I had originally intended to go to Malaysia after the Indochina trip, to the northern part of Borneo. My plan was to dive there and spend some time exploring the jungles to see the orang-utans. But, this is not the best time of year for diving in that region and I decided that seeing the orang-utans is something I would rather do when travelling with somebody instead of on my own, so I went back to Zanzibar! I knew I would be back, although I didn't quite expect to be back so soon!
I have flown overnight many times, but I don't ever remember seeing the stars like I did on the flight from Bangkok to Mumbai. And because there was not a cloud in the sky, the twinkling of street lights and cities of India seemed to mirror their counterparts in the firmament. It looked really beautiful.
Having only booked a one way ticket into Zanzibar, there was a bit of fun and games getting onto the plane. I didn't have a visa and planned to just get one on arrival, but technically you need to prove that you are not intending to stay indefinitely to get a tourist visa, by having onward flights arranged, and at the stricter airports like Bangkok and Mumbai, they weren't happy with me just saying I would book the return flight when I was here. Eventually, I managed to persuade them I was only visiting (showing the rest of my itinerary did the trick), so it was all sorted and I was back in familiar surroundings. It was a great feeling watching the scrum of taxi drivers at the airport trying to take the plane load of Italians that arrived at the same time as me, so I just sat back and watched the melee unfold as I waited for a lift from a friend!
My plan here was to catch up with friends, dive at the old sites and visit some parts of the island that I missed last time round. As it turns out, the catching up with old friends - and making some new ones - took over and the first few nights were spent visiting the old haunts of Tatu, Livingstones and Bawani.... Only a few people knew I was coming back, and a lot of jaws hit the floor as I met up with people again (I think David takes the prize for the best look of surprise, but making Emilia speechless is also quite a feat!). There was an added bonus, as Ruben came back to Zanzibar on the same day - it felt like we had gone back in time four months.
My stay also coincided with a full moon, so of course a few of us headed up to Kendwa Rocks for the full moon party. It was much busier than my last full moon party and it was a good (and late) night. Squeezing seven people into a tiny car to drive back down the bumpy back roads to the bungalows seemed like a perfectly sensible idea at the time, but time will tell if the suspension on Laura's car agrees!
The following day, we spent a very relaxing day at the beach in Nungwi. I had been to the village before, but not made it to the beach and it matches Paje and Kendwa for its beauty. The ocean there is very salty and lying back in the water with palm trees swaying in the breeze along the shore is a very agreeable way to recover.
I also went to see the slave chambers and coral caves at Mangapwani. Slavery is self evidently abhorrent wherever it takes place, but the conditions in these illegal holding pens, set up by the arabs when slavery was outlawed on the island, must have been indescribably awful. Today, the caves are home to bats, snakes and jumping spiders and walking through the pitch black caves, over jagged coral rocks in intense heat and humidity was a bit of an adventure! The bats were cute though!
I wasn't sure how long I would stay in Zanzibar this time. My next booked flight was from Singapore to New Zealand on 16 December, but the tickets are - at least theoretically - flexible. However, most of the flight that I could potentially switch to are full with people travelling for Christmas, so I planned to leave Zanzibar on the 14th. As with all best laid plans, that didnt quite work out, as I was persuaded that I couldn't miss Steffi's birthday party on the 14th and so now I leave on the 15th. And my time in Singapore will be just a few hours in the airport. At least I've heard it's a good one!
So, with (another!) farewell dinner at La Taverna, followed by learning a few German birthday songs and sayings at the stroke of midnight for Steffi's birthday, I started saying my goodbyes again to these shores.
I wonder how long I can stay away this time....!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Thailand: The old and the new
Our return
Our first night back in Thailand was spent at the border town of Chiang Khong. There is nothing much to report from there: a basic hotel, plain food, and meeting a Belgian bar owner who was off his head and just wanted to play the (terrible) music from his band and drive his dog up and down the main street on the back of his motorbike. I am getting quite used to the surreal nowadays!
Chiang Rai
The following day we had a flying visit to Chiang Rai en route to Chiang Mai, to call in at the fascinating white temple. It is completely different to all the other Buddhist temples I have seen (and believe me, I have seen a lot on this tour!); from the mural on the wall with images of Spiderman and Kung-Fu panda, to the sculptured heads hanging from the trees and the hands reaching up from the floor representing souls lost in hell. It is an amazing place - and all paid for by one philanthropist artist who wanted to do something different. I can vouch for the fact that he has achieved his aim!
Chiang Mai
We did not have long in Chiang Mai (about six hours before we had to catch the overnight bus to Bangkok), but what I did see was wonderful. It's another city in which there seem to be temples everywhere, which is not surprising given it is one of the former capitals, including some of most ornate and some of the biggest I have seen. Unfortunately, because of the restricted time we had and rumours of a big traffic jam, we had to skip the most famous temple (Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep). Still, at least it gives me something to look forward to when I come back!
The city has a laid-back feel to it, much like Luang Prabang and Vientiane: it is big enough to keep you occupied, whether that be walking around the temples, visiting the elephant sanctuary, taking a cooking class or just wandering around the old streets, but not so big that it can't be explored for a first taste in a day. Despite the stories of heavy traffic near Doi Suthep, around the old quarter there was very little (perhaps because it was a Sunday) and ambling around the streets, through the weekend market that was springing up around us and one or two of the temples, was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. In fact, the market was one of the best from the trip, with lots of local-made, good-quality and unusual items and not so much factory produced tat.
