TravelStream™ news feed for member supremacy on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/supremacy en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:25:00 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258905440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258905440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258905440/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:25:00 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Chongqing, Chongqing, China

'Lake Dianchi! Lake Dianchi!' the kid in the window seat in the row in front reacted as the plane swooped over the immediate lake as it left Kunming. It looked picturesque, shimmering in the late morning sunlight, dominating the immediate land outside the city. Otherwise it's polluted, reminiscent of so much of water in China.
From my window seat miles and miles of mountains spread out northwards, southwards, eastwards, westwards. It was nice to see 'unchartered' territory without any cloud obscuring the view. This didn't last long. As soon as the journey bored further eastwards, the land went under cloud.
The plane touched down at around 12-1 pm in a dismal smoggy Chongqing environment. It had been so much nicer luxuriating through Laos and hop-stopping through Cambodia where no pollution - in relative terms - existed at all. I wonder, sometimes, if this relentless drive to become the world's economic superpower is really worth it, and simultaneously, whether the Chinese really know what the hell they're doing....
That's - almost entirely - for another story.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1253890286/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1253890286/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1253890286/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:22:13 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Kampot, Cambodia

'It's amazing how honest Cambodians are. I forgot to take the change and one of the store workers came running over with the discrepancy,' Johannes said something like this, and eagerly said so.
Of course, there are people with differing degrees of honesty all over the world, but it makes all the difference when you hear it about a country that has got a bad name from somewhere. I think, now, having sufficiently experienced the country, that Cambodians are among the world's fantastic people. I wish I could same the same about my own country, the UK, of which, right now, I feel ashamed to be a national. Because of social division, isolation, and a generality of selfishness here, it's difficult to determine who is aggressively nasty and who isn't. Having just returned from China, and having experienced an incident quite unpleasant and totally alien to that country, made the experience all the more poignant (someone told me to 'f..k off' for getting in his way), if not equally disgracefully telling about the UK. A few days ago some French police prevented some Afghan asylum seekers from entry into the UK. You would have thought the 'seekers' would have known better, considering this country is bombing their country in the name of the United States. An ex-politician and eminent peer - one of the status quo who's tucked away in some multi or triple million pound mansion house - said on the box a couple of nights ago that if they were allowed in, they'd walk into jobs that British nationals don't want to do. Is that so? How revelatory! What would they expect to really find here? The streets paved with gold; money growing on trees? They may, if they're lucky, get a few scraps in the way of coins and in the way of food from a 'People's Kitchen,' but that is about all.
This is supposed to be a travelogue so I'd better move on.
We checked out of the hotel and hung around the streets after we left our bags at the store where we were due to get the minibus that would take us to the greater bus station to get our seats on the bigger bus that would take us to Kampot. I'd bought a cheap black and orange rucksack from a store in the town I was living near to in China for this Laos and Cambodian trip. 'Cheap' is the operative word here. The plastic buckle broke which left us frantically calling at every place and market store to see if there was a replacement. I did find another which fitted quite nicely and did the job but not until I'd reached Khaosan Road in Bangkok. Since this journey, I had the pack detained at Shanghai airport because the postal services there wouldn't let me post any CDs and DVDs back here to the UK, so it doesn't much matter now.
We got our seats, but the bus was a bit decrepit, so it wasn't long out of the city's confines that I heard a blow and a big hiss like a pistol shot. One of the rear tires had blown its gaskets not far below from where I was seated. Reading Paul Theroux's Dark Star Safari in which he experienced a similar situation, brought it to mind. We waited a good hour or two before things got mended and replaced. All the mechanical bits remained on the dusty ground for a good while until a new inner tube was fetched out. In the meantime, Johannes bought a cake from a store across the road where the store worker, mentioned at the beginning of this post, ran to give him his change. I followed suit. The rest of the time was spent gazing out of the bus window at three Cambodian children that hardly had a pair of flip-flops between them. They were carrying gauze sacks over their shoulders and were using them to ferret for more rubbish. Despite being so poor and dejected, they were smiley and looked happy. I don't know whether it was just a put-on for us tourists, because I'm not sure if they really felt that way. Perhaps they did.
After a slow journey during which we stopped at an eatery, the bus pulled into the bus bay at Kampot which felt a bit out-of-the-way, being little more than a couple of roundabouts and one or two side streets. I hope there would be plenty to do hereabouts. Beforehand, it was quite pleasant trundling through the flat Cambodian countryside, watching the sinking sun and the night drawing in. The bus dropped a few travelers off at Kep, the nearest beach resort, while we opted for Kampot.
It was a bit like one of those wild west towns you see in movies, so wasn't very long before a, guess what, a tuk tuk driver took us on an accommodation round. Johannes, being Danish, wanted to stay at a hotel called 'Blissful,' because it was run by Danes and his son had stayed there. However, it was full, so we, through a bit of deliberation, opted for the Ta Eng, a place with a long reputation run by a guy who could speak good French, and his son. I was given a nice tile-floored double bedroom with a titchy bathroom and overhead fan. It had a nice veranda and pleasant seating area. I'd recommend it to anyone.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258903539/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258903539/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258903539/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:14:44 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

