TravelStream™ news feed for member debncraig on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/debncraig en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:45:25 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1198739880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1198739880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1198739880/tpod.html Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:45:25 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Arrival at Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) was a painless affair apart from the rough handling of Deb's bag that damaged the retractable handle. We negotiated a set fee taxi int the city and asked to be taken to a reasonable hotel in District 1. The taxi driver took usto an area with plenty of hotels. It was only 100m away from the Ben Thanh Markets so looked like a good area to us. The 1st hotel we looked at had reasonable (not great) rooms but we thought the US$40 per night was a bit much so decided to look around. We only got about 30m down the road when an employee from the hotel chased us down the road. The price quickly dropped to $30, then to $25. The employee was pleading with us to stay in her hotel so we gave in.
Exploring the market is an experience. Some of the stall holders can be quite aggressive in a friendly sort of way. If you are close enough some will grab you by the arm and steer you to their stall. We found the starting price in HCMC shops to be quite high compared to other regions, so be prepared to bargain hard.
Around 5pm the day market closes and the Night Market sets up on the streets outside. This is a great place to visit. The streets are partially closed off, no cars and buses but the pesky motor bikes can't be kept out. There are lots of copy clothes and bag vendors as well as a great range of restaurants. The beer was always cold and the range of seafood is great. One evening we sat munching our meal while being stared at by an aquarium filled with live frogs waiting to be BBQed! (Deb wouldn't let me order one!)
My first t-shirt purchase is a good example of price range. The first price given was 250000 dong (Approx AU$17). I thought that was ridiculous and walked away without bargaining. Within a few metres the price was down to 150000, kept walking, 100000, kept walking, 60000, came back & bought shirt. We found that 4 times the final price was quite common around here. I did find 1 stall in the night market where the lady 's first price for a shirt was 60000 dong. Obviously she is still making a profit at this price, I'm happy with a $4 Adidas knock off so I didn't bother bargaining with her and just bought the shirt. Consequently I returned to her stall a few times.
Another thing we found to watch out for is transport scams. I think I mentioned in an earlier entry that generally we have found taxis with meters the best way to get around. That is still the case, with a couple of warnings. At one point we went to get a taxi back to the hotel from a market. The fare to get there was less than $1. This driver said the fare would be $3 to return. I asked for the meter and he refused to turn it on. Consequently we walked away and found another taxi. Having the meter turned on is not a guarntee against scams either. One day we got a taxi to the water park. The Driver turned on the metre so I thought no worries. We had already been warned the park was some distance away and to expect a fare of around 60000 - 70000 dong. As predicted the fare was 72500 dong. I handed over a 100000 dong note and waited for my change. The driver indicated this wasn't enough! I pointed to the meter an said what it was showing. I wrote down 72500 on my note pad. He shook his head. I then added a zero, 725000! He nodded. That fare was close on AU$50, or 1 1/2 months salary for the average Vietnamese worker. I said a few choice things and we left him with the 100000 as I knew I wasn't getting any change. I guess someone fresh into the country who hasn't got a handle on the conversion rate might fall for it. Lesson learnt: even with a meter don't hand over the fare until you have agreed on what the meter actually says!
We found that the area we were staying was not part of the main tourist area, even though it was close to the market. The tourist drag, with bars, restaurants, laundries, internet cafes, was about 5 min walk away. I'm glad we found it because the travel agents there had the tours we wanted to do 10x cheaper than the travel agents near our hotel. We booked our tours with TNK travel and would recommend them to any one in the area. The Cu Chi tunnel 1/2 day was $4 and the 1 day Mekong Delta tour was only $7. The travel is in good quality air conditioned buses and the guides speak excellent english.
We really enjoyed the Cu Chi tunnel tour. The story of the tunnel development from the French war in the late 40's through to the end of the Vietnam war is fascinating. It is ingeneous how they were built. The tunnels have been made larger to suit the bigger framed western traveller but they were certainly claustrophoic enough for me. We had the luxury of electric lighting. I can only imagine what it would've been like crawling through the original size tunnels with only a gas/oil lantern or no light at all. Some people lived in these tunnels full time for up to 10 years! Our tour started with a video which was VERY uncomplimentary towards the Americans. We wondered how the Americans in the group were taking to being publicly bagged! The Vietnamese freedom fighters had a particularly low opinion of the American troops, in fact they considered them to be quite dull and utterly predictable in their their movements and actions. They were particularly taken with the American habit of "leaving no man behind". The Vietnamese thought this was great as it gave then time to regroup and consider their next move while the Americans were gathering their dead!
The Vietnamese made their traps and bombs from unexploded US materials in tiny underground workshops. I thought the rolling "metal stick" trap (pictured) was particularly nasty. As the guide explained, "Step in this trap & metal sticks start at feet and roll all the way to head,... no need for doctor!" Another interesting one was a device that would swing down from the ceiling and spike you in the groin, "This one, no more babies for you!"
When we returned to the city the bus dropped us at the war memorial museum. I recommend a visit as it really tells the story from the other side. There are pictures of American soldiers posing with the severed heads of Viet Cong as trophies etc. Not the story we see in the Hollywood version of the war. There is also the prision that suspected communists were taken and tortured and/or killed. Some stayed imprisioned for 10+ years. There were torture tools on display. I commented to Deb that is is just like the Killing Fields in Camodia only we didn't hear about these horrors because it was our side perpetrating them!
The next day I booked the Mekong Delta tour as Deb was going to have massage day. Our tour had another excellent TNK guide who gave us a lot of interesting information about HCMC. He said a lot of the city population were like him and had moved in from the country. Apparently his friends call him "bumpkin"!
Once we were on the boat the other members of the group were snapping away merrily with their cameras. I had mine at the ready but didn't see much that was different from the other boat trips we had been on. For most of the others I discovered this was only the first or second day into their trip and eveything was new and wonderous. I reflected on the number of pictures we took early in our trip compared with the few we are taking now. I think we are both ready to head home. Actually the main reson Deb chose not to come on tis tour was she thought it would be, as the locals put it, "Same, same, but different". She was pretty much on the money apart from some interesting diversions. Eg - catching crickets for roasting, coconut caramel factory.
Our morning tea was at a restaurant where we were to be entertained by traditional music and singing. When the band moved to our end of the restaurant I chose to absent myself and come back when we were ready to move on. When I returned I was greeted by a strained , wailing verson of jingle bells!
The next bit was an interesting paddle through some of the canals that make up this part of the delta. Much of the transport through this area is by canoe and the locals are very good at managing them.
After my return we decided to try the tourist area for tea. Very different to where we were staying. Much more of a "pub street" atmosphere. Sellers galore, and if you say no to the legitimate offering the next item that comes out are the drugs!
We heard some gloomy stories about HCMC before we arrived. We have found it quite a good place to visit. Busy, polluted, but as long as you keep your wits about you, an entertaining place to be.
Well down to the last day of our trip! It has been a great journey. Reflecting on the magnificent sights we have seen, people we've met and the 1000+ pictures we have taken, there are memories that will last a very long time. As much as we both enjoy the travelling, and the excitement of the unplanned way we go about it, we miss family and friends and are really looking forward to coming home. Having said that Deb is already thinking about the next adventure!
See you all very soon!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1196753100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1196753100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1196753100/tpod.html Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:26:52 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Adelaide, Australia