It has been quite a while since I went to the south of Thailand, but from what I remember and stories from others, the northern parts are like a different country.
I know you are all waiting for the next massage update and I can confirm that the Thais do know how to give a good one! We splashed out a bit as we were ending the tour and spent nearly a whole £10 at one of the more up-market spas, but it was worth it!
Bangkok
I don't know whether it is me or the city that has changed since my first visit ten years ago, probably both, but it has lost that exotic allure. The Golden Buddha, Great Palace and Wat Pho are still golden, great and, er, pho, but these and the other sights are spread out in the sprawling metropolis. The city looks and feels (and smells!) like a living city. It is probably a great place to live, getting to know the hidden gems of back street restaurants and deserted temples that provide an oasis of calm amongst the thronging city life, but for me it is just another big, modern city.
And then something happens which reminds you that beneath the modern, vibrant exterior, with the debauchery of Khoasan Road and dirty backstreets, beats a traditional heart with the pulse of an ancient culture. It was the king's birthday when we were there and, while political and military powers come and go out of favour, the Thai people are constant in their love of the king, so there was a great celebration. The wats around the city were all lit up and looked magical, especially with candle lanterns floating high above the Chao Phraya in the background. There were exhibition sites all over the centre with what looked like, bizarrely, the king's holiday snaps. About 80% of the people were wearing pink - the king's (current) lucky colour and, at 8.00, all across the country, including the restaurant we were having dinner, all the lights went off, everybody was provided with a candle and the whole restaurant started to sing the king's song. All five verses...
The final day of the trip was spent driving around in a tuk-tuk to see the sites. It was a busy day, calling in at Wat Pho, the White Buddha, the Laughing Buddha in the Marble Temple, the golden mount and Wat Arun.
Exhausted, there was just time for one last dinner with Abby and Jon (the only two that were left from the trip) before heading to the airport to continue the adventures elsewhere....
Our first night back in Thailand was spent at the border town of Chiang Khong. There is nothing much to report from there: a basic hotel, plain food, and meeting a Belgian bar owner who was off his head and just wanted to play the (terrible) music from his band and drive his dog up and down the main street on the back of his motorbike. I am getting quite used to the surreal nowadays!
Chiang Rai
The following day we had a flying visit to Chiang Rai en route to Chiang Mai, to call in at the fascinating white temple. It is completely different to all the other Buddhist temples I have seen (and believe me, I have seen a lot on this tour!); from the mural on the wall with images of Spiderman and Kung-Fu panda, to the sculptured heads hanging from the trees and the hands reaching up from the floor representing souls lost in hell. It is an amazing place - and all paid for by one philanthropist artist who wanted to do something different. I can vouch for the fact that he has achieved his aim!
Chiang Mai
We did not have long in Chiang Mai (about six hours before we had to catch the overnight bus to Bangkok), but what I did see was wonderful. It's another city in which there seem to be temples everywhere, which is not surprising given it is one of the former capitals, including some of most ornate and some of the biggest I have seen. Unfortunately, because of the restricted time we had and rumours of a big traffic jam, we had to skip the most famous temple (Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep). Still, at least it gives me something to look forward to when I come back!
The city has a laid-back feel to it, much like Luang Prabang and Vientiane: it is big enough to keep you occupied, whether that be walking around the temples, visiting the elephant sanctuary, taking a cooking class or just wandering around the old streets, but not so big that it can't be explored for a first taste in a day. Despite the stories of heavy traffic near Doi Suthep, around the old quarter there was very little (perhaps because it was a Sunday) and ambling around the streets, through the weekend market that was springing up around us and one or two of the temples, was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. In fact, the market was one of the best from the trip, with lots of local-made, good-quality and unusual items and not so much factory produced tat.
It has been quite a while since I went to the south of Thailand, but from what I remember and stories from others, the northern parts are like a different country.
I know you are all waiting for the next massage update and I can confirm that the Thais do know how to give a good one! We splashed out a bit as we were ending the tour and spent nearly a whole £10 at one of the more up-market spas, but it was worth it!
Bangkok
I don't know whether it is me or the city that has changed since my first visit ten years ago, probably both, but it has lost that exotic allure. The Golden Buddha, Great Palace and Wat Pho are still golden, great and, er, pho, but these and the other sights are spread out in the sprawling metropolis. The city looks and feels (and smells!) like a living city. It is probably a great place to live, getting to know the hidden gems of back street restaurants and deserted temples that provide an oasis of calm amongst the thronging city life, but for me it is just another big, modern city.
And then something happens which reminds you that beneath the modern, vibrant exterior, with the debauchery of Khoasan Road and dirty backstreets, beats a traditional heart with the pulse of an ancient culture. It was the king's birthday when we were there and, while political and military powers come and go out of favour, the Thai people are constant in their love of the king, so there was a great celebration. The wats around the city were all lit up and looked magical, especially with candle lanterns floating high above the Chao Phraya in the background. There were exhibition sites all over the centre with what looked like, bizarrely, the king's holiday snaps. About 80% of the people were wearing pink - the king's (current) lucky colour and, at 8.00, all across the country, including the restaurant we were having dinner, all the lights went off, everybody was provided with a candle and the whole restaurant started to sing the king's song. All five verses...
The final day of the trip was spent driving around in a tuk-tuk to see the sites. It was a busy day, calling in at Wat Pho, the White Buddha, the Laughing Buddha in the Marble Temple, the golden mount and Wat Arun.
