This writing is really tiring me out. Came back to Yogya and despite my best efforts to travel like a local, I tried to save time and wasn't pleased with the way everything worked out. Then I sillily lost my head when someone had moved my bag andd forgot to tell me.
Anyway, I was very pleased with how quickly I calmed myself and turned a negative into a positive. I was going to go to Dieng Plateau (more valcano stuff) but decided to hang in Yogya for a few days and see if I can get in touch with Endro and maybe go to his house for a night. I'll tell you if that works out.
Sorry for the limited detail but heh, too bad. I tooka cab from the bus station to my hotel, it's amazing how easy travel can be when you aren't working up in your mind how important saving money is all the time.
What's particularly frutrating about here is there are no posted fares anywhere. You are at the whims of the guys on the bus, and only if you're REALLY sure about the actual fare or have someone helping you can you really go at it full bore. Oh well.
Also, one of my greatest travel insights ever! (take it for what it is). When I lost my head about my bag and yelled "where's my bag?" some of the vendors around laughed and mimicked me, in the stress and all I turned and actually flipped them the bird (very regretful). Immediately after as I stewed on the bus my mind thought things along the lines of , "Ya so what, you're poor and I'm fromt he west and you want to be me". Then I stopped, realized what a ridiculous thought that is, superiorioty over the saveage and all that. It would be like walking up to a lion in the jungle, ya you have teeeth and claws and all but over time humanity will cut down the jungle and only let lions live in zoos, and then he would eat me. No matter how great the west might be I'm on their turf.
Insightful? You bet.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
EGO!
I just have to mention. WHen I asked Endro and Andri why everyone wanted a picture with me, asked just after I posed with 5 successive girls then with the group of them and me together (12 year olds so don't think I'm trying to show off).
Their possible reasons included
-I'm tall
-I'm handsome
-maybe they think you're a movie star.
Think I'll have to come back to this Indonesia place some time
Their possible reasons included
-I'm tall
-I'm handsome
-maybe they think you're a movie star.
Think I'll have to come back to this Indonesia place some time
tourism in Indonesia
Tourism here has undergone a decline in recent years. From its height in the mid 90s it has gone down, and hasn't been helped in recent years by the introduction of a visa that needs to be paid for (I assume to get American currency to the government).
Arriving in the backpacker area of Yogya was really surreal. It's all here, the resytaurants an dthe guesthouses, and the used bookstores but the tourists aren't there. Well they are but just not very thick on the ground. There are ups and downs I've seen but a lot of times people just sit in their own empty restaurants watching the HBO they have on to get someone in.
Yet every morining it seems people wake up and open their shops and sweep things out. Maybe today will be the day... I suppose part of the strangemness for me comes from being from a place where you need good turnover and high occupamcy or the copsts over overhead and taxes will kill you. I'm guessing people here are more paid for and do all the work in places themselves so those costs aren't there.
Om Bromo it was very odd sitting in the restaurant the first night and watching just how bored the staff was. Attentive when they needed to be but very "man this is dull when they weren't called upon. WHile I was up there I'll just mention here I ate at a family's little restaurant everyday. SAved some money and made friends enough to practice a bit more INdonesian and find out about the bus situation. (Indonesian/Malaysian -almost the same- is by far my post prolific language so far. I ahve numbers!!!)
But at the same time there seems to be quite a few Indonesian tourist about. So I'm sure everyone will get by okay in the end.
Arriving in the backpacker area of Yogya was really surreal. It's all here, the resytaurants an dthe guesthouses, and the used bookstores but the tourists aren't there. Well they are but just not very thick on the ground. There are ups and downs I've seen but a lot of times people just sit in their own empty restaurants watching the HBO they have on to get someone in.
Yet every morining it seems people wake up and open their shops and sweep things out. Maybe today will be the day... I suppose part of the strangemness for me comes from being from a place where you need good turnover and high occupamcy or the copsts over overhead and taxes will kill you. I'm guessing people here are more paid for and do all the work in places themselves so those costs aren't there.
Om Bromo it was very odd sitting in the restaurant the first night and watching just how bored the staff was. Attentive when they needed to be but very "man this is dull when they weren't called upon. WHile I was up there I'll just mention here I ate at a family's little restaurant everyday. SAved some money and made friends enough to practice a bit more INdonesian and find out about the bus situation. (Indonesian/Malaysian -almost the same- is by far my post prolific language so far. I ahve numbers!!!)
But at the same time there seems to be quite a few Indonesian tourist about. So I'm sure everyone will get by okay in the end.
smoking, troubadors and vendors
Smoking is big here. It's big in most of Asia that I've seen but they don't even have a pretext of it not being so here. I mean when I was at the immigration point in the airport one of the guards was smoking. Bus drivers (on city buses especially) smoke, and the guy beside me in the internet cafe is puffing away.
There are coins in 50, 100 and 500 ruppiah denominations but anything below the 500 is tough to find a use for. There is an economy that has sprung up around this at red lights and bus stations. People will walk the rows of cars or jump on buses, sometimes with a guitar or ukelem sometimes with just their voices and sing whatever. Local songs to pop stuff. Sometimes it's just a kid with a metal rattle who stands outside a window until the driver is irritated enough to pay. When the bus starts rolling they produce a cup or envelope and collect coins before jumping off again. Quite a few people give.
I have a picture of one guy singing but might need to get a guitarist to really demonstrate it. Sometimes there are pictures I feel I NEED to tell the story of my trip...we'll see.
Vendors. They also do the ol' jumping on the bus trick. SOmetimes they just work the statiuons and get off before nthe bus leaves other times they ride for one stop. They hand out their wares and come back and collect it again or the money. You can by candy, nuts, newspapers or cell phone ringtones in this way. Weird.
There are coins in 50, 100 and 500 ruppiah denominations but anything below the 500 is tough to find a use for. There is an economy that has sprung up around this at red lights and bus stations. People will walk the rows of cars or jump on buses, sometimes with a guitar or ukelem sometimes with just their voices and sing whatever. Local songs to pop stuff. Sometimes it's just a kid with a metal rattle who stands outside a window until the driver is irritated enough to pay. When the bus starts rolling they produce a cup or envelope and collect coins before jumping off again. Quite a few people give.
I have a picture of one guy singing but might need to get a guitarist to really demonstrate it. Sometimes there are pictures I feel I NEED to tell the story of my trip...we'll see.
Vendors. They also do the ol' jumping on the bus trick. SOmetimes they just work the statiuons and get off before nthe bus leaves other times they ride for one stop. They hand out their wares and come back and collect it again or the money. You can by candy, nuts, newspapers or cell phone ringtones in this way. Weird.
Gunung Bromo
Whew, this is a lot of writing.
SO Gunung means mountain. Gunung Bromo is a CRAZY AWESOME VOLCANO. Part of a series of crazy awesome volcanoes within a larger crater. Don't feel like detailing it all here, but man was it awesome. I stayed on the edge of the crater and went for early morning walks. I saw the whole sunrise business and found another crater where I spelt my name out on the crater floor in big volcanic rocks. Ooodles of fun times.
Could have ridden in jeeps or on horses but chose my feet as usual. Crazy. The farmers up there are hard working, of course, even clever (I thought because I wouldn't have thought of it) to plant their crop rows on angles so they never had to walk straight up the crater wall. The weather up there was great. At night you copuld see the lightning flashes of the storms moving around the crater's edge, but we were high enough to avoid most of them. And watching various mists and clouds roll in. So much fun!
