The Trans-Siberian

Chiang Mai, Thailand

bethsiu3 — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:47:00 GMT

I have spent 8 days in Chiang Mai and will be here a bit longer. Located in northern Thailand, it is a mecca for those seeking a slower, more relaxed pace of life. It offers so many classes, wats and treks for those seeking a little adventure. I have enjoyed visiting many of the ways in the old city, where I'm staying and getting daily massages. I have taken a Thai cooking class an learned how to make yummy massaman curry, pad Thai, coconut milk soup and mango sticky rice. Our class was taught by the funniest lady boy who really made the evening fun. Today I took a Thai massage cpurse and can't wait to practice on everyone back home! Tomorrow I leave for a 2 day meditation retreat sponsored by Wat Suan Dok, located in the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai. No talking is allowed so it will be a very interesting and challenging 2 days! TheWomen's Correctional Center offers traditional Thai massage by some of the inmates as part of a jobs training program so of course I had to check it out! You would never know they were inmates except for the guard who checks you in. I have also enjoyed the Sunday and Saturday markets where locaselling to sell their handicrafts and snackspans street performers sing and dance. It is great fun and I bought so many things that I will need to get another bag to carry it all!

Elephant Condervation Center, Sayaboury Province, Laos

bethsiu3 — Fri, 4 Jan 2013 18:47:00 GMT

I was able to spend a week volunteering at the Elephant Conservation Center, a great organization dedicated to saving Laos' Asian elephants and stabilizing its population. I learned so much about the elephants in Laos, once called "The land of a million elephants." Sadly, there are only about 400 wild elephants left in Laos. They face many challenges, including loss of forest habitats, logging demands and poaching. Tere were only 4 births in the domesticated population in all of Laos last year and two of the births were at the center! They also work with local mahouts and owners, offering free vetrinary care and help in breeding their elephants.

I got to learn how to be a mahout, giving the elephants verbal instructions as well as by touch while perched on top. We also fed and bathed them and walked them through the jungle. The center has a pretty large staff of locals so a lot of time was spent hanging with the elephants and others. Me and a couple other volunteers also rebuilt the bitang court.

There was no internet access or wifi and electricity ran on solar power, so we usually lost power around 8 pm and it would be restored about 10 am. We used a lot of candles! The evenings are cool, dropping to upper 60s or 70 at night so there was no need for air con (and there wasn't any anyways! Not even a fan).

I had a wonderful time getting to know the locals and the mahouts and learning more about Lao culture. The food is so yummy, but eaten without silverwear- just grab a handful of rice out of the communal bowl and dip it in the shared bowl of soup or veggies.

A total of 9 elephants live at the center which includes 160 hectares of surronding jungle. Two females and their babies resided in the jungle. Only the mahout for the momma elephant was allowed near them as the mothers are fiercly protective of their babies and will injure anyone who tries to get near. But we got to observe them from afar and I have to say, baby elephants are so stinking cute! One was 14 months and the other was 16 months. They wean at the age of three and can then begin mahout training (Most domesticated elephants in Laos are used for logging). One of the mahouts of a baby elephant was so proud of him and kept beaming and talking about him excitedly (Xang Noy means baby elephant- they aren't named until the age of 3 when the elephant picks out his name during a ceremony). I couldn't understand what he was saying, but he was one proud papa!

Besides the 2 mommas and their babies, 1 male and 4 females live at the center- Thom Khoun (the male and only one with visible tusks), Mae Dok (the matriarch at age 60), Mae Khoum On (the largest one), Mae Khoum Ai (she was sick and seeing the vet), and Mae Bum Nong (a sweet girl with a woodn bell around her neck).

I will miss the elephants and beautiful surrondings of jungle and lake!

