Does anyone sell Dramamine?
Trip Start
Jul 15, 2007
1
132
195
Trip End
Jul 16, 2008
Hanoi,
Vietnam
Saturday, March 8, 2008
As I'm writing this entry on a very bumpy, curvy road between Mai Chau and Cuc Phong, I am reminded that really experiencing the countryside in Souheast Asia extracts a pretty serious carsickness price. Our many drives through rural areas in India, Vietnam, and, to a lesser extent, Cambodia, introduced us to the beauty and richness of each place. There is simply no substitute for stopping at roadside stands, eating local foods, trying to communicate with only a few words in common, and sleeping in homestays. But actually getting to each of these places is enough to reintroduce you to your lunch.
Our three weeks in a Marriott resort in Thailand were relaxing, cushy, and non-challenging and were a hugely welcome respite, especially for the kids. Arriving there exhausted and fevered, simply seeing the Marriott sign was like a massive bowl of chicken soup. But we have commented several times that we didn't feel like we got to know or appreciate the country. Although we had some very interesting conversations with taxi drivers, we never got a real sense of everyday life here, just the sanitized version. The beach on which we stayed was decimated by the 2005 tsunami; in fact thousands of mostly poor people died within twenty miles of here. But everything has been rebuilt and there is scant reminder of the tragedy. Places that do not rely heavily on tourism have not been so quick to rebound.
We will spend much of the next two weeks on more bumpy, curvy roads in Vietnam and Malaysia. After the nausea subsides, I know we will all feel that it was worth it in order to experience each place so fully. In the meantime, hats off to Pepto Bismol.
