Today was a day of exploration and adventure in Hanoi. We ate breakfast at our hotel (a complimentary breakfast with our stay) and were just finishing up when Bobby arrived to spend the day touring with us, which he had not yet done in Hanoi. Zenia and I had planned out our one day in Hanoi with great care, deciding to follow Lonely Planet’s “One Day in Hanoi,” which laid out detailed instructions of what to visit and where to eat if a visitor only had one day to spend in Vietnam’s capital city. Our day was laid out, therefore, with a plan to visit a wide variety of museums and sites around Hanoi.
First Stop – Ho Chi Minh Museum
To get a cab to take you to the correct location in Hanoi you must write own the address of your proposed destination in Vietnamese with the proper accent marks on every letter or you may end up somewhere off the beaten track. You can’t try to say the name of your destination because there is no way you will ever pronounce it correctly – the Vietnamese language is too insane (filled with ng sounds that are impossible to actually make unless you grew up using them). Therefore, my first act before we set off on our grand adventure was to look up the addresses of all our trip locations for the day and write the Vietnamese names out very clearly.
Prepared, addresses and plan in hand, we set out to find a cab and go to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, our initial destination for the morning. After pointing to the name of our first stop on our list of locations, we settled back for the ride through Hanoi traffic to the Mausoleum. We were dropped off in front of a large complex simply named Ho Chi Minh, with no real idea of where to go. We looked back at our cabbie for reassurance that we were at the right place and after a nod of confirmation we went inside to wander around and find the Mausoleum on our own. After exploring the grounds for a bit we stumbled upon a large imposing structure labeled the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Unable to locate the Mausoleum around the grounds (we had seen pictures and knew what to look for), we finally asked the man selling tickets to the Museum and were told that the Mausoleum was closed (later consultation with Lonely Planet told us that we picked the one day of the week the Mausoleum is closed).
Fun Fact:
• Ho Chi Minh requested that he be cremated, but after his death this request was denied. Instead, his body is on display in a glass coffin in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (what we were trying to visit). For two or three months out of the year Ho Chi Minh’s body is sent to Russia for preservation updates. :) For a guy Vietnam loved so much it seems a bit rude to me to deny his final request, but to each their own.
We decided to take the opportunity presented to us at that point and visit the Museum instead of the Mausoleum. If I can only use one word to describe our visit…whoa. Just whoa. If ever there was a place created to indoctrinate individuals, it was this museum. I know it’s the “Ho Chi Minh” Museum, but a walk through its three stories will lead the observer to conclude that Vietnam has no history before or after Ho Chi Minh. He is raised to near deity status throughout this museum, coming across as the god of Vietnam (for example, all “he’s” are capitalized when mentioning Ho Chi Minh). It was a bit scary and an odd museum overall – a strange blend of the ancient, the modern, and futuristic features. For example, in one section of the museum, ancient furniture (the old) rested on a raised lotus dais (the new – modern art looking) that was surrounded by bright silver metal panels (the future – very science fictionish). I was more than happy to rush through the museum, feeling very uncomfortable within its walls as panels discusses Ho Chi Minh’s grand achievement in beating out the imperialist United States from Vietnam during the “US War” and reuniting North and South Vietnam into a single country.
After our visit to the Museum we headed out into the city on foot to our next tourist destination, which was located a brief five minute walk from the Museum complex. Our walk down the street offered us the first opportunity to really get a feel for walking around Hanoi. Unlike many of the other SE Asian countries, walking seems to be a fairly accepted mode of transportation in Vietnam. However, walking can be extremely hazardous to your health. On a first view via car, Vietnam seems very friendly to walkers as they have provided very decent sized sidewalks for pedestrians, unlike Thailand, which has no sidewalks. However, the sidewalks are often unavailable as they are used as parking lots for every car, motorbike, and bicycle in the city. Entire city block sidewalks will be covered with motorbikes parked at all angles, forcing poor hapless pedestrians to walk in the street instead. Unfortunately, walking in the street is a good way to die. You see, in Vietnam, no vehicle will stop for you. To walk in front of a car or bus here, even at a crosswalk, would be suicide because large vehicles simply do not stop and will run you down in the road. Motorbikes are somewhat more considerate in that they will weave around you. To truly explain how this works let me give you an example…
As you go to cross the street in Hanoi, often on roads with two or more lanes of traffic going in a single direction, you must first look for buses or cars. Any large vehicle of this nature MUST be allowed to pass before you even step foot in the road. Once the cars are clear, watch for a break in the constant stream of motorbikes, if none appear to be coming, simply close your eyes, send up a prayer, and take one step into the street. Stumble forward at a steady pass and don’t freak out as hundreds of motorbikes zip past you, some coming so close you can feel the brush of handlebars on your arms. The key to not being mowed down like a blade of grass in the ever continuing onrush of ravening metal motorbike beasts is to walk at a continuous pace and don’t flinch. However, if a car comes…get out of the road! Every time you step onto the pavement on the other side of the street you thank goodness that you have arrived there in one piece…assuming you did. It is impossible to wait for traffic to pass as it never will in Hanoi. On any road (except the extreme back alleys) there will never be a large enough break in the sea of traffic to allow a pedestrian to cross the road without braving cars or motorbikes and specter of death that lingers on the roadways, ready to spirit away the next victim of the Hanoi traffic system.
We managed to meander our way through the streets of Hanoi until we reached our destination, a place called the Temple of Literature. At one time (evidently) a place where scholars came to learn and study ancient writings (there were only 5), the Temple of Literature now resembles something more akin to a park. The entire area takes up about three city blocks and is surrounded by a tall stone wall. There is only one entrance to the Temple where visitors are required to pay a fee to enter, a nominal charge of 10,000 Dong (a little over 50 cents). The Temple is separated into sections that roughly feel one block long. The first two sections (out of three) are simply gardens with small rectangular pools filled with water on either side of a green belt that borders the central path. The third section leads to a courtyard where an actual temple stands to the front and on the left side great stone slabs that rest on the back of stone turtles stand in long lines. These stone slabs are covered in writing that dedicates them to the scholars who studied at the Temple of Literature when it still functioned as a place of learning. While there were some impressive sites to see here (the turtles were great – and I touched each of their heads to gain their wisdom and knowledge!), it felt more like a traditional city park and I felt deceived by the name. There wasn’t any literature!! How could Vietnam do that to a bookaholic like myself?! It just seemed like cruel and unusual treatment after my deprivation from my beloved books at home.
