Welcome to Hanoi…

Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam… here’s your 20 cent beer!  Hanoi is the home of the world’s cheapest beer.  I got through about a third of it before I gave up.  Horrific stuff!  But, it’s mind blowing that five people can have one beer each and the total bill is just under a dollar.  If fact, Vietnam is a relatively inexpensive country for Westerners (but don’t tell that to the locals- it’s expensive to them).  I’ve been able to eat lunch/dinner including a soda for around $5.

I find Hanoi to be what I had imagined Vietnam to be like.  The Old Quarter is a maze of narrow streets, restaurants, loads of people and of course honking horns.  In fact, the traffic is just as crazy as Saigon.  Intersections are a free for all and I’m shocked that there are not more collisions.  Even where there are traffic signals, many just view those as merely a “suggestion.”

Yesterday we got back from the amazing Halong Bay.  It was a great day and half.  It included a boat ride through the islands, a delicious lunch, kayaking, and swimming on a deserted beach on Monkey island where it was just us and the monkeys.  Pure bliss! (Well except for the stinging sunburn I’m sporting today.)

Today, I went to the “Hanoi Hilton” as it is called by the American POW’s.  But, in reality it is known as the Hoa Lo Prison.  The prison’s history extends beyond the American prisoners and is a symbol of Vietnam’s struggle for independence from foreign occupation namely the French.  What stuck me most was the amount of Vietnamese women patriots imprisoned there.  I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere in the world where women played such an important and large role in a country’s struggle for independence.

Another part I found interesting was the American POW section.  While the rest of the prison showcased the brutality of the Vietnamese by the French, the American section showed a much different story.  There were pictures of the American pilots cooking and enjoying Christmas dinner, decorating the prison in Christmas decorations, and playing basketball, cards, soccer, billiards.  There were no signs that the American POW’s were ill-treated.  In Cambodia, I caught a little bit of the Republican National Convention where a speaker (I can’t remember who) recalled Senator John McCain’s time spent at the prison.  I was particularly moved by the details and his triumphs while imprisoned there.  It is interesting to learn about both sides and makes me want to learn more about the different perspectives.

Tonight is the official start of the last tour of my trip.  I’ll be in Laos (if you want to impress your friends- the “s” is silent) starting on Tuesday and will be flying home on October 11th.

Seas of Scooters

There are about 9 million people in the city of Saigon and about 3 millions scooters.  You do the math!!  That’s a lot of scooters.  Now, try crossing the street in this sea of scooters where pedestrians are the lowest part of the totem pole in Vietnam traffic.  Real-life frogger!!

Ho Chi Minh City is the official name but everyone calls the city Saigon.  We said good-bye to our Cambodian tour leader, Poleak, and picked up a new Vietnamese tour leader, Son, and two tour-leaders-in-training, Phat and Dung (pronounced Doond and not how you think!!).  The highlights of Saigon were outside the actual city- the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta.  My dad would like the Cu Chi Tunnels visit because it had a lot of war history.  Learning about the “American War” from a Vietnamese perspective has been interesting.  The Vietnamese are very proud that they beat the “imperialist Americans and their lackeys.”  Vietnam has been fighting for it’s independence for many years beginning with the French.

The Mekong Delta was a highlight as well.  We got to don pointy hats while being rowed in a rowboat, taste tasty coconut candy, and ride through country-side villages.  It wouldn’t be the quintessential Vietnam experience without rain!  And it did not disappoint.  Luckily, the tour company had ponchos for us.

Prepare to be jealous ladies!!  I’m now in Hoi An… the custom-made clothes capital of Vietnam, where since I’m doing really good with my budget in SE Asia I decided to splurge a little.  I got a tailored-made wool-cashmere suit made in less than 24 hours for $105!  It fits perfectly!  And because I couldn’t resist the incredible coats, I went to another store and got 3 wool coats custom-made for $120 total (for all 3!!).  It’s so hard to find coats that will button up on me properly.  I also got a pair of custom leather shoes for $20.  It’s a shoppers paradise!  There are around 400 custom shops in a one square kilometer area and everything can be made is less than 24 hours.  Hoi An is a highlight of Vietnam and is a stop on the cruise ship circuit (and you can tell when the cruise ships come in).  All this shopping and fittings has made me want to get pampered at the spa.  One hour facial including scalp, hand, and shoulder massage for $15- yep, that’s what I’m doing next.

