1life's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member 1life on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/1life en-us Copyright ©2012 TravelPod.com Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:03:00 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Travel through Wine Capital of Argentina — San Luis, Argentina http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1164463440/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1164463440/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1164463440/tpod.html Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:03:00 +0000 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.
San Luis, Argentina


RIDING THROUGH THE ANDES

Left Uspallata and had a great ride through the mountains to Wine Producing Area of Mendoza. After that, the road was flat, straight and very hot. This climate might be great for growing grapes as it is the wine capital of Argentina, but is sure makes for a boring ride. Kept the bike at 120 or 130 KPH. Thought the Argentina police would be understanding if we were not higher than 10KMP above the posted limit. So far, so good.

Arrive San Luis mid afternoon hot, tired, and dusty. Had a great evening exploring the town and enjoyed a late, if light supper.
]]> Visit South America's largest craft market — Otavalo, Ecuador http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1171380360/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1171380360/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1171380360/tpod.html Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:17:42 +0000 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.
Otavalo, Ecuador

We are presently in Otavalo which is 1 hour north of Quito (capital of Ecuador) and one hour south of the Columbia Border. This little town is home to one of the largest and most colorful craft markets in South America. We will spend a couple of days here before heading into Columbia. But more about Otavalo in a later entry.
HOW DID WE GET HERE:

We left Nasca 1 day behind schedule and rode to Lima (capital of Peru) where a Harley mechanic met us and led us to our hotel. A little more expensive that we are use to, but Karyn fell in love with the room. They did not have any double rooms left, so they gave us the suite for the same price of $75.00. Suite had jacuzzi tub, a sauna room, and a bedroom almost as big as our entire home in Winnipeg.
Karyn was disappointed that we only stayed one night as bike was ready the next day with a new back tire, oil change, new brake fluid, etc.

The reason my rear brakes failed between Cusco and Nasca was due to the extreme altitude at which we were riding and continually going up and down steep mountain roads. Each mountain pass would be close to 15 KM of switchbacks going up and then 15 KM of switchbacks going down. Going down is where the problems occurred. We were riding at over 4000 meters, and at this height brake fluid (or water) boils at a much lower temperature, and not only did the brake fluid boil but also the brake lines expand. Anyhow, nice to know what caused the problems. The Harley mechanic recommended a different type of brake line to be used at high altitudes.

Had a bit excitement, the second morning of riding after leaving Lima. Finally got stopped for speeding. I was a little surprised as I have been speeding for the last 10 weeks and never once got stopped - but I was definitely speeding. Anyhow, ended up with two police cars, 4 police officers, and a demand that I return to Lima, (a days ride back south) to pay the ticket for riding 92 KPH in the 35 KPH zone. I thought I was going faster than this as the road was great and the only reason for the low speed limit was all the curves. Fortunately, I had researched these situations a little and knew where this was going. (The police were looking for me to pay the $510 soles or $170 US ticket in cash on the spot to avoid returning to Lima --- this is called a bribe). As the lead officer was telling Karyn that we needed to return to Lima, and two of the other officers were admiring my Harley, I took my palm and walked over to the two police cars and with a great show wrote their license numbers in my palm. I was looking for a reaction, and did I ever get one. The lead officer screamed that we are all going to Lima and returned to his car with my license and both Karyn and my Passports in his possession. Karyn was yelling that they took her passport, and that they are not allowed to, which is correct. And I was just waiting to see what happens next. My research said you must get license numbers or badge numbers in order to negotiate.
After a few minutes of just standing around, the junior officer (good guy) came over to me and asked about the CD and radio in my Harley. Keep in mind he is talking Spanish and I am talking English. Anyhow, we worked our way around to me offering them 300 soles ($100. US). to end the entire transaction. Then the junior officer and I returned to the police car to meet with the senior office to complete the transaction. The senior officer would not take my money but indicated that I give it to the junior officer which I did. Now we spend the next 20 minutes convincing the senior officer that I had completely deleted the License plate numbers from my palm. That was my big mistake. Next time I will write the numbers down on a piece of paper. The officer was so worried that the license numbers were somewhere in the memory of the palm that I thought I was going to lose my palm. Everything eventually worked out and by now the other two officers were standing in front of the police cars so the license plates were no longer visible. . I probably did well considering the speed at which I was riding, and the 4 police officers did well as they got to share the $100. US bribe.
I might also add that that at no time were we ever physically threatened. It was a little intimidating, but except for the moment when the officers saw me write down the license numbers, everything was very polite.

We rode hard for 4 days to get out of the desert of Norther Peru and into the mountains of Ecuador. I don´t care if I never ride in another desert. We made great time, but a very boring 3 days of riding. One portion, The Sechura Desert is a large area of shifting sands separating the oases towns of Chiclayo and Piura. There is no food, no water, no gas, no accommodation in the 212 KM between these towns. Cyclists are warned not to try and cross this desert.

ECUADOR - PERU BOARDER

LEAVING THE DESERTS OF PERU BEHIND. MOUNTAIN ROADS AHEAD

On February 3 we crossed into Ecuador at the mountain town of Macara. I chose this smaller crossing in order to get out of the desert sooner. Central Ecuador has to be the most beautiful country I have ever visited. All Mountains and all green, except for the snow capped portions of the mountains. We are right on the equator and I am surprised at how cold it is at this altitude. We are riding with our rain jackets on to protect us from the cold. The indigenous people of Ecuador appear to be more friendly that the indigenous people of Bolivia. They all have their own form of colorful dress which I will not try to describe this here as pictures will do this much better.

PEOPLE OF ECUADOR

WAITING FOR THEIR BUS


The rear brakes on the motorcycle continue to fail descending these long mountain roads at high altitudes in Ecuador. So far my front brakes have worked well, but I do have a concern that they might also fail. I am replacing my rear bakes lines in Costa Rica while we there visiting my Son and his family. By that time all the high mountains are behind me, but at least I will have peace of mind.

