to the Goa airport for our flight to Mumbai. A full day and a half in the city and we're catching another flight to Bangkok!
We're almost at the midway point in our trip... While it feels as if I could go on for months more, there are some things we've begun to miss:
- Trish
Relaxing on the beaches in Goa and Karnataka has been a wonderfully well deserved reward after nearly five weeks of sweating in the dusty heat of India. Catching up on emails and facebook messages has eaten into our swimming and sunning time though, so I will post a proper blog hopefully later this evening - as long as the power holds up, as we went the bulk of yesterday with no electricity and no water.
Tomorrow morning we are leaving Palolem, the beach we are currently enjoying, and heading to the Goa airport for our flight to Mumbai. A full day and a half in the city and we're catching another flight to Bangkok!
We're almost at the midway point in our trip... While it feels as if I could go on for months more, there are some things we've begun to miss:
- Doing our own laundry, in a machine, instead of hunched over a bucket - and instead of paying someone else 10 rupees to do it for us (this is the best rate). Worse, when your clothes are returned and your only fleece comes back with dark blue stains all over it!!
- Still feeling clean 10 minutes after you've showered. Luxury.
- Salads! Spinach, mixed greens and romaine lettuce... Oh, how I've missed you. And so many other foods you can't find in Asia, or just aren't the same as at home. Despite all of the Italian restaurants the food just doesn't compare to my mom's dishes!
- Proper roads - and not being stared at constantly.
- Taking the liberty of speaking for Marc, I think he's most missing being able to eat whatever he fancies, without suffering the consequences for the next few days! My poor husband :(
- Trish
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Escape to the Mountains
Sometimes the heat just gets to you... After suffering in intense humidity in both Varanasi and Kolkata (Calcutta) for the past few days, Marc and I were happy to head north to Darjeeling (yes, where the tea is grown) which is 2,200 metres above sea level. On a clear day, you can see Mount Everest. Unfortunately, it's raining today.
We successfully made our own way on an overnight train from Kolkata, arriving in time to catch our Toy Train (short, narrow gauge train) to Darjeeling. We rushed to the platform, stepping around the three goats relaxing on the stairwell, and found ourselves looking down at a tiny set of tracks surrounded by grass. Nope, we haven't left India.
While the scenery was fantastic, the 88 km trip was a little long, given the train moves at a pace of about 10 km/h. The length was made worse by our train derailing... everyone got off to check it out, and Marc ended up in the thick of it, getting the wheel back on the track! Of course, while the men were at it, it started pouring rain... The best part of the trip was seeing the people in the villages on the way up. The train runs roadside for much of the journey, and it was as if we were walking by people's homes and shops. All of the children were on their way home from school, in their pristine uniforms. The British influence is highly evident here.
We're hoping the skies clear so we can check out the sunrise tomorrow morning, but if not, we'll trek out to see all of the monasteries and other sights around the city.
And yes, it is colder up here. The rain may be making it a bit worse, but we're actually wearing our hiking shoes for the first time in India! Pants and long sleeves... feels strange.
Hoping everyone is well and had a lovely Thanksgiving!
- Trish -
We successfully made our own way on an overnight train from Kolkata, arriving in time to catch our Toy Train (short, narrow gauge train) to Darjeeling. We rushed to the platform, stepping around the three goats relaxing on the stairwell, and found ourselves looking down at a tiny set of tracks surrounded by grass. Nope, we haven't left India.
While the scenery was fantastic, the 88 km trip was a little long, given the train moves at a pace of about 10 km/h. The length was made worse by our train derailing... everyone got off to check it out, and Marc ended up in the thick of it, getting the wheel back on the track! Of course, while the men were at it, it started pouring rain... The best part of the trip was seeing the people in the villages on the way up. The train runs roadside for much of the journey, and it was as if we were walking by people's homes and shops. All of the children were on their way home from school, in their pristine uniforms. The British influence is highly evident here.
We're hoping the skies clear so we can check out the sunrise tomorrow morning, but if not, we'll trek out to see all of the monasteries and other sights around the city.
And yes, it is colder up here. The rain may be making it a bit worse, but we're actually wearing our hiking shoes for the first time in India! Pants and long sleeves... feels strange.
Hoping everyone is well and had a lovely Thanksgiving!
- Trish -
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Words Cannot Describe...
20+ days in India
I have failed in my effort to update our blog on a weekly basis. I have been far too consumed by this country - but am happy to report I have reached a state of acceptance/enjoyment of its many 'charms'. There are certainly some things I would never be able to get accustomed to, such as the lack of garbage collection, mass poverty, streets being used as toilets by all animals - from dogs to humans and almost everything in between, and the men - so many men - sitting roadside, drinking chai or just, sitting. From my perspective, there are many things the governent could do, relatively easily, to get this country moving in a positive direction developmentally, and cleaned up, literally. A quick example: pay a minimum wage to the people on the streets to help clean the garbage. I should think this beats begging on a scale of 'things I'd like to do with my day'. But who am I to judge?
There are also the cultural differences, and those beliefs, rituals and allowances that are guided by religion. I am well aware of looking at India in general through the eyes of a Westerner, but it's rather difficult not to when the potential for progress is so blatant.
We've been to some incredible cities, seen awesome sights, and have met wonderful, smiling people, eager to offer assistance, or simply to welcome us to India. At times I am a bit disheartened at those people who want to shake my hand or simply stand near me. There is an overwhelming sense these individuals feel we are better than they are - we were simply born into more fortunate circumstances. This really hasn't happened often, but it also seems I might be the only person who feels this way, as others, including Marc, haven't had this particular emotional experience. I sometimes find it almost painful to walk or drive down the street. In most cases though, I think the people are just curious. It isn't uncommon for us to be surrounded by a group of locals, from children to grown men, simply watching (usually staring).
What have I done since I last wrote?
The camel trek and night sleeping under the desert sky was fabulous. A few of us discovered the pains of being chafed from the camel - OUCH! My camel, Tota, was led by a young boy, perhaps 10 years of age. I definitely had the most decorated and pampered camel. He wore flowers and a necklace! When we were done riding, my little guy pet his camel and fed him so lovingly. The males of our group raced back the next morning... and guess who won? Marc - My very own camel rider.
We rode a local bus to the next city on our tour, Jodhpur (yes, like the pants), an experience which led us to pay for an upgrade for our next bus trip. The highlights include the following:
We did get private A/C vehicles once however - and experienced what felt like the scariest roller coaster ride EVER for hours on end! Picture this: Two lane, unlit winding road full of trucks, cars, autorickshaws & motorcycles, none of us in seatbelts, with two of us sitting sideways in the back passing into oncoming traffic who are often forced onto their shoulder to get around us! It was a ride of pure excitement (and terror by some!)
