Vibrant Vietnam, Confusing China

I wrapped up my stay in Cambodia with a nice evening out in Phnom Penh. I met up with Daniela Papi, a friend of Kate P’s from ND, for a drink last Tuesday evening. About two years ago, Daniela visited Cambodia while teaching English in Japan and subsequently started fundraising efforts to support a school near Siam Reap. These efforts turned into the creation of PEPY ride, a Phnom Penh-based NGO that fundraises and organizes trips in support of schools and other related initiatives in Cambodia. If you’re considering a vacation in this part of the world and would also like to know that your funds are going to support local children, I encourage you to check out this website…www.pepytours.com.

On Wednesday, I woke up bright and early to catch my bus to Vietnam. This bus ride wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as the last one from Siam Reap, as it was quite warm and packed. Fortunately, I was seated next to a very kind Chinese business student named “Larry” (presumably not his real name), who helped provide some great advice and insight on my upcoming trip to his country. I also met two Swiss travelers, Sam and Lucia, who are traveling in Asia for three months. They were looking forward to their upcoming month-long stay in Vietnam.

On arrival, Sam, Lucia, and I found our way to mini-hotel alley, which was literally a thin alley with tons of hotels and small restaurants packed in it. The alley was in the Pham Ngu Lao area, which is known for its proximity to downtown and for its plethora of guesthouses and restaurants for travelers. I was pleased to see that the Happy Inn, where I had booked, looked clean and decent, and the cool air conditioning was much-needed after hauling my bag through the humidity. I then met up with my friend Brendan (remember Ann’s friend from Chiang Mai), who had been in Ho Chi Minh City (“HCMC” or “Saigon” as it’s known to locals) for a few days already and who showed me around the area. We had a drink at a roof top bar and then met back up with my two new Swiss friends from the bus for dinner.


Saigon street in Pham Ngu Lao

The one thing I immediately noticed about HCMC when I arrived were the thousands of motorbikes flooding the streets. Apparently, there are over 3 million motorbikes in a city of around 7 million people, and it’s clear just how high that proportion is when you take a quick look at any intersection during a red light. In a span of three lanes, there could be at least 12 rows of motorbikes, at least 10 deep. It’s insane, and it makes crossing any street very treacherous. Thanks to Kelly’s advice, I learned to cross in packs and to maintain a consistent pace, such that the motorbike drivers could attempt to predict and swerve accordingly.

Going to dinner on Wednesday evening involved crossing a very busy intersection, but fortunately, the four of us “formed a wall” to take on the traffic. We decided to be a bit adventurous at the local Vietnamese restaurant, trying things like “fire pot” (basically just a little boiling pot of water with a lantern underneath) and some noodle dish that didn’t have an English translation. In retrospect, I have a sneaking feeling the lack of translation was on account of the fact that dog meat was included in the dish – after I saw and tasted the beef-like looking dish, I held off from consuming any more. When in doubt, stick with chicken!

Sam & Lucia and our firepot at dinner

On Thursday, I took my chances with a local motorbike driver and headed off to the War Remnants Museum, which commemorates the Vietnam War, or the American War, as it’s called in this part of the world. I spent a couple of hours in the museum, reading so many of the placards and captions. I have to admit that my knowledge of the Vietnam War is limited, despite the fact that I know of many people who served overseas in the conflict. Albeit one-sided, the museum was a good way to at least learn the timeline of events and to see some pictures of what the conditions were like for American and Vietnamese soldiers.

Afterwards, my moto driver took me for a quick ride to the Jade Pagoda, one of the most famous pagodas in HCMC, and then I returned back to Pham Ngu Lao. I ended up heading to the markets that afternoon with Brendan and our Swiss friends. We had a great time bargaining our way through the stalls, especially because Brendan was trying to stock up on quite a bit of items before flying home that evening. I put my bargaining skills to the test and was happy to see that they saved all of us some money! I came away from the day with a new hat, a China Lonely Planet book, and a painting, all of which I had actually wanted to purchase when I set out that morning. I had a nice dinner with my Swiss friends that evening in the Little Hotel Alley.

With my moto driver at the Jade Pagoda

Brendan with his new watch after some haggling with the vendor

On Friday, I headed on a tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels located approximately 20 km outside of town. The tunnels were used by the local guerillas who supported the north Vietnamese troops during the war; the tunnels were built to hide and fight against the Americans. I enjoyed the ride outside of town and the opportunity to see a bit more history of the 1960s, but we had the WORST tour guide in the history of tour guides for our group. She would start talking and just take off walking through the forest, with none of our group behind her. Despite my good intentions to really build my knowledge of the Vietnam War, I really didn’t learn much at all. Highlights included getting to see a Vietnamese propaganda film from 1967 in which Americans were referred to as “the enemy” and wondering why in the world a shooting range was still operable on-site for the western tourists (yes, you could shoot an AK-47 if you wanted, for the low price of $1.25/bullet).

When I arrived back in town, I went for a stroll in the local area and ended up finding my way to Cathy Silk shop. I knew the tailors in Vietnam had a great reputation, but I had told myself that I wouldn’t buy anything on my budget. However, the things in Cathy’s shop just looked too nice to not stop inside. Most of the displays in the tailors’ shops had displays of nice western clothing for men, but typically the female tailored clothing was always a bit off in style and cut. Cathy’s was different – only women’s clothing in modern styles and fabrics. It turns out that Cathy thumbs through recent fashion magazines for styles and then, through trial and error, makes her own versions for sale. I ended up staying in the store for probably two hours, as Cathy’s sister (who spoke English) kept bringing me out different jackets and coats to try on, all that were great quality and well-fitted. I ultimately decided to purchase one fall jacket, a pant suit, and two tops (one silk, one cotton) – and they promised to deliver two of the items the next morning by 6:00 a.m. The rest will be shipped home, and I’m anxious to see how they turned out when I arrive back in the States.

That evening, I went to Lemongrass restaurant a few blocks away from Pham Ngu Lao for some tasty Vietnamese food, and then I finished my evening out with a drink atop the Caravalle Hotel. Apparently, foreign journalists covering the Vietnam War stayed here and had at times remarked that they could observe all the action from this roof-top bar. The view was great and the atmosphere fun, with the local Saigon-based band singing random 1980’s songs in the background…

On Saturday morning, I woke up fairly early to pick up my items from Cathy the Tailor, and I was happy to see that both had turned out pretty well – considering that they only had about 15 hours to make them! I said goodbye to Cathy and her sister, with a business card, email address, and pictures in hand and assurances that my clothes will be waiting for me when I get to the US at the end of June. I then headed to the airport and waved goodbye to southern Vietnam. I flew Pacific Airways to Hanoi, where I was meeting Kelly and Raul. They had decided to fly in for another weekend trip from Hong Kong, and I was thrilled to have great traveling companions for a couple of days. Upon arrival in Hanoi, we went out to Pho 24 for three delicious bowls of Vietnamese noodles and soup – Raul had beef, Kelly had chicken, and I had beef brisket. Our whole meal for all three of us, including three huge bowls of pho, cashew nuts, cokes, and waters, was around $11.

Enjoying some pho in Hanoi

That afternoon, Kelly had arranged for a guide to take us to two sites within Hanoi – the Temple of Literature and the Hoa Lo Prison Museum. In driving around the city with the guide, I noted that Hanoi seemed so much more European than Saigon, primarily due to its long French occupation and colonial rule. The streets were shadier and more narrow, and the city just seemed a bit more quaint - although motorbikes still ruled the roads!

The Hoa Lo prison was built in the 19th century by the French to house political prisoners, but I found it more interesting that American pilots shot down during the Vietnam War were housed here as political prisoners. Most notable among the group of POWs was John McCain, who spent over five years imprisoned in the building coined “The Hanoi Hilton.” Trust me – this was no Hilton – and the displays inside show some of the ways the pilots passed the time during their detention. I thought one year was too long to be separated from Ben, but can’t imagine five years with hardly any external communication.