In the cheap, dingy dorm, characteristic of this hostel, I arose to a bright crispy morning, so decided to spend another day ambling around the city's environs. I was listening to an edition of Democracy now, an independent media programme aired daily from New York, and a guest who's just written a book about China's rise, said one of the factors of China's growing power on the world stage, is that the regime here looks at China as little more than a place in which to do big business, from shops, infrastructure, tourism. The list's probably endless. China's big provincial cities; Kunming's a case in question, are nothing, or at least are little more than modern business setups. Wherever you go, shopping malls, shops, squares, begin to rear their ugly head. If it isn't about high tech, then it'll be about the country's quisine, about real estate, and to cap it all, mass consumerism. You don't need to visit Shanghai, unless you want to view a unique architectural facade. Most Chinese urbanization is pretty much the same and has the same objective in mind; the objective being to sell and sell again. Paradoxically, I don't know how this is going to be achievable with everyone else having the same objective to sell the same things in proximity. Traditional culture's, now, very low on the list. You have to work very hard to find anything traditional here, like the Bamboo Temple or the Black Dragon Pool. With the Western Hills National Park, they exist very much on the fringes. One of those Australians who I traveled back from Laos with, said they'd been to one temple but all the rest here is 'shops.'
Yes, I quite agreed, so didn't stop for very long in the boring concrete facade, or being China, is it a non-Western 'muddle?' Oh, before I forget, they (the Aussies) were resident in Nanjing studying Mandarin, of course.
I booked a plane back to Chongqing for the next day, then went in search of cheap noodles in that bar just a few yards from the entrance.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258795454/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258795454/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258795454/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:11:29 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

Well folks, it was time to end this journey and head back to extraordinary Western, yet non-Western, China. Before doing so, however, I'd like to make a few points.
It was warm and dark, being the early hours, when I left Luang Prabang and indeed Laos. As soon as I made way my way down to the main street after alerting, I think, the son of the guest house owner to let me out of the building, I was quickly approached by a tuk tuk, you mean a 'get in' approach, as I was soon whisked away to the Chinese bus terminus.
It was ever so early, the place was closed, so I waited outside - obviously.
Dawn's daylight crept, and just as it did so, a procession of orange clad monks emerged doing breakfast alms as they dutifully - or was it custom-arily - stood outside a cafe chanting some salutation or prayer. After, I think, receiving 'something' to put in their frontal metal urns, they went to the next port of call. Watching and hearing them helped to pass the time away, I guess.
Back in Sihanoukville, Johannes couldn't help commenting, when seeing monk or two in the restaurant of the guest house where we stayed, that:
'they should get a proper job instead of taking advantage of (other folk's) generosity and reciting some meaningless prayer about "blessing you." '
I don't know if any of you hold the same view.
To cut a long story short, I got on the sleeper bus. However, one of the drivers wasn't going to let me stay on unless I produced a 'proper' bus ticket. I know I should have booked the cheaper ticket here and not from some rip-off merchant. Well, this is now known in hindsight. Some helpful young Australian travelers managed to get me out of a sticky situation by explaining things. The driver also managed to contact the rip-off tour agency proprietor and get things sorted who did return with a proper ticket.
The bus slowly jostled, bolted, and bumped its way up the main road to the Chinese border. There's really not much to say about the journey, just a repeat performance of the way down: stopped off in Mengla, and the following morning arrived in the morass of Kunming, and with the Australians, made my way to The Hump, er...by taxi, of course.
Actually, there was one thing of interest. Around Luang Namtha, the bus stopped to pick up a Polish guy who'd been traveling in Laos, and who actually came down from Kunming by motorbike which gave out just before he flagged down the bus. He vicariously passed it off to one of the surrounding locals.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258723500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258723500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258723500/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:05:19 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

