Friday, October 3
Wednesday, September 3
Monday, August 6
Tuesday, July 24
MOSCOW
Russia is GREAT! We are back in Europe! Modern life! Whoo hoo! Ok- so the prices have gone up too... but were at the end of the trip... have rediscovered the vocabulary of 'charge it!' Feel a little like we are FINALLY on VACATION!
Moscow is really gorgeous...and very cosmopolitan. MUCH more than we expected. Feels like New York in lots of ways (perhaps becuase we have been out of the loop?) In other ways- the Russian masses (without having too much one on one interaction in depth) totally live up to all the sterotypes that you think of and imagine from the movies and back in the days of the Cold War (mostly visually i think- we've had great fun people watching...)
Got in yesterday...walked around Red Square and then went out for fancy Russian dinner... Shawn even drank a few shots of vodka and cognac. Also had pickels, herring, wild mushrooms, borsht, perogies (?) and then main dishes with meatballs, rice, potates... then some fried farmers cheese with berry jam for dessert!
Today got up early...back to Red Square...saw the Kremlin.. the Armory, St Basil:s Catherdaral....walked down Arbat (?) street and did a mini architecture tour.... A bsuy day! Tomorrow perhaps a tour of the artsy subway stations...see Lenin's body/tomb..or a few museums. And yes we ate at McDonalds here too )things are VERY expensive!!!)
Then we head to St Petersburg for a few days, to Tallinn Esonia for a few more days... one day stopover in Prague... then back in NYC on Aug 2 (then we travel around the states to catch up with family and for Shawn to teach Guitar Camp up in Bar Harbor- I get to tag along...Yippee! One more week of vacation before back to reality)
I doubt I will have much time to blog in the next week or so... perhaps Shawn will add some more photos? I promise to do a wrap-up posting once we are back.
Can:t believe it has been 4 months already... but both Shawn and I were saying that we feel excited to come home... that the trip was a great adventure, crazy experiences and so much fun- but by no means an 'escape'.. we are both really happy with our lives at home and looking forward to getting back to them. Already plotting our next adventure.... Madagascar? Namibia? Galapagos? Budapest? Paris! Lions and tigers and bears OHMY!!!!!
TRANSIBERIAN
Got on the train in Beijing... got off in Moscow!
Well, we did hop off at stops along the way to catch a breath of fresh air and stretch our legs.... but the ride was straight through. 6 days 5 nights.
We were in 2nd class (4 bunks to a cabin0 but had it to ourselves after the first night... in fact we had the WHOLE CAR to ourselves for the last half of the trip (excpet for our cute Chinese porter... each train has one who sort of 'lives' in the last berth for the duration of the trip...keep things clean (yes, they even vaccuumed the hallway periodically) made sure the samovar always had fresh hot boiled water for tea/instant noodles...gave us fresh sheets, stocked the bathroom with toilet papere...and kept a stach of cold beer and extra food if needed in dire straights.They also made sure we were back on the train in time when it was pulling out of the station!
The train itself was very fancy... white table cloth on our little cabin table... carpeting, electrical outlets.. even piped in music if desired. The bathroom was always clean (although surprisingly it just flushed right out onto the track.. as a result always locked when we were in a station) No shower...but we had been forwarner so brought a washcloth, liquid soaps, and a large tupperware for sink bathing with hot water from the samovar.
The dining car left a bit to be desired )overpriced and not that appetizing0 We had stocked up on oatmeal, noodles, tea, crackers peanut butter, candy chocolate etc and boarder with t big box... but even that got old so we did eat in the dining car some. it changed with each country! Fried eggs were always a safe bet. Beer too. The Russian car smelled like my aunt Deloris's house in Caseville...
Met some other travellors on the trip, Shawn played lots of guitar. We also had a whooping game of Boggle with everyone! Overall- once I settled in to the fact that we were going to be on that train for 5 days... it didn:t take long to get into MAJOR RELAX MODE and nap several times a day, read my book, listen to Ipod, do crosswords, etc.
The scenery was gorgeous... first the Gobi Desert.. then into Mongolia (lots of livestock and yurts (tents)...Siberian countryside with rolling hills, feilds of wildflowers, peasant villages...then into the Ural mountains, birch tree forests smattered with pines... and soon into the suburban outskirts of Moscow.
The border crossing were time consuming and strict but without a hitch.... had fun spending all our last Chinese Yuan at the duty free sote at the border of Mongolia. Shawn had enough Dove chocolate bars to exceed one per day!
And at night we slept SO well to the rocking of the train (also becuase it was so clean, the bunks were plenty big and had fresh cloth covers in addition to sheets)...
I did go a little stir crazy at times the first few days... buy by the end was sad to have the trip end...
3 DAYS IN BEIJING
Hello everyone! we have been so BUSY trying to squeeze every last ounce of fun and activity our of our last few days of the trip....so i am going to be brief with a synopsis...
BEIJING
Stayed with our friend MARCUS (he is German and has been living there for about a year a and half...
Day 1 Summer Palace
Day 2 Fobidden City and Tienamen (sp?) Square, Fancy dinner of Peking Duck downtown, also grocery shopping to get ready for the big Transiberian Train trip
Day 3 Bus/minibus a few hours outside of town to Sumatai to climb the Great Wall!
Thoughts on Beijing* very crowded! Even the touristy sites...think Disneyland caliber lines at the peak of spring break. Obviously- with 6 times the population of the US and only 1 coast to concentrate everyone onto! (Another interesting fact- not exactly sure on the numbers- but I think the Chinese financial SUPRLUS is something like 3 times what our DEFICIT is!) Riding the subways at rush hour was....um...quite an experience!
Also the pollution form all the industry was very obvious- the smog was there everyday- made the sun look like an orangier version of the moon. No blue sky at all... and was hard to see the Great Wall (obstructed views0 simply from from the smog even though we had gone to the less touristy site to climb... That said- they are shutting it all down/moving the plants out of town for the Olympics- so that is at least encouraging a temporary fix. The construction, renovation, clean up etc that is going on for the Olympics is EVERYWHERE and the city will look SPECTACULAR (at least for those 2 weeks!
Summary of meals* AMAZING FOOD EVERYWHERE!!!!! (Ok we did eat at McDonalds once)
The touts selling hats and postcards at the Great Wall saw Shawn's guitar and asked for a song... he played 'Gimme Some Money' from the Spinal Tap soundtrack... they didn:t understand the verses but they got the joke when it came to the chorus! Their anthem had come to life. Thats one thing that has been universal from country to country... 'Hello, Money?' Come on... at least try to sell me an overpriced trinket!
Friday, July 13
LHASA and RURAL TIBET
Wow- so much more to write and say about our journey.... but I cannot get myself in the mood to write! Perhaps because there is so much I am not sure where to start. Hopefully some of the photos will speak for themselves. Tibet is one of the few places on the trip where I have been really amazed because it is so unusual and different yet also relaxed in taking it all in! The land is also just breathtaking and really contributes to the experience.
Rolling hills, yaks... tiny rural towns that look like the old West
Potala Palace here in Lhasa (were the Dalai Lama lived before exile) built over hundreds of years each Lama adding on since the 1600s... includes the tombs of all the previous Lamas- intricate gold and inlay... a maze of tiny rooms narrow passages and ladders. Pretty much vacant - has an empty lonely feel since Chinese ransacked and all the monks/Dalai Lama left...but then to have all the Tibetans prostratingm chanting and walking koras so devotely and in crowds around the outside.... yet they can't come in except as tourists to see. A bizarre concept.
Jokhar temple in the center of town - the most sacred site of pilgrimage... Dark ornate rooms...crammed with Tibetans carrying yak butter offerings... smoky from the candles...every inch adorned with gold statuary, fabric or mural/painting. Need more photos to better illutrate... everyone moving in clockwise roation from little chrine to shrine up the levels all the way to the roof... many many monks chanting in low tones... amazing atmosphere- felt really out of this world... Then in front of the temple all the Tibetans lying directly on the ground in worship...up and down chanting...it was hard to tiptoe through them to get back out.
Other notables.... quaint narrow streets to wander (in the old quarter- not the new Chinese neighborhoods- that said- has been nice to go there the modern grocery store and buy snacks and toiletries) Neat Muslim quarter ( talk about confusing...to be be Tibetan, Chinese?, AND muslim!)
YUMMYYUMMY food aplenty...and cheap! Yak dumplings. Fresh steamed buns.Szechuan (sp?) Chinese EVERYTHING. Yak yogurt. Snickers! Euro bakery with cinnamon rolls. Sweet milk tea (NO salty greasy yak butter tea for us)
Lovely just to wander around town. People watch....
Not doing Tibet or Lhasa any justice here in writing , just having writers block. Feeling too relaxed and happy to motivate? More in person as we are nearing the 2 week coundown!!! AAAAEEEEEIII! (Don't know if thats good or bad- I think both!)
Tomorrow we fly to Beijing for a fast 3 days of touristic sights... Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace, Tianamen (sp?) square...
Then we are on the Transiberian Rail from Beijing to Moscow (via Mongolia for 5 days.) SO may not be blogging for a awhile! Will write more as SOON as I can.
BYE BYE
TIBET Update
SO the secret is out...we went to Base Camp Everest! Didn't want to say anything in case we didn't make it there- or if it was covered in clouds and we never saw it!
Shawn was great and spent alot of time putting photos up for everyone to enjoy....
Basically we hired a 4x4 with driver and guide for 6 days/5 nights with another wonderful couple (Laurent and Jimena- he's French, she's Argentinian and they live in Paris) We stopped at several small towns along the way to see monastaries and more rural Tibet... the scenery along the way was out of this world! Smooth rolling mountains covered with green tundra, sandy dunes, craggy rocks- quite varied adn all very grand.
Everst Base camp itself was a row of tents at the base of the mountain (around 5100 meters- but we felt overall OK) The tent was lined with cushioned benches at the outer perimeter (where you sit/sleep etc) and a wood stove in the middle....big enough to sleep 5. Upon arrival in the afternoon- we saw Everest for about 5 minutes then the clouds moved in... we hiked 4km up to the actual "base camp marker" despite the lack of view (huffing and puffing!)
In the evening we hung out in the tent with the Tibetans and a few other travellors (not many climbers this time of year- the best weather is in May/early June)The 2 Tibetan brothers running our tent were so hospitable- one sip of tea from the glass and they were already filling up your cup! Shawn lead a sing along with the guitar - the Tibetans particularly loved "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" and anything in Ragtime style- a few even danced! Another Tibetan went and got his "Tibetan: guitar and played some traditional songs as well while the women sang.
That night before going to bed- the two brothers piled huge thick blankets and comforters onto each of us... and tucked everyone in individually. By 2 am I knew why! The stove had gone out, it was pitch black and EXTREMELY cold!!!! Still, we managed to get up VERY early at 6 am- to get a glimpse of Everest in the incredible moon and starlight... then (shivering) we watched as the sun came up- then loaded into a horse cart (with guitars!) to make the short journey back up to the "base camp marker" for some more photos and sunny views (but still BRRRR!)
Back at the tent- we still had cloud free views for a few hours- it was brilliant watching the light change on the mountain as the morning progressed. We were very happy to be back by the fire and drinking tea! The Tibetans say it is very good luck to have an unobstructed view of Quomolonga (their name for Everest- you'll see in the photos that the marker even says Quomolonga!)
Overall an experience that was amazing on so many levels...
1) The journey in and of itself- driving through vast terrain, for many hours
2) Cultural- experienceing rural Tibetan culture... those at the base camp, the nomadic herders, our interactions, the food, tents, etc
3) Ecological - for me thinking about the flora/fauna, geology, weather, altitude, etc
4) The commercial aspect and novelty of "BASE CAMP Everest"- and seeing the road that is slowly making it's way closer and closer...pavement! I wouldn't be suprised if by the time of the Beijing Olympics 2008, tour buses will be shuttling back and forth full of Chinese tourist!!!
Tuesday, July 10
Wednesday, July 4
Photos...?
Shawn and I were posting on the blog at the same time this afternoon... luckily we can still access to write/post, but cannot get on the blog to read/see it. Did the photos come through? Someone please send me an email to molly.persinger@gmail.com to let me if you are seeing them (or you can just click on the littl envelope symbol to link with my email direct from the blog site) THANKS!
CENSORED!
It has been interesting to see the CHinese "presence" here in Tibet... it is sort of sad. I read that the Dalai Lama is now seeking "autonomy" and not "independance." Unfortunately I think Tibet is too far past that with the Chinese to go back. (A great documentary film about this is "Cry of the Snow Lion"for anyone who is interested in the topic)
The POtala Palace is spectacular and huge overlooking the city- (where the Dlai Lama used to live before exiled) but definately (at least to me)has an empty feel (we have not gone in yet- but heard they will close it down to the public next year) There is a huge pilgrim circuit around the Potala and adjacent park that we spent some time "walking along" with crowd earlier today. At least they still let the pigrims in the palace for free 3 days per week, but I think the parts you can see are very limited (from what we have heard).
This is the thing that is so scary/sad... it seems that the Chinese are doing little things around town to almost twist the dagger in the wound so to speak.... for example- right in front of the Potala there is a huge raised CHinese flag- so you basically cannot get a picture of it with the flag front and center! And the park behing the palace that is part of the pigrimage rout- has been all redone by the CHinese (and is VERY NICE and MODERN) but they have CHinese music playing from speakers that have been blended into the part landscape (to look like a rock or tree stump) so while the "route" is really nice and meat and all redone (which I don't know if they think is a good thing or not)- the Tibetans have to listen to CHinese music the whole time they are walking along around one of the most religious sites! And the historic parts of the old city- big whitewashed brick buildings with ornate hand painting above the windows... all have China Unicom billboards at intervals along the whole street hung from the buildilngs.... The big clincher is right adjecent the Potala palace is a huge monument - "LIberation Monument" to commemorate the "peacefult liberation" of Tibet by the Chinese. Wow- the nerve!
Pictures/images of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan flag are totally banned are you can get arrested...our tour book mentioned that sneaking them in can get you in BIG trouble (even wondering about writing this?) We had to be careful with all the flag pathces Shawn had sewon his guitar case... we had them all sewn on except Tibet flag- will do that one at home (got put in the mail home as we we worried about even trying to hide it in the luggage.) Interestingly- the Westerners that we have met here who speak fluent Chinese (2 university professor) both say that the students are aware of the media censorship and know how to get around it if desired (ie internet portals, obtaining forieng newspapers etc) We have to be careful about topics of conversation with English speaking Chinese nationals- as they can get in trouble or be put in a bad position by discussing we us!
Being in Asia has really been a great history lesson for me.... from the Vietnam war, to Kmer Rouge..to here in China learning about the Cultural Revolution. communism, and Tibet conflict. Lots of confusing but intersting things- still more questions but much more knowledgle and insight than Ihad before the trip.
We leave tomorrow for a 6 day jaunt out into the countryside... which we have been told has much less Chinese development and lots of Tibetan villages and gorgeous mountain scenery, as well as many old monastaries (many of which are still very slowly being reconstructed after destruction during the cultural revolution) We're going with a nice couple we met- they actualy planned the whole trip itinerary and arranged the dirver and guid- but needed 2 more people to split the cost and share the 4 wheel drive. We have to go with a guide and get more special travel permits for outside of Lhasa- but the tour company is taking care of this and has been really competant and helpful. Interestingly when we asked about the guide and his/her English abilities- they said they would do thier best- but that they are not the ones who supply the guide! It is actually a government requirement and the government picks the guide and can send pretty much anyone- so it is outside the tour company's control.We asked what the purpose of the guide was- they said- well, to tell you about the monastaries etc, but that is a cover... they "need to be watching you" (those were the exact words!) So while a young energetic, English speaking native Tibetan would be the ideal... I think we are getting a Chinese babysitter :)
SO...we will be in the countryside for the next 6 days... out of blog contact. I'll be sure to write when we return... probably FULL of yak meak, yak yogurt, and yak butter tea. Wish me luck!
The POtala Palace is spectacular and huge overlooking the city- (where the Dlai Lama used to live before exiled) but definately (at least to me)has an empty feel (we have not gone in yet- but heard they will close it down to the public next year) There is a huge pilgrim circuit around the Potala and adjacent park that we spent some time "walking along" with crowd earlier today. At least they still let the pigrims in the palace for free 3 days per week, but I think the parts you can see are very limited (from what we have heard).
This is the thing that is so scary/sad... it seems that the Chinese are doing little things around town to almost twist the dagger in the wound so to speak.... for example- right in front of the Potala there is a huge raised CHinese flag- so you basically cannot get a picture of it with the flag front and center! And the park behing the palace that is part of the pigrimage rout- has been all redone by the CHinese (and is VERY NICE and MODERN) but they have CHinese music playing from speakers that have been blended into the part landscape (to look like a rock or tree stump) so while the "route" is really nice and meat and all redone (which I don't know if they think is a good thing or not)- the Tibetans have to listen to CHinese music the whole time they are walking along around one of the most religious sites! And the historic parts of the old city- big whitewashed brick buildings with ornate hand painting above the windows... all have China Unicom billboards at intervals along the whole street hung from the buildilngs.... The big clincher is right adjecent the Potala palace is a huge monument - "LIberation Monument" to commemorate the "peacefult liberation" of Tibet by the Chinese. Wow- the nerve!
Pictures/images of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan flag are totally banned are you can get arrested...our tour book mentioned that sneaking them in can get you in BIG trouble (even wondering about writing this?) We had to be careful with all the flag pathces Shawn had sewon his guitar case... we had them all sewn on except Tibet flag- will do that one at home (got put in the mail home as we we worried about even trying to hide it in the luggage.) Interestingly- the Westerners that we have met here who speak fluent Chinese (2 university professor) both say that the students are aware of the media censorship and know how to get around it if desired (ie internet portals, obtaining forieng newspapers etc) We have to be careful about topics of conversation with English speaking Chinese nationals- as they can get in trouble or be put in a bad position by discussing we us!
Being in Asia has really been a great history lesson for me.... from the Vietnam war, to Kmer Rouge..to here in China learning about the Cultural Revolution. communism, and Tibet conflict. Lots of confusing but intersting things- still more questions but much more knowledgle and insight than Ihad before the trip.
We leave tomorrow for a 6 day jaunt out into the countryside... which we have been told has much less Chinese development and lots of Tibetan villages and gorgeous mountain scenery, as well as many old monastaries (many of which are still very slowly being reconstructed after destruction during the cultural revolution) We're going with a nice couple we met- they actualy planned the whole trip itinerary and arranged the dirver and guid- but needed 2 more people to split the cost and share the 4 wheel drive. We have to go with a guide and get more special travel permits for outside of Lhasa- but the tour company is taking care of this and has been really competant and helpful. Interestingly when we asked about the guide and his/her English abilities- they said they would do thier best- but that they are not the ones who supply the guide! It is actually a government requirement and the government picks the guide and can send pretty much anyone- so it is outside the tour company's control.We asked what the purpose of the guide was- they said- well, to tell you about the monastaries etc, but that is a cover... they "need to be watching you" (those were the exact words!) So while a young energetic, English speaking native Tibetan would be the ideal... I think we are getting a Chinese babysitter :)
SO...we will be in the countryside for the next 6 days... out of blog contact. I'll be sure to write when we return... probably FULL of yak meak, yak yogurt, and yak butter tea. Wish me luck!
TIBET- First few days
We made it too Tibet (after paying alittle bit more than expected for the appropriate permits and flights) but we are he and loving it.
Lhasa is a bit built up due to Chinese development- but we expected this so were not disappointed when we got here. The old part of the city and the temples still look fairly authentic and not too "touched" by CHinese effort so we tend to stick to those areas of town which feel more historical and authentic. The best part of being here is watching/seeing ALL the TIbetans! There are so many pilgrims here to do the "circuit"- crowds of people walking clokwise along aset route around the bigger temples, along walls of prayer wheels etc... we just just in with them and move with the crowd. We've done this twice now and it's different everytime. Kind of like a Tibetan Mecca route- of Catholic trip to the Vatican to give some points of reference.
The crowd seems to be dominated by elderly women- all in their traditional Tibetan garb (long dark skirts covered with traditional striped Tibetan apron.. and the all wear more modern less traditional looking sun hats- sometimes floppy and frilly or with flowers, or sometime cowboy hat style!) These women look so sweet and charming- a twinkle in their eye and always a smile..despite being tiny wrinkly and old- likely from years of labor in the mountain sun. Most of them carry a small bronze prayer wheel in their left hand (careful to keep it always spinning) and prayer beads in the right. Some of the prayer routes are lined with bigger spinning bronze prayer wheels on the right (you spin as you walk along and make wishes/meditate)
Inside the temples are warm from all the yak butter candles that are buring... the monks chanting and playing low drums, ringing bells or playing the strange sounding Tibetan horn trumpet (not sure exactly what to call it) There is usually one large diety and several smaller ones... the pigrims always still moving clockwise from one to the next.. many of them praying or stopping in from of each one to place a dollar at it's feet or on the glass and do a short chant of their own...some bring packets of yak butter or food to leave. The mix of people, as i mentioned, is dominated by elderly women (probably 50%).. but the rest is split between men and women, young and old, rich and poor (you can tell from their clothes). Then mixed in with the occaisional white western tourist are the Chinese tourists (with their cameras!)
In front of the temples are people bowing and praying... bowing all the way down until they are flat stomach on the ground, prostrate....Think- like the Muslims pray but all the way down to the stomach. You see people walking toward the temples in the morning with a thin mat (to protect their clothes and knees) and hand protection (often padded shoe insoles that will slide well up and down the concrete as they pray). Some of the monks do this up and down from standing to belly all around the temple circuit while chanting...they go down and come up- then take a baby step to the left and repeat- for hours straight and chanting.
It is all really quite a sight. We have yet to go into any of the bigger temples (the ones that you have to pay) as we committed the first few days to altitude acclimitization- basically take it easy- walk around a bit to just take it all in and see what we see without a "programmed day"- resting when necessary. Overall we have been fine (knock on wood- although it has been 48 hours already) Our only problem is getting out of breath when we climb the 3 flights of stairs to our room... and SLEEPING! (which is common) Can't tell if it's related to the breathing (increased rate), the frequent need to get up and pee- somthing about the altitiude makes your body release a diuretic hormone- plus staying well hydrated is important to prevent headache etc so we are drinking more than usual- several liters per day...or it might just be the extreme driness of the air here- dry as a bone!
It is kind of desert-like- the landscape flying in was mountainous- but very sandy and craggy- not at all green except right at the edge of the rivers between the mountains. The sun here is very HOT too... even though low/high in the sky the light looks and feels different. Another factor- is that ALL of CHINA is on Beijing time...way across the country (for us that would be several time zones) So here it stays hot and bright until at least 8 pm!
Re: the altitude... when you buy packets of cookies/crackers... they are full of air...like a balloon around whatever is inside- For example the OREO cookie package- is so taut that if you pricked it with a pin it would POP! Also- with the dryness and altitude- NO BUGS. Have yet to make sight of a mosquito in Lhasa- woo hoo!
Strange note to end on...but need to break it up. on to the next...
CHINA Thoughts
A few random comments on China before I write about TIBET!
Overall travel has been VERY easy here... great infrastructure, many amenities- good cheap options, etc. Shawn says he thinks China is the country most like the US is many ways.... Overall really enjoying both the sights and the culture (I think Yunnan province is particularly beautiful calm and scenic so we pciked well)
A few complaints... the squat toilets! Always porceline and nicely installed- basically with a "collectin platform" that then gets washed down the pipe/plumbing when flushed"..a western topilet with no seat and not raised... a little bit bigger than the size of a shoebox.... even the bus stop public toilets have nice tile...but I can't seem to adjust to the backsplash! At least in Africa and India they put a bucket of water and a ladle in the toilet (or the hole just goes straight) down so with the water bucket you can self- correct poor aim or give you shoes a rinse.
The only solution I have come to for these shallow Chinese is try to pee very lightly and slowly to prevent backsplash- but how hard is that when your bladder has been bouncing around on a bus through the mountains for 3 hours? And no make matters worse...many places have NO DOORS! AND the orientation fo the squat is FACE FORWARD! They seem to have no problem with it.... all the foreigners have awkard looks and just stare at the fllor creating a sort of "self- privacy" while the Chinese women have converstaions, smoke cigarettes, etc.
OK- sorry for the "off" topic but i felt it was worth mentioning :)
One more sort of weird topic- unique to all of Asia...Vietnam and Cambodia, China too... they LOVE to clear their throat phlegm and spit it out. And loudly! Like a nice big loogie from way in the back of the throat, carefully rolled with techinique prior to discharge!. So you hear this all around- it's the equivalent to our blowing the nose- except here they make this big throat noise and then spit!
For the toddlers and babies- they bundle them up- and then put them in pants with the crotch cut out- no diaper needed! So you see these cute round faced chubby toddlers walking with all 4 limbs straight out from all the layers of clothes... but that one "area" is swinging in the breeze! It's funny! The weather has actually not been that cold- I think like lots of cultures they just bundle up the kids.... for us warm enough for short sleeves in the daytime... luckily no more humidity. Nice warm winds up in the mountain air.
