Giuliana and I went and gave blood today. IT WAS CLEAN. Figured it was good to do something helpful for the country.
At the end they gave us a pop, a box of cookies, a tshirt, stickers and we get Cambodian blood donor cards with our picture on it. Sheesh! if I'd known that I would have given blood yesterday.
So if you like any of the above things and have blood, come to Cambodia and giv it.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Angkor
I'm writing this from Siem Reap, the town from which on goes to all the temples of ANgkor. Now that I'm here I just can't be bothered you know? I think I'm just going to skip the temples and I dunno, watch some TV or something.
Capitol GuestHouse
The Capitol GuestHouse in Phnom Pehn is wicked cool.
If you've ever watched a movie about travelling in SE Asia and seen where people live, this place will remind you of it. Apparently it was one of teh first to open in Cambodia (in teh 80s are whenever) and it has an older look to it.
It's tough to explain...the red and yellow (now brown) tiles. The maze of hallways you have to go to to get to your room. The enclosed alleyway you cross over on a metal bridge to get to the second building of the complex.
Tough to explain indeed, but very cool. If you saw it you'd know. Man I'm an awesome writer.
If you've ever watched a movie about travelling in SE Asia and seen where people live, this place will remind you of it. Apparently it was one of teh first to open in Cambodia (in teh 80s are whenever) and it has an older look to it.
It's tough to explain...the red and yellow (now brown) tiles. The maze of hallways you have to go to to get to your room. The enclosed alleyway you cross over on a metal bridge to get to the second building of the complex.
Tough to explain indeed, but very cool. If you saw it you'd know. Man I'm an awesome writer.
kids that beg
I think I've already mentioned how poor the poor are in Cambodia. Lot's of landmine victims and just people who can only beg.
The children are the most interesting beggars. Some seem genuinely poor and in need of food or money...when we give it's usually food. Others though are different.
They will walk up to you while you eating or just walking and do this weird chant thing. I think tehy're just asking for food but they use a VERY tragic voice and look. Some will stay on you for awhile, and eventually go away.
WHen they realize they aren't getting anything they suddenly turn into normal kids again. SOme start singing, some run and one kid shot me with a (empty) waterpistol.
Gotta make your money somehow. If they are that destitute I'm glad they can jump and play and stuff, but if they're not and just looking for a quick cash advance...man are they irritating.
The children are the most interesting beggars. Some seem genuinely poor and in need of food or money...when we give it's usually food. Others though are different.
They will walk up to you while you eating or just walking and do this weird chant thing. I think tehy're just asking for food but they use a VERY tragic voice and look. Some will stay on you for awhile, and eventually go away.
WHen they realize they aren't getting anything they suddenly turn into normal kids again. SOme start singing, some run and one kid shot me with a (empty) waterpistol.
Gotta make your money somehow. If they are that destitute I'm glad they can jump and play and stuff, but if they're not and just looking for a quick cash advance...man are they irritating.
also...
I apologize if anyone felt I made light of the situation over here. Like I have said the magnitude of the whole thing is hard to grasp, and even harder when you have limited info outlets.
earthquake
I thought this whole thing felt a little surreal to me because I didn't have the normal media barrage I get when something like this happens. A few headlines on the internet and that's about all I knew. I'm really used to sitting in front of the TV and watching results come in for hours.
Then we went to Kopong Thom and the place we stayed actually had a TV in the room. Hey hey CNN. Watched that pretty much whenever we were in the room, and I have now had my info fix.
After that I think the surreality may be a result of me actually being as close as I am. My plans might have had me in the south of Thailand, and I'm not THAT far away right now. And then there's also the sheer scope of the thing and we all know that probably has the most to do with not truly being able to understand.
I don't know what the news coverage is like at home, but CNN International is doing its best to cover the whole thing. Continuous as far as I saw, with even the weather people doing additional research on Tsunamis to add into their regular forecasts. They talk about the local populations and have human interest stories on them, but of course more of their coverage (65-75%) is on foreigners. I'm sure the newsrooms had discussions as far as what to cover.
In the end though the audience wants to hear from people they can relate to and that means tourists speaking English, German or French (for the most part). That's where teh dollars pounds and euros come from so that's who you have to keep happy. At the same time I think they're doing on okay job covering the local stuff as well. Let's just hope they and the rest of us remember the local stuff 2-3 years down the road when people are still rebuilding.
Then we went to Kopong Thom and the place we stayed actually had a TV in the room. Hey hey CNN. Watched that pretty much whenever we were in the room, and I have now had my info fix.
After that I think the surreality may be a result of me actually being as close as I am. My plans might have had me in the south of Thailand, and I'm not THAT far away right now. And then there's also the sheer scope of the thing and we all know that probably has the most to do with not truly being able to understand.
I don't know what the news coverage is like at home, but CNN International is doing its best to cover the whole thing. Continuous as far as I saw, with even the weather people doing additional research on Tsunamis to add into their regular forecasts. They talk about the local populations and have human interest stories on them, but of course more of their coverage (65-75%) is on foreigners. I'm sure the newsrooms had discussions as far as what to cover.
In the end though the audience wants to hear from people they can relate to and that means tourists speaking English, German or French (for the most part). That's where teh dollars pounds and euros come from so that's who you have to keep happy. At the same time I think they're doing on okay job covering the local stuff as well. Let's just hope they and the rest of us remember the local stuff 2-3 years down the road when people are still rebuilding.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
And now what have I been up to
Well not much.
We went down to Sihanoukville (or S'ville as some of the hip expats like to call it) and sat around. We sat on the beach, we sat on a boat that took us to islands and beaches and we sat in the lounge/patio at our hotel reading and writing.
There's something a little bit surreal about sitting on a beach, listening to Little Drummer Boy, having little kids wearing santa hats try to sell you fruit, or bracelets or askj for your empty water bottle, all the while sweating a little bit because even though you're in your lounge chair under a beach umbrella it is really hot. And then when you get bored with your book you take a dip in the water....heh what a world.
So that was nice and uneventful. WE nearly went to an old French Hill Station on Bokor, but funnilly enough we just really wanted to get back to Phnom Pehn, so we did that instead. WE are leaving here tomorrow for Khompng Thom...see you there!!! Or not
We went down to Sihanoukville (or S'ville as some of the hip expats like to call it) and sat around. We sat on the beach, we sat on a boat that took us to islands and beaches and we sat in the lounge/patio at our hotel reading and writing.
There's something a little bit surreal about sitting on a beach, listening to Little Drummer Boy, having little kids wearing santa hats try to sell you fruit, or bracelets or askj for your empty water bottle, all the while sweating a little bit because even though you're in your lounge chair under a beach umbrella it is really hot. And then when you get bored with your book you take a dip in the water....heh what a world.
So that was nice and uneventful. WE nearly went to an old French Hill Station on Bokor, but funnilly enough we just really wanted to get back to Phnom Pehn, so we did that instead. WE are leaving here tomorrow for Khompng Thom...see you there!!! Or not
Earthquakes and Travel plans
First of all for those who are VERY unclear on SE Asian geography I am perfectly safe and in fact now far away from the ocean.
So I was going to come on here adn say, guess what???!!! I'm staying on until the start of April. I'm going to the south of Thailand and Malaysia and Singapore and INdonesia....and oh, there's the 4th largest earthquake ever reported... hmmm
Now I still plan on going because before going to all those places I'm heading to Vietnam. My hope is that by the time I want to travel to those areas things will have recovered. That, and teh places I was planning to go were not nailed by the tsunami. But anyway, more details on that as it develops.
I know I should be wondering about the thousands that are now dead missing or homeless, or something along those lines, rather than can my trip still go ahead, and I am. But really there's only so much worrying that one can do. That and because the only reason I even know about the earthquake is I happened to go online...I heard nothing for 24 hours, so while I understand that it is of a gret magnitude I do not have teh pictures video and audio clips to really help me come to grips with the whole thing.
So I was going to come on here adn say, guess what???!!! I'm staying on until the start of April. I'm going to the south of Thailand and Malaysia and Singapore and INdonesia....and oh, there's the 4th largest earthquake ever reported... hmmm
Now I still plan on going because before going to all those places I'm heading to Vietnam. My hope is that by the time I want to travel to those areas things will have recovered. That, and teh places I was planning to go were not nailed by the tsunami. But anyway, more details on that as it develops.
I know I should be wondering about the thousands that are now dead missing or homeless, or something along those lines, rather than can my trip still go ahead, and I am. But really there's only so much worrying that one can do. That and because the only reason I even know about the earthquake is I happened to go online...I heard nothing for 24 hours, so while I understand that it is of a gret magnitude I do not have teh pictures video and audio clips to really help me come to grips with the whole thing.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The big C
This was going to be insightful but my Hotmail isn't working on this computer so I'm in a grump. So there.
Cambodia is poor, and so is Laos. However, it is obvious that here the poor are much poorer and the rich are much richer. There are lots of people around who seem to be doing alright for themselves, but there are also those around who have jack diddly.
Hopefully some of these people will get picked up as teh whole country improves.
Looking around you can see that the French spent much more time and effort and money here. Here being Phnom Pehn. Mostly it's the roads, but buildings and all that other infrastructure is of a much higher level here. So C gets the best, but also the worst and L gets to cruise along. PLeasantly communist with itself.
So there you go. Don't know what any of that was meant to say but it has been said.
Oh, and I bought a Snicker's Bar tonight. Yummy. You know you've learned teh value of money a bit more, when you spend 1/2 an hour debating whether you can justify 55 cents for a chocolate bar.
Cambodia is poor, and so is Laos. However, it is obvious that here the poor are much poorer and the rich are much richer. There are lots of people around who seem to be doing alright for themselves, but there are also those around who have jack diddly.
