JONO ... we are nearly on our way home now.
While here, we've been staying with friends which has been great, and I'm sure I've been to every shoe shop in Singapore!
We went to the "Night Safari" on Saturday night and although it was great, it was hard after a full day of shopping and tripping around. We watched one "Fire Dance" show and my (and every introvert) worst nightmare came true ... I got pulled up to make a fool of myself infront of the crowd. Tracie got some photos so if you are lucky you might see them.
We fly out at 10 tomorrow and will be home Friday morning.
See you all soon.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Parks
Yesterday we visited the Butterfly and Bird parks in central KL. These were pretty cool and we made sure we took lots of photos so we can talk them through with my Aunty Val when we get back ... she spent many years in KL researching 'bugs' so might find it interesting to see photos and talk about them.
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| Butterflies |
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| Bird Park |
Friday, October 31, 2008
KL
JONO ... I dont think there will be many photos from KL because the insides of shopping malls can be a bit repetative :-)
After arriving in the evening and finding a 'cheap' city hotel at a travel counter, we made our way in on the train. We soon found out that 'cheap' is VERY relative ... for us it was 5x what we had been paying up until now ... needless to say we only stayed one night (after having paid the deposit at the airport). We are now in a place that is on a par with what we have had in Vietnam and Cambodia for only 3x the price.
We are in the middle of Chinatown where the streets are turned into markets every night.
After arriving in the evening and finding a 'cheap' city hotel at a travel counter, we made our way in on the train. We soon found out that 'cheap' is VERY relative ... for us it was 5x what we had been paying up until now ... needless to say we only stayed one night (after having paid the deposit at the airport). We are now in a place that is on a par with what we have had in Vietnam and Cambodia for only 3x the price.
We are in the middle of Chinatown where the streets are turned into markets every night.Yesterday we did the patirotic NZ thing and found the NZ Embassy so we could vote (look out for Bill and Ben who are bound to take the country by storm!) . Then went in to the Petronas Twin Towers for a look around.
At the bottom is a very cool science museum setup primarily to teach about the oil i
ndusty. It has WAY more than that though and I'm sure if we had all day I could have spent longer there. As it was we were there for 2 1/2 hours. A couple of times I thought 'my nephews - especially Luke - would love this place!' I did manage to impress Tracie with my prowess in driving a mini digger (it was teaching about hydrolics work) ... but I'm sure the on looking kids didnt care ... they just wanted to push me off so they could have a turn!
The afternoon/evening consisted of shopping. Shopping obviously doesn't mean you have to buy anything ... otherwise it would be called 'buying' rather than 'shopping'. But after many hours of roaming around we did have a few things to take home with us. Some things are VERY cheap here but other things (like accomodation) are not. If we had some money to spend, it would be dangerous place to come!
We are off to the bird park now to take a look around ... then maybe will look at the IT/geek malls tomorrow.
The Silk Farm
TRACIE ... On our last day in Siem Reap we visited the Silk Farm. Apart from being impressed with the Farm itself (beautifully landscaped grounds, clean, modern facilities) and the tour that we were taken on (each person or family group etc gets their own tour guide who speaks very reasonable english), the process of growing silk was unknown to us, and was incredibly fascinating.
The silk moths mate (they have to separate them after three hours or else they will mate to the death!). The male dies after a couple of days, and the female lays a bunch of eggs, and dies sortly afterwards also.
The eggs hatch, and the silk worm eats mulberry leaves for something like a couple of weeks. They used to put the worms on the mulberry trees but now they bring the leaves to the worms. The worm, eats and eats until it goes yellow and fat!
When it's ready to go into the coccoon stage they are placed on large flat woven plate looking things, which the worms attach themselves to and begin spinning their coccoon, from their mouths. The thread is mostly continuous, and is up to 300 metres long when unravelled. The coccoons are yellow, with the female coccoons being fatter (they have weight problems too!).
20% of the coccoon's are allowed to hatch into moths to continue the next cycle, and the rest are placed in boiling water. This seemed mean, but they were only going to live three days anyway eh!
The first lot of water is 60 degrees, and then about eight coccoons are spun together to make around 200 metres of raw silk. If the moth was allowed to come out of the coccoon, all the threads would be cut in the process , making it impossible to make continuous thread. The next lot of water is 80 degrees, and the thread is much finer - about 100 metres of thread is harvested from this part.
At this stage, you can eat a cooked silk worm, which of course Jono did. He said it tasted like corn. Speaking of eating weird things, Jono tried snake in Siem Reap also. Now Jono can cook fish and snake - he BBQ'd his own dinner - very cool.
The silk yarn is then dyed. Many of the dye colours are natural. Banana leaves, raisins, bark, rusty nails!
The weaving process was just as amazing. Mostly women, are trained for about 12+ months before becoming an artisan. Plain silk is made at a rate of three metres per day. Patterned or multicoloured silk is 60 cm per day. 60 CM!!! The finished product was absolutely beautiful.
This was such interesting thing to learn about. I was absolutely enthralled for the whole thing.
The silk moths mate (they have to separate them after three hours or else they will mate to the death!). The male dies after a couple of days, and the female lays a bunch of eggs, and dies sortly afterwards also.
The eggs hatch, and the silk worm eats mulberry leaves for something like a couple of weeks. They used to put the worms on the mulberry trees but now they bring the leaves to the worms. The worm, eats and eats until it goes yellow and fat!
When it's ready to go into the coccoon stage they are placed on large flat woven plate looking things, which the worms attach themselves to and begin spinning their coccoon, from their mouths. The thread is mostly continuous, and is up to 300 metres long when unravelled. The coccoons are yellow, with the female coccoons being fatter (they have weight problems too!).
20% of the coccoon's are allowed to hatch into moths to continue the next cycle, and the rest are placed in boiling water. This seemed mean, but they were only going to live three days anyway eh!
The first lot of water is 60 degrees, and then about eight coccoons are spun together to make around 200 metres of raw silk. If the moth was allowed to come out of the coccoon, all the threads would be cut in the process , making it impossible to make continuous thread. The next lot of water is 80 degrees, and the thread is much finer - about 100 metres of thread is harvested from this part.
At this stage, you can eat a cooked silk worm, which of course Jono did. He said it tasted like corn. Speaking of eating weird things, Jono tried snake in Siem Reap also. Now Jono can cook fish and snake - he BBQ'd his own dinner - very cool.
The silk yarn is then dyed. Many of the dye colours are natural. Banana leaves, raisins, bark, rusty nails!
The weaving process was just as amazing. Mostly women, are trained for about 12+ months before becoming an artisan. Plain silk is made at a rate of three metres per day. Patterned or multicoloured silk is 60 cm per day. 60 CM!!! The finished product was absolutely beautiful.
This was such interesting thing to learn about. I was absolutely enthralled for the whole thing.
The Grumpy Tuk Tuk Driver..
TRACIE . I have been meaning to write about our arrival at Siem Reap. They had barely docked the boat when a bunch of guys came on board trying to get people to take their Tuk Tuk into the city centre. There were also more with signs saying things like "Let me take you into town, only $2".
We agreed we would ride with one young guy, to find that he was hawking rides for someone else. That was fine, so in we got and off we went. A little way down the road, the driver turned around and said "Tomorrow I take you for tour to Angkor Wat, $15.00". No, we said, we are not going to Angkor Wat. Apart from nearly falling off his bike in shock, he seemed quite upset, and after another minute, stopped the bike and turned around and told us that he if we weren't taking a tour with him he couldn't take us into town for $2.00, that it was 16km's and would cost $5.00. No, we said, you told us it was $2.00. But it was 16km's he said. Then we will get out we said, and that we weren't told that the $2.00 fee had conditions. Ok, $3.00 he said. Fine we said. So a snotty driver took us the rest of the way. He managed of course to get us to a guesthouse that would pay him some 'comission' but we obviously spoiled his day. He didnt spoil ours though!