Marc suffered one very ill day at the hands of Indian food. I had a cold for the past few days. Many of us have been sick on this trip - from throat infections to the need to use a bucket and the toilet at the same time...
On to yummier topics: We've eaten at McDonalds - the coolest menu as there is no beef or pork. Chicken Maharaja Mac, anyone?
After a scare, visits to no less than eight ATMs and one call (six tries) to TD bank ("Everything should be fine... But it's not!!"), we can get $ in India. Whew!
Agra: A few days ago we visited the Taj Mahal at sunset. Magnificent. We took far too many pictures... Editing, please!
We are in Varanasi for a few days. This is one of the oldest living cities in the world, and one of the holiest in India. This is where pilgrims come to bathe in the Ganges, which is believed to wash away all sins, but is in fact disgustingly polluted. People also come here to die - as it releases one from the cycle of reincarnation and sends an individual directly to heaven.
Last night we celebrated Sophie's 23rd birthday (one of the girls on our tour, from Nottingham, England) on a rooftop terrace. Our tour leader, Manu, surprised her with a big birthday cake. In India, unlike at home, the cake is presented prior to the meal, but eaten afterwards. At a restaurant in Jaipur, a little girl at the table beside us was celebrating her birthday, and they ate the cake before their meal. The coolest part was when she walked over to our table with a big piece of the yummiest chocolate cake for us to share!! Returning to last night... We sat at a long table facing a grass garden, which we all thought a little strange until Manu explained we would each perform for Sophie. Marc and I decided to do a little Rumba... with no music. Still a success - or so we're told! It was great fun. We stayed up late on the rooftop of our hotel, drinking in celebration... and dousing Sophie in Indian powder paint in multiple colours (she can't get it all off today). At 5 am we went for a boat ride on the Ganges... and six of our group actually jumped in. Dangerous!
Some final thoughts:
Mutton is goat (not sheep).
Chip Flavours:
I'll write sooner next time to avoid a five pager!
- Trish
I have failed in my effort to update our blog on a weekly basis. I have been far too consumed by this country - but am happy to report I have reached a state of acceptance/enjoyment of its many 'charms'. There are certainly some things I would never be able to get accustomed to, such as the lack of garbage collection, mass poverty, streets being used as toilets by all animals - from dogs to humans and almost everything in between, and the men - so many men - sitting roadside, drinking chai or just, sitting. From my perspective, there are many things the governent could do, relatively easily, to get this country moving in a positive direction developmentally, and cleaned up, literally. A quick example: pay a minimum wage to the people on the streets to help clean the garbage. I should think this beats begging on a scale of 'things I'd like to do with my day'. But who am I to judge?
There are also the cultural differences, and those beliefs, rituals and allowances that are guided by religion. I am well aware of looking at India in general through the eyes of a Westerner, but it's rather difficult not to when the potential for progress is so blatant.
We've been to some incredible cities, seen awesome sights, and have met wonderful, smiling people, eager to offer assistance, or simply to welcome us to India. At times I am a bit disheartened at those people who want to shake my hand or simply stand near me. There is an overwhelming sense these individuals feel we are better than they are - we were simply born into more fortunate circumstances. This really hasn't happened often, but it also seems I might be the only person who feels this way, as others, including Marc, haven't had this particular emotional experience. I sometimes find it almost painful to walk or drive down the street. In most cases though, I think the people are just curious. It isn't uncommon for us to be surrounded by a group of locals, from children to grown men, simply watching (usually staring).
What have I done since I last wrote?
The camel trek and night sleeping under the desert sky was fabulous. A few of us discovered the pains of being chafed from the camel - OUCH! My camel, Tota, was led by a young boy, perhaps 10 years of age. I definitely had the most decorated and pampered camel. He wore flowers and a necklace! When we were done riding, my little guy pet his camel and fed him so lovingly. The males of our group raced back the next morning... and guess who won? Marc - My very own camel rider.
We rode a local bus to the next city on our tour, Jodhpur (yes, like the pants), an experience which led us to pay for an upgrade for our next bus trip. The highlights include the following:
- About 45 degrees Celsius on the bus - everyone dripping in sweat (the Westerners, at least). The breeze from the window helped, when we were moving fast enough
- The bus had about 4x its capacity on board... we had seats, there were people standing & sitting in the aisle, there are 'sleeper' glass-walled cabins above our heads, some w/probably 10 people crammed in, plus, we must have had a full roof, given the number of people that streamed by when the bus unloaded at our final destination.
- Marc was in an aisle seat. I thought he'd have more leg room. A stinky elderly man in what looked, to Westerners, like a dirty pajama and turban, joined him, on his seat, while another guy sat on his armrest. Sophie, behind us, had a woman literally on her lap at one point, than a man with a glittering toy donkey sharing her seat later in the trip.
- A fight broke out in the aisle, with plenty of shouting, pushing and punches thrown, moving from the front of the bus to the rear. Out of the way, everyone!
- In disbelief, Emily, two rows behind us in a window seat, proudly holds up a half-clothed infant child, handed to her by its mother for protection during the fight
- Someone above us was chewing the tobacco sold in little packets everywhere here. Apparently this requires a lot of spitting - and some common sense & consideration. This person lacked the latter two, so multiple times we all ended up with red tobacco juice across our faces, tops and headrests. My window had one lovely view.
We did get private A/C vehicles once however - and experienced what felt like the scariest roller coaster ride EVER for hours on end! Picture this: Two lane, unlit winding road full of trucks, cars, autorickshaws & motorcycles, none of us in seatbelts, with two of us sitting sideways in the back passing into oncoming traffic who are often forced onto their shoulder to get around us! It was a ride of pure excitement (and terror by some!)
Marc suffered one very ill day at the hands of Indian food. I had a cold for the past few days. Many of us have been sick on this trip - from throat infections to the need to use a bucket and the toilet at the same time...
On to yummier topics: We've eaten at McDonalds - the coolest menu as there is no beef or pork. Chicken Maharaja Mac, anyone?
After a scare, visits to no less than eight ATMs and one call (six tries) to TD bank ("Everything should be fine... But it's not!!"), we can get $ in India. Whew!
Agra: A few days ago we visited the Taj Mahal at sunset. Magnificent. We took far too many pictures... Editing, please!
We are in Varanasi for a few days. This is one of the oldest living cities in the world, and one of the holiest in India. This is where pilgrims come to bathe in the Ganges, which is believed to wash away all sins, but is in fact disgustingly polluted. People also come here to die - as it releases one from the cycle of reincarnation and sends an individual directly to heaven.
