Thursday, March 24, 2005
Elastic
That's how I feel right now. Stretched out. Loosened up.
In a good sense though, of course.
Allotting time for travel for 1 and 1/2 months initially made me slightly nervous. Is it too short that I won't see anything? Is it too long that I will turn into a travel junkie and have no fuel left to start on my next phase of life?
But the uneasiness and the worries faded quickly, as the time I spent for the last 1 month have been premium quality. Filling. Supreme. Experience-rich.
Sure, I'm only on the spending side and not generating income. I'm not really doing anything virtuous of any sort or making quantum leaps for the progress of humanity (not that I was doing so to begin with).
But I'm learning so much more - About myself. About different people's lives. About the culture of different countries. People have amazing tales to tell, like my ex-colleague Zul. He is now working for a Malaysian construction company that is going to build housing complexes and hostels in Ghana, Tanzania, and Angola. The two Israeli guys, Aviv and Boaz, are probably still backpacking through Cambodia and Laos, contemplating which Asian country to hop over to next. I met a plethora of European women who come to Vietnam to volunteer at orphanages while they travel through the country. Mr. Phan, whom I became very good friends with in Hanoi, opens his photo shop every morning, but he has a colorful background of being a math teacher and an Asian cuisine restaurant owner in East Germany. I met a blonde Caucasian Zimbabwean pharmacist who now lives in the UK because life became trying for a white woman living in Zimbabwe.
I watch the clouds moving in the sky. I close my eyes, and I can walk the steps to my living room in California. I can see it. I can imagine it. I gladly welcome the time gliding like the clouds.
But I won't let it pass by without consequences. My greed and ego take over, and I have to see everything. Ever since India, my outlook changed on the passage of time. Enjoy the moment - but learn to let go.
You cannot step into the same river twice.
I have never been good with goodbyes, so the farewells are anti-climactic. "Yeah, see you later."
Later, when? The word has no anchor, and it floats away like a soap bubble. How many people we say "See you later" to do we actually meet again? I have no clue. So might as well enjoy the most of it while you are with them.
Oh. I'm still feeling quite elastic. Maybe even jellyfish-like.
In a good sense though, of course.
Allotting time for travel for 1 and 1/2 months initially made me slightly nervous. Is it too short that I won't see anything? Is it too long that I will turn into a travel junkie and have no fuel left to start on my next phase of life?
But the uneasiness and the worries faded quickly, as the time I spent for the last 1 month have been premium quality. Filling. Supreme. Experience-rich.
Sure, I'm only on the spending side and not generating income. I'm not really doing anything virtuous of any sort or making quantum leaps for the progress of humanity (not that I was doing so to begin with).
But I'm learning so much more - About myself. About different people's lives. About the culture of different countries. People have amazing tales to tell, like my ex-colleague Zul. He is now working for a Malaysian construction company that is going to build housing complexes and hostels in Ghana, Tanzania, and Angola. The two Israeli guys, Aviv and Boaz, are probably still backpacking through Cambodia and Laos, contemplating which Asian country to hop over to next. I met a plethora of European women who come to Vietnam to volunteer at orphanages while they travel through the country. Mr. Phan, whom I became very good friends with in Hanoi, opens his photo shop every morning, but he has a colorful background of being a math teacher and an Asian cuisine restaurant owner in East Germany. I met a blonde Caucasian Zimbabwean pharmacist who now lives in the UK because life became trying for a white woman living in Zimbabwe.
I watch the clouds moving in the sky. I close my eyes, and I can walk the steps to my living room in California. I can see it. I can imagine it. I gladly welcome the time gliding like the clouds.
But I won't let it pass by without consequences. My greed and ego take over, and I have to see everything. Ever since India, my outlook changed on the passage of time. Enjoy the moment - but learn to let go.
You cannot step into the same river twice.
I have never been good with goodbyes, so the farewells are anti-climactic. "Yeah, see you later."
Later, when? The word has no anchor, and it floats away like a soap bubble. How many people we say "See you later" to do we actually meet again? I have no clue. So might as well enjoy the most of it while you are with them.
Oh. I'm still feeling quite elastic. Maybe even jellyfish-like.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
S-s-s-singapore
Let's rewind.
I actually skipped an entry from my trip to Vietnam, because I had so much to say about Malaysia (mainly my rant about our travel circumstances).
This was my second time in Singapore. Well. Let me be straight-forward: you can spend one day in Singapore (as a tourist, mind you) and you would have seen everything.
But that's not to say that I didn't have a good time - my slightly sonorous stay in Singapore was spiced up with meeting old friends from Berkeley, the AIESEC DHL people, and my flatmate from HK who was in town for the weekend.
