Bangkok!

Our last stop is Bangkok. And we decided to avoid the tourist hubs and plunked down in the middle of Chinatown. We checked into the Shanghai Mansion Hotel and it is perfect. It is a 1930's boutique hotel with a classy jazz bar nestled amid the buzz of the street markets. Marina and I have enjoyed the sitting by the goldfish pond, lounging in the huge bath tub, and dancing to the jazz band in the evenings.

We love the romantic surroundings and we are all trying to pack in as much last minute shopping and sight-seeing as we can. It is Deb's first time here, so it like seeing everything again for the first time. We went to Wat Pho and walked around the markets. A pigeon pooed on my head. Marina says it is good luck, but yuck! It is the 4th time it's happened to me, so I suppose I'm super lucky.

It's almost time to leave and we're both excited to be coming home but sad to be leaving Asia. We saw new sights, met new people, and revisited places we loved. It was tiring, difficult, beautiful and magical, sometimes all at once.

Koh Chang

Getting to Koh Chang from Siem Reap was a full day. It was an easy and efficient trip but a roundabout one. Thankfully Deb bought us plane tickets, but we had to fly to Bangkok, then to Trat, then bus to the dock, then take a ferry over to the island, then drive around the island to the far side where we stayed at a fishing bay. On our six hour stop over in Bangkok we even managed to store our extra luggage and cab into the city for lunch.

Our stay on Koh Chang was unexpected in many different ways. First off, Marina and I spent a wonderful month there almost 5 years ago. It was a sleepy island, with beautiful beaches, welcoming locals, winding roads, and large hills of dense rainforest. We drove scooters from one end of the island to the other and passed exactly 6 other riders on the entire drive. Speed boats were the only means of reaching the island. It was all hammocks, cold beer, thatched huts, and warm, clear blue waters.

Fast forward. We arrived on the island via one of two ferries, packed with vehicles, themselves packed with Thai families. It is a holiday weekend. There are more cars on the one ferry then there once was on the entire island. As we drive around the island we pass Sandy Beach, the short developed street where we once stayed. But our thatched huts were gone. Everywhere there were resorts. And the tiny stretch of resturants and shops kept going. And going. And going. The clinic that once was a ways out of "town" passed by and the buildings kept passing on and on. It was dizzying. It was a little like driving into Vegreville and finding Reno.

And it rained and rained. The wind blew and the precipitation ranged from drizzle to downpour.

But Deb, Marina's mother, kindly set us up in the Tropicana Resort. So we could hide out in a lovely room and play cards and eat dinner sheltered beside the pool. We no longer had to rely on a plastic bucket of ice, the 7-11 and a couple of 2 dollar hammocks for our leisure time. Room service! Thanks to Deb for saving the day.

It was a bitter-sweet time. We realized that you can't always return to the same place twice.

Pictures of Siem Reap

Siem Reap

So we finally arrived in Siem Reap. Marina and I had a day or two to relax waiting for Marina's mom, Deb, to arrive. We got up early (4 am) and ran around to temples until midday, then retired to the pool to cool off. Siem Reap is a large town and a tourist hotspot. There are Mexican, Italian, and anytypt of resturant that you's care to try there. It's all shops, hotels, resturants and tuk tuks. But it was picturesque and quieter than Phenom Pehn.

The number of temples in the vicinity is staggering. A book I read said 52. The major ones are somewhat grouped together, while the surrounding area is peppered with more. The Khmer kings that constructed them led huge empires that stretched covered parts or all of modern day Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos and Myanmar, as well as Cambodia. Their religon was Hinduism but later became a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism. Hence, the elaborate and intricate artwork and confusing mish-mash of gods.

I will not go on and on about all the temples we saw (only about 10 or so). After four days of temple-seeing it all becomes a bit too much. They blend together. But at the same time each temple was so unique. Angkor Wat was overwhelming. It is the largest single religous structure on earth. I did not capture it's grandeur in my photos. It is just too big. You either capture something that looks like a backdrop in the distance, or you capture one spire, a tiny corner of a massive courtyard looming over the landscape. We went before dawn, in the dark, to capture the Wat at sunrise, and you walk over a massive moat and through a gateway and then over a cobbled walkway that goes on and on and on, before arriving at a small lake overlooking the main complex. And then the sun rises and you look around and at the open space and it's humbling. Then you walk up to the temple, and climb up a level and there are intricately carved reliefs stretching 100-150 yards in both directions. You then climb into a huge collection of courtyards, then up again to a another level, another huge open space with another huge temple rising up to the sky in the middle. And looking down you see grassy fields with samller temples in them wrapping around below that you somehow missed in your climb up.