Exhausted, there was just time for one last dinner with Abby and Jon (the only two that were left from the trip) before heading to the airport to continue the adventures elsewhere....
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Lao: The jewel of Indochina
Sabaidee! Hope you are ready for this - it is fair to warn you that I loved Lao, so brace yourself for a bit of a love-in!
Lao; the land of a million elephants, as the tag-line goes. I'm sure that is not true anymore, but the land of a million smiles may be an appropriate replacement. In fact, with a population of about 6,500,000, a million smiles is an understatement.
All the people I met in Lao were very friendly and there is a pride and open love for their country that I think is rare. Everybody you meet on the street greets you with "Sabaidee!" (hello) and a smile - a marked difference to Vietnam. All the shops fly both the communist hammer and sickle and the national flags. Lao is a one party communist state, but from the conversations I had with people, there is no disquiet and around 30% of the people are a member of the socialist party. I don't think it has always been like this, but in the last twenty years or so there has been more economic freedom and people can run their own businesses and own land. As a consequence, the economy is growing, although average income is still only $1,300 per annum and 90% of the population still work in agriculture. The big growth areas are tourism (especially since Luang Prabang was made a world heritage site and Vang Vieng became a hedonist's Mecca) and hydro-electric power, with Lao a surprising (to me) net exporter of electricity to China, Vietnam and Thailand. Healthcare and education are still in need of improvement, but through organisations like doctors without borders and international aid, it is slowly getting better.
The landscape is a tapestry of different villages (and different tribes) and as we travelled across the country, apart from the cities where we stopped, all the populated areas were small hamlets, rather than towns. The roads on the route we took were some of the best of the entire trip, which for the poorest country was a surprise at first. However, we learnt that the Chinese had provided the investment to upgrade the main infrastructure and, for a country with the natural resources of Lao, you wonder at what cost. So boys and girls, if you too want to see Lao before the forests disappear and the local villages with their own character and charm are replaced with built-up identikit towns and shops packed to the rafters with "Made in China" products, I think you should come sooner rather than later.
On arrival
We crossed the border into Lao at Nam Phao and two minutes later, the rain stopped and the sun came out, revealing the lush tree-covered mountain slopes. (Actually, the journey through northwest Vietnam was also through green mountains, but the rain spoilt the view somewhat.) After a full day travelling, we arrived in Lac Sao just in time to see the sun set behind the limestone mountains that pierce the skyline.
Lac Sao really is a one-horse town, with not much to do except admire the scenery. We had a basic dinner at the town's only restaurant (appropriately named, "Only One") before another early start and the drive to Vientiane.
Luckily, however, our visit coincided with Lac Sao's annual festival, so after dinner we headed out to the grounds of a local high school to join in. The place was packed and, again, we were the only westerners there so became a bit of an attraction ourselves, alongside the fairground stalls and snack bars selling fried chicken feet and the like. The feature event, though, was the beauty pageant with a Lao pop star providing the musical entertainment. It was rather surreal to be sat in the Lao mountains, drinking the local brew, watching a dozen young women in traditional costumes parading up and down a stage - not an experience I expected to have, but fun nonetheless.
Vientiane
The journey down to the capital was through some of the most impressive scenery of the trip; jagged limestone mountains rising up from green forests on the low-lying slopes or swaying tall grasses that cover the plateaus. We stopped at a couple of places for photos or snacks and the thing you most noticed at each stop was just how tranquil the land was.
I hadn't really noticed the rain or lower temperature in northern Vietnam, as neither really spoilt any of the sightseeing too much (perhaps apart from the mist in Halong Bay), but in Lao the sun has been shining and it has been much warmer.
Vientiane is on the Mekong river, which marks the boundary with Thailand, so our drive basically took us across the country from the Vietnam border. Vientiane is possibly the most laid-back capital in the world, with hardly any traffic and a slowly, slowly attitude that the Zanzibaris would be proud of. The city has over 700 temples, so you could easily spend a week or more here, but we only had a couple of days, so focussed on the highlights. There are so few tourists in the city, that even at the main attractions like the golden stupa, the independence gate (an Arc de Triomphe look-a-like) and the Buddhist temples by the palace, you could wander around and see everything you wanted without having to push through crowds.
In the evening, we had dinner in the grounds of a Buddhist temple (which, surprisingly, served alcohol) before a couple of drinks in one of the many modern Lao-meets-West type bars that are scattered throughout the streets. The local (and almost only) beer, Beerlao, is made from rice, apparently, but is actually one of the best beers I have tasted.
Vang Vieng
After Vientiane, we made our way north to Vang Vieng, halfway between the capital and Luang Prabang. Originally nothing more than a staging post on the journey, Vang Vieng has become a destination in its own right, albeit one that is very different to the rest of the country.
The longer I live and the more I see, the younger I get, but my reversal of the ageing process has its limits and Vang Vieng is definitely targeting younger travellers. We did have a good night out, moving along the bars that line the streets, before ending up in (another) bucket bar watching the fire dancers and drinking the local firewater (Lao Lao). But, the endless re-runs of Friends - in 2011! - in the majority of the bars is something I could have done without (the only other show that was on was Family Guy, which was much better!), and despite our merry band drinking solidly for several hours, we were definitely the most sober around.