Last night we celebrated Sophie's 23rd birthday (one of the girls on our tour, from Nottingham, England) on a rooftop terrace. Our tour leader, Manu, surprised her with a big birthday cake. In India, unlike at home, the cake is presented prior to the meal, but eaten afterwards. At a restaurant in Jaipur, a little girl at the table beside us was celebrating her birthday, and they ate the cake before their meal. The coolest part was when she walked over to our table with a big piece of the yummiest chocolate cake for us to share!! Returning to last night... We sat at a long table facing a grass garden, which we all thought a little strange until Manu explained we would each perform for Sophie. Marc and I decided to do a little Rumba... with no music. Still a success - or so we're told! It was great fun. We stayed up late on the rooftop of our hotel, drinking in celebration... and dousing Sophie in Indian powder paint in multiple colours (she can't get it all off today). At 5 am we went for a boat ride on the Ganges... and six of our group actually jumped in. Dangerous!
Some final thoughts:
Mutton is goat (not sheep).
Chip Flavours:
- Lays Magic Masala (tasty, a bit spicy)
- Lays Mint Mischief (not worth trying despite the intrigue)
- Lays Spanish Tomato Tango (spicy ketchup flavour)
- Lays American Style Cream & Onion (just like home)
I'll write sooner next time to avoid a five pager!
- Trish
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
I'm in India!
I've just seen the Taj Mahal so I figured now would be a good time to add a post to our blog! It's an amazing sight and my pictures will definitely not do it justice.
I've been in India now for over two weeks and I thought I would post another "things you may notice" message.
So here are things you may notice if you come to India:
1- Cows are everywhere - mostly in the streets blocking cars, etc. You really have to keep your head down to avoid getting the "sticky feet syndrome". There are also lots of goats, dogs, camels and monkeys. If you're lucky, you'll spot an elephant.
2- The food is incredible. Although I haven't had a dish yet that is as spicy as I expected it to be - and that's even when you ask them to make it spicy.
3- Cottage cheese (Paneer) is in almost every dish. Vegetarian food is very popular here since most people are not allowed to eat meat. Every single thing you buy has a symbol on it to say if it's Veg or Non-Veg.
4- We didn't get "Delhi Belly". I got "Udaipur Belly".
5- It smells absolutely awful in some places. It smells great in other places.
6- Another unusual but common sight in the streets is men peeing. They'll do it anywhere. It explains a bit of point #5.
7- Cows eat cardboard and basically most of the garbage that is everywhere in the streets. Speaking of which, there is no garbage disposal or pickup services.
8- Indian religion is a huge limiting factor in the development of the country.
9- People just sit around apparently doing nothing all day.
10- Men hold hands here as a sign of brotherhood. You see fewer women in the streets as many must remain in their homes.
11- The drivers here are suicidal! I thought China was bad but boy was I wrong. The speed limit for trucks on Highways is only 40km/h but cars can go up to 80km/h. So you can imagine how popular passing is. Now imagine a 2 lane highway with cars and motorcycles passing all the time - even when the oncoming traffic is dangerously close. It's terrifying! The drivers also honk at everything and anything. I guess they can't be bothered to look at their mirrors. All the big trucks have "Honk Please" and "Stop" written on their hatches.
That's it for now! In the next few days we'll be taking a train to Varanasi and another to Kolkata. Then we're going up into the mountains (Darjeeling) and South India. If things change, I'll post another one of these. If not, you'll hear about Thailand!
I've been in India now for over two weeks and I thought I would post another "things you may notice" message.
So here are things you may notice if you come to India:
1- Cows are everywhere - mostly in the streets blocking cars, etc. You really have to keep your head down to avoid getting the "sticky feet syndrome". There are also lots of goats, dogs, camels and monkeys. If you're lucky, you'll spot an elephant.
2- The food is incredible. Although I haven't had a dish yet that is as spicy as I expected it to be - and that's even when you ask them to make it spicy.
3- Cottage cheese (Paneer) is in almost every dish. Vegetarian food is very popular here since most people are not allowed to eat meat. Every single thing you buy has a symbol on it to say if it's Veg or Non-Veg.
4- We didn't get "Delhi Belly". I got "Udaipur Belly".
5- It smells absolutely awful in some places. It smells great in other places.
6- Another unusual but common sight in the streets is men peeing. They'll do it anywhere. It explains a bit of point #5.
7- Cows eat cardboard and basically most of the garbage that is everywhere in the streets. Speaking of which, there is no garbage disposal or pickup services.
8- Indian religion is a huge limiting factor in the development of the country.
9- People just sit around apparently doing nothing all day.
10- Men hold hands here as a sign of brotherhood. You see fewer women in the streets as many must remain in their homes.
11- The drivers here are suicidal! I thought China was bad but boy was I wrong. The speed limit for trucks on Highways is only 40km/h but cars can go up to 80km/h. So you can imagine how popular passing is. Now imagine a 2 lane highway with cars and motorcycles passing all the time - even when the oncoming traffic is dangerously close. It's terrifying! The drivers also honk at everything and anything. I guess they can't be bothered to look at their mirrors. All the big trucks have "Honk Please" and "Stop" written on their hatches.
That's it for now! In the next few days we'll be taking a train to Varanasi and another to Kolkata. Then we're going up into the mountains (Darjeeling) and South India. If things change, I'll post another one of these. If not, you'll hear about Thailand!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Chaos, Cows, Cockroaches & Cold Showers: India Thus Far
While I dislike passing judgement on a city after a mere few days in its clutch, and therefore realize my assessment is both premature and potentially incorrect, (and I also fear offending those who may be reading this blog who live in this city or appreciate it otherwise), I could not get out of Delhi fast enough. While yes, the city has some bright spots - friendly people, plenty of trees & parks, attractive sights - it simply was not my cup of herbal tea.
On the plus side, the pollution in India has not been nearly as bad as in China. The sky is always blue - which means the sun roasts us like chestnuts on an open fire - but at least deep breaths are possible! In most cases, at least. Warned of the 'smells in India' we anticipated the worst. Yes, the scent of raw sewage and cow dung is pretty rampant, but China still tops my list of places where a clothespin on the nose would be a handy little device.
The child begging (and 'entertaining' by dislocating both shoulders and weaving their body through clasped hands) is disturbing; the car/motorcycle/truck/moped/bus/auto rickshaw horns DO NOT EVER stop, the streets are overflowing with people, vehicles and cows; everyone wants one of three things:
1. Rupees ($)
2. For you to buy something from them
3. Simply to welcome you to the city or country.
With our skepticism we're never certain who falls into the latter category.
We hired a driver for a day and a half, saw many of the sights and learned about Delhi's history and culture. The food was decent, and we booked a trip to Darjeeling, in the Himalayas, once we arrive in Kolkata.