Tomorrow, we leave for the imperial city of Hue (pronounced “way”) and then after that… Hanoi and Halong Bay.  I’m really looking forward to Halong Bay.  It’s a good thing we’re leaving Hoi An tomorrow because I’m might be tempted to get more clothes made.

Until next time…

17 April 1975

April 17th, 1975 is a date every Cambodian knows.  It is the day Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge took over the country and forced everyone out of the cities and into the countryside and forced to work long hours as farmers.   Pot’s goal was to make Cambodia a class-less society- a strict Communist society.  Food was rationed, people starved and what little food that was harvested was shipped to China to buy more guns and ammunition.  Those who stole food were murdered on the spot.  Those who were too weak to work were no longer useful and killed.  Whole families were murdered as well because the Khmer Rouge were afraid if the surviving families members were to seek revenge.  Many died of disease and starvation.

In addition to moving city people to the countryside, the Pol Pot tortured and executed former government workers, anyone who was considered educated (including those who were simply wearing glasses), and anyone who had foreign contacts were also considered tainted.  Money, postal mail, gasoline, and vehicles were abolished.  Hospitals were closed down if favor of more traditional medicine.

We went to the S-21 Prison which was a former high school in the heart of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.  The prison was used as a torture facility and once the soldiers were done with the victims they were shipped out to the Killing Fields and executed on arrival.  The Khmer Rouge took photos of all the prisoners, men, women and children, which are on display.  The beds and restraints are still in the cells.  Some days up to 100 people died at S-21.  The rest were killed at the Killing Fields.  Of the 20,000 that walked through the gates at S-21, seven survived and of those seven three are still alive today.

Next, we went to the Killings Fields.  The site is actually quite beautiful and it’s hard to imagine what atrocities went on here.  But, when you walk around the site you start to see beneath the peaceful surface.  The clothes of the victims still litter the ground.  You can even see bones sticking up from the walking path and you can’t help but walk right on them.  But, perhaps the most chilling part was the “Childen’s Tree” where children were murdered.  The soldiers held the children by their legs and swung around to hit the tree like a baseball bat.  How can someone do that to someone else?!?

Three years, eight months, and twenty days- that’s how long Pol Pot’s reign of terror lasted.  All Cambodians know that as well.  But, the dying did not end right away.  Hundreds of thousands more people died of famine and starvation after Cambodia was liberated by the Vietnamese.

Out of 7 million  – 2 million died.  Just over 25% of the population wiped out.  Today there are close to 13 million in which about half are under the age of 30.  Our Tour Leader, Poleak (pronounced Pollock), has brothers and sisters he’s never met because they died during the Khmer Rouge.  Poleak just found out an uncle is alive and well after his whole family thought he was dead.  His uncle escaped to California and has been living there ever since.  The uncle has been scared about coming back to visit Cambodia but has finally has the courage to do so.  He arrived in Cambodia sometime during our tour, and hopefully Poleak will get to meet him.

The trials for the Khmer Rouge started this year.  Don’t ask me why it takes so long??  To the fury of many surviving victims- Pol Pot died in the late 90’s of natural causes – no trial, no conviction, no justice for the victims.  It is also interesting to note that people blame Pol Pot for the deaths of so many people and not the Khmer Rouge.  Our guide for the S-21 Prison and Killing Fields as well as the book I’m reading about it all refer to the Khmer Rouge as one man and not as the many soldiers that carried out his orders.  “Pol Pot killed my family”  “Pol Pot tortured the inmates”  “I hate Pol Pot” “I want to kill Pol Pot”.