Home again
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1196666580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1196666580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1196666580/tpod.html Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:24:47 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Singapore, Singapore

Stop over on the way home
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195711920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195711920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195711920/tpod.html Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:30:54 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Nha Trang, Vietnam

The flight from Hoi An was quick and uneventful. The continuing rain was there to greet us when we arrived. There is only 1 taxi company that operates out of the airport so choices are limited. The standard fare is 200 000 dong per car. The airport is about 35 km out of town. The old one was an ex US air base near Nha Trang but a decision was made to move it. The road from the new airport into Nha Trang is very good, well most of it. As you get close to town the road deteriorates into the "dancing road" class.
The beach front area of Nha Trang quite modern and built up, many hotels and a long, well kept, esplanade. Plenty of building activity as the big hotel chains set up for business, Sofitel, Best Western etc.
Our hotel, The Sunrise Beach Resort, is one of the fancier ones along the strip. It deserves its 5 star rating. We booked this before leaving Australia. It was a treat to ourselves at the end of our holiday. Nha Trang has a great reputation as a beachside resort, lots of water based activities, and lazing on the beach. Unfortunately the Typhoon massing off the coast had other ideas.
We entered the foyer of the Sunrise Beach and felt immediately out of place. I wasn't sure my quite travel scarred backpack and my Beer Lao T-shirt met the dress standards of the "Beautiful People". Oh well, they would have to put-up with it as I didn't pack any 5 star outfits. Our room was excellent with a bed so large it could comfortably sleep a family of four. We unpacked and I braved the rain to have a look around the immediate area and found plenty of eateries frequented by the locals. We decided to eat at the hotel that night and went to find out about their advertised seafood buffet/BBQ. We expected it to be out of our price range but found it was US $20. That is very expensive compared to our usual restaurants but compared to what something this fancy would cost in Australia it is a steal. There is an impressive range of delicious pre prepared dishes as well as a pile of fresh seafood you point to and it I'd BBQed for you - oysters, prawns, fish squid, lobster..... Top this off with continuous soft drink, beer, wine, and you have the best buffet we have seen. Only rivaled by the breakfast buffet (included with booking) we encountered the next day.
We were sitting at breakfast wondering what to do today as pretty much all tourist activity in Nha Trang revolves around water (not rain type water either), when we struck up a conversation with an Australian woman from Canberra. Cynthia was a very lively lady who suggested we all go to an Irish pub she knew of. A friend of a friend of hers was an ex pat aussie living in Nha Trang. She arranged for us all to meet him at the "Shamrock" at 1:30pm. This turned out to be a watering hole for ex pats from all over. We got to meet a number of foreigners living in Nha Trang as well as locals that were their friends. They are a colourful group to say the least. There is Greg, Cynthia's contact, who seems to be the most normal and well adjusted of the group. There was also Andy, manager of the Shamrock. He describes himself as Squelsh, a mixture of Scottish and Welsh. He also seemed to be on an even keel. He's always been in the hospitality industry, even as a kid. While traveling he decided to open the bar and couple it with a tour business. According to Greg, Andy does very well with the ladies.
Big John is a very friendly American whose wife died of cancer a while ago. He decided his son needed to stand on his own 2 feet so sold everything and moved here.
Then there is Simon. When I first saw him I immediately thought he was suffering from aids. As far as I know he isn't, but he is incredibly thin and shakes continually. Apparently he manages the Why Not Bar, sleeps very little, eats even less and drinks a great deal. He has been in prison for something but we're not quite sure what. He said that was where he read the bible as there was nothing else to read. Greg would tease one of the waitresses about giving her 3 months salary if she married Simon. She would just make a face, start shaking and say he looks like a jittery chicken!
Rich is the manager of the famous "Sailing Club". That was good as knowing him gave us free entry later in the evening. He is from the UK and seems to be a 100mph bundle of energy. He talks at the same speed and finds it difficult to sit still. He has had experience in the club scene but was lucky to fall into the position while travelling. Later, at the Sailing Club, Deb went up to say hello to him again and thought he was very rude as he ignored her. He made a point of coming up to her later to ensure her he wasn't ignoring her, he was dealing with a patron who had just vomited on his back. The next night I said that must be a occupational hazard, but he indicated that was the first time ever.
Rod is an Aussie who lives here most of the time. He returns to Australia each year when he needs to earn some money. When introducing his local "wife" he said her name was "Expensive"!
One of the highlights of the afternoon was when Greg brought over a young Vietnamese girl. Her name was Dieu. She was 17 or 18, depending on whether you use the western or Vietnamese birthday system. Vietnamese children are born at age 1. Dieu was a cook at the Shamrock as well as being one of Greg's english students.He had dragged her over to talk to us to help improve her english. She was very reluctant at first but warmed up as time went by. Greg was very proud of her and appreciative that we spent time with Dieu helping with her english confidence. Just before she was caled away to do some cooking she decided to adopt us as her "new parents". There were a number of others and they helped make a very wet afternoon/evening very entertaining indeed.
We met up with them all again the next night as Greg suggested we eat with them at the "Spot" bar and restaurant. The special of the night was lamb shanks and Greg assured us they were the best you will ever taste. Deb was tge only female at The Spot Bar. I was the only non ex pat. Everyone else lived in Nha Trang but were born overseas. All were there for there lamb shanks, except Deb who ordered chicken. There were some new faces who, Rich told us, were the captains of Nha Trang industry, managers of companys, CEOs etc. Their behaviour would not indicate we were in such exhaulted company! Oh well, as the saying goes, "Never underestimate the capacity for stupidity of boys in large groups."
Anyway the lamb shanks were very good, as promised. We finished our meals and bid the group a final farewell and went back to the hotel.
The next day we decided to go to the Nha Trang Mud baths, as it was an activity that we could do in overcast conditions. The weather had improved as the Typhoon had generously decided to change course and head back out to sea. Excellent news for the local population as another flood would've been devestating. The Taxi ride to the Mud Baths was interesting. Once away from the manicured tourist strip the roads are terrible and you can only progress at walking pace. The Mud Bath complex is quite large and well set out, including a lake and heated mineral swimming pools. We opted for a "private" mud bath as opposed to the public one. Private means that it is only for 2. It is not private in the sense that you are alone. There are rows of small baths within touching distance of each other. The attendant filled our bath with an "interesting" smelling greenish/greyish ooze. We climbed in, relaxed and let the mud do its magic. According to the literature the bath cures all sorts of ailments: obesity, mental disorders, TB, skin problems...the list seemed endless.

