We're singing in the rain !

Some of you may know that I have a new interest in my life, Graham, who i met inconveniently in May whilst I was planning my round the world adventure. After a few months of 'dating' (feel like a teenager !)I left the UK with a sad but open minded attitude to any future we might have, as my mum always says "it is better not to worry about decisions they make themselves". I was very happy when Graham booked a flight over to join me for a couple of weeks island hopping in the south of Thailand...after all this time travelling alone was I capable of travelling with someone else ? I had become so used to my own company and even more used to my own way (nothing new there I hear you cry !) also would we still like each other ?!

Well it all started off great, we met at the Bangkok airport stayed in a beautiful hotel ...you get the picture... we booked flights to Koh Samui with the plan of going across to three other islands in the area by boat over the following two weeks. The first morning was glorious sunshine we had three swimming pools to choose from a private beach and a private villa then it started to rain ....not just a little bit of rain but torrential rain for six solid days with not even a ray of the old sunshine.

On the fourth day and several mossie bites later (14 on my legs and hundreds all over Graham...they thought he was really tasty) I had a recurrence of the dreaded dengue so was bed ridden (in the worst possible way) for the next three days. Graham nursed me back to health with hot tea, soup and cuddles.

Once I was able to move again...after the electrics went out, cars started to float and the area turned into a river, gorges appeared on the beach and most services started to fail... oh, and 5 crocs escaped from the local croc farm we decided enough was enough and booked flights back to Bangkok but jets could not fly into the airport and there were severed delays and cancellations waiting for us.

So the south of Thailand was an experience but not the romantic sunny luxury intended...the odds were against us but we had the best time together...my cheeks ache from so much smiling and laughing...its a long time since i felt like that !

Sapa - We walk with you !?

Sapa was to be my last stop in Vietnam I took a comfortable overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Chi arriving at 6.30 am and making my way to the town of sapa an hours hilly drive away. Sapa is a picturesque village that lies on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in NW Vietnam. It is called as "the Tonkinese Alps" Many of the mountain guest houses and hotels do have a feel of being in Austria.

The Hill tribe woman from the Hmong and Red Zhao tribes surrounding Sapa dominate the town as they visit the market to sell blankets, wall hangings, earrings and bracelets. As you begin trekking groups of the tribe woman join you and walk to their village along side you. According to our guide they do this when its to wet to work in the fields.The woman's hands are stained indigo permanently from the natural dyes they use. The Hmong woman wear different styles of ea rings to indicate the different status of the woman, girls as young as 8 years old wear earrings to indicate they are to be married most marry at 13-14 and have at least one child by 15-16. Life expectancy is 60 years old so it was great when I met the oldest woman in the village at 97 ! Babies are literally thrown on the back and tied onto their mothers for the trek and seem happy and hypnotised by the familiar rocking as mum climbs the hills between town and home daily. Apart from the odd pair of wellies all the woman were in full tribal dress not for the benefit of tourists but they still genuinely dress this way and weave and dye all their own clothing.

The town of Sapa was cold at times and I wished i had brought a coat, a first since i arrived in Asia ! I managed with my scarf and 'pac a mac' and set off with a group of 6 people and a local guide on a 6 hour trek to Ban Ho village where the Hmong tribe people live. We passed misty outcrops and hills through perfect tiered rice fields and gushing mountain streams, through landslide debris, up mountains and down hills through water falls and arrived at the tribe village for lunch.

As you walk the tribe woman entertain you asking many questions "how old are you?" "do you have babies?" "are you married?" "how long are you here"?...I ask them back in the same quick fire style they are taken a back but quickly respond. I was keen to know how they learn English...there is a village school but the children only attend "sometimes' their attendance depends on the number of tourists in the area that week and if its harvest time as the children are then required to work with their families on the fields. An's little niece Su responded that "we use the tourists to learn English" she had a wicked sense of humour and would joke about charging tourist millions of dollars for various things from her home made flower and grass tiaras to animals made from weeds... a real little entrepreneur.

There is a distinct lack of baby boys and men around. An has 5 girls and at the age of 40 with a 9 month old baby she hopes that she will still have a baby boy. Hill tribe men are distinctly absent from the sapa town and the villages as we pass through. I asked our guide and the woman about this, perhaps they are busy working? I was told that it is the role of the man in Vietnam to "think and drink" today its to wet to work on the rice fields so the woman trek back and forth with visitors to the village and the men smoke opium and drink in the huts as i discovered on being invited into An's home.