If you want to learn more pick up a copy of the movie “The Killing Fields” or the book “First They Killed My Father”.  Or do a Google search.  Or better yet come to Cambodia and see it first hand.

We left Phnom Penh this morning and headed to Vietnam.  I’ll be in Saigon for the next couple of days where I will learn very quickly how to cross the street in a sea of scooters.  Scooters are a family vehicle here.  I sometimes see a family of 4 or sometimes 5 on one scooter!!  Until next time…

US Dollars in Cambodia

From Bangkok, we made our way to the Cambodian border.  Once across the border it is immediately evident that this is Cambodia.  The road from the border to Siem Reap is the worst I have ever traveled on.  Big holes, unpaved and loads of scooters, people and animals.  My butt took a beating.  It took as twice as long to go half the distance we traveled in Thailand (if that makes sense?).

One of the first things you notice is the use of the US Dollar as the preferred currency.  Everything is listed in US dollars and paid in US dollars- even the ATM’s dispense US dollars, but to confuse newly-arrived tourists- any change under a dollar is given in Cambodian Riel which is 4000 Riel to $1.  Also, by crossing into Cambodia I’ve become a millionaire in Riels.

Our first stop was the small town of Siem Reap which is next to one of the biggest tourist destinations in the region – Angkor Wat.  We spent a sweat-inducing day at the temples climbing steep, vertigo-inducing stairs, fending off children selling crap (laaaady, you buy!!), and generally going from one shaded area to another.  I have never sweat so much.  But, it’s interesting because the air didn’t feel particulary hot to me and the humidity didn’t feel thick, but something in the air causes sweat to literally pour out of me.

The next day we went to an orphanage to cook lunch and play with the kids.  It was a fun experience.  The children were all happy and helped each other out around the center.  Some of the older boys were quite impressed with my volleyball skills.  We then took the kids out to Tonle Sap lake to see the floating village and to get some fresh air.  It was their first time there and it’s heartbreaking because it’s only a 20 minute ride and they’ve never been.  We crammed about 50 people into a bus built for 35 and the kids sang songs to and from including one in Khmer (the language of Cambodia) about missing their parents.  One girl cried on a tour member’s shoulder.  It was a great day and the first day in a long time I only thought of that day and not the days ahead.

Last night, we had a homestay in a rural village.  I slept on a thin mattress on the floor under a mosquito net- not something I would like to do again.  It was a bit like camping and I don’t like camping.  We didn’t spend much time with the family because our meals were prepared and eaten at the community center.  We basically used the family home as a place to sleep because that’s all we did- we arrived back at the house right before we went to sleep and left right after we woke up.

Right now, we’re in the port town of Sihanoukville (Sin-nook-ville) for three nights.  It’s Cambodia’s premier beach town.  So, a little R&R for me.

Next, we go to the capital, Phnom Penh where we will learn about the evil Khmer Rouge which murdered millions of Cambodians in the late 70’s.  Stay tuned it’s absolutely heartbreaking…

Phnom Penh is our last stop in Cambodia before we head off to Vietnam!  The tour group is great because everyone of us (there’s 12) came on our own and most are either just starting or just finishing a round-the-world trip.  And nearly all of us are going all the way to Chiang Mai like me.  (Hmmm, I wonder if I’ll like each other after 40 days?!)  And, yes, once again I am the only American.

(Also, it looks like it’s going to be interesting come November for the American elections- either the first black president or the first female vice-president.  How exciting!!  It’s big news everywhere in the world, of course, some people are confused because they thought it was between Hillary and Barack and now all of the sudden McCain’s name pops up.)

Quick Update

Just wanted to let everyone know that my new tour started today and we’re leaving for Cambodia tomorrow.  I don’t know how great the internet connections are there and the first week or so of the tour is fairly fast-paced.  I’ll update when I can.

I’ve spent the last week indulging in a little rest and relaxation.  I had another one of those lovely $7 facials last night.  I also bought some lightweight, cotton pants for about $6, hopefully they’ll keep me cool in the jungles (and hopefully they won’t fall apart!).

