Bob & Margot's travels

Photos: ASIA, Cambodia

margotforrest — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:48:00 GMT

ASIA - Cambodia, Sept 2013

margotforrest — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:55:00 GMT

CAMBODIA

Phnom Penh - 8-12 Sept

Four nights in this lovely city, thoughtfully planned and set on the river. Wide streets with buildings set back, even wider boulevards and manicured gardens. There seems to be more money here. There is a greater proportion of cars to scooters on the roads; many Toyota's including Lexus, BMW's, Range Rovers & Mercedes. Having said that, we also note greater poverty; children & disabled people begging, more potholed roads than we saw in Vietnam. At the Kep resort, south coast, I spoke with a Filipino woman who works with children & families in the slums of Phnom Penh. Difficult work made more complex by central government corruption and of course the inability for people experiencing extreme poverty to see beyond where to find the next meal.

Arriving in Cambodia via the broad and massive Mekong we see immediately that the land appears less crowded. Vietnam's river banks were planted in every accessible place. Shacks perched precariously all along the way.

Cambodia has large uncultivated areas, stretches of green pasture and roaming white Brahman cattle. We saw occasional clusters of people and our first views of Phnom Penh gave the impression of growth. Cranes hover over huge building sites like some kind of exotic beast. There are many more temples here. Cambodian people are more devout Buddhists and reportedly something like 85-90% are Buddhist. As a race they are darker skinned, taller and heavier in stature.

We enjoyed meeting up with Naomi, a friend from Tauranga. She is making a great life here, working for "SOS International" as the Nurse Manager, guiding a team of mainly Cambodian nurses. The hours are long for 5.5 to 6 days a week. We met with some of her expat friends, enjoyed a evening river cruise, a couple of lovely meals out and of course the opportunity to catch up on the past few years. It is wonderful to have a local to guide us, although 4 days is insufficient to follow all the possibilities.

There is considerable aid money and multiples of NGOs here in Cambodia, which is not the case in Thailand and more specifically Vietnam. For political reasons since 1979, western countries were reluctant to offer aid to Vietnam who also had a mistrust of outside interference. To a lesser degree this continues to be true. More recently, in the last 10 years or so, Vietnam has actively sought assistance but has been less successful than Cambodia due to international caution or guilt. Also aid to Vietnam, previously received from Russia & China had dried up. As a result the presence of expats and NGO's is more evident her in Phnom Penh

“Toul Sleng Genicide Museum” & “Choeung Ek Memorial” - the killing fields - obligatory unpleasant viewing.

What a mad man Pol Pot was. More than 20,000 people went through this headquarters of his DK (Democratic Kampuchea) regimen, otherwise known as the Khmer Rouge. On 7 January 1979 when S21 was stormed by Vietnamese troupes, only 7 survivors were found chained to the wire wove bed frames. S21 (Security office 21) or Tuol Sleng, is the building of the High School which Pol Pot took over 17 April 1975 for his gruesome detention, interrogation and torture activities.

Choeung Ek Memorial - the killing fields was once a peaceful Chinese burial ground & orchard beside a lake. Reportedly it was chosen for its quiet location 15kms from Phnom Penh. It is once again a peaceful place of remembrance & contemplation. Free head sets are available in a range of languages. The gruesome history is beautifully captured and told by one of the seven survivors.

The National Museum - What beautiful traditional Khmer architecture.

An internal landscaped and planted courtyard offers a peaceful sanctuary. Unfortunately we came too late in the afternoon to really soak up this ambiance. The building, designed by an eminent French historian, George Groslier, was constructed in 1917 on the grounds of the original School of Cambodian Arts and was controlled by the French until 1966.

It offered interesting displays of sandstone, bronze, ceramic and wood artefacts. Khmer stone sculptures found in cave temples in the Mekong Delta area of Angkor Borei. (c 1st - 6th century), bronze from around 1,500BC.

Ceramic - some of which probably dates back to the pre-historic period and much of the pottery to the pre-Angkorian period (1100 - 1175). We are yet to visit the famous Angkor Wat near Siem Reap. It is difficult to conceptualise a society with such history. NZ is so young.

The Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda- On our 2nd day in Phnom Penh, we walked for 30 minutes or so to the Palace only to find it is closed from 11 til 2pm. It was only 11.30am, hot & humid and as there were many tuk tuk / rickshaw touts offering rides out to Choeung Memorial - the killing fields, we decided somewhat reluctantly to do it. The roads, although wide, deteriorated to dusty potholed expanses of vehicles weaving their way in all directions. Sometimes 4-5 abreast; bicycles, scooters and trucks compete for space. Our drivers' motorbike was very tired and we lurch from one pothole to the next, black smoke belching, we wonder if the return journey will happen. So back to the Palace, we never did get to venture inside. Apparently modelled on Bangkok's Grand Palace, it is impressive taking pride of place near the river. We read, earlier on our travels, a book "Pol Pot, Brother number One" as a child it is suggested that he spent considerable time in the company of the Royal family as his sister was connected by marriage.

Next trip south to Kep.

Kep - Sept 12-15

Vanna Hilltop Resort, SE tip of Cambodia

Idyllic spot

Quiet retreat, clear, clean air. Mountainous jungle, backdrop of mature tree. Glistening brilliant green colours punctuated by flashes of red, gold, pink and orange flowers in the tropical rain. The morning mist clears over the rich blue water of the swimming pool to reveal the ocean below. Islands silhouette the skyline. Directly south are the islands of Vietnam & those to the SW Cambodia.

Kep and the surrounding area are reportedly the last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge. Maybe this is the bay where our own Kiwi Rob Hamil was captured off his yacht to suffer at the hands of Pol Pot?

A sleepy village now, notable for its crab markets, fishing and tourism. Yesterday on our 4 hour guided National Park walk we enjoyed learning a little of the local fauna, ( although all we saw/ heard were butterflies & birds as tigers, bears, monkeys, lemurs etc are sadly extinct) & flora, so like NZ bush we could imagine we'd been transported home. Plus we heard a little of the history. There is likely no-one in this country not directly influenced by the Pol Pot regime. Our guide told us he has no memory of his father who died when he was one. Many walled gardens are now overgrown, some have the greying skeleton of a once grand hotel for this was another area developed in the 50's by the colonizing French to escape the sticky heat of Phnom Penh for R & R. Destroyed by Lon Nol, Pol Pots predecessor.

We took a local bus to travel the 200 odd kms from Phnom Penh. We were collected early from our hotel and anticipated a 7.20am departure for a slow 3-4 hour journey. True to the Asian way, where life seems to be viewed for today, our bus apparently was very short on maintenance. It spluttered & groaned as anxious men scurried around in an attempt to repair. Our fear was compounded by Bob's mechanical knowledge as he diagnosed a multitude of possible problems. So when we eventually boarded about 9.00am and limped and lurched along we were unsure if we'd make it beyond the city limits.

We eventually arrived in Kep around 1.30 -2pm. It had rained very heavily on the journey, washing out rural villages on unpaved roads. Trucks stuck fast in a sea of red - brown mud. From the cool dryness of our bus we saw many women mid shin deep in the rice paddies, bent double planting rice.

Then suddenly our view was of paved footpaths and sealed roads. Statues, pagodas & temples decorating the landscape. A wide tiled promenade along the sea shore and substantial buildings gave the impression of wealth.

We had an interesting tuk tuk ride to Vanna Hilltop Resort, our hotel, which is up a narrow rutted dirt track. We roared and bounced our way, the driver stopped to coax a tethered cow out of the way and we climbed out to push the tuk tuk. What a contrast to arrive at Vanna, a different world. A beautiful serene treat nestled into the lush hillside.

Last night we wandered down to the shore, about 500m, to try the famous crab. The restaurant was rustic, perched right on the waters edge. The sea breeze welcome and cooling and the crab fresh, covered in tasty, spicy sauce of chilli, local Kampot pepper & lemongrass and large enough to feed us well.

Tomorrow we continue our journey, stopping overnight in Phnom Penh where we may see Naomi before heading west to Battambang.

Battambang

16th Sept

Our overnight stay in Phnom Penh was unadventurous in spite of the political unrest brewing over the past few days in Phnom Penh. Corrupt government in power these past 28years, dodgy election processes back in July and people standing up to say they want democracy.

As Naomi said, it is probably fortuitous that we are leaving the city.The 61/2 hour bus journey was quite pleasant as we traveled through beautiful landscape with enough interesting activities to observe.

Arrived in Battambang around 5pm. Our humble, budget hotel.... the Royal Hotel... was once grand I believe. Now rather tired and quirky, it has high ceilings, large rooms and a huge central stairwell opening up to a rooftop cafe, where I currently sit enjoying my morning coffee. From here I can easily observe the unsafe H&S practices I am making a point of recording hundreds of examples in the interests of my work with work place safety. A bunch of guys are constructing a hotel across the way. They perch, unsupported on the edge, 5 floors up. Yikes.

Battambang. 16 - 18 Sept

We stayed only 1 day - 2 nights in Battambang. On initial impressions it seemed a pleasant little place, maybe call it traveler fatigue, but as we walked about it felt more sad & dreary. Groups of boys sitting around the riverside sniffing on bags of presumably glue. A well dressed man greeted us enthusiastically in English, wanting us to support his school. Funds to assist orphans & homeless people. It appeared legitimate, but why are there not funds from one of the many NGOs?

All reports from locals, expats, newspapers, etc indicate the rampant levels of corruption. Money is siphoned off. Not least by the government itself! Public schools & hospitals all cost the consumer, as staff are not paid a living wage, therefore bribe for all services.

A little further along we came across the local museum exhibiting many sandstone statutes, deities, lintels & steles from the 9 -11th century. Many from the Angkorian area & era. What was more disturbing was the irregular and sometimes large pools of dark red coloration on the tiled floor which turned out to be blood from the Pol Pot era 1975-79. Obviously people were gunned down were they stood.

The one day we had was full. We employed a tuk tuk driver who seemed quite knowledgeable with good English and a careful driver to boot.

We headed out into the country passing silk farms and floating villages we had already experienced at previous locations and arrived at the " bamboo railway". What a fun experience. A set of railway tracks in a straight line, but buckled & bent. A set of wheels placed on the track, then a flat bamboo platform to seat up to maybe 6-7 people including the driver. The 6.5 hp stationery engine strapped on the back. The two of us plus our driver in place and we were off.

We roared along at a great speed which was actually probably less than 50kph, until we reached the end of the line into the arms of locals, so to speak, who worked hard on us for 20 minutes or so, to attempt to sell scarves, refreshments etc. Amazingly in this small village many of the children had an excellent command of English mainly from contact with tourists. We did have fun chatting with the kids who were between 11 and 13years, listening to the great things they aspired to.

Back in the tuk tuk to Phnom something (I can't remember the name of the sacred hill) to climb a limestone mountain in the middle of miles and miles of dead flat fields as far as the eye could see. We climbed straight up eroding concrete stairs, past monks, a small village, monkeys of all sizes and a Monastery/ temple to the top and down again in about 45 minutes to one hour. We met a monk with one leg at the top of the mountain. He was keen to compare prostheses which was interesting as we were unable to speak to understand each other.