Eventually you are asked to get out of the bath and go and sit in the sun so the mud can really cleanse the system! Following this it is time for a shower. A rather lengthy process as the mud clings and is absolutely everywhere. The showers are in the open so you can't strip off and have a good scrub. Most of the mud is OK to get off, it is the mud that gets under your bathers that causes difficulity. We eventually got ourselves to a point where we considered ourselves to be in a reasonable condition and went off for a soak in the heated mineral pools. It is a large open air pool and when they say heated they are not kidding! It is like a hot bath and takes some getting used to. Eventually we decided to find another taxi to take us back to the hotel where we both had a shower and scrubbed with soap as we could still smell the mud on our skin. The shower didn't work as after soap and hot water the mud smell was still there. I took comfort in the fact that while I could smell the mud I would probably be free of any mental disorder. The Mud Bath was a fun afternoon and if you are in Nha Trang with time to spare we would recommend a "dip".
We decided to fly with Pacific airlines to Ho Chi Minh City. It was cheaper than the competition. The flight itself was fine but in hindsight we may have been better of paying the extra. The staff seem particularly rough with the bags and eb found her retractable handle smashed when we collected the bags in HCMC. The cost of the new bag will not really be made up by the few $ we saved on tickets.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195792560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195792560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195792560/tpod.html Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:11:53 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Hoi An, Vietnam

The bus trip from Hue was comfortable in the bus but very wet outside. It was mostly flat land until we were approaching Danang. Some mountains loomed ahead and we thought we were in for another crawl up and down. To our surprise we went straight under the mountain through an impressively long tunnel leading straight to Danang and on a short distance to Hoi An.
Just before arriving in Hoi An we picked up a man who turned out to be working for the bus company.The bus company has their own hotels so it is his job to snap up any tourists without a reservation. We stopped at the An Phu Hotel and were encouraged to have look at the rooms. The ones we saw were all quite nice. We chose a $20/night room that included a buffet breakfast. We were given advice about where to buy our clothes. We were told to visit a tailor 3 doors down, and definitely NOT the tailor 2 doors down. Apparently hotels have commission deals with certain tailors and it is best to ignore this advice and work it out for yourself. We settled in then went off to explore the sites of the charming old sector of Hoi An. As soon as you leave the hotel people are tryng to get you to buy things. Deb & I are convinced now that the most used words in the english language are, "Hello Madam,you come look my shop?"
Although the people here constantly ask for your interest in their wares they are not pushy about it. They are friendly and polite and respond well to a pleasant, "No thankyou ", delivered with a smile.
Deb decided she wanted to visit the cloth market, which is an under cover area filled with cloth sellers/tailors all busting to make you anything form a "g" string to an entire wardrobe, all at "Cheap price for you!"
We avoided making any commitment to look until Deb gave into a shoe seller who had the Duc Tuan Shoe Shop stall just out side the cloth market. They gave us catelogues to look through and promised to tailor make any picture we liked. We decided to give them a try with 1 pair each, with an option for more if they were well made. We paid a deposit and were told to come back tomorrow to try them on.
When about to leave the shoe store the proprieter of "90 Tailor" shop hooked us back in to the cloth market to "Look her shop". We decided we might as well give her a try and chose a dress style for Deb and a shirt for me. Same deal as with the shoe shop, be back tomorrow for the results.
After this challenging experience it was time for Happy Hour and a bite to eat. We decided on a small restaurant just outside the hotel. The staff were very pleasant and the food was good. The young man working there asked us to visit his mother's shop after dinner. The shop was Tony Tailor. He explained it was named after him as his translated name is Tony. We agreed even though this was the dreaded tailor the hotel had warned us against.
We were greeted at Tony Tailor with a bottle of water and an arm full of catelogues. Deb decided to try a couple of dresses. I said if the dresses were good I might have a suit or 2 made. Again, come back tomorrow for the try on. Our schedule for tomorrow was rapidly filling. At this rate would have to hire a personal assistant to make sure we got to all our fittings on time!
"Fitting" day dawned overcast and rainy. After heavy rain overnight the locals were talking of a second flood in a week within the next few days. All our fittings went surprisingly well, we were very impressed wth the quality of the product. All 3 businesses received more orders, much to their dellight. We were most impressed with the shoes. They were very classy looking and the fit was excellent. Actually the fit with pretty much everything we tried was very good. Very few things needed alteration. We both ordered more shoes. We ordered more outfits for Deb and shirts and pants for me from 90 Tailor. The quality from Tony Tailor was also good so I ordered 2 suits and Deb ordered more tops and dresses. Looks like the next day would be another fitting day!
When we returned to the hotel we were greeted with VERY loud traditional Vietnamese music blaring out from a loud speaker located in the property next to the Hotel. Unfortunately our window was in quite close proximity to the loudspeaker. At first we found it quite amusing. What we didn't realise, however, was that this was a Vetnamese funeral, and they continue for 3 days! The music goes all day, finishing about 10pm. The silence was broken again at 6am on day 2 and 4am (**##!) on day 3! The music is nothing short of bloody awful. It is like cats fighting out side your bedroom window. To the unintiated it seems to be a dischordant, torturous, wailing.
Lying awake I invented my own"Just So" story to explain the origins of Vietnamese traditional music. Here it is:
"Many centuries ago there was a great flood. The powerful cat clans of the time retreated to the mountain tops for safety. One of the greatest of all cat clan leaders was Ho Chi Minx. As the waters receded Ho Chi Minx sent his minions out to retrieve survivors. To his surprise they returned with 4 human babies washed away from their homes by the torrent. Ho chi Minx took pity on the waifs and decided to raise them as his own. He named them Sox, Fluffy, Felix and Tiddles.
The Humans were raised in the feline way. They were taught to trust the all powerful thread that bound and guided the existance of all cats, known as ... "The Cream".
Unknown to Ho Chi Minx, a dark force was brewing in the west. An evil cat clan leader, known as Darth Purrer, was planning to overthrow Ho Chi Minx. Darth Purrer had strayed from the righteous path of "The Cream" and had turned .....to the SOUR SIDE!
War raged across the land for the next 20 years. The air was constantly filled with the ear shattering strains of feline fisticuffs. The war culmnated in the fiercest of all the battles. Ho Chi Minx and Darth Purrer battled one on one for 3 days and 3 nights. Things were looking bleak for Ho Chi Minx when he heard the voice of his ancestors say, "Trust "The Cream" Ho Chi Minx". In one final surge Ho Ci Minx struck Darth Purrer a mighty blow. As Lord Purrer lay dying he took off the battle mask revealing his true identity. He was ...... Ho Chi Minx's father! In the last few moments of Darth Purrer's life father and son were reunited and Darth's spirit rose to be with his ancestors and share "The Cream".
Ho chi Minx now began a lasting reign of peace. Silence was golden. Ho Chi Minx called Sox, Fluffy, Felix and Tiddles to his side. He commamded they make instruments that will remind future generations of the sounds and lessons of the great cat wars.
For 20 years Sox, Fluffy, Felix and Tiddles worked to perfect the sound. As an aging Ho Chi Minx lay on his death litter Sox, Fluffy, Felix and Tiddles played, for the first time, the instruments they had made. They had so faithfully recreated the sounds of cats in battle that Ho Chi Minx promptly died so his spirit could be carired off to the peacefulness of the after life. The new instruments also served a second, unexpected, purpose. The sounds they made scared the absolute bejezus out of any evil spirits wishing to do Ho Chi Minx harm.
Since that day ancestors of Sox, Fluffy, Felix and Tiddles have spread across the land playing the instruments of fear at all important occassions where evil spirits need to be kept at bay.
And thus it was that Vietnamese traditional music was born."
(The author wishes to note that any resemblance to persons living or dead (especilly those having anything to do with George Lucas) is purely coincidental.)