The other temples may not be as massive but each was awesome. Some where decimated piles of mossy rubble, with massive lurching temples, ancient trees growing over and through the stones. One temple was a huge pyramid-like structure, almost like an Mayan ruin. Others are smaller, catherdral-size building, but with much of their intricate carvings intact. My favorite was a later one, Bayon. It is a massive, towering structure with dozens of Buddha faces staring in every direction. The stone of all the temples is discoloured from centuries of weathering and you can climb all over all of them, except for the parts being reconstructed. All the sites have piles of ruins strewn around and no security to speak of. You could literally pick up a hunk of an ancient carving and throw it in your backpack and leave.

Well, I supoose I went on more than I intended. It is definantly a wonder of the world and bucket list worthy. Just make sure to give yourself a few days.

The first picture is of me with a statue of Ho Chi Mihn. Marina and I got caught in a massive rainstorm while walking to this building. We bought rain slickers but mine was too short. The second picture is of Marina in Siagon. The third is of a woman in Hoi An.

Pictures!

The first picture is of our lovely dinner in Hoi An. The second is of Marina in Siem Reap.

Cambodia

So we made it out of Vietnam. Siagon was a blast. It was huge and bustling. We did a walking tour of District 1 and saw the War Memorial Museum (wow). But that is for another post. Cambodia. Coming into it for Vietnam the most striking thing was the landscape. Vietnam is all twists and turns, hills, jungle and poorly kept roads. Cambodia is flat and open. Open fields dotted with tall palm trees. The roads are less congested, and although they are in poor shape in most of the country, the main highway to Phnom Penh and onto Siem Reap is paved and smooth with relatively little traffic. Cambodia is somehow quieter. The country, like Vietnam, has been to hell and back over the last half century. I won't go through the horrid details. Rent "The Killing Fields". But the people are kind and playful. When they aren't working they chase each other and joke. Smiles are open and honest. But the scars of the past are everywhere. It is poor here. Poorer than Vietnam. Not quite India -starving in the street poor- but it's everywhere in the capital touristy areas. There are many limbless people selling postcards or photocopied books. And many children doing the same.

Phnom Penh seemed small and sleepy compared to Siagon, but it is still 2 million people big. The riverside is beautiful, with a long, lit walkway stretching for kilometres. It is lined with restaurants and bars. We had the best pub grub I've had in my life at an English pub called the Green Vespa. But it was tough on Marina and I, eating so well and enjoying ourselves out on the town while surrounded by such sadness. We loved it, but it is a very bitter-sweet feeling leaving.

We're in Siem Reap now. It has been great. There is still the poverty, but the town is small and picturesque. It doesn't have the underbelly of the capital, ans we have 4 days here, by far the longest we have stayed anywhere so far. We are enjoying the pool and taking it easy in a lovely clean hotel. We have hired a tuk tuk for 4 days and have already spent a morning exploring some temples. Marina's mother arrives tomorrow and then we'll see Angkor Wat. We are missing home but enjoying this last leg of the trip.

Sorry there are no pictures posted. We're having computer problems. We'll try again soon.

Hoi An

A beautiful untouched town. Small streets with cobble stones. During the Vietnam war this lovely little town was never bombed. All of the architecture has been kept, and kept up rather well. There are tailors and shoe makers set up in these old colonial buildings with real shutters.

After walking these lovely streets (no cars are aloud, yay) we found a wonderful little restaurant. We had previously read about it the the bible (lonely planet book) and instantly wanted to go. There was so many wonderful dishes to choose from. First we had grilled meet on bamboo that you wrap in rice paper with fresh herbs and vermicelli and dipped in fish sauce. Then we had prawns grilled on sugar cane. Our next course was more main course. We had the beautiful steamed bok choy with a wonderful spicy red sauce. Also, a Hoi An specialty, which I cannot remember the name of, that was a rich complex broth, then noodles and fresh herbs and vegetables. So delicious. The broth reminded me of my short rib broth.