There are 12 of us on this tour, and we're quite pleased we didn't have a go at India ourselves as I think we are having a much richer experience with Intrepid.
We are now in Jaisalmer, a small city in the province of Rajasthan, near the Pakistani border. It is beautiful. We're staying inside the Fort, in a gorgeous guesthouse, and Marc and I were given the 'Honeymoon Suite', which is lovely, with windows on three sides - providing a view of the city and a gentle breeze in the desert heat! I've thoroughly enjoyed the food here. Both nights we've had dinner on a rooftop terrace, lit by candle-, star- and moonlight, overlooking the city. Last night we were all decked out in traditional Rajasthani Indian gear... saris for the women, tunics, ali baba pants and turbans for the men! We sweat loads. I don't know how the Indians manage it!
The people in this city are very friendly, and the atmosphere is peaceful & inviting. Still can't escape the honking though! As we walk along the extremely narrow streets in the fort we are constantly shifting left or right to avoid motorcycles or cow droppings. It's an unexpected surprise when you feel something brush your elbow and you turn to find yourself looking directly into the eyes of a cow! They roam freely in Jaisalmer. I have never before seen such skinny cows! This morning I was actually headbutted by an impatient cow... Suppose it was in a hurry!
In a few minutes we are off to ride camels in the desert, then sleep under the stars.
I neglected to mention our train ride, which was meant to be 17 hours but stretched to 24 hours! And while we initially thought the trains in China were of sub-par quality... Whew, we were mistaken. Dingy, dirty, dusty... with cockroaches of varying sizes crawling all over the floor and on our beds. This prompted me to question why we fear them so in Canada... Is it simply their means of proliferation? Do they carry disease? We accepted their presence as we really had little choice in the matter!
Must run... Alice awaits!
On the plus side, the pollution in India has not been nearly as bad as in China. The sky is always blue - which means the sun roasts us like chestnuts on an open fire - but at least deep breaths are possible! In most cases, at least. Warned of the 'smells in India' we anticipated the worst. Yes, the scent of raw sewage and cow dung is pretty rampant, but China still tops my list of places where a clothespin on the nose would be a handy little device.
The child begging (and 'entertaining' by dislocating both shoulders and weaving their body through clasped hands) is disturbing; the car/motorcycle/truck/moped/bus/auto rickshaw horns DO NOT EVER stop, the streets are overflowing with people, vehicles and cows; everyone wants one of three things:
1. Rupees ($)
2. For you to buy something from them
3. Simply to welcome you to the city or country.
With our skepticism we're never certain who falls into the latter category.
We hired a driver for a day and a half, saw many of the sights and learned about Delhi's history and culture. The food was decent, and we booked a trip to Darjeeling, in the Himalayas, once we arrive in Kolkata.
There are 12 of us on this tour, and we're quite pleased we didn't have a go at India ourselves as I think we are having a much richer experience with Intrepid.
We are now in Jaisalmer, a small city in the province of Rajasthan, near the Pakistani border. It is beautiful. We're staying inside the Fort, in a gorgeous guesthouse, and Marc and I were given the 'Honeymoon Suite', which is lovely, with windows on three sides - providing a view of the city and a gentle breeze in the desert heat! I've thoroughly enjoyed the food here. Both nights we've had dinner on a rooftop terrace, lit by candle-, star- and moonlight, overlooking the city. Last night we were all decked out in traditional Rajasthani Indian gear... saris for the women, tunics, ali baba pants and turbans for the men! We sweat loads. I don't know how the Indians manage it!
The people in this city are very friendly, and the atmosphere is peaceful & inviting. Still can't escape the honking though! As we walk along the extremely narrow streets in the fort we are constantly shifting left or right to avoid motorcycles or cow droppings. It's an unexpected surprise when you feel something brush your elbow and you turn to find yourself looking directly into the eyes of a cow! They roam freely in Jaisalmer. I have never before seen such skinny cows! This morning I was actually headbutted by an impatient cow... Suppose it was in a hurry!
In a few minutes we are off to ride camels in the desert, then sleep under the stars.
I neglected to mention our train ride, which was meant to be 17 hours but stretched to 24 hours! And while we initially thought the trains in China were of sub-par quality... Whew, we were mistaken. Dingy, dirty, dusty... with cockroaches of varying sizes crawling all over the floor and on our beds. This prompted me to question why we fear them so in Canada... Is it simply their means of proliferation? Do they carry disease? We accepted their presence as we really had little choice in the matter!
Must run... Alice awaits!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Bye Bye China: One Down, Five to Go
Ah, Hong Kong. A fabulous city... unfortunately, I spent most of our time here sick with a deathly flu/cold! I may have caught it from Emily, one of our trip mates, but I don't want to place blame on her and make her feel bad as it may be entirely possible I found some germs on our last overnight train! Four lengthy train journeys in China - Complete!
Hugs, tears and goodbye kisses were shared with our group on a debaucherous night out in Kowloon. Words of Wisdom: Polishing off a bottle of rice wine (53% alcohol) among 10 people guarantees a lively night! Chasers are mandatory (for me, anyway).
Not hitting Macau or the other outlying islands, Marc and I have spent the past five days in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Plenty to see and do so we haven't been bored! Marc is a little bothered as he doesn't feel we saw the picturesque areas in HK (my fault - needed to recover from debilitating illness) so he didn't hit his quota for pics in this city! Kidding... he doesn't actually have a set number although it may not have surprised you all if he did! ;)
I'm better now, in case you're wondering. We've checked out of our very nice, brand new, albeit LOUD hotel room - thankfully construction stops overnight but during the day it sounds as if they're constructing a building in our washroom!
Next Stop on our (Part of) Asia Tour: India
We fly out tonight! Updates to follow...
Hugs, tears and goodbye kisses were shared with our group on a debaucherous night out in Kowloon. Words of Wisdom: Polishing off a bottle of rice wine (53% alcohol) among 10 people guarantees a lively night! Chasers are mandatory (for me, anyway).
Not hitting Macau or the other outlying islands, Marc and I have spent the past five days in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Plenty to see and do so we haven't been bored! Marc is a little bothered as he doesn't feel we saw the picturesque areas in HK (my fault - needed to recover from debilitating illness) so he didn't hit his quota for pics in this city! Kidding... he doesn't actually have a set number although it may not have surprised you all if he did! ;)
I'm better now, in case you're wondering. We've checked out of our very nice, brand new, albeit LOUD hotel room - thankfully construction stops overnight but during the day it sounds as if they're constructing a building in our washroom!
Next Stop on our (Part of) Asia Tour: India
We fly out tonight! Updates to follow...