The pictures will tell it all I'm sure (because I sure did take a lot). The frustrating thing with places like that is every point in the day with the changning light I'm always wondering, should I take another one now???? I should get a digital and for my sanity I think I will have to before my next trip. Take 400 pics then loook at them and edit them down. AWESOME!
On my way up the hill I made the silly error of opening my bag in the dark van and my sunglasses must have fallen out then. Possessions are fleeting and they really should have been lost or broken before now, but it's still frusttrating. It happened when the bus driver was trying to convince me I would enjoy staying in a hotel 2km down from the crater rim. I stuck to my guns and was driven up without too much hassle, but the glasses, oh the tragedy!
SO Gunung means mountain. Gunung Bromo is a CRAZY AWESOME VOLCANO. Part of a series of crazy awesome volcanoes within a larger crater. Don't feel like detailing it all here, but man was it awesome. I stayed on the edge of the crater and went for early morning walks. I saw the whole sunrise business and found another crater where I spelt my name out on the crater floor in big volcanic rocks. Ooodles of fun times.
Could have ridden in jeeps or on horses but chose my feet as usual. Crazy. The farmers up there are hard working, of course, even clever (I thought because I wouldn't have thought of it) to plant their crop rows on angles so they never had to walk straight up the crater wall. The weather up there was great. At night you copuld see the lightning flashes of the storms moving around the crater's edge, but we were high enough to avoid most of them. And watching various mists and clouds roll in. So much fun!
The pictures will tell it all I'm sure (because I sure did take a lot). The frustrating thing with places like that is every point in the day with the changning light I'm always wondering, should I take another one now???? I should get a digital and for my sanity I think I will have to before my next trip. Take 400 pics then loook at them and edit them down. AWESOME!
On my way up the hill I made the silly error of opening my bag in the dark van and my sunglasses must have fallen out then. Possessions are fleeting and they really should have been lost or broken before now, but it's still frusttrating. It happened when the bus driver was trying to convince me I would enjoy staying in a hotel 2km down from the crater rim. I stuck to my guns and was driven up without too much hassle, but the glasses, oh the tragedy!
Random
In my guesthouse (Losmen as they are called here) I met a Labanese fellow while I sat on teh balcony sipping my morning tea, I've become quite the teaist recently. As I said he is from Lebanon and get this, the manager of his country's first Second Cup franchise, open 8 mos. What are the odds of him finidng me, a Cdn (Second Cup being a canadian company of course). Cool.
I am south of the equator for the first time in my life. This was very exciting and I of course wanted to check out the whole water floeing backwards thing. Now I found this truly amusing and maybe you will to, but because all the toilets are Asian squatters and not flush NA style I had no where to check the rotation. HAHAHA I say. Eventually I found a sink, filled it then brushed my teeth into it to make sure I had a good visual. The water goes clockwise, however that compares.
During this period I was very much "I shall rewturn one day and give Indonesia more of my time and attention". Isn't that quaint.
I am south of the equator for the first time in my life. This was very exciting and I of course wanted to check out the whole water floeing backwards thing. Now I found this truly amusing and maybe you will to, but because all the toilets are Asian squatters and not flush NA style I had no where to check the rotation. HAHAHA I say. Eventually I found a sink, filled it then brushed my teeth into it to make sure I had a good visual. The water goes clockwise, however that compares.
During this period I was very much "I shall rewturn one day and give Indonesia more of my time and attention". Isn't that quaint.
Prambanan and the adventure that followed
S o there I was at Prambanan temples, having bravely taken the local bus oncce again to save the big bucks and let me do things at my own speed. With all the warnings of pickpockets it is a bit worrisome but generally no buses have been crowded to warrant fear. I was cominf down from my first explore around the main temple, looking at the statues in four different rooms and giving a few rubs on them for good luck, then IT began.
I noticed at Borobodur the other day people love having me in their pictures. Maybe they would love any tall white person, but I'm the only one around so they love ME. Some people asked to take my picture and some other people just kind of joined in without asking (I'm going to set up a bopoth and charge I think). Then Ias I hit the ground I was swarmed. An entire English class that visits the templese regularly to find foreginers and p[ractice with. ABout 30 were around me and they started asking all sorts of questions...thoughts on pollution, living in Canada, my name (Cyril of course!), and tonnes of others, too many to get down here. Some realy random ones (Has anything exciting or strange happened on your trip? "Yes" "what is the most excitiong or strange thing that has happened in Indonesia?" "I've been here three days" "what are your thoughts on tsunamis?" "Ahhhhhh, they're bad?" ANd so on. Eventually I had to politely say I'm here to see the temples so excuse me, and after getting a picture with the whole crew off I went. 2 guys from the group Andri and Endro asked if they could come around with me and I said sure.
Before I forget the temples were nice, and they really put a lot of effort into making a nice park in the surrounding area, still not wirth $10 though.
We walked and talked and eventually Andri tired and begged off when I was heading to Boko Palace. Endro tagged along and when I got there Iand found another $10 admission I said HA! and left. At some point Endro asked if I'd like to come back to his village to meet the parents and broither and so on.
After some thought I said yes.
Apparently they get some bonus marks if they can get a foreigner to come to their class, but I was moving on so unable to do this. I think Endro was very excited to get a foreigner to his village as kind of an ego thing. He kept saying things like "you're probably the first foreigner to see this" and I feel he took pleasure in "showing me off to the neighbours. I chatted with dad (a bit) and did my best to assure his mother her house was clean and not in need of more sweeping. They gave me rambutri (type of fruit) from the tree in the front yeard and were generally wonderful.
His dad kept saying "your mother, she is okay?" and "your father, he is okay?" I assured him they both were (Hopefully I was right???). He told me my aura showed him I was smart (Endro was embarassed at that) and wanted me to stay the night. Alas....I used my connections to get a proper cotton sarong at a local price but then had to return to Yogya.
AS a person back at the losmen said, it sounds like you just had a day you'll remember when you're 90. It was one of those days where so much happened it was hard to get it all down at the time, and needless to say I'm not doing it justice here.
I noticed at Borobodur the other day people love having me in their pictures. Maybe they would love any tall white person, but I'm the only one around so they love ME. Some people asked to take my picture and some other people just kind of joined in without asking (I'm going to set up a bopoth and charge I think). Then Ias I hit the ground I was swarmed. An entire English class that visits the templese regularly to find foreginers and p[ractice with. ABout 30 were around me and they started asking all sorts of questions...thoughts on pollution, living in Canada, my name (Cyril of course!), and tonnes of others, too many to get down here. Some realy random ones (Has anything exciting or strange happened on your trip? "Yes" "what is the most excitiong or strange thing that has happened in Indonesia?" "I've been here three days" "what are your thoughts on tsunamis?" "Ahhhhhh, they're bad?" ANd so on. Eventually I had to politely say I'm here to see the temples so excuse me, and after getting a picture with the whole crew off I went. 2 guys from the group Andri and Endro asked if they could come around with me and I said sure.
Before I forget the temples were nice, and they really put a lot of effort into making a nice park in the surrounding area, still not wirth $10 though.
We walked and talked and eventually Andri tired and begged off when I was heading to Boko Palace. Endro tagged along and when I got there Iand found another $10 admission I said HA! and left. At some point Endro asked if I'd like to come back to his village to meet the parents and broither and so on.