As I lay there at 4am on the 3rd morning of mourning I suddenly realised that this form of music was not entirely unfamiliar to me. A "western" traveller must have come to this "country" many years ago and heard the awful caterwauling these instruments make. Hearing the story behind them he decided "western" cultures needed to understand them. He took the sound of this "country" and blended and moulded it into a "western" music form. And so it came to be that "Country" & "Western" music was inflicted upon the world.

(Have you guessed from this amount of irrelevent babble that it is pissing down outside and I don't feel like gong out? Actually it is more than pissing down. A typhoon in the South China Sea is expected to make land fall right about here (Na Trang) within the next 24 hrs! Should be interesting!)

Back to Hoi An Shopping. The suits made by Tony were excellent. Deb ordered a few more things but decided to be strong after that as (in her words), "You could go crazy here."
It may sound that no matter who you choose you will get good quality. Not so, I think we were just lucky. Deb ordered some shoes from another seller. Although cheaper she was disappointed with the quality compared to her original seller. By the time Deb had finished with the original shoe seller she was drawing a crowd to each fitting! When she arrived for the last time to collect her fabulously made boots, there were about 10 other sellers flocking to see what the crazy Australians would order next!
We got representatives from the Post Office to come to the hotel so we could send our booty home. Not cheap, but markedly more economical than paying excess baggage at the airport.
On the 20th Nov every year it is Teachers' Day. This is a public holiday where families visit one of the many flower stalls that have sprung up all over the city and buy a bunch of flowers. Parents then take their children to the house of the teacher to deliver the flowers. A nice tradition I think.

To any wishing to visit Hoi An we throughly recommend:
Tony Tailor - 294 Nguyen Duy Hieu St
90 Shop Tailor - Shop 90 Market Tran Phu St
Duc Tuan Shoe Shop (just outside & to the right of 90 Tailor)
And now on to Nha Trang to face the fierce forces of mother nature!








]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194675900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194675900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194675900/tpod.html Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:00:32 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Halong Bay, Vietnam

After our 1 night rest in the Sofitel Plaza, Hanoi, our transport arrived to transport us to Halong Bay. The journey took a lot longer than we had anticipated (4 hours!) mainly because it is impossible for any form of transport to reach any consistent speed.
The air was hazy in Hanoi and we thought it would clear when we got out of the city. Unfortunately we were wrong. At this time of the year the farmers are doing a considerable amount of burning. Because of this the haze blankets the entire region and doesn't get any better away from the city.
After the standard stop at one of the many craft market we arrived in Halong Bay. The wharf area was absolutely choked with buses and tourists. We were amazed at how many junks there actually were. To get to our junk we had to walk across one of two others. When we reached our trusty vessel we were shown our room then ushered to a seat in the junk's restaurant area. We were seated with a couple of newly weds, Kath and Tim (that's Tim, not Kim!). Kath is Australian and Tim is English. Their wedding was in Queensland and they are now meandering their way back to England, where they both work. Another group hailed from Singapore and were mostly retired teachers. One couple live in Banksia Park. We are continually amazed how small this world is!
We eventually set off on our cruise in a haze of junk generated diesel fumes. The junk had about 14 passengers- all friendly and willing to have a chat. We spent most of our time eating and motoring along. We began the tour by having lunch on-board. This consisted of a range of seafood including prawns, crabs, fish and calamari. We travelled across the water viewing an array of amazing limestone columns jutting metres above the water. Legend has it that the bay was formed when a dragon came to a sudden stop causing the land to ripple and buckle to form caves and islands. We pulled up (not sure if that is a nautical term!) to one such cave and climbed the 100 or so steps to go inside. The cave had some amazing formations including one stalacmite that looked like a giant penis. The cave itself was massive and we could walk around for quite some time.
That evening we were able to observe the most amazing sunset ala picture postcard.
Unfortunately it was still a bit hazy but we managed to get some reasonable shots.

We stopped off at a beach but it was a little cold and late for a swim. Several people were in the water but Tim (the English guy) suggested that they were all probably poms!!
We again dined aboard and again experienced a seafood menu. Still delicious...... same, same but different!!
The night on board was calm, if a bit noisy. The cabins all had ensuites but Craig chose the wrong time to shower as they hadn't yet cranked up the hot water. After breakfast and a very early lunch (about 10:30) we were ushered off the boat so it was ready for the next group. Once ashore we were inundated with pearl sellers - the same pearls they were offering on the boat were about a quarter of the price. I ended up with more than I really wanted but somehow got talked into buying!!
We then headed back via another craft market selling the same stuff before another night in the Sofitel. I must admit that although the room was nice and the bathroom was luxurious with a range of toiletries, you are made to feel a lot more welcome at the smaller places. We found another hotel in the Lonely Planet Guide - The City Gate Hotel - where they were amazingly friendly and helpful to us.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195113300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195113300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1195113300/tpod.html Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:55:51 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Hue, Vietnam