Hopefully some of these people will get picked up as teh whole country improves.
Looking around you can see that the French spent much more time and effort and money here. Here being Phnom Pehn. Mostly it's the roads, but buildings and all that other infrastructure is of a much higher level here. So C gets the best, but also the worst and L gets to cruise along. PLeasantly communist with itself.
So there you go. Don't know what any of that was meant to say but it has been said.
Oh, and I bought a Snicker's Bar tonight. Yummy. You know you've learned teh value of money a bit more, when you spend 1/2 an hour debating whether you can justify 55 cents for a chocolate bar.
Ants
On my way here I was waiting to cross the street, and suddenly felt pain. I was standing on an anthill. Don't stand on anthills. Or don't wait for traffic.
Traffic here, sheesh. When crossing on foot it's all about frogger style, looking up the street for gaps. When driving. I haven't had the pleasure but it looks pretty easy. Cars just seem to move across lanes of traffic and people drive around. It's all very cooperative. Of course I think the flow is greatly helped by the large number of motorcycles.
Driving here, pretty nuts. Ants, pretty nuts. Good ol' Phnom Pehn. Heading to Sihanoukville tomorrow. (That's on the ocean)
Traffic here, sheesh. When crossing on foot it's all about frogger style, looking up the street for gaps. When driving. I haven't had the pleasure but it looks pretty easy. Cars just seem to move across lanes of traffic and people drive around. It's all very cooperative. Of course I think the flow is greatly helped by the large number of motorcycles.
Driving here, pretty nuts. Ants, pretty nuts. Good ol' Phnom Pehn. Heading to Sihanoukville tomorrow. (That's on the ocean)
Sunday, December 19, 2004
PayPal
And yes I do have a PayPal account, so if that was the only thing preventing you from sending me huge sums of money I will give you those details right away. Not sure how I would access it over here, but I'm sure if the money exists and is mine someone would heppily give it to me for a small commission.
Giuliana
For those of you asking about Giuliana she is well.
I don't know what else to tell you as we do pretty much the same stuff. She just sees things from a little lower, and is a girl and stuff.
For those of you who would like to know more I'll be sure to tell her about her legions of fans and encourage her to start a blog of her own so you can compare our writing for grammar, sentence structure and syntax.
I don't know what else to tell you as we do pretty much the same stuff. She just sees things from a little lower, and is a girl and stuff.
For those of you who would like to know more I'll be sure to tell her about her legions of fans and encourage her to start a blog of her own so you can compare our writing for grammar, sentence structure and syntax.
Cambodia
Had a rollicking good time getting into the country. Paid my $1 stamp fee to leave Laos, cheaper than expected, then joined forces with some French, Brits and Aussies to get our sppedboat ride to Stung Treng for $4 (way cheaper than expected) then thanks to one of teh frenchmen paid nothing to get stamped in Cambodia. For using an "unofficial" border we did okay.
Apparently the Toyota Camry is the most amazing car ever. All the "taxis" in Cambodia I have seen are that model, and man do they fly...well not that fast, but in relation to everything else on the road. Four of us paid for one outright rather than share the car with us and 4 locals to save $3. Did our trip to Kratie from Stung Treng in 2.5 hours, a trip that used to take 6 hours due to the road. We drove by a lot of people still working on it.
Kratie for one night then down to Phnom Pehn yesterday.
Moto drivers here are nuts!!!! They followed are bus all the way downtown and when you keep saying no and walking away they keep following until you actually have your pack on and are striding purposefully. If your stride isn't purposeful they stay on you because they know you're about to change your mind.
Aside from them... a lot more poverty here than Laos. And if you're going to be poor and can choose, stay in the country, it's easier to be poor there. Unless you're sure (I mean SURE) you're the peassant whose going to find the streets of the city paved with gold, then come on down!
Lots of heat, lots of markets, and oddly a lot of old military maps of the country. Well I guess not that oddly if you think of its history. SAw a former interrogation camp museum and I really have to think that Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge buddies may be the most messed up people ever. I mean they were really crazy. From what I'm understanding welll, I'd better not make a Nazi to Khmer Rouge ratio or someone will find something to get mad about. They were all sickies.
MMMMM, yup that's it. Like I said don't want to write much.
Apparently the Toyota Camry is the most amazing car ever. All the "taxis" in Cambodia I have seen are that model, and man do they fly...well not that fast, but in relation to everything else on the road. Four of us paid for one outright rather than share the car with us and 4 locals to save $3. Did our trip to Kratie from Stung Treng in 2.5 hours, a trip that used to take 6 hours due to the road. We drove by a lot of people still working on it.
Kratie for one night then down to Phnom Pehn yesterday.
Moto drivers here are nuts!!!! They followed are bus all the way downtown and when you keep saying no and walking away they keep following until you actually have your pack on and are striding purposefully. If your stride isn't purposeful they stay on you because they know you're about to change your mind.
Aside from them... a lot more poverty here than Laos. And if you're going to be poor and can choose, stay in the country, it's easier to be poor there. Unless you're sure (I mean SURE) you're the peassant whose going to find the streets of the city paved with gold, then come on down!
Lots of heat, lots of markets, and oddly a lot of old military maps of the country. Well I guess not that oddly if you think of its history. SAw a former interrogation camp museum and I really have to think that Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge buddies may be the most messed up people ever. I mean they were really crazy. From what I'm understanding welll, I'd better not make a Nazi to Khmer Rouge ratio or someone will find something to get mad about. They were all sickies.
MMMMM, yup that's it. Like I said don't want to write much.
railroads
The only railroad the french built in Laos is on Don Det and Don Khon. I cycled a lot of the bed and saw the two ends. It was very cool. I drew pictures (!!!) and took pictures and can tell anyone who wants to hear about it when I get back.
South
So we went south. And we got to Champasak and saw the ruins. VERY cool. And I must say I really enjoyed my pad on the Mekong, hammock and all that. Very nice.
This entry is going to be mighty shorty, mostly just because I don't feel like going too long, and I write enough in my journal. Also, we haven't really done a lot.
So Champasak, then on to Si Phan Don, more specifically Don Det. Don meaning Island as far as I can tell. Anyway, so once again in a hammock in abamboo bungalow letting my brain rest for four days or so. Partaking in too many fruit pancakes and fruit shakes, but thus is life I suppose. I had Kip to spend because it isn't accepted anywhere else so I did. For those who are wondering it was less than $2 for about 3/4 ounces.
The place we were staying cost 50cents a night, and with that and the food I was gorging myself on (I ate sooo much compared to the rest of teh trip) it was less than $5 a day.
And then it was on to Cambodia...
This entry is going to be mighty shorty, mostly just because I don't feel like going too long, and I write enough in my journal. Also, we haven't really done a lot.
So Champasak, then on to Si Phan Don, more specifically Don Det. Don meaning Island as far as I can tell. Anyway, so once again in a hammock in abamboo bungalow letting my brain rest for four days or so. Partaking in too many fruit pancakes and fruit shakes, but thus is life I suppose. I had Kip to spend because it isn't accepted anywhere else so I did. For those who are wondering it was less than $2 for about 3/4 ounces.
The place we were staying cost 50cents a night, and with that and the food I was gorging myself on (I ate sooo much compared to the rest of teh trip) it was less than $5 a day.
And then it was on to Cambodia...
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
future
So now I'm over here and I'm looking at other countries I kinda want to visit. However, as always money is an obstacle. Now I don't know how many people actually read this blog, but judging by the overwhelming response to my request for feedback I'm going to put a conservative estimate at 1-2. 3 if Mary Margaret isn't too busy at school. But anyway...I'm going to do this anyway, assuming most people will take it as a joke, but some might be stupid enough (kind enough) to follow through.
Help James travel more by sendibng (large) cash donations of cheques, money orders or cash made out to James McRae. If you want to send it email me and I'll give you further instructions. Don't have my email? Well then you're obviously a random person who has stumbled onto this...way to surf teh information superhighway nerd.
Anyway, send money or I'll have to come home and you'll all have to listen to me and see me adn all sorts of nasty things.
But serioulsy I would appreciate feedback. Just do it once to make me feel good. (and money)
Help James travel more by sendibng (large) cash donations of cheques, money orders or cash made out to James McRae. If you want to send it email me and I'll give you further instructions. Don't have my email? Well then you're obviously a random person who has stumbled onto this...way to surf teh information superhighway nerd.
Anyway, send money or I'll have to come home and you'll all have to listen to me and see me adn all sorts of nasty things.
But serioulsy I would appreciate feedback. Just do it once to make me feel good. (and money)
travellers
Although we aren't the most hardcore travellers as far as getting off the beaten track goes, I think we're doing alright. We've ridden some crazy buses and gone to teh corners of the country, and being in Vang Vieng really brought this home for me.
There you see girls and boys in all the clothes you're told to avoid in the rest of the country. The foreigner section of town is focused around caves, kayaking, TVs and beer. Nothing wrong with all that of course, but that's what's there. A lot of the people that are there seem to have made Laos a lsight adventure from Thailand. I don't kinow if this is true, but I don't know how things could be otherwise. You wear a tanktop in Sam Neua and you'll know people are looking and throw on something more in a hurry....well if you were a girl of course.
Anyway to sum up... not the most hardcore travellers, but doing alright.
There you see girls and boys in all the clothes you're told to avoid in the rest of the country. The foreigner section of town is focused around caves, kayaking, TVs and beer. Nothing wrong with all that of course, but that's what's there. A lot of the people that are there seem to have made Laos a lsight adventure from Thailand. I don't kinow if this is true, but I don't know how things could be otherwise. You wear a tanktop in Sam Neua and you'll know people are looking and throw on something more in a hurry....well if you were a girl of course.