We agreed we would ride with one young guy, to find that he was hawking rides for someone else. That was fine, so in we got and off we went. A little way down the road, the driver turned around and said "Tomorrow I take you for tour to Angkor Wat, $15.00". No, we said, we are not going to Angkor Wat. Apart from nearly falling off his bike in shock, he seemed quite upset, and after another minute, stopped the bike and turned around and told us that he if we weren't taking a tour with him he couldn't take us into town for $2.00, that it was 16km's and would cost $5.00. No, we said, you told us it was $2.00. But it was 16km's he said. Then we will get out we said, and that we weren't told that the $2.00 fee had conditions. Ok, $3.00 he said. Fine we said. So a snotty driver took us the rest of the way. He managed of course to get us to a guesthouse that would pay him some 'comission' but we obviously spoiled his day. He didnt spoil ours though!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The last few days...
TRACIE ... Have missed out a few things of the last few days, and thinking that we must be experiencing blogger fatigue, so totally understand if any of the one or two who are reading this, are over it as well!
As I said previously, the beach at SihonoukVille was wonderful. We ended up eating at the beach restaurant accross the road quite a lot, and the young assistant manager, Kosal, took a liking to Jono. Again, not a surprise - I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't like him. Anyway, we had some nice chats with him (low season, not many tourists) and he told us he was getting married in November. Again, it was awesome to connect with a local and spend a little time.
The hawker teenagers were a mixed bunch. Some pushy, some shy, some stroppy. It would be so awesome to teach them some skills, but a bigger problem than their sales techniques was that they were skipping school because at the beach they could make up to $20 US a day, perhaps more in high season. That of course beats going to school but the future in it doesn't seem so good. Not unlike some at home, typical teenagers seeing the now and unable to think big picture. As well as wanting to tell the teenagers how to be better sales people, I wanted to tell Kosal how to make his restaurant more tourist friendly! I didn't of course, but it was a great place to sit and read a book, despite the in-your-face youth!
From there, we bused back to Phnom Penh, then the next day took the bus to Battambang, where we did the bike trip (check out Jono's blog below, with his description of the amazing bamboo train). From there we took the boat to Siem Reap, where we are now, until flying out on the 30th.
Today we took the shopping plunge. We had avoided shopping so far because we are carrying everything on our backs. Didn't buy too much, but it was fun. I managed to find the cool coffee making thingy's we had lots of coffee from in Viet Nam. I also got my hair coloured at the local market (back to my natural colour minus the gray!) and for US $10, got a colour, a short shoulder massage, and my hair done in a french plait. They have this cool bed thing at the basin that you lie down on instead of sitting in a chair and feeling like your neck may snap at any moment. Cool.
While we were on our way to breakfast this morning a young boy of about six wanted to sell us stuff. He asked us where we were from and proceeded to tell us NZ's capital city, population, prime minister (he might have to update that one soon!), and queen. We thought he was very clever and quaint and bought some bracelets. Later today a young girl did the same routine. Funny. Clever still, and new to us so far!
Yesterday on the boat trip, we saw people washing themselves, their teeth, and their clothes, in the river. It was so dirty. I'm amazed that there isn't a lot of sickness and perhaps there is. This is just life for them.
Some more reflections about Cambodia (please forgive any repeats):
So much rubbish - people just dump their stuff in the street, down the bank of the river, in the river. Such a beautiful country with beautiful people, the rubbish is a shame.
The contrasts are amazing - a Remuera type house next to a shack. Perhaps people own land and when their circumstances change they just upgrade their accommodation rather than upgrading their geography/ friends etc..
So many smiles considering so much devestation.
So many hawkers, tuk tuk drivers, motorbike drivers, and beggars. I wonder how the country will be able to sustain itself in the future as more and more young people come into the workforce.
More photos ...
As I said previously, the beach at SihonoukVille was wonderful. We ended up eating at the beach restaurant accross the road quite a lot, and the young assistant manager, Kosal, took a liking to Jono. Again, not a surprise - I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't like him. Anyway, we had some nice chats with him (low season, not many tourists) and he told us he was getting married in November. Again, it was awesome to connect with a local and spend a little time.
The hawker teenagers were a mixed bunch. Some pushy, some shy, some stroppy. It would be so awesome to teach them some skills, but a bigger problem than their sales techniques was that they were skipping school because at the beach they could make up to $20 US a day, perhaps more in high season. That of course beats going to school but the future in it doesn't seem so good. Not unlike some at home, typical teenagers seeing the now and unable to think big picture. As well as wanting to tell the teenagers how to be better sales people, I wanted to tell Kosal how to make his restaurant more tourist friendly! I didn't of course, but it was a great place to sit and read a book, despite the in-your-face youth!
From there, we bused back to Phnom Penh, then the next day took the bus to Battambang, where we did the bike trip (check out Jono's blog below, with his description of the amazing bamboo train). From there we took the boat to Siem Reap, where we are now, until flying out on the 30th.
Today we took the shopping plunge. We had avoided shopping so far because we are carrying everything on our backs. Didn't buy too much, but it was fun. I managed to find the cool coffee making thingy's we had lots of coffee from in Viet Nam. I also got my hair coloured at the local market (back to my natural colour minus the gray!) and for US $10, got a colour, a short shoulder massage, and my hair done in a french plait. They have this cool bed thing at the basin that you lie down on instead of sitting in a chair and feeling like your neck may snap at any moment. Cool.
While we were on our way to breakfast this morning a young boy of about six wanted to sell us stuff. He asked us where we were from and proceeded to tell us NZ's capital city, population, prime minister (he might have to update that one soon!), and queen. We thought he was very clever and quaint and bought some bracelets. Later today a young girl did the same routine. Funny. Clever still, and new to us so far!
Yesterday on the boat trip, we saw people washing themselves, their teeth, and their clothes, in the river. It was so dirty. I'm amazed that there isn't a lot of sickness and perhaps there is. This is just life for them.
Some more reflections about Cambodia (please forgive any repeats):
So much rubbish - people just dump their stuff in the street, down the bank of the river, in the river. Such a beautiful country with beautiful people, the rubbish is a shame.
The contrasts are amazing - a Remuera type house next to a shack. Perhaps people own land and when their circumstances change they just upgrade their accommodation rather than upgrading their geography/ friends etc..
So many smiles considering so much devestation.
So many hawkers, tuk tuk drivers, motorbike drivers, and beggars. I wonder how the country will be able to sustain itself in the future as more and more young people come into the workforce.
More photos ...
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| Battambang |
Extreme Engineering
If you have ever seen the Discovery channel show called "Extreme Engineering", this is nothing like it ... but is it a notible mention none-the-less.
The "bamboo train" runs along a few kilometres of track outside of Battambang. Apparently it was installed during the French period in the 1930's and it goes something like this.
First you take a long length of track ... not necessarily in the same condition as when it was installed.
Place 1 front axle with original wheels ... these things are VERY heavy!
Place the other axle on the track ... this one has an extra "Drive" wheel off centre. This is for the V-Belt to run on.
The train deck is then placed across the 2 axels
The deck sits across bearings that encircle the axle
Next the engine is placed on-top, "floating"on 2 pieces of angle iron. The V-Belt is attached around the axle and the Engine pully. This v-belt sits loosely until a short stick is leavered against the engine, sliding it backwards, to make the belt tight. This is what give us drive ...
Before you know it the train is ready to roll
Behind us on the deck are our 2 moto's. In NZ, it would be considered good practice to strap these down with something to ensure they didnt tumble. It seems this is deemed unnecessary, and the drivers simply sit on the bike and apply the brake while the train is in motion .... i'm not 100% convinced although it gave the train driver some piece of mind.
The train rockets along ... not exactly sure how fast because we are very close to the track ... and after about 30 minutes we come to our stop.
Meeting on-coming trains is common and our departure was delayed a few minutes while some in-bound trains were offloaded. Part way down the track we came across 2 more on-coming trains ... and because we had the heaviest load, the opposing trains needed to be dismantled to allow us through ... everybody pitches in and nobody seems to mind ... it's all in a days work.
The "bamboo train" runs along a few kilometres of track outside of Battambang. Apparently it was installed during the French period in the 1930's and it goes something like this.
First you take a long length of track ... not necessarily in the same condition as when it was installed.
Place 1 front axle with original wheels ... these things are VERY heavy!
Place the other axle on the track ... this one has an extra "Drive" wheel off centre. This is for the V-Belt to run on.