In the daytime, the atmosphere is generally a little more sedate (in most places). We went up into the surrounding hills and, sat in a tube (an inflatable ring) explored the caves under the mountains. Following that, and a quick visit to the local Buddha temple which was set in another cave (the locals didn't have enough money to make a proper temple), we went kayaking down the river Nam Song. After about 7km, a group of us swapped our kayaks for the inflatable tubes again.
The tubing is what the town is famous for. Well, I say tubing, in practice most people don't get past the bars that line that stretch of the river. The bars blast out music, everybody is hammered or spaced out on mushrooms, rope swings, zip lines, ski jumps fling people into the water - three people died last year! We actually made it past the bars, although not before I was fired 20 feet into the air (before gravity kicked in), when somebody jumped on the other end of an inflatable blob. I'm sure I bruised a rib or two as I hit the water front first!
After those bars, because the rainy season had finished, the 'rapids' we were supposed to be tubing through were more like 'slows', so the trip back to the town took about two hours. But that was not such a bad thing, drifting down the river through the beautiful scenery, beer in hand, passing local fishermen working in along the banks and in the water, is not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.
The drive from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang is through the limestone mountains of northern Lao, and I think the drive is probably the most beautiful I have ever done. Small farms and little hamlets flank the winding road, rolling hills covered by green forests in the middle distance and dark sawtoothed mountains provide the backdrop. You know you are getting used to a place when you can pass by herds of cattle in the road, chickens in the street and goats roaming the roadside without a second glance.
We called in for lunch at a restaurant in the mountains, with a view to kill for and a menu full of dubious meals: anyone for deer meat soaked in liquid faeces in the intestines?! Thankfully, the menu also comes with a warning that it has a "bitter taste", so I wasn't tempted!
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is awesome, in the proper sense of the word, rather than the watered-down, overused American version: jaw-dropping scenery, crystal clear waterfalls, friendly people, ancient temples everywhere, Buddhist monasteries buzzing with everyday chores, colourful markets bustle throughout the day and night. Luang Prabang is the unspoilt Indochina that I hoped to see on this trip. After the sullied Eden of Vang Vieng, the city helped restore my senses.
The first thing we did on arrival late afternoon, was to climb Pho Si to watch the sun set over the distant mountains. The temples at Pho Si are not that great, but the view is stunning. After the sun had sunk below the mountains, we had been invited to the home of a local family for some home cooking. It was probably the best food on the trip, although when they said local cooking, I think they went a bit easy on the chillies for us. Before we ate dinner, we took part in a traditional ceremony, where some of the old women from the family bestowed blessings on us.
Having tried out the massages in Cambodia and Vietnam, it was time to try a Lao version. Based on my expert analysis, I'd probably rank it as above the one in Vietnam but not as good as Cambodia. I just need a Thai massage now to complete the set and my research!
There was a slight change of pace after the massage, as we took a visit to the local Lao nightclub. There have been some memorable experiences on this trip, but the nightclub is one I'd like to erase from my mind as soon as possible! It was like a school disco at first, with a live band complete with casio organ grinding out some awful dirge, while a handful of the girls (and a rather seedy old westerner) performed some weird kind of formation dancing, and then the music switched seamlessly to hard core techno - Lao style. Even writing about it now makes me shudder!
The following day, we headed out into the surrounding countryside. In the morning, we took a trip to an elephant sanctuary, where they take in the elephants that have been replaced by machines in the local farms and logging businesses, because otherwise they would be left to starve as they are too costly for people to feed. An elephant ride through the forest was followed by a lunch of bananas and sugar cane (for the elephants) and a quick dip in the Nam Khan (which is the same river as the Nam Song, but rivers get given different names as they pass through different towns). Sitting on top of an elephant, while she sprays water over her head was great fun, although Janine's steed preferred the dunking approach to bathing and I think I got off lightly. As well as the riding, feeding and bathing, there was plenty of elephant farting too - much to Dennis's delight and Abby's disgust!
In the afternoon, we travelled further into the hills for the famous Kuang Si waterfall just outside the city. Climbing the steep, dilapidated stairs carved out of the mountain side was a bit arduous, but the views at the top were worth it. After clambering back down, stopping on one the ledges to have the cascading water splash over us, swimming in the pools at the bottom was too irresistible - as was the option of water buffalo on the menu at the restaurant that evening.
In between the elephants and the waterfall, we had some time to explore the town. Temples line the main street (Wat Xieng Thong was my favourite, partly because it was deserted when we went there but I also think it was the most beautiful, with mirrored mosaics covering the exterior walls of the temple, even with temple fatigue starting to kick in) and, while not on every corner, there was a liberal scattering of them around the rest of the city too.
If you get the chance to visit Lao, Luang Prabang is the place that should top your list of things to see and I could have happily spent a few more days in the city.
Mekong River
However, we had an appointment with Thailand, so we had to leave Luang Prabang for a two-day, 200 mile cruise up the Mekong River to the border crossing. Cutting through the tree covered hills, every now and again passing by small fishing villages on the shore and buffalos, cows and goats grazing on the banks, the backdrop to the cruise was fabulous. Water plays as big a part of the lives of the Laotians as it does the Vietnamese - and although it is mainly a mountainous country, two thirds of the population live within 400m of sea-level on the flood plains that spread out from the rivers that cross the country. As fabulous as the landscape was, even I can only take so many photos of the hills and rocks that flank the river before boredom sets in, so I passed the time taking money off Ed at cards.