The Temple of Literature is dedicated to knowledge and learning, and appropriately, was dedicated to Confucius in the 11th century. Walking into the temple was a peaceful break from the hurried and loud streets outside, and I enjoyed seeing the statue of Confucius that resembled a Buddhist-type temple figurine.

Kelly and Raul were interested in visiting some of the local art galleries in Hanoi, and our guide recommended one specific artist whose studio/home she took us to. This artist apparently sold Hillary Clinton one of her phenomenal lacquered paintings during a visit in 2000 and continues to offer Hillary other future works that she produces. We had a pleasant meeting and shared some tea with the artist as we looked at her works, and I hope to keep track of her name in the coming years as Vietnam’s art scene continues to burgeon.

Following the art gallery, Kelly and I went shopping in Hanoi, as it’s known for its multitude of shops and great selection of western items. We went to Ipanema, a cute designer store that sells attractive and distinct purses. Of course, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy one and was happy to have Kelly there for her consultation!

We had a nice French dinner out on Saturday evening, where I had some of the most interesting French gourmet food I’ve ever tasted. I also enjoyed watching Raul take on the eight course tasting menu, and we all left feeling totally full and satisfied.

On Sunday morning, I had one errand I wanted to get out of the way early – buying my train ticket to Beijing. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain outside, but I managed to find my way to the train station, find the appropriate window, learn that I was shy about $5, run to two ATMs in the rain, and finally purchase the ticket in about the span of 10 minutes. I made my way back to the hotel and met up with Kelly and Raul for a fantastic and ridiculously large breakfast at our hotel. We decided to make the most of their last few hours in Hanoi and went to a local spa for $15/hr foot massages, which was so relaxing that we almost signed up for another one at the end! We tried to visit some other art galleries that were, sadly, closed on Sunday before I stopped at a travel agency to book my trip to Halong Bay. I had one last late lunch/early dinner with Kelly and Raul before they took off for the airport and I switched hotels for my last evening in Hanoi.

I took off on Monday morning for Halong Bay via a tour run by Handspan Travel Agency. Hands down, my one night, two days in Halong Bay were the highlight of my week in Vietnam. Halong Bay had certainly been on my list of places to I definitely wanted to see during my SE Asia trip, and I’d highly encourage anyone visiting Vietnam to do the same. We drove about three hours east of Hanoi to the ocean and to the popular UNESCO World Heritage site. En route, I enjoyed chatting with fellow young travelers, including a German couple on a two week vacation; an Aussie couple on a three week vacation for their one year anniversary; two Aussie women also on vacation; and one Swede escaping the Laotian New Year celebration on a weekend break from her job at the UN in Vientienne. They all ended up on other overnight Chinese junk boats, but we had a great time chatting and exchanging travel stories on our way east. The drive also took us through the iconic Vietnamese rice paddies, where we could observe locals working hard to harvest and tend the growing cash crop.

I was a little nervous about the age of the people on my tour once I arrived at the marina, as most of them seemed to be older (and I wasn’t sure if much fun!). However, it turned out that we had a great group. I enjoyed chatting with a younger British couple, both of whom were chemists. Tom was working for a consulting firm in Singapore, while Anna is working as a researcher for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They are on a 10 day holiday and decided to travel a bit outside of Singapore. Such a fun couple, and I really hope to see Anna sometime when she visits Chicago. I also really enjoyed chatting with Swapna and Rajiv, an Indian couple from Delhi who have been living in Bangkok for the past few years for Rajiv’s work. They have a son who is currently a sophomore at the University of Richmond and were so gracious to even invite me to join them for dinner on the trip. As I said, a great group in Halong Bay...

Our trip included three outstanding and filling Vietnamese meals, as well as a night’s stay onboard a Chinese junk boat. Now, I have no idea why they call them junk boats, as our boat was anything but junk. It was amazingly beautiful, with wood construction and fixtures, nice bathrooms, pleasant dining room, top deck seating, and two iconic Chinese sails on top. There were quite a few junk boats out in the harbor, and it was an enjoyable site on Tuesday morning to wake up around other junks floating alongside our Indochina Sails.

After boarding the boat on Monday, we cruised out into the Bay, and then stopped at one of the limestone kirsts rising up out of the water where we could swim or hike. I, instead, chose to go kayaking and found my way under a small tunnel in one of the kirsts and into a peaceful, quiet bay. I was the only kayak in the area and loved the silence and peacefulness of the water.
After the kayaking trip, the boat continued sailing through the Bay and ultimately stopped by a floating fishing village tucked away inside one of the coves. We took a tender boat around the fishing village and saw how some of these remote floating homes even had a TV inside, powered by a generator! A couple of others from our tour took advantage of the opportunity to go for their first kayak trips ever, and it was fun to watch them enjoy the experience in the middle of such a stunning location.

That evening, I watched the sunset with Tom, Anna, Swapna, and Rajid before our evening dinner and a showing of the French film Indochine. The film portrayed the end of the French colonial period in the 1950s, and portions were even filmed in Halong Bay. It was a little ironic to be watching some shots on the screen and to know that they were also right outside the window.

Floating village in Halong Bay

Halong Bay

Kayaks at the fishing village

Sunset over Halong Bay, with junk boat in the foreground

Before breakfast on Tuesday, we went for a walk through the Surprise Caves, five huge cavernous chambers inside one of the mountains around Halong Bay. Again, I’m not a cave fan, but it was a nice chance to get off the boat and do some walking in the area. The best part was the view from the caves back into the bay, where all of the junk boats were waiting on their passengers.

The boat cruised back to Halong City, where I disembarked and waved goodbye to my travelmates. Fortunately, my other new friends from the ride to Halong joined me for the ride back to Hanoi, and I really enjoyed my conversation with Christina, the Swede. After getting her masters at the London School of Economics, she’s spent the past few years working in Indonesia and now Laos before most recently accepting a new job in Belize. She has some amazing stories and experiences from her time abroad, and I really hope to keep in touch with her in the coming years.

Waking up with other junk boats in Halong Bay

View from Surprise Cave

I only had a couple of hours in Hanoi before leaving for the train station and my departure from China. I have to admit that I was really, really nervous about the train, as I wasn’t sure who was going to end up as my carriage-mates. I also was a little nervous about going to China, as I had gotten quite used to the pace and the friendliness of SE Asia. I really don’t know that many people who had visited China, but reports had been that it was extremely difficult to get around the country. However, my whole trip up to Asia had been in the quest of seeing Beijing prior to the Olympics, so Beijing it was…I was on my way.

Cyclos in the streets of Hanoi

When I arrived at the train station, I saw three ladies my age with backpacks, who also happened to be traveling to Beijing. I tagged along with them to the train car, and although I wasn’t going to be the 4th person in their cabin, I did have two other kind western travelers in my traincar. Jetse, a Dutch guy, and his Spanish girlfriend Sandra met three years ago when they were both studying architecture in Germany. Little I did know then that I would end up spending the next five days with them! We had a kind Chinese man join us as the 4th person in our train car, and it turned out that Eric Wang was really helpful to us. I was relieved to have not only another female, but a western female, in the carriage and felt all would be ok for the 42 hour journey.

The train took us directly north of Hanoi through China to Bejing. After three hours, we reached the Vietnam/China border and went through some serious scrutiny by the Chinese border authorities. Fortunately, my Wellington-obtained Chinese visa passed the test, but it was immediately clear that not much would be tolerated by the Chinese. They went from cabin to cabin examining bags, and of course, the Samurai-type swords purchased by a Vietnamese man on the train earned a 20 minute inquiry in the cabin three down from ours. The officials also searched everything in Jetse’s backpack, making him unpack every single thing and looking through stray papers – even stopping to question a rental car agreement from Australia! I think they were looking to really search my bag, as their first question when coming to our car was, “who is the American??” I guess I looked harmless enough, so poor Jetse had to endure unpacking and repacking his well-traveled satchel.

We arrived at the first large Chinese city, Nanming, around 7:00 a.m. after only 3 hours of sleep and were forced to leave the train for two hours. We made good use of the time to obtain some local currency and to stack up on “groceries” for the trip – toilet paper, bottled water, and crackers. I fortunately had picked up some tasty roti-looking bread snacks for breakfast and felt a bit more prepared for the remaining 30+ hours to go.

