Second day in Mandalay
19 januari 2018, Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Today we travelled about 29 Kim’s outside of the city of Mandalay - surprisingly an area full of temples! Our first stop was at a very busy market - everything was available there, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, clothes, cosmetics - you name it, it was there. One interesting thing was the seller of bark from the Thanaka tree. The bark is pounded to paste and then used by the ladies and children to cover their skin. Not only does it moisturise the skin, it’s also an excellent sunscreen. We did wonder why the ladies were lighter skinned than the men and this is why. Next we went to a monastery to watch the 400 monks who lived there, line up for their second and last meal of the day - it was only 11:00 am! Usually, they have to walk out into the town to ask for donations of food and then bring it back to share with everyone. Today, however a local village was their donor for the day and they had all turned out in their finery to serve the food. Some of the monks were novices and were as young as 7 years old - seems harsh life for them. Apparently all boys are required to go and live as a monk for at least a week - our guide told us he only lasted 5 days! After that we visited a nunnery that ran a school for children from kindergarten through high school. Some of the children were orphans and would live with the nuns until they completed their education and then could choose if they wanted to stay or leave, other children were from poor families who couldn’t afford to pay for their education. Amazingly they were all learning English that day, from the youngest to the oldest.
Lunch time came and our guide took us and the driver to a “tea house”.....mmm. I can’t say we enjoyed our meal and Brian developed a touch of the Delhi Belly - the good news is that the meal for four cost only $4 and two Imodium sorted out his tummy problems.
After lunch we had a very short boat ride to cross over to an island where we were taken to two monasteries, one made completely of teak wood and the other one (a copy) but made from brick and then on to the ruins of a palace. We were taken there in an old cart pulled by the skinniest horse I have ever seen! There were no paved roads so the cart dropped into all the potholes it could find - a very uncomfortable journey. Once back on the mainland, we were taken to an old teak bridge that had originally been built in the 1200’s - not an easy walk as many of the slats were almost worn away, there were no guardrails and some of the uprights were rotten - no health and safety here, but non of the locals seemed to mind as they strolled along. The bridge was 2 kms long - some feat of engineering for the time it was built. As it is the dry season, you really don’t have to use the bridge and people live temporarily in the riverbed growing their crops, but once the rainy season comes, the riverbed overflows.
We were offered another sunset to watch, but declined as it was too early and hazy, so wouldn’t have been worth the wait.Meer informatie
Bagan and around
21 januari 2018, Myanmar ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
We spent two days in Bagan and have to say, liked it much better than Mandalay. We were met at the airport by our guide with an unpronounceable name, so we called him Coco. He took us to a local market - much like the one we went to yesterday, then on to three different types of temples - the brightest (all gold leaf and gold paint, the tallest and the biggest. All interesting in their own way but by now, becoming somewhat repetitive. We have learnt a lot about Buddhism though. We declined to eat in a local “tea house” for lunch and were taken back to our hotel for lunch and a rest. We were picked up at 4:00 pm and taken to two more temples before viewing the sunset from a vantage point with a view over a plain containing many, many temples! While we were waiting for the sun to set, we met a young couple who were living in Beijing - he was American and she was Chinese (had lived and studied in California for 10 years). Anyway, it turned out that he was a TV star in Beijing and had his own show singing and doing skits, all in Mandarin! Very interesting talking to them.
On our second day we were picked up in the morning and taken to a nearby village were we witnessed a parade of young boys who were going to enter the monastery for their time as novices - a minimum of seven days. The boys were all dressed a princes, complete with fancy costumes and make up and rode horses, or if too young, rode in a carriage. A local wealthy man had organised the parade and other children from the village could participate with their parent paying a small fee. The wealthy man’s son was first in line and rode an elephant (apparently at a cost of $1,000). Most of the boys were about 7 or 8 but the youngest was only three! I asked our guide if he would have to go to the monastery to live and he said yes, but his parents would be on hand to feed him. I couldn’t imagine how a three year old could learn anything about Buddhism’s teachings and live on only two meals a day! Our guide assured us that it was fun to dress up and parade and relatives gave them money which they liked very much, but once the festivities were over, they had to get their heads shaved and go into the monastery.