After this wonderful feast, we are both lazily full, I walk to the toilet. On my way back to the table I notice an ancient ice cream maker at work in a barrel of ice. I ask this man, who appeared to be the manager, if that was an ice cream maker. He replied, quiet happy that someone noticed and knew what this odd contraption was, that yes it was an ice cream maker and that all of there ice cream is made in house. Full as I was I came back to the table and told Ben I was ordering the ice cream. All I have to say is dericious.

Hue

Hue was great. Our Hotel was the best yet. We had internet in our room and our tv was nicer than the one we have at home! We watched a lot of crappy movies. I even had a BATH!

It is much smaller than any other place we had been to desides Cat Ba. So many motorbikes. Everywhere there are motorbikes. Ohh, the food was wonderful as well. There is a restaurant call Japanese Restaurant. And you will never guess, they serve Japanese food. Why we chose to go there was because the owner started it to give street kids jobs and help them get off the street. All of the profits go towards helping the kids as well. We felt good eating there but better after having the food. Oh my goodness was it delicious. It was better than most of the Japanese food we have in Edmonton.

Also, we went and saw the Citadel. The old quarters for the Emporer. One of the things I love about Asia is that they do not surround every relic with velvet ropes. We were able to walk all around it and through it. It has a much more profound affect. A lot of Chinese influence in the decor. Old concrete dragons and such.

We also went to the market. I got ripped off so badly. I bought some lichee nuts for 50,000 dong. Thats about $3 but still. The woman couldn't beleive I was willing to pay it. She started fanning my with her fan. I think she felt like she owed me something. Which she did! The best lichee nuts I have ever had.

Covering Ground

Hey all. Sorry for the gap between blogs. We have covered much ground since Hanoi. We are now in Na Trang. The name conjures up images of shore leave from Vietnam war movies. It is obviously tamer now, but it is still is a bit of party town. There are two massive beaches that stretch about ten kilometres around a bay. There are some islands in the distance and hills surrounding the town. The beach is big enough that it never seems crowded. It is holiday season in Vietnam, so there are many vacationing families. It's fun because the beach is all children, parents, and grandparents. It is still hot, but managably so. It hovers between 33 and 27, which almost feels cool compared the heat before. (In Hue, my tuk tuk driver said to me, "You come today, very good. Yesterday very hot, 43. Today cool. Only 39.)There are many bars here and the scene gets a little messy at night, but Marina and I are early to bed and early to rise so we have avoided the uglier parts of Na Trang. We've had a little beach time and had our fancy seafood dinner and are planning to leave tomorrow for Saigon. Then onto Cambodia and Thailand.

Since it is Marina's turn to blog about our stay in Hoi An and Hue, I'll just tell the tale of our lousy busride from Hanoi to Hue.

We bought two tickets going from Hanoi to Hue to Hoi An to Na Trang to Saigon for $50 US each. The airlines were booked, so we changed all our plans on the fly. We would do the coastal route, but have to miss out on Dalat to get to Cambodia in time to meet Marina's mother. So we book ourselves on sleeper buses for the longer trips (overnighters) and regular buses for the 4 1/2 hour trips. All good.

The sleeper buses are buses lined with little bunk beds, so you can nap your way to your next stop. We were to be picked up at our hotel and driven to the bus. So we waited (and blogged) and waited. Pretty soon it was 1/2 hour late, then an hour, then 1 1/2 hours late. No one seemed to worry about it it so we tried not to. Everything runs late here. So we're picked up and whisked through downtown Hanoi at night. It is a blur of shops and traffic and construction.

After a 1/2 hour we arrive at a dark spot near an overpass with the sleeper bus sitting there. Marina runs to save us seats, while I manage our baggage. She boards and is shouted at to remove her shoes. She then finds every bed to be occupied. Then she is shouted at to get off the bus. We're both confused. The bus drivers don't know what to do and wave off my questions. Then as we're trying to figure things out, the bus pulls away. We're left running beside the bus, shouting. Then standing, dumbstuck.