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Attacking, Drinking, Biking, Trekking...
I haven't written in a while as we've been keeping busy, and have not had internet access all week. Marc has found a way to access our blog (shh!) so thankfully I'm able to look back to what I last wrote as I honestly can't recall!
Shanghai is an impressive, modern city. We strolled the Bund upon our arrival and were blown away by the incredibly modern buildings (for example, the Pearl Tower) on the opposite side of the river. On our side were 20th century buildings reminiscent of Europe (large clock towers, etc.) The hardest thing to adjust to was the fact that the city is home to approximately 18 million people - over half the population of our entire country. Mind Blowing.
We spent some time in the pedestrian area and at the Yu Yuan Gardens and Bazaar. This area was very cool as well. It felt very old world, with small shops and covered walkways, until you get to the open squares to find Starbucks in all its glory. Marc and I waited in line for 20 minutes to stand sharing some fantastic dumplings. No idea what was in them but with that kind of popularity, they had to be good! Through the windows we watched them being handmade (although the people were working at robotic speed) and then steamed.
We had one of our best dinners of our trip here, somewhere around the 3rd ring road. Marc and I also took a trip to the airport on the Maglev, the train that reaches speeds of 431 km/h!
From Shanghai we boarded another train to Guilin, followed by a bus ride to Yangshuo, a funky, touristy town we really enjoyed. We learned some Kung Fu here, and were to go on a cruise along the Li River however Marc and I missed it as I was unwell. Better by evening though so we all went out for an intense vegetarian dinner and then some bar hopping (cocktails and drinking games). Marc took over the stage in one bar, playing 'Good Riddance' by Green Day while I sang, and Karma Police by Radiohead, attracting a small audience from upstairs. The night ended with some stage dancing at another bar.
The next day we moved on to a small village just outside Yangshuo, and this very chilled wooden guesthouse. Marc learned to cook a complete Chinese meal at a cooking school (can't wait for him to test out his skills upon our return!). We relaxed here, playing some pool, writing in our journals and watching movies. The next morning we went on a five hour bike ride over some rough and muddy terrain to check out the Yangshuo landscape (gorgeous little mountains, famous in China).
Our next stop was in the Longji Rice Terraces. First we returned to Guilin to store our backpacks at the train station. We had to fit two days' worth of stuff into our daypacks. Difficult! We trekked an hour to our first guesthouse, which was basic but very lovely. Our room overlooked the rice terraces. In this area women of the Yao Minority Ethnic Group offer their services to carry your bags for you, and also sell their brightly coloured, knitted handicrafts. They dress traditionally, in fuschia tops and black skirts, and only cut their hair twice in their lives, so it is incredibly long, although twisted up under hats. We rose the next morning and trekked five hours to our next guesthouse. The path rises and falls through the terraces, between 300 m and 1200 m above sea level, and we walk on large rocks that have been placed there over the last 700 years by workers in the area, who use the paths to reach their crops or bring construction materials, etc. carried by horses to and from their homes. Often we had to shift off the path for horses or workers trying to get by us. Last night we slept in another guesthouse in Ping'An, even nicer than the first, also with a gorgeous view of the terraces. We also watched and participated in some traditional entertainment put on by women of the Zhuang Minority Group. I was 'married' to Johnny, one of our fellow travelers, in a traditional wedding ceremony. No worries as it's not legally binding!
It is unbelievable how many people smoke here. As I type I have cigarette smoke streaming in front of the screen. Ugh.
I'm pleased to announce I'm becoming a master of the squat toilet - although we've been lucky to have proper toilets in most places we've stayed. Public toilets are another matter altogether. Testing one's ability to avoid an intake of breath for the longest time possible has become a sport. I'm no Olympian yet.
Off to grab some dinner and snacks for our last overnight train journey in China - this time to Hong Kong. Stay tuned!
- Trish -
Shanghai is an impressive, modern city. We strolled the Bund upon our arrival and were blown away by the incredibly modern buildings (for example, the Pearl Tower) on the opposite side of the river. On our side were 20th century buildings reminiscent of Europe (large clock towers, etc.) The hardest thing to adjust to was the fact that the city is home to approximately 18 million people - over half the population of our entire country. Mind Blowing.
We spent some time in the pedestrian area and at the Yu Yuan Gardens and Bazaar. This area was very cool as well. It felt very old world, with small shops and covered walkways, until you get to the open squares to find Starbucks in all its glory. Marc and I waited in line for 20 minutes to stand sharing some fantastic dumplings. No idea what was in them but with that kind of popularity, they had to be good! Through the windows we watched them being handmade (although the people were working at robotic speed) and then steamed.
We had one of our best dinners of our trip here, somewhere around the 3rd ring road. Marc and I also took a trip to the airport on the Maglev, the train that reaches speeds of 431 km/h!
From Shanghai we boarded another train to Guilin, followed by a bus ride to Yangshuo, a funky, touristy town we really enjoyed. We learned some Kung Fu here, and were to go on a cruise along the Li River however Marc and I missed it as I was unwell. Better by evening though so we all went out for an intense vegetarian dinner and then some bar hopping (cocktails and drinking games). Marc took over the stage in one bar, playing 'Good Riddance' by Green Day while I sang, and Karma Police by Radiohead, attracting a small audience from upstairs. The night ended with some stage dancing at another bar.
The next day we moved on to a small village just outside Yangshuo, and this very chilled wooden guesthouse. Marc learned to cook a complete Chinese meal at a cooking school (can't wait for him to test out his skills upon our return!). We relaxed here, playing some pool, writing in our journals and watching movies. The next morning we went on a five hour bike ride over some rough and muddy terrain to check out the Yangshuo landscape (gorgeous little mountains, famous in China).
Our next stop was in the Longji Rice Terraces. First we returned to Guilin to store our backpacks at the train station. We had to fit two days' worth of stuff into our daypacks. Difficult! We trekked an hour to our first guesthouse, which was basic but very lovely. Our room overlooked the rice terraces. In this area women of the Yao Minority Ethnic Group offer their services to carry your bags for you, and also sell their brightly coloured, knitted handicrafts. They dress traditionally, in fuschia tops and black skirts, and only cut their hair twice in their lives, so it is incredibly long, although twisted up under hats. We rose the next morning and trekked five hours to our next guesthouse. The path rises and falls through the terraces, between 300 m and 1200 m above sea level, and we walk on large rocks that have been placed there over the last 700 years by workers in the area, who use the paths to reach their crops or bring construction materials, etc. carried by horses to and from their homes. Often we had to shift off the path for horses or workers trying to get by us. Last night we slept in another guesthouse in Ping'An, even nicer than the first, also with a gorgeous view of the terraces. We also watched and participated in some traditional entertainment put on by women of the Zhuang Minority Group. I was 'married' to Johnny, one of our fellow travelers, in a traditional wedding ceremony. No worries as it's not legally binding!