Next we visited more temples and shrines, then went on to visit an area well known for weaving beautiful silk. It was so intricate work and once we visited the shop, we could understand the exorbitant prices! Next we visited a factory that made lacquer wear. We had no idea how much work went into producing this product - very interesting, but again, all that work became obvious once we hit the shop and saw how expensive everything was! Our last visit of the morning was to go to a village that was founded in the 12th century. We were able to see how people lived. One family were weavers and we saw how they made the thread from the cotton plant. The grandma of the family (91 years old) was sitting on the floor spinning the cotton into threads. She was amazing and when she took a break, she smoked a cheroot that her daughter had just rolled for her! Apparently she smokes two cheroots everyday. She does a lot of the cooking for the family on a very primitive wood fire. Hard to believe people still live like this - there is a well in the village, but no running water, but they do have electricity - very interesting visit.
In the afternoon we went for a ride on the Irrawaddy River on a not too comfortable open boat, but we did have comfortable cain chairs to sit in. After about half an hour, we landed - well the boat,an rammed the bow into a bank and we clambered ashore, then walked for about ten minutes through some trees to, guess what, a temple! This one was built into a cliff and tunnels had been carved out with alcoves that served as cells for the monks to meditate. Actually a very interesting visit. We sailed back having been served tea and snacks with a wonderful view of a sunset over the water.Meer informatie
Inle lake
21 januari 2018, Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
After the two days in Bangan we flew onto Inle Lake. The landscape is totally different, being about 1000 mtrs above sea level and quite lush. The climate and soil here is so good that they harvest four crops a year. The lake itself is about 20kms by 10kms but is very shallow, only about 12 ft at the deepest. One third of the lake is covered with floating gardens on which the farmers grow a variety of vegetables - tomatoes being the biggest crop. Transportation on the lake is via boats which are very long but thin like a long canoe. They are powered by one cylinder Chinese engines that make a huge racket. The tourists sit in wooden deck chairs one behind the other in the boat, but we suspect the locals just sit crossed legged in the bottom - the more passengers the water taxis can fit in, the more money they make. The boats travel at about 30mph so it’s quite a cool ride, especially early in the morning!
To get to our hotel, we had to take one of these boats, but first we went sightseeing for a few hours. We set off across the lake passing fishermen and workers harvesting the weed from the lake for fertiliser. We stopped for lunch at a place on the lake that was built on stilts. Brian was persuaded by our guide to rider the local fish dish - bad decision - afterwards he got yet another bad dose of Delhi Belly - will he ever learn? After lunch we visited a local a village where all the houses were on stilts in the water. We visited a weaving factory that was a family business, with everyone from cousins, to uncles to aunts working there. There were some outside workers - all women doing the weaving. Next we visited the boatyard, where they make all the canoes for the lake. Quite amazing! Everything is done by hand using hand tools - no power tools at all. They start with a huge piece from a teak tree and cut it into a square log - all by hand. Then cut the teak logs into planks, make and fit all the ribs, all done by eye. The boats vary from 15 ft for fishing and local transport to 50 ft for the tourist boats. Apparently a boat will last for four generations and takes about six men a month to complete.
On the way to the hotel we went through some of the floating gardens. The farmers take a patch from a floating island, made up from water hyacinths and weed, they then float it back to their lake plot and anchor it in place by driving bamboo stakes into the lake bed. They then build up silt and fertiliser on it until they have enough depth to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans, peppers, etc. The gardens are arranged in rows with water between as the farmers have to weed and harvest from their boats.
We finally arrived at our hotel ( by this time Brian was taking no interest in any of the proceedings) and checked in. The accommodation was in individual villas which featured low beds set in the middle of the floor with a mosquito net that hung from the roof 20ft above. There was also a bath tub set in the centre of the bathroom floor. All of course built on stilts beside the lake.