One of the things that bugs me about Luang Prabang isn't the fact that it's exaggerated as one of the topmost places in Asia in terms of beauty, although it is an exaggeration, but that the main street is 'closed' off by around eight pm when the locals hijack the place to start selling their products, and 99.9% of them on the ground - otherwise called the 'Nightmarket.' Thereafter, it's like treading on eggshells, made worse by the fact that 'all and sundry' are walking through the same direction, never paying any attention that there's some 'getting through the other way' problem. Sleepwalking masses, usually, are found everywhere.
There have just been floods of historical proportions in the north-west of England. No one seemed to know, or care about, the warning signs.
Spent - or was it wasted - another day here strolling around the streets, not attempting to visit anywhere 'special,' just falling into finding a Frenchy feel about the place: baguettes being sold and other peculiar things which I now can't remember. If you amble enough, you can stroll around to places above the twisting river. the rickety wooden bridges that span it, the greenery shining in the blistering sun, looks reminiscent from something out of the classic movie, 'Bridge On The River Kwai.'
The rest of the resort is characterized by temples on the hill decorated with gold-plated patterns that this time glint or twinkle in the sunlight. The sky was also azure blue. Monks clad in the orange robes are seen conspicuously from time to time - and were also ambling.
This, about Laos, has been said all before. What has also been said all before is that Luang Prabang possesses one of the cheapest bars for selling the infamously branded Beerlao at 7.5 thousand Kip a bottle. I went out once more to re-visit.
There is also an excellent place near there for viewing the sunset, enhanced and idyllically glimpsed through branching tropical plants.
Tourist traps like this are in abundance.
Booked a ticket back to Kunming, China, which leaves from here every morning from a bus station that houses a Chinese-style hotel. At the travel agency, just down from the guest house, and one of many that line the main street, I got ripped off.
Same old tale.
Showered, sat in the coffee lounge. The owner seems to pride himself upon it. Nice room to spend one more night.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258551462/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258551462/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258551462/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:00:33 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

