Intrepidone1

Photos: Darjeerling

chilleep — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:17:00 GMT

Photos: Varanasi

chilleep — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:27:00 GMT

Uttar Pradesh

Photos: Agra- India

chilleep — Mon, 8 Nov 2010 08:54:00 GMT

The Taj and others

Photos: INDIA -NEW DELHI OLD DELHI

chilleep — Tue, 2 Nov 2010 19:59:00 GMT

Chaos in Delhi

Photos: Chiang Mai Thailand

chilleep — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:56:00 GMT

Chill out in Chiang Mai

Photos: Halong Bay World Heritage Site Vietnam

chilleep — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:31:00 GMT

Photos: Hanoi City North Vietnam

chilleep — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:14:00 GMT

Halong Bay - MUTINY "Raise the Jolly Roger"

chilleep — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 16:31:00 GMT

Visiting Halong Bay was meant to be a memorable one and it sure turned out to be that.

One I will remember all my life. Although the scenery is very beautiful I must warn all other travelers going there of what they may expect.

My particular experience was similar to many other travelers I spoke to about the place but worse.

It started out early morning with a shuttle van picking me up at the backpackers. I was one of the first on board and took a seat up behind the driver. We then had to go and pick up other travelers around the city before we left for Halong bay about 4 hours drive away. The driver seemed agitated from the start, rushing and nearly knocking a man off his bike as he went around a corner. He also caused a woman to jump back as she tried to cross the road causing her to yell abuse at him. This isn’t unusual of course for a place like Hanoi although something seemed to be irking this guy.

Along the way his reckless driving continued and when we finally stopped for a 15 minute break at one of the rest stops, everyone hurriedly got off. Unfortunately for me I was stuck as backpacks and bags had been stacked to my right hemming me in. A girl across from me climbed over the driver’s seat but as I went to do the same he slapped my leg and said “No you go that way pointing to the bags and wanting me to climb over. I said why and he went to slap my leg again but I caught his hand pushed it away and threatened him “Don’t touch me, you watch it Mate” He backed off and I reluctantly scrambled over the packs to get out. For the rest of the trip I watched him and he watched me from his rear view mirror, the tension mounting.

We eventually arrived at the port at Halong city, and the driver and guide started taking passports off people and putting us in groups. Felt a bit like sheep getting herded this way and that. This went on for about three quarters of an hour; a couple of others who had come on other shuttle buses were getting the same treatment and wondering what was going on.

They eventually sorted the groups out but some had not had their passports returned, taken by another driver who had not come back. Some Irish girls were complaining they arrived here an hour and half ago and were pretty pissed off. Next thing where told to follow the tour guide, pretty much ordered really, and walked to where the Junk boats were (good name for them really). All aboard and off we went. As we pulled away from shore, we finally felt some relief.

Things were getting better as we cruised about the bay enjoying the beauty of the limestone Karsts of different shapes and sizes and sunning ourselves on the top deck. This is what we came for some peace and quiet away from all the hassle that is Hanoi. We had lunch on board, small portions of rice and some meat but nothing special and certainly nothing for seconds. Not like the pictures of fresh seafood we had seen in the glossy brochure back at Hanoi.

The women who served it was in her 50s, a hard looking women who never smiled and gave a look as if she wanted to strangle us. The most she could manage was a terse grimace. Scary women and everyone commented how impolite and unsocial she was. Some people complained it was a small feed and they were still hungry but the women just ignored them. By the way she spoke and understood English as I was to find out later.

We then stopped in a sheltered bay and walked up a hill into a cave. Over the tanoi loud speakers strategically placed along the way there were rules being read out on what not to do. Don’t do this don’t do that. I had a chuckle thinking typical; they can take a beautiful place and turn it into a circus of rules and regulation. The cave was nothing special apart from the exit, high on the cliff overlooking the Junk boats below.

Back on the boat we went cruising again, some of us were asking when we could go swimming as it was pretty hot. Most of the tour agencies have pictures of people going swimming and jumping off the boat into the water. The crew kept saying soon, or later.

Later in the day we stopped off again to let off some people who had booked to go to Cái Bèo Island. The island has an ancient culture, which dates back 7,000-5,000 BC. There are a number of beautiful beaches here and some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for fish and different kinds of mollusks. This island and many of the islands around it have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes. Cái Bèo is also home to the highly endangered Cat Ba Langur., hence ‘Cat’ . This golden-headed langur is rarely seen, as fewer than 100 specimens are thought to survive in the wild, it is the subject of a well-organized conservation program though.