On to Bangkok

My last day on Koh Pha Ngan (paradise!) I decided to do something more than eat, nap, and laze around the beach all day.  I arranged for a cooking lesson with a local restaurant.  It was great because I got to choose three items from the menu and it was one-on-one.  I chose the Massaman curry, which I was obsessed with back in the states but it is twice as good in Thailand and ten times better at the Bamboo Hut Restaurant where I cooked in a small kitchen barefoot.  I also made Pad Thai and sweet and sour vegetables stir-fry.  I packed the dishes up and dragged them back to the hotel where some of my tour mates were thoroughly impressed.  But, I have to give credit to Gane (I think that’s her name) and her recipes.

The next day we left on our mammoth journey bck to Bangkok: 30 minute pick-up ride, 3 hour ferry, 1 hour bus, 12 hour overnight train and then we did an all-day tour to the River Kwai and the Floating Markets.  We finally arrived at our hotel at 6pm- a full 30 hours after we left the island!

Yesterday was the official last day of the tour.  It was sad to see everyone go but I’m looking forward to the next phase of my journey.  I had a busy day yesterday as well.  I had to go to the US Embassy to add more pages to my passport.  I also needed to find a new, more budget friendly hotel and organize getting the visas for the rest of my trip.  Proud to say that I had success all around even though I had a few bumps in the road.  I found it difficult to get a taxi to take me to the “US Embassy”.  They just didn’t understand me until I finally said “AmericanEmbassy.”  I used a visa agent recommended to me by the tour leader and will pick up my passport on Friday with, hopefully, a Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos visa in it.  I found a great hotel near the famous Khao San Rd but not on it.  Two years ago I stayed on Khao San Rd in a small, smelly room for around $15/night.  Now, I have a larger, pleasant smelling room including breakfast for around $20/night.  I guess my days of roughing it in cheap, budget rooms (hello? $5/night in India!) are over.

Khao San Rd hasn’t changed much other than some bigger neon signs, more streetside bars promising strong drinks and not to check id’s (but when have they ever checked id’s).  Also, the tuk-tuk drivers are still there annoying as ever but after asking me if I want a tuk-tuk they ask under their breath “ping pong?”  Do I look like I want to go to a girly show?!?

Khoa San Road is the epicenter of all SE Asia backpacking travel.  Travelers have either just arrived or are awaiting their departure home.  Everyone comes and leaves from Khao San Road.  It’s frantic, but fantastic!

Last night, I had an amazing facial on a noisy street with honking horns and blaring music.  And all it cost me including a generous tip was just over $7!!  I have forgotten how cheap Thailand is.  I might be getting some more of those before I leave.  The lady also gave me a shoulder, neck, and arm massage well more like a beating (and I’m not kidding a beating… I surprised I don’t have bruises).  No one said that Thai massage was supposed to be relaxing during the actual massage but boy do my shoulders feel much better now.

Tomorrow I am going on a day trip to Atthuya (I think that’s how you spell it), Thailand’s ancient capital.  I was planning to do the trip on my own as it’s just a 1.5 hour train ride a way but when I found out that the organized mini-bus trip including lunch was around $17 I signed up quickly.

Wish you all were here!  Bangkok and Thailand are great.

Return to Paradise

After Kuala Lumpur, we went up to the Cameron Highlands.  It was nice to escape the heat for the first time in six weeks.  The Cameron Highlands are known for their tea plantations which is very similar to the ones in Sri Lanka.  So, I got to visit a little bit of Sri Lanka afterall.  We got to see the entire process from picking in the fields to processing it.  They have been using the same machines since 1935.  Afterwards, we got to sit down to a cup of tea and eat a yummy scone.