The train trip was one of the most enlightening parts of my trip, although I’m not really sure it was the most enjoyable. 42+ hours on a Chinese train isn’t really fun, as much as it just is an experience. Of the hundreds of people on the train, there were approximately 12 of us western travelers. No one spoke any English, and my Kwikpoint fold-up diagram of foods gifted to me by Ben’s mom came in quite handy. The train car itself was pretty nice, and for lack of other activities, I slept and read quite a bit. I loved seeing the green rolling hills of southern China on Wednesday, which gave way to polluted air and endless plains on Thursday morning. The dining car was small and smoky, and our other travel companion that joined us after Eric hopped off treated us to a dinner of garlic chicken, rice, and some suspect veggies. He also kept buying beers for the table – and I found it pretty funny that the only available ales on the train were warm cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon! Other than the train cabin itself, I found the toilet facilities to be a little scary, and the train reeking of smoke (as any passenger could smoke on the train), but for the most part fairly nice. I would also by lying, though, if I said I wasn’t ready to get off the train by noon on Thursday.

Jetse and Sandra enjoying some cheap ramen, as rice paddies whiz by outside

Dinner and drinks with our cabinmate in the dining car

We pulled into Beijing mid-day, and I was amazed at the city. It is absolutely huge – probably the largest city I’ve ever been in. Over 15 million people live here, and it sprawls for miles and miles. It’s also extremely difficult to get around, as we quickly learned when I went in search of my hotel. Despite having a woman at the train station circle the presumed hotel location on a map and write the directions in Chinese for a cab driver, we walked around for over an hour with our packs before finally finding the hotel. It turns out that our search was well worth the time, as the hotel was cheap and in a prime location. After dropping off our bags, we took much-needed showers (no showers on the train) and then headed out into the Beijing streets. We first passed one of the night foodmarkets, where the stalls were selling crazy food – anything from snakes and starfish to massive-sized strawberries and kiwi fruit kebabs. We then found our way down Wanfujing, a pedestrian mall with shopping and restaurants lining the streets.

Selling snake meat to us at the food market

I was so overwhelmed at how modern everything is here…not the China I was expecting! I think I had thought that China was living in a different, older decade, but I’m shocked to report that it’s amazingly cutting edge and current. The shopping malls are huge and have the best selection of stores from all over the world – Japan, Australia, Europe, the U.S. The subway station is clean and fast, and capitalism is abounding. You could eat any type of cuisine you could possibly want (Outback Steakhouse included) and haggle your way through markets of fake (or stolen) designer jeans, purses, and shoes. The streets are wide and packed with cars, and people here are bustling – they’re entirely too busy to bother haggling or calling out to foreigners, as they did in Cambodia and Vietnam. China is modern, China is cutting edge, and have we all been sleeping to not notice? With 1.3 billion people, they are certainly a country and a force to be reckoned with, and it’s clear the Olympics will be the unveiling of the capabilities and achievements of this country. More to come on this in later posts…

After the night food market and some much-needed Micky D’s (yes, sometimes it IS ok to eat a Happy Meal on the road), we ventured over to the Silk Street market. By far, it had some of the best merchandise I’ve ever seen in a market, and despite my confidence from my bargaining in HCMC, my haggling skills just didn’t come through. I did manage to walk away with some jeans, but the fact that the shop owner bought me and my friends beers afterwards was the sign that I WAY overpaid.

On Friday, I headed out with Jetse and Sandra to the famed Forbidden City and Tianamen Square. I wasn’t prepared for the size of the Forbidden City, which occupies a huge space in the center of Beijing and is the best remnant of the ancient Ming and Qing dynasties. Although only a portion of the Forbidden City was open for visiting, it still took us hours to walk from one side to the other, and then another hour to walk back to the front on the outskirts of the moat. I was expecting this place to be overrun with tourists, and it was – but not the type I was accustomed to seeing. Unlike every other place I’ve been where there’s a great mix of Canadians, Europeans, Aussies, and Kiwis with some Americans occasionally thrown in, there were hardly any westerners here…just hundreds and hundreds of Chinese tour groups all pushing their way to the front of the mob (note – no actual line!) for a view of the thrones. Apparently, it’s expensive and difficult to get foreign visas, so many Chinese take vacations to Beijing and other parts of the country – which explains why so many were at the Forbidden City and all over the streets here.

Some joy in the Forbidden City

After the Forbidden City, we attempted to make our way to the new Performing Arts Center, but it wasn’t open for anyone without a ticket to a performance. Instead, we made our way to Tianamen Square, which is the largest public square in the world. It can supposedly hold millions of people, and it was in the building overlooking the Square that Mao Zedung proclaimed the People’s Republic of China in the late 1950s. It was also the site of the pro-democracy demonstration in 1989, when protestors threw paint at the famous picture of Mao which looks out over the Square (not to worry – another copy was quickly procured from the “backup stock” to replace the damaged one).

View from Tianamen Square, with Mao looking on (look for portrait in the middle)

By 3:00 p.m., we were exhausted from hours of walking and took a break for a quick lunch. We then walked in search of some new lodging for Jetse and Sandra and found our way in a different part of town where there were tons of hutongs, or basically a web of small back alleys and streets that represents “old Beijing.” The hutongs are home to many families and can be found by turning down a back alley and doing some good old-fashioned wandering. There are small shops and restaurants in addition to old courtyard houses, but I’m told that they are disappearing at an amazing pace – as the hutongs are being destroyed and bulldozed to make way for fancy hotels and new buildings in preparation of the Olympics.

That night, we ended up near the Worker’s Stadium at a cute bar street area called Sanlitun. It appeared to be a popular area for travelers and expats, and the three of us enjoyed a nice meal while chatting with two expats – one who works for the UN, and one who teaches English in Beijing after moving from Singapore. We also met up with Maria, Raul’s sister who has been teaching English here for the past year. We ventured with them up to a rooftop bar, where we happened upon a vibrant young crowd of expatriates enjoying the view of the city. What a welcome surprise to find this area in the midst of the center of the Chinese universe.
On Saturday, I finally tracked down some much-needed internet time at a local café – there are basically NO internet cafes here but a multitude of western restaurants with free WIFI. I also met up with Jetse and Sandra, but we decided to part ways, as they wanted to see some architectural sites, and I really wanted to check out the Olympic Stadium. First, though, I had to book my trip to the Great Wall, which turned out to be more difficult than expected. Although I found a couple of places that advertised trips, they apparently wouldn’t help me make a reservation (still don’t know why). I ultimately found a tour for the next day, after which I set off for the subway up to the park.

Getting to and from the Olympic Stadium turned out to not be so easy – the subway was fine, but I exited and started walking the wrong way, despite asking for help with my map. Once I found the area that appeared correct, I started walking in what I later think was a prohibited area…only construction men and some locals flying kites were inside the fenced in area where I was strolling. I realized only after I saw the hole in the fence, through which I had to exit, that I probably wasn’t supposed to be there! But the various security guards must have deemed me harmless, because they didn’t stop me or make me turn around. Neither did the security guards standing in the shoulder of the freeway, which I ultimately had to walk up to get to the viewing area for the stadium. Taking a picture of the famed “Birds Nest” involved me climbing up on a construction blockade and scaling over aluminum fencing, but it appeared that was what the rest of the crowds were doing, too. Interesting security…

Countdown to opening ceremonies...note the pollution (not just a foggy day)

View of the Bird's Nest, site of the Opening Ceremonies (again, note pollution!)

"Security" near the stadium...check out the tour groups jumping the fence

After my circuitous walk to the stadium and back to the subway, I was feeling pretty exhausted and worn out. I made one stop in the Hou Hei district, as recommended by other travelers, but ultimately decided I needed a break from sight-seeing. This city is simply exhausting me. Fortunately, Ben must have felt my frustration and called at the right moment – hearing his voice was just the thing to raise my spirits.