The train deck is then placed across the 2 axels
The deck sits across bearings that encircle the axle
Next the engine is placed on-top, "floating"on 2 pieces of angle iron. The V-Belt is attached around the axle and the Engine pully. This v-belt sits loosely until a short stick is leavered against the engine, sliding it backwards, to make the belt tight. This is what give us drive ...
Before you know it the train is ready to roll
Behind us on the deck are our 2 moto's. In NZ, it would be considered good practice to strap these down with something to ensure they didnt tumble. It seems this is deemed unnecessary, and the drivers simply sit on the bike and apply the brake while the train is in motion .... i'm not 100% convinced although it gave the train driver some piece of mind.
The train rockets along ... not exactly sure how fast because we are very close to the track ... and after about 30 minutes we come to our stop.
Meeting on-coming trains is common and our departure was delayed a few minutes while some in-bound trains were offloaded. Part way down the track we came across 2 more on-coming trains ... and because we had the heaviest load, the opposing trains needed to be dismantled to allow us through ... everybody pitches in and nobody seems to mind ... it's all in a days work.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Beware the mosquito slayer
JONO - Tracie has to be the most proficient mosquito dispatcher that I have ever seen! Óne handed, back-handed, catch-release-catch ... the list goes on ... The bus trip from Phnom Penh up to Battambang wasnt as long as we expected, but the mozzies made the most of the short trip. I think the locals thought we were a bit strange swatting at them, but it helped to pass the time.
I have been pleasently surprised at Tracie's ability to cope with the lack of schedule too .. I had expected that we would need more definate plans to keep her relaxed, but we have managed to get this far with only one minor disagreement ... not bad for 4 weeks of 24/7! It has been a whole lot of fun actually ... that's good aye?
We are now in Siem Reap and although we will possibly be the only tourists to ever come here without visiting Angkor Wat, we are totally over the temples. We are respectful of the history and religious beliefs but I think we have seen enough now.
The trip here was surprisingly pleasent on the boat. It was 6 1/2 hours of roaring diesel engine, but inspite of the wooden seats, and the proximity to the exhaust, we survived relatively well. It was $20 for foreigners and $4 for locals ... perhaps we need some local based pricing in NZ? Skydive for 1/5th the price maybe?
It was amazing seeing the floating villages and the kids going to school on boats rather than bikes. One boat had a couple of kids who wouldnt have been older than 5yo, paddling in the middle of the river ... no life jackets of course ... I suppose they learn to swim really young. I was amazed at the navagational ability of the skipper .. for a large portion of the trip, their was no specific river, just a flooded plain with trees and water lillies everywhere. He managed to find the way through and only had to stop to clear the prop once.
The photos are proving to be a bit difficult to upload ... some computers just won't allow it. It seems that most of the OS's are illegal too ... probably why noone here has upgraded to Vista ... too hard to pirate.
I have been pleasently surprised at Tracie's ability to cope with the lack of schedule too .. I had expected that we would need more definate plans to keep her relaxed, but we have managed to get this far with only one minor disagreement ... not bad for 4 weeks of 24/7! It has been a whole lot of fun actually ... that's good aye?
We are now in Siem Reap and although we will possibly be the only tourists to ever come here without visiting Angkor Wat, we are totally over the temples. We are respectful of the history and religious beliefs but I think we have seen enough now.
The trip here was surprisingly pleasent on the boat. It was 6 1/2 hours of roaring diesel engine, but inspite of the wooden seats, and the proximity to the exhaust, we survived relatively well. It was $20 for foreigners and $4 for locals ... perhaps we need some local based pricing in NZ? Skydive for 1/5th the price maybe?
It was amazing seeing the floating villages and the kids going to school on boats rather than bikes. One boat had a couple of kids who wouldnt have been older than 5yo, paddling in the middle of the river ... no life jackets of course ... I suppose they learn to swim really young. I was amazed at the navagational ability of the skipper .. for a large portion of the trip, their was no specific river, just a flooded plain with trees and water lillies everywhere. He managed to find the way through and only had to stop to clear the prop once.
The photos are proving to be a bit difficult to upload ... some computers just won't allow it. It seems that most of the OS's are illegal too ... probably why noone here has upgraded to Vista ... too hard to pirate.
What a Day!
TRACIE ... Yesterday will go down as another highlight. Jono is very excited to point out that many of my highlights so far have included motorbikes, and is wondering whether this means it is time for us to purchase another bike. I have told him, sell your car and your truck. There are no motorbikes on my agenda!
Anyway, yesterday we were on our way to breakfast, minding our own business, when we were asked by yet another moto driver if we would give him a job. Its hard to not get tired of people asking you for money or whether you want to go in their tuk tuk, but you have to remember that this is their life and without the mighty tourist (I'm kidding, I wonder whether we are really good for them at all) they may not eat. We were given a quick explaintion of what our day would look like in below average english, but it sounded ok and we needed a plan! The distances on the map looked pretty small, and even though we weren't desperately in need of visiting any temples, we thought that we had better look at one or two. Jono had heard of some of the places he spoke about, so we agreed to the huge fee (not) of US $10 each and off we went. Actually, we walked back to our accommodation and agreed on a meeting place 20 minutes later - our guesthouse had it's own drivers who didnt take too kindly to people infringing on their turf. The driver had said something about a short trip being three hours and I'm sure he said a longer one would be 5-6 hours (although I may have dreamed that part).
First stop was breakfast because we hadnt made it to that yet. THEN, off we went. I am sure what we did next is common in NZ if you're into off-road bikes and getting dirty, but probably not on the sort of bikes we were on. We went along for a very short time on a sealed road, then went onto a dirt road forever (like - an hour or two). It was so much fun, but bone and teeth jarring like nothing I have ever experienced. The roads were bumpy to say the least. My driver suggested that it would be easier on my hands if I didnt hold on (for dear life), which I complied with when the road wasnt bumpy (about 20% of the time) but the rest of it I was clinging on and bouncing around in and out of really big holes..
We eventually ended up at the bottom of a temple site; it was only 70 metres straight up, but we took the road - on foot, because it was too steep for bikes. The temple was ok, but the view was amazing. Not before I nearly died on the way. I haven't exercised for weeks now, but apart from that, with the incline and the heat and the humidity, I felt like I wasnt getting any air and I wouldn't make it! We did of course, and I dont think I have sweated so much in my life. '
There were rice fields literally as far as the eye could see - beautiful. Before we reached the very top we were taken to one of the famous Killing Caves. During the terrible times faced by the Cambodian people, this was one of the places they were killed en masse. People were thrown down a hole at the top of the cave, hopefully dying instantly at the bottom but I think that this would not have always been the case... There was a shrine of skulls and bones in the cave, and a tiny cage that people had been kept in. Incredibly sad, and I wish I could have stayed longer, but the few minutes in the cave, me crying of course, gave me the smallest glimpse of the sadness that the people of this country have had to live through.
After getting to the top, we took the steps down - we were told there were about 800. Writing this today, I can vouch that there were LOTS, cause my calves now feel like concrete.
After this place it started to rain, and we took shelter for a bit, then suggested that we could buy cheap raincoats so we could go on. When our driver got back with them, the rain stopped, which was pretty funny, but it rained later so we were glad for them. On to another temple, with this time only 500 steps to the top. From there we went past a site where there were a whole bunch of fruitbats (which was far cooler than it sounds) and then on to the "Bamboo Traïn". After all our exercise we were wet with sweat, and then with the rain had got more wet from the mud on the road etc (I had mud all up my legs - fun!). There were times when both of us thought that we would eat dirt (ie fall off), but somehow we didnt. Jono has taken one photo of the road, and that was pretty bad, but it was REALLY bad most of the time - but did I say FUN???
We got back about 5.30, cold and wet and having had an amazing time. One funny part about the cold and wet bit was that we had booked our first room without hot water, so a cold shower it was. I felt really bad giving the guys just $10 each for the huge day they had given us. I'm sure that it was a fair price for them, but they worked pretty hard for it, and of course had to buy petrol within that. There were a few things where better english would have been good, but this was a great day and we were so glad to have done it.