The mythical merlion. There's supposedly a total six of them in Singapore - gotta catch 'em all!
The Esplande - I still think it looks like a durian.
The Botelo Chicken of Happiness. This disproportionate poultry signifies prosperity and happiness of Singapore (don't worry - I didn't understand that either).
Hindu temple in Little India. The colorful gods are intriguing and tells tales of Indian mythology.
This one's for you, Surya.
While my friends in Singapore worked hard at their offices, the tourists frolicked through town. Duncan was in town for the weekend with his friend (yay!). It was so great to see him again (yeah yeah... it's only been 2 weeks, but I still miss our crazy HK life together).
Having a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel - so touristy, I know. But a great way to cool off from the tropical heat.
Raffles Hotel
The DHL building. The lobby has this wicked bar - Paris described it best when he said, "There's a thin line between obnoxiously gaudy and extravagant. It's walking on that thin line." If you request a bottle from the very top shelf, a waitress dressed in fairy costume will be pulled up on a rope to retrieve it.
Like Mahbod, I got rejected from this posh bar. Dress codes. Schma.
So we went to the bar at the Intercontinental (a DHL hangout). And this is what we said to the DHL lobby bar:
Lars and Nick - blue steel and a deer caught in headlights (sorry Nick!).
And that is the story of Singapore. Other than getting hit on by a random Nigerian on the streets, it has been a pretty smooth trip.
In sum, I had a good time, but my adventures happened in Malaysia (like seeing DJ Grand Master Flash perform at a bar, receive a gift from the medicine man in the jungles and see Lauryn Hill, Black Eyed Peas, and Boyz II Men in concert).
The journey continues...
I actually skipped an entry from my trip to Vietnam, because I had so much to say about Malaysia (mainly my rant about our travel circumstances).
This was my second time in Singapore. Well. Let me be straight-forward: you can spend one day in Singapore (as a tourist, mind you) and you would have seen everything.
But that's not to say that I didn't have a good time - my slightly sonorous stay in Singapore was spiced up with meeting old friends from Berkeley, the AIESEC DHL people, and my flatmate from HK who was in town for the weekend.
The mythical merlion. There's supposedly a total six of them in Singapore - gotta catch 'em all!
The Esplande - I still think it looks like a durian.
The Botelo Chicken of Happiness. This disproportionate poultry signifies prosperity and happiness of Singapore (don't worry - I didn't understand that either).
Hindu temple in Little India. The colorful gods are intriguing and tells tales of Indian mythology.
This one's for you, Surya.
While my friends in Singapore worked hard at their offices, the tourists frolicked through town. Duncan was in town for the weekend with his friend (yay!). It was so great to see him again (yeah yeah... it's only been 2 weeks, but I still miss our crazy HK life together).
Having a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel - so touristy, I know. But a great way to cool off from the tropical heat.
Raffles Hotel
The DHL building. The lobby has this wicked bar - Paris described it best when he said, "There's a thin line between obnoxiously gaudy and extravagant. It's walking on that thin line." If you request a bottle from the very top shelf, a waitress dressed in fairy costume will be pulled up on a rope to retrieve it.
Like Mahbod, I got rejected from this posh bar. Dress codes. Schma.
So we went to the bar at the Intercontinental (a DHL hangout). And this is what we said to the DHL lobby bar:
Lars and Nick - blue steel and a deer caught in headlights (sorry Nick!).
And that is the story of Singapore. Other than getting hit on by a random Nigerian on the streets, it has been a pretty smooth trip.
In sum, I had a good time, but my adventures happened in Malaysia (like seeing DJ Grand Master Flash perform at a bar, receive a gift from the medicine man in the jungles and see Lauryn Hill, Black Eyed Peas, and Boyz II Men in concert).
The journey continues...
Sunday, March 13, 2005
What's life without some potholes along the way?
So many things went wrong this weekend - but somehow we triumphed over the curveballs in life.
TOP FIVE THINGS THAT WENT WRONG:
5 - I lost my contact lens (again), suffering from 4-eyes syndrome and a loss of US$90 (these contacts are expensive. grr...)
4 - Singaporean taxis avoided Digs and I at all cost. Not even the vacant cabs would stop for us.
3 - We had the wrong date for the bus ticket. The bus agent wouldn't let us change the tickets and told us to come back the next day (of course, we said "screw that" and figured out another way)
2 - I almost got rejected at the border - ran out of pages on my passport. grr... grr...
1 - We couldn't get a hold of Cheong once we got to KL (luckily we got a hold of Vishen :)
But let me reiterate - we prevailed.