After the Highlands, we made our way to our last stop in Malaysia- Penang.  We stayed in the colonial town of Georgetown.  It was very hot and since there wasn’t much to do other than wander the streets I ended up in a nice air-conditioned mall.  I had some extra ringgits to spend before heading to Thailand.  I opted to not buy anything because I don’t have much space in my bag.  So, instead, I jumped head first into the fierce hair salon competition.  I wanted to cover what my stylist at home affectionately calls “pre-lightened” hair whereas the Malaysian stylists bluntly call it “white”.  I had no less than four sets of hands in my hair at one point or another and came out two and a half hours later with 2.5 inches lopped off and blonde highlights.  Overall, the result turned out good and it’s nice to brighten up my look since I haven’t had a haircut or color since March.

The next day we made the long journey (10 hours!) into Thailand to the small town of Surat Thani – the jumping off point to the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan.  I came to Koh Pha Ngan two years ago this month to the same beach resort and it is still the paradise I remember.  So, for the next couple of days I will be getting some well-deserved rest and relaxation and if I’m lucky some color on my ghostly legs.

Tonight, some of us are going to see Thailand’s top Reggae band (our Tour Leader is a big fan), apparently they’re well-known, but then again I wonder if there’s really a competition for the top spot because seriously how many reggae bands are there in Thailand?  All well it should be interesting.

Next stop is Bangkok in a couple of days.  And I start a new tour that takes me to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos soon after.  Stay tuned and don’t forget to leave me some comments I love reading them.

Singapore to Kuala Lumpur

The last five days have been a whirlwind- learning new tour mate names, two different countries, and hot, humid weather.

Singapore is a lot like any big city America.  Two of the big tourist activities are having a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar (which I didn’t because it was $16 USD) and the Night Safari at the world-renowned Singapore Zoo (which I did and it was amazing).  A flying squirrel came right at us and veered off at the last second.  So scary!  The zoo is unlike any other I’ve been to.  There are natural barriers so it does not feel like you are looking at a caged animal.

I met my tour group the next day.  I’m the only American (naturally) and apart from four Australians the rest are from the UK.  We all get along great and have already had some great laughs.

I really love what I’ve seen of Malaysia and it’s so cheap!  Meals for around $5 including a drink.  I also replaced my broken watch with two new ones and only paid about $10 for both.  Right now, I’m in Kuala Lumpur (or “KL” as us cool kids say) where the top two things to do are the Petronas Towers (tallest building in the world until 2004) and the Batu Caves.  While I didn’t quite get over to the Petronas Towers we did, however, went up the Menara tower and got a good view over the city including the towers at sunset.  Today, we took the public bus out to the Batu Caves where I climbed over 200 steep steps with relative ease (which I would not have been able to do a month ago).  Oh, and there were monkeys all over the place but not nearly as scary as my run-in with monkeys in India.

I’ve been trying for an hour to upload pictures directly to this post but I’ve given up for now.  But, I have uploaded new photos to my annoying Photobucket site.  I know it’s not the easiest way to view my photos but it’ll have to do for now.  Click on the “Photos” tab at the top.  It’s not much but enjoy.

A New America?

Once I landed in Dubai, I couldn’t help but smile.  In fact, I smiled the entire time.  It may be cliche to say but there’s an energy there and it felt like Dubai is the future.  If America had started about 30 years ago I would imagine it would look a lot like Dubai.  It was around that time that the Sheik gave big tax breaks to people or companies who come in and develop Dubai (even Donald Trump is here).  And develop did they ever!

Dubai has also adopted the Texas’ slogan about everything being bigger.  The tallest building in the world- the Burj Dubai- is currently under construction and boy is it impressive.  From a distance it looks like it is double the height of the surrounding buildings.  The architects designed it so that they can “add more” in case anyone (Dubai or anywhere in the world) tries to out do them.  There are also plans for the largest airport in the world in which up to four planes can land at the same time.  That’s in addition to the current airport which will stay open and the new Emirates Airlines terminal is scheduled to be completed next year.  There’s also the iconic Burj Al-Arab the world’s only 7-star hotel.  Also, Dubailand- Dubai’s answer to Disneyland- is under construction.  I’m sure it’ll be bigger and better than anything else in the world.

