Rosi & Jen's South East Asian Odyssey

Terrific Thailand and 4 more sleeps...

rosibud — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:52:00 GMT

It's been over 5 weeks since I wrote a journals entry..long overdue for all you devotees who are simply glued to your chairs in anticipation of what will happen next.

We have been travelling through Thailand for the past 5 weeks, landing first in Chiang Mai. Everyone told us we would hate Thailand, that it was ruined and had nothing left to offer...But we have loved every minute of it. Flying from Laos to Chiang Mai was like entering another world. There were shopping centres and cinemas and real supermarkets and everything was soooo easy. I think we saw two movies in the first 4 days we were here. It all made us realise that no matter how much we loved the simplicity of Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam, is sure was nice to have an easy life for a while.

Chiang Mai is such a great city, It is actually a really good mix between western comforts and Asian delights. great shopping centres but also full of quirky street stalls, temples and markets. from Chiang Mai we headed up to Pai in the Northern Thailand mountains for 4 days. It's a lovely little artists village set on a gorgeous river and surrounded by jungle, hilltribes and mountain villages. We hired a motorbike for a couple of days and headed up to the hills to see some waterfalls and small village. We got offered opium but being so clueless I just thought the locals villages were desperate for a smoke. I don't think Jen has laughed so hard for quite some time. After the isolation of Pai we made the mistake of flying to Koh Samui in search of some beach action. If your ever contemplating a Thai beach holiday give Samui a miss - its foul, over crowded, it smells and there is really only one decent beach. We hated it!

But of course things always get better and we found our isolated Thai beach paradise on Koh Lanta in Krabi province. We spent 8 glorious sun drenched days there at a beautiful secluded resort that felt like it had been built by people who were ship wrecked there and just decided to build a resort to pass the time. We walked on the beach watched the sunset everyday while quaffing a beer or two. We had a fire on the beach and swam in ocean. We lounged by the infinity pool and ate incredible Thai food. We had a BBQ banquet on the beach and played with the friendly resident dogs. We combed the beach for starfish and shells and walked through the national park searching for wild monkeys. We felt rejuvenated and serene. It was divine. We could have stayed a month... We should have stayed a month.

The last 6 days we have spent in Phuket at Bang Tao beach in a luxury villa with a private pool. We decided that we would spoil ourselves this final week of our adventure. The weather here has been terrible. Monsoonal everyday.. Except for today of course.. because today is our last day!! It has been great having our own space where we can cook for ourselves and not have to go out. We leave for Bangkok tomorrow, 4 more sleeps and we will be home.. Our South East Asian Odyssey will be over. It has been such a tremendous experience but after nearly 5 months we are both excited about going home and seeing our families and friends and our country. We miss it. Travelling has made me realise how unhappy I was before I came and how I never want to go back to the life I had. But as Jen says to me .. You never have to. Stay tuned because when we get back our "OZ Odyssey" kicks off.

So if you are ever contemplating throwing the plasma TV away, selling all your belongings to travel the world, or even just your own wonderful country, Do it Do it now!

I think Mark Twain says it best

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do, then the ones you did.

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream....”

Meat Pies, Vanilla Slices, Thai beaches and thoughts of home

rosibud — Sun, 18 May 2008 09:57:00 GMT

I’m sitting here at the little writing desk in our riverfront bungalow in Nong Khiaw looking out at the emerald green jungle that covers the limestone mountains surrounding this stretch of Northern Laos. There is actually many different shades of green making up the landscape around here. Each one is equally lush and rich. In the late afternoon the sun shines on the dense foliage in such a way that it seems to glow. It’s hard to explain and seemingly impossible to capture on film. After 5 days of staring out at it I’m still in as much awe as when I first saw it and I’m still wondering if it’s actually real.

The sounds I hear are the crickets and cicadas and the flow of the water over river stones. I hear the local children laughing and playing and sometimes I hear the whack of a bamboo pole as a fisherman slaps the water trying to scare fish into his net. I occasionally hear the frog that has taken up residence in our bathroom, birds, the sounds of the jungle forest that surrounds us and every now and then the sound of fish jumping out of the water.

This has been the first time on the whole trip that we have been able to sit still and totally relax. It’s a great feeling having nothing particular to do and no where particular to be. I think a lot here, about my life, and about my family. I think about my parents and how they always wanted to travel but never really did. I wish I had been able to take them overseas before they died. I have my mother’s wedding ring and my father’s rosary beads with me so in a way they ARE here on this incredible journey.

I also think about what I’ve done with the first 43 years of my life and how grateful I am for the opportunities I have been given, but how different I want the next 43 to be. Mostly I think about the future and where I will end up. It’s a great place to start making decisions about what we want to do with the next stage of our lives and to think about lies ahead when we get back to Australia.

The trip to South East Asia has been brilliant and has definitely made us look at ourselves and our way of life in different way. At times it’s been difficult and confronting, but it’s been such a thrilling journey of both destination discovery and self discovery. Although we are really looking forward to the next 6 weeks in Thailand, we are both really excited about coming home. We miss our families and our country. We miss familiarity, Jen misses meat pies and I for one, miss Vanilla Slices! This trip has taken us out of our comfort zone and in some cases has pushed us beyond what we ever thought we were capable of. I think everyone should come to South East Asia. I think it should be compulsory education for high school students. To see how people with next to nothing live and to see their simple joy, their hard work and their wonderful spirit is definitely an eye opener that makes you stop whinging about your own economic or life situation.

One thing that has brought endless joy to our travels through South East Asia has been the children. They have been engaging, funny, loaded with charisma, always up for a chat and very inventive. No matter how bad their personal situation has been, they have always shown us a smile that would light up a city and they’re always pleased to see us. They’ve made us origami flowers in Vietnam, they’ve blown us kisses and shown us how to cast a net in Laos and taught us about ancient temples in Cambodia. They’ve teased us, they’ve practised their English on us and they have taught us how to speak the local lingo. There is definitely a universal language that children share before they learn prejudice and class structures and 1^st world vs 3^rd world. They are very accepting and welcoming and we’re so thankful that we have been able to meet so many.

So in less than a week we will be in Chang Mai, Thailand. The last leg of our South East Asian Odyssey. We’ve decided for the Thailand journey we’re going to spend the first week in the mountains but then do a bit of a month long beach/island hop.(we couldn’t decide what beach to go to so we thought we’d do them all!) Yes folks it’s time for long white sandy beaches and sunset cocktails laying in hammocks and deck chairs by the infinity pool. (Oh the stress of it all!) It’s time for kayak trips and snorkelling. (And possibly even a diving course.) It’s definitely time for facials and massage therapy. We are also both in terrible need of haircuts and eyebrow waxing. We arrive back in Oz in 6 more weeks. July 4. Then after a month of catching up with family and being shouted beers by our beautiful friends our two year “Sheilas around OZ Odyssey” begins!

P.S. Have I mentioned that I love my life?

Paradise and Pommy Gals

rosibud — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:26:00 GMT

Yesterday was a great day. When we caught the bus from Luang Prubang to Nong Khiaw the other day we met these wonderful English girls Catherine and Sasha. They were staying at the same bungalows as us and we instantly befriended each other. The first night we all had dinner together overlooking the Nam Ou River and they told us about their amazing lives. They have both travelled extensively all over the world for both work and pleasure and Jen and I sat wide eyed, listening intently as they relayed the stories of their adventures to us. They were both terribly British and there is something just so lovely about hearing British voices tell travel stories. I don’t know what it is, but it somehow gives you a bit of an old world feeling and seems to make the adventures seem all the more fascinating, like they are being read to you from some exotic travel book or something. That probably sounds dumb but that’s how I felt.

Yesterday they asked us to charter a long boat with them yesterday so we could travel up river an hour to an isolated village called Muang Ngoi Neua. Having nothing particularly pressing to do we jumped at the chance and away we went. The trip itself was magic. Life along the Nam Ou provides endless photo opportunities and fascination. Herds of Water Buffalo cool themselves in the river and giggling waving Lao children swim and play on the muddy banks. Fisherman don diving masks and cast nets or use long bamboo poles to stun fish and the local farmers tend their crops on impossibly steep slopes. The river is alive with colour and rapids and birds and long boats. Dotted along the banks are bamboo shacks and villages. A little further back are the massive limestone mountains that seem to rise up out of no where and give the whole area, infact almost the whole of northern Lao, a mystical lost world feel. The jungle in most parts is lush and dense and appears impenetrable. When we got to Muang Ngoi Neua we decided to walk to a local cave about an hour away. As the village became country side we were inundated with every imaginable type, size and colour of butterfly. Catherine spent ages stalking them desperate for that one illusive picture. It wasn’t to be but she had a great time trying. As we were putting along the river I thought about how truly special this country is and how I want to tell everyone about how beautiful and alive it is but don’t want to tell anyone at all because I don’t want it to change.

