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  • Floating village
    Birds carved from carrots etc

    Halong bay

    4 Februari 2018, Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    We were picked up early from our hotel in Hanoi for the four hour drive to Halong Bay. Our driver did not speak English, so from time to time he spoke into his phone and asked Google to translate for him. He then held up the phone for us to read. His first message was, ‘am I driving too fast?’ A later message was, ‘I am driving to scare you’. Finally ‘ the train is late would you like to see my son who is learning to make jade’ that was approps to visiting a pearl selling operation!

    We duly arrived in Halong Bay to board our Junk which turned out to be a large three deck, steel boat with 24 cabins - not quite as expected, but very comfortable, especially as it was only half full for this trip. We could not get over the sheer number of cruise boats, as we set sail into the bay. We were in a stream of 30+ boats all setting out. Fortunately they spread out into different areas, and we hardly saw another boat for the two days we sailed. The food on the boat is fantastic - full 5 course lunch and dinner every day - beautifully presented, but more than we can eat. The crew is also very polite and attentive. As it was still very cold we were thankful that the heating system in our cabin was blasting out hot air for all it was worth.

    In the afternoon we visited a floating fisherman village where we had the option of using a kayak or being rowed by a villager in a bamboo boat. There were about 20 houses in the village, each with its fishing boat and set of holding nets containing any larger fish that they caught.

    Halong Bay is filled with islands both large and small all made of limestone rising vertically from the sea, quite an impressive sight.

    Our second day saw us on a 10k walk on one island to visit a village that is run by the shipping company. The villagers are basically fishermen, but the company has helped them to set up co-operative farming to grow vegetables that the shipping company use on their boats. The people work the fields for a couple of hours or so a day, then they are able to go fishing for the balance of the day. The village looks quite prosperous with all the houses being made of concrete or brick. There is a school and a clinic in the village, so the people have a much better standard of living than most. As we wandered around, we saw how they used rice to make various products and could watch them in the fields planting rice and tending the vegetables. In the afternoon there was a visit to a local beach with the option of swimming. As it was barely 15 degrees with a very cool wind, and the water temp was similar, there were no takers. The same cannot be said of happy hour which saw us wrapped in blankets, sitting under heat lamps, determinedly drinking our G and Ts.
    Baca lagi

  • The wide islesMushroomsPeach blossomConfucius

    Hanoi

    1 Februari 2018, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    What a difference from Vientiane to Hanoi. Firstly the temperature dropped by
    10C and there was a very cold wind. We did not come equipped with any cold weather clothes so it was quite challenging. The traffic has to be seen to be believed . There is no sense of lane discipline. If the road is marked for three lanes, then there will be five or six lanes of cars, scooter, motor bikes and bicycles! If there is any space greater than six inches between the cars, then it is instantly filled by motor scooters or motorbikes. At any traffic light that is at red, there is a solid mass of 20 scooters across by 30 bikes deep all waiting to rush forward. As the traffic moves the cars fight their way forward with liberal use of horns and flashing lights and the scooters zip in between. No one gives way but amazingly there seem to be few accidents. Crossing the road for pedestrians is very challenging. The recommended way is to walk across at a steady pace and the cars and bikes will drive around without stopping. One way streets are generally ignored as motor bikes come towards you and weave in and out of the traffic. No-one gives way, they all just surge forwards and hope no-one gets hit!

    Our hotel was in the centre of town, so was very conveniently placed for us to walk around and explore Hanoi. We were picked up by our guide the next morning and taken on a city tour, stopping off at Hanoi Hilton where the U.S. airmen were imprisoned. It’s now a museum and much of it is dedicated to the history of Vietnam under the French regime. We also visited the first university in Vietnam that is now the centre for Confucius teachings along with a temple dedicated to Confucius. All very interesting. Next we were to go to the Mausoleum and museum dedicated to Ho Chi Minh . However the line up was more than an hour’s wait and we were so cold by now, we declined to do that part of the guided tour, much to our guides consternation. He couldn’t quite grasp that we didn’t want to freeze ourselves to death just so we could view the tomb of Ho Chi Minh . Instead he took us through the old part of Hanoi which was more interesting. We went down narrow passageways that had no lighting where families live in rooms just off the passageway - very basic living. We were then taken to a wholesale market. In one area there were tall bags of dried mushrooms of all different kinds, others had bags of dried vegetables in some places the isles were so narrow that you had to turn sideways to pass through. Lots of other items of indeterminate nature.