An her baby Mu and two nieces adopt me during the first day trek... and then I bought 2 cushion covers from her village home...me thinks that was the plan but they were nice covers so that's ok !

The second day of trekking was towards CatCat village we were not joined by any tribe woman today as the sun was out so perhaps they were in the fields ? The village of CatCat has had heavy government investment to ensure that key infrastructures exist such as a clinic, school and decent huts pathways and fields however without access to clinic or school staff this gesture seems to be slightly lost on most of the village people although we did witness a school lesson in one of the schools 10 or so class rooms (all the others were empty).

I loved sapa the people and the landscape...I left feeling that the balance between tourism and the life of the villages in the area was a happy balance between tradition and the new industry of tourism I hope it stays that way.

Halong Bay

Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam includes 1,600 islands and islets, which makes up a fabulous seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. (that's what UNESCOs world heritage listing says ...)

Recently added to a list of the top 7 natural wonders of the world I was really looking forward to making this trip having seen so many picturesque images (with sun and blue sky) and excited by the prospect of exploring via a kayak with my camera. 5 Hours on a bus later I arrived the weather was over cast, hazy and threatening with rain...a feature of my time in SE Asia...Determined not to let this spoil things I got aboard a boat trip. All the boats around Halong Bay are of the traditional wooden Vietnam/Chinese style with carved dragons heading the ship rather romantic and atmospheric as I boarded i felt like I was in an end scene from the goonies (when they find the treasure !)

The caves were the best I have been to, the walking was scenic and views breath taking. I loved the boat ride and seafood lunch. A couple of hours at water level in a kayak was really rewarding getting to paddle through some of the caves and see some wildlife up close (including the local kids on the floating houses!). The only thing that takes away from the halong bay experience for me is that it is not really possible to get the best out of the area without being on an organised boat tour, the many unexplored islands and inlets were begging for me to come and play but the nature of the tours are quite restricting, perhaps because its a world heritage area and their commitment to preservation you might think...cynical me thinks not ....whilst i was paddling around the bay i saw on more than one occasion the local people tipping waste into the bay, tour boats throwing rubbish over board and slicks of oil on the surface of the water....this added to the pearl farming and over fishing made me wonder who actually polices the management of the area.

I left with a feeling that in a few years this beautiful place would be spoilt forever and I had witnessed the beginning.

Ikea bag city - Hanoi

If I hear another car horn I will kill someone ! Again the horns strike "i coming thought so watch out" I stayed in the old quarter in Hanoi in a cosy little guest house amongst the little maze of streets in the city where railway tracks cut through housing and the streets are identified by what they sell (well by me anyway) I was staying on the corner of silver and plastic doll street. Wandering the city was fun just looking at the array of things sold in the little streets was fascinating everything from handmade wooden stamps which you design your self (made to order in 20 minutes)to Ikea bags !!! although Vietnam does not boast a single ikea store a whole street was making the famous blue and yellow ikea bags in a sweat shop style arrangement for export, the blue tarpaulin type fabric was to become a feature of my time in North Vietnam and it cropped up as a waterproof roof covering in many of the village shacks in the northern hill tribes proving that Ikea really does serve a purpose in every household.

Hanoi has a much more 'communist' feel about it than Ho Chi Min city featuring several Lenin statues and the famous flag covers every building and lamppost...but that's just the visual side a scratch reveals a strange mix of values a socialist country with no health care or education system and a seemingly corrupt lexis loving government speeding around the city.

The best entertainment I could find in Hanoi was Lenin Park...a must on any visit to Hanoi. Lenin watches over the very small grassy and concrete 'park' (not really a park in UK terms) where hundreds of people from all backgrounds and ages meet in the early morning and late evening street hip hop dancing (hilarious!) whilst men run about with no tops on acting like wannabe David Beckhams dodging between the 80 year old grannies doing strange aerobic yoga moves and a group of middles aged woman sit and discuss what seemed like poetry avoiding the big feathered shuttlecocks flying around their heads.

Pics show an interesting selection of chicken bits on my menu, hip hop in lenin park and a typical Hanoi street.

Million Dong Baby!