Another major thing to note- is that this is the first place where we have been that language barrier has really been an issue. Of course- we are in China, so it is up to me to make the effort (if someone walked up to me at work an expected me to understand/speak Chinese back I would probably give them a weird look!) and we have meet many westerners- a suprising amount- who do speak CHinese- or have learned enough to get by... we stick with please and thank-you (Nihao, SherSher, respectively)! It's just and interesting thing having been to so many countries thus far and seeing how ubiquitous English really is (and how travellors from other parts of the world (like Japanese, Duthc, French etc) are able to get by in places like India or Cambodia by speaking English.
So China has been great and very easy once our pantomiming is interpreted and our bladders emptied. Most of the hotels give complementary disposable mini toothbrushes/toothpaste with the mini soaps (Shawn is particularly satisfied with this perk) We have lots of fun in restaurants too (hole in the wall street-side non tourist type establishments) pointing too food that others are eating and having all the clientel stare at us, critique our chopstick technique ane then we all wave bye-bye and smile to each other we get up to leave, our bellies stuffed with Chinese stuffed buns, dumplings, and spicy noodle soups. YUM
Kunming has a WALMART- 4 stories with escalators - we had fun shopping- alas the deodorant selection is less plentiful and placed as a specialty item with the make-up! But we stocked up on snacks and toiletries... The logo is the same and the store had exactly the same feel/set-up as back home- only major difference was the food section (more seaweed, fish, cooking sauces, Ramen noodle, etc...)
THink thats all on China for now... next blog entry about TIBET! -M
Overall travel has been VERY easy here... great infrastructure, many amenities- good cheap options, etc. Shawn says he thinks China is the country most like the US is many ways.... Overall really enjoying both the sights and the culture (I think Yunnan province is particularly beautiful calm and scenic so we pciked well)
A few complaints... the squat toilets! Always porceline and nicely installed- basically with a "collectin platform" that then gets washed down the pipe/plumbing when flushed"..a western topilet with no seat and not raised... a little bit bigger than the size of a shoebox.... even the bus stop public toilets have nice tile...but I can't seem to adjust to the backsplash! At least in Africa and India they put a bucket of water and a ladle in the toilet (or the hole just goes straight) down so with the water bucket you can self- correct poor aim or give you shoes a rinse.
The only solution I have come to for these shallow Chinese is try to pee very lightly and slowly to prevent backsplash- but how hard is that when your bladder has been bouncing around on a bus through the mountains for 3 hours? And no make matters worse...many places have NO DOORS! AND the orientation fo the squat is FACE FORWARD! They seem to have no problem with it.... all the foreigners have awkard looks and just stare at the fllor creating a sort of "self- privacy" while the Chinese women have converstaions, smoke cigarettes, etc.
OK- sorry for the "off" topic but i felt it was worth mentioning :)
One more sort of weird topic- unique to all of Asia...Vietnam and Cambodia, China too... they LOVE to clear their throat phlegm and spit it out. And loudly! Like a nice big loogie from way in the back of the throat, carefully rolled with techinique prior to discharge!. So you hear this all around- it's the equivalent to our blowing the nose- except here they make this big throat noise and then spit!
For the toddlers and babies- they bundle them up- and then put them in pants with the crotch cut out- no diaper needed! So you see these cute round faced chubby toddlers walking with all 4 limbs straight out from all the layers of clothes... but that one "area" is swinging in the breeze! It's funny! The weather has actually not been that cold- I think like lots of cultures they just bundle up the kids.... for us warm enough for short sleeves in the daytime... luckily no more humidity. Nice warm winds up in the mountain air.
Another major thing to note- is that this is the first place where we have been that language barrier has really been an issue. Of course- we are in China, so it is up to me to make the effort (if someone walked up to me at work an expected me to understand/speak Chinese back I would probably give them a weird look!) and we have meet many westerners- a suprising amount- who do speak CHinese- or have learned enough to get by... we stick with please and thank-you (Nihao, SherSher, respectively)! It's just and interesting thing having been to so many countries thus far and seeing how ubiquitous English really is (and how travellors from other parts of the world (like Japanese, Duthc, French etc) are able to get by in places like India or Cambodia by speaking English.
So China has been great and very easy once our pantomiming is interpreted and our bladders emptied. Most of the hotels give complementary disposable mini toothbrushes/toothpaste with the mini soaps (Shawn is particularly satisfied with this perk) We have lots of fun in restaurants too (hole in the wall street-side non tourist type establishments) pointing too food that others are eating and having all the clientel stare at us, critique our chopstick technique ane then we all wave bye-bye and smile to each other we get up to leave, our bellies stuffed with Chinese stuffed buns, dumplings, and spicy noodle soups. YUM
Kunming has a WALMART- 4 stories with escalators - we had fun shopping- alas the deodorant selection is less plentiful and placed as a specialty item with the make-up! But we stocked up on snacks and toiletries... The logo is the same and the store had exactly the same feel/set-up as back home- only major difference was the food section (more seaweed, fish, cooking sauces, Ramen noodle, etc...)
THink thats all on China for now... next blog entry about TIBET! -M
Monday, July 2
Hanoi Hotel Scams
Shawn here. Molly insisted I write this particular story.
I had been warned there is a scam in Hanoi (Oh, I should say first of all, I LOVE Hanoi. I thought it was very beautiful and interesting...too much to write about...the scam is funnier) in regard to hotels and cab drivers.
SCAM:
You get in a cab and tell the driver the name of your hotel.
He calls to tell the hotel you are on your way.
You get to the hotel and the manager says, "I'm sorry Mr. Shawn. I know you book hotel but now room full. You try my friend's hotel."
Then you are taken to another hotel and you stay there.
The scam is you have never been taken to your original hotel request. The cab driver has called a friend of his with a STACK of business cards of EVERY hotel in Hanoi. The cab driver takes you to the business card man. He shows you a business card with your hotel's name on it! You fall for it because you are Hanoi, frazzled, confused and most signs are in Vietnamese!
Alright, I'd been warned!
We get into downtown Hanoi. I'm keeping one eye on the city streets, one eye on my map. Hanoi is very easy to figure out, it has a beautiful, large lake in the middle of town, running North to South. And there are several large landmarks.
I notice we are on the completely wrong side of the lake! "Here is your hotel," the driver says. A man sticks his head in the window and says, "I'm sorry Mr. Shawn. I know you book hotel but now room full. You try my friend's hotel." All the time he is showing me a business card that has my hotel's name on it! He hands me the card. "All full. You try another hotel, very nice."
Molly and I have a rule. She stays in the cab, I get out and make sure we are where we are supposed to be. We have done this many times, in many cities, it's always fine. UNTIL NOW! I tell driver. "No! Wrong hotel. You take me here," and I point to map. Eventually, I actually tell the driver what streets to drive up, where to turn, "no right," even where to park! In the meantime the business card man is saying, "Please give me my card back." The card with our real hotel's name on it, the one he uses to scam travelers with.
"No. Good luck for me," I repsond.
"No. I must have card for business," he clamours.
"Oh, okay...Ten dollars."
"What!?!?"
"Ten dollars. I sell you card."
"No! Card for business."
"Yes, card good for business. Business good. Ten dollars."
Disgusted, he slides his head out of the cab and slinks back into his little corner of the street. No doubt waiting for his next cab full of unsuspecting travelers...at least he'll be down one hotel!
As I mentioned, I proceed to play navigator to our nefarious cab driver, calculating how much of his fare I'm actually going to pay him. He was not please. Molly and I were...immensely
I had been warned there is a scam in Hanoi (Oh, I should say first of all, I LOVE Hanoi. I thought it was very beautiful and interesting...too much to write about...the scam is funnier) in regard to hotels and cab drivers.
SCAM:
You get in a cab and tell the driver the name of your hotel.
He calls to tell the hotel you are on your way.
You get to the hotel and the manager says, "I'm sorry Mr. Shawn. I know you book hotel but now room full. You try my friend's hotel."
Then you are taken to another hotel and you stay there.
The scam is you have never been taken to your original hotel request. The cab driver has called a friend of his with a STACK of business cards of EVERY hotel in Hanoi. The cab driver takes you to the business card man. He shows you a business card with your hotel's name on it! You fall for it because you are Hanoi, frazzled, confused and most signs are in Vietnamese!
Alright, I'd been warned!
We get into downtown Hanoi. I'm keeping one eye on the city streets, one eye on my map. Hanoi is very easy to figure out, it has a beautiful, large lake in the middle of town, running North to South. And there are several large landmarks.
I notice we are on the completely wrong side of the lake! "Here is your hotel," the driver says. A man sticks his head in the window and says, "I'm sorry Mr. Shawn. I know you book hotel but now room full. You try my friend's hotel." All the time he is showing me a business card that has my hotel's name on it! He hands me the card. "All full. You try another hotel, very nice."
Molly and I have a rule. She stays in the cab, I get out and make sure we are where we are supposed to be. We have done this many times, in many cities, it's always fine. UNTIL NOW! I tell driver. "No! Wrong hotel. You take me here," and I point to map. Eventually, I actually tell the driver what streets to drive up, where to turn, "no right," even where to park! In the meantime the business card man is saying, "Please give me my card back." The card with our real hotel's name on it, the one he uses to scam travelers with.
"No. Good luck for me," I repsond.
"No. I must have card for business," he clamours.
"Oh, okay...Ten dollars."
"What!?!?"
"Ten dollars. I sell you card."
"No! Card for business."
"Yes, card good for business. Business good. Ten dollars."
Disgusted, he slides his head out of the cab and slinks back into his little corner of the street. No doubt waiting for his next cab full of unsuspecting travelers...at least he'll be down one hotel!
As I mentioned, I proceed to play navigator to our nefarious cab driver, calculating how much of his fare I'm actually going to pay him. He was not please. Molly and I were...immensely
Saturday, June 30
Crazy Foods
Hi again for a short post...
I keep forgeting to write some of the unusual food we have eaten！
Here in Dali- Coke ginger tea （a can of coke heated up with big pieces of ginger...pretty tasty， but a little on the sweet side）
Shawn tried some fried grasshopper at the bus stop in Cambodia （not freshly fried- cooled down ans sold in a little plastic bag to eat like peanuts or finger snack- he said the closest thing he could think of to compare was popcorn because of the taste of the oil）
Last but not least... in Phenom Phen we ate TARANTULAS！ Deep fried... the legs were kind of like eating lobster legs except instead of sucking out the meat you could crunch the whole thing！ I though they were a little bit like a steak fry- crunchy on the outside， mushy in the middle- there was definately a squish of stuff in the head- like a dull grape...and not bad on taste （of course it mostly tasted like the oil it had been fried in..and was served with a pepper lime dipping sauce...） but it was fun and didn‘t seem at gross at the time！
Most stories soon...
I keep forgeting to write some of the unusual food we have eaten！
Here in Dali- Coke ginger tea （a can of coke heated up with big pieces of ginger...pretty tasty， but a little on the sweet side）
Shawn tried some fried grasshopper at the bus stop in Cambodia （not freshly fried- cooled down ans sold in a little plastic bag to eat like peanuts or finger snack- he said the closest thing he could think of to compare was popcorn because of the taste of the oil）
Last but not least... in Phenom Phen we ate TARANTULAS！ Deep fried... the legs were kind of like eating lobster legs except instead of sucking out the meat you could crunch the whole thing！ I though they were a little bit like a steak fry- crunchy on the outside， mushy in the middle- there was definately a squish of stuff in the head- like a dull grape...and not bad on taste （of course it mostly tasted like the oil it had been fried in..and was served with a pepper lime dipping sauce...） but it was fun and didn‘t seem at gross at the time！
Most stories soon...
Friday, June 29
TIGER LEAPING GORGE
Well, most travellors do the actual 2 day/1 night hike from Q__tou (can't spell it) ... we opted to be the lazy Americans and take a taxi in- BUT made up for it by staying 3 full days/nights (longer than most). The drive from LiJiang to the trail head is about 2 hours of gorgeous views and craggy snow capped peaks (looks like the Himalayas we saw in the Nepal) through rural farmland along the Yantze. Once at the mouth of the gorge- (where we took a vehicle instead of hiking the trail which was a bit higher up on the mountain) you drive along this windy road that is barely carved out of the side of the cliff...and every mile or so the pavement stops are you drive over rough gravel or water running swiftly over the road from a recent landslide! To the point that on the way OUT there were sections of landslide that were not there when we drove in!
The Gorge is just looming mountain on either side with the rushing rapids of the Yangtze at the bottom- breathataking views. And dizzying if you look up or down too long because there is no horizon anywhere. We met alot of folks from Colorado (and conversed on the topic of the Rockies vs the Gorge) Their take was that this was better becuase no where in the US could you appreciate such a sheer change in altitude in one view. One guy calculated the you were looking at a wall of 11,000 feet- just from one sitting place on the patio!
We had a great little patio out in front of our guesthouse (Woody's in Walnut Grove)- our side had a bit of a slope so there was terrace farming and walnut trees- but the other side was a n almost fertical rock face.... and you'd look at it and try and imagine how big a person would look on the otherside climibing (an ant) or how many world trade centers you could put end to end in your field of vision just on that rock face.It was hard to comprehend and take in even being there (let alone in describe by blog!)
The weather was perfect- cool fresh mountain breezes, buzzing insects and chirping birds,farm smells, rushing water in background, woken up at 6:30 am sharp every by the bells on the herd of 20 goats ushed by our window by the little wrinkly old man in Maoist garb (and back again every evening at 6:30 pm sharp) Delightful. A few other travellers passing through for conversation... ate almost all meals at our little guesthouse patio restaurant (for lack of other options- we were really out in the middle of nowhere!) served by sweet round faced rural Chinese girls with minimal English skills ...all set in the gorge with huge mountain views looking up or down on both sides. Lots of time just sitting spacing out/book reading/guitar playing etc. It was the perfect R+R that we needed.
Now we are making out way back south (LiJiang at Mama's where I am writing now, today back to Dali one night, next day to Kunming one night... then on July 2 we fly to LHASA TIBET. I can hardly wait!!!!
We plan to be in Tibet for 2 weeks- unfortunatley cutting out a big chunk of time to see other sites in China...but my feeling is that China will still be here in 10 years, and Tibet is changing SO rapidly due to Chinese development/occupation that we must go now as it will be an entirely different place with every passing year. Also, from what I can tell from speaking to others about the rest of China- it is very polluted and overcrowded hectic and busy! ...That where we are now in Yunnan is the most clean and rural of China and very different that the other provinces.. so we have picked the best corner to see! We do have a few days in Beijing before getting on the Transiberian- so I will get to experience the "real" urban China...but I guess it's like trying to see the US as China is so big!!!
I'll blog from TIbet in a few days once we get there and get settled.... BYE!
The Gorge is just looming mountain on either side with the rushing rapids of the Yangtze at the bottom- breathataking views. And dizzying if you look up or down too long because there is no horizon anywhere. We met alot of folks from Colorado (and conversed on the topic of the Rockies vs the Gorge) Their take was that this was better becuase no where in the US could you appreciate such a sheer change in altitude in one view. One guy calculated the you were looking at a wall of 11,000 feet- just from one sitting place on the patio!
We had a great little patio out in front of our guesthouse (Woody's in Walnut Grove)- our side had a bit of a slope so there was terrace farming and walnut trees- but the other side was a n almost fertical rock face.... and you'd look at it and try and imagine how big a person would look on the otherside climibing (an ant) or how many world trade centers you could put end to end in your field of vision just on that rock face.It was hard to comprehend and take in even being there (let alone in describe by blog!)
The weather was perfect- cool fresh mountain breezes, buzzing insects and chirping birds,farm smells, rushing water in background, woken up at 6:30 am sharp every by the bells on the herd of 20 goats ushed by our window by the little wrinkly old man in Maoist garb (and back again every evening at 6:30 pm sharp) Delightful. A few other travellers passing through for conversation... ate almost all meals at our little guesthouse patio restaurant (for lack of other options- we were really out in the middle of nowhere!) served by sweet round faced rural Chinese girls with minimal English skills ...all set in the gorge with huge mountain views looking up or down on both sides. Lots of time just sitting spacing out/book reading/guitar playing etc. It was the perfect R+R that we needed.
Now we are making out way back south (LiJiang at Mama's where I am writing now, today back to Dali one night, next day to Kunming one night... then on July 2 we fly to LHASA TIBET. I can hardly wait!!!!
We plan to be in Tibet for 2 weeks- unfortunatley cutting out a big chunk of time to see other sites in China...but my feeling is that China will still be here in 10 years, and Tibet is changing SO rapidly due to Chinese development/occupation that we must go now as it will be an entirely different place with every passing year. Also, from what I can tell from speaking to others about the rest of China- it is very polluted and overcrowded hectic and busy! ...That where we are now in Yunnan is the most clean and rural of China and very different that the other provinces.. so we have picked the best corner to see! We do have a few days in Beijing before getting on the Transiberian- so I will get to experience the "real" urban China...but I guess it's like trying to see the US as China is so big!!!
I'll blog from TIbet in a few days once we get there and get settled.... BYE!
Dali, LiJiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge
Perhaps my blogging from last night about Kunming and Hong Kong so- but Hong Kong- a big WOW- I would say one of my favorite places we have been on the trip. Just a super city and not stressful at all. Very easy and clean- not to mention gorgeous in a ultra modern way.
SO- from Kunming- we have made our way bit by bit north- with the goal of making it to the Gorge (which was GOING to be destroyed by a huge dam...the CHinese have sort of a "man vs mature"thing- and prefer large energy consumption over preservation of a unique breathtaking natural beaty - it would be like destroying the Grand Canyon) Luckily the project has been put on hold- but the same thing happened at Three Gorges in another part of China and thousands of people were displaced...but they are now "happy and modernized"
China has also been funny with it's media sensoring- we have not been listening to much radio or TV- but get stories from Westerners who have been living here or speak Chinese- I guess they cut to commerical quite along on the news from Hong Kong to cover up things! And journalists have to really get permission from the top before they can report anything. Many websites are blocked too (like Asia news on the BBC- you get the home page but thats it...and my blog interestingly will not come up! I can write but not access it.....)
Another interesting thing is all the older folks who still wear the old fashioned Maoist Communist garb- the royal blue hat and smock (back when everyone had to wear the same thing) Hopefully we can post some good photos.
Dali in a nutshell- Shawn was here 7 years ago and reports that all the quaint old authentic parts of town have been torn down and rebuilt for CHinese tourism- in a way that they were trying to make it look old ut you know it's new. Think Disney's Epcot version of an old rural Chinese town- with girls running around in authentic constume- and then a parking garage here and there. Lots of Chinese tourists with a guide holding up a flag to follow... etc. Can you tell I was not blown away by Dali? We did find a great dumpling/hot bum vender so that was a highlight.
LiJiang - excatly what Dali was not! And GREAT! Old LiJiang - still has a fair number of Chinese tourists- but very authentic old China...cobblestone/brick streets, narrow lanes, tiny flowing waterways, cute little shops, old teahouse tile roofing. It's a UNESCO site which helps... overall a pure pleasure.
To top it off- in LiJiang we have found this guesthouse called "Mama's" (actually has 3 branches because has become so frequented)- a popular backpacker stop- she doesn't speak much English, and when she does kind of yells/barks at you- but she and her staff take you in- feed you family style for dirt cheap - lead you through the tiny alleys to the town square, organize all tours/tickets/buses with pick up right there...we got a send off of bananas and an herbal necklace! We really enjoyed the family style meals with the other travellors (breakfast too) and there is SO much food... you eat out of these little tiny rice bowls but they minute it is half empty they put more rice in... and the plates of food keep coming- for 2 hours straight. Just when you thingk it's winding down- they come out with another plate of garlic bok choy, or spicy beef and peppers.... and each night is different food! The beer was less than 50cents for a BIG bottle. YUM.
CHINA- Kunning
We flew from Hong Kong to Kunming- the capitol (capital?) of Yunna province in the SW of China. Per Shawn is alot like/sister city of Denver (size, elevation, etc) and one of the cleanest cities in China (not much industry and pollution or overcrowding) I thought is seemed sort of midwestern- very wide streets- (for those of you who will get this reference- same feel as Pigeon Michigan- but much bigger and expansive and bigger buildings)
We only spent one night passing through- but happened to bump into an American family looking for the same pizza place...they (parents and 3 kids) have lived in Chiang Mai Thailand for 22 years - the kids are all now living back in the states- but on family vacation in China... so we all had dinner together and they treated us! It was such a nice gesture and we were quite touched (as we were sort of splurging by not sticking to the regular Chinese fare).
Next morning- bus to Dali for one night, then on to LiJiang- the gate way to TIger Leaping Gorge. More on that tomorrow....
We only spent one night passing through- but happened to bump into an American family looking for the same pizza place...they (parents and 3 kids) have lived in Chiang Mai Thailand for 22 years - the kids are all now living back in the states- but on family vacation in China... so we all had dinner together and they treated us! It was such a nice gesture and we were quite touched (as we were sort of splurging by not sticking to the regular Chinese fare).
Next morning- bus to Dali for one night, then on to LiJiang- the gate way to TIger Leaping Gorge. More on that tomorrow....
HONG KONG
Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged! We have been even busier than usual...Shawn will write later that story of the "Hanoi Tourist Scam" that we defeated and uncovered!!!
Hong Kong was a breath of fresh air! I felt like I had been transported 50 years into the future! Big huge harbor, lined with gorgeous modern sky scrapers and all this surrounded by tall green mountain peaks and other islands.
The city itself is very modern and clean- and the whole downtown area is connected by elevated pedestrian walkways the go from air conditioned mall to mall- these malls are the first 1-2 floors of each of the big fancy buildings.
We stayed at the youth hostel- Hong Kong's biggest undiscovered gem! A little to the west of the city- about 30 minutes from downtown up a narrow winding road along the mountainside (but free shuttle bus every hour or so) situated up on the mountainside away from the hustle and bustle- with spectacular views of the city....as good as the top floor of the fanciest downtown hotels. (Ok so we did have to change our own sheets at the of the stay- but well worth it!!!!) Anyone who is going to Hong Kong on a budget MUST stay and the Mt Davis Youth Hostel!
Day 1 we walked around the western (oldest?) neighborhood of Hong Kong and visited the Man Mo temples and the museum of Medical Science (saw Xrays of Chinese feet that had been bound up to stay tiny and not grow)...then took the ferry to Kowloon and explored... went up in the Chung King Mansion (sketchy hotel buildings- site of numerous early Kung Fu movies!)...walked around Kowloon public park which is huge and spotless and well landscaped.. theres a public pool, aviary, bonsai garden... leaps and bounds beyond any public space I've ever experience in the US. Stopped in at the Peninsula Hotel (but decided the high tea was a little too expensive) none the less... the people watching was great (as was their public toilet) and we window shopped the Gucci, Prada, etc stores that are all in the building.
Later that evening we went back out on the harbor to experience the LIGHT SHOW- over the night views of all the buildings was dynamite- the light show a little kitchy (Disney-esque) but fun... basically all the building have colored lights and have choreographed a 30 minute light show. I'm glad we got to see the city from the water at both day and night....
Day 2... took the tram (steep!) up to "the Peak" which has the best high views of the city- splurged on an expensive lunch and meandered, took lots of photos from the lookout/vantage points. Then walked a fair amount in the city- ventured into the more residential/less fancy areas of the city- away from the upscale downtown buisness area... looked more like NYC but Chinese. Then took a taxi to go look for Tiger Balm Garden which Shawn had visited 7 years ago- alas is now covered by new condos!
A quick 2 days- busy and full, but plenty to get a good feel for the place. Just a random aside for my own memory- every morning we ate breakfast at the same Chinese place in the mall- for 3$ got eggs, meat, and huge bowl of noodle soup! (it was very "mall restaraunt-ish"- nice decor etc.
More on China next...
Wednesday, June 20
VIETNAM: Ho Chi Minh Masoleum, Hanoi Traffic
Just think.. his corpse is 2 years older than Shawn (Ho Chi Minh)! He goes in for emblaming upgrade for 3 months of every year, so no wonder still looking fairly fresh. Big lines...many many many Vietnamese there to walk through and take a look at the body in the glass case with soldiers standing at 4 corners, pay respects. And they walk you through pretty fast...no lingering! We got up early (5:45) and walking through the city to be there in line way before it opened. It was nice walking around before all the traffic started.
Lots of traffic here (but still not as bad as India- less poor people in the streets/sitting at the gutter's edge and no cows/cowshit) Still, lots and lots of motor bikes. And in India they know how to stop on a dime. Not here... the might hit you!
Also- the street crossing etiquette is a bit strange. Basicaly you just walk out! Into huge amounts of oncoming traffic! But the key is to go slowly so they can manoever around you. Baby steps inching your across and traffic just cahnges flow slightly to acocmdate your location. Amazingly- it does work (as long as the driver is paying attention... not always!)
One last thought/comment...
I've been thinking about the whole communism thing...
So how exactly is Vietnam still considered one of the remaining communist countries? Freedom of religion? Lots of new independant business and investmants? THere's a Jocky underwear store down the street? Doesn't seem very communist to me... Yet LOTS of flags and Hammer/Sickle emblem everywhere!!! You ask anyone- they say of course we are Communist. So with a bit of further investigation... the story is that the upper government (Communists) are in charge and supervising everything even though the country is conducted in a less thatn communist (idealisticially) way. Hmm?
ENough rambling... written so MUCH today...
Off to Hong Kong tonight!!!!!