At the bottom again our driver greeted us, indicating we wait awhile for the next adventure. Over a very welcome cold beer we discovered a bunch of 20 something guys had taken bike rides up & down. Shame on them. No wonder all the locals thought it was too far & too steep for us!

All of a sudden about 4.30pm, / 4.45pm we were urged to leap into the tuk tuk to race 100m along the road to witness an amazing sight of thousands of bats flying out of a cave, which appeared as a slit high on the rock wall above. They formed a steady continuous stream for about 40 minutes. Our driver was knowledge and enthusiastic in telling us all about it. A little further down the road and he stopped to show us the swirling patterns as they fanned out to start their night feeding in the crops.

Early the next morning, 18 Sept, we were on the boat headed for Siem Reap.

Siem Reap 18 - 27 Sept 9nights / 8days

We arrived mid afternoon in a monsoon downpour. An interesting all day boat trip starting from our Battambang hotel at 6.30am, through the wetlands between Battambang and Siem Reap. The last 25 kms, by tuk tuk. This is a surprise as we expected to be met and transported, the last 8kms only, overland courtesy of our hotel the "Okay1Villas". It was however an interesting completion to a full day of travel.

Our boat transported about 16 - 18 tourists, 8-10 locals and produce to the floating villages, until we came to rest at a larger land based village. Along the way we discovered there were 3 other kiwis including a guy in our age bracket from Russell! Small world. The river trip was amazing. We started out on a modest river traveling NW. As we progressed it began to rain quite heavily adding to the ambiance, passing fishermen pulling in nets from their small sampans. As we progressed the river broadened. It was almost impossible to know where the river ended and the land began. Being the wet / monsoon season huge areas are flooded. Trees grow out of what looks like the middle of the river, houses in varying stages of disrepair border the path we take. How it is that our captain navigates our path only he knows. On a couple of occasions, although the water seems to go forever in every direction we took a narrow path, pushing our way through a channel barely the width of the boat, branches of trees flicking along the sides of the boat, requiring passengers to duck out of the way. Slowing at each bend incase another craft may be coming the other way. We passed through a number of floating villages where we stopped to drop people off and deliver groceries & other goods reminding us of the original Bay of Islands cream cruise. Siem Reap, we discovered, is not so big. At least the area attractive to tourists. We bumped into our fellow kiwis on several occasions. The highlights, and there were many included; the old market and surrounding area of restaurants, ( yet another gustatory delight), visiting a local "Rehab / prosthetic / orthotic centre", taking a personal lesson in Cambodian / Khmer cooking, attending a one man cello concert at the largest children's hospital, dining at a beautiful training restaurant teaching homeless & orphaned young people hospitality & business skills, attending an evening circus show and of course viewing many of the temples including "Angkor Wat".

More detail to come.

The highlights of Siem Reap, Cambodia;

The 'Old Market’ and surrounding area of bars and restaurants.

Hours of fun just roaming and sometimes buying. It is unbelievable the huge supply of absolutely everything, always concentrated in specified areas. eg Stores & stores with scarves, bed covers & table cloths. This makes for good bargaining capacity as you can check out prices which are usually triple to quadruple on the first inquiry. Then you can know what price range to settle for? How they turn over the stock is a mystery? I have to remember that this kind of negotiating is not practiced in NZ when I go home.

Visiting a local "Rehab / prosthetic / orthotic centre",

This was run by an NGO until Jan 2013. There was not a lot of action on the 2 days we visited due to the extreme funding cuts. They can now only offer services to a fraction of the people, not only amputees, but also kids with club feet, cerebral palsy and other conditions / disabilities.

It was Interesting to see the rehab area an outdoor obstacle course of steps, rocks and swing bridges. The prosthetic s & equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches, walking and standing frames reminded me of NZ before I became an OT. They do such great work and show wonderful enthusiasm. We talked to a new AKA (Above Knee Amputee), an attractive 20yr old girl who came off second best to a scooter. I hope I gave her a little hope and inspiration.

'Beatocello concert' - 'Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital'

One evening we attended a one man cello concert at the largest children's hospital. The focus of the concert every Saturday night is to raise the profile of 'Kantha Bopha' and to raise desperately needed funds to continue to save children. We were so inspired we dug into our wallets to make a donation & I bought one of his books.

Beat Richner, is a Swiss Paediatrician, who worked in Phnom Penh as a young Paediatrician until the rise of the Khmer Rouge. He returned to Zurich where he ran a private practice and lived a comfortable lifestyle. His decision to return to Cambodia and set up a hospital was to be a short term project. Twenty 20 years on he continues to work day and night to keep all 5 "Kantha Bopha" children's hospital running efficiently without any reliance on the government. He is a truly amazing man. He is openly critical of the government corruption, the non-existent public health system & of the WHO & International aid organisation; policies and misappropriation of funds. Annually these hospitals save the lives of 90,000 children.

Khmer (Cambodian) cooking

All the way along our journey I promised myself this opportunity and finally we had enough days with space. Many courses are on offer throughout Asia, but as a result of asking a woman in a busy authentic restaurant, I was given the opportunity for a 1:1 session the following day. It only cost the menu value of the meals I prepared. It was quite an amazing experience. We started with a brief tour of the market. That, together with in depth discussions about accessing and growing specific ingredients like the tamarind root used in 'Pad Thai' also for a Cambodian dish to make 'Spicy Amok Curry Paste' and mango salad dressings. The challenge will be to find these in NZ. I'm hoping that the ever expanding Asian markets in Auckland will offer the ingredients needed.

"Haven" a training/teaching restaurant

We enjoyed an outstanding meal with outstanding service which was only a little more expensive than many other restaurants. Given we were generally both eating for about US$5 a meal. A Swiss couple set this business up about 2 years ago with the expectation of empowering these young people (homeless or orphans) to enable them to go out & start their own businesses.

Phare Cambodian Circus

This is yet another organisation set up to address the needs of orphans & homeless kids. Based in Battambang, the school offers a basic education focusing on the arts; painting, music, gymnastics and acrobatics. Such talent!! It is worth a look online, http://www.pharecambodiancircus.org.

We loved attending the evening circus show. The energy and enthusiasm palpable, especially from our prime seats in the front row which was virtually on the stage.

Angkor temples - 3 full days over 4

We hired a lovely tuk tuk driver, Poly. I happened to stop in the entrance to his shop, one of many "Rehab stores" selling handicrafts made by people with disabilities.

He was a great driver who also transported us to a couple of events. He provided us with a whole chilly bin / cooler full of very welcome water for the temple tours and for the last day picked us up at 5am so that we could see Angkor Wat at sunrise.

The proliferation of temples built over a huge geographical area between the 9th through the 12th century is absolutely awesome and has to be seen, hiked around and clambered up and over to be believed. We walked for miles and miles. Starting out at 8am and home at 5 - 6pm. That is except on our last day for which we reserved the prize viewing of Anchor Wat at sunrise. Photos do no justice.

And lastly.... I hope the dental work I had done will continue to be a bonus. It was very professional and exceedingly cheap. Bob is now wishing that he'd taken the plunge. I had a crown made as well as x-rays and a clean all for a fraction of the cost of work here.

Thailand - 27- 30 Sept

'Ayutthaya' First capital of Siam (Thailand)

Our trip to Ayutthaya was long but reasonably smooth. Another early start with pick up from our hotel the "Shadow of Angkor" at 5.30am.

The road to the Thai border, a raised causeway above rice farms, is rutted and in places completely collapsed. Many of the houses along the way were surrounded by flood water, tracks between homes and the road under water. For miles and miles it seemed that the rural people were attempting to cope with the flooding and a number were out in the paddy fields up their necks in water, pulling in fishing nets.

After 4 hours of bumping and bouncing along, racing past people walking their cattle, bicycles, scooters, some with trailers ( a large pig standing fills up the whole trailer, unaware of his fate), rickshaws, scooters, farm machinery, cars and trucks. (the motorised vehicles playing a dangerous dance coming from both directions in the middle section of the road. W we arrived at the very grubby looking border town of Piopet. Street markets are humming. Pigs arriving at market early are displayed on tables already butchered, their heads at one side.

We were unceremoniously disembarked and sent on our way toward the border, About a 8-900m walk through muddy streets. The path improved as we approached the Thai border, out of the mud and into a tile floored building. Immediately everything looks more affluent. The mud & waterlogged fields either side of the highway gives way to dry fields and businesses. The wide 2 lane highway is well maintained, has clear white & yellow lines, Large signs, traffic lights and traffic (ie motorised vehicles only) behaving as one would expect in the Western world. In other words lanes are obeyed and indicators predict movement from one lane to another.

Once in Bangkok we made our way to the Hua Lamphong railway station in time to purchase a 3rd class ticket (15Baht each or about us$0.50!) get some lunch ($5 for both) then took the 11/2hour train trip to Ayutthaya.

Between 1350 & 1767. 33 Kings ruled over this once dazzling & dynamic Asian city

Ayutthaya is an interesting and very historic city. Build on an island, on the Chao Phraya river, which flows south through Bangkok to the ocean. I'm guessing additional water ways were constructed to create this moat effect. For over 400 years it was the thriving capital of Siam (Thailand) and a pivotal international port and trading centre which opened relations with many Asian, middle Eastern, then European countries And as Ayutthaya demonstrated tolerance to other cultures and religions people from many places settled here.

On day one we visited the floating market which is a very much sanitised tourist hangout built on wooden board walks over the river edge. A complete contrast to all markets previously visited. Food safety certificates prominently displayed which is also the case in the night market.

Later we set off on our walking familiarisation. First we came across the Thai Boat Museum down an alley of large gated homes. An elderly woman came out to invite us in. Fascinating! A huge collection of wooden boats from small models to full sized junks in the tree shaded garden. Such a lovely couple, in their 80s - 90s. He continues to design and built miniatures and is proud to show us his national awards for teaching boat building and his connection with the King who has a keen interest in building and sailing.

and took in Wat Mahathat. One of the most visited/ photographed. It appears to have been a very significant Wat/ temple or palace in its day. We hired a headset which gave interesting information.

Ayutthaya was built in the 13th century & this Wat in 1374 after the fall of the Khmer civilisation and Angkor Wat. Many of the temples and Palaces were modelled on the Angkorian era and some of the building materials were salvaged from Angkor, Cambodia.

Ayutthaya was invaded by the Burmese in 1767. Apparently due to a previous invasion and threat of attack the Royal family were frightened and hid, closing off the community & effectively creating societal decline making them increasingly more vulnerable to an aggressor. As anticipated the Burmese raped and plundered, rounded up royalty together with professionals and trades people resulting in the demise of the society.

Sometime later the capital was re-established in Bangkok. The existing luxuriant Royal Palace in Bangkok used many of the bricks from Ayutthayas Temples and palaces and their once protective walls, in its foundation, leaving behind crumbling shells here in Ayutthaya.

We paid to visit Wat Mahathat, but many of the dozens of Wats we have seen within the "island city" (which is completely surrounded by the river), appear to be only crumbling foundations, open to the current city of Ayutthaya.

Day two we set out late morning on a scooter hired from our hotel. We headed off the island. Although Ayutthaya is not a big city the maps we had were pretty inadequate.

We headed east of the inner city, out over one of the few bridges to Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon. A more intact structure on immaculate grounds.

