So Hanoi, still here and haven't been run over just yet, although I have come close a few times. The streets are mad, and each time you need to get to the other side of the road you are taking your life into your own hands.
On the first day here I was walking around like a zombie, so tired from the bus ride. But still I managed to get my arse to the Ngoc Son Temple that sits in the middle of a lake, and as legend says, is where fairies and spirits come to sing and dance.
After that though and grabbing something recognizable to eat, it was back to the hotel and sleep - glorious sleep.
Yesterday we walked about the city and found ourselves CD shopping. Got 6 of the little buggers for only $4.50. Not bad - especially if they all work! Also found a good place for dinner which we're off to tonight in order to celebrate my oldness (28 today!!) and to try out our new fancy pants (and other clothes).
After tiring ourselves out with the hard work of walking around the city and having lunch, we went back to the hotel for a quick costume change for the evenings entertainment - WATER PUPPETS!! We went to the early showing at 6.30pm. It was one of the best things I have done so far in Vietnam. The show was excellent, although we couldn't understand a word of what was going on, it didn't matter. Sinead, Sebastian and I sat there full of wonder for well over an hour like children at their first pantomime. The puppets, the puppeteers, and the traditional musicians were soo damn good. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed it.
On our way out Sinead - god bless her kind heart - bought me a water puppet (a fairy one) for my birthday!! It's a night that I will remember well after I have forgotten my own name.
For dinner we went top a place called the cyclo bar. Not bad, but not that great though. We'd caught up with some other guys - Ramon and Gareth who we'd met on the Mekong Delta tour and bumped into a few times since then as we've traveled north. After dinner we decided to start birthday celebrations early and head off to the funky monkey, which is the only place in town open after 12 at night. It wasn't bad there, good laughs with our new friends and a few pints of Carlsberg always makes things a bit happier.
At midnight Ramona, Gareth, Sebastian and Sinead decided to try and embarrass me by singing happy birthday in the middle of the bar. Didn't work, but it did bring over a group of young English public school kids. They were holidaying on Daddy's money with their school and supposed to be seeing the world on a set bugget. But they had extra cash from their family so that they could also get in some under age drinking, and general wankery. I have never met such arrogant arseholes in my life. The attitudes they had towards the people here, the 12 year old prostitutes in Cambodia, the utter disregard for anyone, including themselves made me so god damn angry that I had to leave. I ranted to Sinead the whole wat home about it, and all she could do was agree.... Ahh, still makes my blood boil to think of it.
Today we've had a bit of a lazy day hanging about the city, and the lake. Tomorrow we are off to Ha Long Bay for two days, spend the night on a boat swim at midnight, and then back to Hanoi the following evening.
Sinead flys back to Bangkok on Monday, and I will hang about here until Thursday or Friday, get in some sight seeing and stuff on my own. Am looking forward to the solitude, but it's been great traveling with her, and we will definitely catch up when I too get to Bangkok again.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Hanoi.... Beautiful - I think although I've only been here for about 3 or so hours, and two of that has been spent arguing with our bus driver...
What a ride! We left Hoian yesterday at about 2pm, another overnight bus - but at least this one had reclining seats. After 4 hours we arrived in Hue, a pretty city, but there was no time to stop. It was off that bus and onto another one that was to take us to here. We had the whole of the back seat to ourselves which was lerverly! Then we stopped for dinner at this roadside cafe/ Asian restaurant. I had my usual Noodle soup with beef - delicious and less than a buck!
Then it was back onto the bus... However it was back onto the bus with an extra 12 people. All the seats were filled, and then they took out deck chairs from the luggage racks so people could sit in the isles!! Fair enough we thought, we're going the same way as them, why not let than on? Only seems fair and right.
Less than an hour down the road and we stopped again. We thought there wasn't room, but these Asians are ingenious! Yet more people got on, we were well past full there were people sat everywhere and anywhere... And the roads although not anywhere near as bad as Cambodia, aren't that hot either.
I don't think we stopped again, but we may have, I finally fell asleep at some stage and then this morning saw the most beautiful sunrise at about 5.30ish am. I looked out the window and it was like someone had painted the sky with the most delicate colours of pink, blue and yellow. With the silhouette of the mountains and trees it was perfect, almost enough to make you cry. (or maybe that was just my reaction to being awake so early?)
I was dozing in and out of sleep for the next 3 hours as we slowly made our way to Hanoi, dropping off the Vietnamese we had picked up around at their various destinations near Hanoi. We pulled up next to a manky lake at about 8am (2 hours later than expected) and the bus driver got out and told us this was the end of the line. Now our tickets are sold to us with the proviso that we get picked up and dropped off at the hotel of our choice in the city we leave from and go to. No one knew where we were, and no one could tell us due to the language barrier. No one could believe that they were going to leave us in the middle of nowhere, by a manky little lake on a dirt road. So we got back into the bus and refused to budge, some people threatened to call the police, others the tour company, and others just that they weren't moving.
So eventually the people from CAMEL TOURS got back on the bus, and we thought we had won. They were finally going to take us to the lake district in the old city so we could finally go to a guest house, have a shower and a sleep. However I don't think we westerners fully understand the concept of 'face'. For them to bend even slightly to us meant they were losing face by giving into us lower class travelers.
The bus drove around for all of 5 minutes and we found ourselves outside a petrol station, still not in the vicinity of the lake district. We may be in a different country, we may not speak the language, but we CAN still read addresses of places and maps!! So we spoke with the police, who - quite handy really - were also at the petrol station filling up their patrol car. Would have been even more handy though had they spoken even one word of English, French or even Spanish!!! So no luck there.It got to a point where it was a stand off. We were wanting to get to a hotel, and the tour people were wanting us to just go and get fucked.
Eventually we realized that we weren't getting anywhere. I said to Sinead, lets just grab our bags and share a taxi with someone else who is willing to give in so that we can get to a hotel, shower and relax. She agreed and so we started to get off. It seemed to lead to a bit of a mass exodus, as everyone else also got off, and then started to aske Sinead and I what to do next....??? Like we knew!
So we ended up getting a cab after about 1&1/2 hours, maybe a little less, of this bus driver VS tourist debacle. Cost us 10,000 each, which is a rip, but at least we were off the fuckin' bus and on our way to somewhere cool, where we could gather our wits, calm down and shower. So that's my first experience of Hanoi. Not the best, but surely not the worst that could've happened to us either.
Vietnam has been a little like this all the way through, just little niggly things. So I think I will leave here around the 1st of the month and head back to Thailand for about 6 weeks before going to Nepal.
It's all good, all an experience, and that's one of the reasons you travel isn't it??
What a ride! We left Hoian yesterday at about 2pm, another overnight bus - but at least this one had reclining seats. After 4 hours we arrived in Hue, a pretty city, but there was no time to stop. It was off that bus and onto another one that was to take us to here. We had the whole of the back seat to ourselves which was lerverly! Then we stopped for dinner at this roadside cafe/ Asian restaurant. I had my usual Noodle soup with beef - delicious and less than a buck!
Then it was back onto the bus... However it was back onto the bus with an extra 12 people. All the seats were filled, and then they took out deck chairs from the luggage racks so people could sit in the isles!! Fair enough we thought, we're going the same way as them, why not let than on? Only seems fair and right.
Less than an hour down the road and we stopped again. We thought there wasn't room, but these Asians are ingenious! Yet more people got on, we were well past full there were people sat everywhere and anywhere... And the roads although not anywhere near as bad as Cambodia, aren't that hot either.
I don't think we stopped again, but we may have, I finally fell asleep at some stage and then this morning saw the most beautiful sunrise at about 5.30ish am. I looked out the window and it was like someone had painted the sky with the most delicate colours of pink, blue and yellow. With the silhouette of the mountains and trees it was perfect, almost enough to make you cry. (or maybe that was just my reaction to being awake so early?)
I was dozing in and out of sleep for the next 3 hours as we slowly made our way to Hanoi, dropping off the Vietnamese we had picked up around at their various destinations near Hanoi. We pulled up next to a manky lake at about 8am (2 hours later than expected) and the bus driver got out and told us this was the end of the line. Now our tickets are sold to us with the proviso that we get picked up and dropped off at the hotel of our choice in the city we leave from and go to. No one knew where we were, and no one could tell us due to the language barrier. No one could believe that they were going to leave us in the middle of nowhere, by a manky little lake on a dirt road. So we got back into the bus and refused to budge, some people threatened to call the police, others the tour company, and others just that they weren't moving.
So eventually the people from CAMEL TOURS got back on the bus, and we thought we had won. They were finally going to take us to the lake district in the old city so we could finally go to a guest house, have a shower and a sleep. However I don't think we westerners fully understand the concept of 'face'. For them to bend even slightly to us meant they were losing face by giving into us lower class travelers.
The bus drove around for all of 5 minutes and we found ourselves outside a petrol station, still not in the vicinity of the lake district. We may be in a different country, we may not speak the language, but we CAN still read addresses of places and maps!! So we spoke with the police, who - quite handy really - were also at the petrol station filling up their patrol car. Would have been even more handy though had they spoken even one word of English, French or even Spanish!!! So no luck there.It got to a point where it was a stand off. We were wanting to get to a hotel, and the tour people were wanting us to just go and get fucked.