I bought temporary contacts. We finally called up a cab and got to the station 10 minutes before departure time. The wrong ticket became a sunk cost, but a nice bus driver took us to the border (for free) and arranged another bus to take us. The immigrations officers gave me a lecture and eventually let me pass. And Vishen kindly invited us to his house at 4:30am.
Other than that, Malaysia has been a very cool place - and I had the best guides to tour me around the KL hotspots.
KL's very own tower - the Petronas Twin Towers. It wouldn't be KL without it (although owned by the sultan of Brunei, since financing it became difficult after the Asian financial crisis). And this photo of Christina, me, and Vishen was brought to you by...
... this guy in the grass. (I swear the glasses make him look like a 70's pornography movie director)...
It's quite a sight in the evening
Vishen also took us to the Batu Cave, which is a Tamil religious ground which gained its fame and significance from the sighting of 5-legged cows in the past (Vishen claims that he has seen this genetic wonder himself, but the cows have died off and do not exist today).
Feed the monkeys
The Batu Cave is also a pilgrimage site for Thaipusam - a Hindu festival of pentance and celebration. Some of the men will decorate themselves with flowers and head-dress, and then pierce themselves with hooks, spears, and other objects that break through their skin. Interestingly, the self-mutilating acts seldom let blood, and the men can endure the pain because it is a holy and magical festival. Women are also said to go into trances, where they turn into snakes and four-legged animals that are holy in the Hindu religion.
Christina, the snake charmer
Saki, not so elegant with the python scarf.
Hindu phallic symbol
And what do you know - I'm at an authentic Malaysian restaurant:
Margaritas, baby.
And guess who else was in town?
@US reunion in KL - Vishen, Saki, Cheong, Devrim, Kai
The nightlife in KL is pretty good - we'll just see how it can handle Saki.
One of the nice things in Asia is the abundance of good and cheap massage places. So far, I have had excellent massages in China, Singapore, and Malaysia - I'll have Chinese foot reflexology and Japanese shiatsu any day.
But I had never really seen this:
Supposedly, cupping sucks out the toxins in your body and helps your qi or something like that. From Cheong's "ouch" behind the curtains, I was a bit doubtful.
And the results are a bit frightening.
I think Vishen wants to sell them off to the circus or something.
I said farewell to Vishen and joined Cheong & Adelle's humble abode in Bangsar. They get along really well, and their cozy apartment remind me of my life with Duncan back in HK. That night, we went to the hawker street, where the ordinary street magically turns into a delectable Southeast Asian streetfood fair on Sundays only.
Cantonese steamed food stand. You boil whatever you want on the stand and eat the piping hot food with satay, chili, or sweet sauce.
Adelle takes a bite out of the braised tofu stuffed with cucumber
Peanut butter pancakes, smeared with hot butter - (an artery clogger for sure - but it's oh-so-good)
Mmm... delicious! Malaysia definitely has some really good and cheap food that whet my appetite. Indian, Malay, Chinese - it's all here in an interesting mix of culture.
I am enjoying my time here so far - and my encounters with people have all been good. However, the news is somewhat gloomier than what I see in Singapore and Hong Kong - crime statistics and religious tension catch my attention more in Malaysia.
I'll be off to Taman Negara (the national park in the Northeast) tomorrow and the Tioman Islands on the weekend - the adventure continues...
TOP FIVE THINGS THAT WENT WRONG:
5 - I lost my contact lens (again), suffering from 4-eyes syndrome and a loss of US$90 (these contacts are expensive. grr...)
4 - Singaporean taxis avoided Digs and I at all cost. Not even the vacant cabs would stop for us.
3 - We had the wrong date for the bus ticket. The bus agent wouldn't let us change the tickets and told us to come back the next day (of course, we said "screw that" and figured out another way)
2 - I almost got rejected at the border - ran out of pages on my passport. grr... grr...
1 - We couldn't get a hold of Cheong once we got to KL (luckily we got a hold of Vishen :)
But let me reiterate - we prevailed.
I bought temporary contacts. We finally called up a cab and got to the station 10 minutes before departure time. The wrong ticket became a sunk cost, but a nice bus driver took us to the border (for free) and arranged another bus to take us. The immigrations officers gave me a lecture and eventually let me pass. And Vishen kindly invited us to his house at 4:30am.
Other than that, Malaysia has been a very cool place - and I had the best guides to tour me around the KL hotspots.
KL's very own tower - the Petronas Twin Towers. It wouldn't be KL without it (although owned by the sultan of Brunei, since financing it became difficult after the Asian financial crisis). And this photo of Christina, me, and Vishen was brought to you by...
... this guy in the grass. (I swear the glasses make him look like a 70's pornography movie director)...
