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Vietnam, some love it and some hate it…

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Hello all,

Well I have been in Vietnam for a bit now and wow what a different country than the rest of South East Asia.  Or at least that is how I felt in the first week or so.  I started in the north at Hanoi.  I expected it to be like the rest of the cities I have seen in South East Asia and I guess it was but this is the first place I can honestly say that the people were not friendly at all.  Right from the guy who gave me a ride to the airport till when I left they all seemed so intense, yelling lots and never wanting to help.  It made it for a difficult experience to start Vietnam off with.  I smiled as much as I could but sometimes it got very frustrating.  I met up with Maris who I had met while traveling in Malaysia and we were in contact with Facebook and were able to meet again.  She was traveling with 2 great dutch girls (Sina & Carolina).  The group of us planed a trip to the northern parts of Vietnam right away.  The traffic in the inner city is so crazy as the streets are very narrow and there are a ton of motorbikes.  At times it is impossible to cross the street, kinda reminded me of playing Frogger (now that dates me).  This is the closest I have seen to the traffic I remember while in the Philippines years ago.

Our first stop out of Hanoi was a boat trip through Halong Bay.  It was a 2 hour bus ride to get to the boat but the scenery was great.  Once we got on the boat along with 14 others the scenery went from great to spectacular.  We spent the day cruising all around the bay and even though the weather was grey and cloudy I think it added to the mystic of the area.  We stayed on the boat overnight and had an opportunity to go kayaking as well.  When the sun was going down some of the group were jumping from the top of the boat into the water.  It looked like a lot of fun, just not for me (my fear of water is so much better but jumping from that high is not about to happen).  The second day we made our way back through some different channels and it continued to amaze.  The worst part was having leave and go back to Hanoi as it was so peaceful.

We were not in Hanoi for long as we took a night train to our next destination of Sapa.  The idea was to get sleep but we ended staying up until after midnight playing card games.  When the train got into Sapa we were all still very groggy.  We had a driver pick us up and transfer us to where we were staying about 2 hours away.  Later that morning we started a trek into the mountains.  We were joined by a bunch of the village ladies that helped us along the way looking for us to buy the different bags, scarves and other items they carried with them.  With all the rain, parts of the trek were really slippery but tons of fun.  It was not to hot out either so that made it for good trekking. We hike to a town called Lao Chai (7kms) and had some lunch there.  Then we continued another 4 kms to Ta Van where we were staying for the night.  The homestay was very simple but then that is exactly what I expect for a homestay.  We had some time before it got dark to explore around the village and spent some time at the river relaxing and taking in the sites and sounds.  An older dutch couple (Franz & Andrea) were on the trek as well and were completely awesome.  The whole trekking idea was a little out of their element but they made it the whole way and I never heard a complaint.  They were so nice and great to talk with.

The next morning was an early start as we wanted to make it to the market in Ba Caa as their Sunday market is one of the best in all of Vietnam.  We made it back to Sapa first then another 2 hours to Ba Caa.  The market was really awesome.  It was the first market I have been to that is selling live animals.  It was like some big livestock show with the horses, buffalo, chickens and such in their own area.  There was also an area for dogs, I hope they were been sold for pets but I think I know better.  Lots of interesting local crafts as well and tons of food.  Some looked very scary and I was told by the guide not to try some of it because he was not to sure how clean it was and our stomachs probably could not handle it.  After some lunch, in a diner, we headed off to visit some villages.  The villages are very different here as the are very spread apart instead of everything been close together like most other places. Not sure that they like their neighbors to much.  There was a big thunder storm that night so we all stayed in and played cards and shared in a bottle of local wine.  I got some massage practice in with leg massages for Franz and Andrea.  They were still moving slowly but at least they were moving.  Our last day of the tour was a hike to Cat Cat village and a very cheesy waterfall.  It looked like Andrea might not get through the entire hike but 1/2 through her legs were feeling great and she did the whole thing while some others took a motorbike back to Sapa.  They afternoon was free for us to tour around Sapa and I took the time to get a massage.  I will tell you that is was not a great experience, the massage was awful and the lady would not stop trying to offer me a happy ending.  I ended up leaving before the hour was up still looking for a good massage somewhere.  In the evening we took the night train back to Hanoi and this time we were a little smarter with our timing and got some decent sleep.