The upshot by returning to Luang Prabang was to linger around and re-take some of the shots I'd mercilessly had snatched - or was it crashed - from me.
However, it would involve re-visiting a waterfall, and trying to get to the riverside bank opposite the Pak Ou Caves, to focus on the glorious limestone purply tinted mounded vista at the other side. Considered the options, but first went down to the main street and looked for a restaurant. Those chained along the riverside looked good points for gazing at the Mekong down below.
Think I remember ordering an omelette with an ice tea.
Decided to give the waterfalls - and the Caves - a miss. Just couldn't be bothered to fork out more money to see something I'd already seen. The picks would have to go by the board.
stayed another day, though - believe it or not.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258377950/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258377950/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1258377950/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:58:21 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Got up quite early. Thought I'd take a shower, or at least a wash. Good idea, or not so. Not so, as the case may be.
Turned on the sink tap. Apart from a sizzling, Jacuzzi-type bubbling noise in the pipe - no water. Tried it a few mins later - no water. And again - no water!! What's going on here? Can I have my money back? Huh, no chance.
Packed up, went out for a banana pancake, an amble around for a last look at the scenery. I know we're all different with different tastes and interests, but surely the scenery, not the tubing, should be the main attraction? The travel/activity companies here would lose a lot of money if it wasn't so. Came back, got my sack and waited for the transportation to the station. A couple of Brit guys and one girl also waited.
'Excuse me, there was no water this morning. Can I have a few bucks refund?'
No can do as the woman proprietor made some feeble excuse about the water source being kaput. So much for the Thavisouk. This, of course, won't be mentioned in any related websites advertising the place.
A supposedly luxurious minivan was waiting to ferry me and others to Luang Prabang. I decided it wasn't worth the relative exorbitant price: was uncomfortable, difficult to take photos of the attractive scenery; driver wouldn't stop, and not as fast as I'd expected. I may as well have done a Silvain Tesson and walked to Luang Prabang. Such allusion is related in my story, 'Riding Through Shock and Dust.' Despite the two negative ratings I've had about it so far, the Boots n' All editor thought it was 'very nice.' Well, we're all different, I guess.
Apart from a post-middle-aged Frenchman, obviously interested in video photography, and obviously puked up on the way up, there wasn't anything of note to say about the journey; struggled to get a few photos of notable mountains, and stopped for about an hour.
In Luang Prabang, a tuk tuk touter ferried me into the town centre. After a few unsuccessful tries, found a nice place complete with coffee lounge perched on a hill just off the main road. Guy inside charged 60,000 Kip for a room without bathroom. took it. Nice room, nevertheless.
'Can't charge you anything less. There's a financial crisis.'
If it gets any worse, overcharging - I'm not saying he did - might have a negative or counter effect.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257853986/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257853986/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257853986/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:54:36 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Vang Vieng, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Arose earlyish and showered. Hey, believe it or not, there was water! I got up, not too early, as I'll explain later.
What's there doing today? Stroll over to one of the bike rental places, conveniently at hand, and hire a push bike, mountain or otherwise, and have a ride around replacing the pics of the scenery I'd fallen in love with.
Just my luck. I got to the nearest one just too late. A couple of French girls had beaten me to it.
Busily trying out each of the best carefully. One of them decided,
'I'll have this one.'
Thanks a bunch. I felt I wouldn't get a look in if reliability was what I was relying upon or looking for. Once they'd sped off in smug satisfaction, it was my turn.
I tried a few, not very good, so settled for one in which the chain began jumping on the largest chain wheel. I wasn't convinced that it was going to be intermittent, if not continuous throughout the day.
I took it and rode off using the planked bridge to cross the Namsong, avoiding the paying bridge - a mistake I made last time - costing 6,000 Kip. I made it to the other side, thankfully, almost getting my feet wet missing one rickety bridge but retraced my steps.
A whole array of bike problems was soon to follow, not just mine, but another.
For starters, the chain behaved erratically. When I tried to adjust the shifters, it bounced off altogether leaving me enraged and fuming against the bike rental dealers. If you want to read the whole story, here's the link http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/09-04/riding-through-shock-and-dust-laos-asia.htm Rate it if you care to or leave a comment. I'd like to see what you think. Lately, after checking to see if any viewer has rated it or left a comment, I noticed an article about a guy who traveled over from Hanoi, and was scammed by the Vietnamese when purchasing his Laos visa. It left him really enraged. I was left chuckling. It may have been more insightful if he'd looked into the reasons why Vietnamese are the worst scammers in these parts.
Returning to the Thavisouk, I actually had a shower - believe it or not - after talking to a fellow Dutch rider, and walked the streets. Foreigners that come here think they're the bees-and-ees, well, at least some of them. But really, they are very heardy. I couldn't help feeling some impatience with somewhat dozy contented wayfarers.
'Bloody fools! Laos folks want you to be this way.'
Maybe the Western wayfarers also wanted to be this way, too, so couldn't give a damn either way.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257790614/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257790614/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257790614/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:50:19 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Vang Vieng, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