We arrived in Hue at our scheduled time of a little after 8am. When leaving the station we were swamped by taxi drivers. After choosing one we loaded our gear. The rear door of the vehicle didn't shut properly and Deb held on to her case all the way to the hotel. We had a hotel picked out but of course the driver knew a "better one"..."very cheap"...."very good". The drivers get kick backs for bringing customers to a hotel but we didn't really care. The hotel turned out to be very comfortable and in a good part of town so we decided to stay there. We booked a tour for the next day then set about exploring.
We wandered around on our own for a while before giving in to one of the persistent cyclo dirvers and agreeing to a trip across the river to the market. The driver dropped us at the market and wouldn't take any money as he wanted us to use him for the trip back to the hotel. We agreed to find him again later as set off to view the market.
It was now around lunch time and, as there were no food stalls in the market, we decided to head out and find a restaurant. We were no where near the driver at this point and decided we would find him after lunch. Our plan was to do a lap around the block and find somewhere for lunch. Unfortunately this part of Hue didn't seem to have "blocks" as such. The road we were on stretched on endlessly without a restaurant in sight. This must have been household utensil and white goods street! We had travelled quite a way from the market and decided we might as well head back the way we had come. On turning around who should we see but the trusty cyclo driver! How he spotted us leaving the busy market I will never know, but he was not going to let a fare get away.
We told him we would like to find a restaurant and he took us quite som distance to one he either liked or got a commission from. Anyway, it turned out to be run by a deaf guy. The food was good and, surprisingly, we had quite a good "conversation" with him via signals and signs. He told us about the recent floods and how it had closed his shop and he had only just been able to reopen. When we left he insisted on giving us both a home made bottle opener. They are a piece of wood with a bolt throught it and they work surprisingly well. The cyclo driver then transoprted us back to our hotel and didn't charge us any extra for the restaurant detour.
The next day was our tour and the rain was falling steadly. We found out later that the rain was part of a huge weather pattern that stretched from the Hue region to beyond Nha Trang in the south and would stay with us for the rest of our stay in Vietnam. We boarded our bus and set off to see the tombs of various Kings during the morning. The Tombs were interesting and ornate. Some tombs took longer to build than the actual reign of the king who commissioned them. Heading towards lunch time and the rain had progressed from insistent to hammering. Deb and I declined the offer of the last tomb and kept out of the rain in a lean to cafe and talked to another Australian couple while sipping on some "interesting" Vietnamese coffee.
One thing that amused us greatly on the tour were a couple of male tourists that Deb & I christened the "Funky Monkeys". They were older gentlemen, somewhat portly, and a little vertically challenged. They were dressed in matching safari suits and bright canary yellow short sleeved shirts. The Funky Monkey title stems from a bar of the same name we heard of while in Hanoi. Apparently the "Funky Monkey" caters well for customers that like to "bat for the other side" so to speak. I thought maybe they were twins, but Deb assured me that was not the case. Interestingly the Funkey Monkeys managed to pop up where ever we went over the next week or so, still in the same matching safari suits. Deb was beginning to think they were after me!
Lunch was included and was at a restaurant around the corner fron our hotel. Deb decided visiting more temples and pagodas in the afternoon was not going to be much fun so she decided to return to the hotel, leaving me to field questions from the guide as to why my wife didn't want to come with us.
I continued after lunch as I at least wanted to see the Citadel. It was an interesting area where one of the kings had built an enclosed city as a defense against enemies. The sad part was that, if not for the French and American wars, the Citadel would be in excellent condition. There should be over 150 buildings to exlpore. Unfortunately only 3 remain. There are some very lovely large brass urns that have been dented with bullet holes.

The final part of the tour was an uninspiring trip down river to the city. Once docked I walked back to the hotel. Deb had spent the afternoon looking around at the shops but was not impressed with the service. In one shop she was refused service. Not just ignored but told to leave! The cyclo driver that returned her to the hotel tried to majorly overcharge her. Of course she refused to pay his asking price but these experiences did nothing to help her warm to the city of Hue.
We really only stopped here to break the journey to Hoi An. We didn't have any expecations of a wildly exciting stay as all the books indicate that Hue is more the cultural centre of Vietnam. A place of museums and galleries. It is not a place that suits us so we would not choose to return in the future but haves poken to other people who love the place. Horses for courses I guess.
The next day was our trip to Hoi An. The clothes shopping capital of the universe! Deb is eager with anticipation!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194588720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194588720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194588720/tpod.html Mon, 19 Nov 2007 03:00:53 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Hanoi, Vietnam

We now needed to leave Vang Vieng and catch our connecting flight from Vientianne to Hanoi. We booked the VIP bus once again as our transport. We were firstly met by a smaller mini bus that was to transport us to the "VIP" vehicle. We drove around collecting other tourists before stopping outside a transport office doing nothing for about 15 mins. We thought this strange as the scheduled departure time was 10:00am and it was now approaching 10:30. Eventually we headed the short trip to the main road where we were to meet the VIP bus. Surprise, surprise, it had already left so the mini bus became our VIP transport to Vientianne. It actually turned out to be a good thing as the mini bus had no capacity to play endless Asian Karoke!
We were dropped in Vientianne after about a 4 hour trip. Luckily it was close to the fountain, a place we were familiar with so we could find our way around.
I had been missing a shoe for a couple of weeks as when we were last in Vientianne I gave it to a local repairer who indicated that I come back tomorrow to collect it. Unfortunately tomorrow was public holiday and the stall was closed. We had to go to the airport early the next day so the shoe was sadly left behind.
I was not confident the shoe would still be there after all this time, but there it was at the bottom of the repair pile. One small snag was that the repairer did not remember me and was unwilling to give me back the shoe. His attitude softened when I produced the other one. We all had a bit of a laugh and he charged me 50c for the repair. We gave him a dollar and set off to find our favourite Vientainne soup stall or lunch.
Choosing a mode of transport to Hanoi was a no brainer really. It is either a 23 hour bus trip or a 49 minute flight. See if you can guess our choice!
The flight was quick and uneventful and we were met at the airport by our transport to the Sofitel Plaza Hotel. Unfortunately the Sofitel had no record of our reservation. This part of the trip was booked in Adelaide so the Hotel blamed the Oz connection and the Oz connection blamed the Sofitel. We were given a room but were told if the voucher arrangements couldn't be negotiated it would cost us US $220 for the night. That didn't please us greatly as that was almost a months accommodation at Vang Vieng! We were confident the Oz connection would come through so we accepted the conditions. We were only here for one night then off to Halong Bay for a cruise. We were then to return to the Sofitel for 1 more night. Unfortunately there was no record of that booking either. We were told all would be sorted by the time we returned from the cruise, and thankfully it was.
Halong Bay was a 4 hour bus trip which was longer than we thought. Anyway no more on Halong Bay as that will be covered in a separate travel blog entry. While at the Sofitel we were informed, via a information sheet slipped under the door, that Hanoi was currently battling a Cholera outbreak. That news helped us decide to cut our Hanoi stay short by a few days. We decided to only eat in reputable looking restaurants. This was more expensive but we though it would be safer
From the Sofitel we moved to Old Quarter. A much more interesting and vibrant part of town. We booked in at the City Gate Hotel. A very comfortable and clean outfit run by very friendly and honest people. It is in a small and not so busy lane away from the quite considerable Hanoi traffic noise. We recommend it to anyone heading to the area. Our first venture out was at night and we found it hard to follow the map so we got lost. No drama though as we just hired a Cyclo to take us back. Later we found out that the map we had didn't seem have the correct street names. The place is a bit of a rabbit warren but we had much more directional luck the next day when we followed the map in the Lonely Planet book, smaller and hard to read but accurate.
We spent the next day exploring the Old Quarter. Each street is named after what it sells, e.g. all the shoe sellers are found in shoe street etc.
We bought a pile of DVDs from 2 different sellers. One lot looked quite professionally presented while the others were definitely from a branch of Dodgy Brothers DVDs Inc! We have the portable DVD player with us so have since watched a few. Some are excellent others not so. One Dodgy Bros. offering turned out to be no more than a 5 min preview of the movie it was supposed show. Oh well, they are only a dollar each.
We found glasses street and Deb asked if they could copy her reading glasses. The proprietor took her glasses away, returned a few minutes later with the prescription for the lenses, and said he could have copies made by 2pm. It was already 12:00 so we thought this was pretty efficient. Deb negotiated 2 pairs with nice frames for $50. He quickly said OK to this price so we probably could've got them cheaper. Anyway we went and had some lunch while we waited. The restaurant turned out to be the same one we were at the day before. Turns out they have entrances from 2 different streets. Oh well, food is quite good.
We returned to glasses street in less than 2 hours and found Deb's glasses ready and waiting. She tried them on and was impressed with the quality. She now thinks she might even get some more made when we get to Hoi An.