Lots of traffic here (but still not as bad as India- less poor people in the streets/sitting at the gutter's edge and no cows/cowshit) Still, lots and lots of motor bikes. And in India they know how to stop on a dime. Not here... the might hit you!
Also- the street crossing etiquette is a bit strange. Basicaly you just walk out! Into huge amounts of oncoming traffic! But the key is to go slowly so they can manoever around you. Baby steps inching your across and traffic just cahnges flow slightly to acocmdate your location. Amazingly- it does work (as long as the driver is paying attention... not always!)
One last thought/comment...
I've been thinking about the whole communism thing...
So how exactly is Vietnam still considered one of the remaining communist countries? Freedom of religion? Lots of new independant business and investmants? THere's a Jocky underwear store down the street? Doesn't seem very communist to me... Yet LOTS of flags and Hammer/Sickle emblem everywhere!!! You ask anyone- they say of course we are Communist. So with a bit of further investigation... the story is that the upper government (Communists) are in charge and supervising everything even though the country is conducted in a less thatn communist (idealisticially) way. Hmm?
ENough rambling... written so MUCH today...
Off to Hong Kong tonight!!!!!
Ha Long Bay Tour
Ha Long Bay Tour 3 day 2 nights $45
One night on the boat, One night at the National Park Cat Ba Island
In a nut shell...
Cattle herding tourists through gorgeous world heritage area. Was not as relaxing as had hoped because on tour and being trotted around from one place to another in oversutffed minibus. A fair amount of waiting around because the tours companies are trying to take on more than they can chew but otherwise is impossible to see this area without organized tour. Town at the National Park was built up overpriced and touristy. Other European tourists in our group were on the surly side! (but met some interstin Americans!) Where are the Australians and Kiwis when you need them!!! Thye bring the best fun to a tour group every time!!!
Good things:
Fancy boat- gleaming wood, private room with bath- much bigger than in Turkey. Swimming off the boat- warm water (but not so clear/blue...perhaps once was?) Great Vietnamese food, and plentiful (Gotta love the all inclusive!)Gorgeous scenery. Big tall cliffs and rock formations that go right down into the water. Need pictures to truly explain! Perhpas a little like Costa Rica or Hawaii??? Lush green landscape.
Nice 2 hour hike to the top of a mountain lookout on Cat Ba island... interesting caves with stalagmites/tites...one cave with HUGE Chinese built structure that was used as hospital for elite soldiers during the war (very hidden- looks like a small door/crawlspace that opens up into a real concrete building with rooms, stairs etc)
Our tour guide- "Touk" did a great job.
HANOI- Good and bad
Good side of Hanoi:
This is a gorgeous city... Very clean. Tree lined streets. Shawn says he is reminded of New Orleans. Very bourgeoning contemporary art community. Lots of very neat interesting galleries for us to explore- our kind of thing to do!...many of the artists take a lead from the other artists that we recognize know well and love (Klee, Gaugin, Modigliani etc) so not ENTIRELY originial, but put their own spin/take on it. So we've had lots of fun exploring here- and even the tourist knick-nack shops have a little bit more artsy spin than just the same old junk. Big lake in the center of town too for a cool stroll....
Bad Hanoi:
Taking advantage of tourists with scams! Longer story later on this how we sucessfully evaded an elaborate scheme to get us to a different hotel then the one we reserved...but I think due to the huge volume of tourists this has evolved- because alot of the time it works!. And every place has the same name. For example- the Kangaroo Cafe- however many year ago- say 5- gets a write up in the Lonely Planet so very popular, good busines, so now 6 other places all over town have decided to name themselves Kangaroo Cafe to steal their business. Any guesthouse, restaurant - there's 5 others, and they all have signs up that say "we are the orinigal- do not go to those jerks who stole our name at this address" Even the businss cards have these warnings...but in the end- even the copies are pretty good? It's just a little weird.
My issue with it- is that I always feel like someone is trying to get the best of me here- so makes me on edge/nervous. Meeting tourists who have had thier bags slashed open in a crowd...people changing the price on me at the last minute with taxi/hotel... I never know what is true or not... exacerbated by the fact that there are SO mnay tourtits and the infrastructure is not there yet... you go up to the Tourist Information Booth in the center of town- and ask where can I cash I travellors check- and the sweet girl with the soft hight voice pulls ou her binder on Halong Bay tours.. Yes, I know, this is Vietnam and I should learn to speak Vietnamese, the language barrier is mostly my fault... it's just a challenge and you don't know who is genuinely kind and who is ripping you off! And inevitably you mix them up so are the rude jerk tourist to the nice person, and let the asshole get the best of you!
2 quick comments
1. At the Cu Chi Tunnels you can pay to shoot machine guns...M16, AK 47 etc... Shawn was very much looking forward to this, and even I was considering it- just to say I had done it! When we got there, it was ridiculously expensive (20$ per round/just a few bullets) and the whole things was giving us a bad vibe- after seeing all this war paraphnelia, reconstructed booby traps, etc. Neither of us wanted any part. Shawn comes from a family tradition of shooting for sport/hunting/skilled use of guns- and these guns were bolted down to the wall, you could barely see the targets or if you even hit it! So even though we talked it up before leaving for the trip... alas there was no shooting for us.
2. Random comment about the number of women who fought for the VC! Apparently they sent at least 1 woman out with each small fighting group to make sure that someone could cook the rice (not sure where sex plays into it all?)...but they also fought! We keep seeing war propaganda posters with women and macine guns... and these little old frail ladies around town- gery, osteoporotic, resting peacefully under the shade of a tree with friends... they look like the have a hidden tough side or a twinkle in their eye! One tiny elderly woman we saw today, she must have been at least 70 (or 60 and looked 70) was doing some pretty rigorous calisthenics- definately military in origin/nature! and more rigorous that the average middle aged- American could stand! (everyone comes out at 5 am to do thier exercise/Tai Chi etc...worth getting up early to watch)
2. Random comment about the number of women who fought for the VC! Apparently they sent at least 1 woman out with each small fighting group to make sure that someone could cook the rice (not sure where sex plays into it all?)...but they also fought! We keep seeing war propaganda posters with women and macine guns... and these little old frail ladies around town- gery, osteoporotic, resting peacefully under the shade of a tree with friends... they look like the have a hidden tough side or a twinkle in their eye! One tiny elderly woman we saw today, she must have been at least 70 (or 60 and looked 70) was doing some pretty rigorous calisthenics- definately military in origin/nature! and more rigorous that the average middle aged- American could stand! (everyone comes out at 5 am to do thier exercise/Tai Chi etc...worth getting up early to watch)
SAIGON Day 2
Day 2-
American War Remnants Museum...now if I thought day 1 at the Cu Chi Tunnels might have been providing biased/revisionist history- well the museum was blatantly one sided and a bit intimidating.
Lots of photographs of victims burned by Napalm, and late effects/birth defects from Agent Orange- very anti-American. Photos of American soldiers with the heads and body parts of the VC. Really gruesome. Really biased. At LEAST there was one room with a presentation of the American (and other countries) war protest and that sentiment back home.
Also an interesting display of photos (all phases from the war) by journalists (from all countries, non biased) who were killed in the war and the photos they took - for some even the last roll of film that was taken from the body.
Ugg. Enough war/genocide/killing/torture tourism for me between Cambodia and Vietnam, I think I am ready for a change. That said- the population NOW in both places seems very PAST all that- and is very friendly, welcoming doesn't have much to say about it (not in an "I don't want to talk about it sort of way"- but more of a "we've moved on sort of way") and the countries seem properous and slowly moving forward despite the agrarian povery of the countrside villages. Also need to consider that in Cambodia and Vietnam- the populations are VERY young overall- I'm guessing here...50% under the age of 12 or 13?- and they were not around during all the violenc- born after (and at the same time many less older folks as they were either killed druing the war or by Khmer Rouge). You walk around and see the tiny greying older folks and wonder- what were you doing or where were you during the war?
American War Remnants Museum...now if I thought day 1 at the Cu Chi Tunnels might have been providing biased/revisionist history- well the museum was blatantly one sided and a bit intimidating.
Lots of photographs of victims burned by Napalm, and late effects/birth defects from Agent Orange- very anti-American. Photos of American soldiers with the heads and body parts of the VC. Really gruesome. Really biased. At LEAST there was one room with a presentation of the American (and other countries) war protest and that sentiment back home.
Also an interesting display of photos (all phases from the war) by journalists (from all countries, non biased) who were killed in the war and the photos they took - for some even the last roll of film that was taken from the body.
Ugg. Enough war/genocide/killing/torture tourism for me between Cambodia and Vietnam, I think I am ready for a change. That said- the population NOW in both places seems very PAST all that- and is very friendly, welcoming doesn't have much to say about it (not in an "I don't want to talk about it sort of way"- but more of a "we've moved on sort of way") and the countries seem properous and slowly moving forward despite the agrarian povery of the countrside villages. Also need to consider that in Cambodia and Vietnam- the populations are VERY young overall- I'm guessing here...50% under the age of 12 or 13?- and they were not around during all the violenc- born after (and at the same time many less older folks as they were either killed druing the war or by Khmer Rouge). You walk around and see the tiny greying older folks and wonder- what were you doing or where were you during the war?
Tuesday, June 19
Vietnam- SAIGON
Saigon (or now Ho Chi Minh city, but Saigon is easier to say!)
While most travellors we have met are spending at least 3-4 weeks exploring Vietnam and the countryside, Shawn and I are moving quickly though (banking more time for China/Tibet) but better to come and see a little than not at all. We have spent a few days in each of the 2 major cities- Saigon and Hanoi, and a few days for a quick countryside/boat tour to the World Heritage site of Halong Bay (east outside of Hanoi).
Overall Vietnam is much more touristy than Canbodia and Lao (which to me is a negative thing-feels like people treat you more like just another white face with dollars to spend, more touts approaching you to buy things and use their services, more potential to end up on a tour with a posse of college students with a different agenda than us!) That said, while not nearly as relaxed as Lao- Vietnam has been very clean and certainly interesting considering its violent/complicated history (not just with the US but also France, Cambodia, and China)
SAIGON:
Day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels built by the VietCong. Our tour guide, Mr. Bin, offered an intersting perspective as a South Vietnamese son of an American father. He was a US Naval soldier who worked on bases in the states in the early 60s, then at the embassy and fighting on our side during the war. Then imprisoned for 4 years in a work camp once the north won...
I learned so much about the war from him- can understand why the VC essentially won. They were ruthless and tricky... Besides LOOKING like everyone else....they collected all the garbage (tin cans, toilet paper etc) left behind by the American soldiers and would use every last bit of it... disguise the entrance to thier tunnels with it so the dogs couldn't sniff them out...collect all the scrap ammo and metals left behind and refashion it into new supplies and traps...they had special sandals that could be worn backwards to looked like the footsteps were walking the other way... and it sounded like the South Vietnamese and Americans were just making these big blanket ineffective attempts- like spraying water into the tunnels- that just ran out to the river, or using Napalm and spraying Agent Orange...??? I don't know. I wasn't there but interesting to think about why it didn't work.
The network of tunnels- 3 stories deep... kitchens, dorms, hospitals, rotating boobie traps with spikes at the bottom, pathways for communication runners, etc) There was only a small section of tunnel we could go down in (saw models of it otherwise)- the tunnel had special little "tourist exits" along the way...Shawn and I only made it abou 5-6 meters in and then had to exit at the first one, as it was SO small and dark and hot and clausterphobic. Made me feel like I was going to have a panic attack. We thought for sure we'd be able to make it the full length but sissy-ed out. And the guys that did climb all the way through looked panicky and really relieved to finally get out the other end when they emerged with wide eyes and soaked to the skin with sweat.
I don't mean to sound pro- North Vietnam here- but it is pretty amazing to see how much better equipped and trained they were to be fighting on this terrain and our being here was just a bad idea. They had small guerilla groups that came out at night, intricate tunnels right under our bases..no uniforms...even things as basic as being able to squat down with flat feet/balanced (like their toilets!) and thus fire a weapon in that position without tipping over. Not to mention the whole issue with them looking like everyone else- Mr. Bin had alot to say about how thier spies infiltrated every level- from the wives of diplomats to the flying instructors who were teaching the pilots how to fly. He said the only way you could really tell is by the suntan markes on their feet from their typical VC sandals.
Now i don't claim to be any expert on the war, or put full faith in our tour guide's take on it- don't mean to offend anyone who lived it because I wasn't there (my apologies if I did), and my scope of hisotrical knowledge is limited -but overall I found the day quite interesting despite possibly being skewed in source.
While most travellors we have met are spending at least 3-4 weeks exploring Vietnam and the countryside, Shawn and I are moving quickly though (banking more time for China/Tibet) but better to come and see a little than not at all. We have spent a few days in each of the 2 major cities- Saigon and Hanoi, and a few days for a quick countryside/boat tour to the World Heritage site of Halong Bay (east outside of Hanoi).
Overall Vietnam is much more touristy than Canbodia and Lao (which to me is a negative thing-feels like people treat you more like just another white face with dollars to spend, more touts approaching you to buy things and use their services, more potential to end up on a tour with a posse of college students with a different agenda than us!) That said, while not nearly as relaxed as Lao- Vietnam has been very clean and certainly interesting considering its violent/complicated history (not just with the US but also France, Cambodia, and China)
SAIGON:
Day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels built by the VietCong. Our tour guide, Mr. Bin, offered an intersting perspective as a South Vietnamese son of an American father. He was a US Naval soldier who worked on bases in the states in the early 60s, then at the embassy and fighting on our side during the war. Then imprisoned for 4 years in a work camp once the north won...
I learned so much about the war from him- can understand why the VC essentially won. They were ruthless and tricky... Besides LOOKING like everyone else....they collected all the garbage (tin cans, toilet paper etc) left behind by the American soldiers and would use every last bit of it... disguise the entrance to thier tunnels with it so the dogs couldn't sniff them out...collect all the scrap ammo and metals left behind and refashion it into new supplies and traps...they had special sandals that could be worn backwards to looked like the footsteps were walking the other way... and it sounded like the South Vietnamese and Americans were just making these big blanket ineffective attempts- like spraying water into the tunnels- that just ran out to the river, or using Napalm and spraying Agent Orange...??? I don't know. I wasn't there but interesting to think about why it didn't work.
The network of tunnels- 3 stories deep... kitchens, dorms, hospitals, rotating boobie traps with spikes at the bottom, pathways for communication runners, etc) There was only a small section of tunnel we could go down in (saw models of it otherwise)- the tunnel had special little "tourist exits" along the way...Shawn and I only made it abou 5-6 meters in and then had to exit at the first one, as it was SO small and dark and hot and clausterphobic. Made me feel like I was going to have a panic attack. We thought for sure we'd be able to make it the full length but sissy-ed out. And the guys that did climb all the way through looked panicky and really relieved to finally get out the other end when they emerged with wide eyes and soaked to the skin with sweat.
I don't mean to sound pro- North Vietnam here- but it is pretty amazing to see how much better equipped and trained they were to be fighting on this terrain and our being here was just a bad idea. They had small guerilla groups that came out at night, intricate tunnels right under our bases..no uniforms...even things as basic as being able to squat down with flat feet/balanced (like their toilets!) and thus fire a weapon in that position without tipping over. Not to mention the whole issue with them looking like everyone else- Mr. Bin had alot to say about how thier spies infiltrated every level- from the wives of diplomats to the flying instructors who were teaching the pilots how to fly. He said the only way you could really tell is by the suntan markes on their feet from their typical VC sandals.
Now i don't claim to be any expert on the war, or put full faith in our tour guide's take on it- don't mean to offend anyone who lived it because I wasn't there (my apologies if I did), and my scope of hisotrical knowledge is limited -but overall I found the day quite interesting despite possibly being skewed in source.
Cambodia
We have been go go go through Cambodia and Vietnam... and today we fly on to Hong Kong!
Cambodia- Phenm Penh:
Our last night there we had an excellent meal out with friends of a friend from the states... Jonah from Bowdoin/Maine has been working with an NGO called Cambodian Arts and Scholarship Foundation... the founder/president Fred (who is also from Maine) spends 2 month in Cambodia each year, so we had dinner with him and also some Camdodians from the program- Sodary, who is in charge of CASF here in country (and her husband also came along)
It was great to have time to speak with all 3 of them and feel like we were getting some conversation/background that was outside of the "tourist circuit" Their program is great- they fund girls education from about grade 6 through university in the city as well as many villages...similar kind of programs to what I was doing in my Burkina village on a much smaller scale (but same ideals/philosphy. The next day they were going to deliver 40 new bicycles to girls in the program in the villages- as many of them have to ride up to one and a half just to get to school- so having a nice bike really makes the difference!
We talked with them about coming back to Cambodia for a week next year in June- for Shawn and I to volunteer- do several day trips to various villages- I could do a half day of health education (with Sodary interpreting!), and Shawn could do a half day of music workshop/improvisation/fun activities with the kids.... I think, while our trip has been SUPER, we are both feeling that for our future endeavors there needs to be a more defined purpose....travelling just "to see" is losing it's charm- perhaps because of the length our trip this time, or perhaps because we have both travelled so much in our lives. Either way- we're very excited about the prospect of coming back to do some volunteering. Also it is a way to really get to know Cambodia "for real"- not just as a tourist in the major cities at the tourist attractions. Perhaps we can combine that with a week of volunteering or (for Shawn) a music grant or program in Hanoi as well....?!
Cambodia- Phenm Penh:
Our last night there we had an excellent meal out with friends of a friend from the states... Jonah from Bowdoin/Maine has been working with an NGO called Cambodian Arts and Scholarship Foundation... the founder/president Fred (who is also from Maine) spends 2 month in Cambodia each year, so we had dinner with him and also some Camdodians from the program- Sodary, who is in charge of CASF here in country (and her husband also came along)
It was great to have time to speak with all 3 of them and feel like we were getting some conversation/background that was outside of the "tourist circuit" Their program is great- they fund girls education from about grade 6 through university in the city as well as many villages...similar kind of programs to what I was doing in my Burkina village on a much smaller scale (but same ideals/philosphy. The next day they were going to deliver 40 new bicycles to girls in the program in the villages- as many of them have to ride up to one and a half just to get to school- so having a nice bike really makes the difference!
We talked with them about coming back to Cambodia for a week next year in June- for Shawn and I to volunteer- do several day trips to various villages- I could do a half day of health education (with Sodary interpreting!), and Shawn could do a half day of music workshop/improvisation/fun activities with the kids.... I think, while our trip has been SUPER, we are both feeling that for our future endeavors there needs to be a more defined purpose....travelling just "to see" is losing it's charm- perhaps because of the length our trip this time, or perhaps because we have both travelled so much in our lives. Either way- we're very excited about the prospect of coming back to do some volunteering. Also it is a way to really get to know Cambodia "for real"- not just as a tourist in the major cities at the tourist attractions. Perhaps we can combine that with a week of volunteering or (for Shawn) a music grant or program in Hanoi as well....?!
Wednesday, June 13
Cambodia- random comments
Note: Read the next entry on Kmer Rouge FIRST then come back to this one.
1. The currency her is RIEL. 4,000= $1
We changed $40 at the airport and have barely used it. Everything is in US dollars- streetside vendors, tuk tuks, etc. You often specifically have to ask if you can pay in riel. Like Laos, the whole money thing has been confusing. I think in Vietnam the currency is DONG. It will make me feel like a ding-DONG for sure.
2. Many of the women here wear summer lightweight patterned PJs like loungewear or for casual...it's not uncommon to see a group of them walking down the street (looking VERY comfy) but seemingly on thier way to a pajama party. Sometimes they are carrying colorful umbrellas too (common in all of SE asia to protect from the sun.)
3. On the topic of umbrellas... even the monks carry them. So you'll see a group of monks in their orange toga-like cloth, with matching orange umbrellas- an essential!
1. The currency her is RIEL. 4,000= $1
We changed $40 at the airport and have barely used it. Everything is in US dollars- streetside vendors, tuk tuks, etc. You often specifically have to ask if you can pay in riel. Like Laos, the whole money thing has been confusing. I think in Vietnam the currency is DONG. It will make me feel like a ding-DONG for sure.
2. Many of the women here wear summer lightweight patterned PJs like loungewear or for casual...it's not uncommon to see a group of them walking down the street (looking VERY comfy) but seemingly on thier way to a pajama party. Sometimes they are carrying colorful umbrellas too (common in all of SE asia to protect from the sun.)
3. On the topic of umbrellas... even the monks carry them. So you'll see a group of monks in their orange toga-like cloth, with matching orange umbrellas- an essential!
Khmer Rouge Genocide
The two tourist things we did/saw here in Phnom Penh relate to the horrible genocide of the Kmer Rouge that occured here in the mid 70s.
The Killing fields, where mass murdering occurred- are approx 15 km outside the city. The is a school next door and it's a little creepy because the whole time you are hearing laughing playful laughter from the schoolyard at recess... Of 129 mass graves, only about 2/3 have been disenterred, approx 17,000 killed at the site in total... now the graves are just large 3-4 meter craters in the ground covered with grass- and you walk on the raised dirt paths between them. BUT- in these dry dirt paths, if you look down... all over there are pieces of clothing sticking up through the dust- it just looks like a small scrap of garbage, but then you realize that there were so many pieces of clothing and so many bodies.... and even bones coming through.. pieces of bone beneath trees that has surfaced through the dust. Its the sort of thing you would never even notice if you were just taking a stroll around- but when someone points it out and you take a closer look.... In the middle of the area (looks like a small park now) there is a monument- from a distance it a tall square pagoda with glass sides- but you get up close and see that on the other side of the glass are big shelves filled with human skulls, sorted by demographic.
From there we went to Tuol Sleung, also known as S-21 (Pol pot's Security prison 21- a high school that was transformed into torture rooms and prison (prisoners went from here to the Killing Fields). In some places it just looks like a regular school- but then you see the barbed wire still up and the torture photos...you go into the classrooms that have been turned into cells or just big shackle chambers... it was really awful. I didn't go through the whole thing- I got about 3/4 and just needed to stop and sit in the courtyard. So many young children and families killed- and the criteria for who was captured seems so haphazard and random- started out being the intellectuals and educated members of society but then (from what I understand) just got out of control. And the Khmer Rouge was recruiting and brainwashing 10-14 year olds to be soldiers, to come and fight for them- make them do horrible acts like killing babies..brainwashing them. Just awful.
I still dont'have a good sense of what today's Cambodians have to say about it all (Obviously they think it's awful but I'm curious the deeper meaning to them)...especially as it was only about 30 years ago. So anyone over the age of 40 living today would have been trying to escape or would have been forced to join - I get the impression often joining for self preservation. There was an interesting photos exhibiton of older folks who had been guards and worked at S21 and where they are now...farmers with families mostly. Not sure if imprisoned or trial? And big museum photos of the Khmer Rouge higher officials (some women!)- all with much graffiti- I wish I had been able to read what it said in Cambodian. Pol Pot's photo I guess had been so badly vandalized that is was just gone from it's spot (understandably).
I'm still sort of processing the whole experience- partly because the history is so complicated, and so recent. Currently reading a book called The Gate- a French man who was the only imprisoned westerner to escape (I think about 6-7 westerners were actually murdered at the Killing fields) We are having dinner tonight with a Cambodian friend of a US friend- am curious to discuss it all with her to see what she has to say or how it affected her family.
Strange being in this area of the world as an American too 30 years post Vietnam... the only sense of how people feel about that was a comment from a guy in his 20s at the bus stop "America is the big MAIN country. America is great. Big bombs- please don't sent them here to us" Overall everyone has been very welcoming and friendly (we still say we're Canadian in all the markets though- for better prices- not just here but everywhere... from Turkey to Egypt and India... SE Asia too!)We are treated like every other tourist on the street.
The last comment that I will give is that there are also lots of landmine vicitms begging in the streets- arms and legs missing, faces that look like they have melted and healed (eyes covered over with healed skin). You go to the upscale bookstore and there are childrens books illustrating not to go running off the soccer field to get the out of bounds ball or what will happen is the story of Jimmy who went to the hospital now has one leg and plays on the one-legged soccer team with crutches. Oh my! We read today online that there are an estimated 6 millin landmines still active and potentially dangerous out in the countryside- leftover from the war, the Kmer Rouge, etc. The population of Cambodia only is 11 million. I wish we had gone to the Landmine museum in Siam Reap to learn more- I regret missing it.
Sorry for the depressing blog. As Shawn said- Genocide based tourism is kind of weird. Morbid curiosity too? But I guess awareness and learning are good even if about depressing and terrible things (?).
There is much more to say about the above blog entry but not sure WHAT...I have not come to alot of conclusions and not sure if I will. But I guess important to know what happened and try to be at least aware if not able to totally comprehend.
Tomorrow we go to Vietnam (6 hour bus direct to HCMC). More soon...
The Killing fields, where mass murdering occurred- are approx 15 km outside the city. The is a school next door and it's a little creepy because the whole time you are hearing laughing playful laughter from the schoolyard at recess... Of 129 mass graves, only about 2/3 have been disenterred, approx 17,000 killed at the site in total... now the graves are just large 3-4 meter craters in the ground covered with grass- and you walk on the raised dirt paths between them. BUT- in these dry dirt paths, if you look down... all over there are pieces of clothing sticking up through the dust- it just looks like a small scrap of garbage, but then you realize that there were so many pieces of clothing and so many bodies.... and even bones coming through.. pieces of bone beneath trees that has surfaced through the dust. Its the sort of thing you would never even notice if you were just taking a stroll around- but when someone points it out and you take a closer look.... In the middle of the area (looks like a small park now) there is a monument- from a distance it a tall square pagoda with glass sides- but you get up close and see that on the other side of the glass are big shelves filled with human skulls, sorted by demographic.
