Hong Kong

Maybe I'm just a city kid who's homesick for a real urban center, but clean, organized Hong Kong was a welcome sight. And it's so easy to get around with the great subway system. The  sheer number and density of super-high skyscrapers is unbelievable - and not just in the center but all over and in the 'residential' areas too. It seems the only way to build is up and up and up.
I arrived last night and I've spent one day here with my friend Janet showing me around. We went out of the center to see some temples, markets, and a cemetery. Tonight Janet and Vincent and I are going for dinner.

more Cambodia

I've got a long layover in Bangkok airport on my way to Hong Kong so I thought I'd post a bit.
I was interesting talking to the Cambodian people that I met: my guide, driver, someone at an internet place, even a monk at a local temple in town. They want to learn and practice English. I got the impression of pride in their country and they encouraged me to see more of it.
Something on everyones mind is the border dispute with Thailand. This is very important to them. Cambodians really feel like the underdog, and its easy to sympathize.
They are aware of the horrors of the past, but they did not dwell on it. They spoke of it matter-of-factly, but seemed more interested in moving on.
This biggest problem is corruption. I met a young American guy who is a teacher with an NGO, helping poor school kids. He told me that the Cambodian teachers make so little money that they require bribes from students to learn the full curriculum, so if you are poor you don't get an education. That's one example. Hopefully the NGOs work will result in better lives for the next generation.

more Angkor ruins

Tonight is my last in Cambodia. Tomorrow I travel to Hong Kong via a connecting flight in Bangkok.

Yesterday I hired a driver to see more of the ruins in the outlying areas. First thing in the morning, we drove 50 km in the Tuk-Tuk ( a 2-wheeled cart pulled by a motorcycle). This was great for seeing the countryside and the people outside the city. The road was mostly good, but it was muddy in some stretches and at one point I jumped out of the Tuk-Tuk and started pushing.



It was another hot day. So far it was very, very hot and humid during the day, with a thundershower in the early evening.

We drove to the start of a trail. I hiked 1.5 km up to a stream in which the riverbed is carved in Hindu symbols. The carvings cover about 100m to 200m of the stream. It was good to do this first thing in the morning, as by the time I was hiking down I was getting really overheated. The ride on the Tuk-Tuk was nice afterward, with the breeze. The next stop was a temple about 35km north of Angkor Wat, which is made of pink stone and very intricately carved. Afterward we drove back to the main Angkor temple area, where I saw 3 more small temples.

On the way back I stopped at the Cambodia Landmine Museum, which is sponsored by a Canadian organization. There are displays on the founder of the museum, a Cambodian who used to be a soldier but has since destroyed over 50000 landmines. There are also displays on the war in Cambodia, landmines, and the landmine treaty, all in several languages.

The last stop for the day was a hill near Angkor Wat which gives great views. It's about a 20 min. walk up. And many, many tourists do this in hopes of seeing Angkor Wat at sunset. There are heavy clouds, so there is no real sunset. In fact, expecting another thundershower, I hurry down and get back to the Tuk-Tuk just in time.


Today when I woke up it was pouring rain. I'm glad I saw the temples that I did in two full days, even though that was tiring. By afternoon it clears up and I rent a bicycle to ride around town and even make it back to Angkor Wat again. I don't cycle long, as it is threatening rain again.

I like Cambodia, and I'd like to see more of it, not just this really touristy part. The Cambodians seem reserved at first but when you stop to really talk to them they are very friendly.

Angkor Wat

Today was my first day touring the ruins. I hired a guide and driver. Once we got started, however, a group of Australians noticed me and asked if they could split the cost of the guide. They were really nice and it was great to have people in a group with the guide.
The sheer size of the complex is mind boggling. The scale of the grounds of just one temple is measured in kilometers. It would take a long time in the heat to walk from one to the other. Even walking around the inside of one was very tiring.
We started with Angkor Thom, which is actually a large walled area containing many temples and other structures. We then drove to Ta Phrom, a temple that has not been cleared of vegetation so it has trees growing out of it. It was made famous when the movie "Tomb Raider" was filmed here. After lunch we go to Angkor Wat, a large temple surrounded by a moat, containing the distinctive 5 towers.
That was a full day. In the evening I went to the "culture show" of traditional Cambodian dancing.

Cambodia

I spent yesterday walking around the relatively small town of Siem Reap, the closest town to the Angkor ruins. This was probably a very, very small place a few years ago, but is developing rapidly with the influx of tourists, with new hotels being built all the time. On the surface, it seems so touristy as to be removed from the Cambodia I've read about: the brutal Pol Pot regime of the 70's and the legacy of landmines. However, even in one day I saw several people missing limbs or blind from landmines - some begging, some selling things. It's very real.
I went to a place mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide for a massage given by the blind. I eventually find it, down an alley opening into a barren, dirty cement yard. A young guy who is blind is there, and asks if I want a massage, and even though I don't know what to make of the place, I say ok. He takes me to a building in the back with massage beds. They are clean and ok. Another blind guy comes in and does a great job of a massage - the cost is $5. When he says ''finished'' I get up and ask where I pay. He says "outside", not expecting anything. I put a dollar into his unassuming hand at his side saying "for you" and his face beams with gratitude. Outside a blind man holding a baby says I pay him. I put the money into his hand - he is completely trusting. As I leave I notice a low wooden platform with pots and a woman sitting and cooking - she is also blind. I walk back down the alley and children playing run up to hold my hand. It is this blind community living in this alley, raising kids and making a living from massage. The obvious struggle, vulnerability and yet openness of their life was very moving.

