Hoi An and on to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

A few days have passed I see since I last 'blogged'. Quite busy, so I'll try and precis it for you...
Great drive from Hue to Hoi An, which is on the coast. We went over the Hai Van Pass - hairpin bends through mountains on the coastline - quite beautiful, with waterfalls and trees. We stopped at a beach, where I paddled (of course!), but nearly came to grief as a sudden huge wave nearly knocked me over. All I suffered was a damp skirt and injured pride, however. We stayed in Hoi An for a couple of full days. They are recovering from much worse than usual flooding. We had a cycle ride through the countryside (I managed not to get arrested this time!) and were on paths which had been 4ft under water 7 days ago (see picture of me crossing a makeshift bridge over the floods). It has been just as bad in the town - in order to get to our restaurant that evening, we had to climb over a pathway made of dining chairs, as the water was up to our knees!
Hoi An is 'bite city' - maybe because of the flood waters. We have all had nibbles taken out of us, and I have some lovely red patches all over my legs and feet. Nothing that alternate applications of antihisan and tiger balm (maybe from one of the tigers beaten by the elephants previously?!) can't sort out. This is also the place to get clothes hand made. There are probably a hundred shops, maybe even more, which offer to make up anything from a pattern within 24 hours. The shopkeepers are very persistent and I find it tiresome - you can't look at any wares without someone saying 'you buy from my shop, please'? with the result that I pass by quickly and don't see anything. So I wasn't too impressed with Hoi An, although it was a favourite with some of my companions - the shoppers! The coastline between Da Nang, where the Americans landed, and Hoi An is being massively developed - you won't recognise the place in ten years' time, which is a shame, but will bring them some properity, I guess.
We are now in Ho Chi Minh City (was Saigon, and all the locals still call it that). The traffic here is 'mental' (expression used often by my young fellow travellers). Four million motorbikes in the city - new career choice - motorcycle mechanic iin Saigon? - see picture. This is the biggest city in Vietnam, but not the capital (Ha Noi, you recall!). We have been to visit the Cu Chi tunnels today - must admit that I chickened out of going down. This is a network of tunnels with living quarters too, on 3 levels underground, where the Viet Cong (South Vietnamese who were aligned with the North) hung out with some villagers too. The VC were very small, so the tunnels are extremely narrow - the lowest level are for crawling... shudder. I've since been to the War Remnants museum, which shows, amongst lots of war memorabilia, the ongoing deformities caused by agent orange. What justification can there possibly be for chemical warfare, I wonder...
To end on a lighter note, I'm impressed by the two-person bikes here - only two wheels, but two saddles (one over the rear wheel) and elongated pedals so that you can both pedal together. Looks fun!
Going to try and attach the photos now - a slow business. Off to Cambodia in the morning - Pnomh Penh (not sure if that's the correct spelling, I'll let you know).
Thanks for all the news from home, enjoying it, keep it coming!
PS The third picture is especially for you, Bill, the musical dustcart - video is on my phone, will play it on request on my return... it sounds like an ice cream van and lets people know to bring out their rubbish - ingenious. Hope there's enough detail for identification!!
PPS I'm getting really good with chickens - you have to be in Vietnam - there's one heck of a lot of 'em!!

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Confused?