Anyway to sum up... not the most hardcore travellers, but doing alright.
Kayaking fun and Vientiane
We decided to travel from Vang Vieng to Vientiane by paying for a kayaking trip. They truck us for an hour, we paddle a bit and they truck us the rest of the way. It was not in any way arduous, and it was mighty short, especially when considering the leisurely 1.5 hours for lunch, but still a good time.
Therewas one real rapid that tossed us...I was glad it did. Nothing like being thrown into a torrent, especially one that's pretty small and relatively safe. At our lunch stop we swam for a bit and jumped off a big cliff. Well kinda big, I've done bigger and certain others I know have done bigger still. I was the only one to jump, because I am the man.
Vientiane is a lovely town, and is very differetn from the rest of Laos. They just had a conference here and I'm assuming that's the reson it's so clean, so at least they're trying to avoid litter here. They even have hilariously translated signs up (sponsored by Australia) that in effect say love your city and don't litter. Unfortunately they haven't got around to providing bins yet. And for the most part it's just the downtown that is done up really nicely, about a 20 minute walk in any direction and sidewalks disappear, and things just feel a bit more Laos. We discovered this today when getting our Cambodian visas dealt with.
There are far more expats here and teh expensive grocerty stores that go with them. I forget it's getting towards Christmas, but the small boxes of christmas cake for huge prices bring it all back quickly.
Also this is the first really flat area of the country. Luang Nam Tha was on a small flood plain but this is much bigger. Looking at a map of the country today, it's all monutains in the north...no wnder ti took so long to get places.
Nice here, everything's a bit more expensive and we're going sightseeing tomorrow. Friday we're heading south and I don't know when I'll see internet on that trip...maybe stop in before we hit Cambodia, maybe not. If I don't, then I won't be on here until Phnom Phen (so dn't worry if there are no updates.
Therewas one real rapid that tossed us...I was glad it did. Nothing like being thrown into a torrent, especially one that's pretty small and relatively safe. At our lunch stop we swam for a bit and jumped off a big cliff. Well kinda big, I've done bigger and certain others I know have done bigger still. I was the only one to jump, because I am the man.
Vientiane is a lovely town, and is very differetn from the rest of Laos. They just had a conference here and I'm assuming that's the reson it's so clean, so at least they're trying to avoid litter here. They even have hilariously translated signs up (sponsored by Australia) that in effect say love your city and don't litter. Unfortunately they haven't got around to providing bins yet. And for the most part it's just the downtown that is done up really nicely, about a 20 minute walk in any direction and sidewalks disappear, and things just feel a bit more Laos. We discovered this today when getting our Cambodian visas dealt with.
There are far more expats here and teh expensive grocerty stores that go with them. I forget it's getting towards Christmas, but the small boxes of christmas cake for huge prices bring it all back quickly.
Also this is the first really flat area of the country. Luang Nam Tha was on a small flood plain but this is much bigger. Looking at a map of the country today, it's all monutains in the north...no wnder ti took so long to get places.
Nice here, everything's a bit more expensive and we're going sightseeing tomorrow. Friday we're heading south and I don't know when I'll see internet on that trip...maybe stop in before we hit Cambodia, maybe not. If I don't, then I won't be on here until Phnom Phen (so dn't worry if there are no updates.
puking
I don't understand why so many Laos (mostly ladies) puke on buses. 15 minutes into the ride and you start hearing noises, and because we're going up hill, we aren't exactly moving quickly. I guess if you're not used to any movement besides your own a bus might seem a bit much. What really gets me though is the fact that some of thame forget their own plastic bags...15 minutes in, you should have your own supply, don't touch the ones I brought along for garbage.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
hello
So I'm writing this stuff...and I assume people are reading it.
I would like to hear what's going on in your varuious bnecks of woods. My email still works, and you can leave responses to the various blog entries as you see fit. I encourage it, just don't expect immediate responses.
I would like to hear what's going on in your varuious bnecks of woods. My email still works, and you can leave responses to the various blog entries as you see fit. I encourage it, just don't expect immediate responses.
Vang Vieng
We're here now. I'm keeping this short because I've been on for too long.
Dropped on the highway, walk across an old airstrip, and this functions in some metaphorical way (yet to be fleshed out) as a seperation from teh rest of the country. VV, at least the part the falangs stay in, is different than what I have seen.
Guirls are lsutting it up (tank tops) compared to everywhere else, and restaurants all feature recling tables. There are also TVs in these restaurants playing satellite, movies and for some odd reason 30% are playing Friends episodes on a constant loop. After not watching TV for so long, trying to write in my journal with it on teh backgorund is crazy hard. Can't maintain anything resembling concentration. I guess that's a lesson to me about TV when I return to the real world. Mum, you've been saying it all along and I guess you were right.
Nice town. Went tubing yesterday, (sit in an inner tube and drift down a river, buying beer alonfg the way) and enjoying another relaxing day today. The happy foodstuffs that were supposed to be around were not apparent yesterday. Of course now that we're leaving tomorrow...I see the restaurants EVERYWHERE. I guess I should have just looked for the signs out front with smiling faces and mushrooms drawn in marker. Oh well.
We're probably going to kayak out of here tomorrow, then bus a little and be in Vuientiane tomorrow night. Then it's Cambodian visas and heading south towards there. We're aiming to be in Sihanoukville in souther Cambodia for Christmas.
Also I'm now looking at Malaysia, INdonesia and Vietnam...you knwo for something to do because I don't think I'll be ready to come home in January (too cold).
Dropped on the highway, walk across an old airstrip, and this functions in some metaphorical way (yet to be fleshed out) as a seperation from teh rest of the country. VV, at least the part the falangs stay in, is different than what I have seen.
Guirls are lsutting it up (tank tops) compared to everywhere else, and restaurants all feature recling tables. There are also TVs in these restaurants playing satellite, movies and for some odd reason 30% are playing Friends episodes on a constant loop. After not watching TV for so long, trying to write in my journal with it on teh backgorund is crazy hard. Can't maintain anything resembling concentration. I guess that's a lesson to me about TV when I return to the real world. Mum, you've been saying it all along and I guess you were right.
Nice town. Went tubing yesterday, (sit in an inner tube and drift down a river, buying beer alonfg the way) and enjoying another relaxing day today. The happy foodstuffs that were supposed to be around were not apparent yesterday. Of course now that we're leaving tomorrow...I see the restaurants EVERYWHERE. I guess I should have just looked for the signs out front with smiling faces and mushrooms drawn in marker. Oh well.
We're probably going to kayak out of here tomorrow, then bus a little and be in Vuientiane tomorrow night. Then it's Cambodian visas and heading south towards there. We're aiming to be in Sihanoukville in souther Cambodia for Christmas.
Also I'm now looking at Malaysia, INdonesia and Vietnam...you knwo for something to do because I don't think I'll be ready to come home in January (too cold).
Karaoke
Just to get this off my chest. sheesh.
The bus played these over and over on their VCD player (which I think only exists as a medium to serve teh Karaoke industry).
There are two types of videos they were showing. Thai and Laos. The Thai ones came some with artists and some with minimovies. Mini movies featured a guy and a girl, not being able to get together (limited mobney, work, mean father, etc.) They would remember one another and eventually get together at the end. At least part of this (usually all of it) would take place in slwo motion.
The ones featuring the artists use whatever camera angles (often just one straight on, but also 4 way splits and stuff). I shouldn't mock their editing techniques but I can lauhg at what they're filming. Drummers, hardcore longhaired drummers basically keep time on cymbals and the odd sanre hit (I cvould be a thai rock drummer and I have less rhythm than ... I can only thing of rude things directed at people with medical conditions). The guitarists are even better though. A lot of these songs I can't even hear a guitar, unless it's heavily synthed to sound like a traditional instrument (which would be odd). Then they show closeups of the guitarists anyway, featuring fancy fingerwork moving 5 times faster than the song, and not matching up with any noises I'm hearing from teh speakers.
Laos videos seemed filmede on a hi-8 camera and look they they're tourist packages, featuring shots of smiling people, Beer Lao signs, stone hjars and awkward zoom ins on empty bomb casings. Other tourist highl;ights they show includet the Friendship Bridge to Thailand and of course a series of buses. There was one with a story though. I had a guy in drag chasing another guy around. I think the storyline was teh ugly chick will get you in the end, even if you hide under a chicken cage. Who knows
I don't think this is me feeling superior as much as it's me laughing at cultureal differences (they dio it to me all the time).
Minbd you I don't know what Karaoke is like in Canada so maybe it's all the same. Perhaps someone who knows more could tell me, and tehn they could stop singing Karaoke adn get a life. Maybe...
Oh, adn tehy did randomly have some Charlie Chaplin movies mixed in with some of teh songs. That man is a genius...I never realized how much until I watched him on a bus in Laos.
The bus played these over and over on their VCD player (which I think only exists as a medium to serve teh Karaoke industry).
There are two types of videos they were showing. Thai and Laos. The Thai ones came some with artists and some with minimovies. Mini movies featured a guy and a girl, not being able to get together (limited mobney, work, mean father, etc.) They would remember one another and eventually get together at the end. At least part of this (usually all of it) would take place in slwo motion.
The ones featuring the artists use whatever camera angles (often just one straight on, but also 4 way splits and stuff). I shouldn't mock their editing techniques but I can lauhg at what they're filming. Drummers, hardcore longhaired drummers basically keep time on cymbals and the odd sanre hit (I cvould be a thai rock drummer and I have less rhythm than ... I can only thing of rude things directed at people with medical conditions). The guitarists are even better though. A lot of these songs I can't even hear a guitar, unless it's heavily synthed to sound like a traditional instrument (which would be odd). Then they show closeups of the guitarists anyway, featuring fancy fingerwork moving 5 times faster than the song, and not matching up with any noises I'm hearing from teh speakers.