Luang Prabang, Laos

bethsiu3 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 13:25:00 GMT

Luang Prabang is touted as a great town to visit in Laos- full of character and culture. And it certainly has that. But it is also overan by tourists- namely French. The buildings are charming, looking like a French village in the middle of Laos mountains. And bakeries abound! Unfortanely, all this Western tourism has driven up the prices quite exponentially. I could only afford 3 nights there! Besides all the French buildings and bakeries, LP is full of wats and temples. One can't walk down the road without encountering saffron-robed monks. My guesthouse was situated next to one of the temples and I had the privilege of awakening to the monks drumming and chanting at 5:30 in the morning! A little early for mem but hey, when in Laos...

I spent most of my days hanging with my new friends from the horrid bus ride and exploring the town. Checked out a couple of museums and wats. Ate way too many crepes and baguettes and enjoyed the views of the mighty Mekong. LP is a rather sedate town to kick back and enjoy watching time pass by. Pretty soon I was itching for more excitement, which brought me to Sayaboury.

Just getting to Sayaboury was a challenge! It has approximately 6 + different spellings to start. A friend and I got a tuk-tuk to the local bus station and asked for the next but to the town. Well, there is no set timetable for when the buses leave. You see, the bus leaves when it is full! So we hung out at the bus station for awhile. Luckily, they only had about 15 more seats to fill. And they ended up overselling the seats, nesecitating plastic stools set up in the aisle for everyone who didn't get a seat. This was a local bus- about 50 years old and on its last leg, it appeared. And we are in a mountainous region of Laos. Getting up the hills was rather interesting!

Pretty soon we came across the Mekong and had to take a barge across, guided by a tugboat. Little stalls were set up on each side of the river and even on the barge, selling all kinds of goodies from deep fried baby birds to crispy crickets.

Sayboury is even sleepier then LP. There is NO wifi and we had to walk 2 km to the nearest internet cafe (probably the only internet cafe). And I have yet to meet someone who actually speaks English. I am headed to an elephant rescue center to volunteer for a week or two. I'm hoping for internet access, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Vienitane and Vang Vieng, Laos

bethsiu3 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 12:23:00 GMT

After a long layaover in Kuala Lumpur airport (I've become quite familiar with it) I finally made my way to Vientiane, the capitol of Laos. Laos is a poor, land-locked country found between Thailand, Veitnam and Cambodia to the south. I only spent one night in Vientiane after finding it to be quite sleepy with not much to do or see. I stayed in a hostel with 20 beds per room and 2 bathrooms for 48 backpackers plus staff. I was NOT keen on repeating that experience! So I boarded a bus to Vang Vieng the very next day. I had heard horror stories about Vang Vieng, with all the drunk tourists tubing down the river and causing a ruckus. In fact 11 westerners were reported drowned from January- October 2012, when the government finally shut down the operation. What I found was a rather sedate town, albeit still overran by Aussies and Europeans. So I spent Christmas by myself in the middle of Laos with not a single Chirstmas tree or carol to be found. There wasn't even a church in town! Just a couple Buddhist temples. SoI got to enjoy Christmas vicariously through all my facebook friend' posts. I spent Christmas day riding around the countryside, checking out local caves and waterfalls.

After a few days, I decided to head to Luang Prabang, an ancient and storied town 6 hours north. The bus ride was not fun. Much of the road was dirt and/or rock. We crawled along at an average of 20 mph, swerving to miss the errant cattle, pigs or kids walking in the road. And the ride was much too bumpy to sleep, besides being crowded together like sardines! We became VERY close with our neighbors!