From there we went to Tuol Sleung, also known as S-21 (Pol pot's Security prison 21- a high school that was transformed into torture rooms and prison (prisoners went from here to the Killing Fields). In some places it just looks like a regular school- but then you see the barbed wire still up and the torture photos...you go into the classrooms that have been turned into cells or just big shackle chambers... it was really awful. I didn't go through the whole thing- I got about 3/4 and just needed to stop and sit in the courtyard. So many young children and families killed- and the criteria for who was captured seems so haphazard and random- started out being the intellectuals and educated members of society but then (from what I understand) just got out of control. And the Khmer Rouge was recruiting and brainwashing 10-14 year olds to be soldiers, to come and fight for them- make them do horrible acts like killing babies..brainwashing them. Just awful.
I still dont'have a good sense of what today's Cambodians have to say about it all (Obviously they think it's awful but I'm curious the deeper meaning to them)...especially as it was only about 30 years ago. So anyone over the age of 40 living today would have been trying to escape or would have been forced to join - I get the impression often joining for self preservation. There was an interesting photos exhibiton of older folks who had been guards and worked at S21 and where they are now...farmers with families mostly. Not sure if imprisoned or trial? And big museum photos of the Khmer Rouge higher officials (some women!)- all with much graffiti- I wish I had been able to read what it said in Cambodian. Pol Pot's photo I guess had been so badly vandalized that is was just gone from it's spot (understandably).
I'm still sort of processing the whole experience- partly because the history is so complicated, and so recent. Currently reading a book called The Gate- a French man who was the only imprisoned westerner to escape (I think about 6-7 westerners were actually murdered at the Killing fields) We are having dinner tonight with a Cambodian friend of a US friend- am curious to discuss it all with her to see what she has to say or how it affected her family.
Strange being in this area of the world as an American too 30 years post Vietnam... the only sense of how people feel about that was a comment from a guy in his 20s at the bus stop "America is the big MAIN country. America is great. Big bombs- please don't sent them here to us" Overall everyone has been very welcoming and friendly (we still say we're Canadian in all the markets though- for better prices- not just here but everywhere... from Turkey to Egypt and India... SE Asia too!)We are treated like every other tourist on the street.
The last comment that I will give is that there are also lots of landmine vicitms begging in the streets- arms and legs missing, faces that look like they have melted and healed (eyes covered over with healed skin). You go to the upscale bookstore and there are childrens books illustrating not to go running off the soccer field to get the out of bounds ball or what will happen is the story of Jimmy who went to the hospital now has one leg and plays on the one-legged soccer team with crutches. Oh my! We read today online that there are an estimated 6 millin landmines still active and potentially dangerous out in the countryside- leftover from the war, the Kmer Rouge, etc. The population of Cambodia only is 11 million. I wish we had gone to the Landmine museum in Siam Reap to learn more- I regret missing it.
Sorry for the depressing blog. As Shawn said- Genocide based tourism is kind of weird. Morbid curiosity too? But I guess awareness and learning are good even if about depressing and terrible things (?).
There is much more to say about the above blog entry but not sure WHAT...I have not come to alot of conclusions and not sure if I will. But I guess important to know what happened and try to be at least aware if not able to totally comprehend.
Tomorrow we go to Vietnam (6 hour bus direct to HCMC). More soon...
Phnom Penh
(first- know i have been spelling Phnom Penh wrong up until now- I stand corrected!)
Took the bus down from Siem Reap, 5-6 hours- problem free and smooth paved road, effective AC, and Cambodian music videos and movies to boot (OK- I was thinking I would be happier if they turned down the volume a little- but that would make me sound like a fuddy duddy not an adventurous culture embracing traveller :)
It is a much bigger bustling city than I expected, cleaner too... big gorgeous colorful National Palace and Museum in the center of town along the river (Mekong tributary)..Clean cheap room (more shiny often garrish sparkling tiles for decor- I love it because when they are clean they REALLY look it!) Still very hot (especially at night- but that ok for 5$) The fan works and we prop the door occasionally for some cross ventilation. The AC upscale malls provide some respite for book reading during the peak hot hours of the day... or big comfy outdoor wicker chairs with pillows at the pricier establishments along the river (we order 1 drink and stay 4 hours...nice public bathrooms in these places too!)
While in many ways seem third world- also has modern amenities (wandered through the fancy pen section of the upscale office supply store yesterday.. the expensive grocery stores have Italian Olive Oil and Purina cat food etc-) but still many beggars on the street and people who live day to day off the land or whatever they can.
Took the bus down from Siem Reap, 5-6 hours- problem free and smooth paved road, effective AC, and Cambodian music videos and movies to boot (OK- I was thinking I would be happier if they turned down the volume a little- but that would make me sound like a fuddy duddy not an adventurous culture embracing traveller :)
It is a much bigger bustling city than I expected, cleaner too... big gorgeous colorful National Palace and Museum in the center of town along the river (Mekong tributary)..Clean cheap room (more shiny often garrish sparkling tiles for decor- I love it because when they are clean they REALLY look it!) Still very hot (especially at night- but that ok for 5$) The fan works and we prop the door occasionally for some cross ventilation. The AC upscale malls provide some respite for book reading during the peak hot hours of the day... or big comfy outdoor wicker chairs with pillows at the pricier establishments along the river (we order 1 drink and stay 4 hours...nice public bathrooms in these places too!)
While in many ways seem third world- also has modern amenities (wandered through the fancy pen section of the upscale office supply store yesterday.. the expensive grocery stores have Italian Olive Oil and Purina cat food etc-) but still many beggars on the street and people who live day to day off the land or whatever they can.
Angkor Wat Temples
We got up at 4 am... in order to get to Angkor Wat in time for sunrise. By 4:30 we walked out to the street- in the pitch black, but already sweaty heat, and sure enough 3 tuk-tuk drivers came rushing up- "You want tuk tuk to temples... I take you!" So 10$later we had our driver for the day- more like a covered carriage pulled by a motor bike...and by 5 am we were at the ticket gates!
Angkor Wat is the big temple- but the whole place is actually many many buildings- reminded me of a national park! We only brushed the surface with highlights for 1 day- but you can get up to a 5 day pass. Most people do the "big cicuit"" 25 km route around to various ruins/monuments(which we did most of)- thus the need for wheels! We considered renting bikes for about a half a second- then got real. Too hot! Even with our trusty moto driver, by 10 am - 5 hours later- we were tired and hot and ready to call it a day. But back to the good stuff...
Started out at Angkor Wat- the biggest templ, for sunrise- which was huge- three big towers- and you climb up steep narrow steps to the top. We explored and climbed for nearly 2 hours, that felt like it flew by. Then saw Angkor Thom, Bayon with it 216 huge faces carved into the stone...and many more ancient buildings (all built approx 1000-1200) to follow. Angkor was the capitol of the ancient Kmer empire- nearly 1 million people lived there when London had a mere 50,000 inhabitants (that tidbit is from the Lonely Planet)
So what does it look like now ? Indiana Jones (minus the the snakes)...parts of Tomb Raider were filmed there... Shawn says it is straight out of the old Tarzan movies he watched as a kid. One temple was purposely left largely unexcavated with HUGE jungle trees- roots as big as my waist growing in around and through the huge stone bricks, and then the tree is sitting on top and is as high as the rest of the forest canopy.
Overall I really enjoyed the park-like setting- spread out, green/nature, jungle sounds...I wish I could go back in time and see what the city was like when it was alive and vibrant, bustling- I think my imagination fails me (maybe thats why I'm not big into ruins overall? I can't visualize it?! I like color too!)The Angkor Temples were super neat, lots of fun, an amazing feat of construction and standing the test of time. A must see for anyone coming the SE Asia....glad we went- I would give it an 8 out of 10 (the pyramids were 10/10)
NB- A few groups of local musicians playing by the roadsides around the park- Shawn got out the guitar and joined for a few minutes with one group- not an easy feat to play Asian traditional music (different scale of notes entirely). Mostly they are landmine victims who now play music to try and earn some money (many can play dulcimer or cymble/drum despite missing limb(s). Another popular profession for landmine victims who have lost their eyesight is giving massage (although we have not sampled!)
Shawn says
Shawn's request to put in the blog for today....
Whatever third world city we are in- no matter how developed, congested, and or busy (even here in Phnom Penh there are upscale AC shopping malls with cosmetics counters, lots of Toyaota Camrys, and shiny multilevels hotels with gleaming tiles etc...) the roosters still make themselves known! And often are their internal clock is off- crowing at midnight, or if they get the right time (dawn), can't seem to get out the whole phrase out- instead of "COCK A DOODLE DOO" it's just "Eaak eaak, squaak, Wake up, Wake up Wake up"!
The howling neighborhood dogs sing back-up late-night, but that was only in Siem Reap.
Whatever third world city we are in- no matter how developed, congested, and or busy (even here in Phnom Penh there are upscale AC shopping malls with cosmetics counters, lots of Toyaota Camrys, and shiny multilevels hotels with gleaming tiles etc...) the roosters still make themselves known! And often are their internal clock is off- crowing at midnight, or if they get the right time (dawn), can't seem to get out the whole phrase out- instead of "COCK A DOODLE DOO" it's just "Eaak eaak, squaak, Wake up, Wake up Wake up"!
The howling neighborhood dogs sing back-up late-night, but that was only in Siem Reap.
Sunday, June 10
Photos
Shawn has added MANY new photos through the blog - so make sure to scroll all the way down to see them - as far back as Kathmandu posts (there's a great one of me in a flock of pigeons- eeew!)
The other day we came down to breakfast at the hotel and Shawn saw a guy wearing a Cambodia Angkor Wat Tshirt- Shawn said "Hey, how was Cambodia? We're going there next"- Forgetting that we are actually HERE!
The other day we came down to breakfast at the hotel and Shawn saw a guy wearing a Cambodia Angkor Wat Tshirt- Shawn said "Hey, how was Cambodia? We're going there next"- Forgetting that we are actually HERE!
Friday, June 8
June 8 Siem Reap CAMBODIA
Hello everyone!
I'm afraid I don't have much "big news"or exciting adventures to report... the most exciting thing that has happened in the past few days was getting bribed this morning while going through customs to enter Cambodia from Lao. The visas were each 20$- no problem- but it seems that Shawn and I have very full passports- and the officials needed a fully blank page to paste in the official visa- none to be found (that's kind of exciting in and of itself!). Each official (we were at separate booths) would only do it for an extra $10- actually Shawn's official asked for 20$ and he said my wife only had to/just paid $10 so how about the same for me?) And it just went right in their pocket- in front of everyone in the wide open! "I help you, you help me"
We are now in Siem Reap Cambodia for a few days- mainly to see the highly acclaimed Angor Wat Temples built over several hundred years (I think 900-1300) but I need to go read the tour book again! It has been built up alot- but I am trying not to have TOO much expectation- as we have see SO MUCH this trip, and the pyramids will be hard to beat. The town is a bit bigger and busier than the capital of Laos (Vientiane)...much more touristy (bigger fancier hotels and restaurants for the higher budget travellers)but still feels third world with many dusty unpaved roads and lots of mopeds... overall still a significant backpacker scene. Our hotel is SUPER- 10$- almost like a Holiday Inn room at home... and Shawn is especially happy with the swimming pool. Our first since we started out in March- and it is extremely HOT here. Most of our venturing out will be done first thing in the morning or after 6-7 pm.. otherwise we are in the pool, in the shower, or lying under the ceiling fan ;)
Before coming here we were in Vientiane for a few days- but both Shawn and I were feeling really under the weather and worn down. So we only did 2 things: 1) Went to the Buddha park (see photo of reclining Buddha) which had lots of Buddhist/Hindu sculptures- but privately comissioned and largely done by untrained artists so sort of Art Brut eclectic along with the religious subject matter. 2) We walked to this big concrete arch in at a roundabout in the center of town- expats apparently call it the Aerial Runway- as the cement was donated by the US back in the 60s (?) to build a better longer runsway- and Laos decided to build this monument instead! (external decoration of it is unfinished because they ran out of money). Due to our run down status- we upgraded our 8$ room to the 10$ room across the hall with a TV- a plethora of cable stations (also AC!)- and camped out in the room for some R+R TV/quiet/recovery time. Also found a great Swedish bakery with a pizza oven- 4 pizzas in 3 days, and another great Chinese dumpling place- so that held us!
The only philsophical comment I will make about being in this area of the world... we have been taking short puddle-jumper/prop plane flights on Air Lao in order to see more places in shorter time- but it is strange to be flying above in a little plane and think about all the air bombing we did to Lao/Cambodia/Vietnam during the "American War" as they call it- and here we are- welcomed and treated as guests 30 years later. Will our children be visiting Iraq in the same way?
(we did see some old artillery shell halves as flower pots up in Luang Prabang!)
More soon... enjoy the photos. Sorry there aren't more.
Photo 1 Top of the Hill at Wat (Temple) Phu Si in Luang Prabang
Photo 2 Just one of many sculptures at the Buddha Garden outside of VIentiane
Laos was a bit more mountainous and jungley... Cambodia is more flat with lots of palm trees in town.
Tomorrow- ANGOR WAT! Here we come.
Thursday, June 7
Monday, June 4
Still in Luang Prabang Laos
Sa- bai-dee! (hello in Lao!)
Hop- jai- lai lai (thank you very much)
Still enjoying this great town...
Took a boat trip up the Mekong (it was like an extra long and flat bottomed canoe with sun cover and little wooden schoolhouse chairs lined in two rows- were with 2 other couples from London, and a Kiwi who had been living in Japan for 5 years and his apanese girlfriend) Had a great morning for the trip- slightly overcast so not two hot... went to the "whisky village" where they make homebrew rice whisky of various flavors (even Shawn tasted- despite it being only 10am!)There were bottles with scorpions, cobras, lizards, etc in them too with herbs... not sure if animals put in for taste or the whiskey was just strong as strong as formaldehyde so put in for novelty!!!!
Then the boat took us up to some small caves where there is essentailly a Buddha figure graveyard (all sizes)- apparently it's like the recycling ground for Buddhas- and the Royal family used to go there annually until 1975 to drop the "used/old" ones off. Overall goreous scenery...lush emerald mountains, tiny villages and huts... the water was very silty- it's kind of beigy/clay brown colored- more opaque than the Ganges but i think still alot cleaner!!!
Met a VERY interesting guy here in town the other day too... Ken, from the US southwest (ex-wife is nurse practitioner!) He is recently retired and has been living in one of the monastaries as a monk for the past ten months- one of his fellow monks who is a shaman has been treating Ken's epilepsy (sucessfully!) with local/traditional medecine. His shared with us several of the tenets that he has been living by:
Wake up at 3 for chanting and meditation
Then walk to receive alms/food (No begging- by receiving the food donations of the other Buddist families- they monks are acting as the recipient of alms- thus doing a service)
No eating after 12 noon (but beverages ok)
No sex/alcohol/drugs
No killing (although they still swat mosquitos?, can eat meat if someone else has killed the animal
Can't "get with the music" (that is exactly how he put it...ie no listening, dancing, humming a tune, etc)
Giving up your worldly belongings/material items, clothes etc
Hmmm... I know I am forgetting some but that is the jist. Great conversation with him though.
Another tidbit... we met ANOTHER Shawn Persinger/Bouddeun/Cuneiform Records fan in the Kathmandu airport... a guy from Utah who is into experimental and electronic music. He seemed shocked, honored and suprised to be speaking to the one and only! My famous husband! Thats 2 now in 2 months....!!!!!!!
We were on a great streak too of amazing meals (soups, noodles, stir fried veggies, tofu)- having great luck with asking the server (with VERY limited English) to point his/her favorite item on the menu- and then we would get that without knowing anything about what we had just order... and were getting YUMMY stuff. Except today it turned out to be intestines. Yuck. I think I will take a new approach. And then our favorite Chinese place that we got psyched up for was closed tonight for a banquet... wasn't meant to be.
Tomorrow we jet off to Vientiane- the capitol!
Sunday, June 3
Two quick stories
A perfect moment:Monkey Temple Kathmandu
Still fairly early in the day... relaxing wanderng around the monkey temple.Buddist peace flags everywhere. Lots of little monument type buildings/temples to explore. Monks chanting morning prayers. Beautiful views over Kathmandu. A few shop keepers just starting to set up... We pass a young Tibetan women and her daughter close behind -she must have been about 15mo old (toddler) Cute as a button- round chubby baby face, bright eyes and cute smile... she is wearing a frilly sundress and sandals... we can't resist but to chirp "Helloooo!" to her- and she gives a funny look- then with a quick prompt/translation from mom... she puts her plams together and with a slght tip of the head greats us in her toddler voice "Namaste." It was delightful!
Customs entering Laos:
Posted rates for tourist visa on wall. USA $35
Raggety cardboard sign thrown up in the window: "You are please advised to pay and additional $1 US per person on weekends and official days off"
We get to the front of the line. Stern Asian man in uniform states:
"Seventy two dollars" I say- I thought it is 35$ per person? He motions to the sign. I turn to Shawn- What't today? Thursday. I ask the man (and another man standing behind the glass next to him) Is today a holiday? They nod. What holiday? Non descipt grumble grumble wth chins down. Huh? Shawn gives me a little kick under the counter as if to say- Hey Moly we actually want to get into their country so shut up and pay the extra 2 dollars, OK? And so we did. I think they just put the extra sign up where the boss isn't there. Or maybe the boss is in on it? :)
N.B. Shawn DID get bribed coming through airport customs just over the Nepali border- They tke you alone into this little booth (separate womens and mens) Two guards came into the booth with him... asked to see in his wallet and gave som song and dance about not being ableto bring that many Indian rupees into Nepa. Of course we weren't even at the border. We were flying within Nepal- but they made him give them about 10$ to get through.... as they say "for us to pay some tea" Expensive tea!
I have QUITE alot to say about airport security experiences in general- because we have been through SO many thus far... but that is an in person chat. Every country has it's own hang ups, levels of strictness or negligence, and here and there a fair share of curious Georges who just want to see what the white girl carries in her toiletry case. Overall, none as strict as the US and certainly not all on the same page!
I LOVE LAOS!
Stop the presses... I think I have a new favorite place- or at least very high on the list. Laos is just super.
We are in Luang Prabang- about the middle of the country. Granted, it is a UNESCO site- and thus has to keep up to par with certain guidelines...but WOW!
Ok Where to start... smaller town feel- almost like the midwest but in Asia? Wider streets, laidback atmosphere....but then nestled in lush green mountains. The people are so gentle and kind and considerate....happy laughing playful children abound... smiles from shop keepers... not too much traffic. No one bugging you. Spotlessly clean. Lots of temples/pagotas strewn about town.. Wwomen pedalling bikes with umbrellas/parasols. Ysterday evening we hiked up to the temple atop a hill in the center of town for some great misty mountain views and Buddha photos.... the only thing I would change is the heat and humidity!
By mid-morning yesterday it was all we could do to sit perfectly still and continue to sweat buckets! Luckily are here in the early rainy season- so big clouds and thunder roll in about 4pm- sometimes ends up being rain (like right now) and sometimes just a tease (like yesterday!) At least the thunder always comes with some pleasant gusty winds...
Our guest house (Cold River guesthouse) has free bananas and filtered water round the clock.... also cooked us free Laotian dnner last night of sticky rice and string beans with mushrooms (for everyone staying there- about 20).... we have a shared bathroom double for $4 a night! Super clean (I LOVE the Asian tradition of shoes off at the door) Laundry done for 1$ per kilo of clothes. Window screens, big room with sindows. We're in heaven. I haven't slept this well since March. I keep saying we'll get up early to get a head start on the heat and instead I sleep like a log for 10 hrs straight! Unfortunealy Shawn has been a bit sick with cough/cold (from the Kathmandu pollution I think!) but he is still quite enjoying being here and recuperating.
BeerLao is worth a mention (and I am no beer conniseur (sp?)- don't even like it very much most of the time!) But now- at least one BIG bottle a day! It's almost as cheap as the bottled water! Perhaps I am liking it more here because the weather is so hot and beer tastes great with all the spicy Asian food we've been eating.
The market here is also quite cheap... I swear all the ladies have been taught to start bargain at $2 and let you negotiate down to 1$ for EVERYTHING! Scarves, bags, etc. Then when you give them the money they chant"lucky lucky lucky" and brush the dollar bills gently over the remaining merchandise. Also lots of 12 year old running the show- manning market booths and restaurants. Today we went out for noodle soups at a roadside cafe/guesthouse and were waited on by a group of preteen girls watching Laotian soaps..they were very sweet and cute, well dressed, cutsy teenager jewlery- could have been Westport teens just doing their thing- except didn't speak English, looked Asian, and brought us soups!
The money here is a little weird- 94,000 kip= 1$
So everything is priced is thousands of whatever- too many digits to keep tracke of! You have a huge roll of cash and each bill has oodles of zeros but really you only have ten bucks. Interestingly though- the dollar is very prominant. I would say 50/50 split between prices listed in kip and prices listed in dollars. And if you pay in dollars- and get kip back= the exchange rate is better than the bank. But don't give a slightly torn or worn dollar- must be clean crisp bills!!!
Hmm...what more to say- feel like I don't have good "stories" about Laos to give a true picture of what it is like here. I do get the sense that this is a place that will change rapidly as tourism sets in and the world gets smaller... it's still officialy communist and US trade embargo only lifted since 2004 (ie now can get Coke, KitKat etc) But I don't ever get the sense that anyone is going to take advantage of me or I'm going to get stuck in a tourist trap.... just hard working people living normal lives, that are starting to cater to tourist marketand realize that they can make some money in that market (For example the fruit cart lady won't try and charge you a "whitey" price). The opposite of Khao San Road in Bangkok!!! I hope it stays "nice" long enough for me to come back some day and seen even more of the countryside (we still have Vientiane to go- the capital...which one other travellor told us feels even smaller than here!) ANd then on to Cambodia....
More soon. -M
Thursday, May 31
Indulgence in Bangkok
So wad di ka! (Hello in Thai)
Today- our one day in Bangkok. Weren't planning to come at all- had scratched it off the list in favor of Laos- since both of us have been here before and travelled around the country extenisvely. In terms of flights though- cheaper to fly into Bangkok yesterday- and on the Luang Praband Lao tomorrow.
We visited our old favorite haunts....
Good old Khan San Road (for those of you that have been here) is turning into Disneyland- looks like the boardwalk in Ft.Lauderdale inside of backpacker mecca (but still good fun excellent people watching. Doesn't feel spoiled despite the changes). Lots of other Asians (Thai vs other? we don't know) But decked out! Tight outfits- high heels, LUis Vitton bags.... Starbucks has not just a shop but is in a little mall plaza... same with McDonalds... The bars could be straight out of Boston (nice wood tables, fancy menus etc) and names like Scoozi, Fire and Ice, etc....
That said- we ate GREAT sticky rice with mango, Pad Thai, Drunken noodles, Thai coffe (as strong as gasoline with lots of sweetend condesed milk added), street food....I am still working on a kilo of fresh Lychee fruits (for only 30 Baht- 1$)
AND- we pampered ourselves SPA TIME~(for just dollars a treatment)!.... found my regular Thai massage shop... we both had massage and facials, pedicure for me.... Shawn got his head shaved and had a straight edge shave (excellent results) Going back for more masage tomorrow beofre the flight...
And last but not least- one of the true joys of the third world/Asia- Custom Tailoring at bargain prices. So we spent some time going to and from our friendly talior shop (luckily in the hotel) (incidentally he is also a Seik- but living in Thailand)- I think the actualy person ding the sewing though is Thai- theres the shirt guy, and different guy for pants. I guess in the tailoring business you stick with what you know) In less than 24 hours- with 2 different visits back for fittings- voila- perfect trousers and shirts (4 of each!).
The hostels here are all still showing bootleg versions of movies that are now out in the states...(a keystone of Khasan Rd) Fuzzy picture. bad sound-.. sometimes you can see th outline someone get up to go to the batroom in front of the person who is bootlegging with the home videa camera... still good fun. And free. We didn't watch any but it is such a hallmark of this place!!!!
More news from Laos soon... Luang Prabang here we come!!!!
Kathmandu
Hello! Here's the scoop on Kathmandu- we only scratched the surface of Nepal. Definatley a place to go back to. Especailly beacuase we didn't do any trekking or get outside of Kathmandu much at all... (we trekked to the German Bakery a few meters down from our guesthouse!)
That said, Kathmandu- GREAT! Super hostel- TIbetan run- moldy bathroom but othersied big sunny sindows and clean, free towels.. all for $6 a night. More great Tibetan food as well- dirt cheap- but also some realy good Western type places with burgers, American breakfast, etc. (and the Bakery- which was half price on all pastries after 9 pm.... Yes- I'll take 3 chocolate croissants please) We stayed in the typical backpacker nieghborhood- which was a bit overrun with whiteys for our taste- but is was the low season- and where else can you lean over at dinner and say- I can'[t help but overhear your conversation- did you summit Everst? and the response it "No, the three of us summited Lhotse but our other friend here at that table over there just finished Everest" And you look over at this normal middle aged looking British guy with too much of a tan on his face eating a HUGE steakl.