Laos videos seemed filmede on a hi-8 camera and look they they're tourist packages, featuring shots of smiling people, Beer Lao signs, stone hjars and awkward zoom ins on empty bomb casings. Other tourist highl;ights they show includet the Friendship Bridge to Thailand and of course a series of buses. There was one with a story though. I had a guy in drag chasing another guy around. I think the storyline was teh ugly chick will get you in the end, even if you hide under a chicken cage. Who knows
I don't think this is me feeling superior as much as it's me laughing at cultureal differences (they dio it to me all the time).
Minbd you I don't know what Karaoke is like in Canada so maybe it's all the same. Perhaps someone who knows more could tell me, and tehn they could stop singing Karaoke adn get a life. Maybe...
Oh, adn tehy did randomly have some Charlie Chaplin movies mixed in with some of teh songs. That man is a genius...I never realized how much until I watched him on a bus in Laos.
bus ride 2
So this bus ride was on a VIP bus, meaning it's newer, faster, has air, reclinging seats and this one even had a TV.
Sam Neua to Vang Vieng was the plan (the bus was going to Vientiane but we were getting off here in Vang Vieng). And because it was faster it would leave 5 hours after the other ones but arrive at around the same time ...5AM the next morning. Of course that was the plan.
Because of a summit that was going on in Vientiane foreigners weren't allowed into the city and university students etc. got sent home. This bus ride was onhe that saw a lot of them heading back to school. And with them came their suitcases. Also with them, or whoever was on the bus came bags of rice (as usual), but also came more and more and more and mroe people (with mroe rice of course). There were 46 seats full of people, then there were easily another 20+ people in the aisle. I would say they weer standing except they were all sitting on teh rice and other bags that were stacked teh entire length of teh aisle (right to the steps oput the door) about 3 feet high. This bus has compartments underneath...supposedly to preclude teh need for a roof rack...guess what, they had to tie a tonne of bags on the roof anyway, just to make room for all teh people. INSANITY!!!!!!!
I don't want to judge, but I really have to think some people in Laos jsut aren't thinking...because this bus was far and away above any other bus I have seen here. There's something wrong with your brain if you thought wedging this many people with this much stuff on a bus would go off without a hitch. Even teh almighty VIP can't handle it. VIP, which by the tiem teh bus got rolling meant newer than a regular bus, same speed, seat with a bit of tilt, Karaoke on teh TV, but no air. Once they realized they had to move what they'd created teh air stopped ... I assume so the engine didn't die.
On the trip some hose popped, a break stopped working and a tire went flat. After that the driver slowed down even more, just to make sure teh bus made it. Maybe it's because I some from a place of maxuimum occupancy that this is opbvious to me but things, even metal buses, can only carry so much. No matter how much kip you think you're making on this one monster run, in the long run your pretty VIP bus is tyurning into a shit mobile, rattling around like the rest of them. Heh whatever.
I actually really enjoyed the ride, probably because I had seat adn because of delays to fix things we got to our destination around 10AM...much prefer arriving with light. Buses here leave in teh morning and arrive when still dark (if it's a really long journey) but we found the two that broke down enough to get us into town in daylight. Giuliana was in aisle and had various people leaning on her and sharing her foot space...but at least we weren't the two Danes who got on about 5 mins before departure adn decided to get off at some tuiny town along the way.
FUN!
Sam Neua to Vang Vieng was the plan (the bus was going to Vientiane but we were getting off here in Vang Vieng). And because it was faster it would leave 5 hours after the other ones but arrive at around the same time ...5AM the next morning. Of course that was the plan.
Because of a summit that was going on in Vientiane foreigners weren't allowed into the city and university students etc. got sent home. This bus ride was onhe that saw a lot of them heading back to school. And with them came their suitcases. Also with them, or whoever was on the bus came bags of rice (as usual), but also came more and more and more and mroe people (with mroe rice of course). There were 46 seats full of people, then there were easily another 20+ people in the aisle. I would say they weer standing except they were all sitting on teh rice and other bags that were stacked teh entire length of teh aisle (right to the steps oput the door) about 3 feet high. This bus has compartments underneath...supposedly to preclude teh need for a roof rack...guess what, they had to tie a tonne of bags on the roof anyway, just to make room for all teh people. INSANITY!!!!!!!
I don't want to judge, but I really have to think some people in Laos jsut aren't thinking...because this bus was far and away above any other bus I have seen here. There's something wrong with your brain if you thought wedging this many people with this much stuff on a bus would go off without a hitch. Even teh almighty VIP can't handle it. VIP, which by the tiem teh bus got rolling meant newer than a regular bus, same speed, seat with a bit of tilt, Karaoke on teh TV, but no air. Once they realized they had to move what they'd created teh air stopped ... I assume so the engine didn't die.
On the trip some hose popped, a break stopped working and a tire went flat. After that the driver slowed down even more, just to make sure teh bus made it. Maybe it's because I some from a place of maxuimum occupancy that this is opbvious to me but things, even metal buses, can only carry so much. No matter how much kip you think you're making on this one monster run, in the long run your pretty VIP bus is tyurning into a shit mobile, rattling around like the rest of them. Heh whatever.
I actually really enjoyed the ride, probably because I had seat adn because of delays to fix things we got to our destination around 10AM...much prefer arriving with light. Buses here leave in teh morning and arrive when still dark (if it's a really long journey) but we found the two that broke down enough to get us into town in daylight. Giuliana was in aisle and had various people leaning on her and sharing her foot space...but at least we weren't the two Danes who got on about 5 mins before departure adn decided to get off at some tuiny town along the way.
FUN!
Caves
We took a day trip from Sam Neua to teh caves at Vieng Xay. This was where the Communist Pathet Lao had their hideout until the revolution was a success in 1975. They have a series of caves they used to keep themselves protected from American bombs.
Anyway...these were some cool caves. The first one was teh coolest by far.
Each cave was sewt aside for one member of teh leading crew and their family. They were all equipped wiuth bedrooms and meeting rooms and toilets and safer emeting rooms and rest houses (for whent he cave was icky and it was safe outside). They have big cement walls to prevent from rocket attacks adn safe rooms with metal doors and air machines (Russian made of course). The first cave was cool because of teh part called the Elephant cave. This place had room for klike 3000 soldiers to sleep and also had a number of huge theatre speaking platform things built into the cave. Very cool.
There are craters from bombs everywhere and one in front of the Red Prince's pad had been turned into a swimming pool. The Red Prince was a memeber of the Royal Fmaily who went commie...being educated in Frnace and all that he also had a tennis court installed once the war was over. When the guide said this guy had been the last member of the royal family alive, I had to ask.
I wanted to ask what happened to the royals. Touring their palace in Luang Prabang and seeing all their stuff, but no mention of where they were was odd. I have read after the commie victory they were sent north and never heard from again. SO I had to ask this guy.
UNfortunately my question wasn't understood (sop he said!) but he did say something else that was interesting. According to him the Laos revolution was not fought against the Royalist forces, it was fought against the Americans. There was no Laos opn LaOS fighting at all. He said at one point in the war, the AMericans were fightiong from an area controlled by the king, but they never fought the king. I find that interesting, expecially since I'm pretty sure the Americans weren't about to do more than bomb the country, having enough fun on teh ground in Vietnam.
Anyway, so in Laos, they claim a victory over the USA. Take that AMerica! You lost a war to a country of 5million...for shame.
I really want to get an answer about what Laos people think happened to the king though...oh well.
Anyway...these were some cool caves. The first one was teh coolest by far.
Each cave was sewt aside for one member of teh leading crew and their family. They were all equipped wiuth bedrooms and meeting rooms and toilets and safer emeting rooms and rest houses (for whent he cave was icky and it was safe outside). They have big cement walls to prevent from rocket attacks adn safe rooms with metal doors and air machines (Russian made of course). The first cave was cool because of teh part called the Elephant cave. This place had room for klike 3000 soldiers to sleep and also had a number of huge theatre speaking platform things built into the cave. Very cool.
There are craters from bombs everywhere and one in front of the Red Prince's pad had been turned into a swimming pool. The Red Prince was a memeber of the Royal Fmaily who went commie...being educated in Frnace and all that he also had a tennis court installed once the war was over. When the guide said this guy had been the last member of the royal family alive, I had to ask.
I wanted to ask what happened to the royals. Touring their palace in Luang Prabang and seeing all their stuff, but no mention of where they were was odd. I have read after the commie victory they were sent north and never heard from again. SO I had to ask this guy.
UNfortunately my question wasn't understood (sop he said!) but he did say something else that was interesting. According to him the Laos revolution was not fought against the Royalist forces, it was fought against the Americans. There was no Laos opn LaOS fighting at all. He said at one point in the war, the AMericans were fightiong from an area controlled by the king, but they never fought the king. I find that interesting, expecially since I'm pretty sure the Americans weren't about to do more than bomb the country, having enough fun on teh ground in Vietnam.
Anyway, so in Laos, they claim a victory over the USA. Take that AMerica! You lost a war to a country of 5million...for shame.
I really want to get an answer about what Laos people think happened to the king though...oh well.
condensed milk
I just have to say...the stuff they serve here as condesed milk (I think it's just sweetened) is awesome. I hat coffee, and I'll have some of this stuff in some dark dark Lao coffee and its GREAT. Coffee lovers, I can only imagine how you'd feel drinking this stuff. So good.