Bali, Indonesia

bethsiu3 — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 20:54:00 GMT

Ah, Bali! After a long flight from Borneo to Kuala Lumpur then to Denpasar, I finally arrived in Bali. We took a 2 hour taxi ride to Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali. Our guesthouse was amazing with various gardens and buildings to explore. The wood door to the room was intricately carved with flowers amd dancers. And the verandah! It was perfect for hanging out and listening to the myriad of bird calls. First order of business was to see a traditional Balinese dance at the palace. I have never seen a dance quite like this before! The next day we rode bikes to the Sacred Monkey Forest and watched dozens of macaques frolic and play while we wondered around and took pictures. On our 3rd day we rented a scooter and rode around the countryside and checked out the Elephant Cave temple. During the drive, the skies opened up and it poured on us! We were soaked to the bone. Well, it IS the rainy season and there was nothing else to do but continue on. It got chilly riding in the rain! After 3 wonderful days in Ubud, we headed to the Gili islands, and hour boat ride from Padang Bai. The Gilis are quite small and don't allow cars or motorbikes. The modes of transportation consist of bicycle, walking or pony-drawn cart. It takes an hour and a half to circumnavigate the island. So we rented bikes to ride around. Big mistake! The paths are all sand and the wheels would get stuck in the softer areas. After a quarter of the way around, we had to stop for bintangs. Quite refreshing. After all that hard work, I needed a massage and found a place offering traditional Thai massage. I love Thai massages! The next day we went snorkeling. The reefs harbor a plethora of fishes all colors of the rainbow. I saw angelfish, wrasses, tangs, damsels, butterfly fish, triggerfish and even a baby eel! The sealife around the Gilis is amazing! The sunsets on the Gilis are legendary. They are best enjoyed at a seaside restaurant, sipping a watermelon shake in your own cabana. You couldn't ask for a better way to top off your day. For our last day we headed to Kuta. After checking in at an overpriced hovel, we headed to the beach for the afternoon and had to walk the gauntlet of hawkers and purveyors of junk. The beach was full of trash and crowds of surfers. Even here we weren't safe from the sellers offering mats, sarongs and 'masagee'. No thank you. We lasted 20 minutes before we couldn't take it any longer and left. Kuta could be skipped, really, if it wasn't so close to the airport. But the rest of Bali is out of this world! One week is not enough to explore all that Bali has to offer.

Kuching, Eastern Malaysia

bethsiu3 — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:10:00 GMT

Well, my week and a half in Borneo is up. I'll be flying to Bali by way of Kuala Lumpur tonight. I spent 4 days in Bako National Park, which was gorgeous and lots of wildlife! The journey there was a bit bumpy. It started with an hour bus ride to the boat dock. Unfortunately, this was a very old bus that swayed to and fro as we inched our way down the road. I was soon overcome by motion sickness, but mercifully, was able to hold it in until we exited the jalopy. Nothing like puking in a squatty potty in the middle of Borneo! Unfortunately, we still had a 1/2 hour boat ride to look forward to! Oh and the pictures and warnings about man-eating crocodiles did nothing to ease my queasiness! Only 97 attacks since the 1940's the sign informed me. Along with a breakdown of types of attacks and fatal vs nonfatal were pictures of crocodile victims. Oh yeah, it gets better. Next I came across a picture of a giant croc, belly split open and human legs hanging out! This was not going to be a pleasure cruise. As we sped down the river and across the South China Sea, I had visions of giant crocodiles pulling me into the water.

Alas, we finally arrived at the Park intact although still quite queasy. It was only 10 am, but the sun beat down unmercifully. Oh, and checkin wasn't until 2 I was informed. All I wanted was a bed and for the world to stop spinning. It was not meant to be. So I hung out in a shelter by the sea for 4 hours, swatting away the various tropical insects that wanted to suck my blood. But the scenery was gorgeous! And wildlife everywhere. I'd already seen quite a few monkeys and some wild pigs. Oh and plenty of insects! So I didn't do too much my first day, but was ready for an epic hike the next day! Unfortunately, about 2 hours into the hike, storm clouds appeared and I decided to turn around. It was really coming down by the time I reached camp (well, it is rainy season in the rainforest). And thank God I turned around when I did. I heard from a couple other hikers that they got caught out in the storm and the tiny streams had morphed into thigh-high rivers within minutes.

The weather remained calm for the rest of our stay, although so hot that you melted just sitting there. It's maybe 90 degrees here. I got in some great hikes and saw lots of proboscis monkeys, macaques, birds, snakes, butterflies and the always present wild pigs. My last morning in the park, I was enjoying a nice breakfast with another hiker when this cheeky macaque, baby clinging to her belly, had the audacity to climb up to the verandah, jump on our table and steal my hard boiled egg! The nerve! I hit the intruder, but to no avail. She quickly made off with her prize while I stared glumly at my empty plate. Well, I reasoned, she had a babe to feed. To the victor goes the spoils!