MOUNTAIN ROADS IN ECUADOR

The valley might be 15 kilometers of travel down. You can see the road going up the other side of the valley


Riding through Quito was very stressful, as expected. By the time I get through one of these large South America cities, my t-shirt is usually wet with perspiration. I do not know how people can drive in this sort of congestion without getting into an accident. We try to avoid large cities where every possible, but sometimes this can not be done. I am not looking forward to driving into Bogota, Columbia but it will be necessary in order to ship my bike to Panama.

Having a great time. Looking forward to a few days of rest in this beautiful town of Otavalo. Hard to believe that I could be getting tired from just riding a motorcycle, but I am. Will send another update before we leave here and enter Columbia.
]]> South America Premier Resort — Punta del Este, Uruguay http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1164810240/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1164810240/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1164810240/tpod.html Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:14:33 +0000 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.
Punta del Este, Uruguay

We arrived at Punta Del Este in Uruguay, the premier resort area in South America. We are a week or so before the season starts, but that is good, otherwise we would have never found a room in this area. And certainly not a room we could afford. We are taking a down day here to lie on the beach and get a little sun. That is after we wash the bike, wash the clothes, and catch up on our e mails.


PUNTA DEL ESTE - URUGUAY
The hunk in the picture with the beautiful woman is Leonard. Went swimming in the Atlantic, which felt great, especially compared to the cold and the rain we rode in two days earlier.

How did we get here.
After leaving San Luis, Argentina, we turned North and headed for the Sierras looking for some more interesting country to ride though. And we found it, the Sierras is a mountainous area with lots of lakes. Sort of a resort area. We spent a couple of days in Mina Clavero, a resort town, and enjoyed the pool.

THE SIERRAS
During this ride, an ambulance passed us, all lights and sirens going. I was amazed that on the bike we were unable to keep up to the ambulance through all those curves.


The result was, we drove a little slower for the rest of the day.

From there we travelled to Santa Fe. We were planning on stopping a couple of towns before Santa Fe but could not find a hotel, or a hotel with vacancies. We arrived in Santa Fe late, hot, and tired. ...and Karyn was a little grouchy....I ask you, how can it be my fault that there is no hotels. Anyhow, the location was great, even if the hotel was overpriced. We walked the town centre and treated ourselves to a great restaurant. Had a great steak for a great price, and a couple bottles of wine. Half way through the second bottle of wine Karyn became a lot more understanding, it was no longer my fault that we had to travel an extra couple of hundred Kilometers to find a hotel.

The next day our wishes came true, it cooled off. Like my daddy always said, be careful what to wish for. It started to rain, lightly at first. We got lucky, at the time the rain started coming down heavy we were driving through a small town, so we stopped for lunch. After lunch, we were able to ride again without rain gear, in the very light misty rain. We stopped that night in Colon, another resort town, and enjoyed the hot springs. Felt great lying in the hot springs with the rain coming down.

On Nov. 27th we crossed from Argentina into Uruguay. All bundled up in our rain suits. The border crossing went very well. The officials would not let Karyn process the paper work for the bike, but insisted that I do it. Maybe because I own the bike, but more likely because I was the man. The man who knows no Spanish. But South America is very Macho.

It stopped raining about mid morning, but we kept the rain suits on for another couple of hours. All you motorcyclists know that the only way to be sure it will not rain is to keep wearing the very uncomfortable rain suit. Later that day we stopped for lunch at some little restaurant on our way through a little town. Cooking beef over an open fire. Was not as good as it looked or smelled, but it was still quite an experience. The local drunks in the restaurant had a great laugh when Karyn paid the bill for lunch. Whatever macho image I might have had arriving on a Harley, disappeared when the women handled the money.


The next night we stopped in San Jose Uruguay. Very nice hotel. Went for supper, and as I often found, the only size beer was the one liter bottles. This was not usually a problem, but that night I just did not feel like drinking much. I thought the answer might be to order the local drink...Espillinar, which is a cross between Whiskey and Rum. With my best Spanish (and without Karyn), I went up to the bar to order this. I knew I was in trouble when the locals smiled at me. I then asked for a little water to mix with it. They though I meant I wanted more liquor in the glass.. Now I had 4 ounces of Expillinar in a glass, and the smiles turned to good natured laughs. I then took a sip and did my best to fake an appreciation of the liquor for my fans. I wanted them to think us Canadians knew how to drink. I impressed them, but the end result was, I slept real good that night, after I was sick for a hour or so.

The next day brought sunshine again and we continued on to Punta del Este with a 60 mile detour after I took the wrong highway.

What makes this type of Holiday so special is the unpredictability. You never know what the next day will bring. Never entirely sure where we will stop. The hotel might be great or very disappointing. The dinner could be fantastic, or it could be something completely unrecognizable. The road might be fantastic, it might be boring, or it might be very challenging. Everything is a series of ups and downs, which makes the overall experience fantastic.

The food is great. In Argentina and Uruguay, Beef is the staple in almost every meal. My friend Bob N would love eating here. You start with beef and add to that. A couple of the meals I have particullay enjoyed are ¨bife a caballo, this is a steak served with a fried egg (sunny side up) on top.¨ And ¨Chivitos¨, a fried steak served in a bun, but... with a slice of ham on the steak, all covered with melted cheese and then a fried egg on top of that and finished with a little lettuce and tomato. Tastes great but very filling. I am almost ashamed to admit this, but I have eaten so much steak in the last week that last night I had a salad for dinner.

RESTAURANT IN MONTEVIDEO

TYPICALLY MEAT IS COOKED OVER A FIRE.