    We spent the afternoon wandering round on our own, taking our lives in our hands every time we ventured across a road - crosswalks have no meaning there! We braved eating lunch out and were rewarded by a delicious meal - main course, drink and dessert for the same price as two cups of coffee had cost us at our hotel!
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  • Thoughts on Laos

    31 Januari 2018, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    As we leave Laos a few thoughts. It’s a great country to visit, the people are friendly even though they are one of the poorest countries. Luang Prabang stands out especially - I guess Thailand was a bit like that 20yrs ago.
    It’s hard not to feel sorry for Laos. They are landlocked and surrounded by aggressive neighbours. Over the years their older buildings and their heritage have been sacked and destroyed by invaders. Even in more modern times they didn’t too well. In the late 1800s They ‘ invited ‘ the French in to help against the Chinese. They promptly stayed until the 1950s abusing the locals until being kicked out.( at least they left behind the concept of a French Bakery and baguettes ).The Americans promptly showed up around 1960 to help protect them from the yellow peril only to stay around through the 70s using Laos as their private battle ground and favourite bombing location, not to mention spraying Agent Orange all over the place.

    Their situation now is still difficult, but the new prime minister seems to be doing a good job. Laos has limited resources. Much of the population still works on the land, but being landlocked they don’t get enough rain to be very productive in that area. The Mekong, as an energy source, and forests of nice hardwood trees, are the only other resources. Unfortunately the last government was corrupt so lots of the prime trees were cut and exported without any replacement .

    Laos has no money so the new major hydro dam on the Mekong is being built by the Chinese with Thai money. Laos will get peanuts from the sale of electricity to Thailand until the dam reverts to them in 30yrs time. The Chinese are also building a high speed rail link to Vientiane from China. Eventually the rails will go all the way to Singapore. All the building is done by the Chinese so not much benefit to Laos. Chinese businessmen are now buying up property here in anticipation of the new traffic. I can see this place just disappearing under a tide of Chinese. Depressing thought.
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  • Well that's different

    31 Januari 2018, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We were amused to see this sticker on the window of a 9 person people mover that we were using. The larger prohibition is quite graphic and I don’t think they were objecting to Whoopie cushions! The smaller sign above seems to indicate that fornication is also frowned upon, makes you wonder why they would need that one in the first place!Baca lagi

  • Our table awaits!The monks' dining hallView from the ArchThe Peace Arch

    Vientiane

    30 Januari 2018, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Vientiane is the capital of Laos and our final stop in this country. There are about 800,000 people, so is quite a large busy city. All the government offices are in the city and are housed in very substantial, colonial looking buildings that are set along broad avenues - very attractive.

    Our tour today started at a compound containing a Stupa surrounded by several other religious buildings. The chief Abbot of Laos has his office and residence in a very fancy building in these grounds (somewhat like a mini. Vatican City). We then visited the Peace Arch, built originally to celebrate victory over the French and is very reminiscent of the Arc de Triumph in Paris, but with an Asian twist. It is set in very nice gardens - Brian elected to climb the Arch to take some pictures, while Anne remained below entertaining the guide. We visited a couple of small museums containing various artefacts, but most things have been destroyed, as Laos has been attacked many times over the years by it seems, just about everyone who borders the country.

    The final stop was at COPE where they try to help with the Loas people who have been injured by cluster bombs, land mines etc etc. Quite a moving experience. I must admit that we were not aware just how heavily the US bombed Laos and of course without ever declaring war or anything. Apparently if the planes could not find their targets in Vietnam, then they just dumped their bombs on Laos because it was too dangerous to land the planes with a full bomb load. Considering the billions the US spent on the bombs the amount they have contributed to the clean up is minimal and quite frankly, shameful.

    After a little lunch at a French style bakery/cafe, we retired to the very pleasant pool at the hotel for more R and R.