Kuching, Sarawak Province, Malaysian Borneo

bethsiu3 — Thu, 6 Dec 2012 22:36:00 GMT

After almost 38 hours of traveling (a 9 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur) I finally arrived in Borneo! That's about the longest trip ever. A friend and I left Koh Tao on a night ferry- we were assured there were beds. Well, once we boarded the ferry we noticed that the "beds" were actually about 100 tiny mattresses lined up along both sides of the boat. They were about as wide as half a twin mattress, so it was quite claustrophobic. And the fan above our section wasn't working. That was one long boat ride. We arrived in Surat Thani about 5 and had to walk to a couple different travel offices. Finally, we go on a van headed for the border with a few Thais and a French couple making a visa run. We ended up switching buses/vans 3 times. No explanation given. By the time we arrived in KL, it was midnight the following day. I had an early flight so just hung out with my friend and his friends, eating good Malaysian food until it was time to head to the airport. After arriving in Kuching, the capitol of Sarawak Province on the island of Borneo, I was sent through immigration control again! This was after flying from one Malaysian city to another. I hadn't slept more then a wink in 2 days and eaten even less, so I was not amused that I had to stand in another long line in order to exit the airport.

Finally, after a 30 minute taxi ride, I arrived at a hostel and thank God they had a bed available. But I was sooo hungry, I had to go get some food before I could finally crawl into bed after 38 hours on the road. Kuching is an interesting city with a lot of colonial architecture- it was once part of the British empire, until the 20th century. I visited several museums. Museums in developing countries are always interesting. The rooms are usually basic and you'll find priceless pieces of art hanging by a cord or rope.

It's super hot here, like everywhere else, I suppose. The Raflesia is in bloom- the largest flower in the world with a 3 foot diameter and smells like death. Only problem is it's about 4 hours to get to that part of the jungle by bus, taxi and walking. I didn't wake up in time for the 7 am bus, so didn't see the Raflesia today. Unfortunately it only blooms about once a month and today was the last day it's supposed to be in bloom. Oh well, I saw pictures! Tomorrow I will go to visit orangutans at a rehabilitation center, then I'll spend several nights in the jungle, in the Bako National Park. Gotta take a bus to another town then catch a boat upriver to the reserve. Should be fun!

Malaysia is a muslim country and there are many mosques around town. The majority of women wear hijabs. It's rather interesting, then, that I receive a lot more catcalls from the men here then I have anywhere else in Asia. Perhaps because they don't see many westerners here? Whatever the reason, it's annoying. I also get a lot of stares here. Not many non-Malaysian tourists here. I saw all of 3 westerners yesterday. A few more today.

Koh Tao, Thailand

bethsiu3 — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:38:00 GMT

I spent several days in Bangkok before heading south to Koh Tao, an island off the peninsula. I took a night bus then catamaran, finally arriving at 10 am. Apparently it's the rainy season here, so it's been raining every day. I finally got the chance to dive today. We saw so many fishes, eels, stingray and many many corals, anemones and urchins. It felt great to get back in the water after several years without diving. Tonight a group of us went down to the pier for a local festival where we released paper lanterns into the sky along with a wish. Last night we watched fire dancers on the beach- I was so impressed that they didn't set themselves on fire! Bangkok was interesting. A bit too big for me. But the sky train made for easy travel. We checked out Wat Po, the royal palace, and the weekend market. Also saw a couple movies and went bowling at a local mall. And I tried chicken feet for the first time! Actually, not too bad if you can get over the fact that you're eating a bony foot.