It is unbelievable how many people smoke here. As I type I have cigarette smoke streaming in front of the screen. Ugh.
I'm pleased to announce I'm becoming a master of the squat toilet - although we've been lucky to have proper toilets in most places we've stayed. Public toilets are another matter altogether. Testing one's ability to avoid an intake of breath for the longest time possible has become a sport. I'm no Olympian yet.
Off to grab some dinner and snacks for our last overnight train journey in China - this time to Hong Kong. Stay tuned!
- Trish -
Sunday, September 2, 2007
I'm in China!
We just came off a 24 hour train ride from Shanghai to Yangshuo and I'm now in the Internet cafe of our hotel/guesthouse. Every single part of my body hurts!
I have to say that China is really cool! I'm also very happy that since before the Great Wall, my stomach has been on its best behaviour. (Knock on wood).
Here are a few things that you may notice if you come to China...
1- Everyone seems to be very nice and they become very curious when they see Westerners - especially in the back streets. We get lots of long stares and smiles.
2- Almost all of them don't understand the slightest bit of English. However, you'll find a few of them that are learning English that will try and practice it with you. Beware though because sometimes they just want you to buy something.
3- The Chinese are a bunch of crazy drivers! They don't pay attention to red lights, they cut through lanes like it was nothing and they'll pass a car even if there's a car coming in the other direction. They expect the oncoming car to use the shoulder. And keep your eyes open when you cross the street because the cars don't stop for pedestrians. They'll just swerve around you. Surprisingly, I haven't seen an accident yet.
4- The Great Wall is an awesome sight. Just simply amazing. So are the Terracotta Warriors.
5- Shanghai is a superbly massive city and has an awesome skyline. And it's almost impossible to find a taxi when you need one.
6- Most things are cheap here if you know where to look. The Internet at the hotel, although somewhat slow, is only about 80 cents for an hour.
7- Bicycles and motorcycles seem to be the preferred method of travel. All the cities that we've been to have dedicated, and quite wide, bicycle lanes.
8- Street beggars can be quite pushy and irritating. The trick is to not give them any money.
9- Bargaining at the night markets is fun. I got an automatic Bulgari knock off watch for less than $20 CDN. It's the kind of watch that doesn't have a crank or a battery. It cranks itself automatically with the normal movement of your arm. Cool!
10- We're really happy we opted for the Intrepid tour. The group is really fun and we're saving a lot of time by having our transportation and accommodations pre-booked.
That's it for now! Tomorrow I'm taking a Kung Fu class and we'll be taking a nice cruise on the Li River!
Marc
I have to say that China is really cool! I'm also very happy that since before the Great Wall, my stomach has been on its best behaviour. (Knock on wood).
Here are a few things that you may notice if you come to China...
1- Everyone seems to be very nice and they become very curious when they see Westerners - especially in the back streets. We get lots of long stares and smiles.
2- Almost all of them don't understand the slightest bit of English. However, you'll find a few of them that are learning English that will try and practice it with you. Beware though because sometimes they just want you to buy something.
3- The Chinese are a bunch of crazy drivers! They don't pay attention to red lights, they cut through lanes like it was nothing and they'll pass a car even if there's a car coming in the other direction. They expect the oncoming car to use the shoulder. And keep your eyes open when you cross the street because the cars don't stop for pedestrians. They'll just swerve around you. Surprisingly, I haven't seen an accident yet.
4- The Great Wall is an awesome sight. Just simply amazing. So are the Terracotta Warriors.
5- Shanghai is a superbly massive city and has an awesome skyline. And it's almost impossible to find a taxi when you need one.
6- Most things are cheap here if you know where to look. The Internet at the hotel, although somewhat slow, is only about 80 cents for an hour.
7- Bicycles and motorcycles seem to be the preferred method of travel. All the cities that we've been to have dedicated, and quite wide, bicycle lanes.
8- Street beggars can be quite pushy and irritating. The trick is to not give them any money.
9- Bargaining at the night markets is fun. I got an automatic Bulgari knock off watch for less than $20 CDN. It's the kind of watch that doesn't have a crank or a battery. It cranks itself automatically with the normal movement of your arm. Cool!
10- We're really happy we opted for the Intrepid tour. The group is really fun and we're saving a lot of time by having our transportation and accommodations pre-booked.
That's it for now! Tomorrow I'm taking a Kung Fu class and we'll be taking a nice cruise on the Li River!
Marc
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Jumping, Climbing, Admiring, Waiting...
The acrobat show in Beijing was another incredible display we're happy we didn't miss. Unfortunately though, Marc had been hit with a bout of stomach failure so he was a little off for one and a half days. Thankfully it fell at the perfect time as it didn't overlap with any sightseeing or train rides...
Big news. I am now a man. Or so I'm told. Apparently climbing the Great Wall of China makes a true man. Maybe 'man' was used in the generic sense, as in 'person'... Let's hope so! We took a 3+ hour bus ride to a remote section of the Great Wall and spent a long, exhausting four hours trekking along the wall. We scaled some really treacherous, crumbling terrain that would never pass safety standards in any western country! We were essentially on our own for most of it as this section is not frequented by many tourists. Brilliant. We did have some informal local guides - Mongolian farmers from nearby villages. Of course their assistance ended with them guilting us all into buying some souvenirs! Amidst hanging on for dear life, clutching at our hearts due to our lack of fitness and tearing open our water bottles out of dire thirst, we reminded ourselves to stop and enjoy the view. Wow. We climbed the Great Wall of China. And it was incredible. We have the pics to prove it and will share upon our return!
Yesterday we went to see the Terracotta Warriors - an army of approximately 7,000 'men', created around 200 B.C. to protect the Emporer Qin in his mausoleum. Each figure has unique features as each represented a real warrior. They were discovered in 1974 by some farmers digging a well. Only some of them have been excavated to date. What an incredible archaeological discovery.
The warriors are located about an hour outside Xi'an, a city of almost 8 million. We were expecting a small city with clean air... instead, we found a massive city with more pollution than Beijing! It's so smoggy you can't see the sun *cough, cough* It's a beautiful city though and we're really enjoying it here. Last night we went out for a dumpling feast - the dumplings were in the shape of what was inside, i.e., walnut, chicken, pork, etc. Afterwards we hit Bar Street for a while, then were off to 'The Best Karaoke Bar in China'. We had the greatest time - in our own room with leather couches... You select your drinks and snacks from the adjacent store and the staff walks through with you filling a basket up with your goods! We closed the place down and got back to our hotel at about 3 a.m...