Being a millionaire in Vietnam is wonderful. 32,000 Dong to the quid makes this a great place to be. Moving on North to Hoi An after a couple of days I rather quickly and drastically realised the potential of my million dong power.Hoi An is the sort of place I would like to visit twice a year on a big shopping trip with some other girls apart from the town being small and charming it is full of the best tailors who can whip up a copy of a dress out of a magazine made from the finest silks or tailor a suit for the perfect fit...so I thought about "saving" money when I get back to the UK by commissioning practically a whole new wardrobe for a few million Dong including a warm wool and cashmere winter coat which I will be needing come February!

After all that shopping it was necessary to splash out on a big meal (2 pounds) and lots of beer (20p for a large bottle) myself and a new travel companion Bo sought out the fantastic and very local restaurant The Ba le Well which was a romantic little place with small primary school sized plastic chairs and tables. They only have one thing on the menu the traditional cao lou. The story goes that this is the only place in Vietnam to serve the authentic dish as the rice paper is made from the well water. This was some of the best food I have sampled in Vietnam. Basically the dish is like constructing your own Fajitas but complicated by the thiness of the rice paper and the use of chop sticks...all good fun.

The Mekong Delta Boats Boats Boats ...

We decided to explore the Mekong Delta...which was to be an experience of every form of Vietnamese river transport and little else! We spent 2 days travelling around the delta visiting islands, villages and floating markets of Mytho, Cantho and Chau Doc.

I loved the floating markets and the systems of buying and selling and general culture. These markets were the 'real' markets unlike others that now only exists for the tourist benefit. In vietnam if you trade on the river you pay no tax and generally get better deals thats why this culture is still in full swing. Each boat on the river has a long pole attached to it. If you display noithing on your pole you are a buyer and sellers try to sell to you. People selling attach the items they to the poles so that buyers can come to them and see from a distance what they have on offer.

We opted for a homestay on the Delta and stayed with a great family who prepared a welcome and very tasty traditional feast of rice paper, veg and fish which we were taught how to create. The little son in the family relished the opportunity for me to play with him and meet his pets (fighter fish and turtles) then play pokemon cards into the evening. An early night was followed by a sunrise walk into the local village where I was greeted warmly by the local kids who were fascinated by my camera and would detriorate in to hysterical giggles when they saw thier image on the screen.

Will my travel insurence cover this?

Travelling with the girls I met in Phnom Penh we had a very lengthy bus journey from Cambodia across the border into Vietnam and across to Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon.The bus ride involved a french couple getting busted at customs and a broken down bus which we had to stop to assist...all good fun. Arrived in HCM city to the usual scrum of different forms of transport vying for business. After a slight rip off from one taxi driver we found a great family guest house in district one through a myriad of back alleyways where people congregated it was hard to distinguish what was a living room and a shop front. I think most places were both, all hives of activity 24 7 cutting hair doing manicures, selling drinks, cooking soups, sleeping, watching TV...

We took 'cyclos' around the city they best way to travel although not for the faint hearted. We visited the war museum, reunification palace and various other 'sights'. Vietnamese history although more complex in terms of who did what when is much easier to comprehend than that of Cambodia.

The traffic here is the most crazy i have ever seen. The population is 8 million in the city and 3 million motorbikes grace the roads with unwritten road rules and most taking short cuts on pavements you never feel safe on the streets ! The skill of crossing the road is to shuffle and wear bright clothing at all times... do not follow your instincts and run...shuffling ensures that the motorbikes magically part and allow a path across the road.I was left wondering if my travel insurance covers such dangerous activities I am sure it is hight risk than a bungee jump or ski trip when over 12,000 people die on the roads in Vietnam each year !

The monsoon is still in full swing with heavy rains in the afternoon and some evenings although the days seem to be getting sunnier and less humid. Those travelling further North in Vietnam were hit by a huge Typhoon and over 85,000 people evacuated.

I have just found out that Vietnam being a communist country has started to censor my Blog!!! I would have thought they would have better things to do like setting up one driving lessons for the population or something. I wonder if you will ever be able to read this post?

The question "why" ?

As many of you know my favourite question or indeed exclamation is why?! I found my inquisitive nature and thirst for answers or comprehension really hard in Phnom Penh. After visiting the killing fields of Choeung Ek and the haunting Tuol Sleng museums which used to be the main prison of Pol Pots regime I was struck by the brutality of a regime without reasoning or stated doctrine other than a loose notion of Communism. I have through Art History studied and understood the nature of Nazi Germany and Russia's Histories but Cambodia's past just would not remain clear in my head. I am not sure it ever will.