On the cruise, we stopped at the Pak Ou caves, an important area for the Lao people as this is where they prayed to the river and sky gods in the past, and subsequently worshipped Buddha. In the caves are hundreds of Buddha statues, showing all the various poses that reflect different aspects of his (or possibly her) life.
Our last night in Lao was spent in Pak Beng, a small town where the main industry is to serve the boats that cruise up and down the Mekong. There is not very much to say about the place, but seeing the monks walking through the streets at dawn to get their food for the day, from donations offered by the local people, is a sight that you don't often see in Manchester.
When we finally made it the border, we left the long boat, took a five minute tuk-tuk ride and then boarded another boat to take us across (rather than along) the river! Having said that, the border crossing at Chiang Khong was actually quite painless and so the tour returned to the country where it had started. But that is another story...
Lao; the land of a million elephants, as the tag-line goes. I'm sure that is not true anymore, but the land of a million smiles may be an appropriate replacement. In fact, with a population of about 6,500,000, a million smiles is an understatement.
All the people I met in Lao were very friendly and there is a pride and open love for their country that I think is rare. Everybody you meet on the street greets you with "Sabaidee!" (hello) and a smile - a marked difference to Vietnam. All the shops fly both the communist hammer and sickle and the national flags. Lao is a one party communist state, but from the conversations I had with people, there is no disquiet and around 30% of the people are a member of the socialist party. I don't think it has always been like this, but in the last twenty years or so there has been more economic freedom and people can run their own businesses and own land. As a consequence, the economy is growing, although average income is still only $1,300 per annum and 90% of the population still work in agriculture. The big growth areas are tourism (especially since Luang Prabang was made a world heritage site and Vang Vieng became a hedonist's Mecca) and hydro-electric power, with Lao a surprising (to me) net exporter of electricity to China, Vietnam and Thailand. Healthcare and education are still in need of improvement, but through organisations like doctors without borders and international aid, it is slowly getting better.
The landscape is a tapestry of different villages (and different tribes) and as we travelled across the country, apart from the cities where we stopped, all the populated areas were small hamlets, rather than towns. The roads on the route we took were some of the best of the entire trip, which for the poorest country was a surprise at first. However, we learnt that the Chinese had provided the investment to upgrade the main infrastructure and, for a country with the natural resources of Lao, you wonder at what cost. So boys and girls, if you too want to see Lao before the forests disappear and the local villages with their own character and charm are replaced with built-up identikit towns and shops packed to the rafters with "Made in China" products, I think you should come sooner rather than later.
On arrival
We crossed the border into Lao at Nam Phao and two minutes later, the rain stopped and the sun came out, revealing the lush tree-covered mountain slopes. (Actually, the journey through northwest Vietnam was also through green mountains, but the rain spoilt the view somewhat.) After a full day travelling, we arrived in Lac Sao just in time to see the sun set behind the limestone mountains that pierce the skyline.
Lac Sao really is a one-horse town, with not much to do except admire the scenery. We had a basic dinner at the town's only restaurant (appropriately named, "Only One") before another early start and the drive to Vientiane.
Luckily, however, our visit coincided with Lac Sao's annual festival, so after dinner we headed out to the grounds of a local high school to join in. The place was packed and, again, we were the only westerners there so became a bit of an attraction ourselves, alongside the fairground stalls and snack bars selling fried chicken feet and the like. The feature event, though, was the beauty pageant with a Lao pop star providing the musical entertainment. It was rather surreal to be sat in the Lao mountains, drinking the local brew, watching a dozen young women in traditional costumes parading up and down a stage - not an experience I expected to have, but fun nonetheless.
Vientiane
The journey down to the capital was through some of the most impressive scenery of the trip; jagged limestone mountains rising up from green forests on the low-lying slopes or swaying tall grasses that cover the plateaus. We stopped at a couple of places for photos or snacks and the thing you most noticed at each stop was just how tranquil the land was.
I hadn't really noticed the rain or lower temperature in northern Vietnam, as neither really spoilt any of the sightseeing too much (perhaps apart from the mist in Halong Bay), but in Lao the sun has been shining and it has been much warmer.
Vientiane is on the Mekong river, which marks the boundary with Thailand, so our drive basically took us across the country from the Vietnam border. Vientiane is possibly the most laid-back capital in the world, with hardly any traffic and a slowly, slowly attitude that the Zanzibaris would be proud of. The city has over 700 temples, so you could easily spend a week or more here, but we only had a couple of days, so focussed on the highlights. There are so few tourists in the city, that even at the main attractions like the golden stupa, the independence gate (an Arc de Triomphe look-a-like) and the Buddhist temples by the palace, you could wander around and see everything you wanted without having to push through crowds.
In the evening, we had dinner in the grounds of a Buddhist temple (which, surprisingly, served alcohol) before a couple of drinks in one of the many modern Lao-meets-West type bars that are scattered throughout the streets. The local (and almost only) beer, Beerlao, is made from rice, apparently, but is actually one of the best beers I have tasted.
Vang Vieng
After Vientiane, we made our way north to Vang Vieng, halfway between the capital and Luang Prabang. Originally nothing more than a staging post on the journey, Vang Vieng has become a destination in its own right, albeit one that is very different to the rest of the country.