Sorry, my last blog must have puzzled you all. The missing pictures were of a row of western-style toilets and a row of squat toilets, with no walls or doors between. Like something out of a recurring nightmare. What wimps we are in the west...
I had a fabulous day yesterday. We had spent the night on the Reunification Express train from Ha Noi to Hue, the old capital. Not much sleep, much frivolity and alcohol - not on my part as I didn't trust alcohol at about one pound a bottle... We were a couple of hours late in the morning (trains run on morris time here!), but set out anyway on a tour of the sights of Hue on mootorbikes. It was such fun - exciting, but relatively safe. My driver was very reassuring, weaving his way through the traffic with great skill. I enjoyed melding (is that a word or have I made it up?) with the bike, so that when we went round a bend I went with it instead of trying to right it as we leaned...
Lots of interesting things here - but lots of bomb damage - see picture. This is just about where the divide was between North and South Vietnam. 85% of the Citadel complex was destroyed - it's being rebuilt. We were banned from one garden area, as it has not been cleared of landmines yet. Very sobering.
We visited a village to see a special little bridge, but I was more interested in the loudspeaker announcements. I assumed it was propaganda. Wrong. It was a reading of the day's newspapers, so that people working in the fields who can't read or write can keep up to date with the news.
We also went to a nunnery where we had a huge vegetarian spread. Possibly the best soup I've ever had, but accompanied by a bright green 'dumpling' bread-like. Tasty, if you could get past the colour... I now also know how to make incense sticks. New career option?!
We visited some wartime fortifications, surrounded by flowers.Instead of 'Guns n Roses' think 'Bunkers n Daisies'!
Then on to the only coliseum in Asia. Tigers and elephants used to fight there - but it was fixed so that the elephant always won, as he represented the king.
Rounded it off with a boat trip on the Perfumed River.
A perfect day, even though it rained all the time. A gentle, warm rain though. We were very lucky, as this time last week a lot of the town and surroundings were under water. The rainy season started late and ended late..
Off to the seaside today hoorah! - next stop Hoi An via Da Nang.

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Togetherness

I thought the first lot were bad enough, but the second ... are they strange, or are we? It's natural,after all, we all have to do it. But standards vary; I've seen people sitting in the street here picking nits out of each others' hair in public... But if I seem negative, let me redress the balance by telling you that the peoplehere in Ha Noi are SO friendly and helpful. I was interviewed today by three students (sorry guys, forgot to take their photo, and they were stunningly beautiful), trying to improve their already very good English. We chatted for about an hour, it was such fun. We agreed that they should delay getting married and having lots of babies (one of them wants eleven!!) until they have graduated and then travelled... They couldn't understand why I was sitting in the sun - they stay out of it in an effort to keep their skin a lighter colour!
I have had a really great day today. It was 'free time', so I broke away on my own. I'm attaching some street pictures from here. They show the difficulties when trying to cross the road here - note the local girl inbetween the bikes! You have to remember that when they hoot you they mean 'watch out, I'm here' and not 'get out of my way' - if you jump or deviate from your chosen path, you are doomed.
It is fun finding my way around. I see much more detail than when we're in a group, when I tend to be 'sheepish'. I bought a proper map of the town, and wandered around, visiting Confucious at the Temple of Literature. I then sat in a park and watched the locals exercising. It was an oasis of calm in a mad, teeming city. Everyone seemed calm and happy, except a young man with his head in his hands.I hope he was just meditating.
Off to get overnight train in a minute, so am now going to try and attach pictures - takes ages! Bye or should I say "Dam bee-uht" fonetically, of course...

Oops I don't think any of my pictures will upload - darn it! Sorry,will try again in a coupla days...
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Ha Noi, Viet Nam + culture shock