I was deeply disturbed by the fear factory that the country became and the way that family and human nature was eroded. This explains why Cambodian people are they way they are now, it will take the country generations to catch up or be in a comfortable place both economically and socially having had all their generations of intellectual property and institutions literally killed over a 4 year period. A fifth of the population was slaughtered. Through Mr Lims story and speaking with other local people through my time in Cambodia I became to realise why Angkor Wat is so much more significant than i gave it credit for its not just another relict from the past but a symbol of national pride that is tangible and constant for the Cambodian people.

An annoying tourist wrote in the museum visitor book " it is awful that these things happened but it is good that this place remains as a reminder to us so these atrocities never happen again in the world"

These atrocities are happening again all over the world in different ways and on a different scale...Africa...Burma... people are just afraid to look, see and change just as there were when Cambodia suffered.

I would not say i had an amazing time in Cambodia that it was beautiful and "awesome" what I would say is that the experience I had is one of the reasons that I wanted to travel in this way and experience the light and the dark side of the world, for me it is what travel is all about and sets it a side from a 6 month 'holiday' !

Mr. Lim

Mr. Lim a retrospective by my like minded travel buddy Jessica Heinzelman www.jessicaheinzelman.blogspot.com

Mr. Lim was our "tuk tuk" driver in Phnom Pehn. We found Mr. Lim as we got off the boat from Siem Reap. The other drivers were jumping on board, grabbing at us, yelling, trying desperately to get our business, but inadvertently turning us off. Mr. Lim stood quietly with his topless straw hat holding a sign reading "For persons disliking noisy and boisterous sounds." Immediately I pointed at him and proclaimed, "He's our man!" He immediately approached me to shake my hand saying, "Thank you for giving me a job."

He helped us find a great hotel and scheduled to pick us up the next day for a tour of the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum. He was very knowledgeable and despite not being allowed to guide us through the sights themselves, he answered our questions before and after.

As we grew hungry we asked him to take us to a "real Cambodian restaurant" - one where they used the full allotment of spices and didn't try to copy Thai curries or American pizzas. He took us to this lovely local restaurant and sat with us as we ate, graciously accepting our offer of food, but not indulging (even slightly). He re-told/clarified Cambodian history for us and was very forthcoming when we asked about his life...

Mr. Lim was university educated. He studied accounting. When he graduated, however, he could not find a job. Professional jobs in Cambodia are scarce and one typically needs to buy a job with about one month's wages. Instead, he decided to teach English while his wife worked in a factory.

When Mrs. Lim got pregnant she had to stop working and Mr. Lim's salary of $20 a month as a teacher was not enough to pay the rent ($25 a month) let alone provide food and other necessities. He quit the job to find something more sustainable. He bought a motor bike and started providing transport along with hundreds of other drivers throughout the city. With the help of a micro loan ($500) from a friendly Australian he added a "tuk tuk" to his services that carried 4 passengers hitched to his moto. Now he scrapes by providing for his immediate family and mother (his father, brother and sister had all died in camps under the Khmer Rouge).

Mr. Lim's voice got softer as he spoke about politics. He expressed his distrust of the government pointing to the Lexus SUV's as examples of "our tax dollars." When we asked why the former oppressors were still in charge and the people didn't vote them out, his best answer was that the people are too worried about feeding themselves to worry about politics.

This is current day Cambodia.

Cambodia - More Wats !

Arriving in Siem Reap, Cambodia I was greeted by a swarm of "moto" drivers wanting to take me to a hotel. I jumped on the back of a motorbike with my backpack (now huge)balanced in front of the driver. He skillfully navigated his was into town and I viewed a number of hotels before deciding on a nice family run guest house by the river. I made My way to the fascinating floating village for sunset...I would say its about the size of Horwich or Hebburn with similar amenities such as churches, bars and even a pool and karaoke bar which people arrive to mid evening when the generators get going and flashing lights begin. As darkness falls the kareoke got busier with at least 10 people taking turns its a very serious business. There are also a number of crocodiles and fish farms along the river also floating! not so happy to see all the crocs but watching the American tourists feeding them for a dollar a time was hilarious.

Next morning i got up before sun rise to see the world famous Angkor Wat...now i don't know if i have become some what (note the bad pun!) immune to the sight of wonderful temples and sights over the post few months but I was a little disappointed and did find some of the other temples around more interesting than this world famous heritage sight. However the sunrise was wonderful and peaceful (once i negotiated a tourist free spot!) I spent the rest of the day rambling and riding through the many other temples some of which are seriously fighting nature and the trees which gave many of them an Indiana Jones film feel. Lots of countries worldwide seem to support the preservation and restoration of the temples of Angkor (even India) this involved halting the effects of nature on the sights removing tree roots etc but for me this was one of the charming attractions.

Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng - Vientiane

After arriving on the slow boat we made our way to find some accommodation (we being the lovely Mark and Louise who I first met in Thailand then bumped into again on the boat...it is indeed a very small world) Luang Prabang was small and very relaxing with beautiful scenery, waterfalls, walks, temples and food ! oh and night markets and red wine !!! I spent three days pottering about the sights, walking and generally enjoying the atmosphere here and decided I would like to stay much longer (if I only had a year !) I went to one of the temples where I was approached by a curious young monk 'Sombath' who asked if he and some of his friends could practice English. This was a great opportunity to put my TEFL qualification into good use (being as the India plan was a no go area in the floods !) I really enjoyed an afternoon with them and relished the chance to learn more about the culture of the Buddhist monks i even learnt how a monk ties his robe for different occasions and the daily routines they follow. The Monks were lots of fun to be around and wanted me to stay and teach in their school, perhaps next year ?! I have comitted to sponsor Sombaths education for the next year at least.

On the epic road trip from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng I began to feel very sick and hot, thinking it was indeed the heat and the incredibly windy roads up what felt like 90 degree mountains...7 hours later after arriving in VV I was being violently sick like never before (not even from too much wine !) this lasted for 12 hours at which point the owner of the guest house found me being very sick in a semi delirious state and took me to hospital. Laos is not the place to get ill and visit the hospital !!! luckily i am a foreigner and can afford to pay for the treatment on offer but the treatment was not really what i needed, I was discharged with suspected malaria. I was very ill for the next three days at which point i felt strong enough to seek some medical attention at the Australian embassy clinic in Vientiene (3 hours away) after tests etc it turned out i had dengue fever also caused by a mosquito bite with similar symptoms but not fatal. Anyway feeling better now but rather upset at missing out on Vang Vieng and being forced to slow down and even take an internal flight which was not in the plan ! oh well at least i am alive and still travelling and not in a box on a plane back to the UK.

Vientiane is a quirky little place, the capital of Laos and very French in feeling with little bakeries and yummy pain au chocolate, succulent steaks and wine its a good place for a chill out although there is not much to see in the city itself in terms of 'sights' the place has a really lovely feel.

Pics show Luang Prabang sun set, lazy cat friend, teaching monks and a beautiful Laos temple.

Laos a whole new country

After a fun 15 days in North Thailand I moved across to Laos a whole new little but spectacular country with a population of only 5.6 million. A 7 hour bus journey followed by 7 hours on a boat brings you to Laos. I took the border crossing option from Chiang Khong in Thailand to Huay Xai in Laos once through the bureaucracy and time involved in crossing to boarder laos is a wonderful country to get lost in. I stayed the night in Pak Beng along with the others making the crossing by boat. pak beng is like a wild west town all wooden and on a dusty hill road. The laid back people and their smiles hits you and along with a cold beer laos made me feel instantly at home. the next day we continued our journey towards Luang Prabang by boat (a further 10 hours)

If you don't like boats or don't fancy getting a numb bum being on one for so long i would advise flying from Thailand into Luang Prabang laos saving three days. Although the boat trip was very scenic and I met some great people I was sick of it by the end and think thats were I caught Dengue fever which dramatically scuppered my plans in Laos !!!

Ayuthaya

(Please note that this post should come before the Chaing Mai post but for some reason it published before it ?!)
Travelling North of Bangkok I stopped at the old Thailand capital of Ayuthaya. The town is a world heritage site and seemed to have more temples than people ! I loved this place and found it really peaceful. I hired a little bike and pottered about the old ruins reading and drawing. Part of the attraction was also the wonderful family run guest house i stayed in with Gina and my 'Thai mother' they embraced me as a daughter and treated me so well i did not want to leave. I was treated to home cooked Thai food each evening and morning and wonderful massages each evening, they even treated me to a cowboy Thai themed meal at a bar restaurant an experience i will never forget !

Pics sho a boozy night with my Thai family in the cowboy bar...elephants playing and the magnificant wat chai wattanaram which the locals claim is as wonderful as Angkor wat in Cambodia...will let you know.