Since we had stopped I decided to get a drink from one of the hawkers selling stuff from the shore. The drinks on board, beer, soft drink or water were all 3 times more expensive than the city, and the hawkers were offering a good price. So I bought a beer and the women who served us lunch came up abusing me for not buying off the boat. She also gave a mouthful of abuse to the hawker who sold it to me and an argument broke out between them. After she came back to me, she thrust a list of rules into my hand. Many, many rules it seems and one of them being you cannot buy anything that’s not on the boat- $10 US fine it seems. I didn’t pay and hastily gulped down my one cheap beer.

So off we went again, maybe we could go swimming now, someone asked, “Later, later, when we drop anchor” was the reply. Shit how late can it get as the sun was starting to go down. Sure enough later became darkness and people were pretty pissed off. The crew kept saying once we drop anchor then we can go, so everyone thought finally even if it is dark.

We arrived in another bay and were surrounded by other junk boats all settled in for the night. Someone asked if we could now go swimming but was told later again. People started complaining to the crew saying they had promised all day and this is what we had paid for. This was too much for some, and as we were safe in sheltered waters some jumped in.

This caused the crew to go wild, screaming and shouting to get out. They then got beer cans, water bottles and anything they could find and threw them at the "Clients" in the water, hitting some of them. So most swam back to the boat and were then manhandled, grabbed, and hauled back on deck. Some of the girls protested as it was their boyfriends in the water but were pushed aside.

The last guy to come to the side of the boat was also grabbed but he resisted and pushed one of the crew away, and told him to F**K Off and swam back into the water. This enraged the Vietnamese guy who ran off and came back hysterically screaming he was going to kill him. He was holding a steel meat cleaver and a large steel spoon, waving them in the air.

As you can imagine everyone was shocked and scared but calmed this guy down enough to let the other guy on board. It was like a faceoff between us and the crew. Each group was arguing as to why it had come to this. The crew said it was because they could get in trouble with the police and said someone had drowned a few weeks earlier. I don’t know if this was true but a little explanation before the trip started might have prevented the situation. Either way coming at your clients with a meat cleaver is totally out of order. Eventually the hysterical crewman went and put his weapons away, so we all demanded to be taken back to port at Halong city now, but was flatly denied. There was a terrible feeling on board with the crew up one end of the boat and us at the other end, and then we moved to the top deck. As I contemplated what had just happened I noticed large rats scurrying around the deck. Nice, just like the rats below me I thought. Later after a few drinks to calm the nerves we went to our rooms to sleep, with some telling me later they couldn’t because they felt so nervous.

About 5.30am in the morning the engines roared to life and with the rooms below deck, the rumbling would have caused even the dead to sit up in shock. Next the crew started banging on the doors “Get up you go Kayaking” They then cut the power to the rooms the fan stopped and so we emerged bleary eyed and wondering what the hell was going on. Some went Kayaking but it seemed surreal after what had happened the night before. When they got back we had breakfast, a cold scrambled egg, bread and a small cup of tea. One bloke asked for a top up of tea and was told by ‘The Woman’ “No! You pay more”. Another argument broke out but we were all too tired and let it go.

After breakfast all of a sudden another boat pulled alongside and we were told to get off this boat and onto the other one as it would take us back to Halong city port , our boat was apparently now broken. “How convenient” I thought. We all got onto the other boat and were thankful to be rid of it. As we watched our old boat and its dreadful crew in the distance we saw it pull up anchor and drive off.

What I have told you here is only part of this horrendous trip as we and others were also abused on shore while we waited for our bus back to Hanoi. We sat there stunned while some guy laughed and jeered us calling us F**King Backpackers, this and that, loads of verbal abuse and for no reason whatsoever. Later the little prick had the gall to get on our same shuttle bus back.

I glared at him and gave him a few words of my own and he just got on with this sheepish grin on his face. He was now quiet not a word to be said. As I had the only empty seat left next to me he sat himself down, put his feet up and went to sleep. What a cheek. I felt like smashing him there next to me. The Irish girls next to me commented that I was so patient but inside I was seething. What a Fucking trip! When we stopped at a truck stop along the way we went and did our business and on return he had gone. Got another bus apparently,.

So if you are thinking this sort of thing doesn’t happen every day, well then it better not, but that doesn’t change the fact that these people have no idea what tourism is about or how to treat a guest in their country. You can make all the excuses in the world, about what they went through in the US Vietnam war, etc etc , but it doesn’t make a world of difference to me. I found the North Vietnamese to be some of the rudest individuals I have ever met. There certainly not all like this but in general I found it to be so. The dollar seems to be the only thing that cracks a smile and then it’s gone.