We got back to Hanoi at 5am and went straight to the hotel and got a few more zzzz’s.  We then spent the rest of the morning touring around some of the sights of Hanoi.  A lot of the main sites are only open in the morning until 11am and so we got all of those done.  The main attractionwas the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  You are herded 2 by 2 into the mausoleum to see the body of Ho Chi Minh.  It was very stately but confusing since his last request was to be cremated and here he is for all to see.  There are lots of other places in the same area all dedicated to Ho Chi Minh.  He is a very revered man in Vietnam and he seemed to have some really good principals.  In the afternoon I stopped at a temple and the St. Joseph Cathedral.  After a full day of touring I made it back to the hotel to chill out for a while and then caught a night bus to Hue.

The night buses are called sleeping buses and have fold down seats that is supposed to make easier to sleep.  The only problem with it is each spot is quite small and if you are short (shorter than me) it works great, anyone 6 ft tall would really suffer.  I was only in Hue for a few hours and in that time I got a motorbike tour of the highlights of the old city.  Another bus took me in the afternoon to Hoi An.  I wanted to stay here because I had heard very good things about it from other travelers. Hoi An did not disappoint and the people seem to be getting much nicer and more relaxed as I head south, which I was told would happen.  Hoi an is known for its tailors.  Almost everyone that comes here get some clothing made.  I am no exception as I could use some new stuff.  Most are getting suits made but since I have no need for that i got some shorts and 2 shirts made.  Really good quality and all done in less than a day for so cheap.  I was also able to take in all the sites around the town and enjoy the smaller town.  It was very comfortable what I really wanted was a beach.  They had a beach here but it was 6km out of town so after 2days here I took a night bus to Na Trang and then another bus to Mui Ne.  Mui Ne is beach heaven.  It was sunny, hot and humid all the things I like.  The town really is for kite surfers and wind boarders but I still fit in really well.  I just took so e time to slow down and chill out for a while.  The beach was really windy in the afternoons so I spent mostly the mornings tanning before the wind really started to blow.  I was able to finish my book that I had been reading for a few weeks and mostly not think about anything.  I took a tour of the sites one afternoon and saw some amazing sand dunes, canyons and a great fishing village.

The relax thing can only last for so long so then i made my way to Ho Chi Minh City and that is where I am now.  Even though the city is 5 times larger than Hanoi it just does not seem as busy.  Most of the touristy stuff is within walking distance of the center and I will be checking all that out.  The locals are really nice as well and seem to want to give a helping hand.  The south is so much nicer than the north as far as the people but the scenery up north made it worth while.  I will continue on through the area and then see where I head next.

That is it for now, take care all, till soon….

PS: One big birthday wish this time.  It is my mom’s 70th on Sunday May 2nd.  I know the rest of the family is getting together to celebrate.  I wish I could be there.  Love you sooooooo much!!!

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi

Typical residential street in Hanoi

Our boat for the Halong Bay tour

The beauty and mystic of Halong Bay

Me relaxing at the front of the boat during Halong Bay tour

Working the fields during trek to Ta Van

Carolina, Andrea, me and Sina relaxing at the river after a day of trekking

The incredible view of the rice terraces near Ta Van

Ladies in traditional dress at the market in Ba Caa

Transport from local villages to Ba Caa for the market

Red and white sands along a small creek outside of Mui Ne

Fishing village just outside of Mui Ne

White sand dunes of Mui Ne

Me on the beach at Mui Ne

The lovely country of Laos

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Hello all,

Well it has been another 3 weeks of adventures in the life of Steve.  When I last wrote I was in Chiang Rai just relaxing and getting ready to head into Laos.  Well now I have been in Laos for almost 3 weeks and I have some really cool stories to tell.

While I was in Thailand one of the things I wanted to do was to see the hill tribes and do an overnight trek.  It never happened while I was there and I was a little disappointed.  The main reason I did not do it was because all the treks were so touristy and you had to go on elephants rides and rafting down a river.  All I wanted was time in a village and see how the people actually live.  When I crossed over into Laos this opportunity was finally in front of me and wow was it ever great.

I was up early in the morning and walking around a town called Luang Nam Tha, it is a small town and lots is based on the tourists.  There are trekking and tourist shops everywhere and they are all selling pretty much the same packages.  I had found one on my walk and not sure why it stuck out but I went in and had a great conversation with the owner.  He had the same packages as everyone else but I told him I was looking for something different.  He got a big smile on his face and said I think I have a trek for you.  He had been working with a village over the last few weeks and was putting together a new trek to it.This village had never had white people in it before and came to him as they thought they wanted to be part of the tourist trade and improve their village.  They had a rough plan of what the trip would entail and he asked me to help him with the English on his description of what they were planning.  Can you imagine him asking me, I just looked at him and said that I was horrible at English but if it helped him I would try.  I looked over the description and knew it was exactly what I was looking for.  I asked when would they be able to go and he said that he would like to try for the next day if he could get enough people.  He wanted 6 for the trip and since I was with 2 others we were half way there.  I met up with him again in the afternoon and he said everything was a go that we had 7 people.  I was very excited and the rest of the day flew by.  To tell you the truth I do not remember that much of touring around that day because I kept thinking about the trek.