A stroll through the hutong

That evening, I met up with Maria, her roommate, and one of their friends for an amazing dinner of famed Peking Duck. It was absolutely delicious, and I’m appreciative to them for including me. I enjoyed the company of three other Americans and loved hearing their tales of teaching English here. I’m also grateful to Maria and Barbara for letting me stay with them the past two days. They have graciously welcomed me in their home, which happens to be a courthouse hutong. It’s been the best switch out of my hotel, and the coolest way to discover this side of Beijing.

Enjoying Peking duck in Peking (or Beijing as we now know it)

Yesterday, I ventured out in the rain to join my tour to the Great Wall. We traveled about two hours outside of the city, but I enjoyed discovering the pleasant Chinese countryside after so many days in this sprawling metropolis. The Great Wall lived up to every expectation that I had, and I absolutely loved my two hours of climbing and walking along the Wall – I think the rain kept the other tourists away. It is certainly the highlight of my visit in China thus far.

Climbing the Great Wall of China

Impressive Great Wall of China

I had quite an adventure this morning. I was sad to see it was still raining but ventured out to buy my train ticket for Shanghai. Apparently, there are several ticketing locations around the city, but I have yet to find one…so off I went in search of an English-speaking ticket window. Of course, first I got swept up in the masses headed into the train departure area, which involved scanning my bags and wandering listlessly through the various waiting areas. I finally figured out I was in the wrong building and left to fight the crowds and the baggage scan in a separate building. My quest was not without an offer to buy counterfeit tickets by two local men and a response that tickets were all sold out – until the woman at Ticket Window #10 said to try Window #4…which, fortunately, managed to find one ticket for me tonight (still makes no sense, considering they both used the same computer system). And of course, battling the crowds also meant battling the crowds armed with umbrellas, which are all unfortunately held at exactly the same level as my eyes. I’ve narrowly dodged some gauging incidents…

The rain has now stopped, the sun is starting to shine, I’ve found an pleasant café with WIFI, and I’m leaving Beijing tonight. Hurray – looking forward to spending just a couple of days in Shanghai before completing my Asia tour in Hong Kong and catching up with friends there.

"Lady, You Want a Tuk-Tuk??"

You want a what?? Don't despair - a tuk-tuk is just a small motorized cart here in Asia. I had a difficult time coming up with a title for this one, so I just decided to name it after the phrase heard most often on the streets of Cambodia. I don't think the tuk-tuk drivers have yet figured out that I'll actually ask if I need a lift!

Before I launch into stories of Cambodia, first I wanted to share some photos of my time in Vang Vieng...

Tubing inside a cave outside of Vang Vieng - yes, I do have a battery pack in my lap (we all questioned the safety of this...)

One of the many bars lining the river during our day of tubing. Look closely for the girl in mid-swing from the rope!

I quite enjoyed my exploration day around Vientienne. Because it’s the capital city of Laos, it has the requisite clean-looking federal buildings and manicured lawns. After breakfast on the terrace at my cheap guesthouse, I bargained on a tuk-tuk to take me to Pha That Luang, an important national Laotian monument. In the center is a stupa, or a Buddhist tower, and two additional temples flank the stupa on both sides. I took a brief walk around and then headed out to haggle on a tuk-tuk out to the Buddha Park.

In the late 1950s, a local man commissioned the building of several Buddhist statues at a park about 25 km outside the city. The statues are supposed to reflect influences of both Buddhism and Hinduism, and from the pictures I had seen, it looked pretty interesting. I enjoyed the bumpy ride out to the Buddha Park, past the “Friendship Bridge” that links Thailand and Laos, and I quite enjoyed the park. The park itself wasn’t huge, but the statues inside were impressive and interesting. I was taking quite a few pictures as I walked around, and in the middle of framing one photo, I noticed something bright orange out of the corner of my eye – a monk. When I realized he was standing there looking at me expectantly, I paused – and he then had walked up to me and started chatting. Now, utmost respect must be given to monks, and there are warnings in temples and guide books about appropriate etiquette – not looking monks in the eye, not sitting next to them on transport, not pointing your feet at them – but interestingly, I’ve also read that monks are quite eager to practice English with the occasional tourist. Bang (as I think his name was spelled) was once such monk. Because he approached me for a conversation, I was more than happy to engage – and what a treat it was. I learned that he has been a novice monk for 10+ years, that he is studying English at university and is hoping to becoming an English teacher, and that the rumor about only eating one meal a day (as mentioned in my previous post) is incorrect. It also felt like I had my own personal tour guide around the park, because he actually understood what the statues meant and what they were depicting. I’m sure I wouldn’t have had the opportunity if I had been traveling with others to the park, so I’m thankful once again for the serendipity that comes with solitary travel.

My new monk friend Bang at the Buddha Park

After the Buddha Park, I headed back into town and stopped first at the Vientienne version of the Arch de Triumph, where I could climb up to the top for a semi-decent view. I then went to the local market and found a couple of small souvenir items for the whopping cost of $1.20. I spent the rest of the afternoon grabbing a late lunch in a much-needed air conditioned café, checking my email, and taking advantage of the cheap foot massage stalls. Right when I was finishing, my four friends from Vang Vieng sent me a text, and I met them for dinner after their day of adventure trekking in a local national park. We found a nice restaurant right on the Mekong to enjoy my final Laotian meal before I had to say goodbye.

Although I had really become quite enamored with Laos, I wasn’t overly upset about leaving for Cambodia on Friday, because Ben’s cousin Kelly and her husband Raul were flying in from Hong Kong to meet me for the weekend. Kelly and Raul have lived in HK for the past 3+ years, and Kelly has been such a big help to me in planning the Asia leg of my trip. I was thrilled that they decided to come for the weekend and was really looking forward to seeing Kelly again and meeting Raul. First, I had to brave another dodgy Lao Airlines flight, but I arrived at the Siam Reap airport around the same time as them on Friday morning. Kelly had made all of the arrangements for the weekend (so nice to have a break from logistics planning!), and the hotel transport picked us up and took us to the hotel she booked. The hotel was AMAZING. It was a little surprised that such a chic place was located in the heart of one of Cambodia’s largest towns. It truly felt like an oasis to me, most likely because my perspective on decent lodging has changed quite a bit. I’ve been staying at the local $10-$15/night special, which does include A/C (on my insistence), but does NOT include a lot of other creature comforts. My stay at Hotel de la Paix was definitely a step up.

We had a bit of time to relax at the hotel before the guide came to pick us up for the afternoon. That afternoon, we first drove down near the Tonle Sap lake to see the floating village, a transient gathering of floating houses that pop up on the lake at certain times of the year. Because so many people live on the floating village, there’s even a floating hospital, church, and school in the community, too. It was a great way to see how some of the locals live and remarkable how these families build their lives on a moving body of water.

Small boy who climbed aboard our boat in the middle of the floating village to sell some bananas

Two small boys floating along in small tubs - eating pineapple!

Floating village - look close for the two happy Cambodian children waving on the side

After that, we headed to one of the temples inside the Angkor Wat park. The temples of Angkor are the biggest tourist attraction in Cambodia, and it’s easy to see why. The most notable temple is Angkor Wat itself, which was constructed in the 12th century by the ruling king. Visiting the temples is probably one of the major reasons that tourists started returning to Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge rule (1975-1979) and after the subsequent tumultuous years of the 1980s. The looming towers of Angkor Wat have become a popular sign of the country, gracing the flag and even the beer labels (the national beer is called “Angkor”)!

Aside from Angkor Wat, there are also hundreds of other temples in the area that were built by various ruling kings of the ancient years. On Friday afternoon, we visited Ta Prohm, which is known for the remarkably large trees that seem to be swallowing portions of the temple. Its claim to fame is that it was one of the sites used in filming Laura Croft’s Tomb Raider, starring Angelina Jolie, a few years ago - haven’t seen the movie but now admit I’d like to. All of us were amazed by the ruins.

Kelly and Raul inside Ta Prohm

We enjoyed a great local Khmer meal on Friday night, thanks to the suggestion from Kelly’s Luxe guide, and turned in early. On Saturday morning, we woke up around 5:00 a.m. to see the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Although the sky was already turning light when we left the hotel, we had more than enough time to make it to Angkor and to watch the fiery orange ball rise over the five turrets of the temple. I can’t think of a better way to have my first glimpse of the world wonder.