The longer I live and the more I see, the younger I get, but my reversal of the ageing process has its limits and Vang Vieng is definitely targeting younger travellers. We did have a good night out, moving along the bars that line the streets, before ending up in (another) bucket bar watching the fire dancers and drinking the local firewater (Lao Lao). But, the endless re-runs of Friends - in 2011! - in the majority of the bars is something I could have done without (the only other show that was on was Family Guy, which was much better!), and despite our merry band drinking solidly for several hours, we were definitely the most sober around.
In the daytime, the atmosphere is generally a little more sedate (in most places). We went up into the surrounding hills and, sat in a tube (an inflatable ring) explored the caves under the mountains. Following that, and a quick visit to the local Buddha temple which was set in another cave (the locals didn't have enough money to make a proper temple), we went kayaking down the river Nam Song. After about 7km, a group of us swapped our kayaks for the inflatable tubes again.
The tubing is what the town is famous for. Well, I say tubing, in practice most people don't get past the bars that line that stretch of the river. The bars blast out music, everybody is hammered or spaced out on mushrooms, rope swings, zip lines, ski jumps fling people into the water - three people died last year! We actually made it past the bars, although not before I was fired 20 feet into the air (before gravity kicked in), when somebody jumped on the other end of an inflatable blob. I'm sure I bruised a rib or two as I hit the water front first!
After those bars, because the rainy season had finished, the 'rapids' we were supposed to be tubing through were more like 'slows', so the trip back to the town took about two hours. But that was not such a bad thing, drifting down the river through the beautiful scenery, beer in hand, passing local fishermen working in along the banks and in the water, is not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.
The drive from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang is through the limestone mountains of northern Lao, and I think the drive is probably the most beautiful I have ever done. Small farms and little hamlets flank the winding road, rolling hills covered by green forests in the middle distance and dark sawtoothed mountains provide the backdrop. You know you are getting used to a place when you can pass by herds of cattle in the road, chickens in the street and goats roaming the roadside without a second glance.
We called in for lunch at a restaurant in the mountains, with a view to kill for and a menu full of dubious meals: anyone for deer meat soaked in liquid faeces in the intestines?! Thankfully, the menu also comes with a warning that it has a "bitter taste", so I wasn't tempted!
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is awesome, in the proper sense of the word, rather than the watered-down, overused American version: jaw-dropping scenery, crystal clear waterfalls, friendly people, ancient temples everywhere, Buddhist monasteries buzzing with everyday chores, colourful markets bustle throughout the day and night. Luang Prabang is the unspoilt Indochina that I hoped to see on this trip. After the sullied Eden of Vang Vieng, the city helped restore my senses.
The first thing we did on arrival late afternoon, was to climb Pho Si to watch the sun set over the distant mountains. The temples at Pho Si are not that great, but the view is stunning. After the sun had sunk below the mountains, we had been invited to the home of a local family for some home cooking. It was probably the best food on the trip, although when they said local cooking, I think they went a bit easy on the chillies for us. Before we ate dinner, we took part in a traditional ceremony, where some of the old women from the family bestowed blessings on us.
Having tried out the massages in Cambodia and Vietnam, it was time to try a Lao version. Based on my expert analysis, I'd probably rank it as above the one in Vietnam but not as good as Cambodia. I just need a Thai massage now to complete the set and my research!
There was a slight change of pace after the massage, as we took a visit to the local Lao nightclub. There have been some memorable experiences on this trip, but the nightclub is one I'd like to erase from my mind as soon as possible! It was like a school disco at first, with a live band complete with casio organ grinding out some awful dirge, while a handful of the girls (and a rather seedy old westerner) performed some weird kind of formation dancing, and then the music switched seamlessly to hard core techno - Lao style. Even writing about it now makes me shudder!
The following day, we headed out into the surrounding countryside. In the morning, we took a trip to an elephant sanctuary, where they take in the elephants that have been replaced by machines in the local farms and logging businesses, because otherwise they would be left to starve as they are too costly for people to feed. An elephant ride through the forest was followed by a lunch of bananas and sugar cane (for the elephants) and a quick dip in the Nam Khan (which is the same river as the Nam Song, but rivers get given different names as they pass through different towns). Sitting on top of an elephant, while she sprays water over her head was great fun, although Janine's steed preferred the dunking approach to bathing and I think I got off lightly. As well as the riding, feeding and bathing, there was plenty of elephant farting too - much to Dennis's delight and Abby's disgust!
In the afternoon, we travelled further into the hills for the famous Kuang Si waterfall just outside the city. Climbing the steep, dilapidated stairs carved out of the mountain side was a bit arduous, but the views at the top were worth it. After clambering back down, stopping on one the ledges to have the cascading water splash over us, swimming in the pools at the bottom was too irresistible - as was the option of water buffalo on the menu at the restaurant that evening.
In between the elephants and the waterfall, we had some time to explore the town. Temples line the main street (Wat Xieng Thong was my favourite, partly because it was deserted when we went there but I also think it was the most beautiful, with mirrored mosaics covering the exterior walls of the temple, even with temple fatigue starting to kick in) and, while not on every corner, there was a liberal scattering of them around the rest of the city too.
If you get the chance to visit Lao, Luang Prabang is the place that should top your list of things to see and I could have happily spent a few more days in the city.