Then tehy put the CM on bread...1000 kip for a baguette slathered in the stuff, AWESOME and CHEAP. Then tehy put it onpankcakes and french toast and everything. I tell you ...wow.
Just had to share that with everyone. MMMMM.
Then tehy put the CM on bread...1000 kip for a baguette slathered in the stuff, AWESOME and CHEAP. Then tehy put it onpankcakes and french toast and everything. I tell you ...wow.
Just had to share that with everyone. MMMMM.
Bus rides are fun!!!!
So I went through two significant bus rides recently. Let me tell you about them.
First we headed from Luang Prabang to Phonsovan intending to catch teh Vietiane to Sam Neua bus there and heading on that night (rather than spending money for a night in Phonsovan, which we had decided to skip due to time limits). Phonsovan has some interesting stone jars carved by unknowns and spread all over the place...next time I guess.
This bus ride was cool...guy on the top tying bags while the bus was rolling, bunch of army guard post (four guys in a bamboo lean-to with AK47s beside the road) and all that.
Anyway, so everything went according to plan and we caught the second bus. Resulting in numerous giggles frmo the bus staff. Most falangs (farangs in foreigners in Thai, and falang is Laos) don't catach this bus in the middle of the night I guess. They initially tried to charge us 80000Kip a piece but we had read our bus signs and magically 60000 kip tickets appeared shortly after we made a stink.
QWe were just satisfied to sleep (we were very rude and took the whole back row) again much to our friends' amusement. They sang along to whatever songs were on the radio and had a grand old time, but event they lay down for a rest periodically. Oh and we only took the back row because they told us to and no one wanted to sit near us.
SO as we slept fitfully, at about 4 in teh morning and 15km from our destinatyion the bgus was having issues getting up a hill. Turned out the engine had gone and gotten itself broken. We sat around on the hill while they tried to fix it and when that was never going to happen we sat around on the hill waiting for a vehicle to appear. The roads aren't terribly used at night (or the day for that matter). Eventually people started moving past and a bus was sent from town to pick us up...ended up getting in around 10AM. It was a pretty cool adventure though. The moon was really bright and there was m,ist all in teh mountains, a very nice nioght to get stuck with no lights. It was also fun to see the Laos people and there reaction...some napped, some started a fire to warm up...I'm sure it happens a lot.
I also enjoyed napping and being woken up to "Hey mister wake up" simply because that's what they knew how to say, it wasn't like they said anything to me after that, just giggled.
So then we had another bus trip...I'm actually going to put it seperately. Keep some chronological order.
First we headed from Luang Prabang to Phonsovan intending to catch teh Vietiane to Sam Neua bus there and heading on that night (rather than spending money for a night in Phonsovan, which we had decided to skip due to time limits). Phonsovan has some interesting stone jars carved by unknowns and spread all over the place...next time I guess.
This bus ride was cool...guy on the top tying bags while the bus was rolling, bunch of army guard post (four guys in a bamboo lean-to with AK47s beside the road) and all that.
Anyway, so everything went according to plan and we caught the second bus. Resulting in numerous giggles frmo the bus staff. Most falangs (farangs in foreigners in Thai, and falang is Laos) don't catach this bus in the middle of the night I guess. They initially tried to charge us 80000Kip a piece but we had read our bus signs and magically 60000 kip tickets appeared shortly after we made a stink.
QWe were just satisfied to sleep (we were very rude and took the whole back row) again much to our friends' amusement. They sang along to whatever songs were on the radio and had a grand old time, but event they lay down for a rest periodically. Oh and we only took the back row because they told us to and no one wanted to sit near us.
SO as we slept fitfully, at about 4 in teh morning and 15km from our destinatyion the bgus was having issues getting up a hill. Turned out the engine had gone and gotten itself broken. We sat around on the hill while they tried to fix it and when that was never going to happen we sat around on the hill waiting for a vehicle to appear. The roads aren't terribly used at night (or the day for that matter). Eventually people started moving past and a bus was sent from town to pick us up...ended up getting in around 10AM. It was a pretty cool adventure though. The moon was really bright and there was m,ist all in teh mountains, a very nice nioght to get stuck with no lights. It was also fun to see the Laos people and there reaction...some napped, some started a fire to warm up...I'm sure it happens a lot.
I also enjoyed napping and being woken up to "Hey mister wake up" simply because that's what they knew how to say, it wasn't like they said anything to me after that, just giggled.
So then we had another bus trip...I'm actually going to put it seperately. Keep some chronological order.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Market
I should mention my trip to the market the other day, simply because it was the first time there was really crazy food. IN one stretch of 5 stalls (people sitting on the ground) there was one hacked up snake (it had been a biggie) and bunch of frogs tied together in a basket, and best of all 2 dead squirrels. My guess is they were living int he woman's roof, and she happened to kill them and figured she may as well try and make some money saelling them as throw them in the river.
markets are great (thast's where the cheap food in plastic bagfs is). ANd usually its just meat and veggies, the oddities are rare. But while I'm thinking about it, plastic bags. Every time you buy anything you get given one. Bottle of water, anything. Sometimes if you buy a pop the pop gets poured into abag and you get a straw with it. I think they do that so they can recycle the bottle. It's kinda weird how many bags are issued in a day.
Speaking of that...garbage. Every once in a while you stumble upon a pile of the stuff on the river bankj or somewhere. It's just dumped. I guess we can't exactly tell them not to make the mistakes we have already made, but it's messy. I guess the filth justy doesn't amtter, adn probably at least once a year with a good rain it just gets swept into the river and away.
Okay, I think that's enough for today. My mind is beginning to wander, and this is costing the big bucks. I will bid you all adieu.
But three more thoughts. The Beauty Saloon here in town...gotta love mistranslations and that's a good one.
Finally. Although they're monks, they still use technology. I walked by some watching TV today and I so wanted a puicture from trhe back to get them abnd the TV...oh well. it's just kinda hard to explain to them what you want to do. You see some with cell phones, or on the net, and my other great picture idea is to get one of a monk witha camera taking a picture of me. CLASSIC!
markets are great (thast's where the cheap food in plastic bagfs is). ANd usually its just meat and veggies, the oddities are rare. But while I'm thinking about it, plastic bags. Every time you buy anything you get given one. Bottle of water, anything. Sometimes if you buy a pop the pop gets poured into abag and you get a straw with it. I think they do that so they can recycle the bottle. It's kinda weird how many bags are issued in a day.
Speaking of that...garbage. Every once in a while you stumble upon a pile of the stuff on the river bankj or somewhere. It's just dumped. I guess we can't exactly tell them not to make the mistakes we have already made, but it's messy. I guess the filth justy doesn't amtter, adn probably at least once a year with a good rain it just gets swept into the river and away.
Okay, I think that's enough for today. My mind is beginning to wander, and this is costing the big bucks. I will bid you all adieu.
But three more thoughts. The Beauty Saloon here in town...gotta love mistranslations and that's a good one.
Finally. Although they're monks, they still use technology. I walked by some watching TV today and I so wanted a puicture from trhe back to get them abnd the TV...oh well. it's just kinda hard to explain to them what you want to do. You see some with cell phones, or on the net, and my other great picture idea is to get one of a monk witha camera taking a picture of me. CLASSIC!
Turkeys
There were a lot of Turkeys in NK/MN. The only reason I mention this is that was the first place I really noticed turkeys. Then I realized that the first place I noticed turkeys happened to be on the same day as American Thanksgiving. In teh top five turkey slaughtering days of the year.
My theory is Laos, as anation only recently on speaking terms with the US, is an ideal place for turkeys to hide adn organize. Eventually they will return to their homelands armed to the teeth and mad as hell. Look out!
My theory is Laos, as anation only recently on speaking terms with the US, is an ideal place for turkeys to hide adn organize. Eventually they will return to their homelands armed to the teeth and mad as hell. Look out!
Luang Prabang
So it turns out where I just was is called NongKhiaw but I was actually across the river in Mung Ngoi. I'm pretty sure that's right. Not that anyone is reading any of this of course. You're all in your igloos or hunting beavers or cutting trees or something. Man the French are stupid. Well I guess not all of them, but this one girl really was. And she called herself a psychologist.
Anywhoo...
So now we're in Luang Prabang. Our last night in NK/MN was wonderful except the roosters seemed particularly loud and there were dogs fighting somewhere in the distance. Sleeping in a bamboo bungalow doesn't give the best sound insulation so you hear these kind of things. I guess the roosters wouldn't be so bad if there weren't other roosters. One is always trying to out cockadoodledoo the other. I suppose if they didn't have this ingrained tendency then we wouldn't have cock fighting, and where would the world be then? Probably in a much worse state.
So Luang Prabang. A UNESCO world heritage site and from what I can see well deserving. The French were pretty busy here, and to sound like all the tourist pamphlets, that combined with the Buddhist architecture all over the place to make an interesting little plavcce wedged onto a peninsula between two rivers. Of course I would much rather be here in about 1850...now that would be cool, but whater you gonna do? Invent a time machine (hopefully).
There are some things to see and do outside the town, but both the waterfall and cave are 30km or so away and would cost $10 for a round trip. I know it's not a lot but that can also be me eating sleeping and buying things for a day (or two if I'm really careful). The cave (called Pak Ou) is where they put all sorts of old Buddha statues and sculptures from temples, so it would be neat, but I think I've already made my point about sculptures.
After getting allexcited about the first dragons I saw at a tample (because they really look badass) with them too I've lost the excitement. They do tend to repeat a bit so, no more pics. Sometimes there's a lion or something, but even then...no more pics. I've really cut back on those...