We arrived back at our bungalows in Nong Khiaw and immediately went and asked if we could stay for 7 days instead of 4. We have truly found paradise here and we’re in no hurry to give it up just yet.

Nong Khiaw

rosibud — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Sometimes you come across a place so beautiful you can’t quite believe it’s real. Where the landscape is so stunning and the accommodation so simply perfect and cheap that you keep checking to make sure it’s not all a mistake. Today we arrived in such a place. We took a mini bus 3 hours north of Luang Prubang to a speck on the map called Nong Khiaw. We checked in to the Nong Kiau Riverside Bungalows. My God it’s beautiful. Our bungalow is built over looking the Nam Ou River and across from massive limestone karsts that are covered in dense jungle with a little exposed vertical rock high up and a couple of small Teak plantations toward the bottom.

At the moment Jen is having an afternoon siesta and I’m sitting at the desk in the bungalow listening to the local children play and swim in the river. If I look out I can see fisherman in long canoes casting nets. In parts the river is quite shallow and I can see the fast moving water bubble over exposed river rocks. It’s the sort of place they would choose to shoot an adventure movie. “Lara Croft - Tomb Raider” (see Angelina Jolie joined by intrepid adventurers Rosi and Jen as they machete their way through dense Laos jungle in another actioned packed sequel!). If I saw a dinosaur walk out of the jungle across the river it would not surprise me one bit. If I saw Angelina Jolie walk out wielding a machete I’d probably yell “cooooeeee” , ask after Brad and the kids, and invite her over for some ice cold Beer Lao. That’s the sort of place it is. There is absolutely nothing here except a couple of guest houses and a very very small village. The place we’re staying at is probably the best. It has a restaurant with the best food in Lao and the bungalows are gorgeous. It even has wifi, which surprises me considering they only have electricity at certain times during the day when they fire up the generator. God I love it here! We are booked in for 4 days but may stay longer. The options of things to do are endless.

Here’s a taste for all you poor suckers reading this from behind you desk at work

Things to do in Nong Khiaw

1. Nothing

2. Take a walk along the Nam Ou River to several different villages. Each village has several boats you can hire if you don’t feel like walking back. (God I’m exhausted already)

3. Rent a bicycle and ride east. The landscape is stunning and a number of hilltribe villages can be found along the road.

4. Visit the famous Pha Toke cave 2kms east of town. This where the Pathet Lao forces had their provincial headquarters during the war in the 60s and early 70s.

5. Watch the sunset from the bridge or from various restaurants along the river

6. Play a game of Pentanque with the local patriots across from the post office.

7. Hire a small fishing boat for an extraordinary view of the sunset.

8. Go fishing. Ask you guesthouse to help you with a fishing pole.

9. Tube rafting.

10. Take a late afternoon swim in the river.

11. Visit the local temples and have a chat with the monks.

12. Give an English lesson at the local school or to anyone around you.

13. Drink Beer Lao and Lao lao (Lao whiskey)

14. Watch a movie at the local cinema

15. Stay another day and just chill out and read good book. The surroundings couldn’t be better.

Luscious Laos

rosibud — Sat, 10 May 2008 09:23:00 GMT

There is so much more to write about Cambodia. It’s a country that changes lives. It affected us both greatly. At times it left us saddened to the core of our souls with the tragic history of what the Khmer people have been through. At times we felt disgust at how inexplicably some westerners can still take advantage of such vulnerable people. At times we loved it and it left us gob smacked with awe at the sheer magnificence of what the people have created over thousands of years. It definitely left us wanting more. Wanting to see more, wanting to help, wanting to hear more stories. I don’t feel that I can adequately explain the feelings Cambodia left us with here. I think it will take time to sort that out. I’ll get back to you.

So after 3 soul searching and definitely enlightening weeks in Cambodia we flew to Vientiane, Laos. After nearly 2 months in Vietnam and a few weeks in Cambodia arriving in Laos was like entering the chillout zone. After 4 days in the Vientiane (the capital) we headed for Vang Vieng which is dubbed the "chillout capital' of South East Asia. The town itself really isn’t that great. It’s full of young western backpackers doing what young western backpackers do. Drinking and being silly. But that’s not why we came. I’m sitting here on the verandah of our bamboo bungalow looking out at the Nam Song River rush by. It’s early in the morning and everyone is still asleep. The roosters have been “cock a doodle dooing” for a couple of hours. Except the roosters here seem to only "cock-a-doodle", they forget the "dooing" part which in itself is pretty funny. It’s raining. It’s been raining all night. That tropical rain that can’t really be explained to anyone who hasn’t experienced it first hand. Heavy and totally refreshing. Cooling and lush. Looking across the river I can see massive limestone karsts rising up in every direction. Like a line of dramatics peaks. Like they some how just got pushed out of the earth one day all in one movement. Maybe they did.. They are stunning and enigmatic and apparently scattered with caves. Just waiting to be explored. The limestone peaks remind me a lot of Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam, except these ones are mostly covered in dense jungle.

Last night I sat on the same verandah and watched the fireflies buzz around. I don’t think I’ve ever seen fireflies before. They are fascinating. Like little singular fairylights all on their own just floating through the air as if by magic.

Since we’ve been here we’ve been trekking through the jungle and visited some incredible caves. I’m talking the kind of caves that you get given a torch upon entry and climb up slippery rocks and hillsides and the climb down deep into. Caves where you crawl through little tunnels and go so deep inside that there is an absolute absence of light. I have never experienced anything like it. We also went tubing so deep through a water cave that when we all turned our torches off and then turned them back again after a couple of minutes no one had any idea which was out. We have also been tubing down the Nam Song river. You can hire tyre inner tubes and they will drop you off 4 kms from the town and you can float down the river looking at some of the most amazing scenery you will see anywhere.

I feel like I’m only starting to relax, wind down and stop thinking about work. And we’ve been in South East Asia nearly 11 weeks now. Life as I once knew it doesn’t exist anymore. It’s such a liberating feeling. Jen and I do both miss our families and friends. We wish they were here sharing this experience with us sometimes. We often look at amazing things and say “Chris would love this” Ellen would think this was hilarious” “ I can see Jen’s Dad having a great old chat to the locals about this” "Lynelle would photograph that weird looking insect so well"

Laos is spectacular. It definitely lives up to its beautiful, chilled out reputation. The more we see of this country the more we both believe that this is just about the closest to Eden the world will ever get. From the saffron robed monks to the continuous laughter of children. The easy going people with the big broad smiles who don't want to sell you anything they just want to say hello and have a chat. From the taste of mulberry fruit shakes to the hard working h'mong people forever tending their crops or hugging their adorable children. From the scruffy dogs who look like they have urgent places to be to the scrawny chooks. From the the fireflies to the pristine rivers rushing by. From the tuk tuk drivers who sing to their passengers to the shouts of sabaidee (hello) from hilltribe children hiding giggling in trees. From the prettiest city you will ever see to the immense expanse of jungle and the unbeliveable vertical farming plots. This truly is a country of magnificant beauty, both natural and man made. This is Asia at its finest and most unspoilt. With few people and just starting to open up to tourists, it doesn’t yet suffer from any of the problems that other South East Asian countries experiences due to tourism. If you're thinking of going to Vietnam. Don't! Come to Laos first. I think this is how Vietnam would have been before it choked itself on its obsession with the tourist dollar.

I can see why people just keep coming back here. It’s impossible not to immediately relax. In Vang Vieng we are staying at a place called “Le Jardin Organique” which is a lovely collection of simple bungalows right on the river a little out of town. Our friend Marie has come over from Australia to travel with us for a couple of weeks. The other day Marie and I went for a swim in the fast moving Nam Song. Lots of local Lao children were playing in the river, having a bath and doing their washing. It was so lovely to hear their laughter and see their smiling happy faces. Across the bank local fishermen were casting nets. I looked around me and couldn’t believe I was actually here amongst this beautiful simplicity.