Bangkok, Thailand

bethsiu3 — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:21:00 GMT

I spent a long bus ride from Siem Reap to Bangkok yesterday. The border crossing was crazy busy and took over 2 hours to get through the Thai side. I got a lot of reading done! The first thing I noticed in Thailand were the roads- they are nice! And you can actually go over 30 mph on them! We were zipping along at such a fast pace I actually got a little nervous- I'm now used to swerving/slamming on the brakes to avoid random livestock, kids, pushcarts and giant pot holes. And this is the most cars I've seen since Beijing! That was a bit of a shock as well. Normally everyone's on motos or tuk tuks. It was dark by the time I got to Bangkok, despite leaving Siem Reap at 8 am. The first cabbie refused to turn on his meter and said he'd take me to my guesthouse for 500 Baht (about $16). Hell no! I told him to use his meter. He then said, ok, 400 Baht. Um, no. So I got out and found another taxi, which only cost 99 Baht with the meter. Come to find out it's illegal for cabbies to not use the meter and I could have reported him. My guesthouse is interesting. The room looks like a college dorm room with bunk beds in front of the windows, a desk and cheap TV stand. There's even a Bart Simpson poster on the wall saying "Eat my shorts"! Definitely NOT what the pictures on the website looked like! Oh and there's a taped-up hole in the ceiling. Ah, the joys of traveling. I have to go to the US embassy today to get more pages put in my passport. It costs $82! For some extra pages! Seriously! Will take the Sky Train there. Much better then a taxi due to such heavy traffic. It is hot as ever in Bangkok- no change there. But I must be acclimating to the heat because I actually had to turn off the air con last night and just sleep with a fan. It got too cold!

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

bethsiu3 — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:29:00 GMT

Today is my last full day in Siem Reap. I have spent a week here. It's a very nice town and I've enjoyed my time here. I visited the Angkor temples, Angkor Wat being the most famous. The temples are amzaing! No wonder it's called the 8th Wonder of the World! I get to cross another item off my bucket list! The Angkor temples were bulit between the 9th century and 13th centuries, covering some 400 square kilometers. Most are Hindu, although some of the later ones were Buddhist. I got up at 4:30 am in order to see the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Omg, that was early! My favorite temple has to be the Bayon inside Angkor Thom. Intricate carvings cover the walls and giant faces are carved into huge stone pillars. Some locals keep up a couple of Buddhist shrines inside the ruins and placed a bracelet on my arm after lighting some incense. I'm not sure what the signicance of the bracelets were, but it was a kind gesture! After exploring Angkor Thom. I followed a jungle path and came across some crumblong ruins with 3 large trees growing out of it. I was all alone as this was way off the beaten path. All I could here were the jungle birds and monkeys calling to one another. After enjoying the beauty and wonder of the site, I wondered back to the main area and found my tuk tuk driver, who then took me to Ta Prohm, made famous by the film Romb Raider with Angelina Jolie. This was my favorite site as it has been left mostly alone since its discovery and has many gigantic trees growing in and on the ruins. Unfortunately, I made it here at 10:00, just as the hordes were descending from their tour buses. I would have enjoyed the beauty of Ta Prohm much more if I wasn't ran over by a hundred Chinese tourists following their flag-toting tour guide! Last I headed to Sang Srei. Here I encountered a little girl selling knick knacks and postcards. We got to talking and she said she was 11, although she was smaller then Reagan. I asked if she went to school and she said, Yes, she would go in the afternoon but had to sell trinkets in order to pay the $10/month fee. I wanted desperately to buy something, or just give her money, but had been warned numerous times not to buy from children as this just encourages their parents to keep them on the streets instead of in school. She followed me around the ruins, talking the whole time. She was so sweet and precocious! She reminded me so much of little Reagan.

After 5 hours of climbing on and over ancient ruins, I was exhausted. I had only slept a few hours since I'd gotten up so early in order to see the sunrise and avoid the crush of tourists. It was time for a nap! I've become quite adept at sleeping in 90 degree heat! Now I can't imagine the cold and snow back home.