Anyway, yesterday we were on our way to breakfast, minding our own business, when we were asked by yet another moto driver if we would give him a job. Its hard to not get tired of people asking you for money or whether you want to go in their tuk tuk, but you have to remember that this is their life and without the mighty tourist (I'm kidding, I wonder whether we are really good for them at all) they may not eat. We were given a quick explaintion of what our day would look like in below average english, but it sounded ok and we needed a plan! The distances on the map looked pretty small, and even though we weren't desperately in need of visiting any temples, we thought that we had better look at one or two. Jono had heard of some of the places he spoke about, so we agreed to the huge fee (not) of US $10 each and off we went. Actually, we walked back to our accommodation and agreed on a meeting place 20 minutes later - our guesthouse had it's own drivers who didnt take too kindly to people infringing on their turf. The driver had said something about a short trip being three hours and I'm sure he said a longer one would be 5-6 hours (although I may have dreamed that part).
First stop was breakfast because we hadnt made it to that yet. THEN, off we went. I am sure what we did next is common in NZ if you're into off-road bikes and getting dirty, but probably not on the sort of bikes we were on. We went along for a very short time on a sealed road, then went onto a dirt road forever (like - an hour or two). It was so much fun, but bone and teeth jarring like nothing I have ever experienced. The roads were bumpy to say the least. My driver suggested that it would be easier on my hands if I didnt hold on (for dear life), which I complied with when the road wasnt bumpy (about 20% of the time) but the rest of it I was clinging on and bouncing around in and out of really big holes..
We eventually ended up at the bottom of a temple site; it was only 70 metres straight up, but we took the road - on foot, because it was too steep for bikes. The temple was ok, but the view was amazing. Not before I nearly died on the way. I haven't exercised for weeks now, but apart from that, with the incline and the heat and the humidity, I felt like I wasnt getting any air and I wouldn't make it! We did of course, and I dont think I have sweated so much in my life. '
There were rice fields literally as far as the eye could see - beautiful. Before we reached the very top we were taken to one of the famous Killing Caves. During the terrible times faced by the Cambodian people, this was one of the places they were killed en masse. People were thrown down a hole at the top of the cave, hopefully dying instantly at the bottom but I think that this would not have always been the case... There was a shrine of skulls and bones in the cave, and a tiny cage that people had been kept in. Incredibly sad, and I wish I could have stayed longer, but the few minutes in the cave, me crying of course, gave me the smallest glimpse of the sadness that the people of this country have had to live through.
After getting to the top, we took the steps down - we were told there were about 800. Writing this today, I can vouch that there were LOTS, cause my calves now feel like concrete.
After this place it started to rain, and we took shelter for a bit, then suggested that we could buy cheap raincoats so we could go on. When our driver got back with them, the rain stopped, which was pretty funny, but it rained later so we were glad for them. On to another temple, with this time only 500 steps to the top. From there we went past a site where there were a whole bunch of fruitbats (which was far cooler than it sounds) and then on to the "Bamboo Traïn". After all our exercise we were wet with sweat, and then with the rain had got more wet from the mud on the road etc (I had mud all up my legs - fun!). There were times when both of us thought that we would eat dirt (ie fall off), but somehow we didnt. Jono has taken one photo of the road, and that was pretty bad, but it was REALLY bad most of the time - but did I say FUN???
We got back about 5.30, cold and wet and having had an amazing time. One funny part about the cold and wet bit was that we had booked our first room without hot water, so a cold shower it was. I felt really bad giving the guys just $10 each for the huge day they had given us. I'm sure that it was a fair price for them, but they worked pretty hard for it, and of course had to buy petrol within that. There were a few things where better english would have been good, but this was a great day and we were so glad to have done it.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Our Island trip
Our island trip was pretty cool. There are some photos in the Sihanouk Ville Album if you are interested ... the red line on the map shows the route .... I have to say that for a map-geek like me, Google maps is VERY adictive!
I have decided that my next camera needs a built in GPS so they located themselves on the map ... much easier.
View Larger Map
I have decided that my next camera needs a built in GPS so they located themselves on the map ... much easier.
View Larger Map
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Slight Change of Plans..
TRACIE ... In the interests of time, we have decided to fly straight from Seim Reap to KL. We would have spent a few days non stop on trains and decided for a few (literally) extra dollars we would skip some of that! We had planned to miss Thailand anyway so this just enhances our trip really. We fly on the 30th.
We have hired a bike for the day today and will head out to a waterfall soon to have a look. We'll also check out some of the other beaches, but reckon that we have got the best one right where we are. The accommodation is really decent and at US $10 a night it's amazing. We strolled over to the beach this morning (2 mins) for breakfast and a swim. Hard life eh..
We have hired a bike for the day today and will head out to a waterfall soon to have a look. We'll also check out some of the other beaches, but reckon that we have got the best one right where we are. The accommodation is really decent and at US $10 a night it's amazing. We strolled over to the beach this morning (2 mins) for breakfast and a swim. Hard life eh..
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| Sihanouk Ville |
The Living History
JONO ... When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia, they were intent on erasing the country's history ... adults were being killed off, and kids were being brainwashed into believing they were better off without there families.
Now the history is so much a part of everyday life that it is inescapable ... there are many amputees and blind as a result of land mines or torture; there are many kids whose parents can't look after them because of war related illness.
There is almost a pendulum swing away from the Khmer Rouge ideology ... there is evident a deep effection that parents have for their kids ... a strong bond of family.
When we have spent some time talking to people here, we start to get a picture that underneath is a deep hurt that is impossible for us to comprehend. Not knowing the wereabouts of family members (although they are presumed dead); seeing the torture and deaths of friends; being displaced from family land.
It is hard to understand but through the adversity of the past, people often seem very content with their lives now and they are moving on.
On a slightly different note; yesterday we were talking to the waiter at a resturant across from our hotel. About 25 years old, he works 7 days a week, sleeps at the restaurant for security overnight, and gets 2 weeks off a year when he goes back home to visit his family ... He seems really happy and was always eager to help. We forget how fortunate we are to get 2 days a week and 4 weeks off...
Now the history is so much a part of everyday life that it is inescapable ... there are many amputees and blind as a result of land mines or torture; there are many kids whose parents can't look after them because of war related illness.
There is almost a pendulum swing away from the Khmer Rouge ideology ... there is evident a deep effection that parents have for their kids ... a strong bond of family.
When we have spent some time talking to people here, we start to get a picture that underneath is a deep hurt that is impossible for us to comprehend. Not knowing the wereabouts of family members (although they are presumed dead); seeing the torture and deaths of friends; being displaced from family land.
It is hard to understand but through the adversity of the past, people often seem very content with their lives now and they are moving on.
On a slightly different note; yesterday we were talking to the waiter at a resturant across from our hotel. About 25 years old, he works 7 days a week, sleeps at the restaurant for security overnight, and gets 2 weeks off a year when he goes back home to visit his family ... He seems really happy and was always eager to help. We forget how fortunate we are to get 2 days a week and 4 weeks off...
So Many Beaches, So Little Time...
TRACIE ... Wow, where we are staying now is so beautiful. We're in Sihanouk Ville. We have had thoughts about flagging some other places and just staying here for a while, but we will probably drag ourselves away in a couple of days, and head north again. I dont think I have ever seen such white sand. There are almost no waves (no surfing here) and its even warm enough for me to want to swim! Several times a day in fact.
There are loads of hawkers on the beach; lots of them teenagers. They are pretty pushy but are still happy to have a chat. They come and just sit down, really close, and talk away. Great english, which I guess they learn partially from school and a lot from practising on tourists. We've told them so far we're not buying anything. They say, 'Maybe tomorrow?' and we say 'Do you want us to be honest? Then not tomorrow!' Cause if you say maybe, you know they will hunt you down tomorrow! The problem is that there are dozens of them selling the same thing. We will probably buy some bracelets or something, but when WE want to not just because they are being assertive!
There are also heaps of land mine survivors begging. We've started keeping a few $$'s handy and just give them to the beggars. At home Jono hassles me that I give to too many causes, but these people just break your heart. Interesting though, they still seem happier than many westerners I see. It's cliche, but it seems so true that money isnt the thing that makes people happy.