Mekong River
However, we had an appointment with Thailand, so we had to leave Luang Prabang for a two-day, 200 mile cruise up the Mekong River to the border crossing. Cutting through the tree covered hills, every now and again passing by small fishing villages on the shore and buffalos, cows and goats grazing on the banks, the backdrop to the cruise was fabulous. Water plays as big a part of the lives of the Laotians as it does the Vietnamese - and although it is mainly a mountainous country, two thirds of the population live within 400m of sea-level on the flood plains that spread out from the rivers that cross the country. As fabulous as the landscape was, even I can only take so many photos of the hills and rocks that flank the river before boredom sets in, so I passed the time taking money off Ed at cards.
On the cruise, we stopped at the Pak Ou caves, an important area for the Lao people as this is where they prayed to the river and sky gods in the past, and subsequently worshipped Buddha. In the caves are hundreds of Buddha statues, showing all the various poses that reflect different aspects of his (or possibly her) life.
Our last night in Lao was spent in Pak Beng, a small town where the main industry is to serve the boats that cruise up and down the Mekong. There is not very much to say about the place, but seeing the monks walking through the streets at dawn to get their food for the day, from donations offered by the local people, is a sight that you don't often see in Manchester.
When we finally made it the border, we left the long boat, took a five minute tuk-tuk ride and then boarded another boat to take us across (rather than along) the river! Having said that, the border crossing at Chiang Khong was actually quite painless and so the tour returned to the country where it had started. But that is another story...
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Vietnam: The second week
Hue
After leaving Hoi An, we headed north to the ancient capital of Hue. The drive took us through Da Nang, which has a strange mix of old and very new, with five star hotel complexes and swanky office buildings standing shoulder to shoulder with rickety old wooden shacks serving as shops, restaurants and homes for the local residents.
North of Da Nang, we travelled along the Hai Van Pass - a winding mountain road through dense forests, overlooking the natural harbours and rugged outcrops of rock on the coastline below (at least that was the view when we weren't enveloped in clouds), with small shrines (spirit houses) dotted along the roadside marking the places where people have died. Even with the overcast skies, the views were impressive.
After arriving at Hue, we had another motorbike tour, visiting the various temples, including the royal tombs on the banks of the Song Huong (Perfume River), around the city. The area was at the frontline of the battle between the north and south during the war and one of the views over the river is of the infamous Hamburger Hill. As well as seeing some of the historic sights, we went to a few local places to see demonstrations of the traditional farming methods of gathering and preparing rice (traditional, but still in use today) and a couple of handicraft stores; where they did, of course, try to sell their wares, but the items are very pretty and cost peanuts. It is a good job that I am restricted in luggage space, or I would have plenty of souviners to take back by now - not that a lack of luggage stopped Abby and Taz; new bags are also very cheap here...!
In the morning, we wandered around the city centre and saw the citadel, with it's forbidden purple city (which reminded me of the palaces in Beijing, not just in name, although it is not quite so grand). The city is much less busy than Saigon and the central part of Vietnam (in particular Hue and Hoi An) has been my favourite region of the country.
Halong Bay
My other highlight from Vietnam was the world heritage site of Halong Bay. From Hue, it is a 14 hour night train to Hanoi and then a three hour bus ride, but it is worth the trip.
Halong Bay, recently voted as one of the new seven wonders of the world, is spectacular, with three thousand limestone island jutting out of the waters of the South China Sea. The islands gave the city its name, as legend has it that they are the humps of a dragon that saved the inhabitants from their enemies and then encircled the bay to protect them from future attack. We took a cruise around the islands, where a morning sea-mist added an ethereal touch on the journey out, but on the return trip, the sun was shining.
Under the islands are caves, which were used in ancient times as store rooms and armouries during the wars against the Mongols. We walked through a couple of the caves, where the limestone roofs had mainly been worn smooth by the motion of the tides over the centuries as the islands were pushed up from the ocean, but the stalactites and grooves in the wall gave it an almost alien feel (although the rather gaudy multi-coloured lighting spoilt it a bit).
The less said about Halong City, the better, with its ugly buildings and tasteless food. Thankfully we had just one night here!
Hanoi
Situated on the Red River, Hanoi is one of the oldest cities in the region (1001 years old to be precise). Cosmopolitan and eclectic, with high end fashion stores nestled amongst the rows of local shops, and, like Saigon, the streets buzz with activity and motorbikes (yet despite the volume of traffic, I only saw one accident in the whole country). There is also no road rage, which I think is because there are no (discernible) rules of the road, so everybody *really* pays attention to where they are going. I prefer Hanoi to Saigon, as the old quarter retains a very Asian feel (even the new parts are unmistakably Asian) and it has more of distinctive personality, but the cities in Vietnam have generally been a bit disappointing (apart from the nightlife) and the other parts of the country are much more interesting.
During our stay in the capital, we went to see the water puppet show, which is unique to the region. I'm not quite sure exactly what was happening, despite having a programme, but it was a fun and unusual way to spend an afternoon. The following day was spent exploring the city on foot and in a tuk-tuk, looking at various monuments like the Temple of Literature, the one-pillar pagoda and Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. Luckily for us, Taz's map reading skills meant that we got to see a few extra ones that weren't on our planned itinerary!
Hanoi also saw the majority of the group that started the tour leave, with just five of those who started in Bangkok joining six new travellers for the rest of the trip. An early start on Saturday for the drive through the mountains into Lao meant that the farewell party took place on the penultimate evening. Buckets of vodka red bull really shouldn't be just £2, especially when there is also free beer being served.... Perhaps that has something to do with Stine biting the driver on the motorbike ride back to the hotel!