One of the big things to do here is to wake up bright and early and watch the monks collectiing alms. They stop eating at noon the day before so by dawn they get pretty hungry I'd imagine. Without getting too flowery (here because I'm saving my best adjectives for teh published version which you will all have to pay for), it was pretty cool. Seeing a line of 100plus orange robed monks walking down the early dawn street in siolence is cool. They're all barefoot, adn the people giving also have shoes off. Men can stand but women have to kneel. Everyone has rice (sometimes otehr things like one bag of chips I saw) and tehy take handfuls and put it into the monks little bukcets. I call these monk snacks. And when you put a whole bunch of monk snacks together you get a monk meal.
Personally the idea of eating dozenbs of little balls of rice, mashed together by various hands in various statres of cleanliness isn't terribly appealing to me. But then I'm not a monk. And since this world doesn't exist you may as well have dirty rice as clean because in Nirvana it won't matter. I kinda want to be a monk for three months or something like that. Just to get a feel for the whole thing, and be able to tell the story accrurately if I have to write about it. That and would get to wear an orange robe and be bald. So I guess, either someone makes me an orange robe or I become a monk because I'm already bald.
Noght market here is funand I'm sure it would be more fun if I really really really liked buying silk and wood carvings and silver, adn pipes. Oh and spade tips seem to be quite popular too. But as I said, I'm saving my pennies.
I climbed the hill in town yesterday, it is call Phu Si. This is pronounced poo see, and well I won't make any jokes about the PhuSi massage parlour I found on main street. The view was okay, and there were some interesting sites. Once again though...I've seen a lot of temples and at this point they have to be pretty cool to imprress. There was a cave up there. I liked it and even took a picture. There wqas also an imprint of Buddha's foot. He must have been like 20 feet tall, or more likely once you achieve Nirvana you can be whatever size you want.
You know what they say about Buddha's with big feet??? They'll kill you.
Anywhoo...
So now we're in Luang Prabang. Our last night in NK/MN was wonderful except the roosters seemed particularly loud and there were dogs fighting somewhere in the distance. Sleeping in a bamboo bungalow doesn't give the best sound insulation so you hear these kind of things. I guess the roosters wouldn't be so bad if there weren't other roosters. One is always trying to out cockadoodledoo the other. I suppose if they didn't have this ingrained tendency then we wouldn't have cock fighting, and where would the world be then? Probably in a much worse state.
So Luang Prabang. A UNESCO world heritage site and from what I can see well deserving. The French were pretty busy here, and to sound like all the tourist pamphlets, that combined with the Buddhist architecture all over the place to make an interesting little plavcce wedged onto a peninsula between two rivers. Of course I would much rather be here in about 1850...now that would be cool, but whater you gonna do? Invent a time machine (hopefully).
There are some things to see and do outside the town, but both the waterfall and cave are 30km or so away and would cost $10 for a round trip. I know it's not a lot but that can also be me eating sleeping and buying things for a day (or two if I'm really careful). The cave (called Pak Ou) is where they put all sorts of old Buddha statues and sculptures from temples, so it would be neat, but I think I've already made my point about sculptures.
After getting allexcited about the first dragons I saw at a tample (because they really look badass) with them too I've lost the excitement. They do tend to repeat a bit so, no more pics. Sometimes there's a lion or something, but even then...no more pics. I've really cut back on those...
One of the big things to do here is to wake up bright and early and watch the monks collectiing alms. They stop eating at noon the day before so by dawn they get pretty hungry I'd imagine. Without getting too flowery (here because I'm saving my best adjectives for teh published version which you will all have to pay for), it was pretty cool. Seeing a line of 100plus orange robed monks walking down the early dawn street in siolence is cool. They're all barefoot, adn the people giving also have shoes off. Men can stand but women have to kneel. Everyone has rice (sometimes otehr things like one bag of chips I saw) and tehy take handfuls and put it into the monks little bukcets. I call these monk snacks. And when you put a whole bunch of monk snacks together you get a monk meal.
Personally the idea of eating dozenbs of little balls of rice, mashed together by various hands in various statres of cleanliness isn't terribly appealing to me. But then I'm not a monk. And since this world doesn't exist you may as well have dirty rice as clean because in Nirvana it won't matter. I kinda want to be a monk for three months or something like that. Just to get a feel for the whole thing, and be able to tell the story accrurately if I have to write about it. That and would get to wear an orange robe and be bald. So I guess, either someone makes me an orange robe or I become a monk because I'm already bald.
Noght market here is funand I'm sure it would be more fun if I really really really liked buying silk and wood carvings and silver, adn pipes. Oh and spade tips seem to be quite popular too. But as I said, I'm saving my pennies.
I climbed the hill in town yesterday, it is call Phu Si. This is pronounced poo see, and well I won't make any jokes about the PhuSi massage parlour I found on main street. The view was okay, and there were some interesting sites. Once again though...I've seen a lot of temples and at this point they have to be pretty cool to imprress. There was a cave up there. I liked it and even took a picture. There wqas also an imprint of Buddha's foot. He must have been like 20 feet tall, or more likely once you achieve Nirvana you can be whatever size you want.
You know what they say about Buddha's with big feet??? They'll kill you.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Trekking and more
I was thinking of giving a few posts here but because the internet is so onsanely slow and so (relatively) expensive I'm either going to write it all in here. Maybe I'll go full out, maybe I'll abbreviate or maybe I'll just get lazy and quit part way.
We went on our trek last Monday and Tuesday and it was a lot of fun. We hiked up a big mountain, then down the other side into a village. Learned about some of the architecture, how they keep their rice huts rat free and all that jazz. When we were there we were given free run of the village. We slept in a hut that was made using traditional styles, but made by the tourism authority strictly for trekker use. The treks in Laos are tightly regulated and much less commercial than the ones in Chiang Mai (so I've been told) but still those hoping to find untouched hill tribes will have to go farther afield. These ones have had tours going through for four years now and many of the people just seem used to it.
That might be because most of the people we actually saw in the village were children. Most adults, and even a few of the children were out in teh field working on the rice harvest. And because the fields are pretty far away, most sleep there over night. The children that remained did everythinf, from feeding the animals to making supper for whoever was a around. I'm even talking about 6 year olds caring for thir one year old siblings. Would you leave a 6 year old in charge of a baby? No, well apparently North American kids aren't being given enough credit for what they're capable of.
Of course they were still kids and played a lot, including some game with a flip flop a stcik and elastic bands (FUN!). I went around trying to teach some of tehm my finger trick...I think they were very impressed.
Food on the trip was great, lettuce, noodles, eggplant dip and lots and lots of sticky rice (every meal). The only disappointing dish was a couple of chickens we had for lunch. They were just hacked to bits and cooked. Tough to find the meat amopngst the bones.
We visited another village on the second day where the women still dressed traditionally, but that hardly meant they were untouched. Handicrafts emerged and they waited until our desires for photos were sated.
Some of the kids have grown up knowing tourists and know what we like. One boy was giving his baby sister a bath and was sure to turn her towards the camera for a perfect shot when he saw us there.
At times you feel like people watching other people at a zoo...in fact one time at a school I was actually taking a picture through bars. But I guess we're helpijg them financially be being there, and I hope to send some of the pictures back. Strengthen the connection and all that.
Our hike out was amazing . Difficult (not for me of course) up a mountain stream through bamboo jungle, real jungle and ...just wow. Unfortunately the roll of film I thought I had packed disappeared, so I get pictures of teh people but not the scenery. Close your eyes and imagine the most vivid postcard or movie from SE Asia and you've got it. Maybe I'll find a good pastcard to send, but probably not.
We were going to chill for a couple of days in Luang Nam Tha, but a rat in our room at the guesthouse after the trek meant we were going to move places anyway and just decided to leave. We are in...hmm can't remember the name. It's north and a bit east of Luang Prabang for those with a map and it is stunning.
The mountains here are steep limstone jobbies so you can see the rock. The town is two towns seperated by a river adn a lovely bridge. I walked across it tonight...just great. I definitely want to come back here with teh intention of doing some serious writing. The spot in the hammock on the veranda outside my bamboo bungalow sounds liek a good place to write.
I'll try to talk a bit mroe about this place later.
Moving arond so much makes you feel like you're seeing but not really experiencing. I guess that's what the second trip will be for.
I managed to leave Luang Nam Tha without hitting the bank and cashing a cheque so hard currency is a bit low and I must depart.
We went on our trek last Monday and Tuesday and it was a lot of fun. We hiked up a big mountain, then down the other side into a village. Learned about some of the architecture, how they keep their rice huts rat free and all that jazz. When we were there we were given free run of the village. We slept in a hut that was made using traditional styles, but made by the tourism authority strictly for trekker use. The treks in Laos are tightly regulated and much less commercial than the ones in Chiang Mai (so I've been told) but still those hoping to find untouched hill tribes will have to go farther afield. These ones have had tours going through for four years now and many of the people just seem used to it.
That might be because most of the people we actually saw in the village were children. Most adults, and even a few of the children were out in teh field working on the rice harvest. And because the fields are pretty far away, most sleep there over night. The children that remained did everythinf, from feeding the animals to making supper for whoever was a around. I'm even talking about 6 year olds caring for thir one year old siblings. Would you leave a 6 year old in charge of a baby? No, well apparently North American kids aren't being given enough credit for what they're capable of.
Of course they were still kids and played a lot, including some game with a flip flop a stcik and elastic bands (FUN!). I went around trying to teach some of tehm my finger trick...I think they were very impressed.
Food on the trip was great, lettuce, noodles, eggplant dip and lots and lots of sticky rice (every meal). The only disappointing dish was a couple of chickens we had for lunch. They were just hacked to bits and cooked. Tough to find the meat amopngst the bones.