We are not putting on the miles as expected. I eliminated one of our side trips in order to stay to some sort of schedule. I think the problem is every hotel comes with breakfast, which we kind of enjoy. Pastries, bread, ham and cheese. By time we finish breakfast, it is usually 9am before we start. We usually stop for lunch, and then stop for the day by 3 pm. About 300 kilometers later. I am not sure how we will deal with this. Maybe as we get more comfortable in South American traffic and the heat, we will find the riding less tiring and be able to start earlier and/or quit later.

Riding in Uruguay is certainly less stressful than in Argentina. I certainly know why Argentina has one of the highest automobile accident rates in the world. There could be 10 miles of empty highway but the car following needs to get within a couple of feet of the car ahead before passing. I need to pass slower traffic very aggresively to keep from getting stuck behind a slower truck and having a car following a couple of feet on my back fender. Never came across any of this 100 mile an hour traffice in Uruguay. This might be because I did come across lots of police on the highways in Uruguay. I think another problem is that the Argentina drivers expect a motorcycle to travel against the shoulder of the road. Because I am travelling against the center line, some cars will pass me allowing only inches between their car and my bike. I prefer the North America custom of just giving the other driver a finger.

Argentina may have the worst drivers, but they certainly have the most beautiful women. There are women on every block who should be contestants in the next Miss Universe Pagent. I did not find this to be the case in the other South American countries we have visited so far. It is hard to believe what a difference crossing a border makes.

There was also a big difference in language between Argentina and Uruguay. They both speak spanish, but even I can tell it does not sound the same. Uruguay is much faster, much louder, and appears more course. Karyn is having more difficulty with the language in Uruguay.

Leaving for Montevideo tomorrow and then on the Buenos Aires a couple days later
]]> 3 Day Mekong Delta Tour — Can Tho, Vietnam http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1261795558/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1261795558/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1261795558/tpod.html Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:53:48 +0000 Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China
Can Tho, Vietnam






After three nights in Saigon, we decided to visit the Mekong region of Vietnam. This area is referred to as the Rice Bowl of Vietnam, because of the vast rice paddies. So much of this area is on Water; Boats, Houses and even Markets. We purchased a 3-day tour through this area and did the usual tourist things. Boat tours through tributaries, visit-floating markets, visit some small villages built on the water, etc. Spent a lot of time either on the tour bus or on a boat.







Got the front seat of the bus, and from our view, I was amazed that we did not kill any motorcyclists. Did push a few off the road however. As close as I can figure, the rules of the road are the biggest vehicle is boss. Here, size really does matter. Get out of the way or get hit. There are only inches between passing and oncoming traffic. The traffic is so bad here that I am rethinking our three-week motorcycle trip planned for Northern Vietnam. Maybe I will feel more confident after I rent a bike for a couple of days on Phu Quoc Island.









We should add that many motorcyclists, and nearly all of the women wear masks covering their nose and the lower part of their face, as well as knit gloves and long sleeves. Also many people walking or working in the sun dress like this. The purpose is to protect the skin from the sun.



]]> The Adventure Begins — Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1261815324/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1261815324/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1261815324/tpod.html Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:28:45 +0000 Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

We arrived in Vietnam December 15, 1 day later than expected, and everything is working out great.

We were late getting out of Vancouver, and as a result missed our connection in Hong Kong. We had to overnight at the new Marriott Hotel in Hong Kong, courtesy of Air Canada. Certainly a step up from any other hotel we will stay in over the next 3 ½ months.



Time has past very quickly since we arrived 10 days ago Mind you, I think we spent the first day and a half just trying to cross the street in Saigon. If you have not visited this city, you could not possibly understand how difficult this would be. No Cross Walks, very few traffic lights, and the motorcycles never stop. The secret is to take "baby steps" and just keep walking, but very very slowly. And accept the fact that motorcycle after motorcycle, as well as the odd bus is passing within inches, both in front and behind you. And at the same time. All motorcycles in Vietnam are very small, mostly scooters, but still big enough to hurt or kill you.



Here is link to a short video I took with my Camera to give you some sense of the traffic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfDSLdIb 6P8&feature=email. Traffic is crazy but it works, and it just keeps moving. If a vehicle stops, it would likely cause an accident. Motorcycles do not make a left hand turn so much as they merge left through all the oncoming traffic until they eventually get to the sidewalk on the other side of the road where they park. Motorcycles going both ways around each other, never stopping.




We did the usual tourist things in Saigon. Visited a lot of places associated with the Vietnam War. Here they refer to it as the “War Of American Aggression. The exhibits and pictures are very brutal and very moving. A lot of it was very propagandist in nature, but probably no more so than what was reported by CNN and the American Government. And it was certainly refreshing to see it from a different side. I am attaching a picture of the tunnels the VC used during the war. These are unbelievable small tunnels. I was going to try to go through one but Karyn said I would not fit. At first she said my belly was too big, but she immediately corrected her self and said the problem would be that my shoulders are too wide.


I did get to shoot an AK47 which was used in the War of American Aggression. But this was a little disappointing as the bullets have a reduced amount of powder, which changed the entire experience. I expected this when they were selling the bullets to the tourists in groups of 10. Fully charged bullets would probably result in a lot of tourists with one crippled shoulder.