We turned to the south to visit the "foreign quarter." Up to 40 ethnic groups settled here. First the Portuguese in 1511, then the Dutch, British and Japanese. The Japanese village / museum was interesting & very informative about the inclusion and influence of a range of groups on Thai culture.

The Dutch Village was difficult to locate as it is only one modern visitors centre. They displayed extensive information about Holland and made a great cup of coffee. Upstairs there was a display relating to the Dutch settlement in Thailand (Siam) but being the cheapskates we are we didn't pay to see it. And the Portuguese Village proved too hard to find.

We then returned to the inner city, once we found the bridge and enjoyed a Circuit along the river back to our hotel.

Both nights we went to the Night market. All completely set up & disassembly daily. And of course I had to follow Bob who is driven by his nose for food. Excellent food! Tonight we had a hot pot sitting together with a young Seattle couple who teaching for 2 years in China.

A small ceramic pot atop a self-standing brazier of burning coals was placed on the table with its plastic tablecloth, in front of us. A plate of meats marinating in sauce and another plate of veggies were spooned into the boiling water & the lid placed on top. Left to boil for 5 minutes or so before serving together with chilli sauce on the side. Further temptations - huge seafood omelettes cooked on a huge hot plate, sushi and many sweet treats including fresh sliced fruits, mangos and sticky rice. Yum.

Bangkok 30 Sept - 2 October

We met Ali and Eugene for my last few days in Asia before they headed to India for their big trip.

It was great to see them and to explore a little. Another visit to China town then relaxing boat rides up and down the river which is a great way to escape the heat. The day ended with a pleasant dinner and cocktails at a riverside restaurant to celebrate my 60^th birthday. YES! 60! Shock horror, how did I get to be so old!

We had a leisurely morning in the quaint dining room of the Hotel Atlanta before heading for the airport.

HOME – Bob Phuket 3 more weeks

It was good to get home. I had a busy time in Auckland researching and buying a new computer, sorting a potential new socket at the limb centre, catching up with friends and getting over jet lag.

It was a wonderful surprise to have Anneke meet me at the airport. She looks fabulous and is doing well coming through from her injuries. We continued to celebrate my birthday with champagne sitting in the sun looking out at the beautiful west coast ocean at Piha.

I have now been home in Russell for a month and it feels somehow like I never left. Surprisingly the work is flowing in thick and fast and I have hardly had time to draw breath.

Bob has been home 2 weeks and we are getting back into our day to day life here in the Bay of Islands.

So farewell blog…. No more time to write. One day I hope to turn this into an album of sorts to remember our adventures.

Photos: ASIA, Vietnam

margotforrest — Sat, 3 Aug 2013 00:07:00 GMT

Asia; Vietnam August 2013

margotforrest — Fri, 2 Aug 2013 01:35:00 GMT

1 August

Asia Airlines flight to Hanoi leaving very early in the morning. Although I had a window seat I didn't even think of taking pictures until we almost landed. I think that has something to do with the time we had to start our day.

It was interesting to see extensive areas of wild mountainous jungle which didn't appear to be inhabitated. Flying into Hanoi was interesting. Wide green areas, island sections of the city which appeared lush and expensive, development of extensive roads and bridges.

Almost immediately on arrival we had a good feeling for the place. We boarded a public bus and waited for 40 to 50 minutes whilst more people piled on. It was interesting to observe the interactions between the guy arranging the luggage and selling tickets and the public. What struck us was the warmth and humor of people. When you meet someones eye, a smile comes across their face, it is as if their whole being lighted up.

Bob's summing up on our first evening:-

Hanoi has been AWSUM (to coin a teenage phrase) so far and we have fallen in love with its graceful buildings, crazy traffic, friendly and helpful people, and amazing food. Hey, with $1.50 beers how could you not like it? It is quite a contrast to Bangkok in that it lacks the rawness and rubbish scattered everywhere, while the people of Hanoi seem to have a real sense of pride in themselves and their city. They aren't shy to engage you on the street and while there are touts, their sell is fairly congenial. There are lakes and parks scattered around with lots of mature trees and the citizens appear to enjoy these open spaces. Bargaining is still an art form, unlike Thai marketplaces and the smile and sense of humour are always` there. We'll spend at least 5 days` here and then take the train to Sapa for a home stay with local tribal people and will then go on the mandatory cruise at Halong Bay, stopping at Monkey Island, etc before working our way south.

2 August

We walked from our hotel in the Old Quarter to the Museum and Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh. Fasciinating and very informative. The walk there and back is interesting. We left the densely populated Old Quarter, and headed out along past parks and wide avenues. The museum & Mausoleum is surrounded by huge open spaces and gardens. Today I think it got to 35degrees, so of course we had to keep hydrated, bia's (beer) and mango shakes did help. There are little coffee bars / cafe's all over, situated in tiny rooms spilling onto the street and in leafy, tree shaded outdoor areas. very pleasant.

5 August

We are leaving Hanoi for 2 tours north to Sapa and then to Halong Bay. Back on the 10th before we travel south. Continuing to love it here.

15 August

We return again to Hanoi. Tonight we head south to Dong Hoi and out to a National Park. We have spent 11 nights here, so we begin to feel it is a little like home. The reason is mainly related to health issues which I wish I could say are all resolved. But, for now Bob continues to suffer, this time with a cold. He is right at the raw stage when it is at its peak and I am on the other side, mine almost gone. A cold in the tropics! Crazy! Air conditioning in hotels, buses, trains, shops and restaurants is all very wonderful, but clearly has its down side. Unfortunately, Bob started this journey with a boil being treated with antibiotics and he seems to have lurched from one, usually minor, bump, scrape, tummy upset to another. The worst being a drug reaction to the anti-malaria drug he took just before coming to Vietnam. We ended up having to seek medical attention and to stay here for 5 days. That, I am happy to say is almost resolved.

It could have been worse in that we could have been some where with less medical options and fewer attractions. But, we have extended our visa's by 1 month taking pressure off seeing all we want to see.

We initially stayed in a hotel called the Rising Dragon for 2 nights and subsequently have enjoyed a very comfortable experience at a hotel with an equally interesting name the "Splendid Jupiter", situated adjacent to the beautiful St Joseph Cathedral. We hear the bells and now can view the top of the towers as we are on floor 5. The manager, Jenny and staff have great English and are very professional. We are greeted with complimentary 'welcome drinks' & fruit - tea, coffee, pineapple, orange or passion fruit juice. There is not a lot more to ask for, other than a cold shower, in this heat and humidity (up to 90% & between 29 & 36 degrees)

Hanoi has a wealth of history; museums, citadels, statues of Lenin, Emperor Ly from 1010, Ho Chi Minh etc. We have managed to get to see:-

Hoa Lo Prison which housed US prisoners of the Vietnam war, the Women's museum, a fascinating account of roles, relationships, challenges & womens' contributions to society. History Museum, Military Museum, Fine Arts Museum and the Museum of Ethnology. We saw the Opera house which was closed, but offered a cool outdoor cafe for a refreshing drink.

And a few days ago we loved the evening 'Water puppet show'.

Vietnamese are amazingly resilient people who has experienced unrest for much of their existence; 1,000 years of conflict with China, effects of colonisation by the French until 1954 and being bombed by the US into 1975, in spite of the 'Paris Peace Accord' January 1973. They continued to experience unrest through to 1979, between invading Cambodia (Pol Pott era) & experiencing retaliation from China.

We have experienced a 15minute bicycle rickshaw ride in the searing heat. We were so concerned about him carrying us all that way in the heat of the day that effectively we bargained a very cheap ride. I read in the paper that they are considering taking rickshaws off the roads as the roads become more and more congested with millions of mopeds /scooters, cars, trucks and buses. As with many Asian countries people carry enormous and often very unstable loads which I have tried to capture on film.

Public bus travel is easy and comfortable once we convinced locals we prefer that to taxi. For 5,000 dong a trip, it's great when traveling a little further out from the centre. (n$1 = 16,000dong)

And we enjoyed viewing the upmarket residences from an electro car on an hour circumnavigation tour of the 'West Lake', situated north of central Hanoi where we're based.

We have been soaked in an instant in one of a couple of typhoons and seen and heard spectacular storms with lightening and thunder; here, in Sapa and less so Halong Bay - hence our early return after only 1 night in Halong Bay. Warning of a big storm is yet to eventuate.

People in Hanoi do truly live their life on the street. Narrow empty alleys turn into buzzing evening restaurants. The ubiquitous blue plastic tables & stools are set out. Moreish smells fill the air & the crowds turn up. The street vendors squat on the pavement displaying live fish, fresh fruit & veges, flowers and all other imaginable wares. Vietnam's population is 90.5 million, the Lonely Planet reports 98 million cell phones! We spotted a man who appeared to be in his 90's squatting in his doorway with an iPad! Businesses are set up in the many narrow homes and spill out over the pavement. Needless to say there are many scooter / moped repair shops which create quite an obstacle, having to step over or around gas tanks, sheets of metal, power tools and containers of oil which makes life interesting.

Sapa, in the north, about 8-10 hours by train & bus, is truly spectacular. Rugged jungle clad mountains & deep ravines with gushing wild, rivers. The hillside are decorated with fields of corn, indigo (natural black dye), hemp for weaving cloth, and beautiful sculpted rice fields as far as the eye can see.

We woke about 5am as the train pulled into Lao Cai, and with efficiency of a German army, probably 100 tourists were selected, gathered and ushered to a parking lot of minivans. The narrow road became a series of switchbacks winding up through the mist and into the mountains. Within an hour we arrived at Sapa, the 10 or so passengers were dispatched to various hotels where we were fed, given a room to shower & rest, then introduced to our guides.

Tee or Tuong', our private guide was charming and sweet. A newly married young man soon to expect his first child. It was interesting to hear of his choice for his father to find him a bride.

Our private tour was a mix of transport and walking due to uncertainty of terrain, distance and my capability. As we drove the few kms, passing many tourists walking ( trekking). We are happy to miss that bit, so we began our hike down a rough rocky road accompanied by about 4 'Black Hmong' (hill tribe) women. They are very friendly and chatty seeming to merely enjoy our company as they walk home from the market. However, the ultimate aim is to sell their wares with the patter "Buy one from me. maybe you buy later." Very smiley and lovely women.

We walk down into the valley, passing or walking with many women, see examples of fabric weaving & dying with indigo. Local dwellings. water channels, rice crushes and corn grinders. We cross the river via a swing bridge, pass a Community Centre, Hospital (clinic), power station and arrive at 'Lao Chai' (a Hmong village) where we have lunch. The restaurant is large and is filled with tourist like us. Many small girls with very quiet voices crowd our table. "Buy one from me" Our no thank you is mirrored by a "Yes thank you" with matching tone. They all sell the same
woven bags + jewellery. The moment we are served all leave us alone to eat. And once we continue our walk after more than an hour, the women rejoin us.

We continued walking.The path changes from dirt trail, to rocky, to concrete. We pass through 3 villages; first of the 'Black Hmong' people who wear predominantly black, then to the adjacent village "Ta Van" of the Red Zay people (distinguished from the Hmong by the red headdress). We then came to "Glang Ta Chai"of the Zao people who wear green, blue or pink. This is where we stay the night.