I had a great three-day stay.  I probably could have stayed for longer but my budget wouldn’t allow it.  Dubai is known for beaches, desert, and shopping.  I didn’t quite get to the beach nor did I want to but I did do the other two.  On the first day, I took a day tour that included the wonderful Dubai Museum (which was directly across the street from my hotel), a trip across the creek, and a visit to the boring souks (I’ve been to better souks).  The next night I went on a Desert Safari where we went dune bashing in 4×4 vehicles and then had a buffet dinner at night surrounded by mounds and mounds of sand.  I also got a henna design on my hand.  My last day I spent at the Deira City Centre shopping mall.  I chose this particular mall because: 1) the Mall of the Emirates (the largest one in Dubai which also has an indoor skiing facility) was too far from my hotel, and 2) this mall had more inexpensive, non-exclusive stores so that when I showed up in my backpacker clothes I wouldn’t feel out of place or like a hobo.  Even the mall’s logo was “Where you can be you.”  The reason why people come to Dubai to shop is because everything is tax-free.  You can get stuff for cheaper than if you got it at home.  The line to get a taxi after I was finished was at least 200 people deep.  I waited an hour.

Dubai is not as expensive as you may think.  Once you get over the sticker shock of the cost of hotels the prices are pretty comparable to the US.  Go during the summer and save up to 75% over the high-season (December-January) hotel costs.  It was hot but in reality you’re shuffling from one air-conditioned space to another air-conditioned space.  I felt hotter in Egypt.  So, don’t be put off by the hot, humid temperatures.  Now, there are direct flights from the US (Houston, New York and then San Francisco and Los Angeles starting in the fall) to Dubai on Emirates Airlines (which is fabulous).  The in-flight entertainment system is the best I’ve seen and the food generous and excellent.  There are some airlines that like to put a lot on the food tray to disguise a small main course entree.  Emirates was definitely different.  So, the next time you want to take a big trip think outside of Europe and go to Dubai!  Currently, Dubai gets about 7 millions tourists a year and they’re projecting 70 million-a-year in 10 years.  Because Dubai immigrants outnumber the actual UAE nationals, English is the common language so there’s no need to worry about a language barrier.  So, go now!  You won’t regret it.

Right now, I’m in Singapore awaiting the start of my next tour which will take me through Malaysia and up to Bangkok.

Last Day in Egypt

Today is my last day in Egypt and I am so ready to move on.  I’ve spent the last fours days staying at an awesome hostel (Wake Up! Cairo Hostel) doing some fun things like a Nile Dinner Cruise complete with belly dancer and one night we all went and saw the new Batman movie.  I met some really great people from around the world including Americans.  Amy and I had not met any Americans when we were traveling together.  In fact, Egyptians would guess I’m from England, Germany, and believe it or not Sweden (twice!) before they would even think of American.

I’m not sure if I would ever come back to Egypt.  It may be because of the heat or it could be that I’ve pretty much seen all I want to see.  You really have to be into Egyptian history and such to really appreciate all the sights.  Otherwise, just stick to Cairo and the Giza Pyramids and for your own sanity come during the cooler months.  Right now, I feel cooler but I’m not sure if the temperature has dropped or I’m just used to it all.

The first day in Cairo, Amy and I had koshary- a cheap, traditional Egyptian meal.  We didn’t take to it so well and hadn’t eaten it since.  Luckily, I’ve had the opportunity to try it again and with success!!  Around the corner from the hostel is a great koshary place packed with locals.  And the best part is that it’s so cheap- less than a dollar.  Koshary has rice, pasta, spaghetti, tomato sauce, lentils, chickpeas and dried onions.  I found out that the extra sauce that comes on the side is not tomato sauce but a very spicy chilli sauce.  I only found this out after the outside of my upper lip started burning.  Another thing, Amy and I forgot to do was to mix all the ingredients together.

I leave for Dubai tonight.  It will be around 100 degrees F at midnight when I arrive.  In fact, for the entire time I am there it will be in the low 100s but will feel like the low 110s with humidity.  The overnight lows??  Low to mid 90s.  Yea!!  By the time I get to so-called hot Singapore I’ll probably be cold.