Chris Connelly . us: SE Asia Trip 2007

Final Foreign Post

Wed Aug 15, 12:25 AM

I am currently in the Taipei airport. I arrived in Singapore after 36hrs on a train. (only 28hrs non-stop) I am again impressed with Singapore, but was shocked at the costs compared to everywhere I have been.

I managed to get out of Singapore with no problems, but upon closer inspection of my plane ticket, found out I had a 20hr layover in Taipei. It worked out pretty well as they put me in a hotel for the night and then organized a free city tour. One stop was a pretty cool street of pottery shops that is all high quality china. The funny thing is that it also has the stigma of being “Made in Taiwan.” While grabbing some snack food in a 7 Eleven, I came across a drink called Pocari Sweat. It is an electrolyte drink that actually manages to look like bottled sweat. I bought one and wasn’t really impressed with the product, though it tastes better than the name might imply.

The weather is crappy here in Taipei as there is a typhoon off the coast that is about 48hrs from the coast. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world. I haven’t even seen it from a distance. One would think that it would be more visible. While in transit through KL, I saw the Petronas Towers, previously holding the title.

One note of minor interest is that as I went to the money changer for a few bucks, I realized how many currencies that I have accumulated in my wallet. I counted eight different currencies from my travels. Much of it is left over from when I leave a country and don’t feel like going to the money changer with 20 Thai Baht ($.67) or 5000 Laos Kips ($.50) or 8000 Vietnamese Dong ($.50) The money changers, if they will change these currencies, give bad rates for small transactions. I might as well keep the money as a souvie.

I am looking forward to getting back to MT. I have some things to take care of as well as some decisions to make. I will keep you all posted.

Back to Civilization

Thu Aug 9, 11:41 PM

Arriving in Thailand was a real relief after time in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Bangkok seems like a tame place where I can kick back and relax. I spent much of my time regrouping and organizing my travels back to Thailand. I picked up my bike, bought some souvies and did some sight seeing.

It also happened to be my birthday while in BKK. I slept in, had some waffles on the street along with a big coffee. I then did a tour of Jim Thomson’s house. JT is a famous American that was involved in the silk trade in Thailand. He disappeared without a trace in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia in 1967. (I think) His house was turned into a museum because he had very nice gardens and a large collection of Asian art. It was a fine way to spend the morning. While back at the hotel room, I got stuck watching some “Extreme Engineering” program on the Discovery Channel. It is a real novelty to have a tv in my room! I then went to a movie and on the way back stumbled upon the Hard Rock Cafe. They had some live music so I went in. I couldn’t find much on the menu that I wanted, so I listened to some music and found a street vendor with some fresh pork and rice for my birthday dinner.

I went to Hua Hin as a friend of my dad has a place there. Robin and his wife Vilai have been great hosts. We bummed around town, went to a former palace of Rama VI, fed monkeys at one of the hilltop temples, and have been stuffed at every meal. Robin has travelled to many of the places that I have and provided additional insights through his own travel experiences.

I had a bit of a problem getting a train ticket when I wanted, so I won’t get a day in Kuala Lumpur. It sounds silly, but KL and Melakka are the only two places that I feel I have missed on my trip. (There are others, but not many)

I am looking forward to getting home and seeing everybody. Mentally, I am done with my trip and just want to be back in Montana, but have another week of traveling without many highlights. Travelling with my bike is a great hassle when I am not riding it. The main task when I get to Singapore is to get the thing boxed up for the airplane. (This is more of an ordeal than one might think) I will keep you updated and put some pics up when I get a fast connection.

Sapa and Halong Bay

Sun Aug 5, 10:25 PM

The tours I signed up for allowed for no wasted time and turned out to be pretty fun. I arrived in Sapa on the night train from Hanoi and was told where to go and when I would be leaving. I didn’t get a clear itenerary from the travel agent, so the only thing I knew was that I would be trekking in Sapa. It turns out I was trekking to a Hmong hill tribe village, staying in the village for the evening, then hiking out the next day. Sapa is in the mountains of NW Vietnam and near the Chinese border. We hiked through rice paddies and along a river for 12km. This isn’t a really long hike, but the terrain was really steep and extremely muddy. I rented a pair of rubber boots and several times sunk into mud up to the top of my boots.

My group all got along very well and really made the trip fun. During dinner, the family brought out the rice wine. They insisted that we take several shots of the stuff. It is home-made and similar to moonshine. The word “vile” barely begins to describe the taste of this stuff! YUCK!

The second day was rainy and the mud was even thicker and slicker than before. It was comical just trying to get down the trail. Almost everybody in the group fell several times and we were all covered in mud by the end of the hike.