Eventually we realized that we weren't getting anywhere. I said to Sinead, lets just grab our bags and share a taxi with someone else who is willing to give in so that we can get to a hotel, shower and relax. She agreed and so we started to get off. It seemed to lead to a bit of a mass exodus, as everyone else also got off, and then started to aske Sinead and I what to do next....??? Like we knew!
So we ended up getting a cab after about 1&1/2 hours, maybe a little less, of this bus driver VS tourist debacle. Cost us 10,000 each, which is a rip, but at least we were off the fuckin' bus and on our way to somewhere cool, where we could gather our wits, calm down and shower. So that's my first experience of Hanoi. Not the best, but surely not the worst that could've happened to us either.
Vietnam has been a little like this all the way through, just little niggly things. So I think I will leave here around the 1st of the month and head back to Thailand for about 6 weeks before going to Nepal.
It's all good, all an experience, and that's one of the reasons you travel isn't it??
Monday, July 26, 2004
Plans are made to be broken, aren't they? We stopped in Hoian, 12 hours on a bus with no sleep, kinda meant we had to. But it was only going to be for a few days. Still, it was just a thought, and we didn't know how much we'd like this town until we stopped here.
It's soo much quieter than anywhere else we've been in Vietnam, and that's a welcome state after the madness we have seen.
I got some clothes made here, almost by accident. I went into a shop, intending to buy a apir of shorts, hopefully straight of the rack. 3 hours later I walked out after having ordered a pair of shorts (mission accomplished) a pair of jeans, a skirt, shirt and two other tops.... They were ready the next day!!! I couldn't believe it, in fact the shirt was ready for me about 2 hours after I ordered it.... I hope I was trading fairly, they got a good price from me, I didn't try to barter them down at all.
After there we took a stroll down the street looking for an ATM as we'd almost emptied our pockets at the cloth shop. In between there and the ATM, I also obtained a new pair of thongs, a pair of shoes (also made to order) and stopped for something to eat. This town just makes me want to spend!! Not good, but also kinda good. I have pretty much finished my Christmas shopping for my family, bought soo many things for myself, and still have enough cash left over to be going out on the piss....
Which brings me to last nights antics. Sinead, Damian and I decided to go out for some drinks, and possibly try the snake wine that we had seen everywhere in Vietnam - Basically it's about 5 snakes stuffed into a bottle with near to pure home made alcohol. Looks disgusting, but when in Vietnam, do as the Vietnamese do! Sinead doesn't drink, so she just came along for the entertainment.
We got ourselves a few gin and tonics, having not brought our insect repellent along, and this being the tastier option, and then discussed the possiblility of the snake wine.... After not much quibbling, Damian went out and got a medium bottle of the stuff, for a whole 50,000 dong, which I think translates to about $4.50. It sat there on the table for a while as we worked up the courage to actually drink it. Damian had tried a bigger bottle before when staying with a family in the Mekong Delta, and assured me that it was 'just like very strong tequila'..... Yeah right.
So we poured ourselves some, maybe 2 shots worth in a scotch glass, and knocked it back as quickly as we could. Uuuurrrrrgh! it was the most disgusting thing I have every tried, and I deserve a huge pat on the back for not hurling on the spot. The alcohol was soo strong, but that wasn't the bad bit. You could taste the preserved snake, which was like MUSTY RABBIT, and the smell and taste lingered behind your nasal cavity for ages. I immediately downed the rest of my beer, lit a cigarette half expecting that I'd blow up from the alcohol fumes, all in the hope that I'd be able to get the taste outta my mouth and nose.
It was rank, Sinead almost chucked just from the smell when we downed it and the fact that there was 5 snakes staring at her from a bottle.... Damian attempted to have some more with coke, but it TURNED THE COKE GREEN, and we convinced him it wasn't a good idea unless he wanted to spend the night speaking with Huey.
After that place closed, Sinead went back to the hotel, but Damian and I kicked on to the full moon bar, which is in the middle of nowhere. We were there first westerners to arrive, and it being so far away from town, we were more than a little worried that we'd been coerced into going somewhere that we really shouldn't have. But after about an hour more people arrived, I was asked to work behind the bar for free drinks - so I did - and the night passed reasonably quickly and uneventfully for the most part. I did have a local guy trying to pick me up telling me that he loved me and I was very beautiful. Ha ha... But I told him Damian was my husband, and he played along with that for all of 15 minutes and then tried to sell me to him for a $100. Cheers mate!
By the time we left there we'd spent nearly all our cash on booze, so had to walk home. We got nearly 1/2 way which was the point when the cash we did have left was enough to pay for a moto for the rest of the way home. Arrived home at 4am with an empty purse, and collapsed in my bed. Sleep at last!
It's soo much quieter than anywhere else we've been in Vietnam, and that's a welcome state after the madness we have seen.
I got some clothes made here, almost by accident. I went into a shop, intending to buy a apir of shorts, hopefully straight of the rack. 3 hours later I walked out after having ordered a pair of shorts (mission accomplished) a pair of jeans, a skirt, shirt and two other tops.... They were ready the next day!!! I couldn't believe it, in fact the shirt was ready for me about 2 hours after I ordered it.... I hope I was trading fairly, they got a good price from me, I didn't try to barter them down at all.
After there we took a stroll down the street looking for an ATM as we'd almost emptied our pockets at the cloth shop. In between there and the ATM, I also obtained a new pair of thongs, a pair of shoes (also made to order) and stopped for something to eat. This town just makes me want to spend!! Not good, but also kinda good. I have pretty much finished my Christmas shopping for my family, bought soo many things for myself, and still have enough cash left over to be going out on the piss....
Which brings me to last nights antics. Sinead, Damian and I decided to go out for some drinks, and possibly try the snake wine that we had seen everywhere in Vietnam - Basically it's about 5 snakes stuffed into a bottle with near to pure home made alcohol. Looks disgusting, but when in Vietnam, do as the Vietnamese do! Sinead doesn't drink, so she just came along for the entertainment.
We got ourselves a few gin and tonics, having not brought our insect repellent along, and this being the tastier option, and then discussed the possiblility of the snake wine.... After not much quibbling, Damian went out and got a medium bottle of the stuff, for a whole 50,000 dong, which I think translates to about $4.50. It sat there on the table for a while as we worked up the courage to actually drink it. Damian had tried a bigger bottle before when staying with a family in the Mekong Delta, and assured me that it was 'just like very strong tequila'..... Yeah right.
So we poured ourselves some, maybe 2 shots worth in a scotch glass, and knocked it back as quickly as we could. Uuuurrrrrgh! it was the most disgusting thing I have every tried, and I deserve a huge pat on the back for not hurling on the spot. The alcohol was soo strong, but that wasn't the bad bit. You could taste the preserved snake, which was like MUSTY RABBIT, and the smell and taste lingered behind your nasal cavity for ages. I immediately downed the rest of my beer, lit a cigarette half expecting that I'd blow up from the alcohol fumes, all in the hope that I'd be able to get the taste outta my mouth and nose.
It was rank, Sinead almost chucked just from the smell when we downed it and the fact that there was 5 snakes staring at her from a bottle.... Damian attempted to have some more with coke, but it TURNED THE COKE GREEN, and we convinced him it wasn't a good idea unless he wanted to spend the night speaking with Huey.
After that place closed, Sinead went back to the hotel, but Damian and I kicked on to the full moon bar, which is in the middle of nowhere. We were there first westerners to arrive, and it being so far away from town, we were more than a little worried that we'd been coerced into going somewhere that we really shouldn't have. But after about an hour more people arrived, I was asked to work behind the bar for free drinks - so I did - and the night passed reasonably quickly and uneventfully for the most part. I did have a local guy trying to pick me up telling me that he loved me and I was very beautiful. Ha ha... But I told him Damian was my husband, and he played along with that for all of 15 minutes and then tried to sell me to him for a $100. Cheers mate!
By the time we left there we'd spent nearly all our cash on booze, so had to walk home. We got nearly 1/2 way which was the point when the cash we did have left was enough to pay for a moto for the rest of the way home. Arrived home at 4am with an empty purse, and collapsed in my bed. Sleep at last!
Saturday, July 24, 2004
Point to remember - when catching a night bus, ensure that the seats recline!!
The trip here to Hoian was hard - harder than travelling in Cambodia, harder than the trip from Ko Phangan to Siem Reap, HARDER THAN STONE!! I slept for all of 1/2 an hour for the whole of the 13 hour journey. And watching the driver and the roads at night is even worse than during the day. Driving here is like playing chicken where ever you go. You have one hand almost constantly on the horn, and it seems that small has to give way to big, when at intersections, passing on tight corners, or even on the straight freeway when you can see for miles ahead.
I think if your horn broke here you'd have to take your car off the road, or certain death would be waiting for you.
We're staying here for a few days. Apparently the beach is better than Nha Trag, the clothes shopping brilliant and there is a national park that I want to have a look at as well. First port of call for today though is to find a nice bar and a good cheap restaurant. Not too much of a mission, but a worthwhile one all the same.