Amazing Angkor Wat

rosibud — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:37:00 GMT

On April 26 we both fulfilled a lifelong dream by visiting the mother of all temples “Angkor Wat”. The feeling of awe you get in that first moment when you walk through the outer wall and view the magestic and massive temple for the first time is indescribable. To think that this was created at all,at any time in history is an incredible feat, but when you know it was constructed over a thousand years ago by hand is almost incomprehensible. Angkor Wat is something that needs to be savoured. You could spend a life time exploring it and still notice something different each time. The sheer size of it alone means that it takes quite a long time to explore. The intricacies of the carvings and building work leave you almost in disbelief that it could possibly have been constructed by humans so long ago. Some of the other temples in the surrounding countryside give you the same feeling. We have seen about 20 in the last few days and they are all absolutely unique and equally magnificent in their own way. It is absolutely deserved that this place is on the “wonders of the world” list. We are both so thrilled to be a part of it at last and our admiration and awe of Cambodia and its people grows more and more everyday. These are truly a remarkable race. We really are falling in love with this fragile but beautiful country.

The Royal Palace Phnom Penh

rosibud — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:01:00 GMT

After the tragedy of The Killing Fields we thought it was time to celebrate the beautiful spirit and incredible genius of the Cambodian nation. We went to the Royal palace in Phnom Penh we we stood in awe of some of the finest architecture we have ever seen. The more we see of Cambodia and its people the more we fall in love with the place. There are a great deal of expats here from all over the world but especially Australia. The ones we've spoken to have the same feelings for the place as we are growing to have. Despite all that has happened to the people, the landscape and the country as a whole they are a nation who will not allow their spirit to be defeated. The people are full of happiness and love and a joy of life that we have not seen before.

The Killing Fields

rosibud — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:59:00 GMT

It’s difficult to put into words what we saw the other day. It’s difficult in anyway to understand what the Cambodian people have been through. Actually I find it impossible to grasp.

In 1975, after 5 years of civil war, The Khmer Rouge, a guerrilla group, took control of Cambodia. They forced all Cambodians to live in labour camps and work 14-18 hour days. They separated families , they destroyed all Cambodian institutions and culture, they systematically tortured and killed innocent people. It is estimated that during this time nearly a third of the Cambodian population was killed due to disease, starvation or execution. The number of people tortured and killed is unfathomable. 1 millions, maybe 2 million, maybe more. On a comparable scale with the Jewish holocaust.

During this time a lot of people were imprisoned for no reason. Children, women, artists, intellectuals, even new born babies. Anyone they saw as a threat to their power. And the Khmer Rouge were so paranoid that they seem to see anyone at all as a threat. They created a “secret” prison in order to detain, interrogate, torture and finally execute prisoners. The prison was called Security 21 “S.21”. It is now a museum. The Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. The Khmer Rouge kept very accurate records of what they did to people. They took photos that sicken you. The museum is filled with thousands of photos of the faces of the people that were tortured and killed. Figures put the number of adults killed at this one particular prison over a 3 year period at 10499 and 2000 children. Only 7 people survived. Most of the people were not killed in the prison but transported to a site 15 kms from Phnom Penh. A place that will be known forever more as “The Killing Fields”. Keep in mind I’m talking about one site here. There were “Killing Fields” situated all over Cambodia. Many bodies are still to be found.

We visited both the Prison and the “The Killing Fields”. The first thing you see when you walk into the “The Killing Fields” is a tall glass pyramid shaped monument. We bought flowers and incense to offer. As you approach the monument you see a skull, then another , then another, then another…… In my life I have seen a couple of human skulls. In school we were shown one in biology. And in various museums from time to time I have seen them. Whenever I see a skull I always wonder about the person who’s skull it was. I wonder about their life and how they felt about things and what their dreams were and how old they were. I don’t know if everyone does that but I always have. When I saw the skulls at the “Killing Fields” monument my immediate reaction was the same. I started to wonder.. but then I looked up and I looked in and I realized I was looking at a pyramid of thousands and thousands of skulls. Each skull had belonged to a real person with a real life and hopes and dreams and feelings. It was such a shock. Such a huge shock. I could feel a lump welling in my throat. I wasn’t expecting anything so confronting. And it filled me with such a great heavy sadness. Jen and I placed our offering and just walked silently around the monument. From every side all we saw were skulls. All we saw were beautiful lives cut short.

In the late 1970’s, at the same time this was all happening, we in Australia started to get refugees from Cambodia (or Kampuchea as it was known then) who were commonly known as “boat people”. They were called this because desperate to flee the Khmer Rouge regime, they usually arrived by the dozens or hundreds in small boats. Some of them died en route. At the time, there were the usual protests in Australia about how many South East Asian refugees we were taking. There were even jokes about “boat people”. I was only a child, but I remember it very clearly. I don’t think anyone in mainstream Australia really had any idea what was going on over here. NOT A CLUE! Coming here and seeing what we have seen and finding out about the indescribable horror that the Cambodians went though at the hands of their own people, it is all put in perspective. It also makes us think about all the other people from all the other countries who have fled to Australia hoping to be welcomed and wanting only a safe haven for themselves and their children. We need to think about how bad things must be for these people if they would leave their home land with nothing but the clothes on their back to start a new life. How scared they must be. How brave they are.

We walked around the site of the “Killing Fields”. It actually feels very peaceful, a very quiet place now. It’s hard to explain. Everywhere there are deep wide holes in the ground where digging has taken place. Mass graves uncovered. Thousands of people were murdered here. Beaten to death with iron bars or thrown against trees or shot. Thrown into mass graves. Some beheaded. Men, women and children. They are yet to really know the full extent of the graves. As you walk around you still see bone fragments on the ground. We both walked over bone still buried in the ground. We saw human bones leaning against a tree that had a sign on it saying that people had their heads smashed against the same tree. You still see half buried clothing EVERYWHERE. There are signs next to each large hole telling how many people were found buried there. It’s horrific. The worst thing I have ever seen. I will never forget it.

With heavy hearts we walked around slowly without speaking. There was nothing to say. Finally I said “Why?” Jen just shook her head. It was a question that will never be answered.

Cambodian Crossing

rosibud — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:18:00 GMT

We crossed the border into Cambodia on a boat travelling down the Mekong. The change was immediately apparent. The Cambodian people are far more laid back than their Vietnamese neighbours. They are extremely friendly and welcoming and even the hawkers know when to give up. The architecture in Phnom Penh is simply stunning. From the temples and wats to the French architecture of the buildings it’s all very beautiful. It’s also a democracy as opposed to Vietnam’s communist regime and the difference is clear. As we travelled down the river toward Phnom Penh I put on my iPod and chose Paul Kelly. Sometimes you just have to listen to something Australian. I had been feeling very homesick for quite a few days and not knowing what to expect I was wondering how I’d cope with Cambodia. Arriving on the biggest holiday of the years was a fantastic stroke of luck for both of us. No hassles no traffic. The entire city had pretty much been vacated as people went home to the provinces to visit their families. We arrived at our B&B "The Manor House" which was run by two guys from Sydney, Greg and his partner Tim. They welcomed us heartily and when we walked in the entire place was pretty much full of Aussies, most of who were working in Cambodia. To hear some familiar accents and be around people who actually understood our sense of humour was just what we needed. They also had a pool, which in 40 degree pre wet season build up heat is just what you need. The boys spoilt us rotten. If you're ever in Phnom Penh this is the only place to stay. They even had vegemite!!!!

Here’s a tip for young players….If you’re ever in a foreign country and need a little pampering, find the nearest guest house run by a couple of Sydney poofs who tell you how fabulous you are everyday and know how to make a wicked Singapore Sling and you’ll quickly recharge your tourist energiser bunny batteries and be ready to take on a whole new country.

Mekong Delta

rosibud — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:04:00 GMT

The last week or so has given us some of the most incredible travel experiences we have ever had anywhere in the world. The Easy Rider boys picked us up in Saigon early one morning and we set off on another motorbike adventure this time through the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam. The people of the south are some of the friendliest we have met anywhere and the smiles of the children and the scenery of the mighty Mekong river is hard to put into words. As part of the Easy Rider adventure we take mainly back roads and so we end up doing all the stuff the locals do like riding along dirt roads and catching local ferries. I will never forget out first look at the river. We were on this ferry and I looked up and the true size of this massive river really hit me. It was wider than any river I had ever seen and seem to branch off in all different directions. I couldn't believe I was finally standing there looking at something that I had heard about all my life. We ended up in the capital city of the Mekong area - a place called Can Tho. The boys had a friend who owned a little whipper snipper canoe (so called because the motor on them is essentially a whipper snipper only with a propeller instead of nylon line.) They arranged for their friend Mr Hahn to take us on a day trip down the river to two floating markets and then up some very small estuaries where the bigger boats can't go so we could see river life in its truest sense. The day was fantastic from the moment we left the dock. We putted down the Mekong past all sorts of houses and industry existing side by side. 50 million people rely on the Mekong for their livlihood and we saw it all. They wash in it, they fish in it, the swim in it, the use it as a source of industrial water, their kids play in it, they often have their toilets flowing into it, the list is endless. It also to a great degree supports their tourist industry. It's their life blood and without it, many of the poorest people of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and parts of China would be completely stuffed.