There are 400 homes here in which 3,000 people live.

Not at all tired, but happy to relax and enjoy the serenity of the sculptured rice fields, the river below and distant villages across the way, we settled into our home stay. With shoes and pack off, a cold beer on the table, this is bliss. .....

Until, peace and illusion is shattered. A group of 10 rowdy young people appear. (One particularly obnoxious character who loved his own voice apparently for a good distance into the night & possibly before his eyes opened in the morning) This NOT a home stay, but a very basic hostel.

But, all is not lost. We did get to experience a personalised meal with the couple & the two guides. Complete with celebratory home made rice wine. What a banquet! We sat on tiny plastic stools as we would find in a NZ kindergarten, the little table laden with local delicacies: with spring rolls we had helped to make, chicken, pork, cabbage, steamed rice and a couple of dishes I struggled with. I couldn't stomach the stuffed pork stomach and although Bob claims to have tried everything I didn't see him eat a pigs eye!!

Tourism is big business in Sapa. The French saw the area as a place for rest and rejuvenation especially with the fresh clear mountain air. The first tourist operator was established in 1917, tourists were brought to Sapa from La Cai in 1920 and the road was built in 1925.

We bought some "North Face" gear here. I have yet to try out my new gortex jacket in a good downpour and have my day pack packed into my larger pack. Bob bought some shorts. Apparently a lot of NZ clothing is made in Vietnam

Halong Bay

Unfortunatly due to unsettled weather we were unable to go on our planned trip. We were encouraged to upgrade for a 1 night trip. We were really disappointed. I guess it had been built up so much that what we experienced was far short. From talking to others it would have been quite different with the additional day. For some reasons:- we arrived 1 hour late, so the whole day from 1pm was rushe, we have had wonderful guides, but did not gel with this one, when we got to the key spot for day 1 there were so many other boats it looked like a major harbour, we were quickly shunted onto a smaller craft and ferried ashore to climb many stairs to the top of a fairly spectaular island. Probably due to the pending typhoon, it was hazy and incredibly hot and humid. We were absolutly dripping and there wasn't a breath of wind. The pristine beach was poluted and extremely touristy..... touts selling all kinds of stuff including for US$2 the opportunity to sit on a beach lounger. Heaps of people, many smoking, butts in the sand. The water looked poluted with rubbish floating and a muddy brown colour was not inviting, other than the opportunity to cool down. I had a 5 minute dip which did not achieve the desire to be cooled.

Back onto the smaller boat, off to the cave. We climbed several dozen more stairs... the cave was indeed spectacular. We were given a reasonable amount of time so didn't feel rushed for this part. It was then off to a floating kayak rental. Kayking was fantastic. We had a sit in double, others 'sit on'. We did note a big hole in the back of ours so were a little anxious about how seaworthy it would be. We paddled across the bay and through an expansive arch way at the base of a cliff into a huge enclosed lagoon. It was so very peaceful and enjoyable. After an hour it was back to base to find out another couple had dashed back early as their freeboard was fast disappearing. The guy was using his cap to bail, but in the end they were up to their waists in water.

The evening meal was very nice and beautifully presented. The next morning we were offered brunch at 8am then raced back to Halong Bay to disembark by 9am. They didn't seem to understand that brunch is a leisurely affair mid morning. It was not possible to eat the huge quantity of breakfast immediactley followed by lunch. Maybe there was a method in this... possibly someone else got to eat the left overs?? We would never recommend this trip on our experience. Hopefully they will sort some of these issues and manage their tourism a little more effectively. If not this 1994 World Heritage site may be ruined.

21August

Hanoi - Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

We had an uneventful night on the 'sleeper bus' from Hanoi to Dong Hoi which was somewhat surprising but reassuring.

Luck, or recent development, is on out side when it comes to bathroom facilities in general. However, there is no avoiding train & bus station toilets. We did stop at one truly disgusting squat loo, but I have to say I got in & out of that one unscathed.

Although we arrived about 5.30am there was plenty happening. A cafe was being set up, so I had a drip coffee - offered with a big chunk of ice which I declined and managed to get some hot water and sweet milk instead. We had watched whilst the ice was tipped out of a jute bag onto another on the ground. It was then attacked with a rusty hatchet and placed in a bowl. As the morning progressed large groups of children rode past on their way to school, women on scooters, smartly dressed complete with high heel shoes, headed for office work, other scooters carried food, building materials and even lifestock. At 7am a minibus fetched us and after an hour's drive delivered us to the 'Phong Nha Farmstay', owned & operated by an Aussie guy & his Vietnamese wife, Ben & Bick. This attractive series of buildings; rooms, restaurant courtyard and swimming pool is built on family land. Many family & local people are employed on site and run a range of tours. It is a well oiled accommodation & tourism business.

Later that day we biked 7kms, after a few trials, to a nearby village, (actually Bob doubled me on the bicycle as I just could not do it, much to my frustration, my leg fell off every 10 to 15 metres due to the high humidity). We took a small boat up the river into the 'Phong Nha caves'. What a hidden gem. With the engine off the 2 women positioned themselves at bow & stern & artfully powered us with sweep oars into the non-descript grey opening.

For one km and more than an hour we were mesmerised by the expansive beauty; the cathedral ceilings scalloped to a pearl smooth lustre by the ocean about 10,000 years ago. The draped columns of limestone, hues of silver, white, brown & black. We rounded corner after corner to enter yet another cavern, accompanied only by the soft rhythmic sound of paddles on water.

The cave is around 55km long. Travel by river boat to & from the caves is a great way to observe local life; lounging water buffalo, farmers working the fields, gathering river weed from their boats to feed fish they farm. Catholic church steeples on the north shores are reminders of French presence until 1954. This cave system was used extensively during the American war and although the Americans attempted to close it off by bombing the cliff above the huge entrance remained open.

Day 2, we joined a tour from the farmstay. 'Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park' (885sq kms) is a wild and mostly unexplored mountainous area, the oldest karst mountains formed approximately 400million years ago! It lies on the western border at Vietnam's narrowest point. Best explored by tour. Designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 2003.

Guides with a wealth of knowledge informed us of the historic roadways and incredible tenacity of the young workers. We traveled the Ho Chi Minh highway, different from the trail, onto the 'Victory Highway' or Highway 20'which was built by volunteers average age of 20. A temple / war shrine, in the middle of the jungle commemorates all those lost in this area of road construction, mainly due to the heavy bombing by America. A very humbling experience to step inside the shrine and to place incense to remember all of those young lives lost. There were more Vietnamese people visiting than foreigners. Apparently a very important temple for people all over Vietnam. It is unique in that it is not claimed specifically by locals.

The people continue to impress us. They are so gentle and positive. They recount their nations hardships with a quiet accepting manner. They welcome westerners, are very keen to speak English and are clearly benefiting from the tourism boom.

Our tour was predominantly in air-conditioned vans, stopping at significant spots.

Our next stop was to visit the Paradise Cave, one of many in the park. Enormous and impressive. Only officially discovered in 2005 & opened to the public n 2012. We were transported from the parking lot by eco / electric carts, then climbed 100's of steps to the entrance of this dry cave high on the cliff. The mouth of the cave is quite small, so absolutely stunning to stand at the top of the climb and look down to a wooden staircase and boardwalk disappearing into the darkness. Our guide told us of another reported to be the largest cave system in the world. It's so huge the Empire State Building could fit inside & be turned around. For US$3,000 you can do a guided 6 day hiking trip inside this cave.

We spent two days in this beautiful inland area and were offered guided stops on route to Hue. Although we had not specifically decided to visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels and the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone), the experience was worthwhile and shocking. The tunnels are very small even for the people who are very small in stature. I was a little fearful that Bob would get stuck and indeed he and another tall, Dutch guy, came out with considerable soil marks on their shoulders. There was a question as to whether I could manage the steps inside. I happily sat the experience out. The tunnels are built on 3 levels with designated family areas of about 2sq metres for 5 people, meeting, hospital, maternity areas and the lowest level at 25-30metres depth stored weapons and ammunition. 17 babies were born in here over a 4 year period and 16 are reported to be still living. Many huge bomb craters still exist here. Many replicates of these tunnels existed for all the 60 plus villages along the coastline in this region.

Hue (pronounced Whey) 18 - 20 August

A new gastronomic experience. The food is unique in this region and considerably spicier than in the north.
Pork roll cooked on a stick of lemongrass which is wrapped in a rice paper sheet with lettuce and herbs, then dipped in a peanut sauce, 'White Rose" - made of rice circles / dumpling like texture but flat, sprinkled with tasty dried shrimp. Another meal at a recommended restaurant was a challenge as neither the menu nor the staff offered any English. We had to take pot luck. We had no idea what we ordered, so were happy albeit a little overwhelmed with the spread we received; 'hot pot' - a cooking dish over a flame, filled with liquid to which we added leafy plants and a range of other vegetables and meats, plus a very tasty steamed rice pancake and spring rolls.

The Imperial City

The emporer Gia Long formed the Nguyen (pronounced win) dynasty in 1802 and moved the capital from Hanoi to Hue in an attempt to unite northern and southern Vietnam. The city is built around a huge walled city or citadel. In fact originally there was a citadel built within a citadel within a citadel. The Nguyen Dynasty era ended 30 August 1945.

We walked all around the area attempting to get into the palace or 'Purple Forbidden City' and eventually came to the entrance at the point we had started. The whole inner city is surrounded by a moat from which people are fishing. The water is stagnant and black. Once inside there is little to see as it was badly damaged by the French & American wars, which was dissappointing. The 'Purple Forbidden City' was a secluded area inside the palace where only the emperor could live. He had something like 40 wives and 400 offspring and would only allow eunichs to be his servants.

It is much easier to go on organised tours in Vietnam and there is a tour for almost every situation, so on the 2nd day we did a full day boat and bus tour. 'The Perfume River Tour', visiting temples, pagodas and tombs of some of the Emperors. Astounding. The Minh Mang Tomb of the 2nd Emperor built from 1840-1843. He is claimed to be the most important Emperor due to his knowledge of rice growing and irrigation etc. As he was loved by people the built this enormous tomb.
The magnificent grounds and buildings represent the Emperors body including the legs which is the divided channels of the adjacent river. The tomb is guarded by warrier's, horses and elephants. of the 3 entrances the middle door through which the Emperors body is brought is locked & never again open. The steps & buildings represent the stomach, chest and head. The Emperor is buried beneath head and the arms are represented by an extensive lake either side of the buildings. It is all quite amazing including the decorative details inside.

Hoi An - a quaint fishing village,

6 nights in Hoi An, 20 – 26 August

Our ‘sleeper / open bus’ arrives at Hoi An mid-afternoon. We find our hotel, have lunch in a little street restaurant, then take the free shuttle into ‘the old town’ in time to join the celebration of the monthly lunar or "Full Moon Festival”. We are walking down a major road together with throngs of locals. This arterial route, connecting the ocean at An Bang beach to the Old Town, suddenly narrows to a lane & still we are passed by scooters. Suddenly we emerge on the river bank. Wow! Lanterns everywhere; hanging from all buildings, restaurants, ice cream parlours, cafes. Families line the pavements selling small paper cups each with a glowing candle balanced inside. Choruses of "buy one from me". One burst into flame, there's a flurry of activity to stomp it out. A lantern is hooked onto the end of a long pole and carefully lowered into the river, creating a magical scene.