After some thought I said yes.
Apparently they get some bonus marks if they can get a foreigner to come to their class, but I was moving on so unable to do this. I think Endro was very excited to get a foreigner to his village as kind of an ego thing. He kept saying things like "you're probably the first foreigner to see this" and I feel he took pleasure in "showing me off to the neighbours. I chatted with dad (a bit) and did my best to assure his mother her house was clean and not in need of more sweeping. They gave me rambutri (type of fruit) from the tree in the front yeard and were generally wonderful.
His dad kept saying "your mother, she is okay?" and "your father, he is okay?" I assured him they both were (Hopefully I was right???). He told me my aura showed him I was smart (Endro was embarassed at that) and wanted me to stay the night. Alas....I used my connections to get a proper cotton sarong at a local price but then had to return to Yogya.
AS a person back at the losmen said, it sounds like you just had a day you'll remember when you're 90. It was one of those days where so much happened it was hard to get it all down at the time, and needless to say I'm not doing it justice here.
Yogya
Saw the Sultan's palace, the Kraton, a big whoopy doo, and the ruins of tyhe old water palace. That was really cool, they way all the houses are squeezed in and around. Lots of fun.
Then I actually succumbed to Batik. It's a traditional Inodnesian art form using dyes on cloth and wax and stuff. There are galleries and stores ALL OVER and people constantly trying to get you in the door and buying. Me being on a budget wasn't interested in the slightest. Then someone pointed me towards the "government run house" and since the guy who pointed me there didn't follow for a commission I figured it might be truthfully the government place. I've since begun to have doubts, or maybe the government is just as eager for a little Batik money (wouldn't surprise me). So I saw one piece, and this has never happened to me with art before, but I really really liked it. It was small and not tooo toooo much so I bought it. Then of course the barrier had been broken in my mind and I started looking at EVRYTHING. I managed to stop myself at 2 more pieces but I was dangerously close to many more. They only cost about $6-7 CDN each but that really messes with my budget... oh well. Live and learn I guess.
The next day I went to Borobodur, a big Buddhist temple and one of my readsons for coming here and paid $10 US to get in ($40 for all the temples of ANgkor over 3 days so 10 is a bit much). That is really expensive. To get out people have set up fake exits so you have to weave through vendor after vendor then you're still in the park. Everyone trying to make a living. Then the next day to Prambanan temples, this time Hindu ones. I'll talk about them in a bit,
Then I actually succumbed to Batik. It's a traditional Inodnesian art form using dyes on cloth and wax and stuff. There are galleries and stores ALL OVER and people constantly trying to get you in the door and buying. Me being on a budget wasn't interested in the slightest. Then someone pointed me towards the "government run house" and since the guy who pointed me there didn't follow for a commission I figured it might be truthfully the government place. I've since begun to have doubts, or maybe the government is just as eager for a little Batik money (wouldn't surprise me). So I saw one piece, and this has never happened to me with art before, but I really really liked it. It was small and not tooo toooo much so I bought it. Then of course the barrier had been broken in my mind and I started looking at EVRYTHING. I managed to stop myself at 2 more pieces but I was dangerously close to many more. They only cost about $6-7 CDN each but that really messes with my budget... oh well. Live and learn I guess.
The next day I went to Borobodur, a big Buddhist temple and one of my readsons for coming here and paid $10 US to get in ($40 for all the temples of ANgkor over 3 days so 10 is a bit much). That is really expensive. To get out people have set up fake exits so you have to weave through vendor after vendor then you're still in the park. Everyone trying to make a living. Then the next day to Prambanan temples, this time Hindu ones. I'll talk about them in a bit,
INDONESIA!!!!
I'll admit it, I was very nervous to come here. I'll tell you why specifically in about a week. Don't want to jinx anything. But I arrived.
Waiting for the plane to leave I was thinking, "oh good, there are some other tourists going to Jakarta". Turns out they were all on a flight to Bangkok leaving from the same gate.
Got to Jakarta and sure enough I was the only face even resembling non-Asian, except for one really grim faced guy storming to his car in the parking lot (obviously been there for a while). I caught the bus to the train station and rather than stay in Jakarta bought a train ticket to Yogyakarta (aka Jogjakarta but more commonly Jogja, or Yogya, the y sounds like a j). It didn't leave for a while so MORE WAITING!!!!!!!! This time in a new place and not in AC and for even longer. Soooooo much fun you couldn't believe. Where's the sarcasm button? As I wrote in my journal, "This aimless sitting is driving me bonkers!" So it all the free time was obviously not conducive to writing thoughtful anything.
Once on the train and rolling, my mood lifted and I was in great form once again. Chatted with a pharmacy student beside me who REALLY likes Celine DIon and actually slept on the train ride. That is a rarity in the extreme.
Got to Yogya, found a nice place and saw the sights.
Waiting for the plane to leave I was thinking, "oh good, there are some other tourists going to Jakarta". Turns out they were all on a flight to Bangkok leaving from the same gate.
Got to Jakarta and sure enough I was the only face even resembling non-Asian, except for one really grim faced guy storming to his car in the parking lot (obviously been there for a while). I caught the bus to the train station and rather than stay in Jakarta bought a train ticket to Yogyakarta (aka Jogjakarta but more commonly Jogja, or Yogya, the y sounds like a j). It didn't leave for a while so MORE WAITING!!!!!!!! This time in a new place and not in AC and for even longer. Soooooo much fun you couldn't believe. Where's the sarcasm button? As I wrote in my journal, "This aimless sitting is driving me bonkers!" So it all the free time was obviously not conducive to writing thoughtful anything.
Once on the train and rolling, my mood lifted and I was in great form once again. Chatted with a pharmacy student beside me who REALLY likes Celine DIon and actually slept on the train ride. That is a rarity in the extreme.
Got to Yogya, found a nice place and saw the sights.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Georgetown departure
As I was cruising across the straight towards the mainland and my night train to KL, a week ago now, I realized I had given Penang and Georgetown the short end of the stick. It was more of a place to kill time in before leaving for Indonesia than a place I was actually visiting. Never the best way to see a place if you want to get the most out of it.
Also, once I was up and moving again my feelings about travel took a spin once again. I can't remember what I said last in here, but in Cameron H I was happy to sit, then I was pleased and excited to be moving again once I was on the train to KL. Unfortunately I then had to sit in a train station and an airport FOREVER. Killing that much time just sitting with your bags is really dull. Oh well
So travel opinions, waffling. Sitting around, dull. More on that in a second.
Also, once I was up and moving again my feelings about travel took a spin once again. I can't remember what I said last in here, but in Cameron H I was happy to sit, then I was pleased and excited to be moving again once I was on the train to KL. Unfortunately I then had to sit in a train station and an airport FOREVER. Killing that much time just sitting with your bags is really dull. Oh well
So travel opinions, waffling. Sitting around, dull. More on that in a second.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
heads up
Just to give everyone a heads up. I don't know what the internet situation is going to be like in Indonesia. I am there for 2 weeks and entries might slow down a little bit. Unless I am very convinced of a places safety (ie there are no key tracers on the computers) I won't be touching hotmail or anything else. Chances are I'll just do blog entries if that's the case. Some sneaky Javan is more than free to log in here and post false entries. You'll be able to tell it's not me because there will be coherent thoughts, witty dialogue and above all else the word "the" will be spelt properly and not in the classic "teh" form.
and...
If you're reading these in order...