The kids of the Mekong are especially friendly, always eager to give you a wave or come up and have a chat. Even the dogs are friendlier. Unlike the north we rarely saw hidden financial agendas in the friendliness of the people. They were just smiling or waving or laughing or talking to us because they wanted to. It was beautiful. We stopped for lunch at a local house and stayed there for a couple of house. During this time I managed to fall into metre high Mekong mud which everyone else there thought was one of the funniest things they had ever seen. Jen continued to take photos while they dug me out. Even the chooks appeared to be laughing! I guess it was pretty funny. Our boat driver Mr Hahn took a shine to both Jen and I and even though he didn't speak much English he conveyed to Si and Hai how much he loved our happiness and ability to laugh at ourselves, and promptly invited us over to his house for dinner to meet his family, eat seafood and sing karaoke.

We said yes! What followed was an amazing night of getting to know a real Vietnamese family and how warm and funny they are. Mr Hahn lives right on the Mekong. He took us to his house in his boat. His cousins, nephew, wife, daughters and neighbours were all there to greet us. We felt very very special. Si and Hai came with us. We all sat on the floor and his nephew cooked huge prawns over an open fire for us. We laughed and Mr Hahn and his neighbours sang Karaoke. Despite me telling everyone what a great Karaoke singer Jen was and how much she loved singing in public she didn't seem keen to participate. After the dinner we walked through Mr Hahn's village and were rowed back to the other side of the Mekong in a little boat. I mean how do you possibly have an experience like that and not come out of it all the richer? Mr Hahn was so very happy we had agreed to come to his house and meet his family. He kept thanking us and telling us how happy he was and giving us two thumbs up and smiling. Of course it may have been the rice wine and beer that made him all the happier but his beautiful wife seemed genuinely pleased too.

We have definitely come to know our Easy Rider friends Si and Hai fairly well over the last couple of weeks. They are such wonderful people and true shining stars of Vietnam. They always kept us safe and entertained and informed and we laughed all the time with them and listened to their incredible stories with wonder and interest. We told them stories about Australia and our families too and they listened intently and always wanted to know more. We will miss them a great deal but we have promised them that we will come back and travel with them again. On the final day, the boys took us further along the Mekong to the town of Chou Doc where after one last wonderful dinner with them they told us not to say goodbye but to say "see you soon". We gave them enormous hugs and left on the boat for Cambodia.

Easy Rider

rosibud — Tue, 8 Apr 2008 15:55:00 GMT

It all started as we were strolling along the beach at Nha Trang one bright sunny day. As the waves gently lapped against the plastic bag lined shore and we admired the massive Hollywood style VINPEARL sign on a nearby island, these two Vietnamese guys walked up to us and asked if we’d like to go on a 5 day adventure with them on their motorbikes through the central highlands to experience the “REAL VIETNAM”. They called themselves EasyRiders and they make a living taking tourists on motorbike adventure tours all over the country. They took us for coffee and before we knew it we were saying “tại sao không” (why not?)and handing over a $200 deposit. We told them to meet us in Mui Ne in 3 days. They agreed. As we walked away I was almost certain we see neither the guys or our money ever again. Jen had way more faith and was confident they would show up. Much to my surprise 3 days later they picked us up on their 100cc motorbikes.

We only told two people that we were going. My brother Les and my best friend Lynelle. Les’s response was “WOW that sounds very cool. Have fun!” Lynelle’s response was “Oh my God! Are you completely mad? You’ll be murdered!” Luckily Les was right. The trip was fantastic and we did indeed experience the real Vietnam. We ate local food that cost about 40cents we visited local houses and met local people who all welcomed us warmly. We drank rice wine and the guys Si (Doctor) and Hai (Ocean) told us stories about their lives and Vietnam (the history and the people)

When we started on day 1, I was so nervous I nearly through up. Having been on a motorbike only a couple of times in my whole life, here I was about to let a complete stranger who could quite possibly be a suicidal maniac double me on the back of his bike for 5 whole days through mountainous terrain. Was I crazy? I guess I was a bit. But my sense of adventure got the better of me and with all four of us yelling those famous Vietnamese last words at the top of our lungs “Di Toi!” (Lets go!) we headed for the hills.

The scenery was spectactular. We first headed along the coast and past km after km of beautiful coast line framed by the odd fishing boat. Our first stop was the fishing village at Pham Thiet. It’s hard to describe the scale of this place. The number of small fishing boats moored here would be in the high hundreds if not a thousand. The view looking down on them was the stuff of famous paintings. They seemed almost a deliberately colourful match against the turquoise sea, although the aesthetics of the scene were all quite accidental. After a quick photo stop we head for the red sand dunes which is one of the highlights of a trip to the area. For Jen coming from the spectacular sandunes of Birubi Beach NSW that stretch for over 100 kms these were small fry and after a quick photo we were keen to push on. We were still hugging the coast line for some time to come and without a mountain in sight I was starting to wonder where we were going. At some point we made a small turn and in the distance we saw our final destination for day 1. Huge mountains were all in front of us. At first they appeared as haze but as we got closer we could see the scale of the range. Some of the toughest fighting during the American/Vietnam War was fought in the dense jungle of these mountains and some areas still hold the scars of agent orange the incideous chemical used by the Americans to eradicate foliage. Some hills have only now 30 odd years later began to grow grass.

We stopped at a mushrrom farm and saw muchrooms dryng on racks in the sun. We ate lunch at a local café where a delicious bowl of Phô Ga (Chicken Rice Noodle Soup) cost us 40 cents. We visited Chicken Village, a local Koho ethnic minority village where there is a giant cement chicken just standing in the middle of the houses. It’s the symbol of a tragic local love story (why does there seem to be a tragic love story somewhere that involves a giant cement chicken?)

We arrived in Dalat early afternoon. Dalat (city in the clouds) is the number one honeymoon spot for Vietnamese newlyweds. It has more hotels than I have ever before seen and it’s built around a picturesque lake. A lot of people rave about Dalat but we didn’t really see the appeal. I mean it’s pretty enough but unless we missed something, it just seemed like a fairly large city in the mountains. The boys took us to a local vegetarian café (street food) for dinner. We had Tofu Phô. Cost 40 cents.

Day 2 started with a visit to the Crazy House. A local artist has built a massive maze of concrete trees that have rooms inside them and look like something out of an Escher or Dali painting. It was surreal. You can even stay there in one of the tree rooms. The trunks of the concrete trees have vines and branches hanging off them everywhere. It’s hard to describe. After that we headed further into the highlands and the scenery was lush and again spectacular. We rode past coffee plantations and dense jungle. We stopped at Elephant falls and climbed down a quite treacherous rock face to get a better view of the falls. It was worth it. They were thunderous and we were covered in that light spray of water mist you get from really heavy falls.

We visited the happy Buddha. And let me tell you he is exceedingly jolly. You can’t help yourself, just looking at him makes you smile. We visited a silk worm farm and saw the process of getting the silk from the worm cocoon to spinning it and then weaving on one of those old weaving machine that use the paper patterns with the holes in them.

We visited a local hilltribe house where they breed silk worms and we climbed the enormously steep steps up the side of a mountain in order to enjoy a view. This was indeed a challenge. Basically the steps a so steep that you have to climb up using both hands and feet. (kind of a crawl really) Once at the top the view is amazing YES but of course as soon as I looked down I freaked out. I hate heights and this slope was almost vertical. Fortunately Jen helped me down, it was terrifying. One wrong move and your history!!

We had a lunch at another local café where the boys pretty much ordered everything on the menu for us to try. It was fabulous. We had about 10 different dishes. The whole meal with pepsi cost us $3 (together).

The afternoon was spent winding our way through incredible mountain roads and marvelling at the view. Coffee, tea, jungle, we even saw rice paddies which is something we haven’t seen for over a week now. We ended the day at DAK LAK a beautiful lake near a minority village.

Day 3 began with a visit to a local minority village. We walked through the street looking at the bamboo and timber long houses that the local minority tribes live in in groups of up to 30. The more time I spend in this country and see their sense of community the more I feel that we in the west have lost ours. These people truly look out for each other and care about their neighbours. They share what they have and eat communally.