It's quite a sight in the evening
Vishen also took us to the Batu Cave, which is a Tamil religious ground which gained its fame and significance from the sighting of 5-legged cows in the past (Vishen claims that he has seen this genetic wonder himself, but the cows have died off and do not exist today).
Feed the monkeys
The Batu Cave is also a pilgrimage site for Thaipusam - a Hindu festival of pentance and celebration. Some of the men will decorate themselves with flowers and head-dress, and then pierce themselves with hooks, spears, and other objects that break through their skin. Interestingly, the self-mutilating acts seldom let blood, and the men can endure the pain because it is a holy and magical festival. Women are also said to go into trances, where they turn into snakes and four-legged animals that are holy in the Hindu religion.
Christina, the snake charmer
Saki, not so elegant with the python scarf.
Hindu phallic symbol
And what do you know - I'm at an authentic Malaysian restaurant:
Margaritas, baby.
And guess who else was in town?
@US reunion in KL - Vishen, Saki, Cheong, Devrim, Kai
The nightlife in KL is pretty good - we'll just see how it can handle Saki.
One of the nice things in Asia is the abundance of good and cheap massage places. So far, I have had excellent massages in China, Singapore, and Malaysia - I'll have Chinese foot reflexology and Japanese shiatsu any day.
But I had never really seen this:
Supposedly, cupping sucks out the toxins in your body and helps your qi or something like that. From Cheong's "ouch" behind the curtains, I was a bit doubtful.
And the results are a bit frightening.
I think Vishen wants to sell them off to the circus or something.
I said farewell to Vishen and joined Cheong & Adelle's humble abode in Bangsar. They get along really well, and their cozy apartment remind me of my life with Duncan back in HK. That night, we went to the hawker street, where the ordinary street magically turns into a delectable Southeast Asian streetfood fair on Sundays only.
Cantonese steamed food stand. You boil whatever you want on the stand and eat the piping hot food with satay, chili, or sweet sauce.
Adelle takes a bite out of the braised tofu stuffed with cucumber
Peanut butter pancakes, smeared with hot butter - (an artery clogger for sure - but it's oh-so-good)
Mmm... delicious! Malaysia definitely has some really good and cheap food that whet my appetite. Indian, Malay, Chinese - it's all here in an interesting mix of culture.
I am enjoying my time here so far - and my encounters with people have all been good. However, the news is somewhat gloomier than what I see in Singapore and Hong Kong - crime statistics and religious tension catch my attention more in Malaysia.
I'll be off to Taman Negara (the national park in the Northeast) tomorrow and the Tioman Islands on the weekend - the adventure continues...
Monday, March 07, 2005
Unraveling: The Real Story
I feel that the last couple posts about Vietnam have been superficial at best, and the only excuse that I would have is the lack of time and my craving for the next adventure.
But now that I am sitting comfortably in front of a computer, I get to retell the story in a different light.
First of all, traveling as a single female has its pros and cons. For the time being, I see more advantages, as people have been extremely kind and helpful when the poor Asian girl looks confused. I am also playing the 'Japanese card' (you should be proud of me, Paulie), which also helps me avoid confrontations. Apparently, this helps in negotiating hotel room rates too.
Hotel Staff (HS): "Checking out? How much did we say we charge you?"
Me: "Err... What do you mean?"
HS: "Did we say $15 or $16 to you?"
Me: "$15."
But that's the thing about traveling in Asia altogether. Things are very negotiable.
Vietnam's culture is a little hard to grasp. Maybe because it is going through such tumultous change. Communism is only a name, as the wheels of capitalism roll through the bustling cities. My expectation was deceived, as I was greeted immediately with well-organized tours to every corner of Vietnam. The ethnic minorities have lost some of their traditional lifestyle in exchange for modern comforts.
It is probably hard to grasp from a tourist's point of view as well. If you walk along the streets of Hanoi, most people will smile and ask you for your business. They are smiling, but they are also working hard. Like the calm waters in Halong Bay and the placid moss green look on Hoan Kiem Lake, the Vietnamese culture seems to be one of a peaceful exterior. But underneath it all, they cry for their own identity and declare their here-to-stay attitude. Like many other developing countries, Vietnam struggles to capture and harness the currents of international capitalism without losing itself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I haven't had a day where I didn't meet someone new and interesting. I wake up to the horns on the xe oms (motorcycles) or the rooster crowing. And without exception, I have to ask myself every morning why the ceilings look different.