The old guy then told me I could have 6 girls at once in Suryaba. All for about 10 pounds sterling. I nodded and made protestations about not being interested.
"Sex always comes when dealing with young men travelling the world alone." ALthough I'm pretty sure it was this old man who brought it up, and what's a guy with 135 kids, or whatever he said, doing with knowledge on how much it costs to get 6 girls at once. Heh.
Don't worry everyone who cares about my moral rectitude, I won't be involving myself in any such activities. And for those who think it would be a great thing to do, I'm still not going to do it because it's creepy and I just know I would choose the 6 prostitutes who would drug me, tie me up, rob me and then turn out to be men in the end anyway. Hardly worth it.
The old guy then told me I could have 6 girls at once in Suryaba. All for about 10 pounds sterling. I nodded and made protestations about not being interested.
"Sex always comes when dealing with young men travelling the world alone." ALthough I'm pretty sure it was this old man who brought it up, and what's a guy with 135 kids, or whatever he said, doing with knowledge on how much it costs to get 6 girls at once. Heh.
Don't worry everyone who cares about my moral rectitude, I won't be involving myself in any such activities. And for those who think it would be a great thing to do, I'm still not going to do it because it's creepy and I just know I would choose the 6 prostitutes who would drug me, tie me up, rob me and then turn out to be men in the end anyway. Hardly worth it.
I'm English!!
There's an old fella in the dorm here. WHen I first saw him he was wearing a wrap worn traditionally by the men around here and in Sumatra. Bit of a nutter I figured.
Later I found out he's beein living in Indonesia for thirty years 4 kids, 14 grand kids and so on. He was in Malaysia for visa requirements, every 6 months because a foreign wife can get citizenship but not a foreign hubby. "But the women are working on that" he says because some lady with a dutch husband just got elected.
He was an odd fellow. He would say things that sounded like a joke but when you tried to follow with one of your own, he either wouldn't note it as a joke or ignore it completely. The best though was when some other guy said "So you speak Bahasa then?" Bahasa being the language of Indonesia and Malaysia.
"I do not!" engraged. "I'm an Englishman!" Of course you are I thought because all englishmen wear pink and yellow cotton wraps and live in the mountains of Sumatra. AH well. They come in all sorts.
At some point I mentioned my impending trip to Java. "Why would you want to go there?" he said.
"To see it"
"You know it's the densest place in the world, just passed Belgium." I assumed he meant population. He then went on to attempt to explain that if Geography teachers taugh Geography and weren't specialists we would all know this about Java and we'd steer clear. I nodded and smiled, then went to have another shower to cool off.
At least the only bad things he said about Java were the sheer numbers of people. It's only 2 weeks that I'm there, so I can handle madness for that long. And Jakarta, I've heard before but int he course of conversations with him and others, is not a pleasant city. 11million plus people and it just keeps spreading and spreading and spreading. I'm going to try to get out of the city the night I land, and only return just in time for my flight. Hopefully all will go according to plan, I'll visit Java now and never have to return. Hooray!
Later I found out he's beein living in Indonesia for thirty years 4 kids, 14 grand kids and so on. He was in Malaysia for visa requirements, every 6 months because a foreign wife can get citizenship but not a foreign hubby. "But the women are working on that" he says because some lady with a dutch husband just got elected.
He was an odd fellow. He would say things that sounded like a joke but when you tried to follow with one of your own, he either wouldn't note it as a joke or ignore it completely. The best though was when some other guy said "So you speak Bahasa then?" Bahasa being the language of Indonesia and Malaysia.
"I do not!" engraged. "I'm an Englishman!" Of course you are I thought because all englishmen wear pink and yellow cotton wraps and live in the mountains of Sumatra. AH well. They come in all sorts.
At some point I mentioned my impending trip to Java. "Why would you want to go there?" he said.
"To see it"
"You know it's the densest place in the world, just passed Belgium." I assumed he meant population. He then went on to attempt to explain that if Geography teachers taugh Geography and weren't specialists we would all know this about Java and we'd steer clear. I nodded and smiled, then went to have another shower to cool off.
At least the only bad things he said about Java were the sheer numbers of people. It's only 2 weeks that I'm there, so I can handle madness for that long. And Jakarta, I've heard before but int he course of conversations with him and others, is not a pleasant city. 11million plus people and it just keeps spreading and spreading and spreading. I'm going to try to get out of the city the night I land, and only return just in time for my flight. Hopefully all will go according to plan, I'll visit Java now and never have to return. Hooray!
travel slowdown
I've been finding that after I hit the Cameron Highlands the whole concept of travelling to new places has lost some of its lustre. Of course I'm still going places and seeing things, but there is a certain pleasant attraction to shacking up in the mtns for a few more weeks, reading, writing and watching movies, going for jungle walks periodically and eating roti canaii all the time.
(roti canaii -- I've mentioned it before and will say again. Awesome. For 60-80 sen you get to eat cheap and be fulfilled until lunch. I just can't say enough and am genuinely concerned about the fact there won't be roti canaii available when I get home.)
At the start of travelling Giuliana and I took a try to the north of Thailand, we just bought seats, not berths. We took all sorts of bus rides that just went on and on and on. Through all those I was able to be calm, consider myself a traveller and be happy. In Vietnam I had one overnight bus trip. When it was over I was overjoyed thinking how it was the last one for a long while. Now I'm looking ahead to some long trips in Indonesia and am not pleased at all. Also, I've taken to finding night trains and buying berths. I'm living large! Still on a very good budget but I've released some of the demons and allowed myself a few pleasures. After Indonesia I'm sleeping on a train to Indonesia then it's short bus rides until I start my attack on Thailand.
Deal with it as it comes I suppose.
(roti canaii -- I've mentioned it before and will say again. Awesome. For 60-80 sen you get to eat cheap and be fulfilled until lunch. I just can't say enough and am genuinely concerned about the fact there won't be roti canaii available when I get home.)
At the start of travelling Giuliana and I took a try to the north of Thailand, we just bought seats, not berths. We took all sorts of bus rides that just went on and on and on. Through all those I was able to be calm, consider myself a traveller and be happy. In Vietnam I had one overnight bus trip. When it was over I was overjoyed thinking how it was the last one for a long while. Now I'm looking ahead to some long trips in Indonesia and am not pleased at all. Also, I've taken to finding night trains and buying berths. I'm living large! Still on a very good budget but I've released some of the demons and allowed myself a few pleasures. After Indonesia I'm sleeping on a train to Indonesia then it's short bus rides until I start my attack on Thailand.
Deal with it as it comes I suppose.
Penang/Georgetown and so forth
Ugggh. Coming out of the cool Cameron Highlands was a shock to the ol' system. But I reclimatized fairly quickly. The ride down the mtns was quick, like the driver really needed to go to the washroom or something because we were rocketing. Out of boredom I started working out our speed with my watch and the kilometre markers on the roadside. We were above 80 for a lot which isn't that fast until you remember we're on the sides of mountains, with curves, hairpins and all.
Georgetown is the first British settlement in the region, before Singapore and Melacca for those with a thirst for knowledge. Once again there are a HUGE pile of mosques, churches and temples here. I've taken to doing walkbys as opposed to going into most. This saves me money and the aggravation of seeing the same things over and over. Don't get me wrong, they're all lovely, but I've seen the lovely already.