We did have one unforgettable experience in Saigon. I almost lost my Camera to a pickpocket. Unbelievable. All of a sudden, there was some guy right in my face, talking to me and waving around a newspaper. I knew I was being worked in some fashion when I was then bumped from behind, but in this crowd I just couldn't put any space between this guy and myself. Fortunately, Karyn then noticed that the camera case on my belt was open and the camera almost falling out. This was all blocked from my vision by the waving newspaper. Karyn screamed about the Camera, I looked down, grabbed the camera and the guy with the newspaper vanished. This all happened in a matter of a few seconds. But it will probably be years before Karyn stops reminding me of how she saved me from being robbed.
]]> Last Stop before Canada — Beijing, China http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1269102076/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1269102076/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1269102076/tpod.html Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:39:03 +0000 Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China
Beijing, China











Arrived in Beijing on the overnight soft sleeper train from Xi'an. The two young Chinese men who shared our compartment both spoke very good English. One was a university professor who was leaving for Virginia USA next week, and the other a businessman from Xi'an who had spent 4 months in Germany. Very interesting people. They told us we were very fortunate to be arriving in Beijing after the rush hour period. We later found out just how true that was as we watch attendants push people into subway cars.






The last 10 nights of our trip is being spent in Beijing China. This City is spectacular. (Kind of like saving the best for last.) Downtown Beijing is very modern and kept exceptionally clean. But enough of that, I will try to share with you what made Beijing special for us, and maybe different from other cities we have traveled to.








We spent the first 3 nights in a small family run Hostel catering to backpackers. This worked out perfectly. The owners supplied us with all the information we needed to explore and travel this city on our own. Organized listing of bus routes, directions to every major tourist site by public transit, Chinese translation for every major tourist site, and information on the different scams to be aware of. They were able to give clear concise information on every inquiry we made. But that’s the business they are in: providing not only lodging, but also information to guests wanting to navigate Beijing on their own.





Our Hostel was located in a Chinese Hutong. A Hutong is an area of narrow alleyways full of one-story ramshackle dwellings and historic courtyard homes where thousands of people still live. There are no cars or traffic in these communities as the alleyways are far too narrow. There are many small bathrooms located in the Hutong community, for the residents to use. (Our Hostel had their own private bathrooms.)
The Hutong looks kind of scary at first, especially at night, because it is so different from anywhere we have stayed before; but it is really very safe. We never felt threatened.



Many of these Hutong Communities are now protected from redevelopment by the government. Without the Hutongs, Beijing would just become another very large, very modern city.



The entire area around our Hostel was the safest place in all of China, maybe in all the world. We were a few blocks from the Forbidden City, and from Zhongnanhai (The central office of the Chinese Government and Party committee); and many of the government leader’s private courtyards are located in this area. The area is full of military, police, and plains clothes security.

Lots of military ceremony in the area. Many small groups of soldiers, always marching (goosestep) in perfect formation, uniforms crisp, and looking really sharp. Government guards are always standing at full attention, perfectly still, with only their head moving as they watch over an area.




The hotel we moved to was located a few blocks away from our Hostel. What can I say? It was a 5-story hotel, similar to any Holiday Inn in the world. We moved from our Hostel because we wanted a larger room with a bit more privacy for our last seven nights in Beijing. A larger room to organize our Beijing purchases and a little more privacy because if we coughed in our Hostel Room it could be heard in the courtyard (which was also the lobby, common area, lounge, restaurant, etc.)

And we sure did cough. We both had terrible colds during the last week of our trip. This slowed us down, but it didn't stop us. We finally visited a pharmacy in China to purchase some medicine. Hopefully this chinese medicine will have our colds cured before we arrive home.

At least we will not have to worry about failing the body temperature test and not being admitted into Canada. This was a real concern each time we entered Vietnam and when we entered China.



WE VISITED MANY OF THE MAJOR HISTORICAL TOURISTS SITES. The Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple, Summer Palace, The Great Wall, and too many more to list. And there were hundreds more we did not visit. I will not try to describe these sites, as any guidebook will do a much better job.









As has often been the case, we were a little uncomfortable visiting religious sites, which were always being used for worship by Asian tourists. Almost seemed a little sacreligious to be wandering through areas like this taking pictures while other people are praying.







We found visiting these tourist sites very interesting, but what we really enjoyed was using the public transportation which allowed us to get a glimpse of how the people lived. The public transportation here, subways and buses, has lots of standing room and very little sitting, compared to North America. This simply fits a lot more people into a given area.

We often had Chinese People help us as we stood confused at some bus stop not knowing just which way to go, or which bus to catch. They might not know much English, but they were eager to help. Even had a couple of young girls give up their seat for me on the bus. I am hoping this was the result of the Chinese people just being more considerate of their elders, and not a sign that I have become that much more frail since I left Canada.






WE VISITED MANY OF THE MAJOR SHOPPING SITES. Silk Market, Pearl Market, Yashou Clothing Market; and for a change, Wangfujing Street in downtown Beijing with all its high end stores and malls.

The high end malls and stores in downtown Beijing will compete with anything in Vancouver, or Toronto, or probably New York. And at pretty well the same price points it seems. So, we didn’t spend much time there. Instead we shopped at the Markets.






Successfully negotiating in the Market with the Chinese Merchants is almost impossible. Doing it with Karyn beside me is completely impossible. She continually sided with the shopkeeper during negotiations. Karyn kept interrupting and saying that the price I was offering was ridiculously low. All the shop keeper had to do was keep smiling, keep telling me how smart my beautiful wife was, and that I should listen to her. At one point Karyn even insisted I give the shopkeeper 10 yuan more that that the agreed price. Crazy, Crazy, Lady. But we did have a lot of fun; and we can take some pleasure in knowing that we left China a richer country than when we arrived.

Even though we ended up paying three or four times what we should have for Karyn's sweaters, I did get a pretty good deal on some hunting Binoculars. Now I just hope the Binoculars work in the outdoors..



WE VISITED MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESTAURANTS
Snack Street for all the weird foods, Beijing’s No 1 Hot Pot restaurant (Manfulou) for some Hot Pot specialties, the two century old Quanjude Peking Duck Restaurant for China’s specialty Peking Duck, a renowned Dumpling restaurant for an assortment of dumplings and the Hou Hai tourist area with its hundreds of restaurants and bars.