We have heard that the route to base camp is becoming very commercial (there's a bakery there too), and to even attemp to summit costs at least $65,000 in gear/support not to mention time. 1 in 30 die trying to summit because it is so gruelling but they get up there and don't want to stop. There are LOTS of other trails aroung the area- we just didnt' have the gear and wante dto chill out. Perhps will go back?
Alot to see in and around Kathmandu too... Baktapur, Patan - both old 17th century capitols with AMAZING tiered pagotas and temples... not history of colonization so much unchanged. Baktapur was about an hour bus ride away and a UNESCO sight so a little more tame, quiet in a good way, few other tourists. Spent the day, took our books- quiet and relxing strool around town. Patan's temples almost as remarkable, but is was a bustling place as still full of today's Nepali going to market, temple, etc... everything coming to life.
In the Darbar square in Kathmandu- there is this one old palace (all the building have remarkable teak carving that is 200years old....dieties with 8 arms, ornameted window frames and doors... even a Kamasutra temple with some intersting poses!) Anyhow- this one palace houses the KUMARI - a girl who is chosen as a toddler- selcted based on numerous physical traits (neck shape, elashes like a waterbuffalo- i might be a bit off but you get my drift) and her horoscope (so all of this is remotely along the lines of how the new Dalai Lama gets chosen) She is put in a courtyard a night with a handful of other toddelrs who are Kumari cadidates- there are beheaded buffalos and masked dancers... the one who is least afraid gets selected. Oh- and she has to be able to pick out/attracted to belonging sof previous Kumaris/ So then she lives in this palace until she menstruates (ie a decade -then they pick another)- her feet can NEVER touch the ground outside - and she comes out once a year in a big yellow chariot for her Festival when people celebrate in the streets. (She does get visitors- I asked).
Also went out to the big Buddist STOUPA basically a big white mound the size of a house that they do clockwise rotations around and chant- ornamentation at the top, spin prayer wheels... hard to describe so we'll try for some photos sooon.
Hiked up to the monkey temple on the hillside (SEE -we did do some hiking in Nepal!)
Last time Shawn was there-- THOUSANDS of monkeys. This year- few and far between. Too hot? Wong time of day? We went twice to try. Second time- a nice lady called them out of the woods- and we had bought some berries as a lure to get some photos of Shawn with guitar and monkeys.... lets just say- MONKEY HUNGRY! Not patient for slow dolling out of berries to get good photos. BIG scary alpha male monkey climbed (jumped?) onto Shawn's back and head. Mild freak out. DISEASES! (the cut on his head now is really from bumping a low Nepali doorway- but more fun to say from scary big monkey making guttural grunting noises) Berries were dropped and all monkey finished quickly... tried again with cucember chunks. Much better. Tipped the friendly lady 100 rupees and promised to email her the photos of herself with the monkeys.
Last note about Kathmandu....
1. Great souvenier/gift shopping. Sat for awhile/drank cokes with the shipping guy (aregular family man type) who helped us send our package home and heard of all the devious ways tourists have tried to sneak ship thier hashish home. (we let him check out stuff VERY carefully!)
2. Still many Hindus in Nepal (in addition to the BUddist Tibetans)... after a few days we realized that the BUFF on the menu was not a misspelling of BEEF (along the lines of Cheep Flights) but in fact we had me eating water buffalo meat all along. BUFF=buffalo. Tasty!
Tuesday, May 29
Tid bits to update from India and prior
NAMASTE from Kathmandu Nepal!
Sorry I haven't blogged in OVER a week... but we have been doing so much eating, shopping, and relaxing... and yes of course seeing the sights. Feel like I am making the transition from tourist to travellor (whatever that really means) Perhaps just feeling more settled in to the routine and less pressure to see everything or spend everyday with a purpose. Where to start?
A few random tidbits I have been meaning to write down (some from long ago in the trip)...
Strangest t-shirt- in Kathmandu on a pre-teen boy
"Fat people are harder to kidnap"
Most ironic t-shirt -in Cairo on middle aged shop owner who is shouting at us "come into my shop, i give you best price, you come and just looking, good price good price" while wearing t-shirt that says "CONS"
In Goa- while waiting for the bus to the airport... crippled man with no legs on a rolling board comes over to us- he is pushing himself along- looks a bit ragged, bad teeth, but not terrible. Comes up right at our feet and holds out his hand and makes the generic "i'm poor give me money" sad face and does the typical hand gesture out for money then to his mouth then down to his missing legs... etc. For the longest 5 minutes ever despite our best efforts at indiffference and "no, go away". So about 30 minutes later, after the bus has arrived an we are waiting next to it... he comes back...with a duffle bag over one arm- or better yet- over one stump- not only is he missing both legs but an arm as well. He proceeds to push open the bus door...throw his bag on, get off his little wheelie board, put that in the bus stairwell, hoist himself up bit by bit like this until he is in a seat. We eventually are sitting across from him and he is just one of the other men on the bus smiling chatting away in whatever language in normal conversation! It was amazing- how quickly someone can change from one thing to another in your eyes/perception that fast.
Other random tidbits:
I think Shawn is the only man to show up for a camping felucca ride on the Nile or survive a blustery storm on a Turkish gulet wearing a black suit jacket. (I am not mocking just commenting :)- because he always looks super sharp and well put together- just not your average travel gear!) As he says (in an sweltering Indian day when asked... aren't you hot?) "I just make up for it with my COOL- like the Fonz"
Indian train ride #1: Sleeper regular no AC (3 bunks per side open windows with bars that on the outside look like Holocost trains) Breathing horrible dust, hot and sticky on the plastic bunk, many Indian men talking loudly at all hours...lying there.. first I put on my eye mask to try and sleep and block out the bright lights. Then my ear plugs go in. The I get out my bandana and cover my nose and mouth because the air is so bad. And I think to myself... well i've got 4 senses covered- just as long as no one touches me tonight I'll be just fine!
Wake up (after sleeping pill) thinking- oh the dust wasn't so bad, we don't need the AC car.... look out the window and to rows of Indian men squatting down balls out for all- taking care of their morning bowel regime. I thought twice about the dust.
Finally gave in to the porter's urgings to order the train lunch... thought that we got in at 10am. Not until 2. Goopy rice and generic curry/bean sauce off a big styrofoam tray. So ravenous I don't care if it's safe. When done- looking for garbage can- intructed by at least 3 Indians that I am just expected to chuck it out the window. I couldn't do it. I put it on the floor under the sink by the bathroom.
Train number 2: Find car S5. Big sign on the car during search while mad rush of everyone to get on train. Get in. Get situated. Lock our bags under the seats. 10 minutes later some Indians come by (Father daughter-very polite but agressive!)... no this is S7. But the sign???? The sign is wrong. What? Pack up. Move down a few cars... Everything OK. We find it. Porter confirms. Put down the bunks. Get situated. Sleep... woken up 2 hours later at 1 am... older Indian man travelling with another guy. Shaking my feet. Motioning- "get out get out mine mine". Shawn debates with the other guy. No- look at number on the wall. No you get out! What? The porter already checked our tickets we're right! We're sleeping! Go away. BIG TO-DO. Lights on- crowd gathers... me squinty eyes no contacts, with eye mask on forehead in sleeping bag sheet... Conductor comes. They are wrong. They are in bunks above us (third one up both sides). Careful...don't step on my feet on your way up! Nighty night!
Train trip number 2- got into Delhi VERY later- after midnight. People sleeping all over the floor inside and outside of the station. Like the whole place just stopped in it's tracks to go to bed right there. Had reservation at Hotel Saina- but wanted to try something closer and cheaper since had to be back on the train again at 6 am. Many touts follwing us "want a rickshaw?, come to good hotel" etc etc (please go away! we know where we are going thank you! Already have reservation) Get to closer hotel- it's locked up and full. We look like fools to rickshaw driver touts who have been following us. Agree to take one of them to the other hotel. He takes us to a totally different Hotel Star(so he can get commission) luckily I have a card for Hotel Saina so I show him (remember he is PEDALLING a fairly rickety bike with us on little seat in tow with all luggage through unpaved dusty bumpy potholey streets in a sketchy are of town- you have to clench all your leg and butt muscles and hold on tight just to keep yourself IN the seat) so he says "OHHHHH. Hotel Saina. OK" Any we go another 15 minutes through narrow back alleys of Delhi's sketch neighborhood.... minimally lit where the people are sleeping in cots lining both sides of the street- some 2 to a bed. Thats when you just cross your finger and say "OHM". (We got to the hotel and it was even a little nice- worth spending 20$ instead of 10$ for 5 hours of peaceful sleep at that point. Too bad we couldn't watch the cable TV more)
Train #3: Train running a little late... I'm excited- we booked 3 tier AC (Air con) car~!!! meet 2 great girls from Wales, one has been living in Delhi for 6 months doing segments on environmental conservation for BBC. Another nice guy from USA who is moving to New Haven to start at the law/forestry school. SO we're camped out on our bags having a little pow-pow by the tracks ...train running a few hours late... we drink tea... Then many undistinguishable announcements. Many people running. It's coming in on a different track.. RUN RUN... then wait a bit... look around... where we go? What are they saying? No wait - track 9... RUN RUN...up the stairs, around and over ...go go go... which car... we run the WHOLE length of the train still not our car.. run the other way.. it's leaving! Just hop on! It's our train right? Go Go! Sweating- pushing through the people... finally find our seats/bunks. There is a family of 10 camped out there.. .and they have put down some serious roots. Dinner is spread out. Garbag. wrappers, and banana peels on the floor in the feet area. Under the seats is chock a block full of trunks and luggage... where normally 3 would sit across are at least 4-6 people each. All the bedding that was clean and folded is used for sleeping children on upper bunks or squashed into the corner...
It starts out polite... can i see your ticket?- I think we seat here? What? No, can I see your ticket? No I don't want to sit in number 15 this is my seat. This is my seat. I want to sit down (it's the 4 of us at this point- the 2 British girls and us) One thing lead to another. and Shawn takes charge and just starts moving their luggage out into the aisle. The one pre-teen girl who can speak English keeps saying "Please wait ten minute Please wait ten minute" The women are chattering away in Hindi in sharp tones.. the toddlers all start to cry...Basically we are kicking them out. Pretty soon the head of the clan- the brother shows up. Apparently all 12 of them are travelling on 2 tickets (one top bunk in our little section and another bunk next door). We squabble over how much room they need to give us for our luggage... shove some more of thier stuff into the aisle...track down some clean linens... push out all the grabage on the floor into the aisle... by this point we have attracted a crowd of Indians... who agree with us but just watch as this is par for the course on Indians trains (??). We sit... supposed to be three to a row/bench...slowly becomes 4, then 5.. then some kids meander back on to the bench. Half the family is still with us and half next door on the other side ot the divider- but WE are in the appropriate seats (just now squashed and sharing with random kids). One guy across the aisle motions to the guitar... song? The Brit girls say- hey they know Christmas Carols... and before you know it we're singing Jingle Bells and Happy Birthday... everyone is all smiles. And the brother who is the leader of the group we just had an all out fight with is inviting us to come see his family in Delhi! If they same interaction had happend in the States- it would have been bad blood afterwards...F*$#@ you jerk! Perhaps even embarassment at the behaviors we were driven to in such a stressful situation. ????? It all ended OK.
Post script....as it turns out- Indians trains sell lots of "open seat general" tickets.. so even though we were in more upper class AC car... every inch of floor space was filled. Once we put the bunks down and got into bed- a nice Seik gentlement put down some newspaper carefully on the floor between the bunks, gently placed his turban on the little shelf below the window, and had a good sleep. Shawn was on the lowest bunk acorss from one of the British girls- who was very petite- and they shooed away at least 6 different men who decided to have a seat on the end of her bunk throughout the night - can't waste a little extra room! Musical chairs musical bunks. stand your ground- be nice- smile yell AAUUH! What an experience. Now all funny looking back but those Indian train rides....I guess I'll just say good stories and fun memories! :)
Monday, May 21
Darjeeling
Another relaxing day up in the mountains... hard to believe we are higher than Mt Washington at over 6,000 ft. And if we motivate to get up early (before the clouds set in) we can see the third highest peak in the world in the Himalayan distance- snow topped and craggy (the top 3 are around 29,00 ft)
Yesterday we went to the Darjeeling zoo- great! Lots of jaguars, leopards, Bengal tigers, bears etc... the set up is some cages but also some in natural habitat with big moats around- makes the animals harder to see in the foliage- but boy when that tiger woke up from his nap and walked a mere 10 feet before plopping down- it was scary! Wouldn't want to meet him in the jungle...
Also went to the Himalayan Mountain Institute- lots of gear on display from different Everest missions... neat to see things like the clothes/photos from the early 1900s, and things like the battery heated socks from 1960s... and the modern "Helly Hanson" brand fuzzies and parkas, and plastic coffee mugs from more recent ascents int he 80s/90s!!!
Today we hiked down the mountain (paved trail- but certinaly felt like hiking!) down to the Tibetan Refugee self-help camp/site. Lots of crafts giong on- not as busy as i expected- and quite tucked down on the mountain- but then i read the it was where the twelfth? thirteenth? Dali Lama was in hiding in around 1911-12- so of course it would be tucked away- also a good hidtoric reason to keep it on that sight (lots of homes etc little neighborhood there too). On a different note, there are lots of private schools here in Darjeeling so as we wound our way back and forth along the mountain path, it was fun to see all the darling school kids in their uniforms hiking up the mountain home from school (and wanting to practice their English!)adn alughing and having fun.
Darjeeling overall seems to be very different than the rest of India... Shawn played with the local band again last night (great- as usual).. I wanted him to ask them what language everyone speaks here (can't tell?)...and they were very adamant that much of the population here is Nepali and speaks ?Nepalese.... Shawn and I keep wondering about the deatails of the land negotiations when Inidan/Pakistan/ Bagladesh etc were split up because this little piece of territory is part of Inida but is culturaly so different and geographically kind of separate. Maybe they kept it because it is such a beautiful tourist site/quaint British Hill town (lots of Indian tourists here too...)
Our weather has still been damp and rainy in the afternoons, but lots of good just walking around and all the "up and down" tires us out! The Sherpas are amazing with what they can carry- bricks, gas tanks. luggage etc. They sort of hang it by a strap over the top of the head/forehead.
Also- good restaurants here... we have found our favorite Tibetan food- we arrive every morning for breakfast and I order soup and Shawn orders mo-mos (steamed dumplings)..it's the BEST broth based soup I have ever had! not too salty, lots of fresh spinach and carrots, homemade wontons or noodle and chicken... MMMMM!Also a great pastry shop down the road so we can have our fair share of chocolate donuts and cinnamon rolls...
Its been nice to be in the same place for 5 days without moving..and will do the same in Kathmandu (an we're FLYING!- ok so only 20 minutes once we cross the border- but sure beats the 12 hour bus ride through the mountains and all the police checks/stops... have heard stories of Maoist demands along the road for baksheesh (bribes) so we figures the 130$ flight was worth it!
Still need to write about our Indian train trip adventures... All good fun now but at the time all little...um? frustrating? strange? funny? a near all out fight about who's seat/bunk/bedding was whose? Lets just say it all ended with a round of Jingle Bells between all (foreigners and Indians alike) with Shawn on the guitar! Who knew that Christmas Carols would end up being the cultural bridge to iron it all out. Details to follow....
One last note- Shawn is a celebrity even here in Darjeeling- after playing 2 nights with the band at the local bar- the next day we are having tea at the Himalayan Mountain Institute, and we run into some Indians who recognize him and want to know where he playing again tonight. The front desk guys from the hotel/ and the owners even came too! (Yes very proud of my rock star husband but a little jealous too!) He and the band rock out to Sweet Home Alabama, Crossroads, Beatles etc... I missed night/show #2 but Shawn had a great story to tell about the universality of music- and how you really know it to be true when you have a room full of Seiks, Buddists, Hindus and whitey travellors all up dancing to Twist and Shout.
Saturday, May 19
Agra,Varanassi, Darjeeling
Train to Agra- got in early in the morning and we got a cheap room for the day to lock up our stuff, shower, nap etc as the train to Varanassi left at 11 pm. Really enjoyed the town of Agra overall- not sure specifically why, perhaps just a particularly smooth/relaxing/low-key day. India has proven to be very challenging for travel- for lots of reasons... we both got sick (giardia?) the heat is stifling (even for ME the "Oh I lived in Africa this is nothing" girl) The culture/religion is very different and often perplexing - that in combo with the extreme concentration of population/poverty in the cities... and I think just getting around from town to town or place to place within towns is difficult. Think busy busy narrow streets with no sidewalks and LOUD horns- navigating rick-shaws, tuk-tuks, motorcycels and taxis, and cows, all with Times Square type pedestrian traffic and garbage/feces at your feet! Once we get out of these busy areas it seems to be fine but can leave you frazzled. More on our train experiences later! I think I am still processing alot of it too so haven't written as much- India can be quite an assault on the senses (in both good and bad ways)- it is just so much all at once that you are not sure what to make of it! The challenge is certainly WORTH the pay off and the amazing experience-
Taj Mahal was beautiful and surrounded by lovely parks and an interesting Mosque...Went to a neat park behind the Taj to try and see the reflection in the water at sunset- Shawn took his guitar for some photo ops and attracted quite posse of young listeners (although their only requests were Hindi music or Shakira- neither of which he knew. They did appreciate his verion of "Gimme Some Money" (I think it's from Spinal Tap) as that is THEIR daily plea over and over.... to the point that some of them just say (with hands out and the cutest smile they can muster) "Hello,... Money?)
Varanassi-What an amazing and mind boggling place. The other morning we walked down to the "burning ghats" on the Ganges...basically public cremation- but considered very holy because if your ashes then thrown in the river- you escape the eternal cycle of reincarnation and go to heaven (and no risk of coming back as a monkey or a dog etc) There are all these piles of wood and different types of wood that are very carefully measured out on big scales- and depending on how much your family can afford you get more or less/better wood... and butter, sandalwood powder etc all on the fire. The widow shaves their head and has a specific ritual- once they walk around the fire 5 times clockwise- the body is no longer a person, the soul has gone and it is just part of the fire... it felt strange to be watching but the Indians were very encouraging and inviting to stay. The body is all wrapped up in ornate ritual cloth (color based on age and sex)... The strange thing is...just yards down the river from all the ashes (and much more garbage...not to mention sewage!) many many people are bathing and swimming and washing their babies/children... taking a sip of the holy river water to cleanse their sins. Cows and goats all around. And no women are allow on the funeral pyre- for 2 reasons- if any tears are shed the soul of the deceased won't go to heaven, and the ancient Hindu ritual was for a woman to throw herself on her husband's fire- and altough less common now, it happened once again last year. Overall, the whole scene was a little bit surreal!!!! Over 300 bodies burned a day in just this one spot on the river.
And now we are in Darjeeling... gorgeous! Way up in the mountains... over 6000+ feet... lush green scenery, the British influence still quite prominent in the architecture/layout...neat view from our hotel can see the snowy peaks of the Himalayas (got up this morning at 5 am to see- saw a double rainbow too) It is sort of damp and off/on rainy (the fog looks like beer foam spilling over the edge of mountains)and you are often in the clouds- the pretty puffy ones with blue blue sky, and then sometimes thick fog and thunder that sounds like it's right in front of you, and then in an instant it's gone!!! Culturally it is like we are in a different country- more Tibetan/Nepali/Bengali in attitude/food etc.
Thats all for now- Oh! And Shawn has found a great rock-and-roll band to sit in with in the evenings at a pub here in Darjeeling- so that has been fun. They have been playing in Nepal in past years as well so gave us some music contacts to look forward to there. PS I can't seem to find a good cup of tea in the town- how ironic!
More soon...
Saturday, May 12
Rishikesh
Hi everyone!
Well- the inevitable has happened. Travellers diarrhea. Interestingly though, it is the general muscles aches that are really having the worst effect. And i keep thinking I have typhoid or cholera (despite no significant fever- I am not a good patient!). No big deal- just feeling tired.
I had a great birthday yesterday though... Shawn planned it out... first in the morning- Ayurvedic massage (kind of like a massage in the States except more vigorous rubbing and more head massage!) In the afternoon we did 1.5 hours of yoga at the Ashram across the street from our Guesthouse.... the instructor looked like "a yogi" (Indian guy beard/long hair, white outfit, prayer beads, centered serious vibe) During the beginning warm up I was having flashbacks to 7th grade swim team- doing group warm-up cathisthenics on the deck at the YMCA before practice. Sort of rigid and he spoke in a loud monotone voice... throughout the whole thing. Once we got into the poses though it was really great and relaxing- the voice thing helped me sort of focus/zone out..the class moved MUCH slower than typical yoga classes in the states (lots more "ohm-ing" too). Perhaps more about the stretch and focus/breath than overall "exercise"? And no cheesy soft voice talking like some instructors I've had in the US!
He got me great presents- a necklace, Indian music CD, an Indian fiction novel (V.S. Naipur), and colorful cards with the Hindu dieties (plus the massage and yoga!)
We would have topped the day off with candlelit dinner at the Italian restaurant or cake at the German bakery- but alas it was toast and tea for me and the hotel before early bedtime.
Trying to relax a bit today before we head out on the train tonight- stop over in Delhi for a quick sleep then another train to Agra tomorrow for the Taj Mahal. India continues to be a pleasure- once acclimated. Not sure how I feel about braving the crowds of the bigger cities again (especially sick and carrying my suitcase/ backpack!). It's hard to write specific details- or even find specific things to take pictures of- because it's just a crazy interesting intriguing unusual place to be and kind of exist within all the culture happening around you.
Sending out (early) birthday wishes to CAL! Do something unusual to celebrate :)(or have a shot of Makers Mark for me)
And again Happy Mother's Day to mom and Judy! Hopefully we'll talk soon...
Well- the inevitable has happened. Travellers diarrhea. Interestingly though, it is the general muscles aches that are really having the worst effect. And i keep thinking I have typhoid or cholera (despite no significant fever- I am not a good patient!). No big deal- just feeling tired.
I had a great birthday yesterday though... Shawn planned it out... first in the morning- Ayurvedic massage (kind of like a massage in the States except more vigorous rubbing and more head massage!) In the afternoon we did 1.5 hours of yoga at the Ashram across the street from our Guesthouse.... the instructor looked like "a yogi" (Indian guy beard/long hair, white outfit, prayer beads, centered serious vibe) During the beginning warm up I was having flashbacks to 7th grade swim team- doing group warm-up cathisthenics on the deck at the YMCA before practice. Sort of rigid and he spoke in a loud monotone voice... throughout the whole thing. Once we got into the poses though it was really great and relaxing- the voice thing helped me sort of focus/zone out..the class moved MUCH slower than typical yoga classes in the states (lots more "ohm-ing" too). Perhaps more about the stretch and focus/breath than overall "exercise"? And no cheesy soft voice talking like some instructors I've had in the US!
He got me great presents- a necklace, Indian music CD, an Indian fiction novel (V.S. Naipur), and colorful cards with the Hindu dieties (plus the massage and yoga!)
We would have topped the day off with candlelit dinner at the Italian restaurant or cake at the German bakery- but alas it was toast and tea for me and the hotel before early bedtime.
Trying to relax a bit today before we head out on the train tonight- stop over in Delhi for a quick sleep then another train to Agra tomorrow for the Taj Mahal. India continues to be a pleasure- once acclimated. Not sure how I feel about braving the crowds of the bigger cities again (especially sick and carrying my suitcase/ backpack!). It's hard to write specific details- or even find specific things to take pictures of- because it's just a crazy interesting intriguing unusual place to be and kind of exist within all the culture happening around you.
Sending out (early) birthday wishes to CAL! Do something unusual to celebrate :)(or have a shot of Makers Mark for me)
And again Happy Mother's Day to mom and Judy! Hopefully we'll talk soon...
Thursday, May 10
Rafting
Just back from our mornnig of rafting down the Ganges- super fun rapids (class III) with peaceful calm spots in between....just 4 of us in the boat... mountains all around- warm breeze fresh air, clean water (???) Shawn braved a swim (they let us float down a few rapids if we wanted..) Rishikesh is relaxing (perhaps a little TOO new age for my taste with all the music, sometimes over loud speaker in the evening- like you hear in the yogas studios at home or in the background of your massage!) Interesting Hindu altars- crazy bright colors.
Thats all for now...more soon -M
Wednesday, May 9
India- getting adjusted
Hello! I only have about 15 minutes....
Feeling much better about India now after 3 days in the north and out of the cities!
Delhi was very hectic- and the area we were staying is was backpaker/budget area- all the cheap hotels ($10 night) and the streets themselves were a bit sketchy/filthy. And just kind of loud/busy etc. Walking along the street trying to find where you are going, look at everything, and also not get hit by a rickshaw or step in cow dung- i kept saying to myslef- "and why is this fun?"