We visited another village on the second day where the women still dressed traditionally, but that hardly meant they were untouched. Handicrafts emerged and they waited until our desires for photos were sated.
Some of the kids have grown up knowing tourists and know what we like. One boy was giving his baby sister a bath and was sure to turn her towards the camera for a perfect shot when he saw us there.
At times you feel like people watching other people at a zoo...in fact one time at a school I was actually taking a picture through bars. But I guess we're helpijg them financially be being there, and I hope to send some of the pictures back. Strengthen the connection and all that.
Our hike out was amazing . Difficult (not for me of course) up a mountain stream through bamboo jungle, real jungle and ...just wow. Unfortunately the roll of film I thought I had packed disappeared, so I get pictures of teh people but not the scenery. Close your eyes and imagine the most vivid postcard or movie from SE Asia and you've got it. Maybe I'll find a good pastcard to send, but probably not.
We were going to chill for a couple of days in Luang Nam Tha, but a rat in our room at the guesthouse after the trek meant we were going to move places anyway and just decided to leave. We are in...hmm can't remember the name. It's north and a bit east of Luang Prabang for those with a map and it is stunning.
The mountains here are steep limstone jobbies so you can see the rock. The town is two towns seperated by a river adn a lovely bridge. I walked across it tonight...just great. I definitely want to come back here with teh intention of doing some serious writing. The spot in the hammock on the veranda outside my bamboo bungalow sounds liek a good place to write.
I'll try to talk a bit mroe about this place later.
Moving arond so much makes you feel like you're seeing but not really experiencing. I guess that's what the second trip will be for.
I managed to leave Luang Nam Tha without hitting the bank and cashing a cheque so hard currency is a bit low and I must depart.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Mountain adventure
So I went looking for a clearing up a little mountain that would give me a view of teh town. After climbing for a long time Giuliana gave up and went back down. I pushed on and stumbled upon some people coming up the mountain's side. I was a bit worried, this being the golden triangle and all, but I figured I was up a mountain now and if I didn't go right to the top I never would.
It turned out it was just a family picking rice from the SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN!!!! I guess they didnt get enough from teh flat bits, or maybe their village was lakcing land or something (some women had traditional dress). But the people weer all over th eplace carrying huge sacks of rice around their heads. Some people were carrying abamboo logs on their head...it ws crazy.
There was a whole network of paths along the edges of teh mountains and the people were moving along them with their loads. It was nearer the end of the day so I guess tey weer beginning to make their way home. I just wanted to get to the top and kept trying to ask people, they all said yes teh path led to the top so I kept going. Eventually I realized they all must have thought I wanted to go to the other side because thats where the path was going. Or maybe they didn't understand me at all.
Whatever the case I scrambled up the side of the mountain myslef and POW. WHat a scene. It was great. Whole mountains have had a lot of their tree cover removed so their are stumps and logs everywhere, but the grasses adn rice that has grown up hides these from a distance. There also seems to have been a lot of fires at the tops. Set by lightning or people I don't know. But the coolest thing for me at least was all the shelters. There are all these elevated huts built onto the sides of the mountains. You see them in rice paddies and fields in teh valleys too and they are just sun shelters for when people need to stop their labouring. Seeing them all over the mountain side was way cooler. It wasn't like there was one every 20 feet but here and there they were spread. There seemed to be a lot to me at least, but I guess it makes sense. If you just walked up a mountain carrying a 60lbs bag of rice on your head, do you really want to have to go looking for a shelter for your lunch or whatever. Some of them looked older and less used than others. I hope my pictures from up there turn out. The whole day was hazy because there were so many people in teh flat lands burning studd in their fields. COOL!
There were times walking past some people I was a little nervous though. They were looking at me funny, adn although it was probably "what's this idiot doing up here" I wondered if it might be "He'd better not find our huge amounts of weed" . Also across the valley on mountains where I was not walking there were some odd agricultural plots. Like lines of crops on teh sides of mountains, near the tops. Not tiered or anything like rice paddies just a few short rows running down teh hill. Who knows? But you have to wonder.
It was also fun today at breakfast when the village ladies tried to sell us their handmade whatevers adn when that failed, their voices would drop and they'd pop out a little bag of opium. Good times. If I was going to smoke opium this would be the place!!!!
Oh and one last thing. Kids in teh villages LOVE saying sabadee. It means hello and when tehy see you coming they start jumping up and down, waving and yelling it, always pleased to get that word back. Even teh quiet ones will smile if you say it to them. Sometimes you get "SAbadee, hello." then a goodbye when you're leaving. My favourite though was one girl who said "Hello how are you today" in very well enunciated english. Of course when I said fine thank you and you, she had no clue what I was saying.
Sometimes I think some of the kids think of us as "The Hello People". I'm sure they understadnt their own language's word, but the way they will whisper sabadee to one another and poiunt when they see us coming and then say it to us and wave when we arrive makes me wonder. White, black, Laos, Thai and Sabadee. All races of the world unite!
Tht's enough of that. Hope all is well with all. I have a trek tomorrowm so I must pack and sleep.
It turned out it was just a family picking rice from the SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN!!!! I guess they didnt get enough from teh flat bits, or maybe their village was lakcing land or something (some women had traditional dress). But the people weer all over th eplace carrying huge sacks of rice around their heads. Some people were carrying abamboo logs on their head...it ws crazy.
There was a whole network of paths along the edges of teh mountains and the people were moving along them with their loads. It was nearer the end of the day so I guess tey weer beginning to make their way home. I just wanted to get to the top and kept trying to ask people, they all said yes teh path led to the top so I kept going. Eventually I realized they all must have thought I wanted to go to the other side because thats where the path was going. Or maybe they didn't understand me at all.
Whatever the case I scrambled up the side of the mountain myslef and POW. WHat a scene. It was great. Whole mountains have had a lot of their tree cover removed so their are stumps and logs everywhere, but the grasses adn rice that has grown up hides these from a distance. There also seems to have been a lot of fires at the tops. Set by lightning or people I don't know. But the coolest thing for me at least was all the shelters. There are all these elevated huts built onto the sides of the mountains. You see them in rice paddies and fields in teh valleys too and they are just sun shelters for when people need to stop their labouring. Seeing them all over the mountain side was way cooler. It wasn't like there was one every 20 feet but here and there they were spread. There seemed to be a lot to me at least, but I guess it makes sense. If you just walked up a mountain carrying a 60lbs bag of rice on your head, do you really want to have to go looking for a shelter for your lunch or whatever. Some of them looked older and less used than others. I hope my pictures from up there turn out. The whole day was hazy because there were so many people in teh flat lands burning studd in their fields. COOL!
There were times walking past some people I was a little nervous though. They were looking at me funny, adn although it was probably "what's this idiot doing up here" I wondered if it might be "He'd better not find our huge amounts of weed" . Also across the valley on mountains where I was not walking there were some odd agricultural plots. Like lines of crops on teh sides of mountains, near the tops. Not tiered or anything like rice paddies just a few short rows running down teh hill. Who knows? But you have to wonder.
It was also fun today at breakfast when the village ladies tried to sell us their handmade whatevers adn when that failed, their voices would drop and they'd pop out a little bag of opium. Good times. If I was going to smoke opium this would be the place!!!!
Oh and one last thing. Kids in teh villages LOVE saying sabadee. It means hello and when tehy see you coming they start jumping up and down, waving and yelling it, always pleased to get that word back. Even teh quiet ones will smile if you say it to them. Sometimes you get "SAbadee, hello." then a goodbye when you're leaving. My favourite though was one girl who said "Hello how are you today" in very well enunciated english. Of course when I said fine thank you and you, she had no clue what I was saying.
Sometimes I think some of the kids think of us as "The Hello People". I'm sure they understadnt their own language's word, but the way they will whisper sabadee to one another and poiunt when they see us coming and then say it to us and wave when we arrive makes me wonder. White, black, Laos, Thai and Sabadee. All races of the world unite!
Tht's enough of that. Hope all is well with all. I have a trek tomorrowm so I must pack and sleep.
Laos first impressions
We made our trip from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong without any trouble thn managed to avoid the tuktuks who offered to take us to the boat for 70 Baht each!!!! I know I said I would stop, but yikes! We ended up walking. Did all the border stuff then jumped on a "ferry" to the other side.
Their border was fun, a girl in a jean jacket and skirt coming down the boat ramp to give us our forms we needed to fill out (we'd already done our Visas so no border gouging was available). Filled out the forms which were just xeroxed sheets of paper, then traded in some money $1US = 40 Baht = 10200 kip about. So I am very wealthy. Huge wads of 5000 kip notes handed over to me for my 900baht. Found a guest house then debated taking teh slow boat to Luang Nam Tha. It would have cost $100Us to rent the thing between however many people were on, and even at capacity would still cost $35 because of food and stuff at the boatman's village. WOuld have been cool but too much money. WE decided to take the bus whihc the guesthouse kindly arranged, with a fee that included a ride to the station but was still enoough to cover the trouble of getting the tickets for us, shall we say. The guesthouse came out alright. Before I get to the bus ride though...
Laos is a lovely place, not much in the way of lights though. Huay Xai where we landed was just a long strip along the river. The tuktuks were just motorbikes with a side car welded on, not the sturdy trike models in Thailand and everything was a bit older, more rundown etc. It's noce though. Had our first weed offered to us by some random dude at the top of the temple stares. Kinda weird, being in Laos for 2 hours, walking up 137 steps (or whatever) to the Buddhist temple and having some guy offer you weed while monks cant from within. Weird but cool.