That night we decided to go to Brothers restaurant, as described in the Lonely Planet. We left our hotel to find some transport. As it looked a little way away we decided to try hiring 2 motor scooters with drivers. They negotiated about $8 for the both of us which was overpriced but we couldn't be bothered haggling too much. Turned out to be an eventful ride. Both drivers were quite "adventurous" with their weaving in and around the Hanoi traffic. At one point Deb's motor scooter ran into a cyclist at an intersection. Not a major incident, but frightening none the less. Her driver fell quite a long way behind and while waiting for her to arrive at the restaurant I was starting to become a bit worried. She turned up unscathed, we paid the drivers and decided a taxi would be a better option for the journey back to the hotel. Turned out that the Brothers was booked out anyway so we would've been better off eating somewhere in the Old Quarter.
The next day we had a sleep in before venturing out for more Old Quarter exploring. We had booked a sleeper train ticket to Hue via the hotel staff that would be leaving at 7pm. The proprietor let us keep our bags in the room until it was time to go to the station. He called us a taxi and bid us farewell. Taxis are a good way to go in Hanoi. They have metres and are quite cheap.
When we arrived at the station a man at the entrance asked for our ticket. We thought he must be official so showed him our tickets. He then took Deb's bag and ushered us to some seats and asked us to stay there. When it was time to get on the train he came to get us and our bags. He was being helpful so we had decided we would give him a couple of dollars (30 000 dong) which, by Vietnamese standards, is more than generous. He showed us to our cabin then proceeded to ask for over 100 000 for his efforts. None of what he had done for us was beyond what we could've achieved ourselves. Cunningly though he had placed us in a position in the station where we couldn't see what was going on, otherwise we wouldn't have needed his help. We refused to pay him and were quite annoyed at his deceitfulness. He came down in price to 50 000 dong quite quickly. We offered him our original tip and indicated no mention of money was made at the beginning. He eventually took the 30 000 and left. Advice to others: Beware of helpful people posing as officials at train stations!
The sleeper was spartan but comfortable and turned out to be a good way to travel. Leaving Hanoi at 7pm, have a sleep in a bed, and arrive in Hue just after 8am. Beats a bus any day!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194497700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194497700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194497700/tpod.html Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:16:52 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Vang Vieng, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

We travelled on the VIP bus to Vang Vieng. Sounds impressive but it means that there is a toilet on board (if you can manage to get there and stay on the seat as the bus swerves around the mountain curves). The other feature is the DVD movies on offer. We thought that this might while away the time on the journey. However, despite the passengers all being Western, we were entertained to Lao Karaoke with Lao subtitles - Volumes 1 through to 6. Arriving at the bus station we were greeted by the enthusiastic tuk-tuk drivers who wanted to take us to a particular hotel. We had already chosen one however, and were offered a lift there. As it turned out, the hotel was within easy walking distance but we were taken there on a circuitous route to make it worth the $1 we paid! Reaching the hotel we had a look at the room and decided against the concrete bed and no airconditioning despite the very cheap $6 a night. The town is very picturesque and quite small so it was easy to find another hotel. We paid the pincely sum of $8 a night for a huge bed, air conditioning, fan, TV and ensuite.
The town of Vang Vieng is mostly famous for its river system where you can kayak and tube down the river. There are also some caves and waterfalls to view. The visitors to the town seemed to be mostly backpackers from every corner of the globe.
Quite obviously in this town imitation is the sincerest from of flattery! Just about every bar and cafe was the same. Most blasted out episodes of "Friends" from early morning to late at night (well, late for us as we rarely seemed to stay awake beyond about 10pm!!). Someone must have started the trend - possibly a foriegner - and the subsequent success of the concept means that every bar in town shows "Friends" to be viewed from bamboo platforms adorned with cushions. Many of the menus in town are simply photocopied with a different front cover. Despite these curiosities, Vang Vieng is a great place to visit. Everything is cheap and pretty good. The town itself consists of a few streets nestled between mountains. - taking photographs in a 360 degree turn shows a number of different but attractive vistas.
After spending the first day wandering about and discovering most of the town in a couple of hours, we set about finding a tour to go on. We narrowed our selection down to those that didn't mention "trek" or "kayaking" and decided on a caving and tubing tour. We opted to pay a little extra so that we didn't have to share a tuk tuk with 6 kayaks, 14 people, 8 tubes and sundry paddles etc. We watched in amusement and admiration as a small vehicle with canopied tray attached managed to fit more on it than a semitrailer!!

The next day our tour began with a trip to the Elephant Cave so named because of the naturally formed elephant sculpture on its walls.Our next cave was a lot smaller and darker and required the use of a headlamp with battery to see anything and a tube and guide ropes to navigate through. Most of the cave was too small to stand up in but the view was interesting along the way.