Many other travelers I have spoken to who have also done this trip said they also felt ripped off and disappointed. I wish I could recommend a decent carrier for this trip but I can’t, I can only think that maybe if you pay a small fortune you might get some outfit decent enough to at least treat you with respect.

I’m never going back and I hope every other traveler stays away from Halong bay so that maybe they will one day wake up to themselves and realize what could have been.

Photos: Saigon Ho Chi Mihn City Vietnam

chilleep — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:59:00 GMT

Photos: Cambodia to Vietnam along the Mekong River

chilleep — Thu, 7 Oct 2010 07:57:00 GMT

Phnom Penh to Chau Doc

Photos: Chau Doc & Can Tho in Vietnam

chilleep — Wed, 6 Oct 2010 21:45:00 GMT

Floating markets and Villages

Photos: Phnom Penh

chilleep — Sun, 3 Oct 2010 22:15:00 GMT

Cambodia

Photos: The Killing Fields

chilleep — Sun, 3 Oct 2010 22:04:00 GMT

Khmer Rouge

Photos: Tuol Sleng Genocide . Prison S21

chilleep — Sat, 2 Oct 2010 21:41:00 GMT

Khmer Rouge Murders

Phnom Penh Cambodia

chilleep — Sat, 2 Oct 2010 21:37:00 GMT

Have had an unbelievable time, so many sights and sounds. The Cambodians are really really poor. Hassle you all the time for money and shit. Old women on the streets with there hand out, little kids just wandering around doing the same thing. Blokes with wheelchairs or crutches who have lost there legs to land mines.
Its pretty sad but you cant give something to all, so just every now and then I might give something to them.

I stayed just accross from the boardwalk that runs along side the Tonle Sap river and flows into the Mekong. In the evening the boardwalk is a thrive of activity. The locals like to exercise either playing football, doing dance steps to loud speaker systems or another popular activity is Tot Sey. Played with a shuttlecock that has a few cylindrical plastic layers at the bottom of it they kick it to one another trying not to let it fall to the ground. Most have some pretty cool moves with side and back kicks to keep it in the air.

While in Phnom Pehn I visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide . Prison S21.A moving experience it just goes to show what the Cambodian people had to through during the rule of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pots regime.

The site is a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 by the Khmer Rouge communist regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. Tuol Sleng means "Hill of the Poisonous Trees" or "Strychnine Hill".

From 1975 to 1979, an estimated 17,000 people were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng (some estimates suggest a number as high as 20,000, although the real number is unknown). At any one time, the prison held between 1,000–1,500 prisoners. They were repeatedly tortured and coerced into naming family members and close associates, who were in turn arrested, tortured and killed. In the early months of S-21's existence, most of the victims were from the previous Lon Nol regime and included soldiers, government officials, as well as academics, doctors, teachers, students, factory workers, monks, engineers, etc. Later, the party leadership's paranoia turned on its own ranks and purges throughout the country saw thousands of party activists and their families brought to Tuol Sleng and murdered.

Those arrested included some of the highest ranking communist politicians such as Khoy Thoun, Vorn Vet and Hu Nim. Although the official reason for their arrest was "espionage", these men may have been viewed by Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot as potential leaders of a coup against him. Prisoners' families were often brought en masse to be interrogated and later murdered at the Choeung Ek extermination center.

In 1979, the prison was uncovered by the invading Vietnamese army. In 1980, the prison was reopened by the government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea as a historical museum memorializing the actions of the Khmer Rouge regime.

I also visited another reminder of the Khmer Rouge at the 'Killing Fields' where mass graves and a Stupa containg the skulls of many of the victims. Another sad reminder of what this country has been through.

Siem Reip and the Temples of Angkor

chilleep — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:40:00 GMT

I had been looking forward to traveling to Cambodia and in particular Siem Riep which is famous for being one of the wonders of the world. The journey across the border is full of cons mainly due to unscrupulous amounts of travel agencies selling tickets that only take you half the way,and then you get hit up for more travel costs once you hit the border.

Anyway after armed with much research on the do's and dont's I did the whole journey without any external help. Once across the border it was a 3 hour journey to Sien Riep.

I stayed here for about 5 days and managed to catch the AFL grand final here with a couple of Aussies in a local bar. Since I have been travelling Asia, nearly all places I have been have had some form of cable tv to utilise. The Australia network ( One Channel) has been handy to catch up on local news.