We're off to eat lunch in the Muslim Quarter, check out the mosque, walk along the city wall (Xi'an is an ancient city with its wall still intact), and then do some more shopping in the market - and hit the Jade Market as well!
This evening we're off on another train ride, to Shanghai... It's expected to be 16 hours, although our expectations for timeliness have all but disappeared. Our train to Xi'an from Beijing was to be 14 hours, but once we were on, we learned it was a newer and faster train so we would arrive in 11-12 hrs. That would have happened, had we not stopped at 5:30 a.m. due to a train derailment ahead of us... We began moving again at about 3 p.m., arriving at 5:30 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. For a country that can apparently construct a hospital in 14 days, we have no idea what caused the delay. Sitting on a train for 20 hours (we had sleepers so at least we could stretch out and nap) isn't the worst of it when you're dealing with squatting toilets that hadn't been cleaned for the entire duration. The staff kept getting additional stock of noodle bowls to feed us... Yummy!
Wish us luck tonight!
Big news. I am now a man. Or so I'm told. Apparently climbing the Great Wall of China makes a true man. Maybe 'man' was used in the generic sense, as in 'person'... Let's hope so! We took a 3+ hour bus ride to a remote section of the Great Wall and spent a long, exhausting four hours trekking along the wall. We scaled some really treacherous, crumbling terrain that would never pass safety standards in any western country! We were essentially on our own for most of it as this section is not frequented by many tourists. Brilliant. We did have some informal local guides - Mongolian farmers from nearby villages. Of course their assistance ended with them guilting us all into buying some souvenirs! Amidst hanging on for dear life, clutching at our hearts due to our lack of fitness and tearing open our water bottles out of dire thirst, we reminded ourselves to stop and enjoy the view. Wow. We climbed the Great Wall of China. And it was incredible. We have the pics to prove it and will share upon our return!
Yesterday we went to see the Terracotta Warriors - an army of approximately 7,000 'men', created around 200 B.C. to protect the Emporer Qin in his mausoleum. Each figure has unique features as each represented a real warrior. They were discovered in 1974 by some farmers digging a well. Only some of them have been excavated to date. What an incredible archaeological discovery.
The warriors are located about an hour outside Xi'an, a city of almost 8 million. We were expecting a small city with clean air... instead, we found a massive city with more pollution than Beijing! It's so smoggy you can't see the sun *cough, cough* It's a beautiful city though and we're really enjoying it here. Last night we went out for a dumpling feast - the dumplings were in the shape of what was inside, i.e., walnut, chicken, pork, etc. Afterwards we hit Bar Street for a while, then were off to 'The Best Karaoke Bar in China'. We had the greatest time - in our own room with leather couches... You select your drinks and snacks from the adjacent store and the staff walks through with you filling a basket up with your goods! We closed the place down and got back to our hotel at about 3 a.m...
We're off to eat lunch in the Muslim Quarter, check out the mosque, walk along the city wall (Xi'an is an ancient city with its wall still intact), and then do some more shopping in the market - and hit the Jade Market as well!
This evening we're off on another train ride, to Shanghai... It's expected to be 16 hours, although our expectations for timeliness have all but disappeared. Our train to Xi'an from Beijing was to be 14 hours, but once we were on, we learned it was a newer and faster train so we would arrive in 11-12 hrs. That would have happened, had we not stopped at 5:30 a.m. due to a train derailment ahead of us... We began moving again at about 3 p.m., arriving at 5:30 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. For a country that can apparently construct a hospital in 14 days, we have no idea what caused the delay. Sitting on a train for 20 hours (we had sleepers so at least we could stretch out and nap) isn't the worst of it when you're dealing with squatting toilets that hadn't been cleaned for the entire duration. The staff kept getting additional stock of noodle bowls to feed us... Yummy!
Wish us luck tonight!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Peking Duck and Kung Fu
Our tour officially started last night. We met our tour leader, Ying, and the rest of the travellers we'll be with for the next three weeks. There are only 10 of us and everyone is around our age, which is great. Five are from England, one from Ireland and two from Austria. A good mix to be sure.
We went out for Peking duck last night - and learned how to properly eat it. A bit tricky with chopsticks but we all managed well enough! We're basically on our own when we arrive in each city, but Ying gives us ideas on what to do. Today some of us went to the Summer Palace, which was the summer home of the Emperor. The Empress had her own home... and we found out the Emperor didn't even love her so they had no children together, although he fathered many children with the women of his concubine! Sweet deal, some might say, living in a posh setting with no children to bear or raise! There is a massive man-made lake on the property - absolutely beautiful setting.
Tonight we've just finished watching a wicked Kung Fu show. It was incredibly impressive - boys flipping on their heads and all!
Now we're off to eat some dinner, then to the Night Market, then perhaps to a bar on 'Bar Street' (a street full of 200 bars!), followed by karaoke at KTV, the biggest and best known karaoke place in Beijing, just steps from our hotel! Marc and I saw it the other night and thought, we have to check this place out...
Still have not determined what the Chinese eat for breakfast... We're making do but I haven't the slightest clue what it is I'm eating in the morning. I selected something new from the market today (different from yesterday), but Marc stuck with McDonald's for a bit of a taste of home.
Tomorrow we're going to the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square. Marc and I already walked there the other day but haven't gone into the Forbidden City yet. We'll get a guide to explain everything to us. In the evening we'll be going to see the Beijing Acrobats. If it's anything like the Kung Fu show, we're in for a real treat!
We went out for Peking duck last night - and learned how to properly eat it. A bit tricky with chopsticks but we all managed well enough! We're basically on our own when we arrive in each city, but Ying gives us ideas on what to do. Today some of us went to the Summer Palace, which was the summer home of the Emperor. The Empress had her own home... and we found out the Emperor didn't even love her so they had no children together, although he fathered many children with the women of his concubine! Sweet deal, some might say, living in a posh setting with no children to bear or raise! There is a massive man-made lake on the property - absolutely beautiful setting.
Tonight we've just finished watching a wicked Kung Fu show. It was incredibly impressive - boys flipping on their heads and all!
Now we're off to eat some dinner, then to the Night Market, then perhaps to a bar on 'Bar Street' (a street full of 200 bars!), followed by karaoke at KTV, the biggest and best known karaoke place in Beijing, just steps from our hotel! Marc and I saw it the other night and thought, we have to check this place out...
Still have not determined what the Chinese eat for breakfast... We're making do but I haven't the slightest clue what it is I'm eating in the morning. I selected something new from the market today (different from yesterday), but Marc stuck with McDonald's for a bit of a taste of home.