We all met in the morning and ended up having a group of 9.  Two young English couples (Alex and Amy,David and Stacey, one french couple ( still no idea what there names are cause no one could understand them) and the three of us (Andrej, Phillip and me).  We took a truck out to a village called Sopseen and it was very quiet as we slowly got to know one another.  This is where the trek started.  It took a bit for them to get the guides all organized but as this was happening we got to watch the locals at work.  They were working on building a new home and chiseling holes in big beams to put 2×4’s through.  It looked like a lot of work and there were at least a dozen men working on it.  The little children had their own chisels and hammers and trying to make holes in the wood but were not getting very far.  Some of the men were using hammers others used pieces of wood or what ever was around to hammer the chisel.  We had 2 guides from the tour company (Dan and Don) and then 2 others from the village joined us.  One was a young boy that helped carry some supplies for our lunch and the other was an older lady that also carried some supplies and was our cook.  She walked at the back of the pack and while carrying everything on her head she knitted while she walked.  The rest of us were concentrating on where we were going and there is no way I could imagine knitting as we walked.  She spoke no English but she always had a smile for me when I smiled at her.  We trekked into the forest for about 3 hours going up and down mountains.  The scenery we were walking through was amazing except for the very gray sky.  It was not cloudy but very smoky from burning rice fields and forest.  At this time of year the whole north area of South East Asia is covered in a haze from the burning.  It happens all through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China.  It would be amazing to see this area with a blue sky and green rice fields but I am here during the dry season and 35-40 degree temperatures.  When we stopped for lunch the old Laos lady put down banana leaves that we all missed her getting as we walked and that became our table.  Next she plopped down a clump of sticky rice for each of us and finally in the middle she made piles of the other things we were eating.  Some were all veg and others had some noodles and chicken.  There were no plates so we all sat around the table she created and used our hands.  It reminded me of Fiji and some of the meals I ate there.  I thought it was great and I knew I was on the right trek for me.  I am not sure every one liked the idea a lot especially the French couple but at least we started talking more and getting to know one another.  After our lunch the lady and young boy headed back to their village as they only came along to carry our food for the day, how nice was that for them to do it.  Our 2 guides knew the way to the village we were headed for and so we were off.  Again up and down mountains and actually the trek itself was pretty difficult.  I stayed near the back of the group and chatted with Dan as we walked.  I asked what his real Laos name was and he told me Dan, not sure I believed him but if that is what he wanted to be called then that is what I would use.  We were at the top of one hill and he pointed out to the bottom and the little village we were headed.  As we walked into the village the children came to see us but when we got close they ran off, not sure if they were scared or had no idea what else to do.  We were met by the chief and taken to a home and sat down to rest for a bit.  The children were curious but stayed a good distance away.  I asked the chief if would be okay to take a picture of the children and he was okay with that.  When the children saw what I was doing they hide behind a post in single file and I just giggled.  We were then escorted on a tour of the village and on the way I took a pic of the chief and another older man.  I went and showed the pic to them and they smiled at seeing their image in the camera.  I then tried to take another pic of the children but they ran away until the chief told them to come back and said it was okay.  I took a pic of a group of them and then held out the camera for them to see.  They were very hesitant but slowly made their way to me and looked at the picture.  Then I took another and showed them again, and soon they were all giggling at each other.  For the rest of the tour of the village the children were almost posing as we took pics and showed them.  The village itself was in way better shape than what I expected.  They had 340 people living there and it was very remote with no roads to it.  They had a good water supply and lots of gardens to feed off of.  Lots of animals were around including chickens, ducks, pigs and lots of dogs.  