That said- upon our arrival in Delhi..Shawn said to me "I don't think I've ever been wistful for squalor" Apparently Delhi has cleaned up and modernized quite a bit from when he was here 7 years ago. The next day (after no sleep in our skanky hotel room) we did walk around some really nice areas- did some shopping, had lunch in an upscale restaurant where lots of other students and young professional were (it was like being in a regular diner in NYC at lunchtime) I think we just need to spend $20 per night on a room instead of $10.
Took 5 hour train (with the horn blaring almsot the whole way- and we were in the first car!) to Hardiwar. Much better room- the streets still a bit congested- but doing alot more fun things. Hiked up the small mountain to the temple- bought the little red plastic baggie of "offerings" that almost got stolen by monkeys on the way up.... went through the temple at the top with really no idea what was going on... but people were leaving flowers, food...we got our third eye painted on our foreheads. It was pretty neat despite my relative lack of understanding about what was going on (Hinduism in general). Are you supposed to offer the coconut milk or drink it? What do I do with the Rice Krispies?
In the evening we went to a ceremony by the Ganges (here it is clean as nearer where it comes out of the foothills of the Himalayas... hundreds (thousands?) of people gathered- all with offerings to put in the river (this place is considered Holy because Vishnu left a footprint with drops of nectar- you can bathe away your sins in the Ganges)And by the way- this is one FAST current...we watched boys swim and they could barely get back to the edge over a distance of 10 meters after jumping in.
ANyhow- we bought our little offering too... a basket made of big green leaves- filled with flowers and a candle in the middle...some people had BIG baskets, some gave pieces of cloth to set adrift, some bathed, others were sprinkled with the water- the candles were all beautiful floating down the water. There were prayers (chants?) shouting somethingi n Hindi.... again not entirely sure what was going on (except at face value) but was super fun and quite interesting (more fun than dodging cow poop and rickshaws on a busy street ;)
We are stuffing ourselves silly with all the yummy food- and that IS dirt cheap- we have to try hard to spend more than a couple of dollars for a huge meal.
Tried to think of good analogy for India- like a cultural Disneyland- BUT you are there during spring break where every kid K-12 has off from school so it is packed, and the street cleaning crew is on strike with no replacements (and lots of cows wandering around as they please... and your never really sure if you are on the ride, waiting in line for the ride, or trying to get to the next ride?) Sensory overload but amazing and interesting with great food, something to see with every glance (from intriguing Hindu shrine to man vomiting in the road), and inexpensive to boot!
Today we arrived in Rishikesh- a much quieter town in the mountains ...where the Beatles wrote the white album... a few references per SHawn:
Dear Prudence - about Mia Farrow's sister who was also here at the time but would just meditate all day ("won't you come out and play?")
Sexy Sadie- about the Beatles disenchantement with the Maharishi but they changed it to a girl so it wouldn't be too obvious
WHy don't we do it in the road - Paul saw monkeys doing it in the road and wrote this(and we did too- but they were on the bridge suspension not in road)
Bungalow Bill- a gentleman the Beatles met who wwas here to hunt tigers at the nearby reserve (and brought his mother along)
We plan go go rafting the Ganges tomorrow(even more rough here)- the town is quaint- hanging footbridges across the gorge/Ganges... our TWENTY dollar hotel is clean and pleasant- great view of the mountains and water- fresh air, birds singing...screened windows that open, and a quiet ceiling fan that dossn't make you feel like you are sleeping inside a large machine. Perhaps a yoga class in also in store... or massage? Will let you know....
Signing off... -M
PS More pictures soon - promise! AND HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to MOM and JUDY IN ADVANCE! THINKING OF YOU.... MISS YOU! HUGS AND KISSES :)
Feeling much better about India now after 3 days in the north and out of the cities!
Delhi was very hectic- and the area we were staying is was backpaker/budget area- all the cheap hotels ($10 night) and the streets themselves were a bit sketchy/filthy. And just kind of loud/busy etc. Walking along the street trying to find where you are going, look at everything, and also not get hit by a rickshaw or step in cow dung- i kept saying to myslef- "and why is this fun?"
That said- upon our arrival in Delhi..Shawn said to me "I don't think I've ever been wistful for squalor" Apparently Delhi has cleaned up and modernized quite a bit from when he was here 7 years ago. The next day (after no sleep in our skanky hotel room) we did walk around some really nice areas- did some shopping, had lunch in an upscale restaurant where lots of other students and young professional were (it was like being in a regular diner in NYC at lunchtime) I think we just need to spend $20 per night on a room instead of $10.
Took 5 hour train (with the horn blaring almsot the whole way- and we were in the first car!) to Hardiwar. Much better room- the streets still a bit congested- but doing alot more fun things. Hiked up the small mountain to the temple- bought the little red plastic baggie of "offerings" that almost got stolen by monkeys on the way up.... went through the temple at the top with really no idea what was going on... but people were leaving flowers, food...we got our third eye painted on our foreheads. It was pretty neat despite my relative lack of understanding about what was going on (Hinduism in general). Are you supposed to offer the coconut milk or drink it? What do I do with the Rice Krispies?
In the evening we went to a ceremony by the Ganges (here it is clean as nearer where it comes out of the foothills of the Himalayas... hundreds (thousands?) of people gathered- all with offerings to put in the river (this place is considered Holy because Vishnu left a footprint with drops of nectar- you can bathe away your sins in the Ganges)And by the way- this is one FAST current...we watched boys swim and they could barely get back to the edge over a distance of 10 meters after jumping in.
ANyhow- we bought our little offering too... a basket made of big green leaves- filled with flowers and a candle in the middle...some people had BIG baskets, some gave pieces of cloth to set adrift, some bathed, others were sprinkled with the water- the candles were all beautiful floating down the water. There were prayers (chants?) shouting somethingi n Hindi.... again not entirely sure what was going on (except at face value) but was super fun and quite interesting (more fun than dodging cow poop and rickshaws on a busy street ;)
We are stuffing ourselves silly with all the yummy food- and that IS dirt cheap- we have to try hard to spend more than a couple of dollars for a huge meal.
Tried to think of good analogy for India- like a cultural Disneyland- BUT you are there during spring break where every kid K-12 has off from school so it is packed, and the street cleaning crew is on strike with no replacements (and lots of cows wandering around as they please... and your never really sure if you are on the ride, waiting in line for the ride, or trying to get to the next ride?) Sensory overload but amazing and interesting with great food, something to see with every glance (from intriguing Hindu shrine to man vomiting in the road), and inexpensive to boot!
Today we arrived in Rishikesh- a much quieter town in the mountains ...where the Beatles wrote the white album... a few references per SHawn:
Dear Prudence - about Mia Farrow's sister who was also here at the time but would just meditate all day ("won't you come out and play?")
Sexy Sadie- about the Beatles disenchantement with the Maharishi but they changed it to a girl so it wouldn't be too obvious
WHy don't we do it in the road - Paul saw monkeys doing it in the road and wrote this(and we did too- but they were on the bridge suspension not in road)
Bungalow Bill- a gentleman the Beatles met who wwas here to hunt tigers at the nearby reserve (and brought his mother along)
We plan go go rafting the Ganges tomorrow(even more rough here)- the town is quaint- hanging footbridges across the gorge/Ganges... our TWENTY dollar hotel is clean and pleasant- great view of the mountains and water- fresh air, birds singing...screened windows that open, and a quiet ceiling fan that dossn't make you feel like you are sleeping inside a large machine. Perhaps a yoga class in also in store... or massage? Will let you know....
Signing off... -M
PS More pictures soon - promise! AND HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to MOM and JUDY IN ADVANCE! THINKING OF YOU.... MISS YOU! HUGS AND KISSES :)
Saturday, May 5
INDIA Post 1
We flew into Bombay (now called Mumbai) on May 2 and spent the day walking around the neighborhood near the train station- the overnight train didn't leave until 10:30 pm. Now this was my first exposure to India, but Shawn was here for several weeks about 7 years ago.
Perceptions: Big city, according to Shawn much cleaner and "easier" than other Indian cities (i.e. no cows in streets!) and quite beautiful architecture- kind of a mix of British/Eastern...we had a pleasant few hours doing a wlking tour as suggested by out Lonely Planet guide- also spent a few hours in a quaint little tea room with great AC and tasty little Indian appetizers.
That said- we did drive through the slums at one point in our taxi (said to be the biggest slums in all of Asia) and I wish I could remeber the population stats for India... but there are millions an millions of people here- a large majority of which are living in extreme poverty. The slums went on for miles (right up to edge of the airport) in some parts they were built right on the side walk- out of cardboard, tin, scraps- were the size of a cell almost- and then opened up right into the filthy street- people bathing, sleeping, cooking right in the road. While I feel I have had a fair amount of exposure to third world poverty, so wasn't totally aghast, there is such a HUGE difference between rural/agricultural poverty (like Burkina, or even here in Goa) and urban poverty/overpopulation.
And the weird thing is- there are many very wealthy Indians as well- and the rich and poor seem to be living all on top of one another. For example the neighborhoood where you walk by the Villeroy and Bosch stores still has all the garbage and crippled beggars in the street, mothers and babies just sitting/sleeping at the edge of the road- its not segregated. And in the up-scale tea room, the McDonalds, the fancy English bookstores, the AC car of the train- there are lots of well dressed well spoken, educated Indians (it wasn't like Burkina where they were sort of "whitey" stores and restaurants). SO overall quite interesting to have all this amalgamated together.
The train stations was yet another interesting experience! Crammed with people! and everyone just waiting on the floor...70 year old women napping on the ground. Babies, elderly, one man carrying around his sick emaciated relative with a crusty NG tube coming out his nose... and the rush to get the unreserved seats... like a mosh pit. Pushing and shoving for a spot on a wood bench on the overnight train.
Our car was quite pleasant- sleeper beds with clean sheets- AC and we had upper/lower bunk....
Goa is at the end of their season (so everyone is taking down their beach huts and restaurants cleaning out their kitchens in prep for the rainy monsoon season. We are in Palolem- the furthest south and most pristine beach (the north of Goa used to have a big rave/drug scene... we met some Brits today who said there are still alot of drugged out Europeans wandering the streets as sort of a hold over even though the scene has died down over the years) I have to admit- I feel a little lukewarm about Goa- it IS gorgeous- Huge flat sandy beach and warm, warm swimming water with perfectly sandy bottom all the way out.... BUT 1) I feel like I have prepped myself for "the real" India so this feels tame, and 2) there are a lot of tourists here - all decked out in their "hippie-wear" (like they just got their entire wardrobe from the Indian market down the street (or Thai or wherever they have just been).
One good thing though- because the season is winding down, there are LESS tourists here than usually, AND there are lots of Indians here (so probl 50/50 foreign tourists- Indian tourists) Which not sure if this is usual? So lots of women in gorgeous saris on the beaches and groups of men hanging out in the water, playing cricket etc.
The food is delicious! I need to cut back... yogurt lassis, banana pancakes for breakfast, spicy curries and paneer cheese, masala tea (like liquid spice cake with frothy milk).....We are staying in a little hut on stilts right on the beach (about 20 meters back) I was a little sketched out at first as it is more rustic than i am used to (but then told myself- there were mouse turds and cockroach parts in the cabins at girlscout camp- and this IS the beach. I think my germ alert is just up because of seeing so many people living in the streets/slums in Bombay) So I have acclimated to the "camping!" (OK there is a flush toilet and an overhead fan... and even a little deck out fron with reading chairs... can't complaing for $8 a night. I'm spolied from Dahab.
More soon....-M
Tomorrow we fly to the capital- Delhi on our way up north
Friday, May 4
INDIA!
Just finished writing about our last days in Egypt- will post re: India tomorrow- but we did make it here safe and sound (and it's not as shocking as Shawn has prepped me for- but it IS as if someone turned up the volume on all aspects of senosry stimuli. Bombay was ____! ) More soon (and we have SHawn to thank for the recent addition of photos- I didn't have the patience to wait for the uploads- so I'll keep writing and as we burn photos to CD along the way he will post more)-M
Dahab
Quick note on Dahab Egypt- mellow backpacker town on the Sinai Penisula- we looked across the water to Saudi Arabia (15 miles away)/ Snorkelling and divers paradise! Dare I say BETTER than the Great Barrier Reef? We met some Dutch folks who had been there SIX times to go diving and had never been to the rest of Egypt!!! Rooms were cheap (approx 10$) but food pricier- we found a nice restaurant off the beach that sold falafel, eggplant, fava bean etc sandwiches for 25 cents- so lived on that along with cookies and dates from the market and an occasional beer! Dahab was not very Egyptian/Muslim feeling- like a different country almost, more like a backpacker resort...teeny tiny town, with about 2 mile brick boardwalk the length of the town along the water. Quaint and friendly (but not very cultural)
No true beach there (stones)- so all the hotels/eateries have built right up to the water's edge- and have these fabulous nook-like lounge areas filled with big pillow around a low table- shaded by the deck above. ANd more cats everywhere (cute and clean and affectionate!- and that's a stretch coming from me- not my usual "germ-phobe dont touch a strange third world animal" attitude)
The reef went out about 30 feet right in front (very shallow- a few inches at low tide) then a huge drop off to a wall of brillant coral. We snorkelled twice a day (and divers were out there up and down along the coral wall). Fish of all colors, shapes and sizes- turqoiuse, green, red, pink, yellow- like a crayola box! And the coral was perhaps even more impressive than the fish in terms of shape and color. We felt like we were swimming in a National Geographic video. Sometimes we would even find ourselves in the middle of a big school of fish (blue or orange)- hundreds all around! Overall- highly recommended for anyone who likes to dive/snorkel.
The only major mis-hap...on our last day we wanted to go snorkel one LAST TIME. But it was just a bit rough (waves breaking where the coral dropped off) and the tide was sort of in between- not so shallow that you could walk right up to the edge of the reef and jump off (also being careful not to damage/walk-on the living coral) and not deep enough the you could start swimming before you go to the drop off... Both Shawn and I got knocked down onto the coral and VERY scraped up (ie bleeding)- we couldn't make it from standing on the shallow part over that last hump to the other side of the drop-off. Of coures- despite injury, we still had to snorkel for at least 20 minutes!!! But then upon coming into shore- everyone- was sort of staring at us and kept asking what happened! I think it we had gone out there 30 minutes earlier or 30 minutes later we would have been fine (a little shallower or deeper with the tide)... but O well! In some ways I was thinking- this trip is too good to be true- something bad needs to happen- so this was it and thankfully not to major!
The interesting ending to this story... while my extensive first aid bag had lots of ointment etc- a coral abrasion is kind of oozy (my right thigh took a hit- and Shawn landed hard on his chest- big abrasion and bruising too, plus other small scratces on the arms and legs for both of us) We wanted to get everything to dry up a bit before getting on the plane to India!!! We met this Swedish military guy- who wasn't seeing enough action at home so joined the American military and is on leave from Iraq (he is front line "Pathfinder" reconaissance, working in a group of 12- mostly other foreigners). He had this great stuff called "New Skin" for us to spray on- made things sting like *%#!*!** but dried it up immediately and we have had no problems since. In fact little pain after the first day and no signs of infection/no oozing since. (Although it was very hard to pee in the stinky dirty Indian train squat bathroom because I couldn't get my pants down without somehow scraping RIGHT over this huge gash on my leg with falling down or touching something gross!) Anyway- the Swedish soldier- His story is a very intersting one but probably better in person. The first things he said when we asked about the American military was- "good food. They just came out with a few new ration recipes- the lasagne is good...."
Moral of the story- travel with spray on "New Skin" apparently available at Walgrenes!
Egypt Luxor
LUXOR-
This was our last stop in the main part of Egypt, and my favorite (vs Cairo and Aswan) Great hotel with a rooftop view of the Luxor Temple and Avenue of the Sphinxs (lined on either side by rows and small sphinxs- goes for several miles but only portions preserved/excavated) Right on the Nile... Day 1 was for relaxing and we took a walk up to the Karnak temple (unfortunately by the time we got there it was late morning and thus hot, also at the peak of the tourist buses- there must have been at least 60 in the parking lot! We had seen so many temples by then it was hard to get excited...
Highlight of Luxor was the West Bank... met a nice Greman fellow (who studies international conflict resolution specializing in Myanmar/Burma) The three of us took the ferry across the river and rented a private taxi for the day (for approx $20) First was the Vally of the Kings- by far a highlight, best spot in Egypt after the Pyramids. Again (like the Pyramids) we felt like we didn't want to leave and could stay in such a magical place all day! You have to drive about 10-15 min into the mountains (dry and red) then pay to see however many tombs you want to (out of perhaps 20? I'm guessing)- we picked to top three recomended by Lonely Planet (2 from 1200 BC and 1 from 1440 BC) The entrances are all hidden in what seems like mountain crevices...sometime you take precarious metal ladders to climg up to.. the hike 5-10 min down into steep narrow tunnels, to rooms the have colorful hieroglyphics that go on and on- all over ever bit of wall space, big columns in the middle, little side rooms/altars... some have several sections so you keep hiking down and down... by they time you get there it is HOT and stuffy- dripping with sweat. But what you are seeing is just SO COOL you can't believe it's there. Of course all of the treasures are back at the Cairo museum- but personally I find the structures more interesting than the artifacts. Interestingly King Tut's tomb, while popular for tourists, is not suppose to be very neat structurally- so we skipped that. It is just so famous because of what was in it- and the theory is (per Lonely Planet Guide) that as last in a line of an unpopular royal leaders, his tomb was sort of a dumping ground for all the family's stuff to get rid of it! Also, (I am blanking on the the name of the gentleman who disovered it!) he was about to give up looking for Tut's tomb, but then starting excavating the last place to look- under some excavation workers tents or a canteen (something like that) and found it (basically front and center in the valley righ when you arrive- so obvious it was missed). Also- we read that in the (late? mid?) 90s another tomb was discovered that is EVEN BIGGER and they are anticipating it will take at least 10 years if not more to completely catalog and excavate it. Neat!
The rest of the day- we saw a few more temples, tombs of the nobles- but it all seemed like kind of more of the same. The one eventful experience was in the Tomb of Ramose (a noble scribe) one tunnel down was left totally dark and not set up for tourists...BUT you are allowed to go with a flashlight. It was REALLY scary and steep and PITCH black climbing down.. then we found a mummified human head in a crevice in the wall in one fo the side rooms. It all sounds cheesy when writing- but all 3 of us agreed that it is so rare as an adult that you get to do something that really gets your adrenaline going -that you feel truly scared- and it lasts for a few seconds and then it's gone. The Indiana Jones in each of us coming through.....waiting for the floor to turn into a seething pit of cobras hissssssssss!
From LUxor flew to Dahab.... see next post!
This was our last stop in the main part of Egypt, and my favorite (vs Cairo and Aswan) Great hotel with a rooftop view of the Luxor Temple and Avenue of the Sphinxs (lined on either side by rows and small sphinxs- goes for several miles but only portions preserved/excavated) Right on the Nile... Day 1 was for relaxing and we took a walk up to the Karnak temple (unfortunately by the time we got there it was late morning and thus hot, also at the peak of the tourist buses- there must have been at least 60 in the parking lot! We had seen so many temples by then it was hard to get excited...
Highlight of Luxor was the West Bank... met a nice Greman fellow (who studies international conflict resolution specializing in Myanmar/Burma) The three of us took the ferry across the river and rented a private taxi for the day (for approx $20) First was the Vally of the Kings- by far a highlight, best spot in Egypt after the Pyramids. Again (like the Pyramids) we felt like we didn't want to leave and could stay in such a magical place all day! You have to drive about 10-15 min into the mountains (dry and red) then pay to see however many tombs you want to (out of perhaps 20? I'm guessing)- we picked to top three recomended by Lonely Planet (2 from 1200 BC and 1 from 1440 BC) The entrances are all hidden in what seems like mountain crevices...sometime you take precarious metal ladders to climg up to.. the hike 5-10 min down into steep narrow tunnels, to rooms the have colorful hieroglyphics that go on and on- all over ever bit of wall space, big columns in the middle, little side rooms/altars... some have several sections so you keep hiking down and down... by they time you get there it is HOT and stuffy- dripping with sweat. But what you are seeing is just SO COOL you can't believe it's there. Of course all of the treasures are back at the Cairo museum- but personally I find the structures more interesting than the artifacts. Interestingly King Tut's tomb, while popular for tourists, is not suppose to be very neat structurally- so we skipped that. It is just so famous because of what was in it- and the theory is (per Lonely Planet Guide) that as last in a line of an unpopular royal leaders, his tomb was sort of a dumping ground for all the family's stuff to get rid of it! Also, (I am blanking on the the name of the gentleman who disovered it!) he was about to give up looking for Tut's tomb, but then starting excavating the last place to look- under some excavation workers tents or a canteen (something like that) and found it (basically front and center in the valley righ when you arrive- so obvious it was missed). Also- we read that in the (late? mid?) 90s another tomb was discovered that is EVEN BIGGER and they are anticipating it will take at least 10 years if not more to completely catalog and excavate it. Neat!
The rest of the day- we saw a few more temples, tombs of the nobles- but it all seemed like kind of more of the same. The one eventful experience was in the Tomb of Ramose (a noble scribe) one tunnel down was left totally dark and not set up for tourists...BUT you are allowed to go with a flashlight. It was REALLY scary and steep and PITCH black climbing down.. then we found a mummified human head in a crevice in the wall in one fo the side rooms. It all sounds cheesy when writing- but all 3 of us agreed that it is so rare as an adult that you get to do something that really gets your adrenaline going -that you feel truly scared- and it lasts for a few seconds and then it's gone. The Indiana Jones in each of us coming through.....waiting for the floor to turn into a seething pit of cobras hissssssssss!
From LUxor flew to Dahab.... see next post!
Saturday, April 28
Photos
Sorry these are not the best photos (all from Istanbul)... I have been sitting here for 2 hours in Luxor trying to upload and they take forever. Will try more. Esp the Egypt photos...! The one of us together is on the balloon ride! BYE -M
Shawn also added a pic of me to the April 7 post if you scroll down.
Friday, April 27
Egyptian Museum
The big Egyptian museum in the center of Cairo that holds the spoils of all the tombs from around Egypt (except what the Brits and French stole)- including Tuthakamen's mask and the rest of his treasures- is HUGE. Mind boggling. And some what shoddily organized/labelled. It is as if there were too many items and they got overwhelmed so just threw things into a display and wrote 3x5 handwritten sticky notes, then left it for then next 50 years. Like all 100-plus scarabs. All in one case in one place. And everything there is a masterpiece! As Shawn says- you look at a piece and say- wow, this is the most beautiful object I have every seen. such color, such detail...and then you look at the one next to it and say, no wait! THIS is the most beatiful and you do that for 4 hours! If we could only have arranged to see each thing one day at a time over the next 10 years. There is stuff in crates sitting around too- coming/going from other museums- as if someone didn't have time to unpack them.
THe blakc and white photos of the tombs as they found/opened them are CRAZY- they look like a photo of some grandma's dusty crammed full attic. Totally unorganized just one things smashed in next to / on top of another. And then you see the items in the museum and can't believe your eyes that they are the same things- gilt with gold and intricate animal carvings.
Amazingly, we almost didn't go (museums are boring?) but stayed for several hours. The mummy room was pretty cool too- you could see the skin and eyelashes- many still had noses and ears etc. Eeeew.
Hmmm.. thats all for now. More about Luxor tomorrow. -M
THe blakc and white photos of the tombs as they found/opened them are CRAZY- they look like a photo of some grandma's dusty crammed full attic. Totally unorganized just one things smashed in next to / on top of another. And then you see the items in the museum and can't believe your eyes that they are the same things- gilt with gold and intricate animal carvings.
Amazingly, we almost didn't go (museums are boring?) but stayed for several hours. The mummy room was pretty cool too- you could see the skin and eyelashes- many still had noses and ears etc. Eeeew.
Hmmm.. thats all for now. More about Luxor tomorrow. -M
Pyramids
(this is going back a few days, and I'll be brief)
THE PYRAMIDS! The highlight of Egypt so far (although Abu SImbel was a close second)
We got up REALLY early so were there at 7.. the gates at the base of the road to Giza plateau didn't open until 8 (so picture us in the middle of the road with 4 other whitey tourists standing chatting up the guards and 12 big packed tour buses inching up right behind. We had to try and outrun them (and the camels) to get up the hill to the ticket counter. We lost. But did consider holding hands across the road to keep them back. Even tried bribing the guard fof a head start - no dice.
I must admit ther were a tad smaller than I imagined (I guess I was expecting NYC city sky scrapers? Come on- the pyramids are the last standing wonder of the world- are they HUGE?) After getting over that- they were breathtaking. And despite the 12 tourbuses...the place seemd EMPTY. It's a huge area to walk around... 3 big pyramids- several smaller... and then the Sphinx a slight hike down (5 minutes) We go lots of photos with no other tourists! Shawn brought his guitars (advertisement promo photos for travel guitars..??? keep your fingers crossed) and we even had time for TWO mini guitar exhibitions... one for a group of touts who then gave us each cheap platic scarabs (and a sheik turban for Shawn but then wanted money so took the gift back) and the second for a small group of tourist police who were lolling around the outer boundaries.
We stopped for a very overpiced cup of tea at the small cafe there- I felt like royalty due to the setting! We were the only ones in the cafe and our view was the pyramids and Sphinx. Peaceful calm. Cool (I needed my fuzzy) Loved it. A cup of tea I will always remember.