We visited quite a few waterfalls today and each was more spectacular than the one before. We spent the night in a very basic bungalow beside one such waterfall. Jen and I were sitting on the bed trying to set up our mosquito net and admiring the nylon sheets with cigarette burns on them when we heard this screeching sound like a banchee. It was so loud we both jumped in the air. It was a massive gecko. I’m talking gecko on steroids. I’m talking a gecko at least the size of a school ruler. That’s at least 30cm long. I’m talking a full on reptile. IT WAS HUGE! I’m used to those cute as a button Aussie geckos that are lucky to be the size of your thumb. This thing would feed a family of four. Mr Hai had told us earlier in the day that people here eat geckos and I’m thinking at the time… that’s not much of a feed. Well now I know what the Big Mac of geckos looks like.

We spent the night drinking rice wine and hearing stories from Si and Hai about their kids and their lives. Really these two guys were just simple family men trying to make an honest living to support their wives and children.

Day 4 was a big one. We rode 220kms. Now you may not think that’s much but the roads over here are not the best and the maximum speed is around 40 or 50 kms per hour. We didn’t really have time to stop much but we did visit a rubber plantation or as the boys call it the condom trees. And we had lunch at a local café where the women were fascinated by my hair. They said it look like Vietnamese hair and asked me if I had gone to school here. I don’t know what the connection was with school and hair but it was funny that Jen’s blonde hair didn’t seem weird at all but my dark hair was really odd. I think they figure that only Vietnamese people should have dark hair.

Day 5 we came out of the highlands and headed toward Saigon. We caught a ferry across a river the guys call the yellow river because the locals have built a toilet that hangs directly over the river and the fish apparently love it whenever anyone uses the toilet because they get plenty of food. “Whatever you do” they boys warned us “don’t eat the fish!” Today we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels which were built by the Vietnamese in the late 1940s and used extensively during the war with the Americans. The tunnels really highlight the ingenuity and tenacity of the Vietnamese people and their incredible human spirit. We got the opportunity to go underground and feel what it was like and doing it for 3 minutes was more than enough time for both of us. How they lived under there for months at a time is absolutely beyond belief. The Americans really didn’t stand a chance.

We couldn’t believe our 5 day adventure was coming to a close. We really had an amazing time and we didn’t want it to end. After a quick conversation amongst ourselves to work out if we could afford it, Jen and I asked the boys if they would come back to Saigon in 3 days and pick us up and then take us through the Mekong Delta and on to the Cambodian border. They agreed!

We’ve spent a couple of days here in Saigon and now we’re rested and clean and we’ve bought everyone back home a $1.50 beer t shirt. Tomorrow morning the boys will pick us up and we’re off on another adventure through the “REAL VIETNAM”

I'm telling you, you haven't lived 'til you've travelled through Saigon traffic on the back of 100cc Honda ridden by a Vietnamese man who probably weighs nomore than 45kgs wringing wet.

Di Toi!!!!!

p.s. Here are their numbers if you ever want the adventure of a lifetime.

Mr Si 0905633791 & Mr Hai 0918194001

Mui Ne Meander

rosibud — Tue, 1 Apr 2008 10:00:00 GMT

We’ve spent the last 3 days sunning ourselves at a beachside bungalow in Mui Ne. Mui Ne for those of you not familiar with Vietnam is a small coastal village about 200kms north of Saigon. It’s also the Kite and Wind Surfing capital of Vietnam. If you’re not in to water sports the only thing really to do here is lay around in deck chairs soaking up the sun and looking at the view. It is a glorious spot indeed and from the moment we arrived we knew we would love it. The resort we’re staying at is very small family run and inexpensive. It’s also spotlessly clean, cheap as chips, has a pool and has a restaurant with endless views right on the beach. The only thing spoiling the whole place we discovered on our first day as we walked along the beach is rubbish. Tons of it. We were sooooo disappointed. The entire shoreline is strewn with plastic bags tin cans food scraps any conceivable household rubbish you can think of. And it’s not just a little bit, it stretches for miles without a break. The saddest thing about it is that this is one of the most perfectly beautiful beaches you would ever find anywhere in the world. Early in the morning the water is like glass. Not a ripple and an amazing turquoise colour. The wind picks up as the day progresses but it’s equally lovely even then.

As you walk along the beach you notice however all sorts of things floating in the water, plastic bags are the main culprit, but any sort of garbage can be found. You have to be careful where you stand because of the fear of stepping on a tin can or glass or something else sharp. When we arrived back from our walk Jen noticed that our feet were black with a thick oil/tar like substance. I’m not sure what it was but it was very hard to get off. I definitely wouldn’t swim in the ocean here. If the Vietnamese want their tourism industry to grow, they really do need to do something about educating people regarding waste disposal and the environmental and economic consequences of not cleaning up the mess. We’ve seen this sort of problem everywhere through the country so far. It really does make us realise how incredibly lucky we are to be blessed with such pristine beaches in Australia. I know that hasn’t always been the case, but the situation here really does highlight how far we have come. I don’t know what the answer is for Vietnam or South East Asia as a whole. I know the countries over here are still developing so I guess it’s easy for me to come over here from a wealthy nation and highlight their problems, but I do hope that something is done before the situation becomes dire.

As for Jen and I, our search for the elusive South East Asian beach paradise continues. We’re heading up to the central highlands tomorrow on a 5 day motorbike tour and to visit some coffee plantations and to do a homestay in a hilltribe village and we should arrive in Saigon on Sunday. We just realised we have been in Vietnam over four weeks now and on our adventure for over 5. Looking back, it’s already incredible how far we have come and what we have seen. We hope you are all well and happy and missing us.

Take care, love Rosi and Jen

Nha Trang Chillout

rosibud — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMT

We've been laying on deck chairs under coconut thatched umbrellas on the beach at Nha Trang for the greater part of two days just chillin' out, slurping Mango Lassi's and looking at the calm turquoise water of Nha Trang Bay. We landed here quite by accident. Desperate to escape Hoi an which we hated and disappointed us immensely and unable to get a flight to where we really wanted to go in the central highlands, and unwilling to face a long bus or train journey anywhere, we decided instead to fly to the one place that would take us....Nha Trang!! We'd been warned about this den of iniquity. We'd been warned about the sleaze, the pickpockets, the grime, the down right sordidness of the place so we didn't expect much. Jen had at one point exclaimed that she'd rather stab herself in the leg with a fork than come here. But here we are. And we actually don't mind it. There is a pleasant enough beach. Coming from Australia we always read reports of wonderful beaches with a certain amount of dubious cynicism. After all we indeed DO have the world’s best beaches, so anything else will be a disappointment. Once you accept that, you're ok! The beach here is probably on a par with Shoal Bay NSW or possibly Hervey Bay in QLD. Better than Redcliffe but only just. The sand is grit (coral I believe) The water is flat. It is quite pretty if you blot out the ugly scar of a Hollywood type sign on a nearby island advertising VINPEARL resort. So completely unnecessary but that’s the Vietnamese way. Anyway as I was saying, you can rent deck chairs on the beach under coconut shade umbrellas for 20000 dong ($1.50) and you can get a waiter to come out and bring you cocktails or beer or food whenever you like. There is even a bamboo bar on the beach. Little Vietnamese ladies cook fresh crab and lobster on the beach over an open fire which you can buy for a couple of dollars. It’s enormously relaxing. We're using the time to recuperate from our ongoing illnesses. We've been here 5 weeks now and either one or both of us have been sick for 4 weeks. We've both had major head colds and recurring stomach problems. Today is the first day we have both felt well at the same time. So we're quite happy to chillout here for a few days and do very little.

Hoi An was after all a disaster. As Bill Bryson once said "I have never seen a place so singularly focused on sucking money out of tourists" And it was all done under the guise of a pretty little historic village. At least Nha Trang doesn't pretend to be anything but what it is. Gold Coast, Vietnamese style.

We've also encountered some embarrassing moments involving fellow Aussie tourists that have left us cringing and hoping no one associates us with them.

What is it that makes Australian on holiday behave so badly? Just for the record if you're on holidays in another country it's not acceptable to do any of the following

1. Rate the size of the boobs on all women who walk past in bikinis and then state to your friends that maybe you should just bite the bullet, lower your standards and settle for an average girl. This is especially offensive and hilarious when you yourself are as ugly as a hat full of arseholes.

2. As a 65 year old Tasmanian women get smashed in a beach side bar and then scream like a banshee at the top of your lungs about how you'd "love another bloody cocktail" and then at the top of your voice give detailed descriptions of the stomach surgery you recently had and ordeals of caesarean childbirth. This woman actually managed to clear the bar. How embarrassing.. (as we left we pretended to be French.)