Hi everyone, just back from an evening at 'Funky Monkey' bar in Ha Noi. They start early and close early here - 11.30 finish. Bit disappointing - no-one over the age of 30 there to talk to, let alone dance with. Does no-one approaching my age like club music? (Excluding Jivin Jon n Dancing Dave of course).
So much to tell you since my last missive. Our night in the homestay in a Laos village was 'interesting'. We stayed in two rooms in a family home - they set out thin mattresses with mosquito nets in rows - we looked like larvae in cocoons! No mod cons except one toilet and a cold tap with river water. But they cooked us a fabulous meal, and we had a good time with them. The locals are friendly without exception. (See picture of village children.) The grandmother of the house came and put her arm around me and made me very welcome. They live in a hut raised above the ground, next to the river. Their boats are engine casings from B52 bombers, with outboard engines attached. View of river by village attached.
We then moved on to Viet Nam, which was a complete shock to our systems - firstly, IT RAINED. The border was in the mountains, and it was wet and misty and chilly. Then the terrain changed from lovely green mountains to flat brown plains, with continuous houses and traffic. The population is huge here, in contrast to Laos. There are practically no private cars - just buses, trucks, motor bikes and bicycles. Sometimes there are up to 6 people on a motor bike. If it's raining, they cover up the whole family with a cape, so the poor children in the middle see nothing. I was in the front seat of the bus for a while - terrifying, as there are no rules. The driver sees a gap (on either side of the road), toots his horn, and goes for it, weaving in between bikes and trucks coming from any direction. The same is true for crossing a road on foot - you have to move continuously, trusting that traffic will find a way around you. If you hesitate, you are lost...
So we had a grey, scary first day, and were all pretty depressed.
But the next day it all changed when we got to Halong Bay on the East coast. The sun came out and we sailed forth into a sparkling sea, between rocky, green hilly islands, stopping at one for a swim. I climbed to the pagoda at the top of the island (400+ steps), and earned my swim. We stayed on board for the night, eating a nine course meal for lunch, and a ten-course one for dinner. Have no fears for me, dear friends, I am eating very well and am in no danger of wasting away... Third picture is of sunset over Halong Bay.
Today we have come to Ha Noi - the capital of Viet Nam.It is a very busy city, but still not too Western. I find each new city very daunting at first, and cannot imagine finding my way around alone. But within a few hours I feel more confident and am ready to explore. We went to see a performance of the water puppets this evening. Very entertaining, I thought (the younger members of our party were bored to death). I found the music interesting - the stringed instrument was like a banjo in places, and the singing quite beautiful. One scene of the puppets had 8 of them dancing in formation - just like the Jemmers, really!
This city is so noisy - the horns are blaring continuously, and the pavements are full of either parked motorbikes, or people eating. There seems to be food everywhere - seemingly you can just set up a little barbecue anywhere you like and cook on it. Maybe this is my new career... ok, ok, first I have to learn to cook.
It is now twenty past midnight and my two 'roomies' went to bed an hour ago, so I'd better creep in and join them. Wehave a couple of days in Ha Noi before setting forth on our second train overnighter ('something you only want to do once', according to our guide. Might 'speak' toyou again before that... Good night all!

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Vientiane - capital city of Laos

Thought I'd show you the tree house I stayed in in Luaing Prabang. I spent a while yesterday morning sitting overlooking the river, supping a cold, freshly squeezed banana shake... bliss!
The plane going from Luaing Prabang to Vientiane wasn't too small after all - 54 seats, and we had a smooth flight with the scenery changing from lush forested hillsides to brown and green plains. We are on the border with Thailand again - divided only by the Mekong river. Our hotel is fairly standard for a city - hot and cold water - literally, hot last night, cold this morning! Having settled in, we all set off for a temple visit. However, we had trouble finding a tuc-tuc, and ended up cramming 11 of us into a space designed for 6. Cosy! I ended up on someone's knee at the open back of the bench, hanging on desperately to the roll-bar as we hurtled round corners. Picture shows normal loading of 6.
The temple (pictured) is the most important monument in Laos, so that was interesting, particularly a beautifully decorated room like a ballroom, where the children are educated at times. It reminded me of the dancehall in Luckenback, Texas!! (totally different decoration, of course, but there was something about it...)
We then walked back to the Patuxan - this looks like the Arc de Triomphe; it was half built; they ran out of money. Then the Americans came to build an airfield during the Vietnam conflict, and hey presto, some of the concrete mysteriously disappeared and the Arc was completed. The locals call it the 'vertical runway'! I had to climb the stairs inside to the top, of course, but had been delayed by the essential purchase of an ice-cream - got left behind the others, and ended up descending in darkness as they closed up for the night - close shave! Good view from the top, though!
We decided on a Western meal last night for a change. I ordered steak and mashed potatoes. They brought chips by mistake, and when I pointed this out they took my plate away, returning 20 minutes later having mashed up the chips. Hmmm, tasty enough, - bit like fried potato - but I could have done that myself and more quickly...
Tonight we watch the sun set over the Mekong, and sip a cocktail or two - I had another Singapore Sling last night - not as good as at Raffles. My 'Blue Lagoon' was better... looked like a rather posh WKD Blue; very refreshing.
Tomorrow night is our 'homestay' night - sleeping in a village hut, apparently. Dormitory accommodation, no showers and squat toilets. Bit like a morris weekend really...
Have a good weekend, everyone...