The next day Anne proceeded on the sightseeing on her own with Brian deciding to spend the day in quiet contemplation by the pool.
Today I went off with the guide to view 1,054 stupas on the mainland at the south end of the lake. To get there we took one of the rivers that flow into the lake - the water comes from the mountains on the west side and that is a lot of water. It was like doing a gentle white water rafting! Every now and then we come up to a barricade made from bamboo (to try and stop silt and garbage getting into the lake). When we came to one the boat an would rev up and almost fly over the barricade and then plop back down in the water - thank goodness Brian decided to stay back at the hotel! We finally got to the location where the stupas were - a lot were in disrepair and had vegetation growing out of them - one even had a tree! Most of them dated back to the 17th century and are gradually being renovated. Very interesting place to visit. We boated through the lake village again, stopping off to watch a silversmith at work, then off to the middle of the lake to view yet another temple. I declined to eat lunch at a lakeside restaurant and returned back to the hotel.
All in all we really enjoyed our time at Inle Lake. The hotel was superb, the staff couldn’t have been nicer and the accommodation was top notch. It’s a very tranquil place.Meer informatie
Yangon
22 januari 2018, Myanmar ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
After starting the day in Inle Lake where we had an extremely cold ( even for Canadians) boat ride, we finished up in Yangon in the afternoon where it was 34 degrees and very humid. The first time we have felt really tropical weather on this trip. We did a walking tour of downtown viewing some of the old colonial buildings, many of which are in a poor state of repair. The city is mixed with some very modern North American hotels and shopping malls and some old buildings with mildew growing all over them and being quite run down. Lots of street vendors selling all kinds of foodstuffs, street food and bits and pieces. After a walk around for an hour we visited some other sights by car. The first was a very large reclining Buddha surrounded as ever by many smaller images all housed in a large covered space.
The main attraction is the Shwedagon Pagoda which is very impressive indeed. The main pagoda is surrounded by multiple smaller pagodas. The main dome is covered with gold plate and the lower levels with mere gold leaf. At the top is a kind of umbrella which is filled with people’s jewelery which they donate. The final spire is crusted with diamonds and at the top is a 76 caret diamond- so much for poor monks. Actually all these things are donated by individuals all trying to buy their way to a better reincarnation. People here are very generous to their religion. While we were at the temple, we saw about 100 people organised in teams sweeping and mopping the floors. Our guide said people just show up to do this when they have a bit of spare time on their hands - mostly people who cannot afford to give money, so they volunteer their time.
The variety and style of the lesser pagodas was also amazing. Many of them have specific purposes, ie pray here for a male baby, pray here for a female baby , stick a bit of gold leaf on this Buddha on the part of his body where you hurt, and you will be healed, etc etc. We stayed until sunset when the light on the buildings made for some terrific photographs. All the time we were at the temple, a monk was chanting over a loudspeaker. Apparently they chant all day from 5:00 am until 10:00 pm in a language that no one outside of the monks understands!
For dinner we found a genuine Italian restaurant, so got a break for orientalist food - how North American of us! We will be back to eating lots of noodles and rice as we travel further into Thailand, Laos and beyond.Meer informatie
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.Meer informatie
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.Meer informatie
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.Meer informatie
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.Meer informatie
laung Prabang cont
30 januari 2018, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Just need to have an extra note to add a few more pics
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!Meer informatie
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!Meer informatie
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.Meer informatie
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!Meer informatie
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.Meer informatie
Hanoi 2
6 februari 2018, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
We returned to Hanoi from Halong Bay for an overnight before catching our plane to Da Nang the next day.
It happened to be a Sunday when the road around the lake near our hotel is closed to traffic and turned over to pedestrians. The locals really take advantage of the opportunity. Lots of younger people but also many families. There were a number of places offering mini electric cars and tanks etc for the kids to ride on. There were groups playing hacky sacky, playing badminton, groups all in costume, videoing themselves dancing to rock music. There were groups of graduating students in formal wear etc. There were areas where kids were building towers with wooden blocks; areas where they were playing some game that required moving white stones around boards chalked on the street. All mixed in with street vendors, roller skaters and a few wedding groups. Everyone seemed very happy and relaxed and interestingly very few were on their cell phones. After the hustle bustle of our visit a few days earlier, it was nice to see a softer side to Hanoi.