Dozens of restaurants, on the shore and on boats, to choose from, all dimly lit using no artificial light. We enjoyed a relaxing evening; a ‘happy hour cocktail’ (half price and for us usually involving mango), and a set menu for two. The only downside was the slow pace meant that we missed the last complimentary shuttle at 9pm back to our hotel. Not so bad as walking the streets is the usually the very best way to orientate and get a feel for a new place. At 9.30pm to 10pm the street was packed with all the locals returning home. Apparently the city monitors the late night activities closely.

Returning to the old town the next day dulled some of the magic. As with many Asian waterways the river is silted, polluted and choked with garbage. The boats, romantic in the dim moonlight, now appear scruffy and lodged in place, unable to move.

Water is such a valuable commodity; we only hope that these third world countries in their quest to seek parity with the western world are able to clean up the rivers, lakes and beaches. There does appear to be a drive to ensure food and water safety and although many kitchens are very basic there is evidence of water purifiers and locals drinking bottled water.

Areas of old Hoi An boast whole blocks of typical French colonial houses, painted in mustard yellow. Much of the rich history of this area was saved from destruction of recent wars with the French and America. 800 buildings have been preserved by UESCO and many are currently been renovated. There is evidence of Chinese, Japanese as well as French influence and records indicate that human habitation dates back 2,200years.

We visited the ‘Japanese covered bridge’ near the old town, built in the 1590’s and were shown through a Vietnamese house built 250 years ago, by a family stating to be the 7^th generation living here. It was so austere and authentic looking that it appeared more like a museum. The brothers and sisters fell over each other to point out special architectural features - the ‘kings book’ carved into the apex of the roof, ornate carvings framing doors and windows, intricate sliding wooden window frames which enable residents to check out visitor, and a whole array of ancient wood & silver making tools. But then the hard sell began. Oops, a little embarrassing.

We rented a. scooter to explore the beaches. An Bang recommended in the LP was not to our liking, offering only the rented beach umbrella & loungers. But Cua Dai, the local area, 2 Km's south along a stretch of beautiful beach, is great. Many coconut palms offer shade, the whole area is uncrowded until about 5pm when all the locals arrive on mass.

The sand is golden & clean, that is except the cigarette butts left behind. The locals work hard to keep it clean. An old lady squats on the sand quietly watching. She is covered head to foot to avoid the darkening properties of the sun, complete with a straw conical hat tied with a ribbon. Occasionally she stands & shuffles to collect an empty water bottle and at the end of the day she has a garbage bag full. Her lips red and full with the juice of the betel nut she chews. Her whole being lights up with a smile as our eyes meet.

The ocean is as described in the guide books; clean, blue and clear. This in addition to the small surf and the views out to the Cham Islands, has to be close to a perfect. The salt water is cool, refreshing and healing. We spend the best part of 4 days here and my man is finally healthy again.

We took advantage of the pleasant hotel amenities on our last day in Hoi An dealing with a few chores such as sorting bills, accounts and GST, before reading and relaxing by the pool until it was time to catch our ‘sleeper bus’ again for a 12hour journey south to Nha Trang, which is described as the beach capital of Vietnam.

Nga Trang 26 - 29 August

This time we took a public minvan to Dalat for 3 hours instead of the 'Sleeper bus' which was to take 7hours

Nga Trang 26 - 28 August - Known as the party capital of Vietnam.

Travelling into Nga Trang we are again struck by the beauty of landscaping to really show off a beautiful curving coastline. We arrived about 6am after a long night on a claustrophobic ‘sleeper bus’. Our ‘Nice Hotel’ is a 2 minute walk down an alley and after catching another hour or so of sleep we head out to explore. We are amazed on our return, to find that we have the only room on the top / 10^th floor, complete with our own large balcony with a fabulous view over the bay.

We took in the ‘Alexander Yersin Museum’ on Pasteur St. Dr Alexander Yersin is an important character here in Vietnam having spent much of his life in Nha Trang. He grew up in Geneva, trained as a doctor, studied and worked with Pasteur. He established Nga Trang’s Pasteur Institute 1895, introduced rubber and quinine producing trees and discovered the rat-borne microbe that causes bubonic plague.

Day 2 we took a full day boat tour which was really great, particularly the snorkelling off an island. It was just perfect. We escaped the crowds gathered in a packed cordoned off area and swam toward the turquoise water. Yes! Peace and quiet. And a good range of fish & coral with reasonable colour.

We actively tried to avoid the ‘Party’ aspects of these tours, but that was not possible and actually was really funny. Our guide was the ultimate extravert. He sang rather raunchy songs to us, coerced people to get up and karaoke and had us all diving / jumping off the boat to partake in a ‘drinking and floating’ in a floatation ring activity.

The next day we enjoyed an early morning swim right in front of our hotel. We were impressed with the number of people, tourists and locals, out and about exercising and enjoying this beautiful stretch of beach. The water is reasonably clear and drops away for pleasant swimming. Then after relaxing the remainder of the morning we were back on the bus for 3 hours to Dalat.

We travelled inland through jungle covered mountains, following the switchback roads. The flora is quite different to everywhere else we have been so far, waterfalls gushing and vertical cliffs dropping off the side of the road. It reminded us of bush clad NZ.

Dalat - 29 August to 2 Sept. Established as a Central Highland resort.

Dr Yersin apparently explored this area & suggested to the government in 1893 that a hill station resort be established due to the clear air and cooler temperatures. Dalat is at 1500m & Vietnam s second highest mountain "Langbian" at 2,200m can be viewed from Dalat’s outskirts

There are so many bakeries offering baguettes, sticky rice cakes, and many European style cakes. Again, a gastronomic experience.

During our 4 days here we hired a tandem bike and circumnavigate the banana shaped, man-made ’ Xuan Huong Lake’. As some of the terrain is quite flat, traffic is less crazy and it is a very comfortable temperature of 25 – 28 degrees, biking was perfect. We then walked for miles, explored Vietnam’s first railway station built in 1928. Not surprising, given the terrain to get here from Nga Trang or Saigon, it only functioned until 1964. We discovered a new mall which seems to be built underground. And along with masses of Russian tourists we clambered around a bizarre "crazy house". The Crazy House is a work in progress over many years. Designed & lived in by a now 72 year old female architect who gained her Architectural PhD in Russia in 1972. We paddled around the lake in ‘swan boat’ and on another day, we took another tour. This time a highland countryside minibus trip to visit; the local horticulture, there are hundreds of flower green houses and Dalat has a significant flower festival every December. Dalat means water of the ‘Lat’, or the local minority hill tribe people. We met a 68 year old woman in her village, who has 11 children & something like 60 grandchildren. We hear d that in marriage, a woman’s family pays up to 5 water buffalo for a very strong man. You only need to pay 1 - 2 buffalo for a weakling. And that to become stronger they eat monkey brains. And to make you very strong they boil the monkey bones & eat them. We felt a little sorry for the monkey on chain. The couple lives with the wife’s family & take woman's name. This is one of a few Matriarchal societies.

Today is one of several firsts.

Drinking coffee grown and processed by the "Lat" people – their specialty is ‘Weasel Moka’- locally grown arabica beans, fed to civet cats (weasels in a cage downstairs) After the beans pass through the ‘weasels’ they are soaked, dried and then roasted. Vietnamese coffee is dripped through a small aluminium pot, strong and drunk with sweetened condensed milk. 90% Vietnamese people drink coffee with ice, which is nice in this heat. I did try it and can say I’m still alive. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t think I’ll be drinking it at home.
We tasted roasted crickets farm at a cricket farm
Watched someone eat a silk worm. The silk factory employing about 40 - 50 women was noisy and fascinating.

2 September - Sitting bus to Ho Chi Minh City (HCNC) still known as Saigon

HCMC – 3 to 6 September

We have 4 nights here. Another big city, it feels more western, but still has the street carts, thousands of scooters, markets, hard sell tour operators, huge sky scrapers and a range of broad avenues and little back alleys. Somehow the chaotic traffic feels a little more law abiding, officers assist pedestrians across some pedestrian crossings as buses, cars and a zillion scooters dart either side.

Reunification Palace: - Our guide was short on detailed history. Plush environment for Party headquarters. Originally built 1868 as residence for the French Governor-general. Then home to the South Vietnamese President who was so unpopular it was bombed 1962. Rebuilt complete with basement, bomb shelter & secret doors& passages, 1966. Taken by force, tanks crashing the gates April 75 by the Vietcong.

War Remnants Museum: - well worth the visit. Interestingly the impact of the documented horrors of Death, Destruction & Disability fallout from the "American War" was highlighted/ accentuated by the crashes of thunder overhead as the pending storm brewed.

Fine Arts Museum: - spacious colonial private home of wealthy merchant. Some interesting works.

Ho Chi Minh Museum:- a lot of photos and writing. Not as impressive as the museum in Hanoi.

Ben Thanh Market:- as other large markets, an amazing crush of stalls and products from clothes, accessories, iPhone stuff ( only the latest) to foods. We were bombarded by sales pitch from every direction. They even physically pull you toward their product. This behaviour does recede after the initial few minutes.

Local buses:- It is so relaxing at about 60c (10,000dong) for 2 of us versus our taxi experience. The LP warns of crooked operators, but at the time we weren't paying particular attention. It was 5pm and rush hour as we were leaving the War Remnants Museum. The sky was black & threatening & it began to rain. Requesting metered rides seems to be somewhat consistent and a safer bet. So imagining the trip home would be between 40 & 60,000 VND (n$2.50 & $4.00) we were shocked to see the meter read 298,000VND. Our driver went into an absolute tirade when we didn't cough up. To quote the LP "rampant overcharging - taxis with meters that spin around faster than Kylie in her gold hotpants". Bob could see from his position that he was fiddling with the meter. So when Bob countered the threat to take us to the police whilst revving the engine, the meter was suddenly flicked back to zero. Anyway, we finally got out, paid 60,000VND which was possibly too much, & he sped off cussing. So much for the gentle, laid back Vietnamese character. I'd say generally true except men in the transport business.

Sadly Bob has come down with diarrhoea again since the evening of Aug 31. Today, 5 Sept he is feeling better but not 100% and we have been out all afternoon riding the buses and walking.

We have booked a 3 day ‘Delta tour’ leaving HCMC on Friday 6th traveling by bus and a range of boats, visiting floating markets, fish farms, then travelling up to Phnom Penh, Cambodia by Sunday night 8^th Sept. We will stay one night in a hotel and a floating hotel on the second night.

8 Sept

Good Morning Vietnam.... starting at 6am.

The Delta trip was great. Last night we stayed in Chau Doc not too far from the Cambodia border, in a floating hotel on the Mekong. It was comfortable enough, but not anything like the picture the travel agent showed us. By 7am we were on the river; visited a fish farm then a village along the way. We were done by 8.30am and we waited for the 'fast boat' to pick us up. Not so far to the border. With help to get through the border 10.30 - 11am it was quite smooth and no surises.

Goodbye Vietnam.

Then a long 4+ hour trip to Phnom Penh.