So lets talk about Snack Street. A great place to eat. Block after block of street stalls selling small servings of different foods for a dollar or two a serving. We enjoyed some chicken, some lamb, some dumplings, some fried banana, and a few others. And of course I had a beer.

WE PASSED ON THE BEETLES, THE SEAHORSE, THE STARFISH, THE SILWORMS, THE SCORPIONS, THE SHEEP ORGANS, THE SEA URCHIN, THE SQUID, THE SNAKE MEAT, and too many more to remember.






I was a lot more cautious than I thought I would be when it came to trying these very unusual foods. Karyn said this is sign of old age. She was always the first to try the different foods from street vendors. I usually just stood back and watched for a while. After she was eating something, and seemed to be enjoying it, I would ask to try some or share it with her. Almost everything we tried tasted very good






WE VISITED SOME MAJOR TOURISTS ENTERTAINMENT SITES: The Tiandi Theatre to watch the young performers from the China National Acrobatic Troupe. This was a fantastic show.
And Karyn couldn’t leave Beijing with visiting the Zoo and seeing the Giant Pandas

This will be our last entry as we are returning to Canada tomorrow. 16 weeks, less a day, is long enough to be away.

I have not been able to think of some closing remarks to describe our travels. So in desperation, I will need to quote something someone else once wrote.
"Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it." - Cesare Pavese

I would really like to tell you about the next extended trip that I am planning for the summer and fall of 2011. But first, I need to tell Karyn what I have in mind. And when it comes to telling Karyn; "Timing is Everything" The right time will not be until AFTER Karyn has spent a couple of months at home, and has had a chance to visit our grandchildren in Costa Rica.



]]> First Stop in China — Guilin, China http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268331997/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268331997/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268331997/tpod.html Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:54:39 +0000 Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China
Guilin, China

Where I stayed
Hotel $23.00
(Guilin hotels)


















We have finally arrived in China. What can I say??? WOW!!!. Where do I start???

Well, FOOD is certainly different. So far we have managed not to eat at MacDonald's or at KFC. But we have come pretty close a couple of times.





We are unable to read the menus as everything is in Chinese. And Chinese writing is just squiggly lines. So we look at the pictures on the menu or in the restaurant, and then order accordingly. But that doesn’t always work. In fact it has never worked yet. Our chicken dinner came delivered to our table ice cold; and I am not even sure it was cooked. Karyn said it was cooked, but it sure didn’t look cooked to me. We were pretty hungry so we ate the cold chicken; but at least we didn’t eat the head.







At another restaurant, we were given a menu/card with 8 items listed on it. At least I thought it was 8 menu items. There were 8 separate entries full of squiggly lines. We spent several minutes trying to communicate with the staff, but with no success. Then Karyn came up with the idea that she would just walk through the restaurant and point to other customers' meals in order to communicate which one of the 8 items she wanted. Well, with two waitresses chasing after her; she walks the restaurant pointing to food on other peoples' plates that she would like to order. Now, I do not know one word of Chinese, but I do know that all the customers in this restaurant were either saying "Crazy Lady" or "Crazy Tourist".


That was later confirmed when the waitress finally got Karyn to sit down again at our table, and then brought out 8 large packages of tea. It seem the 8 items on the card were not the menu items at all, but rather just the selection of the teas offered. We will not go back there again. I was so embarrassed.








I also encountered my first medical emergency at a restaurant in Guilin. I broke a couple of teeth. But that was okay. It probably better identified me as that man with the crazy lady.











Being ever so resouceful, I planned to have our next meal at a Buffet. This is where a person walks up to a counter and simply points at the different foods they want. Just like a Buffet in North America. Well almost…But, before you walk up to the counter, you need to purchase a piece of paper with squiggly lines on it. That is called a receipt. I think this receipt tells the server what you are allowed to order, or how much, or something like that. We were never able to figure this out. And there was no one working in the restaurant that could help us. The only thing we were able to conclude that it was prepay system; just like everything else in China, including hotel rooms.




Next plan….We would simply eat in the market, on the street, where all the food is on display. For sure, we would then know exactly what we are ordering. Right?? Not exactly. The street market doesn’t have the choice cuts of meat. I mean; there were no pork chops on display anywhere. We could select from pig’s feet, pig’s noses, pig’s ears, pig’s tails or any of the pig’s internal organs. But no pork chops. No chicken breasts either.






Plan #17. Well we don't have a plan #17 yet. But I am sure we will work this out. Need a little more time to understand how to identify and order food in China. We definitely will not resort to MacDonald’s, or to KFC, or to any of the large international hotels. We would just miss too much.

But to this point my best meal in China has been instant noodles, just outside the train station in Nanning. We now know we need to carry instant noodles and tea with us whenever we travel; because hot water is always available.




We found a beautiful little Boutique hotel in Guilin. Hotel has 8 rooms and is only 2 months old. We are finding great places to stay through the Internet, now that we have figured out which Internet sites to search.

Guilin is an absolutely beautiful city. A top tourist destination for the Chinese people. Beautiful lakes and rivers running through the town, with walkways along the shores, which at night, are all "lit up". The main streets all have very wide sidewalks that are completely tiled, and the areas we visited are kept spotlessly clean. It seemed more like a park than a city. The perfect place to start our China visit.





While in Guilin we naturally wandered through all the parks, visited all the major tourist sites, etc. Like the rest of Asia, we found the people to be exceptionally friendly. I think Western tourists are still a bit of a novelty in China, as we had Chinese people ask to have their picture taken with us on a number of occasions.