Hope everyone is well, and if you've been reading this and not emailed me yet, press the 'contact me NOW' link at the top right hand corner of you screen and give me a hello!! You lazy bastards!!
The trip here to Hoian was hard - harder than travelling in Cambodia, harder than the trip from Ko Phangan to Siem Reap, HARDER THAN STONE!! I slept for all of 1/2 an hour for the whole of the 13 hour journey. And watching the driver and the roads at night is even worse than during the day. Driving here is like playing chicken where ever you go. You have one hand almost constantly on the horn, and it seems that small has to give way to big, when at intersections, passing on tight corners, or even on the straight freeway when you can see for miles ahead.
I think if your horn broke here you'd have to take your car off the road, or certain death would be waiting for you.
We're staying here for a few days. Apparently the beach is better than Nha Trag, the clothes shopping brilliant and there is a national park that I want to have a look at as well. First port of call for today though is to find a nice bar and a good cheap restaurant. Not too much of a mission, but a worthwhile one all the same.
Hope everyone is well, and if you've been reading this and not emailed me yet, press the 'contact me NOW' link at the top right hand corner of you screen and give me a hello!! You lazy bastards!!
Friday, July 23, 2004
Ahhh... Maybe, possibly, too many buckets? Let me go backwards from here. It's been over 4 days since I tried to check email or even get onto a computer, so excuse my tardiness if you have emailed me.
Tonight we went for dinner at 'same same, but different'. A good cheap restaurant, even by Vietnamese standards. Good food, lovely people and well worth the 15 minute walk. Then it was on to Crazy Kim's bar, where I taught English to street kids earlier today. But the buckets - vodka, rum, red bull and coke in a bucket - are for sharing, not to be having on your own!!
But still all is good.
Toaday Sinead and I went to the mud baths in Nha Trang. Bloody well worth the effort. Although you are covering yourself in mud, by the time you leave you feel the cleanest you have been in your whole life!! Ahh, now my skin is so smooth - aside form the mozzy bites - and I'm all fresh and clean, ready for tomorrow's bus ride to Hanoi - over 30 hours I think... But I can't be arsed stopping in Hoian, or Hue, and Sinead is not about to complain - so it's 'ever onwards' - cheers St Pauls!!
Yesterday we took a boat tour around the bay, snorkelling, sun bathing and just generally lazing about like wine-os!! The boat tour was great. The first stop was at an island about an hour away by boat. Very, very noice!! We stopped for an hour of snorkelling and swimming, and then it was back on the boat to a different, but just as beautiful bay for some more swimming (with a twist) and lunch. The spread for lunch was amazing!! It was every kind of seafood you could imagine, rice (of course) noodles, and veggies. We ate our fill and then were entertained by the 'boy band' on the boat. They were more like a geriatric band, but still they knew their stuff and everyone was dancing on the tables and having a laugh. "Everyone clap hands, join in, much big fun!!"
After the entertainment and the eating it was time for a swim - with a floating bar, and as much as you could drink without drowning!! You could/would swim up to the bar, grab your glass of red, sit on a life bouy and once finished that, go back to the bar for a re-fill. By the time we left there I was 3 parts pissed, but enjoying myself and quite pleased with everything. The sunshine, the sea and the swimming.
The next stop was at an island where it cost 5000 dong - less than $1 - to get off and then more to sit, and etc etc. I stayed on the boat and watched the Vitnamese guys play cards, although I had no idea about the rules, or the betting or anything. After about 1 hour I had the general gist of it and decided to go up to the top deck for some sun bathing - like I am not black enough already!! I ended up falling asleep, but due to me already being 'tanned' didn't get as burnt, or even burnt at all, like I did the last time I was in the sun.
So then it was back to the boat and a visit to the fishing villiage - we stopped for all of 2 minutes - and then back to the docks and our hotels. It was a whole day out on the ocean, much appreciated. I could spend the rest of my life quite happily being a beach bum!
So that was yesterday, where am I??? Ahh, ok day before that was spent getting to Nha Trang by bus - a good bus and good roads - much apreciated after our stint in Cambodia. Although I do wish I had spent more time there as it is a lovely country... ahh so beautiful, but soo sooo poor.
So I think I am up to date, aside from telling about the people I have met while here. The first night we arrived we met up with Aine and Cait again, so it was out on the piss with them. Gawd!!! I don't think I have been that drunk since Ian and Ricci's wedding - thankfully though I didn't get naked, and I didn't huck.
Was a good night, dancing chatting with people we'd met on the way to here and other newies. I behaved myself, and caught a cylco home with the girls. I do remember getting out of the cyclo and paying him, but have no recolection of gettin' up the 4 flights of stairs to my room and passing out on my bed.... I promise though that I woun't be getting in that state unless with friends I can trust, and people that I know. I know what you're thinking Aaron, 'Oh, my little sister, what is she doing??!!' but honestly I am ok, well, and having the time of my life.
Sinead was up early the next morning, noticed I was home and safe and left for her diving course. I spent that next day bikini shopping and laying on the beach. I must say that I have a lovely new bikini now, and smelt like a brewery the whole of the next day.
Last night when there was a black out we made our way via cyclo to Jacks bar and met two guys there - Sebastian, and Damian. A german and a bitsa (Canadian/Irish/Australian). We've been hanging out with them for the past few days, nice blokes, someone to drink with (as Sinead doesn't) and some good Craic! We'll be catching up with them again when we get to Hanoi - to celebrate my birthday!! And then it's a plane back to Bangkok and some more lazing on the beach!!
Am looking forward to meeting up with Mark - if he doesn't pike. And again lazing on the beach!! So long from the lazy traveller!!
Tonight we went for dinner at 'same same, but different'. A good cheap restaurant, even by Vietnamese standards. Good food, lovely people and well worth the 15 minute walk. Then it was on to Crazy Kim's bar, where I taught English to street kids earlier today. But the buckets - vodka, rum, red bull and coke in a bucket - are for sharing, not to be having on your own!!
But still all is good.
Toaday Sinead and I went to the mud baths in Nha Trang. Bloody well worth the effort. Although you are covering yourself in mud, by the time you leave you feel the cleanest you have been in your whole life!! Ahh, now my skin is so smooth - aside form the mozzy bites - and I'm all fresh and clean, ready for tomorrow's bus ride to Hanoi - over 30 hours I think... But I can't be arsed stopping in Hoian, or Hue, and Sinead is not about to complain - so it's 'ever onwards' - cheers St Pauls!!
Yesterday we took a boat tour around the bay, snorkelling, sun bathing and just generally lazing about like wine-os!! The boat tour was great. The first stop was at an island about an hour away by boat. Very, very noice!! We stopped for an hour of snorkelling and swimming, and then it was back on the boat to a different, but just as beautiful bay for some more swimming (with a twist) and lunch. The spread for lunch was amazing!! It was every kind of seafood you could imagine, rice (of course) noodles, and veggies. We ate our fill and then were entertained by the 'boy band' on the boat. They were more like a geriatric band, but still they knew their stuff and everyone was dancing on the tables and having a laugh. "Everyone clap hands, join in, much big fun!!"
After the entertainment and the eating it was time for a swim - with a floating bar, and as much as you could drink without drowning!! You could/would swim up to the bar, grab your glass of red, sit on a life bouy and once finished that, go back to the bar for a re-fill. By the time we left there I was 3 parts pissed, but enjoying myself and quite pleased with everything. The sunshine, the sea and the swimming.
The next stop was at an island where it cost 5000 dong - less than $1 - to get off and then more to sit, and etc etc. I stayed on the boat and watched the Vitnamese guys play cards, although I had no idea about the rules, or the betting or anything. After about 1 hour I had the general gist of it and decided to go up to the top deck for some sun bathing - like I am not black enough already!! I ended up falling asleep, but due to me already being 'tanned' didn't get as burnt, or even burnt at all, like I did the last time I was in the sun.
So then it was back to the boat and a visit to the fishing villiage - we stopped for all of 2 minutes - and then back to the docks and our hotels. It was a whole day out on the ocean, much appreciated. I could spend the rest of my life quite happily being a beach bum!
So that was yesterday, where am I??? Ahh, ok day before that was spent getting to Nha Trang by bus - a good bus and good roads - much apreciated after our stint in Cambodia. Although I do wish I had spent more time there as it is a lovely country... ahh so beautiful, but soo sooo poor.
So I think I am up to date, aside from telling about the people I have met while here. The first night we arrived we met up with Aine and Cait again, so it was out on the piss with them. Gawd!!! I don't think I have been that drunk since Ian and Ricci's wedding - thankfully though I didn't get naked, and I didn't huck.
Was a good night, dancing chatting with people we'd met on the way to here and other newies. I behaved myself, and caught a cylco home with the girls. I do remember getting out of the cyclo and paying him, but have no recolection of gettin' up the 4 flights of stairs to my room and passing out on my bed.... I promise though that I woun't be getting in that state unless with friends I can trust, and people that I know. I know what you're thinking Aaron, 'Oh, my little sister, what is she doing??!!' but honestly I am ok, well, and having the time of my life.