There's also a fort that I had a wander through, and some crazy old mansions and whatnot. Then I also went up Penang Hill. It's just a mountain outside of town, that you can either walk up or take the funicular (sp?) railway. Man are those fun! I have a thing for modes of public transit and discovered an interest in old railways on this trip, so just the ride up was a hoot. The hill itself was more "built up" than I thought. It's mostly tree covered but there are a few temples, cottages and former hotels/sanitoriums spread around the sides and at the top. WHen I say built up I mean these structures but also the stations along the railway, built onto the mountain side and there for people who happen to wander down a jungle trail and catch the train part way I suppose. Each train that goes up also has a little wagon that it carries supplies in. While up there I did a canopy walk. Springy catwalks through the tops of trees, with just enough movement to get you mildly nervous.
SO Penang is supposed to be a centre where a lot of thinkers, revolutionaries and that type of person has come through. That very well could be, but I get the feeling things may have changed. I was thinking a more laid back scene before my arrival, but as we were crossing the bridge I realized my error in thinking. Cars cars and cars heading both ways. Although the areas around the back of the island may be more empty, this side is cars and roads and more of the same. You can wander around the old city but periodically have to negotiate a few lanes. It just makes me think the revolutionaries will have to find a new place to sit in quiet contemplation.
Why do they all come here? My guess is they arrive normal and sleep in places that are too hot and stuffy. They don't sleep well and eventually go crazy and then become revolutionaries, just a guess.
My sleep actually went quite well. I had to lie very still, but I'm getting used to this whole heat business. Can't wait to get back to the highlands of course but for now I can deal with it. I'm actually considering skipping the east coast beaches and sitting in the highlands for another week after Hong Kong before heading to Bangkok. We shall see.
Georgetown is the first British settlement in the region, before Singapore and Melacca for those with a thirst for knowledge. Once again there are a HUGE pile of mosques, churches and temples here. I've taken to doing walkbys as opposed to going into most. This saves me money and the aggravation of seeing the same things over and over. Don't get me wrong, they're all lovely, but I've seen the lovely already.
There's also a fort that I had a wander through, and some crazy old mansions and whatnot. Then I also went up Penang Hill. It's just a mountain outside of town, that you can either walk up or take the funicular (sp?) railway. Man are those fun! I have a thing for modes of public transit and discovered an interest in old railways on this trip, so just the ride up was a hoot. The hill itself was more "built up" than I thought. It's mostly tree covered but there are a few temples, cottages and former hotels/sanitoriums spread around the sides and at the top. WHen I say built up I mean these structures but also the stations along the railway, built onto the mountain side and there for people who happen to wander down a jungle trail and catch the train part way I suppose. Each train that goes up also has a little wagon that it carries supplies in. While up there I did a canopy walk. Springy catwalks through the tops of trees, with just enough movement to get you mildly nervous.
SO Penang is supposed to be a centre where a lot of thinkers, revolutionaries and that type of person has come through. That very well could be, but I get the feeling things may have changed. I was thinking a more laid back scene before my arrival, but as we were crossing the bridge I realized my error in thinking. Cars cars and cars heading both ways. Although the areas around the back of the island may be more empty, this side is cars and roads and more of the same. You can wander around the old city but periodically have to negotiate a few lanes. It just makes me think the revolutionaries will have to find a new place to sit in quiet contemplation.
Why do they all come here? My guess is they arrive normal and sleep in places that are too hot and stuffy. They don't sleep well and eventually go crazy and then become revolutionaries, just a guess.
My sleep actually went quite well. I had to lie very still, but I'm getting used to this whole heat business. Can't wait to get back to the highlands of course but for now I can deal with it. I'm actually considering skipping the east coast beaches and sitting in the highlands for another week after Hong Kong before heading to Bangkok. We shall see.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Some more Cameron stuff
Still nice here. A little too busy over the holiday weekend but it's always nice and quiet up at Father's, or up the side of a mountain.
Did some more walks, ate some more yummy food, and I've taken to having tea every day at 430 accompanied with scones, jam and cream. Very nice!
I've been writing some more. Good for me!
Off to Penang tomorrow, then I fly to Indonesia on Thursday. More on that later...one more update pre departure because one never knows what the internet situation will be upon landing.
Oh, and there're board games and volleyball here as well. There's even a brand new scrabble board. This is the only reason I'm glad to not currently be accompanied by any female Galvani (Giuliana, Fiona or otherwise), as scrabble, a female Galvani and myself always results in extreme frustration and mind boggling high scores (not for me);)
Did some more walks, ate some more yummy food, and I've taken to having tea every day at 430 accompanied with scones, jam and cream. Very nice!
I've been writing some more. Good for me!
Off to Penang tomorrow, then I fly to Indonesia on Thursday. More on that later...one more update pre departure because one never knows what the internet situation will be upon landing.
Oh, and there're board games and volleyball here as well. There's even a brand new scrabble board. This is the only reason I'm glad to not currently be accompanied by any female Galvani (Giuliana, Fiona or otherwise), as scrabble, a female Galvani and myself always results in extreme frustration and mind boggling high scores (not for me);)
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
for those keeping score
I have personally conquered Gunung Jasar and Gunung Perdah, at 1670m and 1576m respectively. No equipment or breathing apparatus used!
And I must say there is a certain sense of pleasure one gets being at the top of a mountain before 930 in the morning, and no one else is within earsshot (let alone visible). I'm not saying I'm to go off and climb Everest or anything, but I recommend you all find your nearest semi-inaccessible hill and start going up.
And I must say there is a certain sense of pleasure one gets being at the top of a mountain before 930 in the morning, and no one else is within earsshot (let alone visible). I'm not saying I'm to go off and climb Everest or anything, but I recommend you all find your nearest semi-inaccessible hill and start going up.
Oh yes...almost forgot
Part of my grumpiness that was developing in KL had to do with indecision. At least that was my guess. The possibilty of being a fashion model, no matter how slim, was just one more variable that I had to consider for my upcoming travels. What I would have time for, when I should book flights etc.
Unfortunately because I'm not travelling on an indefinite schedule I can't simply settle in one place and find a job, I'd run out of tiem to see the things I want to see. With no easy commercial shoot on the horizon, I simply worked out the rest of my trip...the flying bits at least.
I'm going to Indonesia on the 17th of February, and return to Malaysia on the 3rd of March. Then i go to Melacca and Singapore, and probably come back here for a bit. Then I fly to HONG KONG on March 15. That's the big news to most of you no doubt. I realized that there was the Rugby Sevens World Cup going on in Hong Kong in March, tehn it turned out there was flight deals that included tickets to the event. I couldn't very well NOT go. Since I've done so well budgeting I figured I deserved it. Of course it will put me into the ol' credit card but whatever. Have to do what's right, and this is so very very right.
Ahhhhh. Good stuff.
Unfortunately because I'm not travelling on an indefinite schedule I can't simply settle in one place and find a job, I'd run out of tiem to see the things I want to see. With no easy commercial shoot on the horizon, I simply worked out the rest of my trip...the flying bits at least.
I'm going to Indonesia on the 17th of February, and return to Malaysia on the 3rd of March. Then i go to Melacca and Singapore, and probably come back here for a bit. Then I fly to HONG KONG on March 15. That's the big news to most of you no doubt. I realized that there was the Rugby Sevens World Cup going on in Hong Kong in March, tehn it turned out there was flight deals that included tickets to the event. I couldn't very well NOT go. Since I've done so well budgeting I figured I deserved it. Of course it will put me into the ol' credit card but whatever. Have to do what's right, and this is so very very right.