I really enjoyed the trek in Sapa. The landscape and people were fantastic. The only bad part was the tribal women and girls that would harass us relentlessly to buy their handicrafts.

After the second day of treking, I got on the night train back to Hanoi, then a bus to Halong Bay. I joined a new group of people and started a three day tour of the famous area. Halong Bay is famous for almost 2000 limestone islands that rise out of the sea.

The first night we stayed on a “junk boat” among the cliffs. The only problem is that we had to stay near all the other tour boats. The scenery was beautiful, but the amount of tourists was really shocking. The people on my tour were again fantastic to hang out with. There were a few younger kids from the US and we made sure to keep the tour guide nervous the whole time by jumping off the top of the boat when we had time to swim. The tour was on a strict time frame and our guide would often say “You now will enjoy swimming for one hour” or “We will now enjoy riding bikes.” This became a bit of a joke on the trip as we were commanded to enjoy the activity, but ony for a short time. We stopped to see caves, to swim at several beaches, to ride bikes, and to sea kayak.

After being dropped off from the tour and before my flight to Bangkok (I told you there was no wasted time) I was walking the streets, looking for a bite to eat. I met a local guy, we had a coffee, then decided to get some dinner. He suggested that we go to the market, pick up a bit of dog meat, then head to a beer stall and have a beer with our dinner. I was a bit nervous, but up for the experience. We bought 1/2 kilo of dog meat. It was a bit weird walking through the market. The dogs are roasted whole and when they are setup, you can almost tell what kind of dog it is.

We went to a small street stall for a “bia hoi” and some dog meat. The meat is very fatty and dark. The closest thing might be roast beef. I really didn’t like the skin. I am glad I tried it, but Nelson won’t be on the menu for the Labor Day BBQ.

The next week will consist of travelling south to Singapore for my flight home. I will stop in Hua Hin, Thailand for a day or two on my way down.

I will get pics up soon.

Vietnam Pics

Tue Jul 31, 02:21 AM

Here are a few pics from the last week. Enjoy!

A bunker at Khe Sanh

I found the tallest part of the Vinh Moc tunnels for this pic!

The flag tower in front of the Hue Imperial Palace

Hue Imperial Palace

Market in Hue

Woman transporting her goods in Hanoi

More sights from the road

A TP shipment for those who haven’t mastered the “bum gun”

Hanoi

Tue Jul 31, 01:55 AM

So I went to the “famous” Vietnamese Water Puppet Theatre last night. It was well done and had some pretty cool scenes. They also played traditional instruments. One instrument that was highlighted was the single string zither. Young girls used to be banned from hearing the single string zither because the music was so beautiful that the girl would instantly fall in love with the boy playing it.

I then met up with a “mate” that I met on the plane from Hue. He is an interesting guy from London that provides great conversation over a few “Bia Hoi.” This is the local beer that is very very cheap! It is usually served in recycled one liter pop bottles. These bottles are usually beaten up and old, but the beer is so cheap, the sketchy hygiene is overlooked. It usually goes for 6000-10,000 Dong/litre ($1US=16,000 VSD) It turned into a late night as we solved all the world’s problems and traded travel stories.

This morning I went to the US embassy (instead of the water park) to get more pages in my passport, then walked around one of the “shoe markets” This is a pretty funny place. There are Nik Air Jordans, Chico sandals, Canverse All-Starz and many other top name shoes. When it started raining, I went to the Museum of Ethnology. This focuses on some the tribes of Vietnam, but the best exhibit was one that portrayed life in Hanoi from 1975-1986. This is called the Bao Cap period. The government subsidized almost everything and food, clothing, fans, bikes, radios, medicine all had to be bought with coupons provided by the govt. The museum really showed that the people lived in poverty and had very few personal belongings. Often the highlight of the week was getting a plate of rice that wasn’t moldy. When I walk through the steets of Vietnam today, I am amazed at how capitalistic that communism really is. At a local level, I wouldn’t be able to tell this is a communist country.

I have signed my life away to a tour for the rest of my trip in Vietnam. I was inquiring about a plane ticket to BKK and ended up with two day tour of Sapa (a French hill station in the NW mountains) and a two day tour of Halong Bay. There is not a minute that is wasted between this evening and when I fly to BKK on the night of August 5th. I take the night train to Sapa this evening and am trekking (hiking) to a hill tribe village first thing tomorrow morning.

Hue to Hanoi

Mon Jul 30, 02:58 AM

Hue turned out to be a nice stop. I enjoyed a tour of the DMZ from the Vietnam war. It incuded Khe Sanh Combat Base, the Rockpile Base, a bit of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and the Vinh Moc Tunnels. The Vinh Moc tunnels are several kilometers of underground tunnels that over 300 Viet Cong lived in for five years during the Vietnam war. These were truly incredible to see. There wasn’t much left of the military bases, but effects of the chemical weapons used during the war remains. There are hillsides with no vegetation because the US used defoliates in an attempt to find the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the supply route into southern Vietman.