We fled the Temple of Literature as soon as I began to expound on this topic (for some reason Bobby and Zenia didn’t seem too keen to discuss the appalling misconception the Vietnamese were spreading by calling a park a “Temple of Literature” – I’m not sure why) and headed out to lunch as recommended by Lonely Planet and our growling stomachs/parched throats.
***I hate to do this to you, dear readers, but I must break off in my post for a short time. You see, some friends from Chiang Mai have been here in Laos for the past two days to visit us and are leaving this afternoon to visit Luang Prabang. We are, therefore, going out to lunch with them and I must leave now to get some amazing Fruit Heaven sandwiches and smoothies for my noon meal. I will come back and finish my post and will have it up for you to read this evening (in the morning for you). :) Good night!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Hot in Hanoi
This weekend I visited my final new country in SE Asia – Vietnam. It was quite an adventure, with a few bumps along the way. We left Vientiane for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, at 5:50 pm. This was our last international flight out of Laos (we will be taking the bus back across the border to Thailand in 9 days!). It was a bit sad to leave “home” again, but exciting to contemplate seeing another new country and hanging out with our friends who are interning in Vietnam.
The flight was easy and uneventful, the descent into the city allowing me my first look at Vietnam and Hanoi. The city of Hanoi is surrounded by craggy mountains that were shrouded in mist as our plane circled the city. It was difficult to see much of the landscape due to a general haze covering the city, either the effects of pollution or the general cloudy/haziness that indicates monsoon season in SE Asia. Hanoi was a bit odd looking from the air, not conforming to the general layout of large cities (usually one large patch of city clumped together), but a grouping of smaller patches, broken up by large plots of green land (rice fields), each section connected to the others by large highways. Interspersed within the small portions of the city are large lakes and ponds, giving the birds-eye viewer an erroneous idea that the city would be a bit more tranquil or idyllic due to the landscaping of the city, which includes so much nature. This is not the case, however, but more on the city in a bit…
As we were disembarking from the plane at 6:30 pm we were informed that it was 33 degrees Celsius in Hanoi, which any converter will tell you is around 90+ degrees Fahrenheit – darn hot! When the Vietnam interns visited us in Laos last week we had heard stories about the extreme heat of Hanoi (110+ degrees with humidity) and now I can personally attest to that fact as well. Vietnam is HOT! As we stepped out of the airport later it was difficult to breath in the heat and humidity of the night, a fact that freaked us out when we contemplated the upcoming days.
In order to enter Vietnam, any international traveler must apply for an entry visa at least two days ahead of their arrival date via the internet, paying a $20 processing fee at that time. I’m not quite sure what they need that information for, perhaps to check against their lists to see if you are allowed into the country, but in any case, every traveler to Vietnam must submit to this process. After they have looked over your information (name, date of birth, passport number, etc.) you receive two letters via email that allow you entry into Vietnam. We had printed these letters off in Laos and were ready when we reached the counter for “Visas upon Arrival.” We handed over the letters and our passports and after paying another $25 for our visa sticker itself (everything is very cheap in SE Asia except stickers evidently since they keep costing me so much!) we were off for a quick pass through immigration (to get stamps all over that expensive visa sticker) and to collect our baggage.
The Hanoi airport is located quite far from the main city of Hanoi, located in one of the outlying chunks of the city I mentioned above. Rather than deal with a taxi, which we had heard horror stories about (ripping customers off with extra charges or doctored meters), we had our guesthouse in the Old City Quarter send us a car. We found our driver immediately (the sign with Zenia’s name on it was a bit of a giveaway) and set off for an hour drive through Hanoi. Hanoi was a huge culture shock after the peace and tranquility of Laos and Vientiane. Hanoi is our first real big city that looks like any modern city you may find at home, but with a few quirks…
• Major highways look surprisingly similar to any highway you might find at home, but in the center divide between the two opposite lanes of traffic there are lights spaced every 15 feet or so. These lights change color constantly, fading from one to the next – green, blue, purple, red, yellow. It makes for a beautiful view of an otherwise ugly concrete roadway, giving the eye a little dash of color.
• There is so much traffic in this city on the main roads that people must drive in the proper lane or risk death. In addition, the drivers in Vietnam are without a doubt the worst drivers in all of SE Asia. The leading cause of death in Vietnam is motorbike accidents, which is not surprising as they drive like maniacs (just imagine everyone in a major metropolis driving drunk and you have an approximation of the driving in Vietnam) and their helmets are not real. In fact, their helmets are small plastic hats that would probably inflict more damage in a crash than simply hitting your head on the pavement.
• Hanoi is filled with an unceasing barrage of sound. Everyone here is constantly honking the horns of their buses, cars, motorbikes, or bicycles. It is impossible to find a quiet spot in this city as it is filled with an unceasing din of honks. As we first drove away from the airport we didn’t notice the noise and were instead captivated by our first view of a major highway in over two months and actual billboards on the sides of the road, all things we associate with cities from home. As we sped away from the airport, however, the noise rapidly became something we could not ignore. The traffic slowly increased and soon our driver was whipping the car around other vehicles and motorbikes at an alarming rate, blaring the horn on each pass. Soon other cars joined the race and the honking became an overwhelming wall of noise. In Hanoi, this is just a state of being. When we mentioned it to Bobby later he gave us a blank look and said, “What? The birds chirping?” Haha! Evidently the only way he can stay sane in this noise is to convince himself the honks are merely birds. Poor, sad, Bobby. :)
• Major roads in Hanoi have roundabouts every once in a while at intersections. Now, roundabouts in SE Asia are a constant puzzlement to me as there doesn’t seem to be any real rules that dictate how you use one. In Laos the roundabouts seem to work on a system that says the right-of-way belongs to the individual going straight through rather than around, but there is equal right to any road entering the roundabout. I’m only surprised that I haven’t seen a major accident at one yet as nobody appears to know what the heck they are doing. In Hanoi the roundabouts are a little different as they only alter the directions of the two inner lanes of the road, meaning the other lanes merely curve gently without being truly effected by the roundabout. We passed quite a few of these roundabouts, which often incorporated five or more lanes of traffic, and I could never figure out their true purpose as they didn’t really do anything to the traffic that I could see.