We had arrived at Guilin on an overnight train from Hanoi. Fortunately we have been traveling long enough to be able to handle the stress of arriving in the pouring rain, being completely lost in the train station, and then having the taxi driver tell us that the hotel we selected has moved and changed it’s name. A rather streesful start that turned out to be a very enjoyable visit.
]]> Over 40 million tourists — Yangshuo, China http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268944623/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268944623/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268944623/tpod.html Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:37:56 +0000 Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China
Yangshuo, China

Where I stayed
Hotel $30.00
(Yangshuo hotels)
















Hard to believe, but Yangshuo is even more beautiful than Guilin.
This small city (by Chinese standards) of 310,000 has over 40 million tourists visit every year. Most of them Chinese. (40 million is more than the entire population of Canada.) Yangshuo is also one of the most popular locations for foreign tourists in Southern China. It has the greatest percentage of English speaking residents in all of China.

No problem ordering food here....




So with all this English, with no problem communicating or ordering food, what is one of the first things we decide to do? You bet; rent a motorbike, and get out of town. It was just a little to touristy to spend our entire visit in the town of Yangshuo. We enjoyed a great day riding through the countryside, meeting a few local people when we got lost, and generally just enjoying the beautiful scenery. We stayed off the main highways and had no particular adventures as everything went very smoothly.






We arrived at Yangshuo from Guilin by taking a boat cruise down the Li River. Beautiful trip, small clean river surrounded by towering Karsts for the full length of the journey. The only thing that might have spoiled it a little bit is all the other boats full of tourists on the same type of cruise. But when something is this spectacular, it is bound to attract millions of tourists.






We enjoyed a spectacular show while in Yangshuo. "IMPRESSIONS LIU SANJIE"
It is not a light show, and it is not a stage show; but it is both and then some. The show is directed by moviemaker Zhang Yimou, who directed the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics. It is said that this was the greatest show in China, until the Opening Show for the Beijing Olympics. It has over 600 performers, including local fishermen; and for the most part takes place right on the Li River. Twelve surrounding karsts peaks are illuminated as part of the show. This show alone made the visit to Yangshuo worthwhile.





Our first visit to a small Chinese city would not be complete without visiting the local farmers' market. After all, this is how the people live; this is where they buy and sell food. The fruits, vegetables, live fish, etc, was pretty much the same as what we witnessed in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. What was different, was they sold meat in the same manner as they sold fish. Live animals. Different stalls or different producers sold different animals. The animals were all live and in cages. The buyer would select an animal, which the producer would then kill and butcher. The process makes a lot of sense in that the buyer is certain that the meat they are purchasing is fresh and appears free of disease.

Karyn chose not to wander through this area, but I wanted to witness just how everything was done. And I am a hunter, so the harvesting of an animal for food is not something new to me. However, the killing and butchering of the dogs did bother me. I am not sure exactly why, but I think it is because I view animals kept as pets completely different from animals raised or harvested for food…. Well, maybe rabbits can serve both purposes. But, I will likely never eat Dog Meat.


A few observations from the short time we have spent in China so far.

Everything seems to be heavily censored. I have been told that the Face Book Internet Site cannot be accessed in China. Tourists from Thailand told us there was no way they were able to connect. But they did tell me some Chinese people have been able to gain access by paying a fee to a site that then connects them to the Face Book Site. Doesn't sound like this would be entirely legal in China?

Also, to this point we have not been able to find any English Channels on TV, which had not been the case in Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos.



Fortunately we decided not to include Tibet in our travels; as travel to Tibet has been suspended for foreigners during the month of March. I understand that the political problems with Tibet become more intense during the month of March, which is the anniversary of some political event in Tibet.

Also, we have been told that Tianannmen Square was closed off for two weeks recently. Again some sort of political issue. I understand it had something to do with a political meeting. Hopefully there will not be a problem when we visit Bejing next week.




Still trying to get use to all the noise in China. The women here speak very loudly, practically yelling, and their voices are very sharp; almost sounds angry. But I guess if everyone else is real loud, the only way to be heard is to also speak very loudly. And the music is always very loud; so it can be heard, I imagine. Even the flight announcements at the Airport in Guilin were extremely loud. The good news here, I can just tell Karyn that I never heard her, whenever this suits the purpose.

Our next stop will be XI’AN, home of the Army of Terracotta Warriors. We will take a taxi from Yangshuo to Guilin and then fly from there to Xi’an. Flights are incredibly inexpensive in China. This flight was only $70.00 each. Almost cheaper that taking the train. But you do not see anything on an airplane.

From Xi’an to Beijing we will be traveling by train.
]]> Home of the ARMY OF TERRACOTTA WARRIORS — Xi'an, China http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268944770/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268944770/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1268944770/tpod.html Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:37:03 +0000 Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China
Xi'an, China

Where I stayed
Hotel $24.00
(Xi'an hotels)










The reason we included XI’AN in our China visit was to see one of the most famous archaeological finds in the world. THE ARMY OF THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS. More that 6,000 life-size terra-cotta warriors and horses arranged in orderly military formations. I am not going to describe the site in this blog, as you can find much better information on the Internet. I will tell you however, that it was even more imposing, than what I had imagined. On the same day we also visited the 6,000-year–old ruins of a Chinese village, and the Big Goose Pagoda.




But our big accomplishment in XI’AN…. We finally found a way to order food in a restaurant. We are now enjoying great meals. Dim Sum restaurants work well as you simply sit at your table and select your food from carts that waitresses are continually pushing through the restaurant. And another good option is a Chinese BBQ Restaurant. Sort of an "all you can eat Smorg" buffet with waiters also cutting off portions of BBQ meat at your table. We really enjoyed “BBQ PICKLED OX TOUNGE”. It still tasted good even after we read what it was that we were eating. We are now really looking forward to visiting Beijing and trying all the different types of Chinese foods.




Lots of development taking place in XI’AN. We passed hundreds of large high-rise apartment blocks that were under construction. Mile after mile of them.