Sinead was up early the next morning, noticed I was home and safe and left for her diving course. I spent that next day bikini shopping and laying on the beach. I must say that I have a lovely new bikini now, and smelt like a brewery the whole of the next day.
Last night when there was a black out we made our way via cyclo to Jacks bar and met two guys there - Sebastian, and Damian. A german and a bitsa (Canadian/Irish/Australian). We've been hanging out with them for the past few days, nice blokes, someone to drink with (as Sinead doesn't) and some good Craic! We'll be catching up with them again when we get to Hanoi - to celebrate my birthday!! And then it's a plane back to Bangkok and some more lazing on the beach!!
Am looking forward to meeting up with Mark - if he doesn't pike. And again lazing on the beach!! So long from the lazy traveller!!
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Well Dalat is lovely, but as with the rest of Asia, it never stops here.
Yesterday we took an 'easy rider tour' around town and the surrounding mountains. It's so god damn pretty here! We visited various of the local industries - a coffee farm, mushroom farm and a minority villiage where I found myself buying yet more silk.
After the villiage it started to piss with rain, so where do you go in such weather but a waterfall?! It was lovely too, but we were soaked when we got there. Still my camera was ok and I got a few good snaps.
The rest of the day was back at the hotel trying to get warm again, sort out my back pack and what was to be sent home. I have finally relieved myself of the extra luggage and sent a box of things home. Should arrive there in about 3 months. It goes via Bangkok, so the things I send from there will probably arrive about the same time.
Tomorrow we are off to the beach again - Nha Trang, which looks and sounds beautiful. It'll be lazing about and snorkelling for at least 3 days, maybe longer, shall see how we go.
Well I can't be arsed writing more. Am still having fun, but am in need of a nap after all the touring and running about. Am looking forward to going back to Thailand, as it is a lot nicer than Vietnam, and I think Cambodia is too.
Anyway bye bye for now!
Yesterday we took an 'easy rider tour' around town and the surrounding mountains. It's so god damn pretty here! We visited various of the local industries - a coffee farm, mushroom farm and a minority villiage where I found myself buying yet more silk.
After the villiage it started to piss with rain, so where do you go in such weather but a waterfall?! It was lovely too, but we were soaked when we got there. Still my camera was ok and I got a few good snaps.
The rest of the day was back at the hotel trying to get warm again, sort out my back pack and what was to be sent home. I have finally relieved myself of the extra luggage and sent a box of things home. Should arrive there in about 3 months. It goes via Bangkok, so the things I send from there will probably arrive about the same time.
Tomorrow we are off to the beach again - Nha Trang, which looks and sounds beautiful. It'll be lazing about and snorkelling for at least 3 days, maybe longer, shall see how we go.
Well I can't be arsed writing more. Am still having fun, but am in need of a nap after all the touring and running about. Am looking forward to going back to Thailand, as it is a lot nicer than Vietnam, and I think Cambodia is too.
Anyway bye bye for now!
Friday, July 16, 2004
Well Vietnam is a lot different from Cambodia or Thailand, but still it's been good to me so far. I've been here about 4 or 5 days, it's hard to keep track of time.
I have made my way to Dalat - still with the Irish chick Sinead, and only just arrived and checked into what will be home for the next 3 days or so, maybe longer, we'll see. It's a bloody nice room $6 per night split between the two of us - and I have the audacity to think that's expensive after paying $4 a night in Phnom Penh... Ahh how quickly our expectations change! But still I can't complain I have my own double bed - what bliss - and the facilities are excellent.
It's a lot cooler up here in the highlands than it has been anywhere else I have been so far. It's a welcome change and I am actually enjoying the fact that I can wear long pants and tops with sleeves. But at the same time as saying that I am looking forward to our next stop too - Nha Trang, the beach again! Lots of lazing about and much less hectic-ness.
While in Ho Chi Minh I had a look around town, and got all the boring stuff out of the way on the first day. Although it wasn't all boring, we booked a 2 day tour of the Mekong Delta (which I will get into in a sec) and did some (more) shopping. My back pack is now too full to fit everything I have got, but it's to the post office tomorrow to off load a few things back to Aus. There's a few pressies in there for some of you, but I figure you'll have to wait till I get back as I am sending them to my brothers house. I did get myself a few good things as well. A traditional Vietnamese outfit (the long dress/top with the pants) and matching shoes, made especially for me for a whole $25, which I thought was pretty good, and have prided myself in the fact that I bartered down from $30. It all seems to be a bit of a game to them with the pricing of things.
The Mekong Delta tour was bloody good. One the first day we took a bus to Ben Tren (think I spelt that right) and then got on a boat to Phoenix Island where we walked through papaya and mango orchards, checked out the local craft wear and stopped for some Vietnamese tea and sing a long. Well we didn't sing along, not knowing the language or words made that a little hard. But still it was very good, and the fruits that were growing all around us were delicious - dragon fruit, papaya, pineapple, mango and something else..... Can't remember what though and doubt that it really matters.
After eating our fill, and watching one of the girls on our tour also fill her pockets, it was off to another smaller boat which we paddled down a canal on. Each side of it over hung with ferns, bamboo trees and other flora that I don't know the name of. Very very pretty.
Then it was on another boat and to a different Island, I think it was tortoise island, but I could have that wrong too. It was time for lunch and we walked through yet another orchard and to a crafts stall with lots of things made out of coconut wood and embroidered everything, from tablecloths to handkerchiefs. After lunch it was back on another boat to visit a coconut farm and 'factory' there (using the phrase factory loosely here, it was more like a big open shed) and saw how they made coconut toffee. We got to try some of that along with the coconut liquor, which was pretty strong. The girls in the factory wrapping the sweets and making the toffee worked so quick. I've never seen the like of it before.
After that it was - as you guessed it - back onto another boat, and off to see the bee farm. That was pretty cool, we got to touch the bees, taste honey straight from the hive, drink honey tea and honey wine. At this stage I was wondering if they were trying to get us pissed. As we were sat down for the wine they brought out a snake - python to be exact. Sinead shat herself as soon as she saw it and ran. I tell you I haven't seen her move that quick the whole time we've been traveling together. Was kinda funny, but she was really scared and it took her a while to get over it. I guess I'm just not a very sympathetic person.
We all got a chance to hold the python (Sinead of course declined) but I had a hold, it was so smooth, not at all cold and kinda had an oily feel to it. Very cool, and I have a photo to prove that I did actually do it - that's if the person who was working my 60's camera followed my destructions properly.
After there it was the end of the day, so back on the boat and back to the mini bus. I was completely knackered, but wait there was still more! When we got back to the bus we split up. Those on the one day tour got on one bus and us two dayers onto another. We were then taken to a bonsai garden which was gorgeous aside from the caged monkeys. Fortunately I didn't burst into tears, but I couldn't hang around there long and ended up waiting out the front for everyone else while having a fag. Which mind you are very cheap, around $1 a pack here, but in Cambodia only 25 cents.... Makes you want to take up smoking all you non-smokers doesn't it?
After the bonsai garden we went to our hotel, by bus then boat. It took about 2 & 1/2 hours or so, but it was lovely to see the sun set over the Delta and watch everyone going about their daily tasks along the river. We got to the hotel - finally - and then changed for dinner. We could've had snake for dinner but after the earlier experience sinead wasn't game, and although I am eating mainly as the people here do, I don't want to stretch that to cover snakes, spiders and other insect's or dogs.
Day two was a bit less hectic. We went to a floating market in the morning, which wasn't as colourful as I expected but still fun, then we sailed/floated around the canals for a few hours just enjoying the scenery and sun. After that it was to a rice noodle making place which smelt really yum until we got to the end where the pig pens here. It was here also that I somehow found myself in conversation with a Vietnamese guy about different meats in Australia and Vietnam. He was telling me the virtues of insects, and dog meat. Apparently it's very tasty, but he said to me (and this is no word of a lie) 'If you have a pet dog at home don't eat dog in Vietnam, it is very delicious, and when you get home again you will want to eat your pet" - Yeah right mate. Don't think I will be trying it anyway, Summah or no Summah. Cat is hard to cook, so not too many people eat it here, and there is a very expensive restaurant in Hanoi that specializes in all sorts of insects... Think I'll save my cash there too. Not sounding very adventurous in the culinary stakes, but I value my health and sanity a little more highly than that.
So that was the Mekong delta, it was back to ho Chi Minh after that, pick up my newly made clothes, bought a wicked wedding present for my little brother, and then nighty night as it was another early bus trip this morning to here.
As we've only just arrived there ain't a lot to say about this place, except it's hilly (der it's the highlands Victoria) and really pretty. Lotsa trees, forest, and cooler which I am liking the reprieve from the heat further south - although that won't last. We plan to stay here maybe till about Monday or so and then off to the beach. But I think I said that already. So if I am repeating myself it's more than time to sign off!
I have made my way to Dalat - still with the Irish chick Sinead, and only just arrived and checked into what will be home for the next 3 days or so, maybe longer, we'll see. It's a bloody nice room $6 per night split between the two of us - and I have the audacity to think that's expensive after paying $4 a night in Phnom Penh... Ahh how quickly our expectations change! But still I can't complain I have my own double bed - what bliss - and the facilities are excellent.