Neatest part of the day was climbing up into the tomb at the center of the biggest pyramid. Vey muggy clausterphobic and STEEP narrow passage. Not enough room to pass someone coming the other direction. Basically ladders climbing up. You could see the amazing masonry work and how the huge stones were expertly fitted toghether. Shawn and I went seperated (the guitars would never fit). At the top the tomb was not so exciting as it was empty (except the heavy huge stone sarcophagus (is that what the outer part is called - 3 sides of stone only, lid gone) We each stayed in there 15-20 minutes to let the eyes adjust to the dim light and make a few echoing sounds- and the chance to be in there totally alone. At on point I got down in the sarcopagus and hid, waiting for the next group of tourists to come- then jumped out and said BOO! (Just kidding - but I did tell Shawn that is what I had done. Too bad I'm a terrible liar.)
After 4 hours of enjoying and lingering...by then the number of tour buses and school groups was up to at least 50 and it was time to go. The call to noon prayer was just starting in smoggy Cairo in the background and the indecipherable mixed drone of all the mosques together sounds kind of like mis-pitched cicadas (Shawn says the rev-ing sound at the Indy 500). So we wandered off to an excellent meal just a bit down the road- treated myself to nice BIG frosty beer... and we still got to enjoy the view of the pyramids in the distant background.
Felucca Trip on the Nile
Here's the good part first-
The Nile is gorgeous- big wide flat waters (what i imagine the Mississippi looks like?) Very calm in some places...lush bright green foliage on either side with lots of Palm trees... rolling desert and dunes in the back ground.
The felucca is basically a wide flat sailboat- so essentailly we were camping for 3 days...no washing except for my trusty packet of wet wipes put to work in the important areas (others risked the very prevalent schistosomiasis for a swim)... there were 6 of us on the boat plus Captain (Aiup [sp?]) and 2 crew (a teen- who checked the arrangement and status of his buzzcut frequently in a little pocket mirror, and a wrinkly old man with a turban who weighed about 99 lbs. with jalaba soaking wet)
Smooth winds and lots of sailing- even at night when the moon was only a half pie and made it look the sun had just been turned down by a dimmer-
Ate, slept, had sings alongs, read books, etc all on wide flat surface covered with mattresses and one big sheet and under sun shade/canopy. (Dusty pillows)
This was our introduction to Aiup -Picture sleezy skinny 22 year old Afican guy who could pass as a pimp with crazy Afro hair, bad teeth, dirty jeans and dirtier white T-shirt...
Aiup: (close talker) Hi I'm your captain Aiup, and this is my girlfriend Stacia
Stacia: (in American accent) Hi. Stacia. How are you?
Molly and Shawn: (returned greetings and handshakes)
Shawn to Stacia: Where are you from?
Stacia: California. L.A.
Shawn: Cool. I went to music school there. How long have you been in Egpyt?
Stacia: 2 days
Shawn & Molly: Exchange looks??? Girlfriend? Two days?
And the adventure begins. Let it be know that we arranged this trip through our Aswan hotel which was GREAT. And we only paid $20 for the whole thing- 3 days 2 nights all food on the boat. That said...
TOP THINGS I would change about the trip or suggest to Aiup for next time...
1. Buy more blankets
Note: On night two I was woken up by him in the middle of the night (after he and Stacia returned from who knows where) as he tried to snag my blanket and rationalize that Shawn and I should share one. The night before he and Stacia each got one and didn't share (and who knows what they were doing under there) Resolution- he snagged the tiny crappy blanket off of Australian David and gave it to me, took the good blanket for himself and threw David Stacia's sleeping bag still all balled up in the sac.
1B. Shake out/wash the sheet on the "living area" once a day to free it of sand and food before sleeping...and think about washing the blankets/pillowcases you DO have!
2. (building on number 1) Don't suck face with your "girlfriend" right in front of everyone on a small boat (especially when your inexperienced crew is about to run into the bridge and snap off the top 7 feet of the mast, resulting in no sailing but aimless floating for the next 2 hours until we can stop and get someone to help us fix it...including the male passengers!)
3. Remove the dirty nails sticking up out of the disembarking plank (where the steps once were so you wouldn't just SLIDE down it off the boat).
4. Buy a cooler for beers and cokes (so when the other feluccas pull up next to you at the beach and hand out beers from the cooler all around- your passangers don't start drooling with envy. And then when you notice this and ask us if we would like some beers with supper- make sure you follow through (even when it comes up SEVERAL times through out the next day- and you counted how many we each wanted SO WELL!) And yes- I realize a good faith effort was made to BUY them off the other boats- but they should have been free since all the other captains got to come hide in our little cabin in the front of the boat and smoke pot with you while their passangers were off walking.
5. (building on 5) Don't smoke HUGE DOOBIES while one the job - or at least keep it to once a day.
6. Let your passengers know when you are about to sail (we had just pushed off and had to go back on 2 occasions.... part of the problem was...(see 7)
7. Let you passengers know the plan/itinerary (how long at each little stop- so people can know when to go to the bathroom instead of mass scurrying at the last minute!) And when asked how far is it? Don't answer, "Not far." Then two hours later. Or Where are we headed?, "This way."
8. And last but not least- Sail your passengers all the way to the temple Ko Mumbo (sp?) where they are expecting to disembark versus stopping in some random place (Where are the other feluccas?) so you can go off with your girlfriend. And if you must- perhaps not a wide flat muddy plain with no shrubbery- so in the morning no one has anywhere to go to the bathroom (no shrubs or cover and groups of People on 3 sides)
Aiup ended up paying for a mini tuk-tuk taxi to take 4 of the passengers 5 minutes away to a toilet and back again, and then paid for us to ride in the back of a pick-up to the temple where we were supposed to get left off.
Important to note- the above many have come across as sounding angry- but is all in good fun and with a laugh!!!? We had quite a funny adventure joking as it was happenning- the other travelers on the boat were great and we had lots of fun (especially when Aiup was gone!)
Many wishes to Stacia that she doesn't arrive home with any diseases (and I am not referring to schistosomiasis) Random note: she did seem a little smart at times, but at one point tried to justify the sand in the rice by it's assumed mineral nutritional value and fiber content. I told her I would rather stick to fruit, but no offense to her wanting to keep an open mind (ON just about EVERYTHING!!!! Including Aiup!!).
Tuesday, April 24
Egypt Post 1
HI all... I really wanted to write a fair amount today but am limited on time and this keyboard is TERRIBLY sticky (not to mention they are blasting Arabic music which I usually really like but right now is giving me a headache!)
Egypt is has been incredibly busy because there are so many "sights"- the term they give to tourists who are maxed out it "Pharoh-nic Fatigue". THat said- we are REALLY enjoying ourselves...also pushing through quickly to make time for a few days in Sharm El-Sheik / Dahab on the Sinai peninsula while here. Supposed the best snorkelling/diving in the world after the Great Barrier Reef.
What we have been up to:
Arrived in Cairo at night...luckily had arranged for our hotel to pick us up. With that detail taken care of...I think one of my FAVORITE THINGS is arriving in a big third world city at night- that adrenalin and feeling of being in the dilapidated taxi whizzing along through the streets watching the people, the city landscape in the dark- can't be beat. It was the same when we landed in Dakar last May. Also- now in Egpyt Shawn and I feel like we are finally on an adenture! (Turkey was SUPER but a bit tame.)
Two days in Cairo- Day 1 Pyramids in AM. National Egyptian Museum in PM.
Day 2 walked around Islamic Cairo in AM, then down by the Nile in the evening.
Flew to Aswan early the next day ($50 flight!)- spend day wandering around and exploring. Nothing specific (needed a day without any "sights")
Day 2 Aswan went on tour to Abu Simbel and Philae (way south about 30 miles from Sudan) Weird to think we were so close to an area of genocide and conflict and we're walking around with busloads of white tourists who have all paid 20 bucks each to get in to the monuments (Two big temples that Ramses II built for himself and wife- the biggest has four huge statues of himself right in a row) We actually had to get up at 3 am to get there- 3+ hours drive through the desert with the escorted police convoy that leaves at 4 am. (Sounds exciting but really not- we were in a mini bus organized tour with other tourists--- the rest of the caravan was more of the same and big fancy buses with white folks on package tours)I guess they do it for tourist safety. Interestingly- those monuments had all been moved! In the 70s? 60s? the Aswan dam was built (resulting in lake Nasser) so area more fertile and also now the power from that dam is Egypt's number one export (they sell to neighboring countries- big power lines along the Nile in places. Tourism is number 2 revenue) Anyhow- the moving of the monuments slightly more inland so they woudn't get covered in water was a big UNESCO project and mnay other countries helped (taking home some spoils in return- such as the Egyptian temple that has been reassebled at the Met in NYC) The monumets are HUGE- stories high and fragile...cut it all into blocks and transfered. Quite a feat. No cut was more than 4-6 mm.. and all filled in so you can barely see. (I have to say- I wish I didn't find out that they had been chopped up and moved back until next week- it took away just slightly from their grandure)
Another highlight of yesterday was meeting Alex - an American Muslim of Polish (also Bosnian?) descent- emigrated to Dearborn Michigan at age of 15 with his family to escape communism... he is a therapist/student from Seattle and studying positive mental health effects of religion (to start PhD in NYC next)- but also has taught classes on Islam in the States and just completed his trip to Mecca for the Haj. Is on fellowship travel around the world studying top 6 religions/mental health- ANYWAY- he was a great resource on Muslim culture and Islam faith and so interesting to talk to! We went out to dinner with him afterward... I wish I could write everything we learned. So many questions from being in a VERY Muslim country now for several days. Turkey was certainly Muslim but not like this!
Today we leave for a 3 day 2 night cruise up the Nile on a Felucca (with sails! finally) Although I think this will be more like camping and much less luxurious than our boat in Turkey (which wasnt even that luxiorious) ie no bathroom on the boat? Sleep on deck? Basically we don't really know but took a leap of faith dan booked it through the hotel. End up Luxor for more Egyptian monuments temples tombs and sights...
A few random comments:
Egpyt is dirt cheap except for entry fees. We are spending about 15$ a day for food and nice hotel (AC private bath shower, they make your bed, breakfast included etc) Eating falafel, fava bean stew, rice, bread, oranges and bananas etc)The monuments are about 20$ each to get into- but even if we do 2 a day we're still on budget.
Things i am glad i packed: compass, travel clothesline. Bike lock to lock our bags to a piece of furniture in the hotel room.
Will probably send home some of my clothes and accesories from Luxor! We are doing well with washing out Tshirts and underwear each night- usually dry by morning (we are in the desert- that probably wont go as well once we hit humid India)
Aswan reminds me LOTS of Burkina- except all Arabic and no French/ more prominantly Muslim. The climate, the landscape, the feel of the heat, the look of the town. The way people interact/interpersonal communication etc very similar. Cairo felt more Middle Eastern- as we go south it feels more African (and has the same kind of poverty)
Really love being in a Muslim country- for some reason culturally the feel of it really excites me/stirs me (in a way that, for exaple South Americam culture doesn't)
The barking throaty language,
Oh- Shawn is signalling that I have to go... I get writing and think of so much stuff to write. Need to say more about our morning at the pyrmids etc and my thoughts on Cairo which was GREAT and a breez compared to what the tourbook and others said. The "touts" and people bothering us and haggling for prices has been much more difficult here in Aswan than Cairo.
More soon after 3 days in felucca... BYE
Saturday, April 21
Turkey to Cyprus- Hydrofoil
An unassuming day... a lazy start, early lunch- big plate lamb doner and salad washed down with a cup of tea... bright clear sunny sky and a quick stroll with our bags down to the dock to hop on the 2 hour ferry. I feel as though I have just finished having that on land rocking sensation left over from the last boat- but oh what a great day to be on the water!
We go through customs, get on board- debate about whether to leave our luggage with the rest up on deck- the porter indicates to take inside (we think)...find seats inside and decide it takes up too much room- no overhead so take the backpacks back out on deck with the rest (big heaped on pile). Take a seat- listening to my Ipod ("My best friend's girlfriend" -the Cars), reading about Egypt and we're off.
Then the porter comes around with black plastice puke bags...for everyone. And everyone takes them. I should have known at that point it was going to be an interesting ride...
So we skirt the coast of Turkey a bit (more gorgeous moutains and Carribean like turqoise waters) Shawn asks me to stay with the stuff so he go take a stroll out around on deck...comes back after 2 minutes and say "It seems like they don't want me out there... and there's no where to walk" So settles back in.
The ferry turns sharp left and heads out to sea... my Ipod flips to "Fanfare for the Common Man" (Copeland)...and the boat begins to rock.
At this point I am thinking -uh oh... I have been very close to boat and car sick in several other vehicles during the past 2 weeks.... Focus on the horizon. Focus on the horizon. Focus on the horizon.
The next 2 hours of my day- I am fixed with my head turned right (i am third seat out from the window- empty seat immediately on my right and Turkish guy in his 20s with hair gel in the windo seat)intently staring out the 3X5 ft window. This is what I see...
Horizon in center across the middle....moving up and down across the diameter of the window. Then disappearing out the bottom of the window field - so that all I see is sky and clouds as the boat rocks. Focusing on not getting sick- I am thinking- where is it? There it is.. where is it? There it is. Focus on the horizon. Focus on the horizon. I brave a glance at the other side of the boat- those folks are alternately watching a disappearing horizon out the window- but it goes out the top of thier visual field all they see is water and not sky!
Sometimes the horizon disppears and in it's place I see a HUGE swell about 10 ft from the window and we sink down into a trough- then LURCH... and then sky, and then horizon. At other times the window is covered with pure white spray- like driving through a car wash.
In addition to the side to side rocking- we are also moving foward in such a way that we catch air as we fly over the waves... literally coming up out of seats. At first- Shawn and I are laughing hysterically- like a rollercoaster- only better! SAhawn has his hands in the air- woo hoo! The 2 old women in baboushkas in front of us start laughing too (at us or because thery are also having fun?) The old wrinkled Muslim man behind me who is missing many teeth takers out his prayer beads and worships to Allah aloud.
And the puking starts. People all around tossing thier cookies. Violently. Loudly. Odorously. Gagging into plastic bags. I have never seen seas so rough and swarmy... Swells and white caps- out past sight of land. The old man behind me starts moaning like a cat on a car ride. The man next to me vomits and I grab my suntan lotion- holding the open bottle of coconut Coppertone under my nose to avoid the bile smell. I turn my Ipod up to cover all the noise (Of course- Jerry Lee Lewis- A Whole lot of Shaking going on)Listen to the rhythm. Look for the horizon. Smell the coconut. Focus Focus Focus.
Shawn goes to the bathroom and reports back that there are grown men lying out on deck in the fetal position with black plastic bags near their mouths. Another woman just lying on the floor of the cabin.
Eventually we see land again. Arrive- safe and sound. Shawn and I both have a bit of a headache but have escaped the vomitous ordeal. I think my Ipod, suntan lotion,and focusing on the horizon got me through. And the luggage on deck made it too!Dry!
We go through customs, get on board- debate about whether to leave our luggage with the rest up on deck- the porter indicates to take inside (we think)...find seats inside and decide it takes up too much room- no overhead so take the backpacks back out on deck with the rest (big heaped on pile). Take a seat- listening to my Ipod ("My best friend's girlfriend" -the Cars), reading about Egypt and we're off.
Then the porter comes around with black plastice puke bags...for everyone. And everyone takes them. I should have known at that point it was going to be an interesting ride...
So we skirt the coast of Turkey a bit (more gorgeous moutains and Carribean like turqoise waters) Shawn asks me to stay with the stuff so he go take a stroll out around on deck...comes back after 2 minutes and say "It seems like they don't want me out there... and there's no where to walk" So settles back in.
The ferry turns sharp left and heads out to sea... my Ipod flips to "Fanfare for the Common Man" (Copeland)...and the boat begins to rock.
At this point I am thinking -uh oh... I have been very close to boat and car sick in several other vehicles during the past 2 weeks.... Focus on the horizon. Focus on the horizon. Focus on the horizon.
The next 2 hours of my day- I am fixed with my head turned right (i am third seat out from the window- empty seat immediately on my right and Turkish guy in his 20s with hair gel in the windo seat)intently staring out the 3X5 ft window. This is what I see...
Horizon in center across the middle....moving up and down across the diameter of the window. Then disappearing out the bottom of the window field - so that all I see is sky and clouds as the boat rocks. Focusing on not getting sick- I am thinking- where is it? There it is.. where is it? There it is. Focus on the horizon. Focus on the horizon. I brave a glance at the other side of the boat- those folks are alternately watching a disappearing horizon out the window- but it goes out the top of thier visual field all they see is water and not sky!
Sometimes the horizon disppears and in it's place I see a HUGE swell about 10 ft from the window and we sink down into a trough- then LURCH... and then sky, and then horizon. At other times the window is covered with pure white spray- like driving through a car wash.
In addition to the side to side rocking- we are also moving foward in such a way that we catch air as we fly over the waves... literally coming up out of seats. At first- Shawn and I are laughing hysterically- like a rollercoaster- only better! SAhawn has his hands in the air- woo hoo! The 2 old women in baboushkas in front of us start laughing too (at us or because thery are also having fun?) The old wrinkled Muslim man behind me who is missing many teeth takers out his prayer beads and worships to Allah aloud.
And the puking starts. People all around tossing thier cookies. Violently. Loudly. Odorously. Gagging into plastic bags. I have never seen seas so rough and swarmy... Swells and white caps- out past sight of land. The old man behind me starts moaning like a cat on a car ride. The man next to me vomits and I grab my suntan lotion- holding the open bottle of coconut Coppertone under my nose to avoid the bile smell. I turn my Ipod up to cover all the noise (Of course- Jerry Lee Lewis- A Whole lot of Shaking going on)Listen to the rhythm. Look for the horizon. Smell the coconut. Focus Focus Focus.
Shawn goes to the bathroom and reports back that there are grown men lying out on deck in the fetal position with black plastic bags near their mouths. Another woman just lying on the floor of the cabin.
Eventually we see land again. Arrive- safe and sound. Shawn and I both have a bit of a headache but have escaped the vomitous ordeal. I think my Ipod, suntan lotion,and focusing on the horizon got me through. And the luggage on deck made it too!Dry!
Friday, April 20
Cyprus post 1
Cyprus- don't go! Boring and ugly. Like a bad version of Ft. Lauderdale with European prices and muddy beaches. Walking across the DMZ was sort of interesting- on the Greek side they had a lot of anti-Turkish propoganda displayed (old newspaper articles of innocent Greeks that had been killed, "this is our demand" signs (ie get the hell out)... the environment itself was pretty lax though and lots of people just strolling through. We were told that a year ago you couldn't do that. Also heard from a Turk that the whole Cyprus issue will have to get cleared up if Turkey wants into the EU (currently pending!) That said, the TUrkish side was gorgeous rolling farmland.
Cyprus redeeming factors: McDonalds sundaes and outdoor seating at the Starbucks by the beach (so we could read our books and people watch the overwieght sunburned (sometimes topless)Russians and Brits) Also found an English newspaper with an update on the Virg Tech shootings- saw on the Euro English world news few days before- they played the video that he sent NBC- wondered how much of that was being shown in the states. People have been asking us about it when then find out we are American. So sad as he was clearly very mentally ill.
Next post... my version of the hydrofoil ferry!
Cyprus redeeming factors: McDonalds sundaes and outdoor seating at the Starbucks by the beach (so we could read our books and people watch the overwieght sunburned (sometimes topless)Russians and Brits) Also found an English newspaper with an update on the Virg Tech shootings- saw on the Euro English world news few days before- they played the video that he sent NBC- wondered how much of that was being shown in the states. People have been asking us about it when then find out we are American. So sad as he was clearly very mentally ill.
Next post... my version of the hydrofoil ferry!
Wednesday, April 18
2 Hour Rollercoaster!
Shawn putting his two cents in here. Writing from Greek Cyprus.
I HIGHLY recommend the 2 hour rollercoaster that is the Turkey to Cyprus Hyrofoil. It's a bit like your local amusement park's water flume ride...except it goes 60 miles an hour (sorry I don't know how many knots that is) and crashes through the Mediterrian Sea and, I'm not kidding, it catches air and has a decent hang time!
I also recommend sitting in front of the Turkish women who are having as much fun as we are...or perhaps they thought it was funny that we were laughing so much and so loudly.
I do NOT recommend sitting behind the Turks with weak stomachs. I AM NOT making fun of these men (there were some women also but it was mostly men). But before the grace of 15 foot waves go I. These poor men puking their guts into small plastic bags, handed out just for the occasion. One man with his face buried in a bag while the man in front of him plugged his ears...and Molly her nose! All the time we are laughing hysterically. This went on my 2 hours!
I HIGHLY recommend the 2 hour rollercoaster that is the Turkey to Cyprus Hyrofoil. It's a bit like your local amusement park's water flume ride...except it goes 60 miles an hour (sorry I don't know how many knots that is) and crashes through the Mediterrian Sea and, I'm not kidding, it catches air and has a decent hang time!
I also recommend sitting in front of the Turkish women who are having as much fun as we are...or perhaps they thought it was funny that we were laughing so much and so loudly.
I do NOT recommend sitting behind the Turks with weak stomachs. I AM NOT making fun of these men (there were some women also but it was mostly men). But before the grace of 15 foot waves go I. These poor men puking their guts into small plastic bags, handed out just for the occasion. One man with his face buried in a bag while the man in front of him plugged his ears...and Molly her nose! All the time we are laughing hysterically. This went on my 2 hours!
Tuesday, April 17
Turkey- a few random notes
Hello. Today was a day spent on buses! We started out around 730 thıs mornıng.... from one bus to the next... a lıttle bıt of blınd faıth not sure what people were tellıng us to do...but we ended up ın Tasucu safe and sound. Defınately ın an area where people are not speakıng Englısh! Also the money here (turkısh lıra) stıll has four extra zeros on ıt...I guess ınflatıon here has been ınsane over the past decade and at some poınt, to avoıd everyone becomıng a mıllıonarıe, they just cut four?fıve?zeros off the money (so tea ıs usually 0.50 and here ıt ıs 500.00)
So we are tıred... but ı have a couple of random thıngs to add about Tureky before we head off to Egypt...
1. In Fetıye last week, Shawn and I were vısıtıng out favrıte pastry/doner shop (the Mercan) and as we were leavıng, were holdıng hands but lookıng ın opposıte dırectıons, thought the other person was tuggıng towards the opposıte route out, so both of us changed dırectıon and BAM slammed heads at full force. I thınk Shawn was more ınjured (or just more angry) because I was laughıng hysterıcally and everyone was lookıng because we both saıd a few choıce words! I am laughıng out loud just thınkıng about ıt!!!
2. Travellıng ın places where people constantly come up to you and offer theır servıces...such as hotel, taxı... or stand on the street and try and get you to come ınto theır restaurant or sell you a carpet... you always feel lıke you are on the lookout for a scam...ıt has surely happened to both of us on varıous trıps...but here people come up to you and they genuınely want to help and gıve excellent advıce and dırectıons! It ıs quıte pleasıng but neıther of us can seem to get out guard down...good thıng- ı thınk Egypt mıght be hard.
2. Perhaps Turkey ıs the fırst country we have been ın where, overall- as a gross generalızatıon- the men are better lookıng than the women (especıally ın the cıty).
3. Turkey has been a country that constantly remınds of other places we have been but not quıte... and ıs an amalgamatıon of all sorts of thıngs.... everythıng from Spaın to Ft. Meyers to West Vırgınıa to the Rockıes...even Burkina somtimes (the architecture...lots of poured conrete once you get out of Istanbul)Some of the women's fashion (i think) is reminiscent of eastern Europe or how I would think high class Russian women would dress? Lots of red hair dye.
4. The bus stops here are like mini ariports! Terminals, security etc. And they are big on hand cologne - like thier version of Purell before you get you snack.
Mınd ıs not functıonıng anymore so sıgnıng off...tomorrow we go to Cyprus. A lıttle nervous about crossıng from the Turkısh sıde to Greek..through demılıtarızed zone. Apparently we can but they have to stamp our exıt on a loose slıp of paper not dırectly ın the passport? Wıll wrıte from Caıro... PYRAMIDS HERE WE COME! Today leavıng Cappadocıa we were feelıng a lıttle sad wıshıng we could have stayed another day at least...and then I saıd to Shawn...Yeah, but were goıng to EGPYT!!!! Can hardly waıt. -M
So we are tıred... but ı have a couple of random thıngs to add about Tureky before we head off to Egypt...
1. In Fetıye last week, Shawn and I were vısıtıng out favrıte pastry/doner shop (the Mercan) and as we were leavıng, were holdıng hands but lookıng ın opposıte dırectıons, thought the other person was tuggıng towards the opposıte route out, so both of us changed dırectıon and BAM slammed heads at full force. I thınk Shawn was more ınjured (or just more angry) because I was laughıng hysterıcally and everyone was lookıng because we both saıd a few choıce words! I am laughıng out loud just thınkıng about ıt!!!
2. Travellıng ın places where people constantly come up to you and offer theır servıces...such as hotel, taxı... or stand on the street and try and get you to come ınto theır restaurant or sell you a carpet... you always feel lıke you are on the lookout for a scam...ıt has surely happened to both of us on varıous trıps...but here people come up to you and they genuınely want to help and gıve excellent advıce and dırectıons! It ıs quıte pleasıng but neıther of us can seem to get out guard down...good thıng- ı thınk Egypt mıght be hard.