Had a lovely day today on an Island tour. The snorkell equipment left muct to be desired, but the island we stopped on was beautiful, as was the water wonderfully warm and the food really good. The company was great also; we met a cool couple from Aussi - Craig and Jaqueline. We spent much of the day with them which was nice. On the way home it poured torrentially, which didnt spoil it at all - perfect timing!
Thankfully the days are going nice and slowly still. We are only about day 20 or so..
There are loads of hawkers on the beach; lots of them teenagers. They are pretty pushy but are still happy to have a chat. They come and just sit down, really close, and talk away. Great english, which I guess they learn partially from school and a lot from practising on tourists. We've told them so far we're not buying anything. They say, 'Maybe tomorrow?' and we say 'Do you want us to be honest? Then not tomorrow!' Cause if you say maybe, you know they will hunt you down tomorrow! The problem is that there are dozens of them selling the same thing. We will probably buy some bracelets or something, but when WE want to not just because they are being assertive!
There are also heaps of land mine survivors begging. We've started keeping a few $$'s handy and just give them to the beggars. At home Jono hassles me that I give to too many causes, but these people just break your heart. Interesting though, they still seem happier than many westerners I see. It's cliche, but it seems so true that money isnt the thing that makes people happy.
Had a lovely day today on an Island tour. The snorkell equipment left muct to be desired, but the island we stopped on was beautiful, as was the water wonderfully warm and the food really good. The company was great also; we met a cool couple from Aussi - Craig and Jaqueline. We spent much of the day with them which was nice. On the way home it poured torrentially, which didnt spoil it at all - perfect timing!
Thankfully the days are going nice and slowly still. We are only about day 20 or so..
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Phnom Penh
Our Phnom Penh photos are up and we will keep adding to this Album until we leave the capital. It includes some of the bus trip from the border.
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| Cambodia |
The Killing Fields
JONO ... If you are interested in my visit to the killing fields ... follow the link to the photos. There is some explaination in the comments and captions.
I am not going to write a blog about it because not everyone would be interested. If you have thoughts or questions please comment on this blog.
I bought a couple of DVD's so if you are interested in this horrific piece of history ... I will lend them to you. "The Killing Fields" which you may have seen and also a documentary called "S21" which discribes the prison of that name.
I am not going to write a blog about it because not everyone would be interested. If you have thoughts or questions please comment on this blog.
I bought a couple of DVD's so if you are interested in this horrific piece of history ... I will lend them to you. "The Killing Fields" which you may have seen and also a documentary called "S21" which discribes the prison of that name.
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| The Killing Fields |
Close Shave
OK so I didnt last the distance ... but getting the local treatment was worth the $2 investment!
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| A close shave |
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Amazing Kitten!
TRACIE ... I might seem like a crazy cat lady (you know the ones, they like their 35 cats better than humans), but last night we saw this REALLY CUTE kitten at the shop next to the restaurant we were eating at. Apart from it looking super healthy and adorable, it was sooo affectionate, and it FETCHED! Like a dog!!! The guy had a screwed up piece of paper that he would roll along the ground, and the kitten would go and get it and bring it back! If I was Buddist I would say that the cat had been here before, cause it was only a few months old and was already way more clever than any cat I had ever seen!
Same Same, But Different!
TRACIE ... Just bought a tee-shirt with the words 'Same Same' on the front, and 'But Different' on the back. It's early days, but I have a few instant first impressions of Cambodia with regards to differences from VietNam:
The Sun feels hotter here.
Its more expensive for food and accommodation here, which is interesting because I would have thought that Cambodia would be a bit behind VietNam in western influence.
There are as many people who try to sell you stuff, including heaps of Tuk Tuk drivers trying to take you places (we're walking), but they all seem to take refusal better.
More beggars here.
Lots of people with limbs missing. So sad.
Where we are seems dirtier, with more rubbish in the streets, than we have seen in the places we have been in VietNam.
The people we have seen with babies, seem more besotted by them than in VietNam.
The side street shop owners dont seem to be so pushy.
The motorcyclists don't seem so courteous towards pedestrians. It's way less congested so crossing the road should be easier, but bikes seem to come much closer here..
Less bikes, more cars, which seems weird considering what I would thought the economy would be like.
The market we went to here was way more 'civilised' than the one we went to in VietNam; wider aisles, people keen to sell but not so pushy. In VietNam, one young woman stood in the aisle (which felt less than one person wide) in front of Jono and wasnt going to let him past without us buying something. We almost had to push her out of the way!
It's so amazing to get this chance to see some more of the world. I feel so ignorant, and am really enjoying another opportunity to see cultures and people so unlike me. I'm not saying one place seems better than another because both places have things we love and things we might not love quite so much. Just different.
This afternoon we are off to have a massage at a place called Seeing Hands Massage. The people are blind. It's going to cost US $5 per hour. There are a couple of places to eat and buy stuff where proffits go towards helping kids etc, so we are looking out for those places to spend our money...
The Sun feels hotter here.
Its more expensive for food and accommodation here, which is interesting because I would have thought that Cambodia would be a bit behind VietNam in western influence.
There are as many people who try to sell you stuff, including heaps of Tuk Tuk drivers trying to take you places (we're walking), but they all seem to take refusal better.
More beggars here.
Lots of people with limbs missing. So sad.
Where we are seems dirtier, with more rubbish in the streets, than we have seen in the places we have been in VietNam.
The people we have seen with babies, seem more besotted by them than in VietNam.
The side street shop owners dont seem to be so pushy.
The motorcyclists don't seem so courteous towards pedestrians. It's way less congested so crossing the road should be easier, but bikes seem to come much closer here..
Less bikes, more cars, which seems weird considering what I would thought the economy would be like.
The market we went to here was way more 'civilised' than the one we went to in VietNam; wider aisles, people keen to sell but not so pushy. In VietNam, one young woman stood in the aisle (which felt less than one person wide) in front of Jono and wasnt going to let him past without us buying something. We almost had to push her out of the way!
It's so amazing to get this chance to see some more of the world. I feel so ignorant, and am really enjoying another opportunity to see cultures and people so unlike me. I'm not saying one place seems better than another because both places have things we love and things we might not love quite so much. Just different.
This afternoon we are off to have a massage at a place called Seeing Hands Massage. The people are blind. It's going to cost US $5 per hour. There are a couple of places to eat and buy stuff where proffits go towards helping kids etc, so we are looking out for those places to spend our money...
Where have the photos gone?
I lost the USB cable ... thats where they have gone ... I almost cant bring myself to buy one because I have so many at home. But soon the photos will return.
Cambodia here we come ...
JONO - Surprisingly we just coped with 20 hours of bus travel inside 36 hours ... now sitting in Phnom Penh.
Vietnam was amazing - even getting back through HCMC was more relaxed the second time ... I'm not sure if we looked a bit haggard but we werent approached by so many people selling stuff. It highlighted to me that it is the people that make the place ... all the scenery in the world, doesnt compensate for the people who live in it.
We have found a pretty good hotel right in the centre of town ... hopefully we will get out and about a bit tomorrow and get a look around. Then on Sunday I will head off by myself to look at some of the country history... Tracie is going to give it a miss but will find plenty to do in the sun, by a pool somewhere.
A map of town is at http://www.canbypublications.com/maps/phnompenhriverfront.htm and if you find the spot that is the "Last Home Guesthouse" ... that is us.
Vietnam was amazing - even getting back through HCMC was more relaxed the second time ... I'm not sure if we looked a bit haggard but we werent approached by so many people selling stuff. It highlighted to me that it is the people that make the place ... all the scenery in the world, doesnt compensate for the people who live in it.
We have found a pretty good hotel right in the centre of town ... hopefully we will get out and about a bit tomorrow and get a look around. Then on Sunday I will head off by myself to look at some of the country history... Tracie is going to give it a miss but will find plenty to do in the sun, by a pool somewhere.
A map of town is at http://www.canbypublications.com/maps/phnompenhriverfront.htm and if you find the spot that is the "Last Home Guesthouse" ... that is us.