We arrived at our guesthouse, the Green Street Hotel in the Old City Quarter of Hanoi, at around 7:30 pm and managed to check in and refresh ourselves quickly before our Vietnam friends, Laura, Abbey, and Bobby, showed up to take us to dinner and dessert and for a little exploring of Hanoi. We ate dinner at a Vietnamese-tourist restaurant located on the main lake of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem. Hoan Kiem (“Lake of the Returned Sword”) is an interesting lake as it has quite a few legends attached to it. I will tell you my favorite…Sometime during the Chinese Ming Dynasty the emperor of Vietnam, Ly Loi, was given a magical sword by the gods to use in battle. With the help of the sword Ly Loi drove the Chinese out of Vietnam. Once the country was safe, Ly Loi came to Hoan Kiem and while he was standing by the shore of the lake a giant turtle (a god) came out of the water, grabbed the sword from his hand, and returned it to the depths of the lake where there was a gateway to heaven and where the sword normally resided. Today, there are still giant turtles in the lake, although they are endangered now.
So, we ate dinner looking out over the lake and enjoyed pseudo-Vietnamese food on our first night in Hanoi. After dinner we began walking around the lake and stumbled upon a place called “Fanny” that was recommended by Lonely Planet and many others. Fanny is an ice cream parlor that serves actual sorbet! This might not seem like such a big thing to you at home, but here it is a marvel. You see, most restaurants or dessert places (there aren’t many) claim to have “sorbet,” but what they actually have is ice cream with fruit in it. In a land this hot and humid it is torturous to watch others eat ice cream and other cool treats and be completely left out of the fun. But no more! While in Vietnam I had Fanny and I took glorious advantage, eating sorbet every day! :) I ate a single scoop of raspberry sorbet and nothing has tasted quite that good in a very long time. I savored every bite as slowly as possible, reveling in my first cool treat in months.
We returned to the Old Quarter after our eating extravaganza and relaxed at a bar for a little while before Laura, Abbey, and Bobby took off and Zenia and I returned to our guesthouse for some much needed rest in preparation for our big day exploring Hanoi on Friday.
The flight was easy and uneventful, the descent into the city allowing me my first look at Vietnam and Hanoi. The city of Hanoi is surrounded by craggy mountains that were shrouded in mist as our plane circled the city. It was difficult to see much of the landscape due to a general haze covering the city, either the effects of pollution or the general cloudy/haziness that indicates monsoon season in SE Asia. Hanoi was a bit odd looking from the air, not conforming to the general layout of large cities (usually one large patch of city clumped together), but a grouping of smaller patches, broken up by large plots of green land (rice fields), each section connected to the others by large highways. Interspersed within the small portions of the city are large lakes and ponds, giving the birds-eye viewer an erroneous idea that the city would be a bit more tranquil or idyllic due to the landscaping of the city, which includes so much nature. This is not the case, however, but more on the city in a bit…
As we were disembarking from the plane at 6:30 pm we were informed that it was 33 degrees Celsius in Hanoi, which any converter will tell you is around 90+ degrees Fahrenheit – darn hot! When the Vietnam interns visited us in Laos last week we had heard stories about the extreme heat of Hanoi (110+ degrees with humidity) and now I can personally attest to that fact as well. Vietnam is HOT! As we stepped out of the airport later it was difficult to breath in the heat and humidity of the night, a fact that freaked us out when we contemplated the upcoming days.
In order to enter Vietnam, any international traveler must apply for an entry visa at least two days ahead of their arrival date via the internet, paying a $20 processing fee at that time. I’m not quite sure what they need that information for, perhaps to check against their lists to see if you are allowed into the country, but in any case, every traveler to Vietnam must submit to this process. After they have looked over your information (name, date of birth, passport number, etc.) you receive two letters via email that allow you entry into Vietnam. We had printed these letters off in Laos and were ready when we reached the counter for “Visas upon Arrival.” We handed over the letters and our passports and after paying another $25 for our visa sticker itself (everything is very cheap in SE Asia except stickers evidently since they keep costing me so much!) we were off for a quick pass through immigration (to get stamps all over that expensive visa sticker) and to collect our baggage.
The Hanoi airport is located quite far from the main city of Hanoi, located in one of the outlying chunks of the city I mentioned above. Rather than deal with a taxi, which we had heard horror stories about (ripping customers off with extra charges or doctored meters), we had our guesthouse in the Old City Quarter send us a car. We found our driver immediately (the sign with Zenia’s name on it was a bit of a giveaway) and set off for an hour drive through Hanoi. Hanoi was a huge culture shock after the peace and tranquility of Laos and Vientiane. Hanoi is our first real big city that looks like any modern city you may find at home, but with a few quirks…
• Major highways look surprisingly similar to any highway you might find at home, but in the center divide between the two opposite lanes of traffic there are lights spaced every 15 feet or so. These lights change color constantly, fading from one to the next – green, blue, purple, red, yellow. It makes for a beautiful view of an otherwise ugly concrete roadway, giving the eye a little dash of color.
• There is so much traffic in this city on the main roads that people must drive in the proper lane or risk death. In addition, the drivers in Vietnam are without a doubt the worst drivers in all of SE Asia. The leading cause of death in Vietnam is motorbike accidents, which is not surprising as they drive like maniacs (just imagine everyone in a major metropolis driving drunk and you have an approximation of the driving in Vietnam) and their helmets are not real. In fact, their helmets are small plastic hats that would probably inflict more damage in a crash than simply hitting your head on the pavement.