After this came the trip upriver so that we could tube back to Vang Vieng. The ride was even more relaxing than expected as our guide was also looking after a kayaker. This meant that we were both tied to the kayak and pulled along with no effort on our part.
The poor guide was accompanied by a very ineffective novice Taiwanese kayaker and ended up doing the work of 4 people in order to navigate the river.Along the way were plenty of riverbank bars reputedly offering all sorts of drugs - both legal and illegal. We declined to stop until our exhausted guide insisted!!
The rest of our stay was quite uneventful but very relaxing. We managed to find our way over to the island by way of a bamboo bridge.
Here, for the cost of a drink, we could while away the time relaxing in a hammock, paddling and reading.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194260580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194260580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/debncraig/vietnam_2007/1194260580/tpod.html Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:32:29 -0500 Deb & Craig's Asian Adventures

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Well, here we are in Viang Veng after surviving our jungle trek into the Loatian mountains. We decided that it would be a great idea to visit the local tribes and see a bit of the culture. We had visited our local tourist shop (the one where we booked the elephant ride, waterfall and kayaking - why didn't we remember that the kayak ride itself was so hard!!) Anyway, the agents described to us a tour that would take in two villages and two different tribes, along with a 6 hour walk on the first day and a two to three hour hike to the waterfall on the second where we could swim and relax before the bus ride home. The original waterfall they had planned we had already seen so we were assured that the tour could still go ahead and we could see another bigger and better waterfall. Sounded OK - even though the first day's walk seemed quite long we felt reasonably confident so we paid our $140. We were assured that this included English speaking guides, all food and accommodation as well as pick up and return to the hotel. A couple of days later, we set off in the usual minibus. Chatting to some fellow travellers we soon learned that we were the only ones going on this trek. The others were spending a pleasant morning riding the elephants and seeing the waterfall. As we dropped off the other tourists we continued with the driver and our two trusty guides. After stopping for some supplies we were dropped off at a small village. From here we began the trek loaded with our backpacks to our first village. We walked for three hours along a winding track uphill most of the way. It seemed OK at this stage even though one of the guides was complaining about being tired. It was pretty hot and muggy but the scenery was beautiful especially the mist covered mountains in the distance. We enthusiastically snapped photographs along the way - some because of the scenery and others so we had an excuse to catch our breath!! It was curious that one of the guides was doing the same - it later transpired that we were the guinea pigs for a new and yet uncharted trek! After several hours of huffing and puffing, drinking plenty of water and using the bushes to relieve ourselves we cam across our first village. Aha - a chance to rest. But no- this was just a distraction along the way. After dodging the various animal deposits, we continued the journey. Feeling reasonably confident still, we gathered our reserves and continued along the increasingly narrow and undulating track. We began to realise that with every down there was an up ....and up....and up. Around lunch time we arrived at our second village. First impressions were how primitive this was. Everything was done by hand. The first woman we saw was crushing rice. She would stand on a lever to lift the crusher and then let it drop into the pot containing the rice, She would then feel the consistency of the rice as, we then realised, she was totally blind. It was nothing like the colourfully dressed hill tribes we had seen in the brochures or on the net. This village was inhabited by some of the poorest people in Laos. The hill tribes of the Hmomg and the Khmu lived here together although there was still some clear demarcation of who live where. The houses,about 80 in all, were different and the villagers tended to live apart in different parts of the village. There was no electricity or sewerage or anything that even resembled a modern convenience. The costumes displayed in the glossy brochures were somehow replaced by people dressed in ill fitting, torn and dirty rags. The children in the community were somewhat wary of us. We later learned that they had never seen westerners before as this village had not been visited for some years.
One local entrepreneur, a man of 51 we discovered, had learned a little English and was keen to sell off some "side tours" for the new visitors. As we had little understanding of what was going on we agreed to go the some local caves accompanied by a young guide. This, apparently was an added extra, that was not in the original deal. Our two guides were probably planning the tour as we went with no apparent organised time frame. One of the guides could speak Hmong and was doing some negotiations and then explaining to the other guide in Lao what was going on. I really wished that I could understand some of what they were saying. Anyway, off we went again to the local caves, climbing and climbing until we reached a hole in the cliff that had not been visited by humans for some time. At this stage it was about 2:00 and we had not eaten and after all the walking we were hungry. However, a promise of lunch on our return was given. We climbed up a bit and peered into absolute blackness. None of the guides had a torch but ever-prepared Craig had one in his backpack (a 4$ hand power unit). However, the torch barely illuminated the gloom and upon the mention of bats I decided not to go any further. Craig was gone with two of the guides for quite some time....and I waited and waited..... peering at the evidence of recent animal occupation of the same space. Eventually they returned. Craig was covered from head to toe in dirt as he had to crawl through the tunnel until he could go no further. The guides being somewhat more diminutive and less claustrophobic seem to have less trouble. Craig's tales of rock ledges in the pitch black over gaping holes confirmed my decision to stay behind was the right one.
Off we trekked back to the village - we had eaten our pre-ordered sandwiches (by now a bit soggy but still welcome food). The twenty minute hike had taken about an hour and a half. I noticed that the guides were checking the time on their mobile phones and having animated conversations (again confirming our suspicions that we were the guinea pigs for a new tour).
By the time we reached the village again a crowd had gathered in the main hut eagerly awaiting our return. Apparently they had been waiting for us to enjoy a meal with them. We explained that we had already eaten .. but suggested that the guides were welcome to eat and we would just watch. Well, the best laid plans..........
When we entered the hut, we were greeted very warmly by the people who pulled up little wooden stools for us to sit on to join them around the table. The village huts do not have kitchens - the food is prepared and shared by everyone. This seemed to be a special occasion and the chief of the village was keen for us to be involved. Many of the men, by this time, were quite drunk on lao-lao - pottery jars of the fermenting rice drink were plentiful. The rumoured strength of this concoction is 100% proof and having had only one shooter of it in Luang Prabang I believe the rumours to be true!! We were handed a spoon and asked to eat. I tried to explain as politely as possible that I had already eaten - by rubbing my stomach and making some pitiful attempts at mime. They were not to be deterred and the guide explained that if the chief handed you a full spoon then you were obliged to eat it. The sticky rice looked safe enough and I tried to follow their lead and dip it into some of the other dishes. My first choice was to try something that looked like fresh tomatoes, chili and coriander. I tasted it and although the flavour was familiar, it didn't taste very tomatoey. My first mistake was to ask what it was. After several attempts at pronouncing the dish - Craig though that it was brood or something - one of the guides explained it to me and spelt it out. I got the buffalo bit, but the brood was in fact b-l-o-o-d. The familiar taste was from when you cut your finger and stick it in your mouth. When the chief offered me another spoonful and I explained that I had already had some - to no avail. Craig saved me from throwing up all over their meal by taking it from me. The other guide may have sensed my discomfort and invited me to another table - I tried another dish just to be polite. It looked like some sort of beef. Why had I not learned? I asked what it was again - this time it was "already fried" buffalo blood. Although it was obviously a great honour for us, I was not feeling so well by this stage so protested that I was so full I couldn't eat any more.