Photos: Asia 2013

margotforrest — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 11:15:00 GMT

Thailand

ASIA - Thailand July 2013

margotforrest — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 10:59:00 GMT

Welcome to our Asia 2013 Blog.... a few test messages to get it sorted. I don't seem able to start a new journal, so it leads on from the 2010 trip.

7 July

Flew out of Auckland 1.15pm, arrived Bangkok around 5am NZ time to the hotel.

3 days in Bangkok

Fast high tech trains, tall glass clad sky scrapers, escalators, stairs, stairs, stairs.

Helpful attendants offer easier access,

Stairs & more stairs. Fast train Central city area... Malls climb into the sky. Sterile; breathing luxury.

Designer high end stores, designer clothed people, mass connection to smart phones

Poverty, history, hawkers, Rusting iron roofed shacks, bundled wires, broken pavements and bustling markets.

Bangkok from New Zealand is a culture shock.

Our hotel was comfortable, affordable and convenient. A short walk, negotiating the possibly most dangerous aspect of Thailand... the streets, we test the driver alertness and response to pedestrians. When in doubt stick by a local.

The promise of cheap prescription lens and dentistry may be a thing of the past... the optical shops set back in the comfort of a luxury airconditioned mall quoted prices which far exceeded a home quote.

Stepping off the 'skywalk' out of the mall onto the street, brought back memories of Bangkok in the 80's, the 70's for Bob - the searing humid heat, the smells, the streets and side walks with gaping holes and wide grid grates the only separation to the sewer below, the back alleys with glimpses of local life.

Bangkok... hustle & bustle. Amazing how it has changed in the past 30 years. Unrecognisable with the rapid sky train and subways, operational since 2003.They imported the best technology from Austria and Germany. Also glitzy multi-storied malls and hotels with sheer glass and central cores of escalators spiraling up into the sky. However, immediately adjacent is the tangle of electrical wires and not far down the street the footpaths are broken and tiny shop fronts offer the usual bargains of clothing, street food vendors and more. The streets are humming with modern cars, many Toyota's plus buses, tuk tuk's and hundreds of scooters and small motor bike racing in all directions at break neck speeds.

We enjoyed an expensive, but worthwhile trip on the river in a longtail boat which took us into the back streets / canals with views of impoverished slums, stinking polluted waterways alongside high end hotels and homes of the wealthy.

The Grand Palace / Wat Pra Kaew

Consecrated in 1782 the first year of Bankok's rule. Today the biggest tourist attraction and pilgrimage destination for devout Buddhists.

A truely stunning place. Will add more photos

11 July

We traveled from Bangkok to Hua Hin... the original hide away place of the Thai King in the early 1900's. About 4hours by train (actually 5hrs) Pleasant journey in 2nd class leaving from Bangkok's original railway station built in the 1880's. We had comfortable seats with plenty of room and fresh air through the open windows as recommended in the good old "Lonely Planet".

We found a little guesthouse, very much like a backpacker, right on the gulf of Thailand. "Hua Hin" is obviously a very popular destination for the upwardly mobile from Bangkok and travelers alike. We enjoyed a beautiful meal on an upper deck restaurant - very fresh seafood swimming in tanks at the entrance - with views out to sea, all for about $11 to $12 for both of us (that is actually quite expensive for Thailand). We have booked for 2 nights. it looks interesting, but a bit too touristy for us... plan to follow up our local Thai restauranteur's advice to go about 1 hour south to a less traveled beach side location.

13 July

Travel south in search of smaller less touristy locations

18 July

Prachuap is a beautifully clean, tidy & picturesque town. The shore is lined with a wIde paved promenade. Colourful fIshing boats dot the bay. iridescent on the night skyline. Night market offers cheap tasty meals to be consumed sitting on the sea wall under elegant lights. Our guesthouse was cool & quiet overlooking the bay from our room with a balcony. We Rented a scooter to explore. First traveling north to Ao Noi one of three bays in the area. The signage led us to a National Park which proved very disappointing as the trail was not established and poorly marked making it challenging to negotiate. Also the bay is extremely polluted leaving a dark green residue at low tide. Rather a concern to see women & children out there collecting cockles or some other shell fish.

Our search for the cave housing a slumbering Buddha was not as expected. The huge Buddha lay a dark & dingy cave as if forgotten.

However, back down the long flight of broken concrete steps and on our way back to town we came across the Wat Ao Noi, simply meaning the temple at Noi Bay. It is a beautiful teak carved building, with several Buddha's situated to give an interesting silhouette when looking out over the bay beyond.

From there we headed to Ao Manao (pronounced A ma now). Charlie, our local Thai restaurant owner in Russell, recommended this as a quieter retreat for local Thai people. It is basically an air force base with few services, green leafy grounds and a well groomed golf course. The beach is pleasant, offering rows of colourful deck chairs to lounge on under the trees. After yet another scrumptious lunch at a large food court, for about $5 for both of us, including a welcome cold cappuccino frappe and blueberry shake for Bob, we relaxed in the shade for the afternoon. I enjoyed a decent swim up & down the bay, once I navigated the shallow shore, but unfortunately Bob was banned from the water, having grazed his knee.

The next day, Monday we spent the whole day focused on getting to our next destination Ko Tao. One of the east coast islands. We checked out late morning and proceeded to Prachuap railway station in good time to get tickets on the 1pm, 3rd class train for NZ$2.82 for both of us! Only the train didn't come. Delay after delay. It is a good reminder of the need for lots of patience when traveling here. Finally at 3.30pm we were on the train. After a 4 hour journey of unspectacular scenery, stopping at many towns along the way, we alighted at Chumphon and were immediately whisked onto a minivan to the place where the ferry leaves, another 2 hour wait. Finally at 10pm we boarded the boat, which looked and sounded very old and tired. With a lot of clanging and banging we headed off into the night. In fact it was reasonably comfortable and as we were able to stay onboard until a more social able hour than the 4am arrival, it was in fact daylight when we walked ashore at Ko Tao. All was quiet and peaceful at that time. How little we knew.

An expensive 4 minute taxi right to our hotel, as the locals have price fixed and will go no where for less than 200Bhat (about $10). Bob was SHATTERED after the long journey so the first few hours were spent recouping some energy!!

We have now been here for 3 days and have transfered to a more affordable little beach bungalow. We walked for miles to explore the south end of this little island and have been amazed at the huge number of tourists and the commercial nature of the whole place.

I am happy to say that we have found a quiet spot on a beautiful beach and some truly exquisite places to sample the local cuisine.

20 July

We are still on the island of Ko Tao. What we didn't appreciate was the popularity of this place. All of the Northern Hemisphere is in summer vacation and this is the dream place for sun seekers and divers.

We are having to spend time booking ahead and accommodation is difficult to secure. A bonus of the computer age means that we are connected, but that means all has changed. Spontaneity of finding a place to sleep and to get around is somewhat compromised.

Yesterday we stayed in a very basic beach side cabin right by the sea. It is lovely to hear the waves rolling in all through the night.

The prevailing wind at this time of year is from the SE blowing right in here. It pleasantly cools everything, but stirs up the sand making visibility impossible. I did go for a swim this morning before the wind got up and could see some of the local sea life.

Yesterday, late morning as the sun was heating up as we embark on a 3km uphill walk to Aow Leuk Bay on the south east coast. Very nice. Fewer, albeit expensive resorts, clear turquoise water, minimal wind and lots of little tropical fish to watch. It appears that all the dive operators come here & disgorge their fledgling divers into the bay.

As usual the food throughout the day was spectacular. It is hard to understand why some people travel when they eat western food here. Thai food has to be some of the best cuisine - fresh tropical fruits, our regular daily fix of mango and banana pancakes, curries and more. A great thing is that the food is inexpensive and clean.

22 July

Yesterday was an interesting travel day. We caught a ferry from Ko Tao to Koh Phangan. We observed with some trepidation as we joined hundreds of weary looking travellers. I'd say fellow back packers, but I don't believe we belong to that franterity any longer. Many were looking rather under the weather from the long hours of partying into the wee small hours. Officials directed us onto a very fragile looking wharf, allowing limited numbers to proceed before requesting we wait to the side for another 25 to 30 minutes. We watched as the boat slowly laboured off toward the south, it's free board looking suspect. Only then did we hear that 300 people were on board. So instead of feeling frustrated to be left to wait we breathed a sigh of relief.

We boarded the next boat and after all passengers were aboard there were even spare seats. So an uneventful trip.

Koh Phangan is the home of the infamous "Full Moon Party" (TM?) where the young party until the late hours of the morning on Haad Rin beach, complete with glow paint and iced "buckets" of cheap Thai whiskey. This tribal affair is a throwback to the 60's hippy era and has dubious origins but has now become a rite of passage for sweaty youngsters from Aussie/USA/England/Italy/France/etc. (hey, are we showing our age or what?) Unfortunately this lemming-like event attracts huge crowds and high prices, sooo we are going to visit the quiet northern part of the island where we can use our walkers on the beach relatively unimpeded. Actually the north has some better snorkeling and scenery and because it is isolated it should give us a respite from the Full Moon Festival. Towards the end of the month we will go to Koh Samui and then on to Bangkok for a flight to Hanoi and a new phase of our trip.

26July

Mae Haad beach at the far north west tip of Koh Phangan on the Gulf of Siam promised isolation, peace & quiet. So imagine our consternation when after settling into our simple little bungalow perched high above the beach, in the jungle, we walked to the beach to find it littered with western (farang) bodies.

Additionally the seasonal SE breeze was whipping up sand and the swimmable water 50 metres out of reach.

Bob is happy to be able to swim now that his knee is sufficiently healed. He waded out, mask & snorkel in hand, only to find the visibility so poor that he couldn't see much. I have developed a successful method of shallow water gliding on my belly. And I'm happy I brought my swim goggles. This area is promoted as Thailand's best snorkeling and driving so it is disappointing.

Yesterday we explored a beach which appeared to be deserted. A little difficult to reach and well worth it. We spent a few hours under the shade of palm trees mostly alone. The water was a little more accessible and a little clearer.

Today, July 26, we headed out on an adventure to find a better beach. Having heard of a spot just around the rocks to the north, we headed out a little late in the morning, on the hot dusty road (reported to not be accessible via the coast). As it turned out it wasn't so far or so steep. Again rewarded with solitude. Again the beach wasn't as promised, but the water, once accessed, was clearer with a pretty good range of fish. Schools of surgeon fish, parrot fish, damesel fish and many brilliant tiny electric blue fish. The coral is disappointing, lacking in colour, broken and smothered in silt. The up side is the greater appreciation we have for our beautiful Bay of Islands and our sparsely populated NZ. I am glad of the experience I had in 1978 when I dove Taveuni Fiji. It was so spectacularly clear, clean and colourful I don't think I will find a match fo this many years later. I recall viewing the seabed 150 feet down when looking from the flying bridge of the boat. I dove with a NZ dive operator and we had the ocean to ourselves!

We have 3 more nights here, working on the relaxation, 2 nights in Ko Samui, then onto Vietnam via a night in Bangkok.

1 August

Impressions of Thailand after almost a month.