Ahhhhh. Good stuff.
Cameron Highlands
As I've been travelling, in teh back of my mind I've been assessing places. Looking at them for what they would provide on a return trip analso what kind of writing I could get down to. So far the CH takes the cake.
It's an old British Hill Station built I believe for the first time in the 1920s. The temperature is great, about 2-26 during teh day, and it cools right down at night, so a few more pairs of long johns wouldn't go amiss next time. There are all kinds of jungle trails you can hike, with some of them only having a semblance of markings so it's a lot more fun! Then of course there are tea plantations all about, so after going for a long hike you can sit back and stare out at teh wonderful green hills, enjoying a cuop of very fresh tea. I think I've taken far too many pitures of various green landscapes so I'm trying to cut back. There are a few too many new tourist apartment blocks, but I didn't know the place without them and when you're in the jungle you can't see them!
I'm staying at Father's Guesthouse. On land owned by teh Catholic Church/Convent but run by a wonderful Indian family. Great restaurant, movies on teh big screen, lots of places to sit and write and very close to lots of cheap and tasty roti canai down town (downtown being about a 5 minute walk long). SUPER! Oh,. and roti Canai in a plastic bag and the curry thrown in on top is great for jungle hikes. By the time you get aroung to eating it, the roti has sucked up all the curry. Delicious.
For those in the know I will also add that the smells I get wng around here are a mixture of Granny's house and the cottage. WHo could ask for more than that?
I also calculated it and found out I could rent a permanent dorm bed for $682 US a year or thereabouts. Then of course I was talking to an older guy in the dorm, and he's a travel writer and photgrapher. He lives in Borneo and actually does keep a permanent bed here. Been here since September he tells me.
Cameron Highlands. Top place. I had decided before I left KL that I was going to give the big national park, Taman Nagara, a miss this time around. I figured I could return at t a future date with proper boots etc and get more out of it. Then I cam here and agreed with my decision even more. Now I can spend more time here, and return for cool down sessions between various hot cities.
It's an old British Hill Station built I believe for the first time in the 1920s. The temperature is great, about 2-26 during teh day, and it cools right down at night, so a few more pairs of long johns wouldn't go amiss next time. There are all kinds of jungle trails you can hike, with some of them only having a semblance of markings so it's a lot more fun! Then of course there are tea plantations all about, so after going for a long hike you can sit back and stare out at teh wonderful green hills, enjoying a cuop of very fresh tea. I think I've taken far too many pitures of various green landscapes so I'm trying to cut back. There are a few too many new tourist apartment blocks, but I didn't know the place without them and when you're in the jungle you can't see them!
I'm staying at Father's Guesthouse. On land owned by teh Catholic Church/Convent but run by a wonderful Indian family. Great restaurant, movies on teh big screen, lots of places to sit and write and very close to lots of cheap and tasty roti canai down town (downtown being about a 5 minute walk long). SUPER! Oh,. and roti Canai in a plastic bag and the curry thrown in on top is great for jungle hikes. By the time you get aroung to eating it, the roti has sucked up all the curry. Delicious.
For those in the know I will also add that the smells I get wng around here are a mixture of Granny's house and the cottage. WHo could ask for more than that?
I also calculated it and found out I could rent a permanent dorm bed for $682 US a year or thereabouts. Then of course I was talking to an older guy in the dorm, and he's a travel writer and photgrapher. He lives in Borneo and actually does keep a permanent bed here. Been here since September he tells me.
Cameron Highlands. Top place. I had decided before I left KL that I was going to give the big national park, Taman Nagara, a miss this time around. I figured I could return at t a future date with proper boots etc and get more out of it. Then I cam here and agreed with my decision even more. Now I can spend more time here, and return for cool down sessions between various hot cities.
The end of KL
KL was a nice enough place. It was hotter than I thought, especially after the AC in teh dorm needed its freon topped up, and it just didn't happen. So the heat and humidity I needed to get used to, and the heat made me sleep a little less well. On top of this Malaysia is one hour behind everywhere else I've been thus far, but it's the same longitude as Bangkok and well west of Vietnam. The end result is the sun's out later and my sleep is thrown off that little bit extra.
Little India is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than China Town. I'm talking food here of course. The Saturday night market, for 5RM (less than $2) I ate about 5 different snacks/meals and came home feeling very fullquite pleased with myself. Breakfast is a simple matter of roti canaii in Little India. Roti (fried flat bread) and a bowl of potatocurry for 80sen, YUM!
I saw Batu caves, a Hindu pilgrimage site the day AFTER teh big festival. They were cleaning things up, and even if I had thought to go, going on the day of the festival wouldn't be such a agood idea. Ridiculously packed would be an understatement. People everywhere hanging teapots off their bodies with hooks and stcking skewers through cheeks and so on. More power to them, but I'm just as happy to see their pics in the paper as witness it first hand, h a few thousand others stuffed together in the sweltering heat. Nice caves though.
I also saw the Islamic arts museum which was quite nice as well. My favourite part was teh little models of different mosques they had on diplay from all over the world. I say little models but of course only speak in relation to real life.
But it was hot and I was getting grumpy.
I was going to make my audition tape for that clothing shoot, but the guy never. I think it's all legit, but the talent recruiter is just some young guy, and nto really on the ball. His failure to appear though saw me go into a grump and brought forth the sudden decision to GET OUT!
Next morning I bought a ticket and rode off to the Cameron Highlands.
If my typing appears even wan normal it's because these comps have a bit of a delay on them and sometimes by the time they catch up they frget what keys I've pressed.
Little India is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than China Town. I'm talking food here of course. The Saturday night market, for 5RM (less than $2) I ate about 5 different snacks/meals and came home feeling very fullquite pleased with myself. Breakfast is a simple matter of roti canaii in Little India. Roti (fried flat bread) and a bowl of potatocurry for 80sen, YUM!
I saw Batu caves, a Hindu pilgrimage site the day AFTER teh big festival. They were cleaning things up, and even if I had thought to go, going on the day of the festival wouldn't be such a agood idea. Ridiculously packed would be an understatement. People everywhere hanging teapots off their bodies with hooks and stcking skewers through cheeks and so on. More power to them, but I'm just as happy to see their pics in the paper as witness it first hand, h a few thousand others stuffed together in the sweltering heat. Nice caves though.
I also saw the Islamic arts museum which was quite nice as well. My favourite part was teh little models of different mosques they had on diplay from all over the world. I say little models but of course only speak in relation to real life.
But it was hot and I was getting grumpy.
I was going to make my audition tape for that clothing shoot, but the guy never. I think it's all legit, but the talent recruiter is just some young guy, and nto really on the ball. His failure to appear though saw me go into a grump and brought forth the sudden decision to GET OUT!
Next morning I bought a ticket and rode off to the Cameron Highlands.
If my typing appears even wan normal it's because these comps have a bit of a delay on them and sometimes by the time they catch up they frget what keys I've pressed.
Friday, February 04, 2005
Kuala Lampur
Quickie!
Hot and more humid, but I guess my body has adjusted because I'm doing okay. Clean airport (reallyliked it) very high tech, along with the various trains I took to China town. But justas you say that, there was a cockroach crawling across the polished granite at the main train station, you can take the dirt out of Asia, but you'll never get rid of the roaches. Lots of foods, and quite the variety, and because it's close to Chinese New Year there are all these crazy stalls selling thin BBQ'd squares of pork and chicken. And there's one restaurant that seems to have a 50 person line out the door constantly.