more on motorcycle trip

I arrived in Camboda last night. I'm going to poke around town today and take it easy. I'll start seeing the temples tomorrow.
I thought I'd say more about the motorcycle trip. I mentioned before that on the first day we road 40 km to Sapa, and spent most of the day in town. This was by far the easiest day.
The second day we rode from Sapa to old Lai Chau, about 200km. It started with climbing the highest pass in Vietnam, most of which was under construction. Imagine dodging careening busses and trucks on a dug-up road. A couple of times I ran off the track and hit rocks on the side. Lucky I didn't get a flat tire. At the top of the pass there are little tents set up selling food like barbequed pork on a stick and sticky rice in a bamboo tube.  The other side of the pass was fun: good road in a long, fast descent.
We continue through new Lai Chau. It is a city being constructed (dug-up roads again) because the old Lai Chau will be under water in a couple of years when a dam is completed. Its interesting to go this way because tourists don't usually go beyond Sapa, so the people rarely see foreigners. There are lots of traditional villages on the way with people working the fields or walking along the road carrying things in bamboo backpacks. They are very friendly and always wave or say 'hello'. We also pass newly constructed rows of houses built in a traditional style, for the people that will be re-located by the flooding. It's kind of surreal: traditional people and style in a surburban row.
As we get close to old Lai Chau it looks a lot poorer, more run down. Understandable. I saw groups of men washing up from water spouts on the side of the road. (This reminded me of how much life is lived in public here. On the streets of Hanoi I saw people preparing food, eating, having coffee, even getting a haircut.)
By the time we get to the hotel in old Lai Chau it is dark and we've been on the road for over 10 hours. At dinner Kalle, the guy from Sweden, is feeling sick, maybe from food poisoning or the heat.
The next day we ride from old Lai Chau, through Dien Bien Phu, to Tuan Giao, about 180 km. It is a hot sunny day. The road to Dien Bien Phu is good, we get there quickly and stop for lunch. It is the place where Ho Chi Min defeated the French in 1954 and gained Vietnams independence. The road to Tuan Giao is unbelieveably rough. Nothing more than soft dirt and rocks in the heat and the dust. Brutal. As we approach Tuan Giao, the scenery is spectacular with sharp cliffs rising out of the fields behind traditional villages.


The next day is from Tuan Giao to Son La. About 90 km. We climb over a pass and continue flat, although the much of the road is under construction and very very rough. It rained in the night so it is muddy as well. There is a thunderstorm at midday so we wait it out in a cafe, and then go to a market. In the market they sell things like caterpillars for frying and rice wine with bees in it.

In the picture are Kalle, Laura, Denis, and Julia.


The road after Son La is very good, a 2 lane highway, so it goes fast. We ride from Son La to Mai Chau, about 200 km. More spectacular scenery.

After climbing a pass we do a long fast descend to Mai Chau. There are still fast busses, but there is room for them to pass. The only thing to watch for is water buffalo.




In Mai Chau we stay in a home stay. That is, we stay in a traditional house, all of us in one room on matresses on a bamboo floor. The family lives in an adjacent room. There are several home stays in this part of a traditional village, surrounded by rice fields. The people also weave textiles for sale.


The last day is from Mai Chau to Hanoi, about 150 km. The last half is in full on Hanoi traffic. Amazingly, we all made it in one piece. We get to the Old Quarter and return the motorbikes.
Later, Kalle, Julia, Laura and I go for dinner, sway pictures at an internet place, and say our goodbyes.

scenery

We had quite good weather for the trip. Several days were cloudy and cooler, a couple of very hot sunny days, and a day with a strong thunder shower that we waited out in a cafe. The landscape is stunning. Terraced hillsides, sharp, tooth shaped mountains. Just like Halong bay, but on land. And villages all along the way, people in traditional dress walking along the road, school children in their red sashes riding bicycles shouting 'hello' as we rode by. We even saw people harvesting rice fields in the traditional way, separating the grain by hitting the stalks against a board.




We had the full range of road conditions - from dirt roads under construction to smooth 2-lane highways. Long steep winding ascents and descents. The construction was particularly brutal: huge rocks and holes to weave around, very dusty when try, and very slippery when muddy. I can definitely say I've been dirt biking.

Sapa

We arrived back in Hanoi today after 6 long days of motorcycling. We covered a lot of ground in a short time - normally this trip takes about 9 days. We all survived, but are very tired.
There was no internet on the trip - it was quite remote - so this is the first chance I've had to post about it.
The trip started last Saturday night, getting our motorcycles to the train station in Hanoi and on the train to Lao Cai in the north, by the Chinese border. That was adventure in itself, since when we showed up they said there was no more room on the train for motorcycles. However, a little extra money solved the problem.
It was an overnight train to Lao Cai, which was uneventful except for the karaoke in the dining car.
We arrived in Lao Cai Sunday morning and rode 40 km to Sapa, a kind of resort town with access to the mountains and the ethnic minority peoples in the area. We stopped at an ethnic minority village, and handed out eyeglasses I'd collected. Surrounded by people in traditional dress and having them show us around was an amazing introduction to the area.