Bangkok is a massive city of contrast. We gained a new perspective on this city as we flew over it on our return from Ko Samui yesterday. We spent a night in a hotel near to Suvarnabhumi (BKK) airport, then early this morning drove clear across town for an hour or more to the Don Muang (DMK) airport. Looking down on the massive flat area, the Mae Nam Chao Phraya River snakes through the city and an enormous network of freeways / motorways circumnavigate the city. Our taxi driver this morning certainly earned his 500Bhat, unlike some of the touts in the tourist areas. We left at 4am and once we left the city streets, as Bangkok came to life; street vendors selling food and a small number of shops opening and a few scooters and vehicles out and about, we travelled at freeway speed. We could have been anywhere in the western world passing billboards, factories, car sale yards and so many gas stations.

Now the reason we had to travel so far by taxi rather than have a free shuttle ride to the airport is that confusion arose as to the existence of two international airports. One is new, the other recently revamped. So it is 5.45am and we sit here in a stupor, not a stupa, waiting for our 6.45am flight to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Although there is a heap to explore here in Bangkok, we are happy with a cursory 3 - 4day viewing and will come back at the end of September to meet with Ali & Eugene before I fly away home to NZ.

Thailand’s population is 66.7 million as at February 2012 in the LP. Unemployment is reported to be 1.2%. Amazing! However, when we look around there is someone doing some work related activity, some of which seems rather menial, but at least they can earn; directing traffic, foot traffic, directing people in the train stations, often accompanied by a rather piercing whistle blown with the advance and departure of every train, people sweeping the streets, sidewalks, malls, a young lad sitting at his post outside a public toilet to collect 20Baht from anyone wishing to use it. There are not so many hand pulled carts these days, but I did see one poor fellow who had clearly suffered a stroke, hauling his cart of brushes along the street.

The eastern gulf islands are a humming tourist trade. It appears that the livelihood initially was from fishing and now predominantly from tourism. Pockets on the 3 islands we visited are teeming with Europeans. It is interesting to note that comments in the Lonely Planet (LP) regarding being aware of Thai culture and the importance of being sensitive to Thai modesty. The LP suggests covering up when not on the beach. Some sideways looks were observed in shops and markets as bare chested men and bikini clad women wandered around. Huge numbers of tourists buzz around on scooters, many scantily clad and apparently many come off. We were informed that, the road toll on Samui is near 2 deaths a day. Scary! Roads are narrow, generally without a foot path / side walk and are constructed of concrete. These concrete roads can run out and without notice you are suddenly on a rutted dirt road. Much of the interior of the islands is mountainous and roads tend to follow the coastline which is mostly pretty flat, but the gradient can be very steep in places. Bob nearly got taken out by a women attempting to drive her scooter up one such steep hill. Clearly some of the tourists lack experience and confidence.

We enjoyed a couple of days of getting around a scooter. It certainly is a pleasant way to travel, cool and opens up possibilities of where to go. We were only on Ko Samui for 2 nights and managed to explore quite a bit of it. We had planned to go to the Chaweng which was too far to walk. After about 30 minutes of waiting for the public bus, we gave up and hired a bike for less than it would have cost to get a return bus trip. It is hard to believe this was the same beach I stayed on in a little bungalow back in 1982. It now has a greater resemblance to Bangkok.

We imagine that Europe has similar smoke free environments as we do in NZ, but many people seem to light up on the beaches, streets and restaurants. Not much fun when sharing the airspace. Many of the Thai men appear to smoke, but few of the women. Our impressions of Thai people from past travels are of slim, attractive well groomed people. The evidence of western food we guess may be responsible for a growing number of overweight and obese Thai’s? MacDonald’s, many bakeries,’ 7 Eleven’ stores, (a chain in the USA) and a high number of western bars and restaurants on the islands, offer western food. The only time we gave up trying to find a Thai meal and decided that a pizza sounded like a pleasant change, we were disappointed. Not only was the meal less tasty and less satisfying, but more expensive. Makes sense I guess as according to one of our guesthouse hosts, a German who has been living here 25 years, all of the produce is brought onto the islands. Palm trees cover the islands, but mostly those sold for consumption have been brought from the mainland.

Ok, next stop Vietnam.

More photos to upload. It is a slow process so apologies for not getting onto it.

Interest in LA

margotforrest — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 06:39:00 GMT

Greetings all from our blog.

We were thankful to spend a few days in LA to recover the long journey from NZ. Must be suckers for punishment as we again took the route via Australia making it 22 hours from airport to airport. Toooooooo long! I managed to wear my leg for the duration meaning I didn't challenge the possibility of struggling to put it on and walk on arrival. This meant that I slept less and walked around the cabin more. However, we still had muscle aches and pains for a few days.

LA felt hot, complicated by the stuffiness of Ann's apartment. Ann, Bob's mum recently moved retirement homes, presenting a considerable challenge which concerns the family. The staff who all appear to be extremely positive, supportive and helpful, reassured us that her reaction to the move is normal and that we can anticipate that she will begin to engage more with time. 97 is an age to be marveled, so we think she is doing brilliantly. Slowing a little and memory a bit jaded....... but hey don't test mine too much! By the end of a long day I joined her by using a wheelchair to rest my little leg which was beginning to complain.

We managed some exploration of interesting spots in LA. Ann lives on the edge of Pasadena & Arcadia and Annette, Bob's sister lives in Pasadena which is one of the few lush cities within LA, with trees and green grass! I admit I could possibly live there, but I couldn't handle the parched surrounds of most of southern California. We wandered some of the local streets, visited our fav store, "Trader Joe's"and came across a park were thought was a public area. Finding now entrance having walked for an hour or so we climbed the fence and found ourselves inside the beautiful lush historic area "Baldwin Park". Baldwin a wealthy railroad magnet built his mansion and carriage house for his 3rd wife, planted many beautiful palms from all over and imported peacocks from India.... now the bane of local resident as they eat any flowers planted in their gardens and poop on the roof.

On our return to LA a little more than a week later we visited another historic homestead, Huntington gardens this time legally

Bear Rove

margotforrest — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:17:00 GMT

Bear Roving is now an important aspect of Ranger life. As a paid ranger, Bob was schedled on a few. Although he was exhausted on arriving home somewhere between 10.30pm & midnight, he was bubbling with stories.

As a volunteer, I was not rostered to do these late shifts even though we both had a training session around the process taking up the best part of a day. It sounded like an exciting experience not to be missed, so Andy obligued and gave me the opportunity.

Saturday September 4th we were both roster to work until 10pm. We donned hefty radios, flashlights and set off in a NPS truck. We followed Lauren's lead (an experienced ranger) as we cruised into rest area's and camp grounds checking for any evidence of visiting bears, garbage left out or unattended food. In spite of a huge awareness raising campaign... focus of the Junior Ranger Program (education program for kids and their families), notification about food storage, signage to save the bears and keep wild life wild, many people continue to leave the specially designed bear lockers unlocked, open and food sitting on top. Those bears have a sense of smell 15 times that of a human and 10 that of a dog. Once they get habituated by the taste of human food it is very difficult to dissuade them from seeking it. My figures are probably inaccurate, but there are something like 400 bears in the park (1,169sq miles/ 3,028sq Km) & about 40 bears who have had to be tagged as they regulary visit people populated areas and lose their fear of humans in the pursuit of food.

Bob had been on duty some of the preceding nights with some exciting activity. I was feeling a little pumped, then spotted a lone coyote, cool.... but as we wandered (roved) from campsite to campsite asking people to obligue by the rules, there appeared to be little activity, until there was a great clanging of pots and yelling by campers... I was left standing as Lauren and Bob took off running.... I continued at a steady walk attempting to traverse a patch of bush following the flickering lights, until I gave up and continued to skirt the parimeter of the camp ground. I met up with a worker from the 'Wildlife' division and as we chatted this little bear appeared within feet of us. Quietly walking along having turned back on his course. We walked for about 10 minutes or so, gathering a trail of interested campers, camera in hand behind us. Eventually the rest of the team caught up with us realising they had been duped. Another "wildlife" guy came in from the side and shot the poor little bear with a tranquilizer gun.

I will leave it, with photo's and let Bob finish the rest of the story.

El Portal & Mariposa

margotforrest — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:42:00 GMT

El Portal is our home... well it is now Bob's for 2 weeks, as I'm now with his sister on my way home. It is not the most exciting place. A few apartment blocks for park staff, a primary school, pre-school and a very inviting looking pool. I did manage to swim laps on several occasions when we had days off and it wasn't crowded with kids, but the opening hours were very limited. The apartment is comfortable and cool with a hint of a view of the river.

The river always seemed to entice me, but getting into it proved to be a challenge. Eventually we found a gorgeous swimming hole and for the past few weeks visited regularly. Such good training for open water swimming. A stretch of about 100m and variations of current. Probably a little nicer than most open swimming spots due to the extraordinarily clear water. So cool to watch the trout and visit with other life in the process.

We traveled in & out of the park on a daily basis... well for 5days at a time for regular 91/2hr shifts. These were more like 12 hour days. The communite is 35 to 50minutes,then add in the down time between shift times and the bus timetable. There are a number of interesting activies it would have been great to attend if we had been living in the valley... movies, music, shows & campfire talks.

Mariposa is a small community another 40 minutes or so West of the Valley. We linked in a few activities around the regular grocery shop. One such visit was to the Mariposa museum. A stunning aray of information and exhibits. A hot dry place without alot going for it, but extremely rich in history. Mariposa, meaning butterfly, thus many businesses incorporated the theme.

Some interesting history of the gold rush from 1848 onward and earlier details of trappers who happened upon Yosemite. Of course many people have lived here long before the American people. 1,000's of years of Indian habitation. Italian visitors and of course a large proportion of the present State of California was part of Mexico at that time. The Mariposa County extended all the way south to include Los Angeles. Interesting when you meet people, as we did, who were complaining of the foreigners and their crime (Meaning Mexicans!) necessitating gun ownership! This one particular man was talking of his interest to come to NZ and as he seemed put off that it is cold there (not understanding that of course the seasons are reversed) we didn't enlighten him.

Photos: Lukens Lake

margotforrest — Tue, 7 Sep 2010 16:08:00 GMT

Gentle 4mile (6k) hike around 8,000ft

Yosemite Rangering

margotforrest — Wed, 1 Sep 2010 05:01:00 GMT

About 4 million people visit Yosemite National Park every year - about the same as the total population of New Zealand. To say that it is busy in Yosemite Valley is a bit of an understatement. In a number of respects this Park sets the standard nationwide in terms of planning, design and management (and possibly scenic wonders). There are a lot of talented, hard working and extremely dedicated people working there. It is interesting to note that many seasonal rangers return year after year to work for barely more than the minimum wage just to be at this park, meaning that some of them have never had the security or income of a permanent job while in their 30's & 40's.

So what does an Interpretive Ranger job entail? Basically they are in the front line of having contact with all these visitors. This means running the visitor centre, conducting guided walks and talks, running junior ranger programmes, roving (jargon for patrolling) the tracks, facilities and campgrounds, and narrating several 2 hr tram tours that circle the Valley. It also means wearing a formal Smokey da Bear (ranger) costume at all times while the temperature hovers around 100 degrees F. All this involves 9.5 hr shifts, compounded by over an hour commutes since very few rangers live in the Park, resulting in 12 hour days. The biggest challenge is simply talking all the time, because as soon as visitors see the Smokey the Bear hat (aka a "lemon squeezer" hat in NZ) they want to ask a question or have a photo opportunity with the family. I've managed to keep my voice most days but sometimes I get coughing fits, which doesn't sound so nice when amplified over the sound system on the trams.