Went up the Petronas Towers (the twin ones) and out on ther sky bridge...it was free so what the hey. It was the tallest building, but is now surpassed by one in Taiwan.
It and some museum displays I saw here and in Vietnam helpoed me make some interesting observations. I can draw the parallel I feel because both nations have similar goals of being "fully industriaLIzed by 2020".
In many of their displays they focus again and again on their hightech efforts at making the buildings or, hosting the Commonwealth games, or some conference. They're fixated on being seen as members of teh world and have a hidden inferiority complex about it. It isn't a big thing but I feel it's there.
That's it for now. There's a poster on the door of my guesthouse asking for people to tryout for parts in a series of clothing commercials. I think I might give them a call and see how much they'll pay, depends on what role I get of course.... If I get it they'll give me money and I might need to extend the old flight again because time=money. If I'm giving them my time so they give me their money I won't have the time to visit all the things I want to.
Soon to be on an Asian TV screen near you!
Hot and more humid, but I guess my body has adjusted because I'm doing okay. Clean airport (reallyliked it) very high tech, along with the various trains I took to China town. But justas you say that, there was a cockroach crawling across the polished granite at the main train station, you can take the dirt out of Asia, but you'll never get rid of the roaches. Lots of foods, and quite the variety, and because it's close to Chinese New Year there are all these crazy stalls selling thin BBQ'd squares of pork and chicken. And there's one restaurant that seems to have a 50 person line out the door constantly.
Went up the Petronas Towers (the twin ones) and out on ther sky bridge...it was free so what the hey. It was the tallest building, but is now surpassed by one in Taiwan.
It and some museum displays I saw here and in Vietnam helpoed me make some interesting observations. I can draw the parallel I feel because both nations have similar goals of being "fully industriaLIzed by 2020".
In many of their displays they focus again and again on their hightech efforts at making the buildings or, hosting the Commonwealth games, or some conference. They're fixated on being seen as members of teh world and have a hidden inferiority complex about it. It isn't a big thing but I feel it's there.
That's it for now. There's a poster on the door of my guesthouse asking for people to tryout for parts in a series of clothing commercials. I think I might give them a call and see how much they'll pay, depends on what role I get of course.... If I get it they'll give me money and I might need to extend the old flight again because time=money. If I'm giving them my time so they give me their money I won't have the time to visit all the things I want to.
Soon to be on an Asian TV screen near you!
should have mentioned
I got hit by a motorcycle in Saigon. Not a big hit, just a graze, but man was I angry.
Maybe I didn't see him because he was driving down the middle of the street, the wrong way down a one way street and I was looking the other way at that traffic. Maybe he hit me because his warning consisted of "yo" a split second before he hit me. I guess we'll never know.
Letme say, it is sooooo infuriating to look at a pack of Vietnamese moto drivers, all their faces are set in an empty stare and they're all just thinking, "I have to get to wher I'mgoing and damn everyone else". The light turned red? I still have tome to get through the intersection...
Construction work? Every time there's a tiny gap I'll go through, slowing the work and making the delay long er for everyone....
You know how when there's a holdup on a highway and everyone waits, inching forward a little bit at a time, but then there's always one idiot who has to drive up the shoulder of the road? Well imagine a nation full of those people.
I think my periodic fantasies of seeing a motodriver smashed onto the front of a bus is well founded. And if the stats of 13000 traffic fatalities a year in Vietnam that tour guides always quote are correct, I'm surprised I didn't get to see it.
Maybe I didn't see him because he was driving down the middle of the street, the wrong way down a one way street and I was looking the other way at that traffic. Maybe he hit me because his warning consisted of "yo" a split second before he hit me. I guess we'll never know.
Letme say, it is sooooo infuriating to look at a pack of Vietnamese moto drivers, all their faces are set in an empty stare and they're all just thinking, "I have to get to wher I'mgoing and damn everyone else". The light turned red? I still have tome to get through the intersection...
Construction work? Every time there's a tiny gap I'll go through, slowing the work and making the delay long er for everyone....
You know how when there's a holdup on a highway and everyone waits, inching forward a little bit at a time, but then there's always one idiot who has to drive up the shoulder of the road? Well imagine a nation full of those people.
I think my periodic fantasies of seeing a motodriver smashed onto the front of a bus is well founded. And if the stats of 13000 traffic fatalities a year in Vietnam that tour guides always quote are correct, I'm surprised I didn't get to see it.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
And Giuliana
I know she reads it too. And maybe Jacqueline, but I think Duncan would edit the racy parts for her. If anyone else reads it tell me, I'm interested to know.
Off to Malaysia
I'm flying to Malaysia tomorrow, landing in Kuala Lampur then figuring where I should hole up until Chinese new Year is over. not that I want to avoid the thing but my schedule has been tightening as I've added more things and I can't have myself getting stuck for a week in an uninteresting place when other things await.
I'm secretly plotting a trip to Hong Kong but don't tell anyone. The proposed dates surround the weekend of the 18-20 March but I'll let you figure out what that means. By you I mean one of 5, yes 5 confirmed readers. Mum, dad, Duncan MMM and Gill. Although I have my suspicions about regularity....heh regular doesn't matter, as long as you take a big dump at the end of the week you're fine!
And I guess I should menton this, in Mui Ne I started another story...it's going nicely. I don't want to call it a novel because I want it to end when it's ready, not after 500 stupid pages. I also don't want to bother explaining what it's all about either so don't ask. You'll find out when it'spublished!
I'm secretly plotting a trip to Hong Kong but don't tell anyone. The proposed dates surround the weekend of the 18-20 March but I'll let you figure out what that means. By you I mean one of 5, yes 5 confirmed readers. Mum, dad, Duncan MMM and Gill. Although I have my suspicions about regularity....heh regular doesn't matter, as long as you take a big dump at the end of the week you're fine!
And I guess I should menton this, in Mui Ne I started another story...it's going nicely. I don't want to call it a novel because I want it to end when it's ready, not after 500 stupid pages. I also don't want to bother explaining what it's all about either so don't ask. You'll find out when it'spublished!
Saigon
Saigon is an interesting place. Unfortunately for all of you writing is tiring me (read boring) and I'm going to abbreviaet. However, I'll make you all a deal. I will graciously allow you to listen to me talk your ear off about any details that are lacking when I get home.
SAigon. Tintin shirts. They're cool. KFC, colonel SAnders really looks like Ho Chi Minh (HA!). CuChi Tunnels, outside of town and from teh Vietnam war, holy cool! These things are tiny and not pleasant, expecially if people are trying to kill you. We did a 120m stretch and man oh man, my shoulders are a bit scratched from a few places where the tunnel said "you must only have even rice in the past 6 years to enter here". Everything's within walking distance...hmmm.
2 museums today. One I really liked because I was able to note a few errors in the setup and was also able to recognize how things had been placed so as to send an underlying message on Vietnam, it's place in the world and Communism. Being able to constructively break thing down???? University must have done some good. Now to apply my skills... dang.