Goodbye Viet Nam
TRACIE ... Jono is blogging at the same time as me so we may overlap. I feel quite sad to have left VietNam. Quy Nhon was really fantastic for me because I really needed a wee rest even before we left NZ, and being at this less touristy beach (with few hawkers) provided a perfect opportunity for that. I must say, I'm having philosophical thoughts about tourism in countries like this. As usual Jono has to put up with my musings, but he's being his usual darling self.
We travelled by three buses to get to Cambodia. Four hours from Quy Nhon, a ten hour sleeper bus to HCMC, and about seven hours, including border crossing, to Phnom Pehn. It wasn't that painful, which is super. Back in HCMC for an hour, it still felt exhilirating crossing the road. I don't quite know what that's about - perhaps because I'm incredibly boring otherwise, but when I get back home I may need to take up tiddlywinks to compensate for the thrill of VietNamese road crossings.
I'm really jealous of the people we have met who are doing six month trips, but am so grateful that we decided to take six weeks. Before we left NZ we decided that we needed rest as well as adventure and experience, so we wouldn't try to see loads of cities at a day each and come back tired. We have certainly achieved this goal so far, and I feel very privelaged to have seen what we have seen.
The people are beautiful. It seemed to me that the less western influence there was, the happier people were, but I may be making that bit up. Being there has shown me that it's not necessary to spend truckloads of money on resorts, and that for under NZ$20, you can get a nice room and feel very holiday-ish! I've become more proficient with chopsticks, which is cool.
I've also managed to hug a few beautiful people (cook at one guesthouse, motorcycle guides, girl at coffee place..) and it has felt nice to connect with them a little bit, even though language was a barrier and we are really different.
We've also made some international friends, and we might make a few more. We were talking to an english guy yesterday (not one of our new friends!) and all he could do was complain. He was on holiday for MONTHS and he couldn't find anything pleasant to say. Sad. It's early days but I cant really think of anything I want to complain about yet. There are inconveniences and things, but I hope I take a lesson from the winging Pom, and keep looking for the good stuff..
I've felt a bit nervous about coming to Cambodia. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps because I know even less about it than I knew about VietNam (which wasn't much). Phnom Phen reminds me more of Kolkata. We will be here for a few days and then head north for a bit. YAY!
We travelled by three buses to get to Cambodia. Four hours from Quy Nhon, a ten hour sleeper bus to HCMC, and about seven hours, including border crossing, to Phnom Pehn. It wasn't that painful, which is super. Back in HCMC for an hour, it still felt exhilirating crossing the road. I don't quite know what that's about - perhaps because I'm incredibly boring otherwise, but when I get back home I may need to take up tiddlywinks to compensate for the thrill of VietNamese road crossings.
I'm really jealous of the people we have met who are doing six month trips, but am so grateful that we decided to take six weeks. Before we left NZ we decided that we needed rest as well as adventure and experience, so we wouldn't try to see loads of cities at a day each and come back tired. We have certainly achieved this goal so far, and I feel very privelaged to have seen what we have seen.
The people are beautiful. It seemed to me that the less western influence there was, the happier people were, but I may be making that bit up. Being there has shown me that it's not necessary to spend truckloads of money on resorts, and that for under NZ$20, you can get a nice room and feel very holiday-ish! I've become more proficient with chopsticks, which is cool.
I've also managed to hug a few beautiful people (cook at one guesthouse, motorcycle guides, girl at coffee place..) and it has felt nice to connect with them a little bit, even though language was a barrier and we are really different.
We've also made some international friends, and we might make a few more. We were talking to an english guy yesterday (not one of our new friends!) and all he could do was complain. He was on holiday for MONTHS and he couldn't find anything pleasant to say. Sad. It's early days but I cant really think of anything I want to complain about yet. There are inconveniences and things, but I hope I take a lesson from the winging Pom, and keep looking for the good stuff..
I've felt a bit nervous about coming to Cambodia. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps because I know even less about it than I knew about VietNam (which wasn't much). Phnom Phen reminds me more of Kolkata. We will be here for a few days and then head north for a bit. YAY!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Glorious Quy Nhon (wee-ngon)
The days in the glorious sun have come to a sad end, and tomorrow we head off back to HCMC and then on to Cambodia ... we should be there by Saturday I would think. Until we get there we wont really know what the internet connectivity is like but for all it's worth ... Vietnam's is faster than NZ's ...
It amazes me the low number of tourists in this town ... none of the local tour companies have Quy Nhon on the radar at all, and I would have to say that if you want beautiful quiet beaches without hassels with hawkers ... this is definately the place to come. When you see the photos you will see what I mean.
We hired another bike today and rode of around the coast a little bit ... we found a small rocky beach with hammocks and shade ... and they served coffee! They provided a mat to sit on (in addition to the hammocks) and the place was really quite flash ... we prepared ourselves to pay for the privilege of sitting so close to the beach and having the extra service, but ended up being charged only for the coffee ... a whole NZD$1.60 for 2. Not bad really.
A bit further up the coast, we managed to find a long sandy beach that had noone else on it. We swam and dried off, and were approached by a local guy who just wanted to say hi. The locals here are really friendly ... just as well too because we dont understand any of the road signs and we found a couple of dead-ends ... for all we know, we were driving through their front yards.
I'll try to get the photos up late tomorrow
It amazes me the low number of tourists in this town ... none of the local tour companies have Quy Nhon on the radar at all, and I would have to say that if you want beautiful quiet beaches without hassels with hawkers ... this is definately the place to come. When you see the photos you will see what I mean.
We hired another bike today and rode of around the coast a little bit ... we found a small rocky beach with hammocks and shade ... and they served coffee! They provided a mat to sit on (in addition to the hammocks) and the place was really quite flash ... we prepared ourselves to pay for the privilege of sitting so close to the beach and having the extra service, but ended up being charged only for the coffee ... a whole NZD$1.60 for 2. Not bad really.
A bit further up the coast, we managed to find a long sandy beach that had noone else on it. We swam and dried off, and were approached by a local guy who just wanted to say hi. The locals here are really friendly ... just as well too because we dont understand any of the road signs and we found a couple of dead-ends ... for all we know, we were driving through their front yards.
I'll try to get the photos up late tomorrow
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Well worth the sore bums...
TRACIE ... Wow, what an amazing time we've just had on the back of a couple of bikes. Jono has posted some of his thoughts so forgive me if I repeat anything..
If you look at the photo's you will see how cool our two guides were. No doubt they have a bit of rehearsed banter etc going on, but they tailored a trip ending up where we needed to be and for slightly less days than they normally do, so we felt well looked after and that the money we spent was worth while. They were amazingly safe riders, and funny and polite at the same time. However safe they were, in the middle of rush hour in Buon Ma Thout I couldnt help but think that if Suzy were alive and knew what we were doing, she would have had major panic attacks just thinking about it! You have to be amongst it to understand what it's like. Everyone weaving around each other, people coming from every direction, and nothing abnormal about someone being on the wrong side of the road heading right for you. So cool! In NZ we are perhaps more civilised with our driving, but there is no road rage here, just lots of really courteous and patient drivers..
That of course was just a tiny part of the trip, and it was awesome to meet people and be able to watch normal life and feel that it was ok for us to be there because we were with some local VietNamese. Our guides occasionally told people that we were VERY rich, with 1000 cows and our own milk factory! Pretty hard to stop this when we didnt understand a thing, but Phouc and Tien thought it was funny. They didnt tell restaurant owners (if you could call them that) the story because otherwise we wouldnt have eaten meals for $4.00 (for both of us) and lovely coffees for 60 cents for two.
Jono has mentioned the girl we met in one village, but one time the boys dropped us off for a walk ("because it's good for your legs" - interpretation - bums) and we happened to walk into the middle of a ga-zillion schoolkids getting out of school. The girls must have thought Jono was pretty cool (as do I) cause there were lots of giggles and stares. He's rather a bit taller than the locals so makes an impression, and especially so where they dont see lots of foreigners.
There were many highlights of this trip for me, but one would be when we stopped at a rubber plantation and there were dozens of people pouring 20 litre pails of rubber liquid into big tankers. Such an amazing process. We also saw rice being harvested, and along the way, literally hundreds of houses with rice or coffee being dried in the front yard. In a few places they had even taken up a part of the side of the road to dry their rice, and obviously everyone politely drives around it.