It's a lot cooler up here in the highlands than it has been anywhere else I have been so far. It's a welcome change and I am actually enjoying the fact that I can wear long pants and tops with sleeves. But at the same time as saying that I am looking forward to our next stop too - Nha Trang, the beach again! Lots of lazing about and much less hectic-ness.
While in Ho Chi Minh I had a look around town, and got all the boring stuff out of the way on the first day. Although it wasn't all boring, we booked a 2 day tour of the Mekong Delta (which I will get into in a sec) and did some (more) shopping. My back pack is now too full to fit everything I have got, but it's to the post office tomorrow to off load a few things back to Aus. There's a few pressies in there for some of you, but I figure you'll have to wait till I get back as I am sending them to my brothers house. I did get myself a few good things as well. A traditional Vietnamese outfit (the long dress/top with the pants) and matching shoes, made especially for me for a whole $25, which I thought was pretty good, and have prided myself in the fact that I bartered down from $30. It all seems to be a bit of a game to them with the pricing of things.
The Mekong Delta tour was bloody good. One the first day we took a bus to Ben Tren (think I spelt that right) and then got on a boat to Phoenix Island where we walked through papaya and mango orchards, checked out the local craft wear and stopped for some Vietnamese tea and sing a long. Well we didn't sing along, not knowing the language or words made that a little hard. But still it was very good, and the fruits that were growing all around us were delicious - dragon fruit, papaya, pineapple, mango and something else..... Can't remember what though and doubt that it really matters.
After eating our fill, and watching one of the girls on our tour also fill her pockets, it was off to another smaller boat which we paddled down a canal on. Each side of it over hung with ferns, bamboo trees and other flora that I don't know the name of. Very very pretty.
Then it was on another boat and to a different Island, I think it was tortoise island, but I could have that wrong too. It was time for lunch and we walked through yet another orchard and to a crafts stall with lots of things made out of coconut wood and embroidered everything, from tablecloths to handkerchiefs. After lunch it was back on another boat to visit a coconut farm and 'factory' there (using the phrase factory loosely here, it was more like a big open shed) and saw how they made coconut toffee. We got to try some of that along with the coconut liquor, which was pretty strong. The girls in the factory wrapping the sweets and making the toffee worked so quick. I've never seen the like of it before.
After that it was - as you guessed it - back onto another boat, and off to see the bee farm. That was pretty cool, we got to touch the bees, taste honey straight from the hive, drink honey tea and honey wine. At this stage I was wondering if they were trying to get us pissed. As we were sat down for the wine they brought out a snake - python to be exact. Sinead shat herself as soon as she saw it and ran. I tell you I haven't seen her move that quick the whole time we've been traveling together. Was kinda funny, but she was really scared and it took her a while to get over it. I guess I'm just not a very sympathetic person.
We all got a chance to hold the python (Sinead of course declined) but I had a hold, it was so smooth, not at all cold and kinda had an oily feel to it. Very cool, and I have a photo to prove that I did actually do it - that's if the person who was working my 60's camera followed my destructions properly.
After there it was the end of the day, so back on the boat and back to the mini bus. I was completely knackered, but wait there was still more! When we got back to the bus we split up. Those on the one day tour got on one bus and us two dayers onto another. We were then taken to a bonsai garden which was gorgeous aside from the caged monkeys. Fortunately I didn't burst into tears, but I couldn't hang around there long and ended up waiting out the front for everyone else while having a fag. Which mind you are very cheap, around $1 a pack here, but in Cambodia only 25 cents.... Makes you want to take up smoking all you non-smokers doesn't it?
After the bonsai garden we went to our hotel, by bus then boat. It took about 2 & 1/2 hours or so, but it was lovely to see the sun set over the Delta and watch everyone going about their daily tasks along the river. We got to the hotel - finally - and then changed for dinner. We could've had snake for dinner but after the earlier experience sinead wasn't game, and although I am eating mainly as the people here do, I don't want to stretch that to cover snakes, spiders and other insect's or dogs.
Day two was a bit less hectic. We went to a floating market in the morning, which wasn't as colourful as I expected but still fun, then we sailed/floated around the canals for a few hours just enjoying the scenery and sun. After that it was to a rice noodle making place which smelt really yum until we got to the end where the pig pens here. It was here also that I somehow found myself in conversation with a Vietnamese guy about different meats in Australia and Vietnam. He was telling me the virtues of insects, and dog meat. Apparently it's very tasty, but he said to me (and this is no word of a lie) 'If you have a pet dog at home don't eat dog in Vietnam, it is very delicious, and when you get home again you will want to eat your pet" - Yeah right mate. Don't think I will be trying it anyway, Summah or no Summah. Cat is hard to cook, so not too many people eat it here, and there is a very expensive restaurant in Hanoi that specializes in all sorts of insects... Think I'll save my cash there too. Not sounding very adventurous in the culinary stakes, but I value my health and sanity a little more highly than that.
So that was the Mekong delta, it was back to ho Chi Minh after that, pick up my newly made clothes, bought a wicked wedding present for my little brother, and then nighty night as it was another early bus trip this morning to here.
As we've only just arrived there ain't a lot to say about this place, except it's hilly (der it's the highlands Victoria) and really pretty. Lotsa trees, forest, and cooler which I am liking the reprieve from the heat further south - although that won't last. We plan to stay here maybe till about Monday or so and then off to the beach. But I think I said that already. So if I am repeating myself it's more than time to sign off!
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Good morning Vietnam! Please excuse the pathetic attempt at humour there, but seeing that the Vietnamese tour guide said it to us yesterday AFTERNOON when we boarded our bus I thought I should try it too.
We took a bus rather than a boat to Ho Chi Minh, and only arrived yesterday. It was much cheaper - a whole US$3.50 to get all the way here. But there isn't much to say about this place yet, so I will revise what we did in Phnom Penh, sorry if I repeat myself.
After getting back from the project visits and spending the night out on the piss, I was completely shagged (no, not literally) and damn hot with the beginnings of a hangover the next morning. We managed to get it together enough to head for the water park in Phnom Penh, about a 15 minute tuk tuk journey from where we stayed. Sooo glad we went, it was the first completely cool and relaxed day I'd had in Cambodia since arriving - not that the other days weren't fun - they were excellent - but it was nice just to play on slides and spend the day floating around on a tube in the lazy river and perving at the beautiful Irish guys floating along behind me...
At least I think they were Irish. I have found that I am completely crap at picking accents. I have met two French guys at various places. The first one that I said hello to replied that he didn't speak much English, in what I thought to be a German accent, so I spoke to him in German with no result. I knew my German wasn't that bad as I had been conversing with a native Deutch in Ko Phangan and he could understand what I was saying. So I repeated myself maybe 3 times, to no avail, and then he finally told me he was French... How dumb am I???
Same with the guy at the Guest house in Phnom Penh (apparently on the bad side of town!!) I asked him if he wanted to play pool with us and he said yes but his English wasn't that great. I didn't make the same mistake of trying my German out, but asked instead. He was French, but my saving grace is that the Irish girls I am with thought he was too.
The day after the water park we went along to the Kirirum National Park. Took about two hours to get there and US$40, not bad for a car with a driver. Was a beautiful place - I wish I could download some photos of it, but I don't even have them developed yet. I was there in my loose long pants and my 'DANGER! MINES! Cambodia' singlet on. We decided to go and see the waterfall, a 10 minutes round trip by foot. Sounded pretty good, we checked out the map and off we went. 1 hour later we still hadn't found these damn waterfalls, and we seemed to have walked over many hills, and hadn't seen one sign. The track we were on was well defined, obviously used quite a bit, but also obviously not the right one to take us to the waterfalls. So we turned back and made our was to the picnic area. On the way back whilst walking through a patch of long grass, I got a leech attached to me. (This is one of my worst fears - I hate leeches despite the fact that when swimming in our dam as a kid you were almost guaranteed to get one or two on you, but we just took salt with us in those days.) Anyway I felt a bite or something on my leg and thought nothing of it until we'd walked further to higher ground and out of the grass. When I finally lifted my trouser leg and looked at what was there and saw the leech I went into hysterics. Jumping around saying "I've got a fucking leech on me get it off, get it off" over and over again. Two of the girls I was with ran off back down the hill thinking it was going to attack them. But Cait was surprisingly calm. She said to Sinead "Get a cigarette" and to Aine "Get a lighter" and to me "CALM DOWN, I'll burn it off" My yelps subsided to whimpers and the jumping to a mere shaking. She successfully burnt it off after accidentally burning my leg just the once. Everyone was pretty shaken, and we had to stop for about 15 minutes so I could recollect myself and try to stem the flow of blood. Cigarettes were handed around while we all tried to calm ourselves. I still have a mark on my leg from where it was, but thankfully no leech.
The day after that we caught our bus to here and like I said, we've only just arrived, had a little look around town, posted some past cards and booked our Mekong Delta tour and open ended bus ticket to Hanoi. So once I've actually got something to write about from here I will blog again.