• Hanoi is filled with an unceasing barrage of sound. Everyone here is constantly honking the horns of their buses, cars, motorbikes, or bicycles. It is impossible to find a quiet spot in this city as it is filled with an unceasing din of honks. As we first drove away from the airport we didn’t notice the noise and were instead captivated by our first view of a major highway in over two months and actual billboards on the sides of the road, all things we associate with cities from home. As we sped away from the airport, however, the noise rapidly became something we could not ignore. The traffic slowly increased and soon our driver was whipping the car around other vehicles and motorbikes at an alarming rate, blaring the horn on each pass. Soon other cars joined the race and the honking became an overwhelming wall of noise. In Hanoi, this is just a state of being. When we mentioned it to Bobby later he gave us a blank look and said, “What? The birds chirping?” Haha! Evidently the only way he can stay sane in this noise is to convince himself the honks are merely birds. Poor, sad, Bobby. :)
• Major roads in Hanoi have roundabouts every once in a while at intersections. Now, roundabouts in SE Asia are a constant puzzlement to me as there doesn’t seem to be any real rules that dictate how you use one. In Laos the roundabouts seem to work on a system that says the right-of-way belongs to the individual going straight through rather than around, but there is equal right to any road entering the roundabout. I’m only surprised that I haven’t seen a major accident at one yet as nobody appears to know what the heck they are doing. In Hanoi the roundabouts are a little different as they only alter the directions of the two inner lanes of the road, meaning the other lanes merely curve gently without being truly effected by the roundabout. We passed quite a few of these roundabouts, which often incorporated five or more lanes of traffic, and I could never figure out their true purpose as they didn’t really do anything to the traffic that I could see.
We arrived at our guesthouse, the Green Street Hotel in the Old City Quarter of Hanoi, at around 7:30 pm and managed to check in and refresh ourselves quickly before our Vietnam friends, Laura, Abbey, and Bobby, showed up to take us to dinner and dessert and for a little exploring of Hanoi. We ate dinner at a Vietnamese-tourist restaurant located on the main lake of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem. Hoan Kiem (“Lake of the Returned Sword”) is an interesting lake as it has quite a few legends attached to it. I will tell you my favorite…Sometime during the Chinese Ming Dynasty the emperor of Vietnam, Ly Loi, was given a magical sword by the gods to use in battle. With the help of the sword Ly Loi drove the Chinese out of Vietnam. Once the country was safe, Ly Loi came to Hoan Kiem and while he was standing by the shore of the lake a giant turtle (a god) came out of the water, grabbed the sword from his hand, and returned it to the depths of the lake where there was a gateway to heaven and where the sword normally resided. Today, there are still giant turtles in the lake, although they are endangered now.
So, we ate dinner looking out over the lake and enjoyed pseudo-Vietnamese food on our first night in Hanoi. After dinner we began walking around the lake and stumbled upon a place called “Fanny” that was recommended by Lonely Planet and many others. Fanny is an ice cream parlor that serves actual sorbet! This might not seem like such a big thing to you at home, but here it is a marvel. You see, most restaurants or dessert places (there aren’t many) claim to have “sorbet,” but what they actually have is ice cream with fruit in it. In a land this hot and humid it is torturous to watch others eat ice cream and other cool treats and be completely left out of the fun. But no more! While in Vietnam I had Fanny and I took glorious advantage, eating sorbet every day! :) I ate a single scoop of raspberry sorbet and nothing has tasted quite that good in a very long time. I savored every bite as slowly as possible, reveling in my first cool treat in months.
We returned to the Old Quarter after our eating extravaganza and relaxed at a bar for a little while before Laura, Abbey, and Bobby took off and Zenia and I returned to our guesthouse for some much needed rest in preparation for our big day exploring Hanoi on Friday.
Notes & Anecdotes
My dearest readers,
Another trip is soon coming our way. This very evening I am flying away from my beloved Laos to Vietnam for a weekend of touring Hanoi and Halang Bay! Zenia and I are very excited about our new trip, although we are a little nervous as we have heard that Vietnam is even hotter than Laos! Yes, indeed. The interns from Vietnam visited Laos last week and told us that the weather here was so much cooler than Vietnam that they actually felt comfortable standing outside at midday. Oh my…I am going to die from heat stroke. Luckily, Zenia and I have planned two wonderful days in Halong Bay, living on a “junk boat,” a traditional looking Chinese boat that is good for Bay cruising, and swimming all day long. I will come back with amazing new adventures to relate and another SE Asian country explored.
Before I leave for Vietnam, however, I want to relay a few notes and anecdotes from my previous travels that I think you will appreciate and that I forgot to include earlier…
1. SE Asia is the perfect land for the cheapskate. Not only is everything here cheap by American/Canadian/European standards, but this is a land without tipping. Yes, my friends. When you receive your bill in Thailand, leave the amount shown. When you go to pay in Laos, leave the extra behind in your wallet. Every meal costs just what the bill says and there is no need to pay any more. If you are cheap and don’t understand why tips are now required whenever you order food at home, come to SE Asia. *15% gratuity added to your bill for this information.
2. Stairs in SE Asia are a serious problem. Climbing any set of stairs in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia is a test of ingenuity, strength, and balance. You see, in SE Asia, stairs are built without plan or design. Treads (the area where your foot is placed) may only have room to accommodate a child’s foot, forcing any normal adult to turn sideways to walk up and down the stairs. Stairs will vary in height, leading you to lunge up “one” step, a distance that would normally require three, on hands and knees, while taking a normal step up and skipping two in the next batch. And all the stairs are painted a dark color so that it is impossible to tell how steep the next step is going to be. Handrails are thought to be for wimps in this country and completely unnecessary. At the end of the day, if you can walk up and down a single set of stairs and not injure yourself in any major or permanent fashion, you’ve had a pretty good day.