The bus ride was insane. 8 hours for under 2 km. This road was a main one in the area, in fact all the roads that exist in Laos are probably main ones because they barely have any. This thing was dusty, single lane, hugging the edges of mountains, slowing for the biggest holes in the road, fording streams, threepoint turns around some jacknife corners...the whole nine yards. Super sweet.
Here in Luang Nam Tha, we quickly found a guest house and today we booked a two day trek into the nature preserve that leaves tomorrow. The trekking here is actually better controlled and run thatn in Thailand. The government and the UN got in there just as the industry was beginnning so tour sizes are limited, guids are licensed adn inmpact on both environment and villages is limited. Should be fun.
We also rented some bikes and went out to a waterfall. When we got there along with an entrance feee the old guy at the gate kindly pointed out the sign that detailed costs for whtevere vehicle you brought in. He said he ould watch it for us, but I would have found it easier to pay if it hasd just been a parking fee. Oh well. The falls themselves were okay, nothing spectacular though.
I'm going to tell you about my next adventure in a seperate blog. orry to rush through things but money is money.
Their border was fun, a girl in a jean jacket and skirt coming down the boat ramp to give us our forms we needed to fill out (we'd already done our Visas so no border gouging was available). Filled out the forms which were just xeroxed sheets of paper, then traded in some money $1US = 40 Baht = 10200 kip about. So I am very wealthy. Huge wads of 5000 kip notes handed over to me for my 900baht. Found a guest house then debated taking teh slow boat to Luang Nam Tha. It would have cost $100Us to rent the thing between however many people were on, and even at capacity would still cost $35 because of food and stuff at the boatman's village. WOuld have been cool but too much money. WE decided to take the bus whihc the guesthouse kindly arranged, with a fee that included a ride to the station but was still enoough to cover the trouble of getting the tickets for us, shall we say. The guesthouse came out alright. Before I get to the bus ride though...
Laos is a lovely place, not much in the way of lights though. Huay Xai where we landed was just a long strip along the river. The tuktuks were just motorbikes with a side car welded on, not the sturdy trike models in Thailand and everything was a bit older, more rundown etc. It's noce though. Had our first weed offered to us by some random dude at the top of the temple stares. Kinda weird, being in Laos for 2 hours, walking up 137 steps (or whatever) to the Buddhist temple and having some guy offer you weed while monks cant from within. Weird but cool.
The bus ride was insane. 8 hours for under 2 km. This road was a main one in the area, in fact all the roads that exist in Laos are probably main ones because they barely have any. This thing was dusty, single lane, hugging the edges of mountains, slowing for the biggest holes in the road, fording streams, threepoint turns around some jacknife corners...the whole nine yards. Super sweet.
Here in Luang Nam Tha, we quickly found a guest house and today we booked a two day trek into the nature preserve that leaves tomorrow. The trekking here is actually better controlled and run thatn in Thailand. The government and the UN got in there just as the industry was beginnning so tour sizes are limited, guids are licensed adn inmpact on both environment and villages is limited. Should be fun.
We also rented some bikes and went out to a waterfall. When we got there along with an entrance feee the old guy at the gate kindly pointed out the sign that detailed costs for whtevere vehicle you brought in. He said he ould watch it for us, but I would have found it easier to pay if it hasd just been a parking fee. Oh well. The falls themselves were okay, nothing spectacular though.
I'm going to tell you about my next adventure in a seperate blog. orry to rush through things but money is money.
Tuks tuks the end
Okay. From now on there's going to be a bit more structure to each post (hopefully).
Tukstuks. I don't like being ripped off, but I am a white dude. As such there are certain assumptions made that I am rich. And in actual fact I am when I am here. As such one must expect a little excessive charging (I guess). These guys are just trying to feed their family, watch some Muay Thai and get drunk out of their chairs from time to time just like the rest of us. So I have to accept that. Phew...now I'm an open minded traveller.
At the same time when I pay 40 Baht to go over 200 km in a bus, it's a little hard to rationalize a 3 minute tuk tuk ride costing the same...and yes I know buses and cabs are different. Whatever...the end of tuk tuks.
Tukstuks. I don't like being ripped off, but I am a white dude. As such there are certain assumptions made that I am rich. And in actual fact I am when I am here. As such one must expect a little excessive charging (I guess). These guys are just trying to feed their family, watch some Muay Thai and get drunk out of their chairs from time to time just like the rest of us. So I have to accept that. Phew...now I'm an open minded traveller.
At the same time when I pay 40 Baht to go over 200 km in a bus, it's a little hard to rationalize a 3 minute tuk tuk ride costing the same...and yes I know buses and cabs are different. Whatever...the end of tuk tuks.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Chiang Mai to Laos
When I'm in these internet places I feel like I'm under pressure to wirte quickly. Weird because it isn't very expensive but that's the way I feel. I'm going to use that as my excuse when a post doen't make sense, or perhaps verges on the offensive. I'll try and keep it clean, and relatively focused, but you're coming here of your own accord so what do I care.
I like the fact that I have to be so careful when writing to family and friends just because I don't want to look like the easily frustrated and angry westerner that I am.
Today we leave Chiang Mai, a place that if I had more time and money to burn I would happily stay for a long time. Cooler air, more relaxed than Bangkok and lots of fun things like Thai cooking and language classes. Unfortunaately our destiny calls us to Laos...come to think of it hardly unfortunate at all.
I don't know what the situation will be there as far as internet and all so you will just have to wait and see where the next post comes from.
AS I said before I feel too pressured in places like this. Next time I enter one I'll have a well thought out and eloquent speech on things foreign. It will somehow explain how all cultures and religions can live together and happily coexist on this small blue ball we call earth. I think the answer might have something to do with large vats of gravy, professional wrestling and free butterchotch ripple ice cream for all!!! Oh and interbreeding, that'll be important too.
UNtil we meet again, this is James making no sense and avoiding prison, signing off.
I like the fact that I have to be so careful when writing to family and friends just because I don't want to look like the easily frustrated and angry westerner that I am.
Today we leave Chiang Mai, a place that if I had more time and money to burn I would happily stay for a long time. Cooler air, more relaxed than Bangkok and lots of fun things like Thai cooking and language classes. Unfortunaately our destiny calls us to Laos...come to think of it hardly unfortunate at all.
I don't know what the situation will be there as far as internet and all so you will just have to wait and see where the next post comes from.
AS I said before I feel too pressured in places like this. Next time I enter one I'll have a well thought out and eloquent speech on things foreign. It will somehow explain how all cultures and religions can live together and happily coexist on this small blue ball we call earth. I think the answer might have something to do with large vats of gravy, professional wrestling and free butterchotch ripple ice cream for all!!! Oh and interbreeding, that'll be important too.
UNtil we meet again, this is James making no sense and avoiding prison, signing off.
Thoughts on Temples
Khon Kaen to Chiang Mai was a long long long bus ride. I especially appreciated the ass in front me who put his chair bag. Now these chairs are set up so they can go way further back than any Canadian bus. I had my legs WIDE. I couldn't move. Stupid bastard. Fortunately after our rest stop, something jammed his charid and prevented him from putting it back at all. That was of course my knees. Heh.
Chiang Mai rules. Slightly cooler (near the mountains) and the areas we want to get to are all within walking distance. There are even some neato ruins of the old city walls around to keep me entertained.
There are so many temples about, and unfirtunate4ly a lot of them lack teh holy tranquility one might expect to find. Maybe it's the cab drivers that wait outside to bother you afterwards, the ones that drop you 3km out of towm...although I shouldn't say too much. After all I didn't clarify with the driver that I wanted to go past the zoo.
I'm going to have to be careful about this whole blog thing. I want to seem like a worldy traveller to all my adoring fans but at the same time that means I have to accept all the wonderful differences within society here. I have to smile and nod and just accept it. As some of you may know, from time to to time I will criticize others. This doesn't neccessarily mean I think I'm right, just that something someone else is doing bothers me.
So if I happen to launch into a diatribe about why there are too many temples here, relaz. I still repect the culture and am an open minded traveller. At the same time though, I am also James and consider myself an equal opportunity critiquer.
I'll happily make fun of a Catholic that pisses me off, so why can't I do the same for Buddhists? To me everyone is equal.
Well now that I sound like a big prick, I'll be quiet. I think I'm just over tired and cranky. FREAKING TUKTUKS!!!!
Chiang Mai rules. Slightly cooler (near the mountains) and the areas we want to get to are all within walking distance. There are even some neato ruins of the old city walls around to keep me entertained.
There are so many temples about, and unfirtunate4ly a lot of them lack teh holy tranquility one might expect to find. Maybe it's the cab drivers that wait outside to bother you afterwards, the ones that drop you 3km out of towm...although I shouldn't say too much. After all I didn't clarify with the driver that I wanted to go past the zoo.
I'm going to have to be careful about this whole blog thing. I want to seem like a worldy traveller to all my adoring fans but at the same time that means I have to accept all the wonderful differences within society here. I have to smile and nod and just accept it. As some of you may know, from time to to time I will criticize others. This doesn't neccessarily mean I think I'm right, just that something someone else is doing bothers me.
So if I happen to launch into a diatribe about why there are too many temples here, relaz. I still repect the culture and am an open minded traveller. At the same time though, I am also James and consider myself an equal opportunity critiquer.
I'll happily make fun of a Catholic that pisses me off, so why can't I do the same for Buddhists? To me everyone is equal.
Well now that I sound like a big prick, I'll be quiet. I think I'm just over tired and cranky. FREAKING TUKTUKS!!!!
Hello
Figured this would be a tonne faster than writing emails all over the place...that and I don't need to email and stuff. WHich can be a hassle I suppose.
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