Our guide then took us around the temple for the next couple of hours, explaining the architecture and the stories that were carved into the stone. It is truly an amazing sight, and I can’t even imagine how long and how many people it took to construct it.

Angkor Wat at sunrise

Afterwards, we went to visit Bayon, or the Temple of the Faces, as I like to call it. The temple has 52 towers, one for each of the Cambodian provinces at the time it was constructed around 1200 AD, and each tower has four faces carved into each side – to reflect happiness, pity, compassion, and “neutral,” as our guide explained it. I just loved the different expressions on the faces and the unique idea to construct such a structure. It was my favorite.

Bayon Temple - each of the towers had four faces carved into it

We took a break after our 4 hour early morning sightseeing tour for some filling breakfast and a dip in the pool, before heading out again mid-afternoon for a local craft market called Artisans d’Angkor. The area employs children from surrounding villages to teach them certain crafts and trades, and all money made on the sale of their items helps to fund the school. The shop certainly had the best selection of items I had seen thus far, but I did practice restraint and only spent $6 :)

The final temple was the oldest, I believe, and is called the Citadel of the Woman. We drove about an hour away from Siam Reap to see the pink temple constructed solely out of limestone. More than anything, I enjoyed the drive there and back and observing the local homes that lined the road. Many times you could catch a peek of a child bathing in the corner of a house or a family preparing for a meal, a perspective we may not have seen if we had stayed in town. That night, we had an outstanding dinner at the hotel, where the restaurant had large swinging tables that we could sit on to eat. A very unique idea and quite a bit of fun.

Dinner at Meric with Kelly and Raul

On Sunday morning, I was sad to say goodbye to Kelly and Raul. For the first time in awhile, I felt like I was really on a true, relaxing vacation – as I realized that, in an effort to make most of my travels, I’d been getting up early and packing the day full of sight-seeing. My stay with Kelly and Raul was the perfect mix of sight-seeing and relaxation, mixed with perfect travel companions. I loved the weekend with them.

I decided Sunday needed to be a bit of a rest day, so I took my time packing up, checking some emails, and then strolled around town before I had to move hotels. I also think that, between saying goodbye to my travelmates, not hearing from Ben for a couple of days, and having to check out of the oasis (my name for our hotel), I was hit with an overwhelming feeling of homesickness. Admittedly, I’ve of course been missing things about home and the US at points during my trip, but I hadn’t had any sense of the feeling quite that intense until yesterday. The loud group of French tourists and the stepped-down hotel room I moved to at a different location certainly didn’t help, but talking with Ben, emailing with my family, and watching a few episodes of The Office on my computer seemed to do the trick.

I left Siam Reap yesterday morning and took a bus about 6 hours here to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The bus ride was actually very nice – in an air conditioned coach, with a mix of tourists and locals, and I found my way to my guesthouse with no issues. The thing I really wanted to learn about during my time in Phnom Penh was the Khmer Rouge regime, which attempted to implement a communist government in Cambodia from 1975-1979. Basically, the leader Pol Pot (a name he assumed once taking power that stands for “Political Potential”) thought he could have the country start over from scratch to become a perfect communist, agrarian community. In an effort to implement this plan, he killed millions of people, most of whom were the educated populous. He forced almost everyone out of the cities into the country, where they were forced to work on farms for agrarian initiatives of the government. Within Phnom Penh, the regime converted one of the local schools into a prison, where innocent Cambodian citizens – and even some foreigners – were imprisoned until they were taken to a local killing field for execution. It was this prison, Tuol Sleng, that I visited yesterday. What a harrowing site. They have turned two of the school buildings into a museum, which includes graphic pictures of the conditions of the prison and quotations posted throughout with quotes from victim’s families and from members of the Khmer Rouge themselves. Most haunting were the hundreds of pictures of victims, as each person who entered the prison had to have their photo taken and their personal history logged on arrival. The worst picture was a young mother holding a baby. Young and old, female and male, innocent or not, thousands of people made their way through Tuol Sleng under the Khmer Rouge. Only seven are said to have survived.

Although Pol Pot died several years ago, supposedly due to natural causes, there are still several Khmer Rouge leaders awaiting trial. Apparently the UN and the Cambodian government can’t determine the proper method for trying such individuals, so it seems as if justice hasn’t been served. Under the Khmer Rouge regime, precious national treasures, such as the ones that adorned the inside of Angkor Wat, were stolen; land mines were placed around the country in an effort to “cleanse” the population, and a generation of older Cambodians appears missing from the sidewalks and streets. But the Cambodian people, or at least those that I have met, are resilient and friendly. They all remember those years and can’t forget the atrocities, but they continue to proceed with their lives in the pursuit of more opportunities – just as we all do. It should be noted that the years following 1979 weren’t peaceful, either - in fact, only since 1998 has the country been considered to be “in peace,” which is when many of the visitors and tourists began their travels here. I had little idea of this history before I arrived and am fortunate to have had the chance to visit the museum and learn about this era in SE Asia.

Last night, I enjoyed walking around the area I’m staying in, which is popular for its variety of restaurants and prime location on the river. I had dinner at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club, a club that was previously known as the stomping ground for foreign journalists looking for a respite from the frenetic pace of the Asian streets. Apparently, the club is now just a good tourist spot, but I loved sitting on the balcony, looking out onto the streets below and the Tonle Sap river at sunset. I would recommend a stop here to anyone.

This morning, I had arranged for my tuk-tuk driver from the bus station to take me out to one of the Killing Fields. We drove about 15 km outside of town to a deserted field. In 1980, a project was engaged to dig up some of the 100+ mass grave sites at the field, and a memorial now stands on the site to honor the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. It should be noted that this is one of hundreds of killing fields in the country, many of which haven’t been uncovered yet. I am glad I went to see the fields and to have a better understanding of what happened only 33+ years ago, but it was a really difficult thing to visit. You’ll note that I have very few pictures of my trip to Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields, as it just didn’t feel appropriate to take them. I trust that any of you who visit Cambodia will also take the time to visit and to understand the atrocities yourselves.

Placard at the Killing Fields entitled "The Most Tragic." One of my only photos from my trip there.

After my visit to the Killing Fields, I took a quick trip around the National Museum and then ventured to a great Thai/Cambodian restaurant for lunch. I then went in search of a coffee shop I had read about, which turned out to be quite a distance away. My friendly, young moto driver and I took off in search of it, but after about an hour of driving around and getting lost, we learned it was closed. Although the driver agreed to know where he was going and was armed with a map, we turned around about six different times and ended up on side streets and dirt roads before finally stopping in front of the closed gate. Ordinarily, at home, I’d be frustrated that he would have agreed to take me without really knowing the way, and I would have been even more annoyed that the place was closed – but I’ve learned to relax a bit and accept some trips as adventures, even when they end up with unexpected results. I continued to smile and laugh the whole trip and haven’t been disappointed that I wound up at a different spot. The drive was a highlight of my stay in Phnom Penh.

The closed cafe shop and my determined moto driver

Tomorrow I leave early in the morning for a bus ride to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, which some of you may know of as Saigon. I’ll be there for only a couple of days before I head north to meet up with Kelly and Raul again – who’ve decided to come meet me again this weekend! I have heard so many outstanding things about Vietnam that I can’t wait to see them for myself. The Asia trip continues…

On a sidenote, I realized I haven’t given many “Becky Must-See Awards” recently. My third award (after Mauritius and Stellenbosch) goes to Sydney. I love Australia, but Sydney is the crown jewel – sparkling waters, natural harbor, and awesome people. It helps that I also have a few friends there too J It’s hands-down my favorite city in the world. Enough said.