By this time the chief, or head man, seemed quite enamored with Craig and wanted a photo of the three of us together. When we put his arm around me it caused quite raucous laughter in the hut. He seemed happy (possibly the lao-lao) and we were able to take our leave without offending anyone.
It now seemed that the tenacious entrepreneur had talked the guides into another side-trek. Considering the poverty in the village we could understand their insistence. This time we were to explore the renowned buffalo pond. After being assured that it was only thirty minutes away, off we set again. We set off on a comparatively reasonable track until we got to a point where our young guide signalled to his companion to pass the machete so that he could cut a way through the undergrowth along a little used buffalo track. After bending low and continually getting our backpacks caught and realising that after about 40 minutes this was another case of false advertising we stopped. We had been left behind by our lead guides and could not see or hear them. We took stock of our situation with the remaining guide and decided that the buffalo pond could be left off the agenda and we headed back to the village. By this time we were getting a little worried about the time frame to reach the next village where we had accommodation booked. We were looking forward to our solar heated shower and a bed to sleep in. However this was still at least 2 hours away (Lao time!!) and the prospect of walking up a mountain in the dark meant that we decided to stay in this village. Luckily one of our guides could speak the language and was able to negotiate for us to eat and stay for the night. We were led to a large hut which was padlocked up. We think that it was used for village celebrations and meetings. Waiting outside for the key to arrive we were being watched by the local children who must have thought we were either very funny or possibly dangerous. After a few smiles and gestures they were willing to move a little closer. I began to take some photos and then show them on the digital camera. They were highly amused (I doubt they had ever seen anything like this before). Even pencils and paper were not in evidence anywhere. Gradually children came from everywhere in the village to see their new exhibits. Eventually they were persuaded to wave and smile for the camera and were very excited to see themselves on video. We really wished that we had brought some books or something to give them but we had only packed the bare necessities. It was really interesting to watch these children who had never seen TV before or been exposed to any form of western culture really. The girls were carrying their younger brothers and sisters and the boys were...well. just boys!! At first, after the camera stopped rolling, the boys began to tease the girls by chasing them and pulling their hair. When the girls got sick of this and left the boys began to try other ways to show off. Acrobatics were followed by wrestling, dacking each other and grabbing each others' penises!! Not so very different really.
When we finally got inside the hut we were pleased to see (only because we had a torch) that there was a form of bedding - a sort of mattress (somewhat damp and we didn't want to inspect it closely at this stage) that was a little short, a quilt of sorts and a couple of little lumpy bags that served as pillows. After the locals provided a chicken to be slaughtered our guides set about making dinner. Once it arrived we sat and ate it in darkness which was probably a blessing. I managed to pretend to try everything but in actual fact ate sticky rice and some vegetables. After that there was no entertainment on offer - the hand cranked video player and TV we discovered was saved for very special occasions (or didn't work) - we went to bed. It would have been about 7 o'clock but after about 7 1/2 hours of trekking we were ready for a rest.
We slept surprisingly well, occasionally awakening to roosters with no sense of time, crying babies, fighting dogs and heavy rain. I did say to Craig in the morning that it was probably all a ploy - the villagers had lost their last idiot and wanted him to stay!!
We were quite relieved that it was not raining in the morning but did not really realise the effect of that much rain on really clay based soils. We joined our guides around the indoor open fire as they prepared breakfast - chicken and sticky rice. Our guide then confessed that he didn't cook at home. This made us feel a whole lot better about what we were about to receive. As we sat, dogs and cats joined us around the fire. Locals came by and went about their chores. One guy sat on the edge of a large wooden trough and used a bamboo cane to remove the kernels from the corn. The discarded cobs were then thrown on the floor to be used as fuel for the fire, pot holders and tools to shoo away the dogs. We learnt that the corn was used for pig food and I was hoping that I could join the pigs once I saw the alternative. It was hard to distinguish which parts of the chicken we were eating but the feet, beak and gizzards were quite distinguishable. Looks like sticky rice again! They even eat the water the rice has been cooked in as soup. Vegemite on toast please!!! Cooking and eating is always an occasion so a planned 7 am start began at 9 am which already made it difficult for our proposed 3 pm rendezvous with the bus.
We set off and any concerns we may have had about the rain and its effect on the trail were soon confirmed. The rain had turned moderately challenging tracks into lethal slip'n'slides. To cut a very very long story short we did not have time to view the scenery as every step of the way we had to concentrate on where we placed our feet so we didn't go arse-up, which we still managed to do on many occasions. We only hoped that when we did fall that we didn't break bones or hurt ourselves too badly which was entirely possible. There was no mobile phone coverage, no vehicular access, no first aid and no contingency plan from the tour company. We both agreed that this was probably the most challenging and dangerous thing we had ever done! This was confirmed by the fact that the experienced guides were also falling and finding it difficult to keep their footing. Guns going off in the jungle nearby, grumpy pigs and buffalo grunting at us from nearby bushes did little to raise our spirits. At one stage the "track" was so narrow that we had to literally put one foot directly in front of the other and it was like walking on a greasy tightrope. Blood (from the cuts), sweat (from the effort and humidity) and yes, I admit, tears (when falling over again and landing on sharp rocks). We have very few photos of this part of the trip as we were more concerned with getting there than documenting this. Anyway, we both agreed, that it is indelibly imprinted on our brains and we can conjure up the images any time we hear "trek".
This made our 2 hour journey about 4 hours by the time we reached the touristy village (so called, because it was rumoured to have electricity). We were at least hoping to stop for a wash and toilet break. Our ablutions so far had consisted off finding appropriate bushes (although after a while just any bush would do!) and using a small pack of baby wipes in the morning to freshen up. However, we couldn't stop for long as we were so far behind schedule that we might miss our pick up.
I ventured to ask if the upcoming track was any easier and was told "same, same" - a favourite saying here that is emblazoned on T-shirts.
So after another 2 1/2 hours of "same same" and desperately hoping that our next fall would miss the giant black buffalo turds littering the way, we finally arrived at the waterfall. Thank God, Buddha, anyone who may have looked after us!! We sat down at a picnic bench for guess what!!!! Chicken and sticky rice (that had been carried all day in the heat and humidity). We pulled off our muddy, bloody shoes to find that another treat awaited. Most of the blood was coming from several fat leeches still attached to our feet and ankles, gorging away happily. Another new experience for us!!
We then hobbled to the bus and as we approached noticed that there were a series of restaurants serving a range of fare including beerlao!! Another 25 km in a bus and we would be back!! When I got in the shower at the hotel room, I said to Craig "Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news? The good news is that this is the best shower we have had and the bad news is that I am not getting out!" True to my word when Craig did get a turn he had a mostly cold shower. Lucky he is the forgiving type!!
Despite this gloomy report there are certainly some distinctive memories that we have witnessed as most tourists would not have seen the authentic version of Lao life. Lessons we have learned:
1. Mud sticks
2. Avoid being guinea pig on new tours
3. Tomatoes and chillis are not the only foods that are bright red
4. Never aspire to be a contestant on "Survivor"
5. The poorest of people seem to have the greatest levels of generosity
6. Boys will be boys!
7. Sometimes it is better to be ignorant when consuming meals in a foreign land
8. Many plants in jungle have thorns and some leaves double as razors
9. Never antagonise a mother pig
10. Every cloud has a silver lining except those that are on the top of mountains
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