We took a bus rather than a boat to Ho Chi Minh, and only arrived yesterday. It was much cheaper - a whole US$3.50 to get all the way here. But there isn't much to say about this place yet, so I will revise what we did in Phnom Penh, sorry if I repeat myself.
After getting back from the project visits and spending the night out on the piss, I was completely shagged (no, not literally) and damn hot with the beginnings of a hangover the next morning. We managed to get it together enough to head for the water park in Phnom Penh, about a 15 minute tuk tuk journey from where we stayed. Sooo glad we went, it was the first completely cool and relaxed day I'd had in Cambodia since arriving - not that the other days weren't fun - they were excellent - but it was nice just to play on slides and spend the day floating around on a tube in the lazy river and perving at the beautiful Irish guys floating along behind me...
At least I think they were Irish. I have found that I am completely crap at picking accents. I have met two French guys at various places. The first one that I said hello to replied that he didn't speak much English, in what I thought to be a German accent, so I spoke to him in German with no result. I knew my German wasn't that bad as I had been conversing with a native Deutch in Ko Phangan and he could understand what I was saying. So I repeated myself maybe 3 times, to no avail, and then he finally told me he was French... How dumb am I???
Same with the guy at the Guest house in Phnom Penh (apparently on the bad side of town!!) I asked him if he wanted to play pool with us and he said yes but his English wasn't that great. I didn't make the same mistake of trying my German out, but asked instead. He was French, but my saving grace is that the Irish girls I am with thought he was too.
The day after the water park we went along to the Kirirum National Park. Took about two hours to get there and US$40, not bad for a car with a driver. Was a beautiful place - I wish I could download some photos of it, but I don't even have them developed yet. I was there in my loose long pants and my 'DANGER! MINES! Cambodia' singlet on. We decided to go and see the waterfall, a 10 minutes round trip by foot. Sounded pretty good, we checked out the map and off we went. 1 hour later we still hadn't found these damn waterfalls, and we seemed to have walked over many hills, and hadn't seen one sign. The track we were on was well defined, obviously used quite a bit, but also obviously not the right one to take us to the waterfalls. So we turned back and made our was to the picnic area. On the way back whilst walking through a patch of long grass, I got a leech attached to me. (This is one of my worst fears - I hate leeches despite the fact that when swimming in our dam as a kid you were almost guaranteed to get one or two on you, but we just took salt with us in those days.) Anyway I felt a bite or something on my leg and thought nothing of it until we'd walked further to higher ground and out of the grass. When I finally lifted my trouser leg and looked at what was there and saw the leech I went into hysterics. Jumping around saying "I've got a fucking leech on me get it off, get it off" over and over again. Two of the girls I was with ran off back down the hill thinking it was going to attack them. But Cait was surprisingly calm. She said to Sinead "Get a cigarette" and to Aine "Get a lighter" and to me "CALM DOWN, I'll burn it off" My yelps subsided to whimpers and the jumping to a mere shaking. She successfully burnt it off after accidentally burning my leg just the once. Everyone was pretty shaken, and we had to stop for about 15 minutes so I could recollect myself and try to stem the flow of blood. Cigarettes were handed around while we all tried to calm ourselves. I still have a mark on my leg from where it was, but thankfully no leech.
The day after that we caught our bus to here and like I said, we've only just arrived, had a little look around town, posted some past cards and booked our Mekong Delta tour and open ended bus ticket to Hanoi. So once I've actually got something to write about from here I will blog again.
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Phnom Penh is lovely - as far as these Asian cities are so far anyway... It's heaps smaller than Bangkok and has some 'choice' gardens and parks. Nowhere near as polluted as Bangkok, but the traffic is still madness.
The day we got here on the bus from Siem Reap was insane. It was about 5 hours on the bus and we stopped maybe 3 times...? Each time the bus stopped they'd water down the tyers and the radiator - not the most confidence building thing you could see. Also the bus would be surrounded by beggars and people (kids and adults) selling all sorts of food, from pineapple to fried cockroaches, locusts and SPIDERS! Thought about having one, but didn't get as far as actually going ahead with that.
When we arrived the bus was again surrounded by beggars and people touting for different guest houses. We had to wade through a crowd to get our packs, and then fight people off to cross the road in the hope that we could leave them for a while and sort out what we were going to do - but the followed. By the time we finally decided which place we were going to stay and got there I was shagged (unfortunately not literally).
The next day I spent the morning sorting out different things - Vietnam Visa, post office - boring stuff like that. But in our walk around town we found an excellent park - Wat Phnom - the highest temple in the city. We didn't go to the temple, quite frankly I've had enough of them. Since being here I've had the most religion of any kind for some time. Enough is enough! But the park surrounding it was gorgeous - Monkeys and baby monkeys playing on the hill and swinging in trees, an elephant that you could take a ride on. Semon was her name - 45 years of age, and sooo sweet. We fed her, but didn't ride her though (so no luck there either) as I couldn't bring myself to after seeing the way the elephants in Angkor Wat were treated.
Did I say anything about that? They were giving people lifts up and down this hill on elephants. We didn't get on one, but on the way down followed the elephant trail instead of going straight down the hill - a little steep. One of them stopped to take a pee, and the guy riding and steering it hit it on the head with this big club type thing that had a huge spike in the end of it. Needless to say the elephant roared and started backing up - looked like it was going to rear, if they can do that? Or rampage back up the hill. Anyway, I figured I'd be pretty peeved if someone stuck a fuckin big spike in my head just coz I needed to pee half way down a hill. So since then I don't want a part in the elephant thing.
Anyway, getting off the track here.
In the afternoon I was picked up by some of the Cambodian Field office crew to go in and do my presentation thing. It went really well, they seemed to understand and take a bit from it. I left it with Vanna, and he said that it will be passed onto the Laos and Cambodian smaller field offices to give the people there a better understanding of the other facet of Oxfam.
When I walked in I bumped into none other than Mark Thomas! So he sat in on the presentation and also came out to the projects we visited the day after and yesterday.
It was brilliant - the people are wonderful, and seeing it for yourself is indescribable... Although I will try.
Before going out though, La and Vikram gave us a short presentation on how they choose the villages they work with, and decide what to do in them. It seems to be a process of interviewing many different communities in a poorer area. Speaking with the village chiefs and elders, and finding out what their needs and wants are. They do this with a number of different communities and then go back to the office to priorities the villages according to the information they have gained, the funds that they have available and the expertise that would be needed to go ahead with whatever it is that they want to do.
Then they choose a number of villages - all in all they have 14 they are currently working with - that are considered the poorest of the poor, or POP.
The first place we went to was Thanada in the Takeo province. When we arrived it seemed as though 1/2 the people were expecting and waiting for us. We were introduced to the committee members who ran the rice bank there, along with the government counter part - who works with the Oxfam guys, but only to facilitate when needed - not in a monetary way (surprise surprise), and also the village chief. Then we introduced ourselves, asked them questions about village life, the running of the rice banks and the benefits it has brought them. They had increased the rice bank amount since it's beginning 3 years ago from 16 ton to 20 ton. Not bad eh? They asked us questions mainly about ourselves. Mark had burnt himself on the exhaust of a moto, and fallen off a moto, so both his legs have sores on them. They asked him about how he hurt himself an then roared with laughter when he told his story.
They asked me if I was married, and when I said no asked why I had a ring in my lip. I explained, and they wanted to know if I could still eat, and if it came out. After a little demonstration of that they seemed to understand, but didn't really like it - none of them said they would get it done themselves.
After that we took a walk around 'town' saw the field, farms and more of the people, and then it was a trolley type/raft thing on the train tracks - powered by a small engine-ish thing to the next town about 5 kms away. I think it was the only way to get there although I can't be absolutely sure.
The next town had the same name, and a similar project set up. It was the same kind of format there with the questions and answers thing. We asked them about the split of labor in the village between men and women, and just general sorts of questions about life there. They asked us about Marks accident, and me about my piercing. Somehow skin colour came up... Can't remember why, but they were commenting on how nice our pale skin was, and touching our legs. I said that theirs was lovely and that darker skin is admired at home - people sunbathing and using tanning lotion etc to go darker. They looked amazed, and one woman said that black was ugly and white was beautiful. I said no and so did Mark, and an old lady replied that if we though she was beautiful that we should come and live with her in Cambodia.
After the discussion we went for a 3 - 4km walk around their fields and canals to see the new irrigation system that had been put in about 2 or 3 years ago. They were all so eager to be of help, and try to explain what was happening in their small part of the world, even though none of them spoke any English - although I did learn a little more Khmer while down that way.
That ended our day then it was back on the little train type thing to the car and into town for dinner and bed. Mark and I were both pretty tired, it was (is) damn hot here and spending the day walking around and even just talking tires you out a little, plus it'd been an early start.