My next award goes to New Zealand, for simply being the best country I’ve ever visited. I wish I could pin down one spot in New Zealand specifically, but it’s just too hard – I loved trekking on Franz Josef glacier, hiking in Mt. Aspiring National Park, kayaking in Milford Sound, skydiving in Queenstown, discovering hidden beaches on the Otago Peninsula, and grape-picking on Waiheke. Auckland has become a home-away-from-home, Wellington beckons for a second visit, and the Coromandel came through with some serious beach scenery. Just go for a visit – you won't regret it.

And my final award thus far goes to Luang Prabang, Laos, for being one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited. No wonder it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site – cool culture, friendly people, stunning scenery, great restaurants, fun site-seeing, and respect for the monks as I’ve seen nowhere else. I have no doubt in my mind that I’ll be back, with Ben in tow the next time around.

Ok, I think I’m all caught up on awards, blogs, and pictures. Now if I can just dig myself out of my emails! Thanks to all of you for thinking of me and keeping up with my travels.

Sabaidee from Asia

Sawadeeka and Sabaidee...or just “hello” from SE Asia! I’ve had a hard time cutting down the pictures to share with you, so I just decided to post a ton for now – hope you enjoy!

I am so glad that I picked Thailand as my port of entry, as it was nice to start in familiar territory of Bangkok. I only spent a day there but tried to make the most of it…my intention was to procure a visa for Cambodia in one day, but I arrived at the Cambodian embassy – or at least where the Cambodian embassy should have been on my map – to learn that it had moved across town. I was proud of myself that I had navigated the Bangkok skytrain and found the location on my own but wasn’t sure I was quite yet ready for the Bangkok public bus system (have you ever seen how packed those buses are??). So, I delayed my decision on the visa to later in the trip and decided to first obtain my ticket for the overnight train; this task involved venturing into the Bangkok subway, which is SO nice. I think they must have only completed it a couple of years ago, because the stations are immaculate, the ticket system is foreigner-friendly, and the trains are modern and quick. Once I arrived at the central train station, I was pleasantly surprised to find employees of the information desk standing around waiting to help travelers find their way. A kind woman not only looked up the train station time and directed me to the correct window for the ticket, but she also followed up with me afterwards to ensure I found the ticket I needed. I had to stop for a second to ensure I wasn’t required some baht payment to her before I realized how genuinely helpful she was (for free!).

After leaving the train station, I did some good old-fashioned wandering. I decided to walk towards the river from the train station, but stopped at a couple of Buddhist temples and got a bit lost looking for the ferry landings. Despite our western expectations for cities on the water, there isn’t a boardwalk/promenade/esplanade that runs the length of the river Bangkok, so it’s important to strategically locate a specific ferry terminal in order to access the river front views. As soon as I found my way after a couple of “detours” through parking lots and Thai food stalls, I arrived at the ferry terminal and had flashbacks of my visit three years ago – one of those “I know I’ve been here before” moments.

I hopped on board one of the express boats, and for the low, low price of 30 baht (around $1), I rode the ferry all the way to the “end of the line” and back to the Oriental Hotel over the course of a couple of hours. The ferry ride was enjoyable – a good mix of tourists and locals, and the percentage of tourists dramatically decreased the further up the river we went. We cruised past some of the sights I saw from my first visit, iconic Bangkok sites like the National Palace, Wat (Thai for “temple”) Arun, and Wat Pho, and it was a pleasant way to see the city from the water, although admittedly the amount of trash floating in the river was a little disconcerting. I decided to treat myself to a decent lunch before I jumped on board the overnight train and enjoyed sitting on the patio at the Oriental, watching the boats drift by.



Long boats on the river in Bangkok

I made my way back to my cheap, but decent, hotel on the skytrain and then returned to the train station on the subway for my overnight train. I had decided to “splurge” on the first class sleeper car – more for the fact that I knew bags would be safe, and therefore, that I would sleep easy, as opposed to the second class sleeper car where guide books had advised chaining bags to rails. Honestly though, I’ve heard that the Thai trains are great ways to travel, second class cars included. Traveler tip – if you ever decide to do some train travel in Europe or SE Asia, I highly recommend the website http://www.seat61.com/. It’s a great resource for travel in these areas and was developed by a former British train conductor who has traveled all over by rail.

I was glad to see that there were several other westerners (in addition to two Buddhist monks) in the same train car as me, and even happier when it looked like my car companion wasn’t going to turn up. We made it about an hour outside the city before the other passenger hopped on, an attractive Thai girl who was on her way north to see her parents. We chatted as best we could for awhile, per her request to practice English, and then I crashed around 10:00 due to some jet lag. When I woke, I had the car to myself – as the other passenger had disembarked around 4:30 a.m. I enjoyed the view of the northern highlands for the next couple of hours until we arrived in Chiang Mai around 10:00 a.m.

If you’re planning to go to Thailand, I’d highly recommend including Chiang Mai in the itinerary. It’s a kindler, gentler city to its looming metropolis cousin of Bangkok, and I enjoyed my two day stay there – just not long enough (don’t I say that almost everywhere??). My guest house, found through agoda.com (another good website for SE Asia accommodation, as recomended by my friend Martha), was a pleasant surprise…the Three Sis guesthouse, and for the same price as my hostel bunk beds in Australia and NZ, I had a private room with air conditioning, my own bathroom, cable TV, free internet, and breakfast included. The guesthouse was in a great location inside the city walls and provided good access to the local attractions.

I decided to go visit a smaller town east of Chiang Mai, known for its handicrafts, but in hindsight, I wish I had spent my time elsewhere. I think “known for its handicrafts” is code for “tourist trap,” and Bo Sang wasn’t such a great spot to visit. I did, however, enjoy the taxi drive through town and the paper factory I found on a back alley after my visit to the umbrella factory (starting to get the picture of a tourist trap yet?). I liked the paper factory because 1) I bought beautiful handmade paper on which to write letters to Ben, and 2) an employee gave me a tour of the factory and had one of the other women teach me how to make the paper. I think I enjoyed the fact that I was the only westerner around more than anything…

Hand painting umbrellas in Bo Sang

Posing as Umbrella Man at the paper factory

Learning how to make paper

When I arrived back in town, I decided to just walk around to get the feel of the place, which is my favorite way to learn and discover new cities. Despite the humidity, I had a good walk around the town and took a stop in one of the more prominent Buddhist temples in the city. If you haven’t ever been to a Buddhist temple, you really HAVE to go sometime. The temples are extraordinarily beautiful, with intricate detailing on the inside and out. In Thailand (and I assume most places in SE Asia), there’s typically a large gold Buddha somewhere inside the temple and some peaceful monks roaming the premises in their saffron-colored robes.

One of 300+ temples in Chiang Mai

On my way home, I decided to stop for one of the infamous Thai massages, as the going rate was around $3.80 for an hour. I actually opted for a shorter foot massage, for which I believe I paid $2 for half an hour. Not a bad deal.

That evening, my friend Ann (reference to NZ – my Thai roommate in my hostel in Turangi) met me at the guesthouse, and we went to meet some other foreigners she knew at the local Fish and Chip Shop. See if you can follow this…Ann studied in Taiwan, where she became friends with another exchange student who was from India. That guy moved to Japan, where he met a Kiwi named Matt. When Matt decided to go to Chiang Mai, he looked up Ann, and Ann had met Matt a few days prior to show him around town. Turns out Matt met three Aussies during a meal at the Fish and Chip Shop, which is how I ended up there with Ann on Tuesday night. Crazy circle, huh?

I had a great time on Tuesday evening with Ann and the other backpackers, including the other Aussies, a Kiwi, and another American. We ended up at a barbeque place, which should be defined as a large open air restaurant, where each table has two coal pits. Metal cone-shape barbeques are then placed on top of the pits and heated. Various types of raw meat and seafood are available in a buffet along with veggies, and the meat and seafood are put on the top part of the metal BBQ to cook. The veggies are then placed in the gutter around the bottom with some broth to steam. It’s a little work intensive for a meal, but the food was tasty and cheap (around $4 all you can eat), and we were the only foreigners in the place. So glad I contacted Ann before my visit to Chiang Mai.