Most of the houses were in good shape and all made by the villagers.  The only thing I thought that was missing was toilet facilities.  We were told before that there would be no toilets there but I was still surprised that none of the home had anything.  They go in the forest and I guess the animals end up eating it at some point.  I know that is not good but that is what they have been doing for years.  After the tour we had some free time to do whatever we wanted.  So watched as they prepared our meal and explained what we were getting and how they cook in the village.  I watched for a while and others just continued to tour around the village.  At one part of the stream is their bathing area and we got to go there and freshen up, not everyone did but I sure did and it felt great to get the dirt of the day off.  After that I was just sitting and taking it all in and Dan came and sat beside me.  We had a great talk about the village and how it worked and how the future of it looked.  I was a little confused at how nice the village was and wondered how they were able to get everything they had.  Most of it came from hard work as they grow enough rice during the season to feed there entire village for the year and still have extra to sell at the market.  They also harvest other crops at other times of the year to get some extra money.  Everything in the village is about business just like everywhere else in the world.  All those animals they have including the dos are income and are sold to the highest bidder at markets close to the village.  I told him I was interested/concerned as to what will happen to the village as more tourists come here and they earn more money that way.  Will they get lazy and use the tourist dollars instead of growing that next rice field or selling a pig.  I know several others in the group were not very happy with what they saw at the village and not sure how to take it all.  I kept and open mind and hoped that they would use the money for good things like maybe proper toilet facilities for themselves. I was curious about been told we were the first westerners in the village and if that was actually true. It was true but most of the people there had seen westerners before in town but were still very unsure about us. Our supper was very similar to our lunch and everything on the banana leaves and we used our hands again.  To start the dinner off the chief offered us a drink of Lao Lao which is their variation of alcohol.  It is made from rice and was very sweet, it was similar to mead or mulled wine.  It tasted okay and after everyone had some we had our dinner.  The food was very tasty or at least to me it was.  After the dinner we were offered more Lao Lao and were able to ask them questions.  We also got them to ask us some.  An evening of drinking and conversation continued until it was time for bed.  They had the upper level of 2 houses set up with mats, blankets and mosquito nets for all of us. The morning came early with the noises of all the chickens and other animals.  It took a long time to get going because they had to cook our breakfast and lunch before we could leave.  We saw the take a chicken and that was part of our breakfast which included sticky rice again (well it cam with every meal) and the same type of stuff we had for lunch and dinner the day before.  This gave us time to see more of the village and time to chat if we wanted.  We left the village at around 10:30 for our trek back to the city.  We headed off in a different direction than we came and this time we had 2 young men with us to guide us.  That turned out to be very important as they way they took us had not been used in a very long time and they had to cut through a lot of jungle to recreate the path again.  It was very impressive to watch them cut away the forest with their machetes and clearing a path for us.  It was very slow going for a big part but I really enjoyed it.  I could hear the birds chirping and other sounds of the jungle, I guess it doesn’t take much these days to make me happy.After 3 hours of trekking we stopped and had our lunch just like the day before and the 2 guides from the village headed back to their home.  The path was much easier after this except one part where they had cut down part of the jungle to make a rice field and had not burnt it yet so we had to cross all this bamboo and trees.  It made it fun and adventurous for me.  We ended at a village called Simoudom where we were met by a truck to drive us back to Luang Nam Tha.  I was so happy that i got to do the trek and see this village and there is only one thing that I was disappointed about.  After all the trekking and questions I was not smart enough to ask the name of the village so I actually have no idea where we went. I could show you on a map but how dumb not to get the actual name.