We had a late lunch among the partygoers before returning to our hotel for another early night.Meer informatie
Hoi An
6 februari 2018, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Hoi An was our next stop. It’s on the coast near Da Nang and about an hour’s plane ride from Hanoi. The drive from the airport to the hotel showed us a very long sandy beach with an enormous amount of building going on for resort hotels and apartments. Some efforts seem to be proceeding well, but others have clearly run out of money, as the half-built structures attest.
It is still quite cool here, about 15 degrees with a fairly stiff breeze. We have our own villa again that looks out onto the beach. It would be idyllic if the weather was warmer - since we have been here, a red flag has been flying on the beach showing that it is unsafe to swim. There are three pools in the complex - two are unheated, but one feels like bath water - the thought of undressing in the frigid air, does put you off wanting to take a dip! Our villa is quite large with two seating areas and a bed placed in the centre of the room. There is also a large soaking tub by one of the seating areas! We also have a his and her’s dressing area, two sinks and a separate shower, plus an outdoor shower in a private courtyard - not too shabby at all!
We went into the town of Hoi An today which is a world heritage site. It’s a nice little tourist town beside a river. There are some old parts such as a Japanese bridge which dates from 1780, a house that has been in the same family for about 300 years. The ladies of the house do amazing embroidery and we were persuaded to buy a tablecloth and napkins - such pushovers! Otherwise there are lots of tourist shops, some nice restaurants, a big market and a number of places where you can get a suit made in 24 hours. Along the river there are lots of boats offering cruises along the waterfront.
The New Year here falls on Feb 16 this year, so we have seen lots of preparations taking place - lanterns being hung, street lights and flags etc. Beside the roads we have seen lots of places selling peach blossom trees, yellow chrysanthemums, kumquat trees and trees bearing very large grapefruit. We think these are all to do with the festival in some way.Meer informatie
Hoi An 2
8 februari 2018, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
At last ...... sunshine! Finally, the weather took a turn for the better and after a cloudy start, the sky cleared and we had a beautiful sunny day. It was still a little cool in the breeze, but we gratefully made use of the loungers around the three pools and enjoyed the sunshine.
We did our constitutional along the beach, so felt that we had done at least some exercise. Anne dipped her toes in the sea and quickly retreated - too cold to swim in and today, a yellow flag was flying on the beach, that apparently indicates “sea pests” whatever they may be!
The pool staff were very attentive and came around several times offering pieces of fruit, water, small ice creams, or offering to clean our sunglasses etc- very civilised. Had a nice pizza and beer served on our loungers for lunch, also very civilised. Have attached some pics showing the pool areas in the sunshine.
Off to Ho Chi Minh city tomorrow where it is reported to be 30 degrees so that will be quite a change.Meer informatie
Saigon
9 februari 2018, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
After a smooth flight from Da Nang, we arrived in the hot hustle and bustle of Saigon. While we felt that Hanoi was busy, it felt somewhat restrained but Saigon is just full on. There are more motor bikes and scooters than cars here (10 million people live in Saigon and 8 million of them have motorbikes/scooters) and they just ride them in any direction; whether it’s on the road or the sidewalk. In terms of crossing the road, there is no point in waiting till the road is clear because it never is clear. You just have to step off the curb and proceed across the road at a steady pace. No-one will stop for you, but they will drive around you. If you rush or you stop, then chaos ensues. It takes nerve to do it the first time but after that you believe that you will get to the other side unscathed and it works.
We are on a VIP floor at the Caravelle hotel for some reason and they indicated that canapés were available in the late afternoon. When we showed up there was a full feast available complete with free wine! There was lots of Sushi, rice dishes, French fries, baguettes and cheese, etc etc. Unfortunately we had made dinner reservations so we were not able to take full advantage. Tonight we expect to eat our dinner there! In our hotel there is a famous rooftop bar where all the generals and war correspondents used to drink. It’s very nice and open to the breezes. From there we can see across to another famous rooftop bar at the Rex hotel, where the American press briefings were held during the war.