Ann and Brendan cooking at the BBQ

On Wednesday, I woke up a bit early to head to the Lao Airlines office, where I had to finish paying for my ticket in Laos. I hailed a rickshaw and haggled on a price to the office, paid for my ticket, and found another rickshaw back to my guesthouse, where I enjoyed my free breakfast on arrival. I was soon picked up for my Thai cooking class, where I was to spend the day. I’d heard from several people that cooking classes were a great thing to do while in Thailand and that Chiang Mai offered some of the best options, so I was really looking forward to learning some good Asian cooking skills.

Our class included about 15 people from all over the world – the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, UK, France, and even Hawaii. First, we stopped at the local market for lessons in the various vegetables, rice, tofu, spices, and fruit and were given time to wander around and gawk at the cuts of raw meat, the live fish swimming in small buckets, and amazing variety of produce. We then drove about 20 minutes outside of town to the home of a famous Thai chef who had started the school. His property included a large garden, a classroom, and several cooking stations. For each dish we prepared, we would first watch a live demonstration by one of the instructors, followed immediately by our own attempts with fresh ingredients. In all, we made about 6 different dishes throughout the day, including a coconut milk soup, fish curry, two stir fries, papaya salad, and dessert. I must admit my red fish curry was pretty tasty, but my favorite was the steamed banana cake. All of us left the day satiated and happy.

Learning about veggies at the market

Cooking on the wok at the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School

Steamed banana cake in banana leaves

Fish curry and veggie stir-fry

That evening, I ventured over the night market to check out the local wares. I love markets in Asia – so much random stuff for so little money! I had a good time walking through the various stalls that seemed to be focused on one of four products: bootleg CDs/DVDs; fake purses and wallets; lamps; and clothing. I must admit that my bargaining skills need to be revived from my India days, but I made a couple of good purchases and was happy with the evening. Unfortunately, my tuk-tuk driver that evening wasn’t so great with directions, but I ended up back at the guesthouse pleased with a cultural day in northern Thailand.

Night market in Chiang Mai

Friendly - but clueless - tuk-tuk driver

On Friday, I enjoyed a leisurely morning, catching up on my huge backlog of emails and planning my next couple of days. I also stopped in some temples during my final walk through town, although at some point I started to feel like I was on my own Temple Tour 2008. My goal is to now find something interesting and distinct about each temple I visit so that they don’t all start running together. This will actually be a tough task.

Teak temple in Chiang Mai - part of Temple Tour 2008

Thai pup lounging at one of the temples

I was pleased to arrive at the Chiang Mai airport and find that it was extremely modern and new – they even had free wireless in the coffee shop. As I was waiting for my flight, I saw my friends Ann and Brendan (one of the Aussies that Ann had met earlier in the week) in the waiting area. I knew Brendan was headed for the same destination as me from our conversation the other night, but I was so happy to see that Ann had decided to join him as well.

I was on my way to Laos. If you haven’t heard much about Laos, check out this link…it’s an amazing country with a pretty marked past, most of which I had no idea about until I visited. After my ride on the dodgy Lao Airlines prop plane, I arrived at the tiny airport in Luang Prabang, a town in northern Laos that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site. The difference between Thailand and Laos was very obvious, but is somewhat difficult to describe – the scenery was a bit more dramatic, with mountains surrounding the area; the people looked a bit different and were even nicer (if that was possible); and the country seemed a bit more third world. For the first time in three months, I hopped in a taxi that drove on the right side of the road, and the plugs in my guesthouse required no adapter for my camera cord. Driving through the town, I had a good feeling that I would really enjoy my stay.

A sigh of relief when stepping off of Laos Airlines in Luang Prabang

When my friends dropped me off at my guesthouse, I left my bag in my room and ventured down to the reception to ask about having a BeerLao. It’s supposedly the best beer in Southeast Asia, and everyone had told me to try one. Unfortunately, the reception was all out of drinks, but the Laotian man named Sach working offered to take me on his motorbike to get one. I had seen the bikes whizzing around town but hadn’t ridden one yet, so I quickly agreed – as long as he promised to take it slow. Turns out that no one in Laos really goes anywhere all that quickly, so I really didn’t need to be worried.

When Sach heard that I had just arrived in the country, he offered to take me for a short drive down my the Mekong River, which borders the peninsula. The Mekong is one of most famous natural landmarks in southeast Asia, as it marks much of the border of Laos with Thailand and Cambodia. Many people swim on it, fish on it, live on it, raft on it, boat on it, and float down it. When Sach asked if I would like to stop and have a beerlao at one of the riverside cafes, I agreed, as I was keen on seeing the river with my own eyes. I enjoyed chatting with him about his life in his village in Laos and his work at the guesthouse, where he claimed that most of the other guests tended to be “old and short.” Pretty entertaining.

We rode back through the main road in town and then hopped off when I saw my friends near my guesthouse. Ann, Brenden, Sach, and I went down to a river-side restaurant for dinner, and over tasty Laotian food, enjoyed watching the wooden long boats float up and down the river as the sun set. The restaurant soon filled with other patrons, but we patiently waited and enjoyed our two hour meal in such a peaceful setting.

Famous Beerlao

Dinner on the Mekong with Ann, Brendan, and Sach

On Saturday, Sach had arranged for his brother-in-law, who owns a long boat docked in the river, to take us to two tourist sites – a cave site up the river, and waterfalls down the river. Because I woke up quite early, though, I took advantage of the cooler weather to go for a walk around town first. I started wandering down the main street and found many shops, tourist cafes, internet cafes, and travel agencies before finding the national museum, a large temple, and a small local market. I then took a turn down a side street and found a HUGE local market, selling all types of clothing and food. It was clear that this was where the Laotians came for all of their food needs, as there were no other foreigners strolling through, and all of the locals were intent on bargaining for the appropriate amount of beef, pig’s leg, or spices that they needed. To keep the flies away from the food, some of the owners had fashioned make-shift fly swatters out of a stick and a plastic bag tied to the end; they would wave these over their stalls (which were really just blankets set up on the ground with the “products” sitting on them) in an effort to combat the fly problem.

From my guesthouse balcony - row of monks collects alms at 6:00 a.m.

After my enlightening stroll, I met Ann and Brendan at a local café where Ann happened to know the owners, an American and his Thai wife, from Chiang Mai. We had a very tasty breakfast and a good cup of coffee to start the day. We then met Sach’s brother, who walked us down to the river and took us on an outstanding boat trip. This man, along with his wife and his son who live in the back of the boat, were with us all day. We floated up the Mekong about 2 hours to the caves, past small villages, men fishing in the river, children playing on the river bank, and even an elephant strolling along the shore. I couldn’t think of a better way to see rural Lao and felt that heart-swelling joy of what travel brings as we drifted along. When we arrived at the caves, there were other long boats waiting with their passengers as well; we hopped off on the make-shift dock and walked up the steps to see the two ancient crevices. The larger cave at the top of the hill had some small Buddha relics inside, but the lower cave was certainly more interesting – there were hundreds of abandoned Buddha relics that had been placed there over the years. Word has it that some of the original statues had been stolen over time, but it was still an impressive sight to see so many figurines in one place.

Boat owner and captain for the day

The little helper - the owner's son. He would run up to the steering wheel whenever his dad sat down in the captain's chair.

One of many boats out on the Mekong

Passing some boats and a local village on the hill

Scenery around the caves

With Ann ot the caves

Hundreds of Buddha relics in the lower cave

Long boats docked and waiting to return to Luang Prabang

The caves, from the water

After the caves, we floated down the river about two hours to a drop-off for the waterfalls. When we arrived at a small beach, we were met by a friend of the boat owner’s who then drove us the last 10 km to the falls. We had to walk up the beach into a tiny village, where the three of us hopped into the cab of a truck. I loved seeing the small village and seeing how the people there lived, as it was extremely rural as well. From there, we drove to the drop-off point for the waterfalls, which was overrun with many food and souvenir stalls. However, once we were inside the falls it was peaceful…and the falls were amazing. After taking in the view and the green colored pools of water at the base, we climbed halfway up the falls to the second pool, where we then decided to go for a swim at the base of the landing. An exhilarating swim in such an amazing setting.