The next day Phillip and I caught a local bus to a town called Udom Xai which is more of a Chinese town than Laos. There was not much to see and in a mater of a few hours in the afternoon we had seen it all.  The adventure was the bus ride itself as they stuff as many people into these buses as possible along with a variety of other things.  This day it was Rats, big ugly dead rats.  The driver was going along and while going through one town he stopped to buy a bundle, group, (what is a bunch of rats tied together at the legs called??) of rats.  once purchased he tossed them up onto the shelf that was meant for baggage above the peoples heads.  This did not bother the locals at all but I was glad I was further back and not near them, they were definitely ugly.

The next morning I caught another local bus to Luang Prabang and Phillip headed for Vietiane and then Bangkok and back to Germany.  I got to Luang Prabang just before a storm hit and was lucky enough to find a decent guest house in time before the rain.  Andrej ended up here as well and had meet another guy from Italy (Roberto).  It was a quiet evening after the rain and we just took a walk through the market and got some dinner.  The next day the 3 of us took a walk around the town to get familiar with it.  There are some really nice Wats (Temples) here and the Royal Palace was really nice.  After spending some time here I was really enjoying the atmosphere of the place.  Even though there was lots of building going on the town kept its old culture as well.  The town is known for 2 thing for the tourists, caves and waterfalls, oh I should not forget its night market as well.  The next day was spent at the Pak Ou cave.  The cave itself is not that spectacular but the day was full of adventure.  The idea is to get as big a group you can and then hire a tuk tuk to take you for the day.  The more people you have the cheaper it gets per person.   We spent over an hour trying to find others that wanted to go to the cave that day but most were headed to the waterfall as it was very hot.  After lots of talking and Roberto making us laugh we got 2 others to join us and had a great afternoon.  The next day we went through the same process again but this time it was easy to find others headed to the waterfall.  We got out to Kouang Si Waterfall at around 11am before most of the people go.  It turned out to be a great plan as it was not busy and we were able to see an amazing waterfall and not have tons of people in our pics.  It had several different levels and a few nice swimming areas.  At the top where the main fall is, I was able to take some time and reflect on how lucky and great this adventure is for me.  It was nice to relax and take in all the sounds the area offered.  It is sometimes hard to explain areas like this and so just take a look at the pic and I think you will know what I mean.  The next day was spent looking at a few more Wats and then relaxing.  I had a really cool moment while walking around.  I heard my name called out and turned around to see someone that I knew from earlier in my trip.  I know this has happened often but this was different.  The girl calling my name out was Eva and I met her on my very first week while I was in Fiji. I did not recognize her at first but she sure knew me.  She was the girl that told me about Voro Voro and I ended up staying there for 5 weeks.  It was so cool to see her again and we met up that evening for a few cocktails and lots of conversation.

After Luang Prabang it was time to head to Vang Vieng.  This is party central for Laos and all the young backpackers traveling the world.  It was also Andrej birthday and what better place to celebrate.  It turned out to be everything we were told by others.  One big party all day long.  Most sleep in until around noon and then head to the river for some tubing.  along the river are bars set up with lots of free alcohol and big swings to throw you in the water.  Everyone was having a great time but with my fear of water the swings were out of the question.  The tubing was great on its own and I completely enjoyed myself.  Because most of the activities were on the water I never had my camera with me and thus really no pics.  We went caving the one day and I took some pics there but the area is about the river and tubing and i don’t have a single pic.  After a few days of fun I knew it was time to move on as I can only take so much of that.  I can see how some of the young people come here and plan to stay a day or two and end here for a week.

We took a bus from Vang Vieng to Phonsavan or better known as the Plain of Jars.  The town itself has almost nothing to see except for a good fresh market.  The highlight is a little out of town called the Plain of Jars.  Here is another thing that is difficult to explain mostly because the locals don’t know where they came from.  Try to imagine bug cups or urns (as big as me) that have been made by someone at some time.  They may even be prehistoric.  They really do not have any clue where they come from and have not been studied that much since 1930 because of all the wars in the area.  The area is covered by unexploded mines and so you have to stay to the path and no wandering around on your own. They have a few theories about the jars but none that make that much sense.  I guess just look at the pic and make up your own story, cause that is what I am gong to do.

From Phonsavan we took a night bus to Vietiane which is the capital of Laos.  It is the big city but not like the big cities of the other countries I have been.  This place is still very much in the old ways with no McDonalds or Subway and I like it so much better this way.  I will stick around here for a days as I wait for my visa to get into Vietnam.  I got in on a Friday and now have to wait until the weekend is over to get it from the embassy. There are lots of Wats and cultural stuff here to see so I have lots to take in and complete before I go.  It is really hot here as well (41 degrees everyday) so by the afternoon you are pretty tired out and need to get out of the sun.

So my next blog will be about Vietnam and what ever adventures I can find there.  I continue to enjoy myself and going where ever I feel like.  It is so nice to be this free and very lucky as well.

Take all and enjoy everything you have!!!

Love Steve

PS: Okay it is birthday time again, although there have not been any in the last few weeks which is different so I can make some wishes early and be ahead for once.  Happy Birthday goes out to my buddy Abel (I know I will get in trouble for this but my friend is turning the big 5-0). Even though he is not planning a big celebration I know April 16th will be a very special day.  My nephew and godchild Matthew has birthday the very next day.  My uncle Richard is on the 20th (have a rum for me), and then there is a double shot on the 25th for my cousin Linda and my lovely sister Cathleen.  I love you all and hope you have a great day!!!

Dan (the guide) and myself on the trek to village

Our lunch on the trek, nothing better than eating with your hands

The trekking group

Pic of the village kidsThe jungle trek

Anyone want to try a drink of local whiskey???

Me at the first swimming hole at Kouang Si WaterfallKouang Si Waterfall at the 2nd swimming hole

Wat (Temple) in Luang Prabang

Sandwich lady at market in Luang Peabang, we had lunch there every day

on the white side is free of landmines, the red side not clear of landmines

Me at the Plain of Jars near Phonsavan

Another pic of the Plain of Jars

Buddha Statues at a Wat in VientianePatuxai Monument in Vientiane

A view of the park and city from on top of Patuxai Monument