Next day we went to the Prey Kabass district to a town called Prabung, or something like that. (I will be sending back some info when I get a chance for you guys there in DST, so that will probably have village names, if not province names)
Again it was a similar set up. Chatted and learnt about the rice bank there. Spoke with the people as best we could (we did have both La and Vikram translating for us most of the time) and then off around the village. When we were talking a whole lotta food was brought out for us all - watermelons, sugar palm fruit, and sliced cucumbers in coconut milk with sugar. Really yummy, and it just kept coming, it was like we were royalty!
The fruit is grown by the villagers themselves, in the fields that they grow rice, but when it isn't the season for rice. I hope that makes sense?
After that we went to a near by town that weaves silk - not an Oxfam project, but very interesting and worthwhile all the same. I saw a lady weaving on a loom, helped crush up some of the sap/spider web stuff they use to make red dye, and ended up buying a piece of green silk, about 3 metres long and apparently the best you can get in Cambodia, for only US$20. Not bad, will think of something to make it into when I get home again - I'll be sending that back with most of the other things I have bought here so far. My pack is so full already it's not funny!
So that was the project visits. Like I said I will be sending you guys some information along with photos - I took a heap, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a few good'uns!
Last night I went out on the tear with Anie (pronounced Onya) and Cait (pronounced Cotch) two of the Irish girls I've been hanging out with. Was a lot of fun - I don't know where I found the energy for it, but glad I did! Some little Cambodian dude that gets officially engaged tomorrow was trying to pick me up and kept asking me where I was sleeping that night and if I liked him... Kinda weird considering that I am about twice his height and weight. I also had someone try and pick pocket me in the club we went to, but luckily felt it and nothing was stolen. We went to the club by moto, and not wanting to travel by ourselves, we all piled onto the one bike - 4 on a bike, true Cambodian style!
Today it was bloody hot again so we went to the Phnom Penh water park - lots of fun, a good way to spend the day!
Well that's about it for me for now. I will be getting film developed tomorrow (I hope) and I am off to the Kirirum National park. Should be fun! Am still getting even more tanned as well, but thankfully no more burning.
The day we got here on the bus from Siem Reap was insane. It was about 5 hours on the bus and we stopped maybe 3 times...? Each time the bus stopped they'd water down the tyers and the radiator - not the most confidence building thing you could see. Also the bus would be surrounded by beggars and people (kids and adults) selling all sorts of food, from pineapple to fried cockroaches, locusts and SPIDERS! Thought about having one, but didn't get as far as actually going ahead with that.
When we arrived the bus was again surrounded by beggars and people touting for different guest houses. We had to wade through a crowd to get our packs, and then fight people off to cross the road in the hope that we could leave them for a while and sort out what we were going to do - but the followed. By the time we finally decided which place we were going to stay and got there I was shagged (unfortunately not literally).
The next day I spent the morning sorting out different things - Vietnam Visa, post office - boring stuff like that. But in our walk around town we found an excellent park - Wat Phnom - the highest temple in the city. We didn't go to the temple, quite frankly I've had enough of them. Since being here I've had the most religion of any kind for some time. Enough is enough! But the park surrounding it was gorgeous - Monkeys and baby monkeys playing on the hill and swinging in trees, an elephant that you could take a ride on. Semon was her name - 45 years of age, and sooo sweet. We fed her, but didn't ride her though (so no luck there either) as I couldn't bring myself to after seeing the way the elephants in Angkor Wat were treated.
Did I say anything about that? They were giving people lifts up and down this hill on elephants. We didn't get on one, but on the way down followed the elephant trail instead of going straight down the hill - a little steep. One of them stopped to take a pee, and the guy riding and steering it hit it on the head with this big club type thing that had a huge spike in the end of it. Needless to say the elephant roared and started backing up - looked like it was going to rear, if they can do that? Or rampage back up the hill. Anyway, I figured I'd be pretty peeved if someone stuck a fuckin big spike in my head just coz I needed to pee half way down a hill. So since then I don't want a part in the elephant thing.
Anyway, getting off the track here.
In the afternoon I was picked up by some of the Cambodian Field office crew to go in and do my presentation thing. It went really well, they seemed to understand and take a bit from it. I left it with Vanna, and he said that it will be passed onto the Laos and Cambodian smaller field offices to give the people there a better understanding of the other facet of Oxfam.
When I walked in I bumped into none other than Mark Thomas! So he sat in on the presentation and also came out to the projects we visited the day after and yesterday.
It was brilliant - the people are wonderful, and seeing it for yourself is indescribable... Although I will try.
Before going out though, La and Vikram gave us a short presentation on how they choose the villages they work with, and decide what to do in them. It seems to be a process of interviewing many different communities in a poorer area. Speaking with the village chiefs and elders, and finding out what their needs and wants are. They do this with a number of different communities and then go back to the office to priorities the villages according to the information they have gained, the funds that they have available and the expertise that would be needed to go ahead with whatever it is that they want to do.
Then they choose a number of villages - all in all they have 14 they are currently working with - that are considered the poorest of the poor, or POP.
The first place we went to was Thanada in the Takeo province. When we arrived it seemed as though 1/2 the people were expecting and waiting for us. We were introduced to the committee members who ran the rice bank there, along with the government counter part - who works with the Oxfam guys, but only to facilitate when needed - not in a monetary way (surprise surprise), and also the village chief. Then we introduced ourselves, asked them questions about village life, the running of the rice banks and the benefits it has brought them. They had increased the rice bank amount since it's beginning 3 years ago from 16 ton to 20 ton. Not bad eh? They asked us questions mainly about ourselves. Mark had burnt himself on the exhaust of a moto, and fallen off a moto, so both his legs have sores on them. They asked him about how he hurt himself an then roared with laughter when he told his story.
They asked me if I was married, and when I said no asked why I had a ring in my lip. I explained, and they wanted to know if I could still eat, and if it came out. After a little demonstration of that they seemed to understand, but didn't really like it - none of them said they would get it done themselves.
After that we took a walk around 'town' saw the field, farms and more of the people, and then it was a trolley type/raft thing on the train tracks - powered by a small engine-ish thing to the next town about 5 kms away. I think it was the only way to get there although I can't be absolutely sure.
The next town had the same name, and a similar project set up. It was the same kind of format there with the questions and answers thing. We asked them about the split of labor in the village between men and women, and just general sorts of questions about life there. They asked us about Marks accident, and me about my piercing. Somehow skin colour came up... Can't remember why, but they were commenting on how nice our pale skin was, and touching our legs. I said that theirs was lovely and that darker skin is admired at home - people sunbathing and using tanning lotion etc to go darker. They looked amazed, and one woman said that black was ugly and white was beautiful. I said no and so did Mark, and an old lady replied that if we though she was beautiful that we should come and live with her in Cambodia.
After the discussion we went for a 3 - 4km walk around their fields and canals to see the new irrigation system that had been put in about 2 or 3 years ago. They were all so eager to be of help, and try to explain what was happening in their small part of the world, even though none of them spoke any English - although I did learn a little more Khmer while down that way.
That ended our day then it was back on the little train type thing to the car and into town for dinner and bed. Mark and I were both pretty tired, it was (is) damn hot here and spending the day walking around and even just talking tires you out a little, plus it'd been an early start.
Next day we went to the Prey Kabass district to a town called Prabung, or something like that. (I will be sending back some info when I get a chance for you guys there in DST, so that will probably have village names, if not province names)
Again it was a similar set up. Chatted and learnt about the rice bank there. Spoke with the people as best we could (we did have both La and Vikram translating for us most of the time) and then off around the village. When we were talking a whole lotta food was brought out for us all - watermelons, sugar palm fruit, and sliced cucumbers in coconut milk with sugar. Really yummy, and it just kept coming, it was like we were royalty!
The fruit is grown by the villagers themselves, in the fields that they grow rice, but when it isn't the season for rice. I hope that makes sense?
After that we went to a near by town that weaves silk - not an Oxfam project, but very interesting and worthwhile all the same. I saw a lady weaving on a loom, helped crush up some of the sap/spider web stuff they use to make red dye, and ended up buying a piece of green silk, about 3 metres long and apparently the best you can get in Cambodia, for only US$20. Not bad, will think of something to make it into when I get home again - I'll be sending that back with most of the other things I have bought here so far. My pack is so full already it's not funny!
So that was the project visits. Like I said I will be sending you guys some information along with photos - I took a heap, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a few good'uns!
Last night I went out on the tear with Anie (pronounced Onya) and Cait (pronounced Cotch) two of the Irish girls I've been hanging out with. Was a lot of fun - I don't know where I found the energy for it, but glad I did! Some little Cambodian dude that gets officially engaged tomorrow was trying to pick me up and kept asking me where I was sleeping that night and if I liked him... Kinda weird considering that I am about twice his height and weight. I also had someone try and pick pocket me in the club we went to, but luckily felt it and nothing was stolen. We went to the club by moto, and not wanting to travel by ourselves, we all piled onto the one bike - 4 on a bike, true Cambodian style!
Today it was bloody hot again so we went to the Phnom Penh water park - lots of fun, a good way to spend the day!