3. Saem and Zenia are cover hogs. They steal the blankets and leave you to freeze. During our stay in Luang Prabang we discovered that the beds in Laos are HUGE. A “double bed” could easily fit all three of us. So, we determined that in Cambodia, we would just share a double and not spend the extra money on a “spare bed,” which turned out to be a sleeping pad for the floor. Therefore, Phnom Penh found the three of us sharing, Zenia and me on the outsides and Saem in middle. The night started out fine, each of us with plenty of space, able to roll over at will without bumping into the others. However, at around 2 am I awoke when my covers were being slowly tugged away from me. I grabbed the top sheet. It continued to slide out of my grip. I pulled harder and rolled myself over it. Slowly, I unrolled. I grabbed with all my might, yanked, and lost the sheet. Yes, I was sleeping with two blanket hogs. I rolled over and managed to sleep for another hour until the cold awoke me again. I cautiously leaned over, grabbed the edge of the sheet near Saem, and pulled. Simultaneously, Zenia and Saem growled at me in their sleep! I was so shocked I let go of the blanket and slid to the edge of the bed and out of, what I now called, the danger zone. At that point I gave up. I got out of bed, went over to the counter, grabbed a spare, dry towel from the stack for the next morning, and used that as a “blanket” for the rest of the night. My advice to you all when traveling in the future? Don’t sleep with a blanket hog unless you have a backup cover plan!
Another trip is soon coming our way. This very evening I am flying away from my beloved Laos to Vietnam for a weekend of touring Hanoi and Halang Bay! Zenia and I are very excited about our new trip, although we are a little nervous as we have heard that Vietnam is even hotter than Laos! Yes, indeed. The interns from Vietnam visited Laos last week and told us that the weather here was so much cooler than Vietnam that they actually felt comfortable standing outside at midday. Oh my…I am going to die from heat stroke. Luckily, Zenia and I have planned two wonderful days in Halong Bay, living on a “junk boat,” a traditional looking Chinese boat that is good for Bay cruising, and swimming all day long. I will come back with amazing new adventures to relate and another SE Asian country explored.
Before I leave for Vietnam, however, I want to relay a few notes and anecdotes from my previous travels that I think you will appreciate and that I forgot to include earlier…
1. SE Asia is the perfect land for the cheapskate. Not only is everything here cheap by American/Canadian/European standards, but this is a land without tipping. Yes, my friends. When you receive your bill in Thailand, leave the amount shown. When you go to pay in Laos, leave the extra behind in your wallet. Every meal costs just what the bill says and there is no need to pay any more. If you are cheap and don’t understand why tips are now required whenever you order food at home, come to SE Asia. *15% gratuity added to your bill for this information.
2. Stairs in SE Asia are a serious problem. Climbing any set of stairs in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia is a test of ingenuity, strength, and balance. You see, in SE Asia, stairs are built without plan or design. Treads (the area where your foot is placed) may only have room to accommodate a child’s foot, forcing any normal adult to turn sideways to walk up and down the stairs. Stairs will vary in height, leading you to lunge up “one” step, a distance that would normally require three, on hands and knees, while taking a normal step up and skipping two in the next batch. And all the stairs are painted a dark color so that it is impossible to tell how steep the next step is going to be. Handrails are thought to be for wimps in this country and completely unnecessary. At the end of the day, if you can walk up and down a single set of stairs and not injure yourself in any major or permanent fashion, you’ve had a pretty good day.
3. Saem and Zenia are cover hogs. They steal the blankets and leave you to freeze. During our stay in Luang Prabang we discovered that the beds in Laos are HUGE. A “double bed” could easily fit all three of us. So, we determined that in Cambodia, we would just share a double and not spend the extra money on a “spare bed,” which turned out to be a sleeping pad for the floor. Therefore, Phnom Penh found the three of us sharing, Zenia and me on the outsides and Saem in middle. The night started out fine, each of us with plenty of space, able to roll over at will without bumping into the others. However, at around 2 am I awoke when my covers were being slowly tugged away from me. I grabbed the top sheet. It continued to slide out of my grip. I pulled harder and rolled myself over it. Slowly, I unrolled. I grabbed with all my might, yanked, and lost the sheet. Yes, I was sleeping with two blanket hogs. I rolled over and managed to sleep for another hour until the cold awoke me again. I cautiously leaned over, grabbed the edge of the sheet near Saem, and pulled. Simultaneously, Zenia and Saem growled at me in their sleep! I was so shocked I let go of the blanket and slid to the edge of the bed and out of, what I now called, the danger zone. At that point I gave up. I got out of bed, went over to the counter, grabbed a spare, dry towel from the stack for the next morning, and used that as a “blanket” for the rest of the night. My advice to you all when traveling in the future? Don’t sleep with a blanket hog unless you have a backup cover plan!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Look Below
Hello, faithful readers! I have been informed by one among your rank that some of you may have been confused about my "apparent" lack of blogging recently. I assure you, this is not the case! In fact, I have been blogging, but I have been attaching the proper date to the blogs so they are being filed below the post on Vientiane's sandstorm. To find the "old posts," which document my trip to Cambodia, simply look at the list of posts on the left hand side of the page and click on the post you wish to read.
I hope this helps any who have been confused when their page opens to an old post. I simply thought it would be easier to understand what I was writing about if the post had the correct date. :) (Another idea from that delightful reader I previously mentioned.) So, have no fear! I have been posting and more are to come!
I hope this helps any who have been confused when their page opens to an old post. I simply thought it would be easier to understand what I was writing about if the post had the correct date. :) (Another idea from that delightful reader I previously mentioned.) So, have no fear! I have been posting and more are to come!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Sandstorm
It has not rained in Vientiane in four or more days. As you may have guessed, since we’ve seen this before, it is now incredibly hot here. But last night, something new happened. We were out with our fellow interns from Vietnam last night (they are visiting Laos and working here for the week), sitting at some tables outside. I was facing the street and after a while, I began to notice a hazy appearance to the street, similar to fog slowly creeping in. I dismissed the vision, but the air soon became cloudier. Our table was covered by an awning and protected from the wind, so it wasn’t until we stepped into the street that we realized what the cloud was…it was sand. Vientiane was under siege from a sandstorm.