Yesterday I rented a motorbike and joined in the chaos on the roads. I went to see a few pagodas and the Hue Imperial City. This old city was built for the royal family about 200 years ago. It is a cool place, but was bombed during several wars and there is some serious damage to some of the buildings. There are also many walls that are damaged from bullets during two wars. I cruised around a couple markets, not really looking for anything, but enjoying myself. Last night I flew from Hue to Hanoi.

I got in late, as I think every flight here is delayed. It was a bit of an ordeal getting a hotel, but it worked out. This morning I went to a place called the Temple of Literature. This is the oldest university in Vietnam. About 1000 years ago the brightest students in the area came here to study the philosophies of Confucious. There were some nice gardens and Chinese architecture, but I am getting a bit bored of all the cultural delights that are a “must see.” Other highlights of Hanoi are The Museum of Ethnology, the Tomb of Ho Chi Minh, and water puppet performances. Can’t Wait! I think tomorrow I will go to the Hanoi Water Park to ride some water slides and go in the wave pool instead.

I am running into some more crowds that I have normally seen. Flights, tours, and hotels are filling up, and I don’t have as much flexibility as I usually do. I am having trouble finding a short trip out of Hanoi that will fit my timeframe. Sapa is in the NW of Vietnam and is supposed to be pretty cool. It is in the mountains and would be similar to Chiang Mai, Thailand or the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia. I have been getting reports of overbooked hotels, and crappy weather from other travellers. Halong Bay is another highlight, but I have heard nothing but bad things from travellers that have just come from there. This is all a bit discouraging, but I will figure out what to do and make the most of what time I have left. When I put it in perspective, how bad can it be? The only stress that I have is which pair of sunglasses I will wear today.

I will get some pics up shortly.

Central Vietnam

Fri Jul 27, 03:21 AM

Wednesday night I took a flight from HCMC to Da Nang, then a taxi to Hoi An. The bus was $19, but took two full days. The airplane was $50, and was one hour-a “no-brainer.”

Hoi An is a nice place that caters to an upscale tourism crowd. Everybody here shows how sophicicated they are by walking around in their newly tailored clothing and pretends to be connoisseurs in many of the art galleries. I liked some of the art, but didn’t buy any and didn’t go to a tailor because I haven’t found anything better than a pair of double-knee Carhartt pants.

There are the Cham ruins a bit out of Hoi An and I have heard they are good, but I couldn’t muster much enthusiasm to go out there. I went for a run on the beach, found some good food, and got my head groomed.

I had an interesting experience at the barber when I went to get another buzz cut. Not only did the guy cut my hair and shave my face and neck, but he then trimmed my nose hair and eye brows. Then he took his razor blade to my eye lids, ear lobes, nose, and forehead. Finally, he pulled out a headlamp and some instruments that look like they are taken from the dentist. He took long tweezers and scrapers of several varieties and dug some horrifying gunk out of my ears. He ended the session with a head and shoulder massage. I only mention this because it was a very complete “head grooming” and I have never experienced the odd, but thorought ear cleaning.

I took the bus to Hue this morning. The tour busses are really cheap, the problem is that they are subsidized by certain restaurants and hotels. When the bus arrives in a new town it only drops people in front of one hotel, even when the travel agents promise otherwise. Often, the schedule is set so the bus arrives when it is late and everybody is tired, so we will all check into their hotel. This morning, I had a short, 130km trip. We left at 8am, stopped for “lunch” at 9:30am, then they dropped us off at a hotel at 12:30pm. I usually get off the bus, walk until I am no longer hassled, then try to find a place to stay. Travelling by bus is the worst part of my trip, although I have met some nice people on the bus.

For tomorrow, I have lined up a tour of the DMZ from the Vietnam war and will go to Khe Sanh and brush up on my war history. It should be interesting.

PP and HCMC

Mon Jul 23, 11:11 PM

I spent a few days in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Because much of the history is so recent, I could envision and almost feel the attrocities here. On 17 April 1975, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge took over Phnom Penh. Although the actual numbers are unknown, the estimates are that he killed between one and three million people. In town, I went to Tuol Sleng (S-21). This is a high school that was turned into a prison and torture center. A bit outside of town, Choeung Ek is one of many mass graves where prisoners were killed when they were transfered from S-21. I also saw the French Embassy, where many foreigners went before being evacuated from PP. For those interested, The Killing Fields is a really good movie on this subject.