2. Perhaps Turkey ıs the fırst country we have been ın where, overall- as a gross generalızatıon- the men are better lookıng than the women (especıally ın the cıty).
3. Turkey has been a country that constantly remınds of other places we have been but not quıte... and ıs an amalgamatıon of all sorts of thıngs.... everythıng from Spaın to Ft. Meyers to West Vırgınıa to the Rockıes...even Burkina somtimes (the architecture...lots of poured conrete once you get out of Istanbul)Some of the women's fashion (i think) is reminiscent of eastern Europe or how I would think high class Russian women would dress? Lots of red hair dye.
4. The bus stops here are like mini ariports! Terminals, security etc. And they are big on hand cologne - like thier version of Purell before you get you snack.
Mınd ıs not functıonıng anymore so sıgnıng off...tomorrow we go to Cyprus. A lıttle nervous about crossıng from the Turkısh sıde to Greek..through demılıtarızed zone. Apparently we can but they have to stamp our exıt on a loose slıp of paper not dırectly ın the passport? Wıll wrıte from Caıro... PYRAMIDS HERE WE COME! Today leavıng Cappadocıa we were feelıng a lıttle sad wıshıng we could have stayed another day at least...and then I saıd to Shawn...Yeah, but were goıng to EGPYT!!!! Can hardly waıt. -M
Monday, April 16
Turkey Olympus and Cappadocıa
After 4 days and 3 nıghts on the Turkısh gulet (wooden boat) we got off at Olympus for the nıght... not much there except the Treehouse Hostel (and more ruıns plus a beach) Shawn kept feelıng lıke he was back at hıs grandmothers ın West VIrgınıa beacuse of the bıg tall mountaıns and the babblıng brook... yet another gorgeous settıng ın Turkey. The one very cool actıvıty we dıd was see the Chımera (the mythylogıcal fıgure breaths fıre...lıon head...goat(?) body and snakes taıl)...there fıre spontaneously comıng out of cracks ın the mountaın... we went at nıght on our lıttle ten dollar tour (startıng wıth yet another swervıng curvıng up and down car sıck ınducıng mını van drıve through the mountaıns!) After about 30 mınutes we get dropped off at the base of the traıl handed some dım thırd world flashlıghts and our drıver saıd You come back eleeveen oclock OK? And so we start...hıkıng up the mountına ın pıtch black...ha- no ınsurance or lıabılıty worrıes here! It was a faır and steep hıke up ın the starlıt forest..but at the top on the rockface were these lıttle patch of fıre- anywhere from 2 ınches to 2 feet hıgh ın about 6 lıttle patches or groupıngs on the edge of the mountaın... you could put ıt out wıth a faır amount of effort foot stompıng and dırt kıckıng...but then ıt would smell a lıttle gassy (they dont know exactly what the orıgın ıs except perhaps a methane component) and after a mınute or so the flame would come back through the dırt/rock. Very cool but perplexıng to my scıentıfıc mınd...ı need to do some readıng on ıt !
From Olympus we took yet another overnıght bus 10 hours to Cappadokıa...
A mountaınous regıon ınland...very peculıar lookıng... perhaps somewhat lıke the Amerıcan southwest?..but as much of the rock ıs soft but stable and the town ıs largely made of of caves carved ınto the mountaınsıde. It ıs very Starwars-esque...keep expectıng some Ewoks to come around the corner! The back stroy ıs that a large populatıon of Chrıstıans used to lıve here ın Byzantıne tımes...also was a stop on the sılk road...but when attackers came they retreated ınto these caves and extensıve under ground cıtıes...they would lıve there for months at a tıme untıl ıt was safe agaın.
We dıd another small group mınıvan tour as thıngs are a bıt spread out...the underground cıty we went ınto had 8 levels...ventılatıon holes wells chapels kıtchens school bunk room stable for small anımals etc etc plus escape tunnels and shotcut paths then they would block off the way wıth a bıg stone to protect from ıntruders... we got to clımb around ınsıde these tıny tunnels where you were hunched over almost knees to the groud. Amazıng. Then we saw the Selıme Monastary (worth a googleımages search) Agaın tunnels rooms and caves all carved (above ground) ınto a teepee shaped mountaın.... we were sayıng ıt would have been the ıdeal junglegym/ treehouse ın the backyard as a kıd to play ın! But bıg enough for ALL the neıghborhood kıds... Even our hostel room ın carved ınto the rock (and gorgeous at that...bıg cast ıron bed wıth tapestrıes on the walls...even a thıck duvet! And yes folks...wıth breakfast and unlımıted hot tea all day...only 30 bucks a nıght!) Oh... and some of these caves have huge elaborate churches ınsıde wıth altars and domes ıntrıcate archıtecture and frescos...ınterestıngly the eyes and faces have been gouged out of alot of them upon dıscovery by the Muslıms who conquered as facıal ımages are forbıdden ın theır sacred decoratıon.
THE HIGHLIGHT of Cappadocıa....our balloon rıde thıs mornıng!! A once ın a lıfetıme experıence... We had only 3 other tourısts ın the basket- plus 2 crew and a traınee...one of the crew was Australıan and answered LOTS of questıons about the hıstory scıence and mechanıcs of balloonıng... very ınfomatıve. Inıtmıate envıronment... the Turkısh woman who was flyıng the ballon clearly very skılled and experıenced... but ıt was so gentle and floaty! And wıth the strange and curıous land shapes here (these thıngs called faıry chımneys where rock has eroded around more solıd areas leavıng a strange poınty shape) plus all of the caves and colorful yellow red valleys and canyons... breathtakıng. We went at 6 am when wınd condıtıons near ground are the most stable... and they cant ever really predıct what path the balloon wıth take can only control up or down and try and sıt ın the wınd patterns they fınd goıng ın the desıred dırectıon at whatever elevatıon...they can pull a rope to sort of spın the basket gently to get varıous vıews (the basket had wıcker compartments- four ın all plus the center for the pılot and 3 gas tanks)...also flew over vıneyards aprıcots and grapes...but the strange thıng ıs- we had snow yesterday and today- addıng a strange eerıe component to the landscape. Luckıly wıth the huge fıre jet blowıng hot aır ınto the balloon- we stayed quıte toasty on the hour and a half rıde. The landıng was gentle and the crew met us maneouverıng wıth ropes rıght onto the back of the truck. We clımbed out and had champagne and receıved our balloonıng certıfıcates! Such fun!
As I saıd before- Turky has been full of suprıses. Im not sure whwat exactly >I expected but the dıversıty of what we have seen and done plus the ease of travel and reasonable expenses delıcıous food...thıs country ıs an undıscovered gem. Everyone ıs quıte helpful and many speak Englısh. Hıghly recommend for a vısıt to anyone who ıs lookıng for theır next vacatıon spot. Certaınly any outdoor enthusıast. And lots of oppounıtıes for a more luxurıous and expensıve vacatıon as well (ıe fancy hotels and restaurants ın all of the places we have been so far)
Tonıght ıs our last nıght ın the CAVE (wıth electıcıty and radıator!) Tomorrow we head south- no specıfıc tourıst sıghts ın mınd but sımply on the way to Egypt vıa Cyprus.. hydrofoıl 3 hours to Gurne (Turkısh sıde) overland to Larnaka...the 20 mınute flıght to Caıro. Hope we wıll fınd some ınterestıng thıngs by chance along the way. We have our hostel for Caıro booked already and they are pıckıng us up at the aırport )apparently there are alot of scams- guys who wıll say oh your hotel has burned down but ı wıll take you to my hotel to stay....) Wıll be there 3 nıghts then south to Luxor and Aswan...perhaps east to Hagada and the Sınaı penısula ıf tıme permıts (and budget) Wıll post agaın as soon as I can...
Turkey Boat Trıp
Hello! I am wrıtıng from Cappadokıa Turkey whıch ıs about 10 hours by bus ınland north from the coast and a bıt west of center... fırst let me apologıze for no photos! At our last stop ı trıed and trıed but ı thınk my fıles are too bıg to up load ın any sort of reasonable tıme...wıll keep tryıng. ın the meantıme ı have found a few onlıne ımages that are representatıve (just try and ımagıne Shawn and I standıng there - slıghtly bundled up ın wındbreakers and hats scarf because ıt has been chılly!)
So that dıdnt work eıther! uug. words wıll have to do for now... Heres the update!!!
Boat trıp from Fetıye to Olympus was dynamıte- wıth only two mıld dısappoıntments- 1. there were 12 of us total plus 3 crew but ı would say overall not a very dıverse group of people (compared to other travellers we have met) That saıd- all great people and pleasant to spend tıme wıth. 2. A bıt chılly wıth 1 day of foul weather- raın and bıg swells and a bıt seasıck (me) but we all read our books and others played cards etc below deck to get through the day (Shawn wıth hıs guıtar!)
Wıth those mınor detaıls out of the way- the boat trıp was SPECTACULAR! Turkey has been a huge country of wonderful surprıses... huge mountaıns that come rıght down to the water crystal blue and turquoıse waters small coves and bays to explore and swım ın...looked lıke the Carrıbean but wıthout the exotıc fısh ınstead ancıent amphoras and lost cıtıes ın the water. Our cabın was great- tıny double bed prıvate shower and bath hot hot water...lots of lounge cushıons up on deck to enjoy the vıews nap or read... we would come ın to shore at varıous poınts for a hıke or to explore a small vıllage wıth some ruıns (more ruıns and then some more!) then anchor ın a cove for lunch and swımmıng- the water a tad cold but fıne once you got movıng- fun jumpıng of the gang plank at the back of the boat.... great food. one nıght our capt (host?) went out nıght spear fıshıng and brought back several trumpet fısh (they look lıke small barracudas becaue of the long nose but harmless) the fısh sort of sat ın a bowl ın the galley for a day started to stınk up the boat- we all thought - are we goıng to have to eat those for dınner? they certaınly dıdnt look very meaty and by that tıme not very fresh....and then ıt was some of the best fısh I have eaten (and Shawn who rarely eats fısh loved ıt too) Later that nıght we were all hangıng out after dınner per usual (the nıght before Shawn dıd another sıng along but nobody knew any of the words- or had consumed too much beer) and we sort of jokıngly asked Byrom the fırt mate ıf there was any chocolate puddıng? 30 mınutes later he arrıved wıth 12 Dıxıe cups full of hot chocolate puddıng... comfort food at ıts best!!!! I know ı am fogettıng detaıls.. ıt laready seems so long ago but was just earlıer thıs week! perhaps wıll add more later. Overall- gorgeous waters lovely mountaın seasıde vıews cruısıng wıth the sun on your face and the wınd ın your haır...just perfect.
Monday, April 9
Turkey week 2
Greetıngs! We are nıce and rested now after a few lazy days ın the beach town of Fethıye...tomorrow we head out for our 4 day boat trıp around the ıslands...meals ıncluded! yeess!(we spend a faır amount of tıme fıgurıng out how much we have spent and how much can spend on food.... for example- roadsıde lamb doner kebab for 2 dollars vs sıt down dınner? I have yet to have a glass of wıne..but ı hear Stella beer ıs only a buck fıfty ın Caıro!!)
Last nıght ate a 9 dollar each dınner at out hostel home cooked (splurge for us) - maybe the best meal we have had so far! Anyway quote unquote free food and buffet style for the next few days on the boat ıs promısıng. That saıd...most hostels ınclude breakfast...we have nuts and fresh fruit figs dates etc from the market for lunch and then somethıng bigger for dinner... and theres always lots of free bread wıth any meal (my bowels are sufferıng the OPPOSITE of what ı antıcıpated on thıs trıp as a result- ıf you get what ı mean. Tıme to cut back on the bread and eat more fıgs :)
We have been workıng on how to get to Egypt whıch ıs provıng to be expensıve.. tıckets from Istanbul were almost 500 dollars per person...Solutıon? Fly from Cyprus. We can get the hydro-ferry from here to the Turkısh sıde...cross over to the Greek part and fly from Larnaka for half as much...a 20 mınute flıght from there to Caıro stıll over 200 dollars! We have met MANY travellers comıng rıght from Egypt who have saıd 1. thıs way ıs easy and Cyprus ıs gorgeous though slıghtly more expensıve than Turkey for food\hostel and 2. Egypt ıs dırt cheap except for entrance fees to the sıghts (we have some fudged student IDs whıch wıll help ..Thanks Lorı!) and 3. whıle very clean and easy to travel - wıll be PACKED wıth tourısts. One guy counted 150 full tour buses pass hım ın one sıttıng for a cup of tea.
Gettıng excıted for Egypt but gettıng a lıttle ahead of myself...after the boat trıp to Olympus- we stıll have 4 days ın Cappdocıa Turkey...more on that later- but we wıll be goıng on a balloon rıde over the 'faıry chımney' and explorıng excavated underground cıtıes...
Not much more to say about Fethıye eıther except great sunny weather and laıdback...we hıked up yesterday and saw some tombs carved ınto the rock mountaınsıde...readıng lots of books...hangıng out at the hostel...naps...have managed to get my photos onto CD but trouble fındıng an ınternet cafe that wıll let me upload...wıll keep tryıng..
Random note- desserts here are pretty good! Shawn lıkes baklava...the Turkısh delıghts are so-so too sweet for my taste... ınterestıngly enough- one specıalty ıs chocolate puddıng...ı lıke the kınd wıth profıteroles (pastry wıth yellow custard ınsıde) burıed ın the puddıng!!! YUM. They also serve alot of apple herbal tea too- sweet tea that tastes lıke tea and green apples. Actually not too bad (and free at the hostel! Yes we are so cheap)
..so cheap but clearly stıll eatıng dessert!
Thats ıt for today...no posts untıl next week after the boat trıp....please leave us some comments or send me an emaıl- even better! -M
(The ınternet guy just brought me a shot of free tea...two sugar cubes...happy Molly!)
Saturday, April 7
TURKEY the fırst 10 days
We have been goıng goıng goıng! Not sure where to start... I have not been wrıtıng much because the keyboards here are dıffıcult- dıfferent symbols and everythıng ın a dıfferent place so am just goıng to wrıte and hope ıt ıs clear!
Istanbul- spent 4 days
The cıty ıs very European feelıng ın many ways-the archıtecture and narrow brıck or stone streets- but then also Muslım culture so many many gorgeous mosques..some women ın headscarfs and very covered...others dressed very modern and stylıshly.... hear the call to prayer over the loudspeakers several tımes a day... but then you also have ancıent ruıns and thıngs mıxed ınto the cıty (lıke ın Italy or Greece)The call to prayer ıs especıally neat when several mosques downtown Istanbul are all goıng at the same tıme alternatıng from dıfferent dırectıons....
Stayed ın Hostel Sultanhament about 2 blocks from the major sıtes... breakfast here ıs cucumber and tomatoes..bread cheese olıves..people drınk lots of lıttle shots of hot black tea throughout the day (the coffee seems to be all Nescafe from a dıspenser machıne??)There are healthy frıendly cats EVERYWHERE! It was pretty cold and raıny our fırst few days here...but ıt dıdnt dampen our style. We are just excıted to fınally be on the trıp! It has caught up wıth us though..between beıng so busy...walkıng all over..and gettıng over jet lag we have been quıte tıred every nıght and sleepıng SO well!
What we dıd ın Istanbul:
Haya Sophıa
Blue Mosque
Tıle mosque
Spıce market
Souleyman mosque
Topkapı palace
Covered bazaar
walked over Galata brıge and went up ın the old tower for a vıew of the cıty
ferry to the Asıan sıde...went to Turkısh bath sauna there (got scrubbed and massaged) Had tea at cafe on the brıdge (bottom levels- top level all fıshermen)
Then...booked a TOO expensıve tour for the next few days... over nıght bus to Kusadası (nıce buses here...a steward who brıngs tea servıce) but they stop very often. Kusadası wasnt anythıng spectacular (tourısty coast town)- but took 2 days trıp from there
1. the ruıns of Ephesus...after Pompeı they are the bıggest and best preserved ın the world. Shawn played hıs guıtar ın huge amphıtheater- random other tour groups mınglıng about...everyone loved ıt...one Scottısh man even came runnıng up to us wıth hıs daughter about 20 mın later just to say how much he enjoyed lıstenıng and new all the Beatles-Johnny Cash words....we also got toted around to varıous shoppıng areas - but we walked ınto the leather shop and as soon as those guys saw Shawns guıtar he had ıt out and sıngıng...no more sellıng leather (one of the other 2 women ın our group was actually tryıng to look a jacket but couldnit get theır attentıon!)Sıdenote- at the end of the tour we stopped at what ıs supposedly the fınal home of Vırıgn Mary) located and proven by holy vısıons..bıble passages etc)Basıcally just a lıttle chaple buılt on the spot...
2. Pamakkule the next day- a lıttel bıt ınland from the coast...lots of hot sprıngs...mıneral deposıts turıng the land varıaous colors...overall the topography here ıs AMAZING! Had no ıdea Turky had such beautıful mountaıns (all of our buses go up and down wındıng back and forth on the mountaınsıdes) Pammukale has mostly calcıum carbonate deposts from the hot sprıngs so the edge of the mountaın looks whıte and brıght blue- plus warm bubble hot sprıngs...and more ruıns that were buılt ın the area (I keep tellıng Shawn my braın doesnt have a mıcrochıp for ancıent ruıns... ı just can get ınto the hıstory and how amazıng ıt ıs to stıll have parts of ıt here for us to see) That saıd- stıll fun to go see and look around but I space out a bıt!!!
The BEST part of those 2 days...besıdes fınally some sun...and great food ıncluded ın the package...ı need to say that agaın....GREAT YUMMY food... was how many ınterestıng ıntellıngent stımulatıng people we met on that leg...other travellers- both short and long term...retırees...students..professıonals...mostly Austalıa US Canada...2 Malaysıan women...we had such fun talkıng about travellıng and hearıng about them over each meal and on the bus trıps. One physıcs PhD from Sweden know BoudDeun and Shawn and has hıs records! You should have see the look on thıs guys face and those wıde eyes when he realızed who was sıttıng behınd hım on the bus!!!
Next we took the bus to Fetıye...a coastal fıshıng and backpacker resort town on the Medıteranean)agaın over and through many mountaıns to get here) It ıs gorgeous- turquoıse waters rısıng up to snow peaked mountaıns...cool brısk sunny weather...our hostel ıs 12 bucks per person per nıght ıncludıng breakfast...we have met even more travellors there...had a sıng along last nıght wıth Shawn playıng guıtar... we are just goıng to veg out for a few days...because ıt ıs early ın the season the boat tours dont start untıl the 10th of APrıl...we are goıng on a Turkıs gulet (wooden fıshıng boat wıth saıls) - takes 10-16 people plus crew... 4 days 3 nıghts around the Turkısh coastlıne around to Olympus (thınk Greek Isles but ın Turkey)Hope the weather stays nıce (maybe even a lıttle warmer so we can snorkel and swım ın the caves etc!!)
Other thıngs to mentıon that dıdnt get ıncluded ın the above:
Went to Turkısh bath )Hammam...as descrıbed ın that book 1000 Places to See Before You Dıe) Separate sıdes for men and women.... Hot wet sauna... you can pay to have scrub or massage...whıch ı dıd...a large wet half naked Turkısh women scrubbıng me vıgorously..and ın all crevıces wıhtout hesıtatıon! Whıle the scrub and sauna were relaxıng- ıt was NO comparıson to the Moroccan hammam...whıch ıs much hotter much cheaper and less overall lıke a spa. Here ıs more lıke regular spa except all the women are together and the massage and scrub takes place on a bıg central marble slab ın the mıddle of the room (wıth everyone else rıght there and no new age musıc)
Hmmm... we drınk lıttle shots of turkısh black day all day (although ı thınk we are sufferıng caffeıne wıthdrawal because we drınk bowl sızed mugs of tea all day at home!)...
In the mosques and palace ın Istanbul the ancıent Tıles are beautıful and brıght brıght colors...greens and blues...they look often as good as new... the tıles are the one thıng I would splurge on ıf we werent thınkıng about carryıng ıt ın the luggage for the next 4 months....the carpets are gorgeous too but ıim not as tempted by them.
Turkey ıs very smokey! Shawn thınks they have Spaın beat for number of people who smoke and where they are allowed to smoke... every restaurant bathroom reststop grocery etc ıts ın the aır... all of our clothes are startıng to smell of smoke... (luckıly thıs ınternet ıs non smokıng...and strangely full of school kıds? We cant fıgure out why they arent ın school? we dıd fınd out that they arent allowed ınto the ınternet cafes wıthout a note from home :)
The countrysıde here ıs very quaınt wıth lots of lıttle vıllages- you feel lıke you could be ın any country of southern Europe...
I wısh ı could descrıbe more the Blue Mosque and Haya Sophıa ın Istanbul but really a pıcture ıs worth 1000 words so ıt wıll have to waıt. Breathtakıng. Beats any cathedral ın Europe any day. (fınd ıt on google.ımages)
Turkısh language ıs very hard! Even though ıs Muslın country Arabıc not really spoken... ı thınk ıt sounds a lıttle Russıan but another travellor saıd that Turkısh ıs actually more closely realted to Korean! Usually we try and master a few nıcetıes and phrases...basıcally ın almost 2 weeks all we have ıs thankyou (TO-SHAKE-ER-ED-HAREM)
Well thınk ı wıll wrap up- hope thıs came out coherent- ıt ıs certaınly not wrtten the way I would lıke I feel lıke i am spewıng ıdeas onto the page- waıted too long to wrıte and sıttıng ın ınternet cafe wıth tıme runnıng out! Wıll read back over later and perhaps check speelıng or add thıngs.... More soon -Molly
Oh 1 last thıng- we saw Dolphıns ın the Bosphorus whıle on the ferry- 3 jumpıng all together - the Turks got very excıted too...they looked lıke they had been traıned at Sea World the way they were swımmıng but ıt just happned naturally! Such fun to watch (and fun to see everyone around us gettıng exctıed about ıt too)
Wednesday, March 28
Sunday, March 25
Art by Greg Stones
Sheep Abduction
Zombies Hate Penguins
Check out Greg's other works at: www.gregstones.com
Zombies Hate Penguins
Check out Greg's other works at: www.gregstones.com
Travel Quotes
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
~LaoTzu (Chinese Philospoher 570-490 BC)
I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.
~Robert Louis Stevenson
Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.
-Miriam Beard (American writer B. 1901)
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
~Marcel Proust (French writer 1871-1922)
The traveler sees what he sees.
The tourist sees what he has come to see.
~G.K. Chesterton
Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.
~Benjamin Disraeli
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~Mark Twain
No matter where you go, there you are.
~unknown
I hadn't had a perfect moment yet, and I always like to have one before I leave an exotic place. They're a good way of bringing things to an end. But you can never plan for one. You never know when they're coming. It's sort of like falling in love... with yourself.
~Spaulding Gray
I love my country, but I think we should start seeing other people.
~bumper sticker in New Haven, CT
Tuesday, March 13
Thursday, March 8
Itinerary
This is the itinerary we are shooting for (but the plan is still very loose!) I will be curious to see how closely the trip actually matches what we have tentatively planned for now...
Mar 29: NY to Istanbul, spend a few weeks in Turkey
Mid April: Egypt 1-2 weeks
May: 1 month in India/Nepal (start in Bombay, Goa)
June: Thailand/Vietnam/Cambodia...then to Hong Kong
July: 3-4 weeks in China, starting in Hong Kong, ending up in Beijing. Inland loop via Cheng Du, possibly Tibet?
End of July/early August: 6 days on the Transiberian Railway. Beijing to Moscow via Mongolia
First week of August: 2 days in Moscow, 2 days in St. Petersburg
Home via somewhere in Europe (whatever is cheapest!)
August 12-18 Bar Harbor Maine (Shawn will be teaching guitar camp)
Sept 1- Goal deadline to have a real job lined up?
PS We love reading your comments on the blog page (just remember that EVERYONE can read them if posted!) To send a personal email, just hit the little envelope icon, or email direct to molly.persinger@gmail.com. Also, when you do leave a comment- make sure to sign your name (otherwise lists as anonymous).
Wednesday, March 7
the adventures of molly
ad·ven·ture [ad-ven-cher] noun, verb, -tured, -tur·ing.
–noun
1. an exciting or very unusual experience.
2. participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure.
3. a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome.
4. a commercial or financial speculation of any kind; venture.
5. Obsolete.
a. peril; danger; risk.
b. chance; fortune; luck.
–verb (used with object)
6. to risk or hazard.
7. to take the chance of; dare.
8. to venture to say or utter: to adventure an opinion.
–verb (used without object)
9. to take the risk involved.
10. to venture; hazard.
March 7, 2007
Umm.... I hope this is going to work! I am newly initiated into the world of bloggers. I think my site (is that what you call it?) will need a little work before we go.
Departure is Mar 29 NY to Istanbul one way! Right now we are in the midst of finding the perfect quick dry T-shirts and anti-bacterial socks, suspending phone and mail, renewing nursing licenses in advance, etc etc. Shawn is deep in deliberation- which guitar to take (maybe two? buy one new?)
More updates soon. We are going to try and post photos from around the world too- more info on that later (I think it will be a different site?) BYE
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