For dinner we went to an Italian restaurant close to the hotel that was highly recommended. We both had pasta and I thought that my ravioli was the best pasta I have ever eaten- outstanding!
Today we did a walking tour of the city. We started in the downtown area, visiting the city hall and the Notre Dame church. We also passed the spot where the famous photo of the helicopters evacuating the last of the Americans was taken. We then drove to the old national palace which is now a museum but shows the old meeting rooms etc as they were. Our next stop was rather depressing. It was a museum called the war remnants museum. It used to be called the American war crimes museum and that is still the major thrust of the place. The Americans certainly have a lot to answer for including their use of Agent Orange to defoliate the country. However, it was of course one sided ( the victors always get to write the history) with the communists apparently blameless. Nice collection of American planes, helicopters, tanks and guns which they left behind. Anyway rather depressing all told.
We next visited a pagoda that was built in the early 1800’s to honour Buddha, before being dropped off at the local market. The market was enormous and sold everything from meat, fish, fruit, vegetables to clothes and souvenirs. The very first clothing stall we came to, Brian was captured ( physically) and was persuaded to buy some golf shirts etc. Very aggressive stall holders but fun bargaining anyway. We then wandered back to our hotel and on the way visited an indoor plaza that was full of very high-end shops; Coach, Prada, Chanel etc etc. Clearly someone has money to spare in this city. As it’s very close to the lunar new year, there are signs and preparations everywhere. This year it’s the year of the dog and there are many statues of dogs of different colours and sizes on display and also lots of yellow(chrysanthemums ) and red flowers being placed into arrangements. This is the biggest festival of the year, so most people take a week off to celebrate the event - somewhat like Thanksgiving, when people try to go home for the holiday to be with family.Meer informatie
Off line
9 februari 2018, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
We are about to board our cruise boat for our week long trip on the Mekong. It apparently has NO internet ( how will we manage??) so we will not be issuing any updates for the next while.
Cruise on the Lower Mekong 10th-17th Feb
19 februari 2018, Cambodja ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Today we joined up with the rest of the passengers who are going on the Pandaw cruise on the Mekong. Some of them have been part of a tour group visiting Vietnam and some, like ourselves, have been doing their own thing. Our fellow passengers are a mixed bunch of nationalities- a few Canadians, quite a few Brits, a few Aussies and a European or two. About 42 in total with the max capacity of the boat being 48. Apparently some are doing the seven day cruise like us, while some are doing five days and some just three days.
We all met up in Saigon at a central hotel and then took a ninety minute coach ride to the boat on the Mekong Delta. By the time we had done the intro briefing and had lunch we were well underway. The cabins are compact but adequate for our needs, each with an en-suite bathroom.
We had a relaxing afternoon on the sun deck then sampled some of the local beverages in the complimentary happy hour. A performance by a local group of musicians and singers completed the pre-dinner activities.
One thing the boat did not have was any kind of reliable wi fi, so what follows is a summary of our seven days gently cruising around the Mekong Delta and lower Mekong River.
Our general pattern( after having a substantial breakfast) was to visit a location in the morning then return to the boat and have lunch while the boat cruised to the next point of interest. After that expedition, we returned to the boat to sit on the sun deck and snooze, read, drink etc while watching the world go by as we sailed along. After dinner each evening there was a movie presentation but we never managed to stay awake long enough to attend any of them.
Among the trips we made from the boat were ...
Visit to a floating wholesale fruit market where the local retailers in small boats were buying from larger boats
Visit to see local products being made including rice wine, snake wine (rice wine where snakes are put into the wine and the whole thing left to ferment for a year or two- we declined to sample this one), rice paper and pop rice.
A San-pan ride through the canals of a village each rowed by a local fisherman
or woman. That was very interesting as the canals were really narrow, so we were really close to the bush and houses which made us feel like we were really experiencing the real Cambodia.