I've spent my other days exploring the town, shopping in the Old Market, riding my bike through the countryside and of course getting a Khmer massage and reflexology! While pedaling through the countryside, I almost felt like I could be back in central Illinois, with the farmland spreading out far and wide and little stands of trees and farm houses, except for the water buffalo lazing by the side of the road and the distant sound of monks chanting! And the farm houses are really just tumble-down shacks without electricity or running water. It is harvest time and it is all done by hand with maybe a hand tool or two. It looks like back-breaking work, under the hot sun and standing in rice paddies full of leeches.

Tomorrow I head to Bangkok! I think it'll be quite a change from sleepy Siem Reap!

Siem Reap, Cambodia

bethsiu3 — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:19:00 GMT

I finally made it to Siem Reap after what was supposed to be an 11 hour bus ride that morphed into a 16 hour ordeal. I really don't understand why it should take 16 hours. The bus didn't break down or anything. We finally arrived at 3:30 am! I had started at 11 am the previous day. I was told to be at the office at 11 to catch the 11:30 bus. We didn't leave until 1! While waiting at the bus station (with absolutely no information on when we would leave or even what bus to get on) I noticed the timetable- it listed a bus leaving at 10:30 and at 2. No listing for 11:30 or 1, when we actually left! And I couldn't ask the guy behind the desk as he was passed out on the floor! Oh the joys of 3rd world travel. Siem Reap is a nice town with tons of ex-pats. Really, they're everywhere. I spent my first day catching up on sleep. Then I rented a bike and checked out the Old Town. It has some great shopping and a couple of Mexican restaurants! I haven't had Mexican in so long! They also have fish tanks that you put your feet into and let the fishies nibble on your toes! I'm going to check out conCERT today, a sort of aggregate for all the NGOs in the area and hopefully find one I can volunteer at on short notice. It seems all of them want a longer-term commitment and/or previous application. I should have thought this through before I headed off on my adventures!

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

bethsiu3 — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:46:00 GMT

I have spent the past week around Sihanoukville, a small city on Cambodia's southern coast. It is beautiful here, but super hot and sticky- 90 degrees during the day. It has rained here everyday except one. And the rainy season is supposed to be over! I spent 3 nights in a thatch roof bungalow on Otres beach, a little ways out of town and much more peaceful, although the vendors are still plentiful! I also spent 2 nights on Ko Ta Kriev, an island about an hour's boat ride from the mainland. I slept in a tent on the beach and there was no electricity or running water. Our showers consisted of a bucket and scoop. I snorkeled and swam in the warm waters a lot and also just hung out in a hammock, enjoying the view. I hiked through Reap National Park one day and also saw dolphins twice in the sea! Today I leave for Siem Reap and Angkor Wat on an 11 hour bus ride, switching buses in Phnom Penh. I tried to get a sleeper bus, but was informed that it was broken down so I'd have to take a regular bus- same price as the sleeper and still taking 12 hours, but I wouldn't be able to lay down. So, I'm taking a day bus for cheaper and 1 hour quicker. All kinds of creatures have found their way into my bungalow. I found a very large black frog in my bathroom today and had a snail making his way across the wall yesterday, plus a plethora of bugs and insects. I have quickly realized that mosquito nets keeps out a lot more then just mosquitos!

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

bethsiu3 — Mon, 5 Nov 2012 00:10:00 GMT

The border crossing from Vietnam to Cambodia was breezy compared to some of the stories I've heard, the abject poverty is obvious once you cross the border. While homes in Vietnam are usually made of concrete, the Cambodian houses are shacks made of this and that and many more farm animals are present. I've encountered many child beggars here. While plenty of kids sell trinkets or packs of gum in Vietnam, I never saw any child beggars. I toured S21, the notorious political prison during the Khmer Rouge. People were taken here to be interrogated and tortured into making false confessions, including working fohere CIA. Once a confession was made, the 'criminal' was executed. Only 7 survivors were found when the Vietnamese liberated the city in 1979. Next I went to Cheung Ec, known as the Killing Fields, where S21 prisoners were taken to be executed. An estimated 20,000 people were killed here, including women and babies. Under Pol Pot's regime, the entire family of an accused person was killed so that no one would come back later for revenge. Bones and scraps of clothing are still being discovered today, usually after a heavy rain. A stupa was built to house the bones of the deceased and it stands at 17 levels of bones. The level of genocide is unthinkable.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