Ann and Brendan cruising on the boat with the wife and son of the captain

Swimming with Ann at the waterfalls (look close for us in the middle pool)

Four little Laotian girls in the village where we caught the truck to the waterfall

We were able to see some of the sunset on our way back home, which distracted me from the fact that the wife of the couple was bailing water out the back with a bucket. We learned later that this is common, but after a small ramming incident with another boat earlier in the day, I was beginning to question the nautical abilities of our captain!

Sunset on the Mekong

We arrived back in Luang Prabang early evening, with enough time for me to book my transportation for the next day to my next destination and check in on Ben (via email) and the erupting situation in Iraq (via online news journals). I’ve really been on pins and needles the past few days with the situation there, so I was happy to check my messages and have two from my husband. All was well, relatively speaking.

For dinner, we met up with Ann’s friends again (Jason and Joy) and headed to one of the best restaurants in Luang Prabang – L’Elephant. Because of the French influence in Laos, Luang Prabang has some amazing French restaurants, and Jason claimed that L’Elephant was the best. I didn’t try any other places, but I could definitely say that it was an outstanding meal. It was a nice treat and an outstanding way to end my best day thus far in Asia.

Night market in Luang Prabang

My guesthouse was located opposite one of the temples in town, and on Sunday, I woke up early to watch the monks receive alms of sticky rice at 6:00 a.m. It was a remarkable site to see the long row of orange-robed monks preceding down the sidewalk, accepting sticky rice from bamboo buckets from locals and tourists alike. It was peaceful and very calming to watch the parade, and at the end, I was interested to see that some of the monks were giving away some of their food to boys who had small plastic bags filled to the brim with other rice donations. I later learned that monks can possibly only eat whatever they receive in the morning, so they are dependent on the rice for sustenance all day – which made it that much more generous that they were giving away some of their food to small boys from the town.

Monks receiving alms at sunrise in Luang Prabang

I then headed up to the temple that sat on top of a hill in town for a look down at the city, but given that many of the local farmers had been burning their fields to prepare for the next harvest, the sky was full of smoke. I could make out a view and the sunrise, but it was a bit difficult. I had one final breakfast at the Three Nagas, a restaurant recommended by Sophie and Cam, and then went back to my guest house to wait on my transport to the next town.

At around 9:15 a.m., a tuk-tuk pulled up in front of the guesthouse to take me to the bus station. When I hopped in, I was met with five friendly faces of other young travelers, who asked about my name, my trip, etc. I haven’t met such a welcoming group yet on my trip and was so glad that I had stumbled into a good group of travelling companions. I’ve basically been with this group for the past three days and have enjoyed their company every step of the way. The group includes two Germans, Frederick and Peer, who are pilots for Lufthansa and who are on a one month holiday; Mieke, a Dutch girl who is taking three months to travel before starting graduate school; and Jenny and Ryan, an AWESOME American couple who just finished school and are taking a one year gap year to travel before starting law school. Once we arrived at the bus station, we also met Joel, a Swedish guy who has been teaching English in Bangkok. Because the five had met on a slow boat trip from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, they had gotten to know each other over the past four days but readily accepted Joel and I into their group.

I enjoyed chatting with Ryan, Frederick, and Perre on the ride to Vang Vieng because the road was extremely curvy – and our driver tended to drive in the middle of the lane, rather on the right side. I needed a distraction from the anxiety and car sickness! The drive lasted about six hours and took us through the middle of rural villages, stopping twice in such villages for a snack and restroom break. We finally arrived in Vang Vieng in the late evening, and I took off in search of my pre-booked guest house, while the rest went to find accommodation. We had intended to meet up around 7 at the post office, but when I walked to them at 7:00, the post office was no longer where it had been on the map. I continued to walk through the small town, knowing that I would ultimately find them, and we did end up finding each other a few minutes later.

We enjoyed a good Laotian dinner that evening, and then went into an internet café. Right as I was sending a message, the power went out in town – which preceded a huge storm. The windows were shaking from the wind, and the rain was torrential. My happy-go-lucky group of travel companions made the best of the situation and pulled out uno cards, so we sat and played a game while waiting for the storm to settle. Once it eventually improved, we parted ways – and I headed home in the dark. There were no lights, with the exception of candles in some small windows and flashlights of fellow tourists. A kind Aussie couple graciously gave up one of their flashlights for me to see my way home, but I have to admit I was a little spooked out by the lack of power. I made it home safely, though.

The next morning, I met the group again with the intention that we would go tubing down the river that day – an activity that was highly recommended by Sophie and Cam and a “rite of passage” for travelers in this area. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t so great, and we were concerned that the storm the night before would damage some of the businesses along the river, so we concluded to visit caves north of the city. We rented bikes and then rode along the road about 15 km north. The bike ride was outstanding – again, a great way to see the countryside and to see how Laotians live in their homes and towns. We arrived at the village next to the caves, ate a noodle lunch next to the river, and then set out in search of the caves on our own across farmland. We didn’t make it far before a guide ran after us, telling us we were going the wrong way; we finally were turned in the right direction and were taken to the first cave, which apparently is about 3 km long. We didn’t end up going all the way in, and I remembered about halfway in that I have an aversion to caves after my trip in South Africa. What was I doing??

Biking with my new friends near Vang Vieng, Laos

Traditional modes of transport in the countryside...

We headed out of the first and walked into the second a short distance before finally making it to the third cave, one that was supposed to be the most enjoyable. It certainly was. A stream made the cave into a small lagoon, and we rented intertubes to take ourselves into the cave. It took about an hour and a half to swim with our tubes in and out of the cave, but it the most fun. A highlight of the day!

We were concerned about getting our bikes back into town on time, so we raced back through the countryside. The mountains had taken on a blue-ish tint, and the sun started to set behind us as we rode back through the Laotian towns. Little children waved and yelled “Sabaidee” (“hello”) on our way back, and we arrived at the bike store right as dark set in. We met shortly thereafter for dinner, and my friend Brendan (from Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang) also joined us, as he had stayed an extra day with Ann and had just gotten into town. We had a family style dinner of amazing Laotian food, passing around plates of laap, Laotian sausage, tofu curries, and fish, and drinking some beerlaos with our meal.

Sunsetting in Lao on our bike ride home

On Tuesday, we finally decided to do the tubing trip we had heard so much about. After a leisurely breakfast, we rented intertubes, had numbers written on our hands, and were taken in a tuk-tuk a few kilometers north on the river. There, we were dropped off to start our tubing adventure, which supposedly would take only about 2 hours if you stayed on the river the entire time. However, the experience has received so much hype because there are small bamboo bars lining the sides of the river, where you can stop, drop off your intertube, have a drink, and even jump off of a rope swing into the water. Our group was keen on checking out some of these establishments, so we stopped at the first and the second bar before making it to the 4th or 5th – where we ended up staying for some time. It was a fun scene, with young travelers swimming, socializing, playing volleyball, etc – just not a very authentic day in Laos! I did try one jump off of the rope swing right before we left, and then all of us headed down the river to finish out the day. I have to admit that my favorite part was the last hour, when we were floating in peaceful scenery down the side of the river. Our group, which had grown with some other friends of Ryan and Jenny’s, formed a bit of a flotilla, as we linked up tubes and hands and floated together down the river. We jumped off the river at a guesthouse right as a storm was brewing, and caught a tuk-tuk back into town. Another great Laotian dinner at the same restaurant last night. Pictures to come...

One of the best parts of the trip has been the people I have met along the way, and my group here in Vang Vieng has been such a great example of the wonderful travelers out here. The group was so welcoming, so friendly, and so much fun – I can’t imagine staying or visiting this backpacker town without this group now. In fact, I’m even traveled on with four of the group yesterday to Vientienne, where I’ll stay until Friday morning. It’s nice to have travel companions, but even nicer to have ones that are so enjoyable to be around and travel with.

We arrived here Thursday afternoon, and I’ve enjoyed the little I’ve seen of the capital city thus far. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the sites tomorrow before I head to Cambodia on Friday morning.

I know everyone is enjoying March Madness back at home – just sad to hear about my Vols loss!