Now, we're at the beach. It's less touristy than some other beaches in Viet Nam, and now isnt high season so it's even quieter, which is perfect for us. We are going to be doing some serious resting for a few days, which I am thoroughly looking forward to. We bought a book each at Auckland Airport, and I read mine in about two days, but fortunately there are places where people can exchange books, either for free or for a nominal price. So, for the next few days, eat, read, and sleep! HEAVEN!
If you look at the photo's you will see how cool our two guides were. No doubt they have a bit of rehearsed banter etc going on, but they tailored a trip ending up where we needed to be and for slightly less days than they normally do, so we felt well looked after and that the money we spent was worth while. They were amazingly safe riders, and funny and polite at the same time. However safe they were, in the middle of rush hour in Buon Ma Thout I couldnt help but think that if Suzy were alive and knew what we were doing, she would have had major panic attacks just thinking about it! You have to be amongst it to understand what it's like. Everyone weaving around each other, people coming from every direction, and nothing abnormal about someone being on the wrong side of the road heading right for you. So cool! In NZ we are perhaps more civilised with our driving, but there is no road rage here, just lots of really courteous and patient drivers..
That of course was just a tiny part of the trip, and it was awesome to meet people and be able to watch normal life and feel that it was ok for us to be there because we were with some local VietNamese. Our guides occasionally told people that we were VERY rich, with 1000 cows and our own milk factory! Pretty hard to stop this when we didnt understand a thing, but Phouc and Tien thought it was funny. They didnt tell restaurant owners (if you could call them that) the story because otherwise we wouldnt have eaten meals for $4.00 (for both of us) and lovely coffees for 60 cents for two.
Jono has mentioned the girl we met in one village, but one time the boys dropped us off for a walk ("because it's good for your legs" - interpretation - bums) and we happened to walk into the middle of a ga-zillion schoolkids getting out of school. The girls must have thought Jono was pretty cool (as do I) cause there were lots of giggles and stares. He's rather a bit taller than the locals so makes an impression, and especially so where they dont see lots of foreigners.
There were many highlights of this trip for me, but one would be when we stopped at a rubber plantation and there were dozens of people pouring 20 litre pails of rubber liquid into big tankers. Such an amazing process. We also saw rice being harvested, and along the way, literally hundreds of houses with rice or coffee being dried in the front yard. In a few places they had even taken up a part of the side of the road to dry their rice, and obviously everyone politely drives around it.
Now, we're at the beach. It's less touristy than some other beaches in Viet Nam, and now isnt high season so it's even quieter, which is perfect for us. We are going to be doing some serious resting for a few days, which I am thoroughly looking forward to. We bought a book each at Auckland Airport, and I read mine in about two days, but fortunately there are places where people can exchange books, either for free or for a nominal price. So, for the next few days, eat, read, and sleep! HEAVEN!
Photos from the Highlands
Some more of our latest photos... You'll have to wait for a slide night to see them all! ;)
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| Will the real Vietnam please stand up? |
Will the REAL Vietnam please stand up?
JONO ... here we are in Quy Nhon ... WOW!
The last 3 days to get here has been and awesome experience!
We left Nha Trang at about 7:30am on Friday morning on the back of 2 motorbikes piloted by what I am sure are 2 of the countries finest EasyRider's. Tien and Phuoc were their names and really fun guys.
I have to say that this is possibly the coolest way to see Vietnam, and although it isnt cheap, I would highly recommend it if you want to get off the tourist trail, into the "Real" Vietnam. They both spoke pretty good english which made it all enjoyable, and knew a lot about the countryside and where to visit and stay. We were able to just rock up to people working on the side of the road and take photos of what they were doing ... or talk with them - through our guides - to ask about what was going on.
We have seen everything from small scale brick factories and incense manufacture - through to huge scale rubber plantations, pepper farms and Vietnams largest waterfall ... and all the way we saw only 3 other westerners, one other couple on "EasyRiders" and an American guy traveling around the world for 2 years. Today we stopped at small roadside restaurant and while talking with the young girl running the place, it sounded like she had never met a westerner before, and many of the smaller kids had only seen people like us on Television.
Just outside this same restaurant, there was a guy driving back and forwards in a "Highland Tractor" (not to be confused with a Remuera Tractor - i doubt you would see one of these in Auckland) trying to roll the road frontage after they had buried some pipes. He was more than happy for me to jump in a have a go .... good for a laugh.
Tracie enjoyed being on the back of a bike, and after the initial sore bums, we both had a fabulous time.
The last 3 days to get here has been and awesome experience!
We left Nha Trang at about 7:30am on Friday morning on the back of 2 motorbikes piloted by what I am sure are 2 of the countries finest EasyRider's. Tien and Phuoc were their names and really fun guys.
I have to say that this is possibly the coolest way to see Vietnam, and although it isnt cheap, I would highly recommend it if you want to get off the tourist trail, into the "Real" Vietnam. They both spoke pretty good english which made it all enjoyable, and knew a lot about the countryside and where to visit and stay. We were able to just rock up to people working on the side of the road and take photos of what they were doing ... or talk with them - through our guides - to ask about what was going on.We have seen everything from small scale brick factories and incense manufacture - through to huge scale rubber plantations, pepper farms and Vietnams largest waterfall ... and all the way we saw only 3 other westerners, one other couple on "EasyRiders" and an American guy traveling around the world for 2 years. Today we stopped at small roadside restaurant and while talking with the young girl running the place, it sounded like she had never met a westerner before, and many of the smaller kids had only seen people like us on Television.
Just outside this same restaurant, there was a guy driving back and forwards in a "Highland Tractor" (not to be confused with a Remuera Tractor - i doubt you would see one of these in Auckland) trying to roll the road frontage after they had buried some pipes. He was more than happy for me to jump in a have a go .... good for a laugh.
Tracie enjoyed being on the back of a bike, and after the initial sore bums, we both had a fabulous time.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
We thought we had seen it all - UNTIL ....
JONO - we saw 2 cyclo's - tuktuk style things each with a rider at the back - carrying a large load of 6m long reinforcing steel slung between them. They were being pushed by a 3rd guy on a motobike ... crazy world.
Sunburn and Things..
TRACIE ... We took the Sleeper bus from HCMC to Nha Trang a couple of nights ago. What a cool concept, however inefficient it seems! Didn't exactly get a full nights sleep, but being horizontal was nice for the ten hour journey. I think I hadn't really thought about how much travelling we would be doing by road, but am adjusting my thinking accordingly.
Yesterday we arrived early, and after showers etc (and happening upon a USD $7 pernight backpackers complete with aircon) we headed for the beach. Sat for a few hours under what we thought was complete shade (NZD $3 each inc lounger), but actually there must have been some sunlight sneaking through because by the time we left the beach we were both rather sunburnt. Oh well.. Ate local last night at a tiny restaurant recommended on the Lonely Planet guide. Good food and not too expensive.
Today we decided to take the adventure thing a couple of steps up, and hired a motorbike for the day (US$4). Jono is driving like the locals and it's even a bigger rush than crossing the road! Tomorrow we are doing an inland motorbike tour for three days, ending up in Quy Nhon. We will have a driver each, and stop in villages and stuff. I'm a bit nervous about it but I'm sure it will be fine. We have to leave most of our stuff here, and just take the minimum (and I thought I had already done that). If we stay in Quy Nhon for a few days we might be a whole week with just our day packs! That's scary for city girls! Jono of course is looking forward to it and completely unfazed about not having shampoo or conditioner. I have put my foot down about the mascara though. Thinking about the sunburn thing and being on a motorbike for three days, today we went all out and purchased 2 x long sleved shirts - hopefully this will stop further pain. Despite the heat, many locals are covered head to foot and we can see why now.
This morning we visited the gallery of a local photographer. He has won many awards for his craft - digital and photoshop are dirty words. Awesome study of VietNamese life. All black and white. Beautiful and moving.
Soon we will go to the Oceanographic Muesum, and then head back to our accomodation to pack for tomorrow!