bethsiu3 — Sat, 3 Nov 2012 22:33:00 GMT

HCMC was fairly nice for Vietnam. People were friendly and the scams weren't as readily apparent. I toured the War Remembrance Museum my first day, which was absolutely ghastly, showing pictures of the tortured as well as instruments and cages used for torture. It also showed pictures of the many children born with deformities caused by Dioxin. It was a little propagandist, showing pictures of children with Down's Syndrome or CP and a girl with pica, blaming Agent Orange for these maladies which is absolutely untrue. The museum also painted a very unattractive picture of Americans as blood-thirsty invaders. Next I wanted to go to the Reunification Palace, but most places close down for a midday siesta so I had a couple of hours to kill and found a Gloria Jeans to chill in for awhile. I don't think I've seen Gloria Jeans outside of Illinois before! The Reunification Palace was quite interesting with furnishings and architecture right out of the late '60s. It's like it was frozen in time. They had old filing cabinets and rotary phones and a 'War Room' with many old maps in it. The next day a group of us went to the Cu Chi tunnels where the Viet Cong hid and fougt from during the Vietnam War. There's over 200 km of these tunnels built around the area! And they are really small and dark. We had to crawl on our hands and knees because the ceiling was so low. We also saw several bamboo boobie traps built by the Viet Cong- brutal! Our tour guide was awesome! He had fought in the Vietnam War with the Americans and was so funny while telling his stories. It's amazing that someone can be so jovial after going through all that. The next day I boarded a bus bound for Phnom Penh and my new friends headed in other directions.

Hoi An, Vietnam

bethsiu3 — Fri, 2 Nov 2012 23:43:00 GMT

Hoi An is my favorite city in Vietnam so far (although that's not saying much). I designed a dress, shirt and and pair of shorts to be made at Bi Bo tailers and had a pair of sandals made at a shoe store. All were made within a day and I went back for a fitting the next morning. The sandals fit well but the clothes needed to be altered slightly. So with that I headed to the beach. I heard An Bang beach, a few kilometers north of town was much nicer, so headed that way. Come to find out they don't put gas in the scooter tanks when you rent it so I had to find a gas station and fast. I asked 3 people before I finally found it. The attendant didn't give back the correct change when I paid (which occurs frequently when making a purchase in Vietnam amongst other scams) so always pay attention and count your money! It had been raining off and on all day and by the time I made it to An Bang beach a storm was brewing. Alas, I didn't get to swim at the beach so I wandered down a small pathway between beach bars and restaurants until I came across the coolest little beach shack ever called Soul Kitchen. I passed the day reading a newspaper that a crippled street vendor was selling (they come right into the restaurant to sell). Soul Kitchen was all open-air with just a roof. They had tables, couches, lounges and a pool table set up. They even had a hammock in 1 corner. And sitting right on the beach. After several hours I reluctantly pulled myself away so I could go back into town for 1 last fitting. When I retrieved my scooter, the attendant tried to charge me 20,000 dong when it only costs 5,000. I am getting seriously tired of all the scams. It was pouring all the way back into town. The fitting went well and I took my newly made clothes home. I had originally bought an open bus ticket to take me from Hoi An to Natrang, then Dalat and then HCMC but I was so tired of Vietnam that I just gave my tickets away and bought a flight to HCMC and I don't regret that decision at all!

Hue, Vietnam

bethsiu3 — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:11:00 GMT

Second day in Hue and I still like it do much more then Hanoi. People are much nicer and I haven't been ripped off yet. I even paid the same amount for my water as the local next to me! I toured the Citadel today- it was built in 1804 by the Nguyen dynasty and lasted until 1945. It's just amazing! The compound is huge, a city within a city with several moats and walls. It was partly destroyed by bombs in the Vietnam War and by flooding. Several buildings aren't yet restored and it's overgrown, giving it a feeling of discovery as you walk through crumbling gates and around ornate buildings. I also checked out some pagodas and an ancient tomb. I came across a homeless elderly woman at the pagoda (plus several others). She looked about 80 and had only a sack for her belongings. This isn't right! An old woman shouldn't have to sleep on the streets, exposed to the elements and to thugs. Say what you want about social welfare in America, but at least a poor old woman doesn't have to exist in such horrid conditions.