'Sabaidee,' a hotel proprietor announced as I entered the enclave of the Thavisouk Guest House in downtown Vang Vieng. I'd only be here for a couple of days, the object being to re-claim some of the photos I'd lost. You know, the ones of the fantastic limestone cliffs, the fantastic river scenery that most who visit here seem not to care about. The boozing and tubing fad seems to be where the money lies. More about this later. In the meantime, went off to find a machinist to fix my torn pack. For a hefty fee by Laos standards, she did a very inefficient job. Just didn't have the tools. Give me a Chinese stitcher anyday, and who'd really have the correct industrial tools to do the job thoroughly.
I obviously showered before turning in. Hey! the place actually has water! I'll fill you in on more of this sarcasm later.
I think I ambled around the few streets. It's a bit like the Wild West here. It's long ago, I can't remember that exact events anymore.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257607428/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257607428/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supremacy/2/1257607428/tpod.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:47:44 -0500 'Here They Are...' Traveling through Laos and Cambodia

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Bangkok, Thailand

Yesterday, I met a Thai guy from Bangkok (has a ring to it, doesn't it?) who's been resident here for the past year or two studying engineering at the uni. I told him what I thought about the Tuk Tuk drivers getting help with their petrol. He thought my idea that the Thai Government should subsidize the drivers was a good idea. He come down to town yesterday to see the Queen officially open the new City Library here, being interested because of his own country's veneration for its monarchy. I couldn't be bothered. The other assistant in the Oxfam bookshop scornfully labeled us 'Royalists.'
It was time to check out of the hotel and leave my baggage with the agency that had booked me a bus ticket all the way back to Vang Vieng. Unfortunately, she (the booking clerk) didn't turn up until way after one, but I still had all day. Once she showed up, I decided to make my way past Wat Po to the river launching area and hop on a one Baht boat ride across to Wat Arun, one of the most conspicuous temples on the river skyline, not to mention in the whole of Bangkok: its central pagoda being the most dominant. I'd been into the temple compound before, so decided to save the 50 Baht fee and just walk around photographing the exterior. Actually, the encrusted exterior, not to mention some rather gruesome looking figurines, are getting rather worn.
Headed back to Khaosan, stepping past hawkers selling allsorts of nick-knacks on a road at the back of the Grand Palace.
I still had time to kill, so thought it was a good idea to call in to one of those parlours and get a Thai massage. I found what I thought was a 'suitable' one tucked away. Once it was my turn and one of the female masseurs got to work while I was lying on my back, she started making rude dirty sexual gestures several times, the like of which I'm not going to repeat here. I wonder how often she does this while applying treatment to Western men?
Had a beer or two, hung around the travel agency, retrieved my pack, time to get going for the night bus to the Nong Khai border and the Friendship Bridge. I don't think Bangkok folks are reminiscently as friendly as other folks in Thailand, that's for sure.
Decided to head back to China by way of retracing my steps in Laos to re-take the pics I'd lost due to a PC virus in a net bar in Siem Reap.
The bus was quite comfy on the way up to Nong Khai, the inclusive bog, not so. Not much to say, really, except had to wait around before the customs office opened, gazing on the Mekong, around 7 or 8 am.
Visa process was a bit of a hassle - waiting - and more waiting. Once processed, a bit annoying that yet another fee was required for passing through a gate to get onto the waiting bus at the other side. Talk about 'money talks.'
Crossed over the bridge, and on up to Vientiane and the old familiar surroundings.
It might be more interesting to note that while waiting for a relatively sub standard bus to convey me on the last leg of the day's journey, one of the straps of my pack began to tear away: 'Damn! Bother! Blast!' Well, you shouldn't buy cheapy things, like shoes, another example.
Laos roads, the highway's no exception, are pretty bad, but no time for thinking about any hits by Salif Keita, as I'd done on the way down. Journey uneventful. Glancing at the Laos countryside.
Arrived in V V. After some deliberation, checked in a hotel, obviously. The surrounds of this small town looked lovelier than ever once I was ensconced and looked around in search of a machinist to mend the pack strap. Found one. She didn't do a worthwhile job, though, for 13,000 Kip.

]]>