3. Work on your tan so much that you look like that old wrinkled woman from "There's Something about Mary" while a fluffy little dog takes a dump at the end of your deck chair. (We’re still laughing about this girl!)

4. Be a middle aged Aussie bloke with an enormous beer gut who is so drunk you can't stand up and then try to pick up a 20 year old stunning Vietnamese waitress. However gorgeous, witty and charming you think you are when you fart and slur your words, just face it .. SHE DOESN'T WANT YOU!

free from pests

rosibud — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:44:00 GMT

We've been laughing our arses off at some of the hotel descriptions. You know, the things hotels say to entice you to stay there. Well in Vietnam they reach a whole new level and we feel compelled to share them with you.

"Welcome to GOLDEN HOTEL in Nha Trang beach city! Opened in 2005 we offer Nha Trang’s newest, coolest accommodation with great facilities, friendly service and hard-to-beat prices. Cleanliness is guaranteed 24 hours a day, not only in rooms, but in every corner of the hotel, helping guests to enjoy a relaxing, safe and comfortable atmosphere during their stay at our hotel. Furthermore, epidemic control procedures will keep our hotel free from pests like flies, mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches, and mice without affecting the environment or you."

"The three-star Phu Quy 2 hotel has been recently built and operational since the first of january 2006. It is a system of 60 rooms originally built and fitted up with a luxurious and elegant interior. Its floor is made of natural wood of refined colour appreciated by all categories of guests. All the rooms are equipped with safety - keys and modern conveniences such as the system of the air-conditioning system, the bath-tubs, the hot and fresh water, the television sets, the direct, international, long-ditance call; besides this the high- speed , free of charge internet aims at helping the guests to know the current events and the news taking place in the world."

Bathroom ideas and cooking school!

rosibud — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:06:00 GMT

The last 6 days have been fairly chilled. After an horrendous over night train journey down from SaPa..(there is nothing quite as delightful than having dysentery on an overnight train that keeps stopping and starting suddenly when your only friend is a squat toilet with no toilet paper) we flew to Danang and caught the two jour train to Hue. We stayed at this amazing hotel run by Tourism students called Villa Hue. This place was 5 star and very classy. We couldn’t believe our luck. We used the 2 days there to recuperate from 8 days of mud and cold in SaPa. We went on a day tour of some old palaces and tombs which was excellent. There were a lot less tourists here and we could walk around peacefully. Inside one palace the walls and ceilings were decorated from top to bottom entirely with magnificent mosaic tiles. We just kept going “WOW!” wherever we looked. We both picked up some great bathrooms ideas for the new house.

Driving around the outskirts of Hue we really notice how much the landscape has changed from the north of the country. We’re starting to enter the Vietnam we know from the Vietnam War movies. The lush jungle, the tropical heat, the coastline. The return train journey from Danang to Hue is truly spectacular. Two hours of some of the most beautiful coastline I have ever seen. Two hours of looking down on tiny little beaches and bays that can only accessed via thick jungle decent down mountainsides and out across the South China Sea. It was glorious.

We are currently in Hoi An which is about 30 kms from Danang. Hoi An is where all the tailors are. There are over 500 of them and the stuff they produce is gorgeous. They can replicate anything. Same with the cobblers. Any pair of shores you own, any brand they can duplicate it. We have actually found Hoi An to be far too touristy. The first day we got here was the full moon festival where once every month on the full moon they turn off all the lights in the ancient city and everything is lit by brightly coloured lanterns. Its quite beautiful. But it’s completely overrun by tourists. Its hard to find a Vietnamese person. Every shop in the old town is geared toward selling something to tourists. We found the whole place quite sad. Don’t get me wrong it’s a beautiful town. It just seems very fake to me. It’s kind of like Byron Bay without the beach. Byron Bay as it is now. Over comerciaised touristy lost its soul kinda thing. Just shop after shop after shop of paintings, clothes, t shirts, jewellery, souvenirs, café’s, restaurants and bars. It’s very popular though so I guess that’s what tourists want. Yesterday we did a full day cooking school. It was fantastic. We walked through a local village organic herb garden and picked fresh coriander lemon basil Vietnamese mint and water spinach. We went to the local markets and bought green mango, paw paw, garlic, spring onions, lemon grass and banana flower. We then got taken to an amazing place right on the river quite isolated and with the help of Chef Ngoc we spent the day learning to cook 4 Vietnamese dishes. After we cooked each one, we ate them. We ended the day with a boat trip up the river back to town past fishing boats and bamboo river side shacks. You can’t get much better than that. So be prepared people! When we get back we’re going to experiment on all of you.

We’re not really sure we’re we are heading next. We plan to be in a little surfing town called Mui Ne in about 4 days. But until then anything is possible.

Trains, Boats and Automobiles

rosibud — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:16:00 GMT

After seeing the daggy photo’s of me that Rosi has been putting on this site I thought it was about time that I

1. Started writing some observations and

2. Check what photo’s of my rough head Rosi is putting the gallery

Travelling in Asia is all about having a sense of awe plus a very good sense of humour, throw in a large dose of patience and understanding, then you may just be able to do it with minimum stress.

They are an incredible race of people, they are survivors. Always friendly, even when they are getting emotional when haggling over a price. Once you laugh and say, “do I really look that stupid?” they laugh and the game starts again. Yes they can be in your face at times, but if you put it all in perspective, you can see that they are just trying to earn a living.

Oh My God, I’m Going to DIE!!!!!!

As Rosi has mentioned we went to Halong Bay recently, it was beautiful. The drive there was safe because Mr Ho was driving, apparently he used to drive tanks, impressive hey! I will set the scene for the return journey that Mr Ho was not available for.

A beautiful boat cruise to Halong Bay, featuring amazing cliffs and rock formations that are truly awe inspiring. Then one night on a boat gently cruising through the Bay, one night on an island staying in a bamboo beach hut, needless to say it was so relaxing. Once we were off the boat and into the mini bus to head back to Hanoi, that all changed. The bus on the way back was driven at high speed and into ongoing traffic. There was no real right or wrong side of the road, there was a line down the middle of it but, the mood of the driver determined which side to drive. The horn was used frequently to move the ongoing traffic out of the way, but I’m sure I saw sparks as trucks narrowly missed us. I witnessed the aftermath of two accidents, one involved a car, truck and a motorbike. The car was in two pieces and the bike had only a wheel left and a flattened frame, it was not pretty. This is the exact point that our guide Tien informed us that 36 people a day die on roads in Vietnam…can’t say that I’m surprised, but that was not the time to tell me….Oh my god we are going to die!!!!

Thankfully we arrived safely in Hanoi, if not a little shaken, I thought to myself “at least the train will be safe and comfy as we booked the ‘king deluxe cabin sleeper cabin’. How wrong I was. Once we arrived at the station we realized that the person handing out the tickets determine what is meant by ‘king deluxe cabin’ and may I add that sleeper is a loosely used term to describe the purpose of the cabin. Stephan, (the German traveler that we befriended and his girlfriend Annabelle, two beautiful people) tried to point out to the guard the difference between our sleeper and the picture, it didn’t work. We were stuck in a little box with wafer thin mattresses on bunk beds. For no extra cost we received four bottles of water, four extra strong refresher tissues and a stick of food, well I think that’s what it was. But wait that’s not all, as Annabelle found out, we also received left over hair and sweat marks from the previous occupant, nice! So the term sleeper was an oxymoron, so no sleep for us. We arrived at 5am, very tired, confused and cranky. Managed to find a bus at the station that took us to the hotel and we passed out for about 12 hours. I think back on this and laugh, and we were laughing the whole time we were experiencing it. Almost everyone that was on that train looked as tired and over it as we did.

Things that make me smile

· The term “hello you buy from me?” if you buy from them it can possibly cause a rugby scrum of about 20 people that also want “you buy from me?” The other side of this is that sometimes you can have a very interesting chat with one of the locals about life in general.

· You can sit in a bar and admire a xmas tree with lights flashing on and off in a festive manner

· Electricity wiring, it can be extremely creative. It can also spark or make explosion sounds randomly.

· Internet cafes that have a flickering screen which could possibly cause an epileptic fit, but once it warms up its ok. There is the added bonus of the cutest little baby wandering around. There is something wonderful about sitting at a computer concentrating only to be distracted by a tiny toddler resting their hand on you and smiling, while munching on a bread roll they are waving around in the other hand.

· Hot showers that are both hot and cold at separate times, if only they would mix!

· Power points with no on or off switch, assume that these are on at all times.

· Shower curtains are a luxury item.