We spent the rest of the day in Sapa, at the market, etc.

Museum of Ethnology

Yesterday I went to the museum of ethnology, which has displays about the language groups, customs, dress, and buildings of many ethnic minorities in Vietnam. It was very good.
You can walk around outside and go inside several buildings that were built in a completely traditional style.
There was also a water puppet show, that takes place in a pool of water, and the puppets are controlled by underwater rods by people behind a screen. It was fun in a campy sort of way, mainly for kids.
It was busy in the museum, with several tour groups and large groups of school kids.
It's been very hot the past couple of days, after a couple of days of cooler weather. The humidity is always there, though, with is really draining.
I walked back from the museum, even though it was a few kilometers. Its a great way to get a close look at the people and parts of the city. You pass little shops selling everything from motor parts to cables to food to clothes.
Tonight we catch the overnight train to the north and start the motorbike trip. Our group has grown. Instead of just Denis and I, there are now five of us. Two American girls and a Swedish guy, all people that were on the Halong Bay trip, are joining us.

scooter

I picked up the motorbike today. Actually it is what we would call a scooter.
Riding through town was crazy, but I just go slow and let everyone else go around me. We rode to a village about 15km out of town, and that was ok.
We start the motorbike trip in the north on Saturday.

Temple of Literature

On a day I spent walking in Hanoi, I visited the Temple of Literature. This was built in 1076 as a school for training Confusion scholars. It is a large quiet area with several courtyards, separated by gates like the one in the picture. Classic architecture from the time. It was great to spend a couple of hours there, away from the traffic.
Walking around Hanoi was a bit of an adventure in itself, just finding my way around. I had a map, but I actually used a compass as well!
I also visited the Ho Chi Min museum, which has exhibits of writings and artifacts from his life and displays about the history of Vietnam corresponding to his time.

morning exercises

I have the day to wander around Hanoi and site-see. I stopped at the lake first thing in the morning to see people doing the morning exercises. I even joined in for a bit. The people were very welcoming. Something you realize after a while is that despite the apparent busy-ness and chaos, there is a certain laid back feeling that underlies everything.

Halong Bay

I got back yesterday from a 3 day trip to Halong Bay. It was a 2 hour bus ride from Hanoi, and then a couple of days on a boat, including sleeping on the boat, and a night on Cat Ba Island.





Words just can't convey the awe of this place. Imagine over 1000 sharp tooth-like islands sticking out of the water, all covering the area the size of a city. When I woke up on the boat and looked out my cabin to that sight - wow! We stopped at an island visited a cave - easily the largest cave I've ever seen. It almost seemed like the island was hollow. There are also floating villages with a hundred or so local people who make there living fishing and selling to the tourists. The sheer number of tourist boats was also amazing. At night they all achored in the same place, and the lights from hundreds of boats looked like a floating city in itself.


On Cat Ba Island I hung out with some of the people I've met so far. Went to the beach, went into town in the evening.

Perfume Pagoda

Here are a couple of pictures of the trip up the river to the perfume pagoda, with the scenery and people fishing.

Hanoi photos

I've found an internet cafe with a pretty good connection. Here are a couple of photos of the streets of Hanoi, with the motorcycles, and people. It seems the sidewalk is like part of the living space. In the morning you stop and join everyone having pho for breakfast, and stop further down the block where everyone is sitting on the sidewalk, having coffee, reading the paper. And of course, once things start opening up, there are the ubiquitous street vendors, selling everything from food to shoeshines.

Hanoi

There is something mesmerizing about Hanoi. Perhaps it is the continuous mosaic of narrow buildings, several stories high so that's all you see on either side from the road, with the kind of tropical decaying French colonial style that characterizes Hanoi. Punctuated with old lush trees or advertising. The road network is a spiderweb, and it's impossible to know where you are just by looking around. Or perhaps it is the chaos of the swarm of motorcycles on the road with the constant honking.
My first couple of days were spend walking around, mainly in the Old Quarter which is the most intense and the tourist/backpacker hub.
Internet connection is very, very slow, and uploading photos does not seem to work. :(
Today I did a day trip to the Perfume Pagoda, south of Hanoi. It involved a 2 hour chaotic van ride, a very peaceful hour long trip by rowboat upriver, with dramatic scenery of sharp, green, mountains, and an hour long hike up to a cave that was made into a temple. There were several temple buildings around, as well. There was a cable car which I took down. On the way back tried my hand at rowing (it is different from the row boat we have here) but did not get very far.
This is the end of my third day. It's going very fast. It's been great to catch up with my friend Denis. I'm staying at his place, just outside the center of Hanoi, and he and his wife have been very hospitable.
Well, it's been a long day. Bye for now.