The other museum, The War Remnants Museum I liked because it was fairly balanced. It had a section with all sorts of photos taken by journalists o both sides and bios of tonnes of them (crazy research), and also had examples of all the nasty things the French, Americans and South Viwetnamese did (with the US knowing) to various Vietnamese. It isn't anything earth shattering, My Lai massacre and Agent OPrange are common knowledge, but it's good for it to be there. The US isn't hiding fascts or denying teh truths but we need to remember these sorts of things....nobody's perfect not erven purported beacons of freedom. Abu Garhib prison anyone????? Hmmmmm.
And that's Saigon I guess. Good food, seventh floor dorm, so I burn lots of it off. Oh and I also did a trip to the Mekong Delta!@ Pure coconut candy is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. Pure as in no sugar added.
SAigon. Tintin shirts. They're cool. KFC, colonel SAnders really looks like Ho Chi Minh (HA!). CuChi Tunnels, outside of town and from teh Vietnam war, holy cool! These things are tiny and not pleasant, expecially if people are trying to kill you. We did a 120m stretch and man oh man, my shoulders are a bit scratched from a few places where the tunnel said "you must only have even rice in the past 6 years to enter here". Everything's within walking distance...hmmm.
2 museums today. One I really liked because I was able to note a few errors in the setup and was also able to recognize how things had been placed so as to send an underlying message on Vietnam, it's place in the world and Communism. Being able to constructively break thing down???? University must have done some good. Now to apply my skills... dang.
The other museum, The War Remnants Museum I liked because it was fairly balanced. It had a section with all sorts of photos taken by journalists o both sides and bios of tonnes of them (crazy research), and also had examples of all the nasty things the French, Americans and South Viwetnamese did (with the US knowing) to various Vietnamese. It isn't anything earth shattering, My Lai massacre and Agent OPrange are common knowledge, but it's good for it to be there. The US isn't hiding fascts or denying teh truths but we need to remember these sorts of things....nobody's perfect not erven purported beacons of freedom. Abu Garhib prison anyone????? Hmmmmm.
And that's Saigon I guess. Good food, seventh floor dorm, so I burn lots of it off. Oh and I also did a trip to the Mekong Delta!@ Pure coconut candy is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. Pure as in no sugar added.
food
Why do I take such pride in eating like a local????? Dunno although I've asked the question about 67 times on here already. I've decided I'm pleased when I stick to a budget, but also pleased to stick out a little. If someone says, where did you eat while travelling? And I say at restaurants, everyone says "that's nice". If however I answer "Oh I ate 5000 doing bowls of soup bought from ladies who carry it on their shoulders, or at a restaurant where teh stools get set out on the sidewalk for the evening" that sets me apart a little bit.
While travelling I have in my mind (not on purpose it's just 6there) the image of what for me is the perfect traveller. By eating on the cheap I bring myself closer to this imagined perfection (or something ---- if that wasn't religious imagery, YIKES!)
Of course there's always the fact that why pay 25000 for the bowl of soup that can be had for 5ooo a few steps away. So I get a chair and table, I'd still feel kinda jipped. And what about western food? That is saved for when I need a pick me up (I'm so strung out on crack that isn't often - joke) or when I have money left and I'm leaving a country. I've been gorging a little bit today. Somebody's going to be tubby if he isn't careful!
While travelling I have in my mind (not on purpose it's just 6there) the image of what for me is the perfect traveller. By eating on the cheap I bring myself closer to this imagined perfection (or something ---- if that wasn't religious imagery, YIKES!)
Of course there's always the fact that why pay 25000 for the bowl of soup that can be had for 5ooo a few steps away. So I get a chair and table, I'd still feel kinda jipped. And what about western food? That is saved for when I need a pick me up (I'm so strung out on crack that isn't often - joke) or when I have money left and I'm leaving a country. I've been gorging a little bit today. Somebody's going to be tubby if he isn't careful!
So then I...
Left Nha Trang and went to Mui Ne. Managed to find the only place on the beach willing to give me a single room for $5. HA! I rule. Lovely time there...swimming and reading and stuff. Did a lot of walking and considering the place is spread alopng a beach a few kilometres long thta was a lot of walking. Worth it though for all the money saved and delicviousness tasted. Of course I also became a bit of an eccentric in the eyes of some f the locals and hotel staff. By the end moto drivers were offerring me rides for free if they were going my way, no one could figure out the walking habit if you could afford (which they figured I could) a moto. I even went for a jog along the beach one morning, very nce, right until the blisters started forming. Heh, just makes my feet that much tougher!
Hmmm, what else to say.
Oh and my final note on Vietnam and whether I like or like less...I hope because I do leave tomorrow. It's the people in the North who are the raving jackasses, only out for money and never with a smile. ^The further south I got the nicer people became, even here in Saigon, the reputed rebooery capital of the coutry they've been great. The best was Mui Ne though. Me and my driver Hnam (ignore the H) had a few games of pool over the course of my stay and basically just shot the shit. He's a good guy, wants to be a motorcycle taxi driver in Texas one day (didn't tell him there wasn't much demand). He took me out to see the sights in Mui Ne, and let me tell you about them!
The main one is a giant white sand sand dune just plonked down in the middle of everything. Away from any kind of water. I have always enjoyed climbing hills but have rarely got to the top of one, looked around and simply had toi say holy shit like 86 times. I'm going to go and get lost in teh Sahara and until the whole blistering burns and lack of water kicks in I think I'm going to have a pretty groovy time. There were also some red sanddunes and a red canyon, but they paled in comparison. Then I went to the fairy stream. A red stream that you walk up to it's "source". Well not quite but after about a 1/2 hour walk you get to these little water falls that come from magical fairy land I guess. What also makes it cool is the rock formations along the edges. The ground is some sort of dissolveable rock and sand. The water kind os leaches out of the sand dunes, slowly but visibly causing little slides and stuff, and enters the stream. The bits of rock that are around of course remain and form neat sculprures archways and stuff. Very cool.
Sorry I'm not using the brilliant prose we all know I can, but I'm just trying to catch up on things without spending too much time or money.
Mui Ne....very cool.
Hmmm, what else to say.
Oh and my final note on Vietnam and whether I like or like less...I hope because I do leave tomorrow. It's the people in the North who are the raving jackasses, only out for money and never with a smile. ^The further south I got the nicer people became, even here in Saigon, the reputed rebooery capital of the coutry they've been great. The best was Mui Ne though. Me and my driver Hnam (ignore the H) had a few games of pool over the course of my stay and basically just shot the shit. He's a good guy, wants to be a motorcycle taxi driver in Texas one day (didn't tell him there wasn't much demand). He took me out to see the sights in Mui Ne, and let me tell you about them!
The main one is a giant white sand sand dune just plonked down in the middle of everything. Away from any kind of water. I have always enjoyed climbing hills but have rarely got to the top of one, looked around and simply had toi say holy shit like 86 times. I'm going to go and get lost in teh Sahara and until the whole blistering burns and lack of water kicks in I think I'm going to have a pretty groovy time. There were also some red sanddunes and a red canyon, but they paled in comparison. Then I went to the fairy stream. A red stream that you walk up to it's "source". Well not quite but after about a 1/2 hour walk you get to these little water falls that come from magical fairy land I guess. What also makes it cool is the rock formations along the edges. The ground is some sort of dissolveable rock and sand. The water kind os leaches out of the sand dunes, slowly but visibly causing little slides and stuff, and enters the stream. The bits of rock that are around of course remain and form neat sculprures archways and stuff. Very cool.
Sorry I'm not using the brilliant prose we all know I can, but I'm just trying to catch up on things without spending too much time or money.
Mui Ne....very cool.
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