On a lighter note, I met some really good people in PP. I ran with the hash on Sunday afternoon. It seems that all the Expats here are working for NGOs. (Non-Government Organizations) They are either studying why the country is so screwed up, or they are trying to help. The run was great, it weaved through the countryside along a small river and through rice patties.

On the way to the hash, we saw a nasty motorbike accident. A kid was passing a truck, hit another bike head-on, then took out a few more bikes while sliding across the pavement. Nobody had helmets on. (Fortunately, everybody got up from the wreck) The locals didn’t really react because the sight is common. The roads in Cambodia (and Vietnam) are completely lawless. There are a few traffic lights, but nobody obeys them. Driving on either side of the road is common, even acceptible. In HCMC, there are “Tourist Police” that help tourists cross the street because it can be such an overwhelming task! I usually manage just fine, but will say that the roads here are a notch below what I even thought possible for world’s poorest driving standards.

I arrived in HCMC yesterday afternoon. I did the usual-found a place to do my laundry, took a shower, ran some errands, got some food, write in my journal, and read my book.

This morning I went to the War Remnants Museum. This is a fabulous museum that documents the Vietnam War. There are tanks, airplanes, guns, etc. The most incredible part of the museum was a memorial to all the photographers that died in the war. This is an exhibit that houses photos and stories from the war. Powerful. I learned more about the Vietnam War in two hours than I have in the last 23.96 years.

I also stopped by the Reunification Palace. It isn’t that great, but it is significant because that is where some of the first tanks went to when Saigon fell on 30 April 1975. There are a few other places to see here, but I think I will head north in on Thursday morning. Not sure where I am going, but I am going.

A rediscovery of my favorites

Fri Jul 20, 06:33 AM

Today was my fourth day at Angkor Wat and I am still not sick of all the temples. I met my driver at 7am and spend all day at my favorite temples from the last few days. I didn’t see any new ones, but I wandered through every passage way and around every corner exploring the best ones. I also spent much of my time avoiding tour groups that were scouring the main passages. I saw so much more than I did the first time around and I had a great time.

I will ride the bus to Phnom Penh in the morning. There are a few things to see there, but they aren’t exactly pretty. From 1975-1979, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge killed two million Cambodians in an effort to “cleanse” the people and bring them back to their “agricultural roots.” The Killing Fields is a mass burial ground outside of Phnom Penh and S-21 is a high school that Pol Pot used as a military prison and torture center. Again, these aren’t highlights, but they are cultural “must-sees.”

On a lighter note, here are a few more pics.

Ta Prohm

A close up from Banteay Sdei

Another from Banteay Sdei

Banteay Sdei

A sample from the Cambodian Land Mine Museum

Preak Khan

Bayon

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat-Looking back to the entry way

Day Three

Thu Jul 19, 06:42 AM

I spent my third day exploring the temples of Angkor Wat. I have had a great experience and will spend a few more days here. After three days, I have seen the many of the main temples and will start going back to my favorite ones.

This afternoon I also went to the Cambodian Land Mine Museum. This is a fascinating, yet troubling museum. There is still much of Cambodia that has unusable land becuase of land mines. One thing that really struck me is that land mines are intended to maim, not kill soldiers. The military theory is that an injured soldier costs more and consumes more of the enemy’s resources than a dead soldier. There are many local people that have lost limbs from land mines. Often, they are just trying to farm their fields.

Throughout my travels I have been discouraged at how little the local people care about their land and tourist attractions. This was highlighted when my driver just threw his empty water bottle into a corner at one of the temples. I immediately said something and made him pick it up. I have seen this from the locals everywhere I go. Many beaches are tainted with plastic bags and bottles. In Borneo, I read about divers getting lead poisoning and infections from “fecal matter” in the water. As a tourist, I am drawn to these special places and end up spending money in the local economy. I find it strange that many of the locals that are making a living because of tourism don’t make any effort to care for their environment. Even all the restoration projects at Angkor Wat are done by French, Indian, or Japanese companies and the land mine museum is run by a Canadian NGO. These are just local examples of the locals not taking charge. I guess I want to see some responsibilty taken by the locals to preserve all the places I have been able to see and enjoy. Enough of that lecture, time for dinner.

As far as I know, my credit card is not working because of neglect, not over-use. I have been using my debit card at local ATMs and spending cash for all transactions. Cambodia also has a fun new currency that I have to master-the Riel. $1US=4000Riel. The US dollar and the Riel are used interchangably. All prices are quoted in dollars. If a bill is $3.50, I pay $3US, then 2000Riel. With the dollar being a bit weak right now, I am seeing higher prices than I would have even a few months ago. Everything is still cheap compared to what I pay in the States!

I will get more pics up for tomorrow.

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