And the road system is terrific. It is unbelievable how they can move so much traffic right through the old city center. Compare this to Winnipeg with only 750,000 people where it is so difficult to drive through the Kenaston and Bishop Grandin area. And this is a newly developed area in Winnipeg…not a centuries old city center.

The downtown area of XI'AN has a number of large shopping centers full of very high-end stores. In addition, there are many more high-end stores along the busy streets. I have no idea where all the money could be coming from to support the amount of high end shopping available here.





Downtown XI’AN still has the old city walls surrounding it. A 12-meter high wall forming a rectangle of 14 kilometers around the city center. Around the outside of the wall is a moat, which has been developed into a park like setting. It is possible to walk or bike the entire length of the Wall. We did not rent a bike and ride around the city wall only because we ran out of time.







Our arrival in XI’AN was a little stressful. Arrived at the airport around 9:30 PM and then took a shuttle service to the center of the downtown area. That is where the challenge started. The cabs were waiting for the tourists arriving by shuttle, just like vultures. It wasn’t hard to figure out the taxis were charging three times the accepted rate to take us to our hotel. The locals just avoided these taxi’s and walked out to the street to “hail a cab”…. or try to “hail a cab”. Saturday night, in down town XI’AN: all the cabs were filled. But Karyn was determined that we were not going to pay 30Yuan for a 10Yuan cab ride. So there I was, out on the street with 2 dozens locals trying to “hail a cab”. And without any success.

It took almost an hour, but I finally got Karyn to agree to pay the 30Yuan for a taxi to our Hotel. She just didn’t like being cheated. I am almost too embarrassed to tell you that the difference between 10 Yuan and 30 Yuan is less than $3.00. A tough introduction to XIAN.

BUT THE NEXT MORNING: We again needed to take a taxi. No problem getting a taxi, but then we could not communicate where we wanted to go. The taxi driver kindly phoned his office and then handed me his phone to give directions in English. Great idea, but it didn’t work. His office could not understand me. So then, using the taxi drivers phone, we text the location to his office. Finally we were off for our 10 Yuan cab ride. 10.2 Yuan to be exact. Then we had difficulty getting the cab driver to take a tip. Tipping just isn’t not done here. What a difference…. From a Taxi driver cheating us the night before to a taxi driver going out of his way to help us the following morning.

We are leaving on the soft sleeper train at 8:30 PM tonight for Beijing.
]]> It is up to you — Hanoi, Vietnam http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1267137343/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1267137343/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/2/1267137343/tpod.html Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:52:15 +0000 Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China
Hanoi, Vietnam

We are down to our last two weeks in Vietnam; before leaving for China.

I am very well aware that anything we might have even considered trying, or tasting, or testing in Vietnam has to be done now. It is now or never. We will likely never get back to Vietnam. NO MORE TOMORROWS.

Karyn has a completely different point of view. SURPRISE, SURPRISE… She believes that anything she has avoided to this point, has been avoided with good reason. And she is quite happy to miss an experience.

There are two big issues we can't come to an agreement on. ("Agreement On" means Karyn decides to do it my way)

1. A HOME STAY, WITH AN ETHNIC MINORITY FAMILY IN THE FAR NORTH OF VIETNAM. This is where you have dinner, spend the evening, and then stay overnight in that family's home. What better way is there to learn about these peoples’ life style? Granted, the accommodations will probably be a little primitive. It will involve sleeping on the floor, and possibly in the same room as the rest of the family. And obviously the bathroom facilities will not be what we are use to. Communication will be very difficult as the family will not be able to speak English. And the meal will be a surprise.

The experience might be fantastic, or it might be a little difficult; but I am sure it will be something we will never forget. It might even be one of those experiences that changes a person’s view of life.

2, KAYAKING THROUGH THE AMAZING KARST FORMATIONS IN HALONG BAY, IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. I do not know how Karyn can even debate this one with me, after she bathed her Elephant in 10 feet of water. No way can sitting in a Kayak, on the calm waters of Halong Bay, with a life jacket on, have near the same risk….She is just being silly.

I told Karyn that all of our friends would think she is being way too cautious and should experience both a Home Stay and Kayaking. She didn’t believe me, not at all. Thought I was crazy. But in the heat of the moment, she did say; "if that were true, I would agree to a Home Stay and an afternoon of Kayaking".

Now for the purpose of this early draft Blog Entry. I need a dozen people who believe Karyn would be making a big mistake if she chose not to experience a Home Stay and an afternoon of Kayaking; to send her an email to that effect. Let her know how strongly you believe she should join Leonard on these two adventures.

People with opposing views, need not reply.

&&&&&&&&amp ;&&&&&&&&am p;&&&&&&&&a mp;&&&&&&&& amp;&&&&&&& &&&&

SO HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED.





I agreed on a very nice Hotel in Hanoi for Karyn. Round Bed, Jacuzzi Tub, everything to get Karyn in the mood to SAY YES to Kayaking and a Home Stay. But even with all that; it was still a good thing that most of Karyn’s friends encouraged her to try the Kayaking and the Home Stay. Quite honestly, I do not think the round bed and Jacuzzi tub alone would have “carried the day"…..Maybe 20 years ago.




For details on the Kayaking see following entry titled Halong Bay and for details on the Home Stay see following entry titled Sapa.

We stayed in Hanoi Feb26 to Mar 01; and then again March 4 and 5; and then again March 10 and 11. In between we took two nights and cruised Halong Bay and then took 4 nights for our trekking trip to Sapa.


While in Hanoi, I attempted to experience anything and everything that we might have missed in Vietnam. So the first thing on the agenda was to go to a Dog Restaurant. Just to clarify, this is not a restaurant where you feed the dogs. This is a restaurant where they feed the dogs to you. Dog lover has a whole new meaning in Vietnam.