The lack of rain for days combined with a great deal of wind had caused all the sand and dirt on the roads to become airborne. As I stepped into the gale, I was pummeled with small sand pellets that felt like they were trying to drag the skin off my legs. Our ride back to our house via tuk-tuk found Zenia and I huddled inside, eyes closed, trying to withstand the constant buffeting of sand against our faces. By the time we returned home, we were covered in a layer of sand and dirt everywhere, even in our eyes. Who ever heard of a sandstorm during monsoon season? SE Asia has surprised me again.
Now, I hate to have to tell you this again, but I have been sick. I woke up yesterday morning with a stomach thing and stayed in bed all day to recover (except for my excursion out at night where I was in a bit of pain – probably not the best of ideas). Therefore, I am once again a bit behind on my blog. I will be working on it all morning though, so check in before bed time tonight ‘cause I will try to get it posted before then!
The lack of rain for days combined with a great deal of wind had caused all the sand and dirt on the roads to become airborne. As I stepped into the gale, I was pummeled with small sand pellets that felt like they were trying to drag the skin off my legs. Our ride back to our house via tuk-tuk found Zenia and I huddled inside, eyes closed, trying to withstand the constant buffeting of sand against our faces. By the time we returned home, we were covered in a layer of sand and dirt everywhere, even in our eyes. Who ever heard of a sandstorm during monsoon season? SE Asia has surprised me again.
Now, I hate to have to tell you this again, but I have been sick. I woke up yesterday morning with a stomach thing and stayed in bed all day to recover (except for my excursion out at night where I was in a bit of pain – probably not the best of ideas). Therefore, I am once again a bit behind on my blog. I will be working on it all morning though, so check in before bed time tonight ‘cause I will try to get it posted before then!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Farewell Cambodia!
What is there to relate about my last day in Cambodia, you ask? The answer: not much. You see, Zenia and I had a plan of attack for our final morning in Phnom Penh, but as that plan of attack (and execution of attack) primarily featured shopping, I don’t think it can be of particular interest to many of you. I could relay fantastic tales about bargains for cardigans and t-shirts, the amazingly cheap bathing suit I bought, or my new toe ring, but I know your attention would soon wander. You would say to yourself, “wow, the quality of Lauren’s blog sure has gone down lately. Who wants to hear about shopping at the Russian Market?” My ego could not stand for that! It must not be borne! No. I will not lower myself to writing about shopping (unless it is a Night Market). Instead, we will move past the shopping, directly to my departure from this amazing country, a much more interesting topic.
If you recall, when we started this journey some days ago, I asked you to remember one fact. Do you remember? No? I will remind you then. I asked you to remember that upon my arrival in Cambodia I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the visa cost for this country was only $20, the cheapest of any SE Asian countries (except Thailand, which is free). Keep this $20 in mind…
We left the riverside for the airport around 1 pm and traveled through the streets of Phnom Penh one final time via tuk-tuk. We watched the city of Phnom Penh fly by us and I in turn flew through a gamut of emotions. I was excited to be heading “home” to Laos after such a long trip and sad to be leaving Cambodia after just discovering this amazing country. It wasn’t long before we arrived at the airport and checked in for our flight at the front counter. With a huge pang of sadness I grabbed my carry ons, turned toward the escalators to head up to customs, and was met with a wall; a wall of security personnel. At their request I handed over my ticket, which was glanced over, handed back, and then, with a finger pointing behind me I heard, “Departure Tax.” Me: “Um…excuse me?” Security Guard: “Departure tax.” Obviously our ability to communicate was not working out so well. I turned around, and found myself facing a wall (a real wall) with two windows and a man sitting patiently behind. Ok, I thought, let’s see what this is all about. I walked up to the window and said, “Departure Tax?” Man behind the Counter: “Ticket.” I handed my ticket over and waited. Man behind the Counter: “$25 departure tax.” Me: “Um…what?!”
Yes, my friends. I am sure you have all now guessed it. It may only cost you $20 to enter Cambodia, but it will cost you $25 to leave. (Hotel California anyone?) It costs more to get out of this country than it does to enter! And not only that, everyone has to pay this tax to leave (even locals)! No one can escape forking over another twenty-five US dollars in order to escape Cambodia! I was shocked, appalled, but I paid. What else could I do? I paid my $25, got a stamp on the back of my ticket and left. I must say, if Cambodia was hoping to kill my sadness at leaving, forcing me to pay that much money to leave was a good way to do it. :) I sat in the departure terminal to await my plane to Vientiane and felt good about leaving Cambodia behind. $25 to leave, indeed!
Flying into Vientiane felt like coming home. It was amazing to see our small and sleepy town set out below us, awaiting our return. Our trip to Cambodia was amazing. Not only did we get to see another amazing country, but our long trip made us happy to return to Laos and even more thankful that Laos is our home for this summer. While visiting Phnom Penh was amazing, it would have been hard for me to live there for two months, seeing the poverty, being constantly inundated by tuk-tuks, and living without a single moment of peace. All-in-all, it’s good to be home.
If you recall, when we started this journey some days ago, I asked you to remember one fact. Do you remember? No? I will remind you then. I asked you to remember that upon my arrival in Cambodia I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the visa cost for this country was only $20, the cheapest of any SE Asian countries (except Thailand, which is free). Keep this $20 in mind…
We left the riverside for the airport around 1 pm and traveled through the streets of Phnom Penh one final time via tuk-tuk. We watched the city of Phnom Penh fly by us and I in turn flew through a gamut of emotions. I was excited to be heading “home” to Laos after such a long trip and sad to be leaving Cambodia after just discovering this amazing country. It wasn’t long before we arrived at the airport and checked in for our flight at the front counter. With a huge pang of sadness I grabbed my carry ons, turned toward the escalators to head up to customs, and was met with a wall; a wall of security personnel. At their request I handed over my ticket, which was glanced over, handed back, and then, with a finger pointing behind me I heard, “Departure Tax.” Me: “Um…excuse me?” Security Guard: “Departure tax.” Obviously our ability to communicate was not working out so well. I turned around, and found myself facing a wall (a real wall) with two windows and a man sitting patiently behind. Ok, I thought, let’s see what this is all about. I walked up to the window and said, “Departure Tax?” Man behind the Counter: “Ticket.” I handed my ticket over and waited. Man behind the Counter: “$25 departure tax.” Me: “Um…what?!”