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Arrested...

Well, I've had my first REAL adventure! I've been taken to the police station and questioned!! We are staying in Luang Prabang, the old capital of Laos. A small town where two rivers meet - the Mekong and the Nam Khan. Our bungalows (very comfortable, by the way, raised off the ground, with huge bathrooms and almost hot water!) are a little way out of town. This being a free day I decided to strike out on my own on a bike (yes, I know, I never ride one, but you have to try these things...). Picture hopefully attached - note the bike matches my T-shirt. Anyway, I'm merrily cycling along when two men in uniform on a motorbike gesture to me to stop. They then instruct me to follow them to the 'tourist police' station, (picture me, a non-cyclist, wobbling along behind them, trying to keep up with a motorbike, weaving through local traffic) where they tell me it's now, since 3 weeks ago, illegal for foreigners to ride bikes in Luang Prabang. This is all in very pidgin English, with me wondering what the 'heck' I've done wrong. They then confiscate my bike and tell me to get a tuc-tuc back to the hotel and give the owner a docket and tell him to visit the police station. I protest (I'm so assertive these days!) and ask them to take me back, and after a discussion amongst themselves, one of them volunteers to take me. So I arrive back on the back of a police bike. Hoo-ey, this is living!
The rest of my blog pales into insignificance! First let me thank you all for your comments- sorry I'm not replying individually, the time on the internet seems to fly by, but I'm really enjoying them, and don't forget to tell me what YOU'RE doing too!
We had a lovely couple of days cruising down the Mekong, calling in at a couple of villages on the way where the hill tribes have come down to live by the river. The adults go off to work in the fields, and the children look after each other. There is no tv or birth-control, so there are loads of children, all very happy to see us, calling out 'sabaahdi' - 'hello'. I'm going to try and add pictures of the river boat, and me grinding grain. As you can see, it is hot, but not unbearable, and we have had some rain. It feels strange, though, trooping through someone's village, taking photos - I wonder how I'd feel if someone took pictures of me going about my everyday life?
Yesterday we went on a 2.5 hour trek through a forest to some waterfalls. The journey to the start of the trek was interesting, to say the least, in a tuc-tuc (like a jeep, but less posh, with 6 of us on sideways benches). We went down dirt tracks with what seemed like massive craters we sometimes avoided, sometimes not - kept bumping my head on the metal roll-bar! It reminded me of the Rhodes off-track adventure with Steve... The trek was great, very tropical but no scary wildlife. We stopped at a school where the girls were playing a game which we used to play too - I'm attaching a photo - so I asked to have a go, and they were amused at my efforts not to get entangled in their elastic skipping rope. At the end of the trek, which was enlivened by a stop where our guide, Mr Jan, sang us a local song - the Lao people all sing apparently, karaoke is BIG here!, we swam at the bottom of the waterfall - so refreshing. Then to a bear preservation area... Last night we had a typical Lao meal - riverweed with sticky rice and dips (you roll the rice into a ball in your hand and dip it) then a huge fish (absolutely delicious) steamed in banana leaves with various veggies. Then for dessert we had raw rice (it's all round grain in this area) which is dark purple and looks like Christmas pudding, with a tamarind dip and local fruits - can't remember their names except papaya and the tamarind, which looks like a broad bean, but is like a row of figs inside... This meal I have to say was not exactly to my taste, but hey, I tried it. I did have wonderful pineapple crush drink, though, with a foamy head, and ice cold - mmmmmmm! This morning, following my adventure with the men in uniform, I hopped a lift on the back of the hotel-owner's motorbike and came into the town, climbing up to the temple on top of a hill - I always have to get to the highest point! Many steps in great heat, but wow, definitely worth it for the view over both rivers and the nearby hills. It is quite beautiful in Laos - so green. The scenery on the river trip was similar all the way - vast forests with small beach areas where peanuts grow in the sand. Everyone waves as you go by...
That's it for now, off to Ventiane, the current capital, tomorrow. On a 'smallish' plane, we're told.. more adventure, hoorah! Your intrepid reporter signing off for now...