Anyhow, 10 kilometers from the old section of town, there is an area where most of the dog restaurants are located. A simple cab ride, and a reluctant Karyn should have been all it would take. But it didn’t quite work out like that. The cab did drop us off in the correct area, but it did not appear to be a very nice area. And at 7 PM it was already dark, with very little street lighting in this area. Further, there were a lot of Karaoke Clubs (which is never a good sign), and very few street restaurants with families eating, and children playing (which is definitely never a good sign). I tried to convince myself that the area was just different, not bad. We spent the next 45 minutes wandering the street and viewing the little “hole in the wall” restaurants, which were mostly still empty at this hour.

But I couldn’t shake this “spooked” feeling, so we hailed a cab and return back to the Old Section of Hanoi. And without ever experiencing a Dog Restaurant….. Karyn was real happy to leave Dog Restaurant section of town, as she was determined to become a vegetarian otherwise. Probably a good idea we left the area. I have found that when something feels wrong, it usually is wrong.







We tried to see all the interesting tourists sights in Hanoi. A Water Puppet Show, Ho Chi Ming Masoleum complex, the jail where the American Prisoners were kept during the Vietnam War, etc. The “Hanoi Hilton”, as the American Prisoners called it, was particularly interesting. The presentation at the prison had a lot in common with back home. Almost exactly like CNN. “The same same, only different”; as they say in Cambodia and Vietnam. Very slanted, almost propaganda, just like the American News we view in Canada.







We were starting to talk about what we were going to have for our first few meals when we got home. Roast Beef, or maybe Roast Lamb, or maybe Baked Ham, or maybe BBQ Spare Ribs. I was concerned that Karyn was becoming more than a little homesick, with still a month of travels left. I was hoping that this was just a case of missing some Western Food (particulary big servings of meat). Food would be an easy fix. Just find the best, most extravagant western type steak house in Hanoi. But I found something even better; A Brazillian BBQ. I did not even know what a Brazillian BBQ was prior to this, even though you can find them in Major cities around the world.

Brazillian BBQ's cook large cuts of prime meat, skewed on a BBQ and then serve it by slicing portions at the customers table. Kind of like an all you can eat Smorg, without ever leaving your table, and without your plate ever being full. Always small portions, which never stop, but as a result you tend to eat very slowly (but still too much). Lamb, Roast Beef, Ham, Racks of Ribs, or skewers of large shrimp, were all served in the same manner. Salads etc were also served continually, and always a small portion. The food must have been imported, North America Steakhouse quality, perfectly prepared, and very well served. Extreemly expensive by Vietmese stardards, $70. for our meal with a couple of beer. The end result; Karyn is still talking about her first meals when she gets back to Canada; but now it is Kraft Dinner that she is craving.

Some of my personal observations and opinions after spending 3 months traveling through most of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

At first all three countries seemed the same, probably because all three were so different from North America. But this is not the case. You could never just visit one country, and feel you have experienced all three.


There is little or no personal space in these countries. Vietnam seems to be the most crowded in this regard. Although all three countries have lots of jungle and uninhabited areas, the areas where people do live are very crowded. The streets are full of motorbikes. And with little or no parking allowed on many of the streets, the sidewalks are all full of parked motorbikes. And where the sidewalks are not being used to park motorbikes, the sidewalks are being used for commerce. Restaurants on the sidewalk, or body shops, or welding shops, or repair shops, or manicurist, or whatever. There might be a small storefront operation but this is usually only large enough to store the tools and supplies. The actual work takes place on the sidewalk. The only thing the sidewalks are not used for, is the efficient movement of people.


The people in all three countries are unbelievably friendly. A complete contrast to what we experience in North America. Everyone is smiling, everyone says hello to the tourists; often that is the only English word they know. Little children smile, wave, say hello; and some of the wee ones throw kisses, just like our grandchildren do back home. And we just smile back and return any thrown kisses,, much to the delight of the mothers. Just picture for a minute what would happen if you smiled, waved or threw a kiss to a strangers’ small child in a shopping center in North America. At best, everyone would think you were a pervert, at worse someone would call the police. Something is definitely wrong with that picture.





Young poeple who are studing English in school often will stop and talk to us for no other reason that they want to practice their English and they are naturally Friendly. I can't leave Karyn on a park bench for more than a few minutes before a Vietames person will join her for an English conversation. Still can not understand why it is usually a young man than joins Karyn. Karyn tells me it is because more men than women study English. Could that be possible?




I have gained a more complete understanding of the tragedies from war after seeing the challenges Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos are still dealing with from the Vietnam War which ended in 1975. The deaths did not stop when the war stopped. The killing is still happening. All three of these countries were heavily bombed by the American Air Force using cluster Bombs. In Laos, for instance, it is estimated 260 million submunition "bombies" were dropped between 1964 and 1973 - sadly, 78 million of them failed to explode. Since the end of the war, over 12,000 people have fallen prey to UXO (many of them children). Since the British Mines Advisory Group began clearance work in 1994 only a tiny percentage have been removed. At the current rate of clearance, it may take more than 100 years to make the country safe. And Laos wasn't even in the war.

And not to mention the lingering devastation from the “Chemical Warfare”. Except when our side does it, is called “Agent Orange”. Agent Orange doesn’t sound nearly as horrific.

So much for my personal opinions. If I type any more, Karyn will make me delete everything.





Well maybe one more thing while I am on my Soap Box. So many of our friends and family from North America are reminding us to be very careful here. And that’s ok. In fact, that is very kind and thoughtful…. Except, if we were vacationing in Florida, or Texas, or Winnipeg, these same people would never caution us to be careful. Unfortunately, the widely held perception that foreign countries with different customs, particularly poorer countries, are always much more dangerous than North America; is almost impossible to change.

SHUT UP NOW, LEONARD…... one more typed word and for sure Karyn will delete it all.



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