I go into the nerby building to find someone. A woman finally comes out and tells us "so sorry" and that she can refund us the difference and we could take this bus, pointing to a regular bus without sleeper beds. It's dark. We don't know where in the city we are and Marina is furious. We have to make a quick decision, the bus is full and waiting. We decide, at my urging, to take it. It's only an overnight trip.

They load our bags underneath, but can't fit a box of gifts we've purchased. We take them on the bus with us. There are only four seats left. The front two and the two behind them. It's mostly Vietnamese on the bus with a handful of backpackers at the back. The woman apologizes and tells us we can have the front seats (with more leg room) and our box is thrown with another behind the driver. Then, before we begin moving, the bus driver yells at us to move to the seats behind us. We're pissed. We move without complaining but I let them know with a glare that we're not happy. He then complains about the box, but it has to stay.

We leave. Marina is mad, but silently brooding. About 20 minutes into the drive, on the freeway, we stop and the men driving begin tossing out our luggage onto the side of the road beside a truck. I go outside to see what's going on. They are loading cable into the luggage compartment, and then start loading our bags into the bus. I grab our bags and bring them on. The bus driver is really pissed that I'm outside watching them work, I think because other backpackers were coming to see what was going on. He shouts at me to "Get on!" and we have a tense moment before I board. Marina grabs her bag and puts it at her feet and I keep mine, but the busdriver grabs it and tosses it onto the pile in the seat in front of us.

We move on, but the scene is tense.

Eventually, people board and get off at various stops and the seats in front of us clear off. As is usual for these trips, the two front seats are reserved for the bus drivers helpers. All three of these men are chatting about Marina and I off and on. Then, when they take these seats, they make a big display about sprawling out in these seats and pushing their seats waaay back. The leg room is really small to begin with. The bus is made for the Vietnamese and they are all tiny. The seat in front of me is now in my lap. I have to sit with my legs sprawled to either side of it and there is no way to move from that spot. Marina has her bag at her feet so she must sit sideways with her knees up by her chin. There is no complaining about the lack of room. They ignore us and make a show of stretching out with their feet out over our bag and stretching their hands out over our faces.

At this point there is 11 hours to go before arriving in Hue.

At our next stop Marina decides to stay on the bus but is shouted at to get off because they lock the bus up.

We drift in and out semi-wakefulness. Our legs go numb and we awkwardly attempt to shift our weight any way possible. Marina throws her legs over my lap. I throw mine out into the aisle. I even sleep a bit draped over the back of the seat in front of me, with my hands dangling over the bus worker's head as he sleeps. The bus driver shoots me dirty looks, but I ignore him. At another point Marina catches the driver blasting his horn and watching to see if Marina's still awake. It sucks and after 6 or 7 hours Marina and I aren't even angry anymore. We're just feeling really tired and kind of sad for these men, who are enjoying trying to make us miserable. I'm sure we probably came off as entitled brats when we boarded their bus and they took the opportunity to show they're the bosses of the bus.

All night our manic and angry bus driver speeds, honking at oncoming traffic and making unsafe passes into oncoming traffic. I have an a perfect view of the road, sitting perfectly erect, looking over the sleeping forms of the bus workers in front of me. He drinks Red Bull and attacks the traffic in front of him like he has a grudge.

After 10 hours I see signs that we're 55 kilometres from Hue. Then 20 minutes later I see a sign that we're 50 kilometres away from Hue. We are zombified. Physically and emotionally drained. We are supposed to arrive at 8:00am and it's 8:15 and we're there's still 40 kilometres to go.

And then, as traffic lightens, we slow down. Inexplicably, we reduce our speed to about 40 kilometres an hour for the rest of the way. We don't even care. We arrive an 1 hour and 15 minutes late. Approximately 13 hours after we left.

Getting off that bus and into our waiting taxi was such a relief. I felt somewhat bad about my behaviour boarding the bus, but it was clear that they were being jerks about it too. I don't want to leave anyone with the impression that this episode was in any way representaive of our treatment here. Everyone has been kind and helpful. But somehow we ended up in a perfect storm of misunderstandings that led us to one of worst bus rides of our lives.

Cat Ba Pics

Cat Ba

So, Cat Ba.....
Cat Ba and I were not fast friends. We had to catch a bus then a boat and another bus to get there. The boat was dirty and these children fell in love with Ben. Their "love" consisted of slapping him and me on the head. By the way, I was trying to sleep during the slapping.