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Adventures!

Never volunteer, they say. So how did I end up balanced precariously on the neck of an elephant with no handholds in sight? It started off ok-ish, with me cuddled up behind elephant boy, arms around his waist. But after not very far, he suddenly slides off, leaving me perched there in panic. It is actually ok on the straight, or going uphill, when you can lean forward and rest your hands on the top of his head. Going downhill is another matter - there's nothing between you and the ground about 40ft (seemingly) below. So I've added another skill to my cv... circus, here I come...!
It is so busy at the moment, our feet hardly touch the ground. We had a good overnighter on the train to Chiang Mai, where I mastered the squat toilet (thanks for all the tips, Marie); no mishaps thus far, by dint of balancing against the wall where possible. The group bonded a bit as we were close-quartered. An interesting group, mainly young, 3 couples, 6 lone travellers; some starting travels, some on last lap. Much exchange of info and experiences.
After the elephant ride yesterday we then had rides on boats made of 4 long bamboo shoots tied together, 2 to a boat, going over very gentle rapids - more like 'slows', really. But we did get wet - shorts and undies soaked through; no fun sitting on bus afterwards... then on to a temple in the evening where we saw and heard monks chanting, and also a ceremony with everyone wearing white robes. This was at the end of a road up the mountain, with 99 hairpins bends allegedly. We were in an open-sided truck, and I felt pretty queasy by the time we got up there...
Today we've driven up country to Chiang Khong, via a cashew factory (that's the second picture - I never knew they grew on the end of a fruit like that), then the White Temple - built by a young man who has travelled and incorporated modern ideas and pictures - not to everyone's taste, but certainly different. My pictures of the temples so far have been disappointing, really - nothing looks as good as the original. You'll have to look at guide books to see them - all you'll get here is MY view of everything.
I feel a bit rushed at the moment - but I am getting better at packing my backpack. Thanks go to Sylvia and Sandra for the vacuum bags - my clothes pack up fairly small. Pity the bags don't reduce the weight as well as the size! Our next couple of days will be more relaxed - two days on the Mekong River, into Laos. By the way, thanks for not correcting me earlier - Laos is the country, Lao the people and language.
Loads more to say, but less is more, they say, so suffice it to say I'm having a wonderful time, wondering what I did right to be so lucky, I'm out of touch for a couple of days at least, but keep the comments and emails coming, really appreciate them...

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Bangkok

No picture today; no camera to pc lead on me, must remember to carry it! Bangkok is totally different from Singapore. Practically nothing in English. Roads packed with traffic and people. Mostly no official crossings - you have to just step into the road and hope they stop. I try and position myself between two locals, and go with them... I wandered around yesterday and found a park with an outdoor gym; there were also posts with pictures of exercises, so people jog around and stop to do these. I refrained from these as I seem to be walking miles on my travels (didn't get lost this time, though, despite road names being indecipherable). Did I say things were cheap in Singapore ... well, last night in Bangkok I bought two bottles of drink for 25 baht (about 37p), and my evening meal cost me less than a pound. We've had a klong ride today (fast-moving, low-slung boat on canals); interesting mix of shacks (but many, strangely, with ironing boards) alongside more affluent properties and magnificent temples. The sun constantly shines - it's about 85C. We went to Wat Po - the biggest buddha - truly awesome! Then my 'roomy' Rachael and I went for a Thai massage. Quite painful, she stretched me into positions I wouldn't have thought possible. But I survived and feel very relaxed. All for about 4 pounds, sorry Emily! Hey guys, this certainly beats working!! We're off on an overnight train to Chiang Mai tonight. Scott, our guide, says this one's ok - there's one later in the trip which you'd only want to do once - can't wait for that! Bye for now!