Hue, Vietnam

bethsiu3 — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 22:52:00 GMT

I finally made it to Hue this am after an overnight bus from Hanoi. I couldn't wait to get out of Hanoi! I can't think of a worse town I've visited in all my travels. Just one scam after another and not friendly people. I also left just as Typhoon Su-Thien made landfall. It's still raining here, but not near as bad as Hanoi. Widespread disruptions are reported and I'm just thankful I didn't get stuck in that awful city. I went on a tour of Halong Bay, which was pretty with karstformations in the water, but again, the tour was one huge rip off and a total waste of my time and money. Hue is described as the intellectual, cultural and spiritual heart of Vietnam. I was so tired when I arrived in Hue this am that I just checked into my hotel and went to bed. Later I rented a bike and checked out the city and ran some errands. There's a DMZ zone I wanted to see, but it's about 50 or 60 miles from town so I decided to stay in town tomorrow and explore the many pagodas, tombs and citadel. It's pretty hot and muggy and rainy here- feeling the effects of the typhoon. My hotel is very nice with a pool and large breakfast for $9/night. Supposed to have a balcony also, but my room wasn't ready since I checked in at 7 am, so I got a room without a balcony. But at that point I didn't care what my room looked like. I just wanted a bed! The overnight bus would have been ok if they hadn't insisted on blasting 90's pop music half the night and waking us up at 5:50 am with the Macarena playing at ear-splitting decibels. It's nice to be in a room by myself after a month and a half of sharing space.

Hanoi, Vietnam

bethsiu3 — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:07:00 GMT

This is my 2nd day in Hanoi, Vietnam. 1st day was awful! I waover it already. I got ripped off by the taxi driver and my hostel was horrendous- stinky, moldy and damp with no windows and something dripping from the ceiling. I moved to a much nicer hostel today on the advice of a friend. I met a couple friend's who are passing through Hanoi and we went to the Temple of Literature, took cyclos out for a ride and window shopped. Tonight I had pho and spring rolls with one of my roomies. And the fresh squeezed juices and smoothies are to die for! We also checked out a Water Puppet show tonight. Very interesting!

Guangxi province, China

bethsiu3 — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:58:00 GMT

More biking, scootering and some river rafting. We traveled throughout the countryside north of Yangshuo yesterday, toured a tea plantation and then hiked up a karst. But I puked at the base so it took me awhile to get to the top. Yangshuo has not been kind to me! First, a scooter accident and now throwing up. We rafted down the river from Yangshuo today, stopping in Fuli where they make giant hand-painted fans, then got off at Liugong. The countryside is so beautiful-full of rice fields and water buffalo and so many karsts. 2 more days here, then off to Hanoi. I'm getting a little ansy to get to Vietnam, but my visa doesn't start until the 22nd, so have to chill in China for a bit more.

Shibanqiaom China

bethsiu3 — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Ok, just read my last post- it was written using my ipod and obviously autocorrect was at work on that one! This is my 3rd day at Cosy Inn hostel and I'm still in love with it! I just found out that they've fanagled some way to access FB, so I'm in heaven! I can finally contact all my peeps! I've been takingit easy the last 2 days after my accident. Ended up going to a Traditional Chinse doctor who said I had torn ligaments and rubbed some herbs on it then sent me home with the oil to use twice a day. I don't know if it works, but if they've been doing it for hundreds of years then they must be doing something right! Since I can't hike/bikemuch yet,I spent the afternoon swimming in the Li river. The sun finally peaked out from the haze (or is that pollution) today, so I got my vitamin D!