Yesterday we arrived early, and after showers etc (and happening upon a USD $7 pernight backpackers complete with aircon) we headed for the beach. Sat for a few hours under what we thought was complete shade (NZD $3 each inc lounger), but actually there must have been some sunlight sneaking through because by the time we left the beach we were both rather sunburnt. Oh well.. Ate local last night at a tiny restaurant recommended on the Lonely Planet guide. Good food and not too expensive.
Today we decided to take the adventure thing a couple of steps up, and hired a motorbike for the day (US$4). Jono is driving like the locals and it's even a bigger rush than crossing the road! Tomorrow we are doing an inland motorbike tour for three days, ending up in Quy Nhon. We will have a driver each, and stop in villages and stuff. I'm a bit nervous about it but I'm sure it will be fine. We have to leave most of our stuff here, and just take the minimum (and I thought I had already done that). If we stay in Quy Nhon for a few days we might be a whole week with just our day packs! That's scary for city girls! Jono of course is looking forward to it and completely unfazed about not having shampoo or conditioner. I have put my foot down about the mascara though. Thinking about the sunburn thing and being on a motorbike for three days, today we went all out and purchased 2 x long sleved shirts - hopefully this will stop further pain. Despite the heat, many locals are covered head to foot and we can see why now.
This morning we visited the gallery of a local photographer. He has won many awards for his craft - digital and photoshop are dirty words. Awesome study of VietNamese life. All black and white. Beautiful and moving.
Soon we will go to the Oceanographic Muesum, and then head back to our accomodation to pack for tomorrow!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Photos
Click on the photo below for some other piccies
http://picasaweb.google.com/jono.tracie
http://picasaweb.google.com/jono.tracie
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| First few days ... |
Jono's Beard
TRACIE ... Just remembered that it might be interesting for anyone who is following our travels, check out Jono's facial hair as we go. He has decided to do his very own special movember, and is going to see how long he can cope without shaving!
Ah the good life ...
JONO ... I must say that I am not finding it difficult to chill ... especially in the company of my beautiful wife. We sat out late the other night, having a drink and watching the traffic ... it is better than television! The cocophony of horns and near misses was quite a laugh, not to mention the different loads being carried on scooters ... everything from a HUGE industrial gas bottles, to double bed mattresses and families of 4.
We visited the CuChi tunnels yesterday and learned a bit of local history. It is pretty sad that all happened but it was interesting to see the local side of something I have only ever heard about. We went up there on the boat which took 2 glorious hours ... diesel engine screaming away and plenty of amazing sights. Stilt houses to Mansions all intermingled. Lots of barges carrying sand around.
The tour took a few hours and we got an inside look at the ingenious but horrific methods of killing the "americans". Tracie decided to give the tunnel walk a miss because it was quite a tight squeeze. There was a shooting range where you could pay USD$25 to shoot a 50cal and about $15 to shoot an AK47. I gave that a miss ... maybe some other time when it isnt related to such attrocities as here (!).
TRACIE ... Like Jono, the holiday thing is sitting well, although I'm not doing too well yet with the time change. I was asleep last night by 6pm, and awake about 3am I reckon. Thats ok though, cause when on holiday one can sleep whenever one feels like it!
Yesterday's trip was interesting although I always find that sort of thing really sad. Jono had been joking with me before we left NZ that I would make lots of friends. Yesterday, I did have nice chats with a couple of lovely girls, and we did in fact meet a nice Dutch guy called Alex. We spent most of the day with him & when we got back we had a meal together.
The temperature is super hot and its realy humid. We are getting pretty good at crossing roads amidst about a million bikes; must say it's even a bit of a rush and it feels really awesome when you have made it to the other side without being hit by something.
Tonight we get on a bus and travel overnight to Nha Trang. We haven't got a definate plan but will stay there a couple of days or maybe jump on another bus up to Quy Nhon. Fun! The city is great but we're probably, at this point anyway, ready to go somewhere a bit slower.
We visited the CuChi tunnels yesterday and learned a bit of local history. It is pretty sad that all happened but it was interesting to see the local side of something I have only ever heard about. We went up there on the boat which took 2 glorious hours ... diesel engine screaming away and plenty of amazing sights. Stilt houses to Mansions all intermingled. Lots of barges carrying sand around.
The tour took a few hours and we got an inside look at the ingenious but horrific methods of killing the "americans". Tracie decided to give the tunnel walk a miss because it was quite a tight squeeze. There was a shooting range where you could pay USD$25 to shoot a 50cal and about $15 to shoot an AK47. I gave that a miss ... maybe some other time when it isnt related to such attrocities as here (!).
TRACIE ... Like Jono, the holiday thing is sitting well, although I'm not doing too well yet with the time change. I was asleep last night by 6pm, and awake about 3am I reckon. Thats ok though, cause when on holiday one can sleep whenever one feels like it!
Yesterday's trip was interesting although I always find that sort of thing really sad. Jono had been joking with me before we left NZ that I would make lots of friends. Yesterday, I did have nice chats with a couple of lovely girls, and we did in fact meet a nice Dutch guy called Alex. We spent most of the day with him & when we got back we had a meal together.
The temperature is super hot and its realy humid. We are getting pretty good at crossing roads amidst about a million bikes; must say it's even a bit of a rush and it feels really awesome when you have made it to the other side without being hit by something.
Tonight we get on a bus and travel overnight to Nha Trang. We haven't got a definate plan but will stay there a couple of days or maybe jump on another bus up to Quy Nhon. Fun! The city is great but we're probably, at this point anyway, ready to go somewhere a bit slower.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
We're Here!
JONO ... and it's really HOT! 33C w/ 80% Humid Had good flights (except my flipin tv didnt work, which makes 10 hours in the air a bit boring), and arrived 8ish last night.
After negotiating the swarms of Saturday night party animals on scooters (thousands of them! - thinking of you Jiwan:-)) we stayed at a fairly nice hotel .... we are going budg now though! We just found ourselves a little room at the top of 4 flights of stairs (packs are heavy) in the middle of backpacker-ville.
I must say the local coffee brew is not too shabby ... not that I can afford to be fussy right now. YAH
TRACIE ... Of course we've only jusy arrived so not much to say (yes, be surprised). One observation for today though, is that I'm not sure I will be eating much meat after walking past a 'butchery' today. A whole bunch of meat sitting uncovered, and unrefrigerated, on a counter. No flies at that point, but based on my new food safety knowledge, bacteria doubling every twenty minutes... yum! Agree with Jono about the nice coffee - interesting eh, that we have been here less than 24 hours and he has already had to sample one.. We are just about to go for a bit of a walk, then go get our packs from the hotel and walk in sweltering heat, (trying not to get run over by the billions of bikes and no road rules nor consideration for unsuspecting pedestrians) packs on backs, to our new accomodation.
After negotiating the swarms of Saturday night party animals on scooters (thousands of them! - thinking of you Jiwan:-)) we stayed at a fairly nice hotel .... we are going budg now though! We just found ourselves a little room at the top of 4 flights of stairs (packs are heavy) in the middle of backpacker-ville.
I must say the local coffee brew is not too shabby ... not that I can afford to be fussy right now. YAH
TRACIE ... Of course we've only jusy arrived so not much to say (yes, be surprised). One observation for today though, is that I'm not sure I will be eating much meat after walking past a 'butchery' today. A whole bunch of meat sitting uncovered, and unrefrigerated, on a counter. No flies at that point, but based on my new food safety knowledge, bacteria doubling every twenty minutes... yum! Agree with Jono about the nice coffee - interesting eh, that we have been here less than 24 hours and he has already had to sample one.. We are just about to go for a bit of a walk, then go get our packs from the hotel and walk in sweltering heat, (trying not to get run over by the billions of bikes and no road rules nor consideration for unsuspecting pedestrians) packs on backs, to our new accomodation.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Packing
We are heading off in 8 sleeps, 7 if you count that Friday night we probably won’t sleep at all considering we fly out at 4 in the morning! Very exciting. We have more stuff than clothes, and Jono is being the packing police about what I want to take. He thinks I don’t need conditioner when my hair goes like frizzy horse hair without it, and he doesn’t realise how lucky he is when my make-up items are mascara and strawberry flavoured lip balm! Surely too, the fact that my clothes are half the size of his (but then again, so is my pack) count for something. We still have another week of ‘discussions’ so I’m sure it will be fine.
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