Well the roads here are flat as a tac so I hired a push bike and rode out to the temples. The advantage being the slow transport allows you to stop and start where you like and take in a lot more than if you hire a Tuk Tuk driver for example.

Angkor Wat was awesome but just like the city of Siem Reip, the area around it is full of beggars. Mainly young children aged from about 4 years old up trying to sell you everything from books, drinks, and totally useless nick-knacks. Being on the push bike I could just ride off when it all got to much, however those in tour buses and the like would normally have 20 odd kids and adult beggars hanging around the door as soon as they got off.

I also visited the temple of Ta Prohm which was built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.

The temple's records indicate the site was home to more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and 615 dancers), with an additional 80,000 souls in the surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies.

Ta Prohm is now in ruins with the strangler vine fig trees taking hold over the main structure and slowly sqeezing it to bits. This however makes it all the more interesting and I got some great photos here.

After I had done all the touristy bits here I was keen to move on.

Next stop Phnom Penh ..

Photos: Siem Reip Cambodia

chilleep — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:25:00 GMT

Siem Reip

Photos: Bangkok Stop Over

chilleep — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:20:00 GMT

Thailand

Bangkok Short Stay

chilleep — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:07:00 GMT

Doing the Maccas WAI

( The Thai greeting referred to as the wai (Thai: ไหว้, pronounced [wâay]) consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It is very similar to the Indian Añjali Mudrā/namasté and the Cambodian sampeah. The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect or reverence the giver of the wai is showing.)

Well I travelled from Krabi after leaving Phi Phi Island to Bangkok buy Bus. Took a night bus and arrived in Bangkok at 4 in the morning. Didnt know where the hell the bus had dropped me and after hounding by about a dozen Tul Tul drivers got one to take me to Khao San Road which is a renound backpackers area. Asked the driver how far it was and he said about 3 km away. So after we go round the block a few times he drops me about 600 mtrs from where he picked me up, and just as sdome of the fellow backpackers on the bus rounded the corner. Needless to say I wasnt happy.

With no where to stay I sat on the curb with all the rubbish and watched a few piss heads getting chatted up by the local Ladyboys. Whether they knew or not I didn't care.

Stayed in Bangkok for a few days but was keen to move on and get to Cambodia

Ko Phi Phi Don Thailand

chilleep — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:19:00 GMT

Well Phi Phi Don, Nice place but I wont come here again unless I want to lay on the beach all day and party all night. In saying that some of the high lights were snorkeling for a day with part of the trip to Maya Island where the movie 'The Beach' was filmed in 2000 starring Leonardo DiCaprio.Again nice beach if all you wont to do is lay on a beach. After 2 hours here I was bored shitless and ready to go diving again where I saw some turtles went kayaking which generally made up for the lost time.

One evening I teamed up with another Aussie and an Irishman. Both good blokes and decided to go to see some Muay Thai boxing. Now after copious amounts of buckets which are sold on the island Ingredients=(

Mekong whiskey flask (Thai Whisky), + one small bottle of a Thai energy drink (M-150 or Redbull) + Two cans of Coca Cola, Pepsi, or Sprite
There are ton more variations.
They do sometimes add lime.
A ton of ice.
About a dozen straws. Even if you’re only using one of the straws.

Yes we were feeling pretty invincible and with the offer of a free bucket for any one to get up and have a go I decided to try my luck. Well the bloke I was going to fight pulled out at the last minute and a Thai bloke set me up with another guy about my height and weight but half my age. No probs I thought. This guy came out at a hundred miles an hour so I thought I would let him where off a little steam and go defensive. This proved to work all right and I got a few good kicks in.

Unfortunately the guy never did lose steam and for three rounds of three minutes I ended up getting a blood shot eye, sore knee "It now has a click" bruised legs, shoulder and foot"-self inflicted from my own kicks so it all proved to be a very pain-full experience.

Turns out the guy I fought had just finished his time in the Israeli army conscription and was on a holiday with his mate. I spoke to his mate after the fight for about half an hour, mainly about Israeli politics. After a while I wondered where his mate was as I hadn't seen him after the fight.

Turns out he really had over done it and was in the toilets throwing up.

Got my revenge after all :-)

BUT- NEVER AGAIN I was sore for a couple of weeks after this had trouble sleeping and initially I had trouble getting out of bed as I had a crack to the ribs.

Here is a link to the day after- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eAAiNXPl-k