Visits to various markets along the river that would certainly not encourage you to eat the local meat or fish!
The major city that we visited along the way was Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia) where we visited the king’s palace and the national museum.There was also a visit to the killing fields offered but we declined in favour of further exploration of the city.
As we sailed, passing from Vietnam to Cambodia, it was easy to spot that we had passed from a relatively wealthy, vibrant country to one that is struggling to catch up. One thing in particular in Cambodia is the attitude to garbage. They just throw anything on the floor be it a bottle, a wrapper a piece of paper and no one seems to make any attempt to clean it up, whether it’s in their shop, garden or house. Consequently the whole countryside is covered with garbage. I suspect that when the rains come and much of this area floods it all gets washed down to the ocean.
So a pleasant easy week of relaxation and sightseeing without too much effort on our part.Meer informatie
More pics from the Mekong
19 februari 2018, Cambodja ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Even more pics from the cruise!
19 februari 2018, Cambodja ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Ankor Wat
19 februari 2018, Cambodja ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
After a four hour ride in a very comfortable coach we arrived in Siem Reap for one of the big highlights of the trip see Angkor Wat.
We stayed in one of the Raffles Hotels - very colonial. The service level was outstanding throughout the hotel and we even had a butler to perform tasks such as drawing the perfect bath for us to our personal specifications, bringing us tea or coffee if we requested a wake up call and packing for us before we leave! Never took advantage of this perk, but it was nice to know we could have!
We got up at 4am the next day, in order to get to Angkor Wat to see the sunrise. (Some grumbling from Anne that it better be worth it!) we arrived by Tuk Tuk in complete darkness, and then walked quite a ways onto the site. There was us and about 2,000 other people, all there awaiting the moment when the sun would rise behind the famous temple. Unfortunately there was quite a heavy haze that morning, so by the time the sun appeared, it was well up in the sky. However we were still able to get lots of pics as it got lighter and the temple appeared out of the darkness. Angkor Wat is the best known of the temples in this area of which there are many. We did a full tour around the temple and admired the bas relief carvings that covered many of the walls, quite fine and detailed work depicting life and activities at that time.
Photography was challenging for the whole day, as every scenic spot was usually spoiled by some young lady who was posing in front of it in a pseudo- model way - very irritating! Did I mention that there were many Chinese there as it was their new year and they are on holiday?
After having a good tour round Angkor Wat, we retired to a local cafe to eat the very nice breakfast that our hotel had packed for us. Thus refreshed, we went through the Victory Gate to the Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom, which had once been in the centre of a large town. Apparently they built for their temples for their Gods in stone, but built for man in wood, so nothing remains of their towns. This temple is noted for the faces that are carved into many of the towers of the temple - quite atmospheric apart from the aforesaid posers!
On we went to Preah Khan, a temple that is a little overgrown by the jungle. As a UNESCO site, different countries have elected to renovate or restore different temples. We think this one may have been worked on by the Japanese. Each temple we visited was surrounded by a moat around the four sides.
Our final visit was to Ta Prohm maybe one of the most famous temples as it features many large trees growing out of the stone work and gradually reclaiming the site. Very interesting to see the extent and size of the roots of these large trees.
While the whole site is very interesting it is in a flat area so it does not really compare to the great sites of the world such as Machu Picchu, Petra or the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.
During our visit we had the services of a Tuk Tuk which moved us around the large site and certainly beat trying to walk around it, despite this, we still managed to clock about 7 kms of walking plus lots of flights of steps - quite a feat in the heat of the day.
After lunch we took a Tuk Tuk to the downtown area where there are many cafes, guesthouses and hotels, catering for tourists and backpackers. We sampled some of the local beer and visited a craft workshop which produced quite interesting work.
Finally a pleasant swim in the hotel pool to recover from the exertions of the day - it was like getting into tepid bath water - brilliant!Meer informatie
More Angkor Wat pics
20 februari 2018, Maleisië ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