· All the children are loved

· Everyone makes space even when there isn’t any

· When you are haggling for a motorbike taxi and they give you a highly inflated price, once you say I’m not that stupid, everybody laughs and the games start again.

· Anything can be carried on a bike, I’m sure they could dismantle a car and carry it.

Smells

rosibud — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:07:00 GMT

There’s a smell up here in the mountains of Northern Vietnam. It’s hard to place. It’s a mix of the wood burned in fireplaces every night, it’s part cardoman drying, it’s the smell of farmyards, and freshly cut fields. It’s Vietnamese sizzling chicken in lemongrass and chilli, it’s ginger tea, it’s wild pork hanging in village smoke houses. It’s the smell of dong changing hands and indigo dye soaking into hemp clothing. It’s baguettes baking and hessian bags full of spices on display in tiny shops throughout SaPa. It’s motorcycle fumes and incense burning. It’s chestnuts roasting and the smell of Vietnamese coffee topped with condensed milk being poured into slightly chipped cups. It’s Halida beer and cigarettes. It’s mud and mist and the rain and the steamed rice. It’s bunches of fresh herbs and strings of wild mushrooms being carried in bamboo baskets. It’s wonderful, its intoxicating, it’s SaPa.

"You buy from me?"

rosibud — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:25:00 GMT

Every day that we spend in SaPa reaffirms that our decision to travel here independently and for 8 days, rather than take a short 3 day organized tour was the right one. We feel that we have really soaked in the true feeling of the town, the surrounding countryside and it’s beautiful people.

Everyday we find more things to love about it up here.

We love the colourful hill tribe women and their spectacular embroidered clothes, handicrafts and beautiful silver jewellery, the delicious food, the hectares and hectares of terraced rice paddies that seem to stretch on forever and truly have to be seen to be believed, the multitude of heavily pregnant pigs, the chilled out water buffalo, the abundance of weird looking dogs, the pea soup fog, the cold, the warm welcoming fires in the bars, the cute little cook, Nguyen, in our hotel restaurant who spends his days smiling, cooking and singing along to his favourite boybands, the h’mong and red dao hill tribe women who carry their adorable babies wrapped in brightly coloured blankets on their backs.

“Where you from?” they say everytime we leave the hotel.

“Australia” we say

“Australia?” they say “oh kangaroooooo!” they say.

I hop up the street whenever they say it which makes them laugh hysterically at the idiot Australian tourist.

“You buy from me?” they say.

Of course if you buy from one, you soon have 10 running toward you wanting you to buy from them as well. We had one red Dao women who followed us into a bar and decided to sit down with us for a while. She was 52 and had 10 children. Her name was Mai-li. She was fascinating. A great saleswoman, but even after we bought some amazing wall hangings from her, she just wanted to sit with us for an hour and talk. The next day she spotted Jen’s blonde hair and came in again and sat down for another hour or so and when we left she came with us and walked us back to our hotel linking arms with me the whole way and telling me how short I was. When I pointed out the fact that she was 4 foot 10 and way shorter than me, she laughed hysterically.

SaPa is built on a mountain. Everwhere is steep. Everytime we leave our hotel we have to walk up a steep slope to the town. If you want to see things you need to walk steep! Our first walk was about 4 kms to Cat Cat village. We passed magnificent waterfalls , heaps of rice fields all terraced, buffalo, pigs, geese, bamboo growing wild. Yesterday we walked for 5 kms to the village of Sin Chai. Of course after walking there we had to walk 5 kms up steep hills to get back. It nearly killed me but I made it.

Today we hired a local h’mong hill tribe guide, Kim, an empowered 19 year old woman, who took us on a 12 km trek across country through 3 villages. We wore expensive hiking boots, she wore $3 bright purple galoshes and traditional dress. We walked down and up muddy dirt back trails, we walked through rice paddies and through all sorts of rocky terrain, some of which could best be described as the kokoda trail with frost. We saw the true extent of the massive terraced rice farming that goes on here.

The villages around SaPa where the local hill tribe people live resemble depictions of how the first convict settlers lived when they came to Australia. They use all natural products. There houses are made entirely of timber slats and most have timber shingle or corrugated iron roofs. The houses are one big room. Their fencing is woven bamboo. There are pregnant pigs and geese and dogs and buffalo and kids everywhere. They where traditional hemp and cotton cothing dyed with natural indigo plants which they gow themselves and embroidred with brightly coloured fibres. Their hands are dyed indigo. They lead incredibly simple lives. They work in the fields with ancient farm equipment. Every afternoon we see lines of h'mong marching single file through town with old picks and hoes flung over their shoulders. Like the type you discover in your grandfather’s shed that haven’t been used for 50 years. THAT’S WHAT THEY USE TO FARM RICE and CORN!!! They seem like really happy people and it makes you realise how little you need to be happy and how much of what we have is unnecessary. The one disparity in the whole scene are the Satellite TV dishes that seem to be perched on many roofs.

Our guide Kim told us of another side to the hilltribe communities. She said domestic violence was high (around 50%) and that a lot of the men have problems with the local hooch i.e Rice Wine. We also found out that opium is a problem amongst some of the H’mong people. A lot of tourist are offered opium in the streets of SaPa. (Jen was. I must look to clean cut and hobbity). Kim said a lot of the women do most of the work and that the women tend to marry early around 15-17 and have lots of babies. Kim of course couldn’t think of anything worse and was happy making her own living as a guide. She was definitely the “girl power poster child” for the local hilltribes.

This is also the first time on this trip we have truly seen things we have wanted to buy. We’ve bought some wall hangings and silver jewellery all made by the local hilltribe villagers. Some of the work is stunning and it's all ridiculously cheap. Tomorrow is the big Saturday SaPa markets are on. All the local villagers come to town to sell their wares including animals and food and handicrafts.

Of course today’s trek has nearly killed the both of us. We’ve both lost weight over the last 3weeks but especially this week since coming to SaPa. At the moment Jen is asleep and I’m lying in bed next to the fire wondering why I can’t feel my feet. But we’re so glad we did it. To get out into the countryside and see how the local people live is to see the true spirit of a country.

Lost in the fog of Sa Pa

rosibud — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:10:00 GMT

Hi there. We are currently lost in the fog around Sa Pa. We have added heaps more photos of Sa Pa. Take a look. More stories when we find our way out!!! Love Rosi and Jen

Travelling to Sa Pa

rosibud — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:21:00 GMT

We caught the night train on Sunday night from Hanoi to Lao Cai. We shared our cabin with Stephan and Annabelle, two young German medical students who we’ve been travelling through Halong Bay with. We bought deluxe soft sleepers and were shown photos that made the train trip look like it was going to be a wonderful adventure. We found out that in Vietnam Deluxe soft sleeper means the same as hardwood plank with shared toilet (as in shared by everyone else in the carriage – about 75 people) None of us slept at all and when we were arrived in Lao Cai at 4.55am everyone else on the train look like they had suffered similarly. As we got off the train we walked along a platform that seemed to be headed NOWHERE. It resembled something you may have seen in and old WW2 movie depiction of Poland or Germany. Hundreds of people walking along in the cold dark early morning with all their belongings having no clue where they were headed. Eventually we made it out of the train station. Another hour on a bus up a mountain saw us arrive in SaPa.

SaPa is a stunningly beautiful town in the northern highlands of Vietnam near the Chinese border. People come here to trek through the terraced rice paddies, visit the villages of the hilltribes that inhabit the area and for the the very fit and adventurous climb Vietnam’s highest peak Mt Fansipan.
The hilltribes consist of two distinct groups. The H’mong and Dzao people. They bring their incredible handcrafts and silver jewellery to Sapa to sell everyday. We’ve only had a quick look so far but I expect I will be sending quite a few things home from here. I love everything I see.

Halong Bay

rosibud — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:17:00 GMT

Friday saw us take off on yet another tour, this time to the mystical Halong Bay. It’s situated on the North East Coast of Vietnam and consists of 3000 or more islands jutting out of the Bay of Tonkin. According to our guide Tien the legend has it that Halong means “where the dragon descends into the sea” The Vietnamese believe that Halong Bay was formed when a great dragon that lived in the mountains charged toward the coast, it’s tail gouged out valleys and crevasses. When it finally plunged into the sea the area filled with water leaving only the pinnacles visible. It truly is a jaw droppingly beautiful, ethereal and majestic place.