Then we arrived in Cat Ba and it was PACKED. We tried finding a decent hotel but most were full. We settled, to my dismay, for a dirty room. I made the mistake of opening the mini bar and was blown back by the stench. What could stink it up so bad? They only hold sealed beverages. Never cleaning it, thats what!

Okay, we are in a hotel. I take my clothes off and throw on my flip flops and jump in the shower. Get cleaned and Ben and I venture out in seek of food. We have not eaten since the previous evening. Me not even that.

We find some food and a place to book our kayaking trip and a "trek". Which we do. We book a trek for an hour later. I don't know if any of you have been on a "trek" but I do not recommend trying one for your first time in 40 plus heat with 100% humidity. This "trek" started with a short motorbike ride to a small farm (I guess you could call a few chickens running around a farm) and our guide taking us trough this open field. We could see these small round mountain hills that were COVERED in bush. Into the jungle we go and straight up. Mind you our guide is in heavy cotton pants and long sleeved shirt with FLIP FLOPS. Up, up, up we go. I keep thinking "just make it to the top". We did make to the top where i proceeded to vomit. I was drenched with sweat, soooo dizzy and light headed. I had to sit for 10 minutes and continue vomitting. After a little while, I feel okay. I tell Ben to carry on. He wants to head back but I say no. We carry on like this for about an hour. Then, teatering on rocks, I finally give in to the jungle and say "I have to go back". By this time Ben and I are so drenched in our own sweat, you could wring it out and get a bucket full. So, we head back and stop at the same place where I got sick the first time around. YAY. Our lovely guide got some leachy nuts from the bushes and we sat and ate them for a while before continuing back down.

We get back to the farm and I am being asked repeatedly if I am pregnant. Well, first we are asked if we are married and when we say yes, then we are asked if I am pregnant. For the life of me, I could not figure out why they are asking us this. I turn to Ben and ask "god, do I LOOK pregnant?" "No, no" Ben assures me.

We are back on the motorbikes driving back to our hotel when my drivers helmet flies off and hits me in the face and break my RayBans my mother bought me in Australia. Another YAY.

Back at the hotel I shower again and notice there is something all over my legs. Mm hm, u guessed it. HEAT RASH! Oh, and the power is out in the city.

So, I say to Ben "lets go and get me an icecream". We walk out and notice all the lights are on. I ask why our power is turned off and the hotel attendant looks over and sees that the breaker switch for our room is TURNED OFF!!! I couldn't fu*&ing beleive it. I was so mad. Ben and I were roasting in our hotel room for three hours without real cause. Oh my god, I was fumeing.

I was seriously hating Cat Ba. But, we still had a kayaking tour to go on the next day so I was unable to turn and run back to Ha Noi. Up early and off onto a boat and out to sea we go.

Okay, so, the kayaking was BEAUTIFUL. I mean, the most wonderful thing Ben and I have ever experienced. Really. And I say "its all worth it".

Then we go back to the boat and eat lunch. They prepare this on the boat. I am loving the food. Fresh watermelon, rice, spring rolls, grilled fish. Delicious! Then I see something move on the wall right next to me. I look and the wall is swarming with little cockroaches. Little as in the size of a nickle. Swarming!! I cant do it and escape to the roof.

Cat Ba and I are still not friends.

Pictures!

A picture.

Unfortunately, here is the only picture I can post. It is of us, tired and approximately 13 hours into our flight. I found out that I have my camera set for high quality photos. I wisely set my camera for lower res photos on the flight, but have not done so since, so this is the only one small enough to post. I have hundreds of photos too large to post. I will try and load one more. Marina is asleep and I have a book on me. The next one, if successful, will take awhile. Cheers.

Pictures...

Sorry about the lack of photographic evidence of our travels. The computers here are not the quickest and I am new to this blogging business. Hopefully, I'll be posting some soon.

P.S.- Facebook is blocked here by order of the Communist government. So commenting here is better.

Same Same but Different

We have arrived in Asia safe and sound. The flight was a slog, but Bangkok was a welcome sight. It was a city that was familiar but different. All the usual suspects were there, the braying traffic, the smell of the humidity, the drunken Brits weaving down Khao San, all of it. And yet everywhere it was a little less. The lack of tourist bustle was palitable. The rest of the city carries on, but the tourist spots are quiet. Marina and I got all our errands done, buying items that were cheaper to buy new than pack, and then moved on.