    We discovered on arrival at the hotel that our rate included a special Laos dinner. We were offered to have it poolside or inside,and elected the first option, so this evening we were sat in solitary splendour beside the pool for our dinner. The food consisted of cooked and uncooked spring rolls ( excellent) Laos sausage- very spicy, fish and chicken each cooked and served in banana leaf. Steamed veg and sticky rice. An interesting meal! Dessert was fresh Mango served with coconut ice cream, sweetened coconut milk and of course sticky rice, generally quite nice, although Loas cuisine isn’t high on our list of must have food!
    Baca lagi

  • Market veggies
    Anyone for a nice steak?Our backgarden bath houseBlack bear cubs at sanctuaryTypical street sceneSleepy bears

    Luang prabang

    29 Januari 2018, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Arrived in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon and were met by our guide and car and whisked away to our hotel. It was a lovely old colonial built in 1900 for the French Governor. The rooms were built round a quadrangle that boasted beautiful water features and gardens. Our room was again quite sumptuous and opened onto an enclosed garden that boasted an outdoor bath tub! The floor to ceiling shutters in the indoor shower and separate bath could be opened right out, so effectively, they could also be outdoor. When we got there, there was no electricity - the manager explained that the government were upgrading the system and power should be restored very shortly (think this must happen frequently, as there was a huge tub of water with a scoop in the toilet!). Anyway, the good news was that because of the lack of electricity, we were given unlimited free drinks at the bar!

    Luang Pabang is the former capital of Laos and is far and away the best city we have visited so far. The French influence is everywhere. The whole town is designated a UNESCO site and as such, none of the buildings can be altered. The houses are mostly stone and the streets are wide and tree lined. There are lots of good restaurants, both local and international cuisine plus a plethora of French bakeries serving good coffee and delicious French pastries. Our guide told us that one thing the French left behind was the baguette! There are lots of European tourists here ranging from students to ageing hippies and because of this, the accommodation is varied from high end hotels to guest houses.

    Our first day, our guide picked us up and gave us a tour of a local market, then onto the old King’s palace (now a museum)and a couple of temples - quite different from the ones we have seen so far, but also relatively new. We then stopped off in town for a cup of coffee and an almond croissant- delicious. In the afternoon we retired to the pool area for more relaxation- something we are getting quite expert at.

    The second day we set off for some waterfalls that are about a 45 minute ride out of town. We started off on quite a good road that quickly deteriorated into a pothole ridden dirt road. The ride was worth it though as the falls were very picturesque. The water is heavily mineralised so the pools are a beautiful turquoise colour. At the same location there is a black bear sanctuary. An Australian lady started it some years ago to save the bears from poachers who keep the bears in captivity to harvest the bile for the Chinese market. Since she opened the centre, she has been responsible for closing down two very large bear farms. Any baby bears at the centre are carefully reared and then, with help, released back into the wild. A very interesting day.

    We are now on our way to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
    Baca lagi

  • Meakong from the overnight hotel
    The caves on the Meakong

    Travelling the Meakong

    29 Januari 2018, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Sorry for the brief note on Chiang Mai but we were taking it in turns to feel the worst effects of the flu ( self diagnosed) . Consequently it’s been a lot of lying down in darkened rooms and much sleeping. The good news is that we now both seem to be over the worst of it though you may hear of an flu epidemic in this part of the world soon!

    Returning to our trip; after the two nights in Chiang Mai, we were driven three and a half hours to Chiang Rai. We just had a quick overnight at a very nice hotel where we enjoyed lazing by the pool for the afternoon. We didn’t sightsee there or leave the hotel for dinner - still recuperating from the self-diagnosed flu!

    Up early for a 6:00 am departure for the 2 hour drive to the border with Laos. There was the usual bureaucratic process with the filling in of multiple forms, all with the same information. After that a quick transfer to our boat for a two day cruise down the Mekong river. The boat takes 36 people and is full on this trip. Over half of the passengers are japanese complete with their own two guides.The rest a mixture of Europeans and a couple of Americans. Actually it’s been noticeable in the Northern part of Thailand that most tourists are Chinese or Japanese, it’s actually uncommon to see Caucasians at the tourists sites.