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So long Singapore

So Pete gets the prize for spotting my 'Cecil St' sign in the previous blog - yes, it doesn't leave room for much more in my backpack... This is me, (well, you know that,) on Sentosa Beach, having the obligatory, warmer than usual, paddle. Sentosa Island is a bit like Disneyworld - there is piped music everywhere you go. But it does have a tall tower (love 'em), and you do get to walk inside a (stone) lion's mouth... I was very pleased to have another travelling companion, a Dutch girl called Nicolien, who reassured me when we had to go in an enclosed lift, and went first through the jungle exhibit in case of legless reptiles.
Curious aside here, I'm surprised to find that there are squat toilets even in the airport and smart malls - some women choose to use these... maybe they are more hygienic? Or just a habit. Can't wait to try them out on my tour...
You may not hear from me for a while now - I'm going off to Bangkok in the morning to start my Indochina tour and the internet opportunities may be few and far between. So you can take a break from these - a bientot, or is it sayanara - probably neither... bye!

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The Real Singapore

I'm lucky enough to have no spatial awareness - i.e. I get lost easily. This is a great advantage when you're travelling, as you get to see so much more... I must have walked ten miles today, through dockyards (I was sure the Harbourfront attraction was down there), uncharted parks, downmarket markets and so on. I can't get over how clean EVERYWHERE seems to be - no-one eats or drinks in public, so there's no litter. Having said that, we did see a rat running around on the first evening in a fish and meat market, but hey, it's all protein... I indulged myself this evening with a 30 min reflexology session - this cost approx five pounds. Quite ferocious at times, but feet feel fantastic now. Having spent such a fortune, I cut back on my evening meal, spending S$5 (approx 1.7 pounds) on a three course meal (soup, lemon chicken and rice, and an unidentifiable dessert which looked like lentil soup, but was slightly sweeter). Last day here tomorrow - feels like home already. Keep feeding the cat, Alex; she won't thank you for it, she'll take it for granted, but it may stop her bringing in the odd mouse or bird...

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Raffles

So here's me sipping my Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel. Cheers! After a 12 hour snooze I took the MRT train from my rather down-market area (food is cheap near the hostel - S$5 for a plateful of tasty noodles) to the river, where there were dragonboat races going on. They have a great method of 'cox'ing - a huge drum which is banged to give the oarspeople their timing. The British team had already been eliminated...! Then onto a boat for a river tour - realised that Singapore is all about high rise business, restaurants and night life. They are very proud of their success. You have to search a bit for native culture - it is very multicultural. My dorm-buddies at the hostel are from Vietnam. They stay up late and watch movies like 'Kill Bill' at top volume, so I'm glad of my earplugs and mask! My buddy is leaving for Phuket this morning, so I'm going to try going over to the island... Thanks for your comments, keep 'em coming!

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I've really gone!

Well folks, here I am in Singapore - quite a miracle as I managed to go to the wrong terminal at Manchester, then set off the x-ray machine by forgetting about my mobile phone... oops! Isn't it amazing how a huge lump of metal full of people can get off the ground - it's magic, isn't it!!! I have a new friend Marsha, from Canada, with whom I explored Chinatown through a haze of jetlag this morning. Off out now for water and noodles...

Final preparations

Less than 24 hours to go - can I possibly get all this stuff into my
backpack? Yes, just about - but can I lift it? Yes, just about!!! Can't
think of anything I can take out. The trouble with 'adult' gapping is that
you seem to need so much more medication - but hey, I can jettison most of
it when I reach New Zealand, hopefully. How big are the mozzies there?! The
biggest weight at the moment is (are?) the butterflies in my tum - I'm
getting very excited, and can't believe the moment has almost arrived...
just hope the alarm goes off tomorrow morning. Thanks to all who've
encouraged me and got me to this point - hope I live up to your
expectations. So bye for now to all my family and friends, and hello to all
the ones out there, happily unaware that they will be crossing my path...!!!