Yes, my friends. I am sure you have all now guessed it. It may only cost you $20 to enter Cambodia, but it will cost you $25 to leave. (Hotel California anyone?) It costs more to get out of this country than it does to enter! And not only that, everyone has to pay this tax to leave (even locals)! No one can escape forking over another twenty-five US dollars in order to escape Cambodia! I was shocked, appalled, but I paid. What else could I do? I paid my $25, got a stamp on the back of my ticket and left. I must say, if Cambodia was hoping to kill my sadness at leaving, forcing me to pay that much money to leave was a good way to do it. :) I sat in the departure terminal to await my plane to Vientiane and felt good about leaving Cambodia behind. $25 to leave, indeed!
Flying into Vientiane felt like coming home. It was amazing to see our small and sleepy town set out below us, awaiting our return. Our trip to Cambodia was amazing. Not only did we get to see another amazing country, but our long trip made us happy to return to Laos and even more thankful that Laos is our home for this summer. While visiting Phnom Penh was amazing, it would have been hard for me to live there for two months, seeing the poverty, being constantly inundated by tuk-tuks, and living without a single moment of peace. All-in-all, it’s good to be home.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Back to Phnom Penh
Monday morning found us in a tuk-tuk, heading out of Sihanoukville about two kilometers to a children’s shelter called M’Lop Tapang. As I previously mentioned, our ultimate boss, Rick, called in a few favors to get us a tour of the shelter so that we could have the opportunity to compare a Cambodian shelter to the Laos shelter we had already visited. Before our trip to Cambodia, we had been in contact with a woman who volunteers for the shelter, Kate, who had told us we could have a long tour of the facilities during the morning and so, on Monday morning, we set out to visit M’Lop Tapang.
A little background on the shelter…the M’Lop Tapang shelter is a large facility that aids 2,500 children in the Sihanoukville area. It was created in 2003, beginning as a small shelter that provided education services to street children who were no longer attending school. After the shelter received a large grant from a donor, they were able to expand and continued generous funding has allowed them to become an extremely large facility. Their primary purpose is to aid young street children in continuing their education and job skill training for future employment.
We arrived at the shelter before 9 am and were able to begin our tour early. The entire facility is surrounded by a large metal fence, complete with guardhouse and security personnel at the entrance. Although children are allowed, and even encouraged, to come and go as they will, adults are more strictly supervised. No outsiders are allowed around the children without prior approval and a rigorous sign in process. We met Kate at the guard station and after filling out entrance sheets and getting a numbered tag that identified us as visitors we were permitted inside to begin our tour.
The M’Lop Tapang complex includes several buildings including a main structure that houses the classrooms where children learn and study, a medical facility that treats the children and their families, a day care center for babies who are being mistreated or neglected at home, a large cooking facility, a sports area, and a special set of classrooms for children with learning disabilities and behavioral problems. It was incredible to see this shelter, a truly well-oiled machine that works to aid the most disadvantaged sector of the Cambodian populace, the children. We spent the morning touring the facilities and learning about the shelter, its goals, and its work from Kate. After witnessing so much poverty and despair in Cambodia, it was heartening to see a group that is trying (and succeeding) in rectifying the problem.
One of the major issues in Cambodia is the lack of fertile land. Although the Cambodian countryside is beautiful, the land itself is not very fertile for growing crops (one of the reasons they have to buy so much food from the Vietnamese). Many farmers in the outlying provinces hear about the growing urban center and tourism in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville and believe that they will become very prosperous if they move to the cities. Unfortunately, this is not the case and a lack of jobs and housing often lead families to send the children out to beg for food or sell trinkets to tourists, meaning that children don’t get an education. M’Lop Tapang works to send these kids back to school and teach their parents how to earn a living without relying on the kids. We had an amazing time touring this facility and it has inspired us to do a comparative analysis of laws in SE Asian countries concerning human trafficking.
Our tour of the shelter concluded, we jumped back in our tuk-tuk to return to the Sihanoukville bus station for our return journey to Phnom Penh. This bus trip was much like the others that preceded it and simply solidified my desire to avoid all forms of public transportation in SE Asia for the rest of my life. I managed to survive the trip, however, and we finally arrived in Phnom Penh, at the riverside, at 3 pm. After dropping our bags off at our guesthouse (the same guesthouse we previously stayed at), we rushed out to eat a late lunch at a Mexican restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet. Well, I have now tried Mexican food in three SE Asian countries and can honestly say that it really should be avoided in this region of the world. Now, I know most of you are not surprised by that statement. I mean, really, this is SE Asia here, quite a ways from Mexico and any influence of Mexican food. All I can say is that hope springs eternal and my withdrawal from the wonderful world of Mexican food has knocked all my common sense right out of my head. So, I tried the Mexican food and was once again sorely disappointed, so I am giving up! I will wait until my return to the US and will stick with food from countries a little closer in locale or who colonized the region. :) A sound plan, I think. To give you a little example of the Mexican food…imagine an Asian individual, who has never left Asia, looking at a picture of Mexican food (a taco perhaps) and thinking, “I could make that.” Then imagine that Asian person, trying to cook the Mexican food without using a recipe. In that instance you might get something similar to what we ate…”Mexican Rice” aka Fried rice with beans added.
After lunch, Zenia and I walked down the road to a DVD store the proprietor of Tom-Cat Cinema had told us about. You see, much like other Asian countries, Cambodia is home of the bootleg DVD. However, buying bootleg DVDs in SE Asia is a bit of a gamble. There are myriad problems that can occur when you buy movies from an unknown source including discs that simply don’t work, language issues, discs that won’t play in DVD players, etc. Therefore, it is always a good idea to get a recommendation from someone about where to go. The owner of this shop was extremely reliable, going so far as to play each DVD in a player to show you the quality of the video and that it will actually run. Well, Zenia and I went a little crazy in that place, buying a sack full of DVDs each…but when the DVDs are $1.50 per disc, can you blame us? So, now my suitcase coming home will be filled with DVDs, weighing me down and posing potential problems at customs. :) The price we pay for entertainment. It will be worth it!