We caught a flight at 5:45am to Hanoi. Booking in Bangkok cost us more than doing it online from home. Whoops. But we caught the flight and everything seemed to be coming up Ben and Marina. So much so that I had to comment on it. And, abruptly, it stopped. Marina and I argued on the plane. A traveling argument. The type that always happens when you spend every waking moment with another human being. Shit comes up. We arrived in Hanoi and our luggage, and the luggage for the entire flight, was delayed. A half hour. One hour. We stood and stewed silently. Two hours. We started quietly questioning whether this whole trip was a good idea. Two and a half hours. Like a miracle our luggage pops up.

Then we get flagged by a driver from the hotel with a placecard reading "Marina" (the best feeling when arriving in a new country) and walk outside into the blazing sun. It is hot. We drove past a sign on the freeway that said 52 degrees Celcius. It was, of course, wrong but another later said 38 degrees, and it was right. It felt like somewhere between the two. The sun here seemed brighter and our moods darker. We then got somewhat ripped off on the cabride (16 dollars!?, a bus would have been 3) when we arrived at our hotel. After begrudgingly paying the man we settled into our lovely, lovely air-conditioned room. We made up. I havd a beer and Marina had cold coffee and we were happy and in love again.

And in Hanoi! We are nestled in the Old Quarter and it is great! Old European style buildings, narrow lanes shaded by large over-grown trees, scooters beeping and weaving everywhere, bicycles, children, roosters and dogs, people eating and chatting on the sidewalks, sleeping in their store fronts, and everywhere bustle, bustle, bustle. It has charm galore. The Vietnamese are beautiful people. Good-looking beautiful and kind beautiful. As any of you that know Marina know that she appreciates beautiful woman and points them out to me whenever she has an opportunity. Well, she had many opportunities here. A gorgeous lake centres the Old Quarter and Marina and I woke up at 6 to walk around it. Even at this early hour it was hot, but the cobblestone parks surrounding the lake were filled with the old and young jogging and doing weird Asian calesthetics.

The traffic is intense in the Old Quarter. Like India busy, but everyone drives faster there than they can there, making the crossing any street a tense affair. More tourists are injured here in traffic accidents than all other injuries or illnesses combined. Every moment you walk the street you must keep one part of your mind on the traffic while you are trying to absorb the sights. But once you find the rhythm it is easy. The locals just walk out into traffic and the vehicles flow around them. As long as you walk steadily and with a purpose no one will hit you. It is all very Zen. Aside from the incessant horns honking.

Marina and I have walked as much as we could without suffering from heat stroke. We have eatten at a few Lonely Planet recommended resturants (mediocre and over-priced affairs) and eatten on the street (de-ricous and cheap). We have napped in our air conditioned rooms a fair bit and read our books. We have enjoyed each others company. And we have fallen hard for Hanoi.

Early tomorrow morning we are heading for Cat Ba Island for some kayaking, caves and deserted beaches.

P.S.- Marina will probably be mad at me for posting this, but it is a cute story. Every time we travel Marina gets plenty of stares from locals (and often tourists too). It was very intense in India, less so in Thailand and Laos. Here she has been getting stared at by men and women alike. I think it is because of a combination of factors: her beauty, her pale skin, her body type. There just aren't many tall, busty, pale-skinned beauties in Southeast Asia. So yesterday, as we're leaving the hotel, the girl at the desk says, "Miss. Miss. You very beautiful. Angelina Jolie. Same same." While the staring often wears on Marina, I'm sure that complement will stay with her awhile.

Welcome

So it is Wednesday evening. Another school year is over and with it all the rush and good-byes that come with ending the year. The report cards and field trips and year end celebrations are done. The wife has been running around for days filling prescriptions, cleaning, leaving instructions, and packing, preparing for our little trip, which the subject of this little blog. It will be a month long whirlwind through Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia to places both familiar and new. I'm sure there will be at least a couple of stories to tell and I know at least Mom and Dad will be reading. It is after midnight so I'll wrap up this little awkward introduction and try and catch a few hours before the flight in the morning. We will post again from Bangkok.