Tomorrow we're going to the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square. Marc and I already walked there the other day but haven't gone into the Forbidden City yet. We'll get a guide to explain everything to us. In the evening we'll be going to see the Beijing Acrobats. If it's anything like the Kung Fu show, we're in for a real treat!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Beijing, China: Speaking of the Sun...
Our first morning in Beijing... Apparently we can't view our blog due to Chinese censorship but we can post to it so here we go! Thankfully my keyboard is translated into English as well and it's a QWERTY setup so no struggle to type.
Our 13 hour flight was surprisingly comfortable and didn't feel nearly as long as expected. All the technology on the brand-new Boeing 777 kept us well entertained!
We arrived yesterday to a city with much construction underway, probably partly for the upcoming Olympics (the bridges and overpasses), but also likely due to population growth (ten buildings going up at the same time in one small area).
Upon leaving the airport we noticed two things: the smell - mmm, tasty, and the fact we could look directly at the sun due to the smog. This begs the question ,do we still need sunscreen? (Don't worry, mom, we put it on anyway). This morning though, it's sunny, so our theory went out the window with our first look through it.
Our hotel is much nicer than expected - especially considering I'd prepared myself for $3 a night accommodations - but we're not planning on getting used to the luxury!
Dinner last night was satisfying - $3 ramen noodles at a nearby restaurant.
With stomachs grumbling to be fed breakfast, we're off to check out Beijing!
- Trish -
Our 13 hour flight was surprisingly comfortable and didn't feel nearly as long as expected. All the technology on the brand-new Boeing 777 kept us well entertained!
We arrived yesterday to a city with much construction underway, probably partly for the upcoming Olympics (the bridges and overpasses), but also likely due to population growth (ten buildings going up at the same time in one small area).
Upon leaving the airport we noticed two things: the smell - mmm, tasty, and the fact we could look directly at the sun due to the smog. This begs the question ,do we still need sunscreen? (Don't worry, mom, we put it on anyway). This morning though, it's sunny, so our theory went out the window with our first look through it.
Our hotel is much nicer than expected - especially considering I'd prepared myself for $3 a night accommodations - but we're not planning on getting used to the luxury!
Dinner last night was satisfying - $3 ramen noodles at a nearby restaurant.
With stomachs grumbling to be fed breakfast, we're off to check out Beijing!
- Trish -
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Our first spin around the sun!
Today is our one year anniversary! The year just flew by and to celebrate, we've decided to go on a little trip to Asia for 4 months. We're leaving one week from today. I'm starting to get extremely excited!
Follow this link if you want to refresh your memory about our wedding!
www.mashtogether.com
Follow this link if you want to refresh your memory about our wedding!
www.mashtogether.com
Friday, August 3, 2007
Back in Toronto
We've been back in Toronto for 6 days now and have been busy unpacking and preparing for our trip. We're leaving in just over 2 weeks and it doesn't seem like enough time to get ready!
Of course we're on vacation and don't want to be to busy all the time so we went down to the beach yesterday to relax in the warm, almost record breaking heat.
Some guy was working on some really cool and almost impossible rock balancing art on the beach. Here are a few of my favourite pictures.
Of course we're on vacation and don't want to be to busy all the time so we went down to the beach yesterday to relax in the warm, almost record breaking heat.
Some guy was working on some really cool and almost impossible rock balancing art on the beach. Here are a few of my favourite pictures.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Campbellton, New Brunswick
Today we returned home from our five day trip to Marc's hometown of Campbellton, New Brunswick. It was a relaxing trip - we spent time with his family and his rapidly growing nephews, went out for a ride on his dad's ATV, and went on a tour of Moncton... Magnetic Hill, anyone? I was last in Moncton when I was 10 years old, and Marc doesn't remember the hill at all, so his brother was kind enough to indulge our childlike interest! It is certainly an impressive illusion - and a bigger hill than we expected!
Plus, we tried to find ways to cool down in the uncharacteristic heat... A/C isn't normally necessary out there, so a week in the high 30s was almost unbearable. Hmm, what will we do in Asia??
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Our Moving Truck
Here's a photo of our surprisingly new U-Haul moving truck. I snapped this, bright and early, right before we started unloading it in Markham.
Can't say that it was the funnest (or smoothest) drive that I've had from Ottawa to Toronto!
Monday, July 23, 2007
The 1st Big Move - Leaving Ottawa
The process has begun...
Friday, July 20 was our last day of work. We regretted working until our last possible day when we realized how much packing we still had left to do! We stopped by our dance studio (Arthur Murray on Gladstone) on Friday night - many of the teachers and students were in California at a competition, but we were pleased to find Bianca (our incredibly happy and patient teacher) at the studio.
Friday night and Saturday were spent packing. We crashed at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday night and woke up at 5:30 a.m. to continue packing... Our moving help - Paul, Michael, Rob, Chris and Lisa began arriving at 9 a.m.... The loading of the truck - a brand-new U-Haul, unheard of! - started at 10 a.m.... I was still packing all day - we own far too much stuff. But how grateful we are for our friends!
Marc and I finally headed off to Toronto at about 6 p.m., exhausted and ready for bed, not a five hour drive! We arrived at my parent's house just before midnight, unloaded a few things, and crashed. After a relatively short sleep, we woke up bright and early on Monday, unloaded 1/3 of the truck at my parent's place, with the help of Nick, my brother-in-law, and then unloaded the rest into our storage unit that afternoon, again, with much help from the family.
Monday night was spent unpacking, relaxing with family and packing for our five-day trip to New Brunswick, departing the next morning.
Friday, July 20 was our last day of work. We regretted working until our last possible day when we realized how much packing we still had left to do! We stopped by our dance studio (Arthur Murray on Gladstone) on Friday night - many of the teachers and students were in California at a competition, but we were pleased to find Bianca (our incredibly happy and patient teacher) at the studio.
Friday night and Saturday were spent packing. We crashed at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday night and woke up at 5:30 a.m. to continue packing... Our moving help - Paul, Michael, Rob, Chris and Lisa began arriving at 9 a.m.... The loading of the truck - a brand-new U-Haul, unheard of! - started at 10 a.m.... I was still packing all day - we own far too much stuff. But how grateful we are for our friends!
Marc and I finally headed off to Toronto at about 6 p.m., exhausted and ready for bed, not a five hour drive! We arrived at my parent's house just before midnight, unloaded a few things, and crashed. After a relatively short sleep, we woke up bright and early on Monday, unloaded 1/3 of the truck at my parent's place, with the help of Nick, my brother-in-law, and then unloaded the rest into our storage unit that afternoon, again, with much help from the family.
Monday night was spent unpacking, relaxing with family and packing for our five-day trip to New Brunswick, departing the next morning.
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