After dragging our purchases back to our guesthouse, we decided to freshen up and go out for a nice evening. Now, we have been trying since our arrival in SE Asia to go out at night to enjoy a little social interaction – aka go to a club. As you may have noticed, we have not been successful. But Zenia was determined and we had spotted an interesting sight during our first foray into Phnom Penh and the riverfront district, a reggae bar, which are supposed to be pretty fun. So, we got all dressed up and headed out, only to find the reggae bar closed! Yup, our plans to party in SE Asia are just not to be (which really doesn’t bother me as I don’t like to party). We ended up sitting outside a nice bar, drinking bloody marys and enjoying our evening of relaxation, our last evening in Phnom Penh and Cambodia.
A little background on the shelter…the M’Lop Tapang shelter is a large facility that aids 2,500 children in the Sihanoukville area. It was created in 2003, beginning as a small shelter that provided education services to street children who were no longer attending school. After the shelter received a large grant from a donor, they were able to expand and continued generous funding has allowed them to become an extremely large facility. Their primary purpose is to aid young street children in continuing their education and job skill training for future employment.
We arrived at the shelter before 9 am and were able to begin our tour early. The entire facility is surrounded by a large metal fence, complete with guardhouse and security personnel at the entrance. Although children are allowed, and even encouraged, to come and go as they will, adults are more strictly supervised. No outsiders are allowed around the children without prior approval and a rigorous sign in process. We met Kate at the guard station and after filling out entrance sheets and getting a numbered tag that identified us as visitors we were permitted inside to begin our tour.
The M’Lop Tapang complex includes several buildings including a main structure that houses the classrooms where children learn and study, a medical facility that treats the children and their families, a day care center for babies who are being mistreated or neglected at home, a large cooking facility, a sports area, and a special set of classrooms for children with learning disabilities and behavioral problems. It was incredible to see this shelter, a truly well-oiled machine that works to aid the most disadvantaged sector of the Cambodian populace, the children. We spent the morning touring the facilities and learning about the shelter, its goals, and its work from Kate. After witnessing so much poverty and despair in Cambodia, it was heartening to see a group that is trying (and succeeding) in rectifying the problem.
One of the major issues in Cambodia is the lack of fertile land. Although the Cambodian countryside is beautiful, the land itself is not very fertile for growing crops (one of the reasons they have to buy so much food from the Vietnamese). Many farmers in the outlying provinces hear about the growing urban center and tourism in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville and believe that they will become very prosperous if they move to the cities. Unfortunately, this is not the case and a lack of jobs and housing often lead families to send the children out to beg for food or sell trinkets to tourists, meaning that children don’t get an education. M’Lop Tapang works to send these kids back to school and teach their parents how to earn a living without relying on the kids. We had an amazing time touring this facility and it has inspired us to do a comparative analysis of laws in SE Asian countries concerning human trafficking.
Our tour of the shelter concluded, we jumped back in our tuk-tuk to return to the Sihanoukville bus station for our return journey to Phnom Penh. This bus trip was much like the others that preceded it and simply solidified my desire to avoid all forms of public transportation in SE Asia for the rest of my life. I managed to survive the trip, however, and we finally arrived in Phnom Penh, at the riverside, at 3 pm. After dropping our bags off at our guesthouse (the same guesthouse we previously stayed at), we rushed out to eat a late lunch at a Mexican restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet. Well, I have now tried Mexican food in three SE Asian countries and can honestly say that it really should be avoided in this region of the world. Now, I know most of you are not surprised by that statement. I mean, really, this is SE Asia here, quite a ways from Mexico and any influence of Mexican food. All I can say is that hope springs eternal and my withdrawal from the wonderful world of Mexican food has knocked all my common sense right out of my head. So, I tried the Mexican food and was once again sorely disappointed, so I am giving up! I will wait until my return to the US and will stick with food from countries a little closer in locale or who colonized the region. :) A sound plan, I think. To give you a little example of the Mexican food…imagine an Asian individual, who has never left Asia, looking at a picture of Mexican food (a taco perhaps) and thinking, “I could make that.” Then imagine that Asian person, trying to cook the Mexican food without using a recipe. In that instance you might get something similar to what we ate…”Mexican Rice” aka Fried rice with beans added.
After lunch, Zenia and I walked down the road to a DVD store the proprietor of Tom-Cat Cinema had told us about. You see, much like other Asian countries, Cambodia is home of the bootleg DVD. However, buying bootleg DVDs in SE Asia is a bit of a gamble. There are myriad problems that can occur when you buy movies from an unknown source including discs that simply don’t work, language issues, discs that won’t play in DVD players, etc. Therefore, it is always a good idea to get a recommendation from someone about where to go. The owner of this shop was extremely reliable, going so far as to play each DVD in a player to show you the quality of the video and that it will actually run. Well, Zenia and I went a little crazy in that place, buying a sack full of DVDs each…but when the DVDs are $1.50 per disc, can you blame us? So, now my suitcase coming home will be filled with DVDs, weighing me down and posing potential problems at customs. :) The price we pay for entertainment. It will be worth it!
After dragging our purchases back to our guesthouse, we decided to freshen up and go out for a nice evening. Now, we have been trying since our arrival in SE Asia to go out at night to enjoy a little social interaction – aka go to a club. As you may have noticed, we have not been successful. But Zenia was determined and we had spotted an interesting sight during our first foray into Phnom Penh and the riverfront district, a reggae bar, which are supposed to be pretty fun. So, we got all dressed up and headed out, only to find the reggae bar closed! Yup, our plans to party in SE Asia are just not to be (which really doesn’t bother me as I don’t like to party). We ended up sitting outside a nice bar, drinking bloody marys and enjoying our evening of relaxation, our last evening in Phnom Penh and Cambodia.
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