We stayed one night on the middle of Halong bay on a Vietnamese Wooden Junk. The group consisted of different travelers of different ages from all over the world and it made for a diverse and interesting time. We spent two hours kayaking through Halong Bay which was truly magical. We visited floating villages where the people have lived for over 60 years making a small living fishing. It’s hard to describe these villages. Imagine 40 or so mobile homes sitting on top of floating 44 gallon drums with make shift bamboo landing strapped to the outside of them. Some of them are strung together and some stand alone. We saw groups of these villages throughout Halong Bay some consist of thousands of huts some only a few in isolated stretches. They have dogs and kids and TVs. They get about Halong Bay in woven Bamboo boats which they row sometimes standing up sometimes with their feet. It’s truly one of the most fascinating things I have ever seen.

We climbed 455 stairs to the top of an idland called Titop to see the view across Halong Bay. I nearly collapsed half way up but I made it!!! We climbed another 100 stairs into what they call the Amazing Cave. Think Indiana Jones, think anything directed by Stephen Spielberg. It looked like the set of a Hollywood adventure blockbuster. This place was a massive 3 chamber cave carved out by rainwater and the sea over millions of years.

The second night in Halong Bay we spent in a Bamboo Hut at a private beach “resort”. I use the term resort lightly because it was fairly primitive which is of course what we wanted. However the food was great and we could sit and have a couple of beers and watch the view, or play fetch with the rock loving German Shepard who lived there. The whole experience was extremely relaxing especially after the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.

Happy Birthday to Me

rosibud — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:14:00 GMT

The more we travel through Vietnam the more we come to love this country and it’s amazing history and warm friendly people. On Thursday, my 43rd birthday, Jen bought me a day tour of the ancient capital Hoa Lu, the rice fields of Tam Loc and surrounding Ninh Binh. We went on a 10 km cycle alongside massive volcanically formed rock formations and rice fields at Hoa Lu. We saw countless conical hat wearing farmers tending their rice fields and visited ancient temples. The tour was a really small one, just us and a young American couple Geno and Danielle who had been living in Japan for 5 years and were touring South East Asia before they moved back to the states. They were so wonderful and it was great to finally have some interaction with like minded fellow travelers. In the afternoon we were rowed for two hours down a river connecting rice fields on either side and surrounded by Limestone rock formations by a 72 year old woman and her very chatty daughter. They were poor rice farmers who made extra money rowing tourists and while they had you captive in the boat they would try and sell you their embroidery. The young one Nuewin was very outgoing and chatted to everyone she saw. Her English was limited but much better than my Vietnamese and we had a great time chatting to each other and laughing and she told me about her life in Vietnam. She ended up selling us two embroidered table cloths for some ridiculous amount of money (someone at home will be the lucky recipient of those). We’re lucky we got off the boat with more than a dollar in our pockets as I’m sure she could sell rice to the Vietnamese. She would make a great used car salesperson at Dodgy Nuewin’s Used Cars. But it was all in good fun. It ended up to be a great birthday.

Toot toot honk honk

rosibud — Wed, 5 Mar 2008 09:03:00 GMT

We've been in Hanoi since Saturday. Toot toot honk honk. Every 2 seconds someone toots or honks or asks us to buy a watch, a zippo, a hammock, a pineapple, a banana, some rambutan, a cap, a tshirt, some chopsticks, another banana, a toy wooden pecking chicken, a bowl of pho, a postcard, a map, a lonely planet guidebook, another banana, a rambo dvd, a silk wall hanging a conical hat, a beer, a bunch of bananas, a bunch of roses, a bunch of limes, a pair of sunglasses, a guided tour, a cyclo ride, another banana, a taxi ride, a motorbike ride...I'm sure you get the picture...and if you don't someone in Hanoi will surely sell you one.

We've seen Ho Chi Minh the dead communist leader who did so much to revolutionise his country and help his people (before the yanks decided to blow the crap out of the place that is)...They have Uncle Ho freeze dried under glass and if you want to see him you get lined up single file and marched into the mausoleum that holds his body. They also have him under yellow light which is extremely erie. It's very dim in the crypt. I suppose the dimmer the lighting the better when you've been freeze dried since 1969 and 5000 people a day walk past you. He does look almost alive though. Like he's suddenly going to wake up and smell the Pho.

We also visited the somewhat surreal museum dedicated to him and his life. He definitely did a great deal for the Vietnamese people. The absolutely love him.

Last night we went to water puppet theatre. It was great and cost about 2 dollars. Marionettes on water depicting aspects of Vietnamese life. It was great fun.

There seems to have been an influx of tourists in the last two days. Tomorrow if my birthday and we are hopefully going on a cycling tour in the country side. It will be great to get out of the city. Friday we head up to Halong Bay for two days on a Vietnamese Junk surrounded by spectacular scenery. Then we're off to the Mountains of Sapa for 7 days to explore the hill tribes and hopefully do a homestay in one of the little villages.

Hanoi Pearl

rosibud — Mon, 3 Mar 2008 14:14:00 GMT

Today we saw the cutest dog ever!!!!! Sorry to all my dog luvin' friends back home.. Yes this dog was cuter than Molly the wonder dog or Weasel... Today we met Hanoi Pearl. I bet she even barks in Vietnamese!!!!

The Great Banana Scam -SCAM 2

rosibud — Sun, 2 Mar 2008 12:04:00 GMT

As we walked through the old quarter laughing about how gullible we were to fall for the great map scam, a lady carrying bamboo baskets across her shoulders filled with bananas and pineapples approached us to buy a banana. “No No bananas” we said. She smiled and nodded and went away... about 5 minutes later same lady comes up and ask if we want a banana.. “No No bananas today thanks”... about 10 minutes later same lady comes up again and ask if we want a banana.. “No No bananas thanks”.. She was following us through the old quarter for about an hour. Eventually she took her hat off and put it on my head and yelled out "Photo Photo". Jen relented and took a photo. Then she puts the hat on Jen's head and says "Photo Photo".. As I'm taking the photo she's piling bananas and pineapple pieces into plastic bags for us. "No no bananas" we say.. "yes yes bananas" she says...we took the bananas and said how much? 100 thousand dong she says. (100 thousand dong is about $6.65) "NO WAY!" we says "yes yes 100 thousand dong" she says.. I gave her a hundred thousand dong and she suddenly says to Jen... "a hundred thousand dog for you too". "No No" we say...Too much..she looks at us like we had just said something horrible about her mother..(the Vietnamese have that look down pat) I still say no and she then pulls her shirt across and shows me her shoulder and says "very heavy, very sore" pointing to the bamboo bar that carries the baskets across her shoulders. I'm a sucker, I'm a gullible Australian tourist. I give her the other 100 thousand dong... she walks off in triumph... We walk around the corner and laugh at how stupid we are to pay $13.30 for 3 bananas and 4 pieces of pineapple.. Oh well if you are going to get ripped off you might as well have some fun at the same time.

The Great Map Scam -SCAM 1

rosibud — Sun, 2 Mar 2008 11:34:00 GMT

We wandered the old quarter this morning. In Hanoi everything you see is a tourist attraction so we decided just to wander the streets and get a feel for the place. We wandered down to Hoan Kiem Lake which is a beautiful lake not far from our hotel. It serves as central point for the old quarter and is very popular with the tourists. Every few seconds some one would approach us selling post cards or cigarette lighters or wallets or hammocks.. You just keep saying NO Thanks. One young woman in a conical hat came up and said the magic word "Map??" Gullible Australian Tourists that we are said "map... oh yes we'd love a map.." She ran as fast as her little Vietnamese legs could carry her and got us a map. Not one map ..but TWO maps. One of Hanoi and one of Vietnam. She gives them to us and then pushes us away and says "GO GO GO..." At first we didn't understand but then we noticed the policeman nearby. I don't think they are supposed to sell things to gullible Australian tourists. About 30 seconds later she comes back. Policeman is gone. "How much ??" we said.... "12 thousand dong".. she said.. (12 thousand dong is about 65 cents...but we hadn't worked that out at the time) Of course gullible Australian tourists hadn't yet been to the bank so we only had US dollars.

"No dong... How much US dollars??" we ask...

"12 US dollars" she says.

"NO WAY" I say. That's too much"...I think to myself.. I'm not getting ripped off on my first day..how dumb do I look. Then I say "$5" and she gives me this look like I have just said horrible things about her mother.... "NO NO" she says "10 US dollars" Before I knew what I was doing I said "Ok". For some unknown reason we gave her $10 US dollars for 2 maps that were probably worth 10 cents. In the distance 4 American tourists were laughing their arses off at us. We went up to them and had a chat. They told us as we walked away the woman was punching the air and jumping for joy. They also told us stories about their first day in Hanoi and how they got ripped off too. Oh well at least we're helping the local economy.