Although this all sounds like work and no fun, there are some amazing aspects to the job. For a start, my "office" is AWSUM and beats the view out of any Manhattan skyscraper. The people I work with and the visitors to the park are generally in a good space and contribute towards a very friendly atmosphere. Hiking the trails or chasing bears through the campgrounds is also fun, although I wouldn't want to admit that to everyone. I gather that a recent survey indicated the Park Rangers were among the most trusted profession in America, beating out doctors and school teachers (politicians apparently don't rate). While I'm not sure that this trust is warranted, it does mean that visitors show you an enormous amount of respect, which of course is what we all seek even if it is largely unearned.

I must come clean here, at the risk of getting an earful (or worse) from Margot. Yosemite National Park is largely run by volunteers and could not operate without them. They help staff many of the facilities for no pay and sometimes rudimentary accommodation. Volunteers here are also a dedicated bunch and some of them have been returning year after year and bringing with them an incredible store of knowledge and expertise. The non-profit Yosemite Conservancy is very effective in raising money (almost half the budget), running programmes and underwriting big restoration projects. Many of the volunteers and staff here are avid rock climbers, photographers and naturalists, who pursue their hobbies during and after work.

Hopefully we (Margot) will post some more pictures of this amazing place, including some full-frontal shots of us in our park uniforms. As one of our co-workers mentioned, it's kind of hard here to take a bad photo...

Photos: Sentinel Dome

margotforrest — Wed, 1 Sep 2010 04:21:00 GMT

6 mile Hike to Taft Point & Sentinel Dome

Photos: May Lake, off Tioga Road + Mt Hoffman

margotforrest — Wed, 1 Sep 2010 04:18:00 GMT

21/2 mile hike

Sentinel Dome Hike

margotforrest — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:13:00 GMT

Ok, so I'm rather tardy at writing the actual story. However, we did indeed visit Sentinel Dome at 8,122feet (2,476m. And it is indeed beautiful. we met with a lovely couple, Bonnie & Al who are spending their summers volunteering at National Parks. Bonnie is as close to a doctor as I can imagine, she worked as a Medical Technologist in a specialist area of bone marrow transplants. Al was a financial adviser and is now at 75 a keen hiker and rock climber! They are from Ohio and spend their summers hanging out in National Parks, volunteering, then head south in the RV for the winter. Pretty good life!

On our last days off, Tuesday last week we met at the parking lot off Glacier Point Road and set off from there. Yosemite NP is amazing in that the Valley (4,000 feet elevation) approximately 1 mile wide by 13 miles long;- although reported to be 7 sq miles is surrounded by high plateau of rugged granite. Sentinel Dome sits at 8,122 feet and provides a spectacular 360degree view far & wide.

The hike was a kind of loop with a couple of sections being return trips. We walked an easy slightly downhill slope through sparse trees to Taft Point which at 7,503feet is a little higher than the well known Glacier Point and rather more spectacular. To boot we arrived to see a group of young lads, stripped of their shirts sitting with legs dangling over the edge of what is a sheer precipice almost 4,000 feet directly to the valley floor. Their rope was secured and tensioned between to points across the abyss awaiting the one who was game to walk.... or was it the one waiting to perform, for it did appear that when a reasonable number of people were present the tight rope walking began.

From Taft Point we returned along the path, to take a northward fork along the glacial rim to the Sentinel Dome. This part of the trail promised to be picturesque as it provided astounding views both downward... the Yosemite Lodge Swimming pool appeared as a small blue patch as would be viewed from an aeroplane, and of the multitude of surrounding granite monoliths. And to boot there were almost no people! Quiet and peaceful and idyllic. The whole walk was about 6 miles and a little range in altitude.

May Lake hike

margotforrest — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:08:00 GMT

It may appear that we are going backwards.... but coincidentally we visited May Lake by foot up in the high Sierra country off Tioga Road the week after we'd visited friends at their cabin outside the Eastern boundary of the park.

We drove a couple of miles of the Tioga Road, then hiked steadily uphill until we came across a pristine clear mountain lake. Bob then headed off to higher ground and climbed another 1,000feet or so to Mount Hoffman @ 10,850 feet. Mt Hoffamn is estimated to be almost at the center of the park.

May Lake sits at 9,329feet, a 2 and a half mile round trip walk (3.9km) There is 1 of about 6 high Sierra camps. Tent cabins are constructed like a small village and hikers can complete a week long circuit enjoying the comfort of home, they get to sleep on a proper bed with mattress, sheets and blanket, plus to be served restaurant meals... at a price of course. May lake is therefore a natural water reservoir, so swimming and boating is prohibited... so what did I witness? I walked along the trail and looked down into the pristine waters, only to see a few BAD people frolicing there... thinking they were hidden from view by a large rock! I was secretly jealous as it did look sooooooo inviting.

Anyway, Bob made the 1,521 foot ascent of Mount Hoffman in record time. Feeling very proud of his speed and agility he bounced back down to greet me. He then had to walk slowly, the return route 485feet to the parking lot, as he had to hold my hand to prevent me from falling.

The next day.... well I won't go there, but someone was not a happy chappy who took a little time to climb out of bed. Some times it is hard to believe that we are NO longer 20 or even 30 years of age.

Wawona and the giant Sequoia Tree's

margotforrest — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:07:00 GMT

I did mention this amazing grove of huge trees earlier.... but will add a little now. We walked up through the grove. A dusty trail through open forest with many trees both still growing as they have done for more than 2,000years. We walked through the famous 'Californian Tunnel Tree", one a number of Sequoia which were tunnelled to enable foot, horse and passenger vehicles through, initially horse drawn coaches, then the first motor vehicles early 1900's. Standing next to the Grizzly Giant, which stands at 309 feet tall, with a girth of 96 feet at its base and being 3,000years old make my life span pale into insignificance!

Wawona was part of the original area designated as Park. John Muir lobbied Congress in the 1860's as both he and another important figure, Galen Clark, recognised the significance of the Sequoia. Galen Clark, the first Guardian of the Park, established himself here and built a rustic cabin in the spot which is now the upper glade and the site of a wood and stone museum. One gets a sense of peace and tranquility when looking out from the museum through the tree filtered light into the meadow below.

I read a pioneer story, where in the 1860's a team of 4 men took 22 days to fell one giant Sequoia and when it fell it lay splintered and rotted on the ground. This timber, due to its weak, light and brittle characteristics, became known of the "California Hoax".

Vancouver, Canada

margotforrest — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:34:00 GMT

For some reason I seem to have missed telling of my adventures in Vancouver. This was a trip I had not entirely planned, but since we found out about the opportunity to work for the US National Park Service just prior to flying out of NZ, the paper work required was somewhat comprehensive. I found the US consulate extraordinarily difficult to deal with as I eluded to previously... hours spend on the computer at Bob's sisters place continued to some extent in Vancouver. I did eventually get to have a positive phone conversation with a British woman, based in Ottawa I believe,... Finally someone who was prepared to listen and inform, acknowledging my individual situation. She understood the issue of being a dual citizen and finally I got some sensible and helpful advice.... C$65.00's later. In the end all I required was the offer of Voluntary employment for the NPS and to complete a document at the airport and my Canadian passport was successfully stamped.

Spending 16 days in Vancouver was in no way doom and gloom. I stayed with Brenda my friend of many years. As a result of Vanc hosting the Winter Olympics a few months prior the public transport is superb. I became expert at finding my way from all corners to & from the centre of this gorgeous city. Reconnecting with friends is always a wonderful experience and times passed seem insignificant in spite of all the events which have occurred. I am grateful to have met up with most people from my days there many years ago, on previous visits, so seeing Mary-Lou was a bonus. I'm afraid to count the years /decades which have passed by since we last spent an evening over a glass of wine and shared life experiences... kids, family, work etc.

Also of course there was time for jazz festivals, community craft fairs, China town, Gastown, a beer at the Jericho Boat Club with Kim, a trip to the North Vancouver, Lonsdale Market, walks on the dike, High tea in a Chinese restaurant and more.

I was rather sad to again farewell the Pacific North-West, Brenda had come up with all kinds of ideas of how I could get an OT Job and stay on... that did sound inviting especially the thought of joining her in Mexico....However, now that I had the ticket to another new adventure with Bob I was keen to make a start.

Photos: June Lake, East Sierra

margotforrest — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:08:00 GMT

Weekend to visit kiwis from Russell via High Sierra Road

Days off

margotforrest — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:26:00 GMT

Return to a full working week gives little time for R&R. The first of our 2 - 3 days off is necessary to do catch up.... Sleeping, washing, reading, lounging by the pool and fitting in a few laps. AND of course grocery shopping... which is a least a 1 hour drive away. There is a store in Yosemite Village, but as may be expected items tend to be on the pricey side. Mariposa is a little further to the west and has some interesting features and a small supermarket, where as Oakhurst to the south is a larger settlement with more diverse options... well as with many US supermarkets, this means whole aisles dedicated to chips, others to cereals etc.

June Lake, where we visited Jack & Wendy August 1 - 3, is a quiet little vacation spot on the east of the Sierra's just north of Mammoth Lakes / Mountain. Tioga Pass road is open only in summer as it traverses the high Sierra wilderness area of the park. It is beautiful in a different way than the valley and much less busy. The elevation of the road is 6,000 to almost 10,000 feet, whereas the valley sits at 4,000feet. We stopped at a gorgeous vantage point Olmstead Point, a bold, barren area of granite offering stunning views for miles including across the valley. The true explorer heads for the high country to go backpacking and climbing. With more 800 miles of trails in the whole park, hikers have potential adventure for many a year..

Jack and Wendy, who live mostly in LA, Palos Verde, have a house in Russell just up the street from us and have a very attractive lifestyle moving between Britain, US & NZ. Another Russell couple were visiting from NZ, so we had many a pleasant hour sitting on the deck overlooking the lake with the sense that we were the only people there. We enjoyed chugging across the lake to enjoy a swim at the far end. They then returned to Yosemite with us to share lunch at the Ahwahnee hotel, built in 1927 for the 'high end' tourists of the day. We then offered a brief tour sharing our new found knowledge.

The last couple of days we explored in the opposite direction, traveling south to see the giant Sequoia trees of the Mariposa Grove near the south entrance of Wawona. More wonderful history and some great walks through trees which have been living for up to 2 thousand years and more the 200 feet tall. The early pioneers cut vast tunnels through some of the trees and in spite of having a shallow root system and being sensitive to trampling several continue to live today. Lucky for the Sequoia, their timber is not suitable for building as it is brittle with insufficient strength, so it was the Sugar Pine tree which was used. The Sugar Pine grows very tall and very straight.

After wandering the Wawona area and the Mariposa grove, we attended a BBQ put on by some locals, for other locals... nice to be afforded such status!

I have still to discover how to rectify the blocking of the photo's... will go back again to our IT / Web guru tomorrow with further questions.

Yikes - computers

margotforrest — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:52:00 GMT

I have just spent hours updating my story & photo's and have managed to block the photos & not save stories.... Grrrrrrrrr