Well that's about it for me for now. I will be getting film developed tomorrow (I hope) and I am off to the Kirirum National park. Should be fun! Am still getting even more tanned as well, but thankfully no more burning.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Cambodia is lovely! Did the temple thing around Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, The Bayon, and a few lesser temples. Took some rubbings, which I was told by one guard would be ok. So I toddled around the temples with my paper and crayons, having a chat and a laugh with the Irish girls I'm currently travelling with. When we were in the main part of Angkor Wat I was 1/2 way through taking one of the tree of life and a guard marched up to me and snatched it out of my hand - almost with the crayon I had. Scared the shit outta me and I thought I was about to be arrested or something as he was shouting at me in Khmer.... Still I got a few ones that weren't confiscated, and took a load of photos as well, so hopefully a few of them will turn out to be good'uns!
We met (what we thought to be) a monk at the top of Angkor Wat, and chatted to him for about 1/2 an hour as well,then he gave us 'his announcement' as he put it. Told us he'd become a monk because he was very sad.... then asked us for cold hard US$ so that he could continue his monkdom.... So many beggars here compared to Thailand, but it's much cheaper here, and the city is a lot nicer than Bangkok. Have done a bit of shopping for different things, and will be having to send back a box shortly as now I can bearly close my pack.... Knew this would happen!! But am sure I will be posting back more than just one small box. A few things for me and presents for those at home.
Saw a huge centepede, a snake and numerous bugs, which are all enormous. Sinead {the girl I am travelling with through Vietnam and back to Bangkok}, won't go near them. We had a cockroach in our room last night, so I had to grab it and put it outside to stop the squealling, and so we could both go to bed. Otherwise she wouldn't go in the room... Dunno how she'll handle Australia.
The bus ride from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh was like playing chicken with every other vehicle on the road for about 6 hours... We did stop a few times for drinks, toilet, whatever. At both of the stops there were people selling fruits and the usuual asian fair, along with what looked to be fried locusts and cockroaches, and then the second stop they had what seemed to be honey coated fried spiders. A little different to a truck stop at home and whats on offer for food there, that's for damn sure!! Not a relaxing ride at all, and when we did arrive in the city our bus was completely surrounded by beggars, tuk tuk drivers and people touting for different guest houses here, before we'd even stopped. We had to wade through the people all shouting at you to get our back packs, and then fight people off who were grabbing at you, trying to take you to some guest house, or beg so that we could sit down and decide what we wanted to do and where to stay.
Finally they left us alone, and we got ourselves something to eat (none of us had filled up on the spiders) and then went to a guest house right on the lake. The rooms are reaasonable, it's a gorgeous setting and it's $3 per night. Certainly not going to break the bank!
Well I am off to do my presentation this afternoon, and then project visits tomorrow and the day after. Looking forward to it, and definitely need another showere and to get changed before I get picked up. Wish me luck!
We met (what we thought to be) a monk at the top of Angkor Wat, and chatted to him for about 1/2 an hour as well,then he gave us 'his announcement' as he put it. Told us he'd become a monk because he was very sad.... then asked us for cold hard US$ so that he could continue his monkdom.... So many beggars here compared to Thailand, but it's much cheaper here, and the city is a lot nicer than Bangkok. Have done a bit of shopping for different things, and will be having to send back a box shortly as now I can bearly close my pack.... Knew this would happen!! But am sure I will be posting back more than just one small box. A few things for me and presents for those at home.
Saw a huge centepede, a snake and numerous bugs, which are all enormous. Sinead {the girl I am travelling with through Vietnam and back to Bangkok}, won't go near them. We had a cockroach in our room last night, so I had to grab it and put it outside to stop the squealling, and so we could both go to bed. Otherwise she wouldn't go in the room... Dunno how she'll handle Australia.
The bus ride from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh was like playing chicken with every other vehicle on the road for about 6 hours... We did stop a few times for drinks, toilet, whatever. At both of the stops there were people selling fruits and the usuual asian fair, along with what looked to be fried locusts and cockroaches, and then the second stop they had what seemed to be honey coated fried spiders. A little different to a truck stop at home and whats on offer for food there, that's for damn sure!! Not a relaxing ride at all, and when we did arrive in the city our bus was completely surrounded by beggars, tuk tuk drivers and people touting for different guest houses here, before we'd even stopped. We had to wade through the people all shouting at you to get our back packs, and then fight people off who were grabbing at you, trying to take you to some guest house, or beg so that we could sit down and decide what we wanted to do and where to stay.
Finally they left us alone, and we got ourselves something to eat (none of us had filled up on the spiders) and then went to a guest house right on the lake. The rooms are reaasonable, it's a gorgeous setting and it's $3 per night. Certainly not going to break the bank!
Well I am off to do my presentation this afternoon, and then project visits tomorrow and the day after. Looking forward to it, and definitely need another showere and to get changed before I get picked up. Wish me luck!
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Oh what a trip - from beautiful Koh Phangan to Siem Reap - about 30 hours on boat and bus! I was completely knackered by the time we arrived, but the guest house we are at is absolutely fantastic. More like a 5 star hotel than a backpacker joint!
Today we're off having a look around town, and then this evening to Angkor Wat to see the sun set over the temples. Then a really early start on Sunday to see the sun rise, and have a look around the temples before it gets too hot.
Coming in to Cambodia was an experience and a half! Crossing the border, being accosted by beggars, small children, one girl in our group had her bag stolen. Thankfully I still have all my things and nothing was nicked. The change in housing and conditions was extreme to that of Thailand, I thought some parts of there were poor, but my goodness, Cambodia made me want to cry. Shanties and small huts that look like they're about to collapse. Dust, and grime everywhere, and just the people looking sad and poor. All of this surrounded by the lush green of the country side. I said that Bangkok and Thailand was a contradiction, and this is even more so. All of this poverty and then out of the blue the most ornate, gold and silver covered temples, grand scale government buildings, and of course the over the top guest houses.
The people here are wonderful, friendly doesn't even begin to describe them. They are the most hospitable of all we have met so far, honest, and happy to do anything for you. You get far less hassle here than in Thailand, these people understand 'no thanks'and let you go on your way. And yet if you need to go somewhere, organise a tour of the temples as we have, they will give you the information, don't want to take your money but tell you to pay when you get there. In Thailand it seems as though everyone works on a commission of some sort.
We are planning on stopping here for another 3 days or so, and then to catch a boat down the river to Phnom Penh. A day there to get sorted and then on Wednesday I go to the Oxfam field office to do my presentation, then the two days after that will be spent looking at the projects in the Takeo province & Prey Kabass district. Should be interesting.
So far I have only learnt one Khmer phrase - thank you - but it seems most people speak English, which makes it easy. Still I want to learn a little more as we will be here for a while and it only seems right that I should try to communicate in their tongue. Shall be studying my phrase book of a night as there doesn't seem to be much night life. Although that's a complete assumption, I haven't looked as last night I just crashed out after arriving at our guest house.
Vicky the girl I was traveling with has stayed in Thailand down on the Islands, and now I am traveling with an Irish lass - Sinead. She's pretty nice and has the same sort of travel plans as I - that being none! So we will toddle our way around together until she has to go or we get sick of each other, Going wherever our fancy takes us!
Today we're off having a look around town, and then this evening to Angkor Wat to see the sun set over the temples. Then a really early start on Sunday to see the sun rise, and have a look around the temples before it gets too hot.
Coming in to Cambodia was an experience and a half! Crossing the border, being accosted by beggars, small children, one girl in our group had her bag stolen. Thankfully I still have all my things and nothing was nicked. The change in housing and conditions was extreme to that of Thailand, I thought some parts of there were poor, but my goodness, Cambodia made me want to cry. Shanties and small huts that look like they're about to collapse. Dust, and grime everywhere, and just the people looking sad and poor. All of this surrounded by the lush green of the country side. I said that Bangkok and Thailand was a contradiction, and this is even more so. All of this poverty and then out of the blue the most ornate, gold and silver covered temples, grand scale government buildings, and of course the over the top guest houses.
The people here are wonderful, friendly doesn't even begin to describe them. They are the most hospitable of all we have met so far, honest, and happy to do anything for you. You get far less hassle here than in Thailand, these people understand 'no thanks'and let you go on your way. And yet if you need to go somewhere, organise a tour of the temples as we have, they will give you the information, don't want to take your money but tell you to pay when you get there. In Thailand it seems as though everyone works on a commission of some sort.
We are planning on stopping here for another 3 days or so, and then to catch a boat down the river to Phnom Penh. A day there to get sorted and then on Wednesday I go to the Oxfam field office to do my presentation, then the two days after that will be spent looking at the projects in the Takeo province & Prey Kabass district. Should be interesting.
So far I have only learnt one Khmer phrase - thank you - but it seems most people speak English, which makes it easy. Still I want to learn a little more as we will be here for a while and it only seems right that I should try to communicate in their tongue. Shall be studying my phrase book of a night as there doesn't seem to be much night life. Although that's a complete assumption, I haven't looked as last night I just crashed out after arriving at our guest house.
Vicky the girl I was traveling with has stayed in Thailand down on the Islands, and now I am traveling with an Irish lass - Sinead. She's pretty nice and has the same sort of travel plans as I - that being none! So we will toddle our way around together until she has to go or we get sick of each other, Going wherever our fancy takes us!