Vietnam is 1,000 miles from top to bottom and we virtually went the whole length, probably further with all the zig-zagging, so there has been a lot of travelling on buses and trains and we haven't stayed in one place for very long. There have been plenty of coughs, sniffles and sneezes in the group too, as the omnipresent air conditioning gives the group lots of opportunities to share germs!
The drive to the Lao border was a bit of a hair-raiser. The driver wasn't too keen on braking, so we hurtled along the snaking mountain roads, overtaking trucks on blind bends, dodging the cows that wander the roads and bouncing over the potholes. I'm sure that the most dangerous parts of the trip are these coach rides! Nevertheless, we made it and I have another country to discover......
After leaving Hoi An, we headed north to the ancient capital of Hue. The drive took us through Da Nang, which has a strange mix of old and very new, with five star hotel complexes and swanky office buildings standing shoulder to shoulder with rickety old wooden shacks serving as shops, restaurants and homes for the local residents.
North of Da Nang, we travelled along the Hai Van Pass - a winding mountain road through dense forests, overlooking the natural harbours and rugged outcrops of rock on the coastline below (at least that was the view when we weren't enveloped in clouds), with small shrines (spirit houses) dotted along the roadside marking the places where people have died. Even with the overcast skies, the views were impressive.
After arriving at Hue, we had another motorbike tour, visiting the various temples, including the royal tombs on the banks of the Song Huong (Perfume River), around the city. The area was at the frontline of the battle between the north and south during the war and one of the views over the river is of the infamous Hamburger Hill. As well as seeing some of the historic sights, we went to a few local places to see demonstrations of the traditional farming methods of gathering and preparing rice (traditional, but still in use today) and a couple of handicraft stores; where they did, of course, try to sell their wares, but the items are very pretty and cost peanuts. It is a good job that I am restricted in luggage space, or I would have plenty of souviners to take back by now - not that a lack of luggage stopped Abby and Taz; new bags are also very cheap here...!
In the morning, we wandered around the city centre and saw the citadel, with it's forbidden purple city (which reminded me of the palaces in Beijing, not just in name, although it is not quite so grand). The city is much less busy than Saigon and the central part of Vietnam (in particular Hue and Hoi An) has been my favourite region of the country.
Halong Bay
My other highlight from Vietnam was the world heritage site of Halong Bay. From Hue, it is a 14 hour night train to Hanoi and then a three hour bus ride, but it is worth the trip.
Halong Bay, recently voted as one of the new seven wonders of the world, is spectacular, with three thousand limestone island jutting out of the waters of the South China Sea. The islands gave the city its name, as legend has it that they are the humps of a dragon that saved the inhabitants from their enemies and then encircled the bay to protect them from future attack. We took a cruise around the islands, where a morning sea-mist added an ethereal touch on the journey out, but on the return trip, the sun was shining.
Under the islands are caves, which were used in ancient times as store rooms and armouries during the wars against the Mongols. We walked through a couple of the caves, where the limestone roofs had mainly been worn smooth by the motion of the tides over the centuries as the islands were pushed up from the ocean, but the stalactites and grooves in the wall gave it an almost alien feel (although the rather gaudy multi-coloured lighting spoilt it a bit).
The less said about Halong City, the better, with its ugly buildings and tasteless food. Thankfully we had just one night here!
Hanoi
Situated on the Red River, Hanoi is one of the oldest cities in the region (1001 years old to be precise). Cosmopolitan and eclectic, with high end fashion stores nestled amongst the rows of local shops, and, like Saigon, the streets buzz with activity and motorbikes (yet despite the volume of traffic, I only saw one accident in the whole country). There is also no road rage, which I think is because there are no (discernible) rules of the road, so everybody *really* pays attention to where they are going. I prefer Hanoi to Saigon, as the old quarter retains a very Asian feel (even the new parts are unmistakably Asian) and it has more of distinctive personality, but the cities in Vietnam have generally been a bit disappointing (apart from the nightlife) and the other parts of the country are much more interesting.
During our stay in the capital, we went to see the water puppet show, which is unique to the region. I'm not quite sure exactly what was happening, despite having a programme, but it was a fun and unusual way to spend an afternoon. The following day was spent exploring the city on foot and in a tuk-tuk, looking at various monuments like the Temple of Literature, the one-pillar pagoda and Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. Luckily for us, Taz's map reading skills meant that we got to see a few extra ones that weren't on our planned itinerary!
Hanoi also saw the majority of the group that started the tour leave, with just five of those who started in Bangkok joining six new travellers for the rest of the trip. An early start on Saturday for the drive through the mountains into Lao meant that the farewell party took place on the penultimate evening. Buckets of vodka red bull really shouldn't be just £2, especially when there is also free beer being served.... Perhaps that has something to do with Stine biting the driver on the motorbike ride back to the hotel!
Vietnam is 1,000 miles from top to bottom and we virtually went the whole length, probably further with all the zig-zagging, so there has been a lot of travelling on buses and trains and we haven't stayed in one place for very long. There have been plenty of coughs, sniffles and sneezes in the group too, as the omnipresent air conditioning gives the group lots of opportunities to share germs!
The drive to the Lao border was a bit of a hair-raiser. The driver wasn't too keen on braking, so we hurtled along the snaking mountain roads, overtaking trucks on blind bends, dodging the cows that wander the roads and bouncing over the potholes. I'm sure that the most dangerous parts of the trip are these coach rides! Nevertheless, we made it and I have another country to discover......
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