    The scenery is quite spectacular as we slowly sail down the river. The river narrows at a number of points as rocky outcrops either divide the river or restrict its flow, fortunately we seem to have a good steersman at the helm! We made one stop at a village and saw how people in rural Loas live. There were loads of children and nearly every woman had a baby in a sling. Our guide told us that couples in the villages usually had a minimum of four children and as many as ten. The government are trying to educate them and provide free contraceptives which are promptly thrown away - well, the condoms seem to have value at least as the children fill them with water and use them as water bombs! The villagers tend not to be very well educated - the children go to a local primary school until they are ten, but then their parents pull them out of school because the high school is too far away for ten year olds to travel to and so they end up working as farm labourers. A few try leaving to work in cities, but they are so poorly educated that they cannot find work - many of the girls end up in the sex trade and are able to send money home with their parents not having any idea of how they earned it - very sad. As we walked through the village, our guide stopped at the blacksmith’s and showed us an inactive landline that was being used as an anvil! Apparently Loas was heavily bombed and mined during the Vietnam War and farmers are still being hurt by the mines.

    Our overnight accommodation was described as ‘cabins’ which was a perfect description. They were quite basic, made from wood with woven bamboo for walls. No glazing, but wooden shutters. The bathroom was somewhat basic with a sink that only boasted running cold water and a very basic shower - had hot water for half a turn of the tap and then you got more pressure by using the cold water. The good news was that there was a very elaborate mosquito net surrounding the bed with an ancient ceiling fan above it- the only speeds were fast and faster! Still, we were very grateful for both. Before dinner we were entertained by some local traditional dancers, which was quite delightful. Dinner was a buffet, so we ate lightly again, then off to bed for another early night. All in all a very pleasant stay and we feel we really had an authentic experience!

    Our second day on the river started out in mist but eventually the sun came out. We stopped at a village where they weave scarves and pashminas. We toured the village - very poor but everyone has a HD TV dish on the outside of their huts. Anne was proud of herself as she got a ‘special’ price when buying 4 scarves - saved all of $4, but was happy to contribute to the lady’s income for the day.

    The second stop was at a cave in a cliff where there are some 1000 Buddha images in a cave, the snag was that the cave was 320 steps up the cliff. Having seen over 1000 Buddha images we declined to make the effort. The decision was made easier by the fact that there were about 6 boats visiting at the time so it was a mob scene, plus reports from those returning from the top, who opined that the effort was not worth it.

    After another hour of pleasant sailing, we came at last to Luang Prabang. More about that to follow.
    Baca lagi

  • Chiang Mai

    24 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    We had a very comfortable transfer from Yangon to Chiang Mai via Bangkok. We flew with Thai Air who provided excellent service once again.
    Our hotel here is on the bank of the river and is excellent. They upgraded us to a suite which is huge. Unfortunately our hacking coughs have returned which has diminished our ability to properly enjoy the town. Brian did have a guided tour today of the downtown area visiting the day market and two of the major temples.
    Tomorrow we move to Chiang Rai for an overnight before crossing the border into Laos.
    Baca lagi

  • Myanmar of this and that

    24 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    As we leave Myanmar here are a few odd and ends that we found interesting.
    They drive on the right side of the road though most of the cars have a steering wheel on the right side also. Apparently many cars are brought in from Japan and that’s the way they came. They did originally drive on the left but after some election,a right wing party won,so decided everything should be on the right including driving.

    The army announced one day on breakfast news that the flag of the country had been changed. It seems that their astrologer told them that the old flag was bad luck!

    In much of the country there are motorcycles everywhere but there are none allowed in Yangon. The reason is that a minister was hit by a motorbike and died so no more motorbikes in Yangon! Likely not a bad idea.

    Men in the country were the Longyi which is a long skirt. They are nearly all either a check pattern or stripes. Apparently a plain colour means that you are a ‘ladyboy’

    At one point when the army wanted to control communications a SIM card cost 4000 USD. It now costs one dollar.

    One guide who grew up in a small village in the mountains told us that there was only one phone line in the village at the monastery. When the phone rang, the monk would arrounce over the loud speaker that a call had come in for some person. If the caller left a message that would also be broadcast via loudspeaker!

    On becoming 45 yrs old one general celebrated by having a 45 domination note printed, the only place in the world that has one.

    Possibly an urban legend - at one time the currency was backed by gold held in Switzerland . However, one general decided that as the economy was good and they had mines and agriculture, they no longer needed the gold to back the currency so he went to Switzerland and removed it from the bank only to lose it all on a horse race! They now have a major inflation problem
    with the currency devaluing steadily.
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