Most travelers I meet around here are eccentric adventurers who provide an infinite source of amusement. Laotian-American masseuse, French dance company project manager, Austrian student who takes care of Down syndrome people, Israeli backpackers, 3 jolly Italian men, Australian ecologist conducting environmental assessment in Bangladesh, Canadian-Australian couple who have traveled around the globe, a couple of OZs who started a backpacker's hostel in Vietnam, Vietnamese photo stand owner - the list goes on.
Although traveling physically in North Vietnam, my mind has traveled to Seattle, Mersailles (France), Vienna, Israel, Italy, Bangladesh, Uganda, Rwanda, East Germany and even back to Hong Kong. Each anecdote has made my trip richer and more memorable.
One of the most interesting conversations I had throughout the trip was with the 20-somethings who were on board the boat at Halong Bay. 2 Danes, 2 Israelis, 2 Japanese, 1 French and an Austrian. We were all of the adventurous kind, but I posed a question: "How can you travel for so long like this?" They immediately fell into the discussion about finance (e.g. - parents wiring money and then paying them back, getting under-the-table jobs on the road), but what I really wanted to know was: "How can one live a life of a traveler without ever staying long enough to make a network?"
I received a blank stare. And then, "I don't miss home at all. In fact, I feel even closer to my friends because I share my travels with them." I met a new breed of people: adventure backpackers. Highly independent and making decisions depending on the way the wind blows, these adventurers do not worry about the comfort of a close-knit group of friends in the physical realm.
They travel not because they know somebody from that country, but because there is a potential for a new adventure. And I'm quite enjoying such a lifestyle right now as well.
The novelty will wear off after a while though, I'm sure. I look forward to sharing time with people I know and having a more than skin-deep connection. Being an Aiesecer and an adventurous backpacker gives me the option to be both - I love it.
But now that I am sitting comfortably in front of a computer, I get to retell the story in a different light.
First of all, traveling as a single female has its pros and cons. For the time being, I see more advantages, as people have been extremely kind and helpful when the poor Asian girl looks confused. I am also playing the 'Japanese card' (you should be proud of me, Paulie), which also helps me avoid confrontations. Apparently, this helps in negotiating hotel room rates too.
Hotel Staff (HS): "Checking out? How much did we say we charge you?"
Me: "Err... What do you mean?"
HS: "Did we say $15 or $16 to you?"
Me: "$15."
But that's the thing about traveling in Asia altogether. Things are very negotiable.
Vietnam's culture is a little hard to grasp. Maybe because it is going through such tumultous change. Communism is only a name, as the wheels of capitalism roll through the bustling cities. My expectation was deceived, as I was greeted immediately with well-organized tours to every corner of Vietnam. The ethnic minorities have lost some of their traditional lifestyle in exchange for modern comforts.
It is probably hard to grasp from a tourist's point of view as well. If you walk along the streets of Hanoi, most people will smile and ask you for your business. They are smiling, but they are also working hard. Like the calm waters in Halong Bay and the placid moss green look on Hoan Kiem Lake, the Vietnamese culture seems to be one of a peaceful exterior. But underneath it all, they cry for their own identity and declare their here-to-stay attitude. Like many other developing countries, Vietnam struggles to capture and harness the currents of international capitalism without losing itself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I haven't had a day where I didn't meet someone new and interesting. I wake up to the horns on the xe oms (motorcycles) or the rooster crowing. And without exception, I have to ask myself every morning why the ceilings look different.
Most travelers I meet around here are eccentric adventurers who provide an infinite source of amusement. Laotian-American masseuse, French dance company project manager, Austrian student who takes care of Down syndrome people, Israeli backpackers, 3 jolly Italian men, Australian ecologist conducting environmental assessment in Bangladesh, Canadian-Australian couple who have traveled around the globe, a couple of OZs who started a backpacker's hostel in Vietnam, Vietnamese photo stand owner - the list goes on.
Although traveling physically in North Vietnam, my mind has traveled to Seattle, Mersailles (France), Vienna, Israel, Italy, Bangladesh, Uganda, Rwanda, East Germany and even back to Hong Kong. Each anecdote has made my trip richer and more memorable.
One of the most interesting conversations I had throughout the trip was with the 20-somethings who were on board the boat at Halong Bay. 2 Danes, 2 Israelis, 2 Japanese, 1 French and an Austrian. We were all of the adventurous kind, but I posed a question: "How can you travel for so long like this?" They immediately fell into the discussion about finance (e.g. - parents wiring money and then paying them back, getting under-the-table jobs on the road), but what I really wanted to know was: "How can one live a life of a traveler without ever staying long enough to make a network?"
I received a blank stare. And then, "I don't miss home at all. In fact, I feel even closer to my friends because I share my travels with them." I met a new breed of people: adventure backpackers. Highly independent and making decisions depending on the way the wind blows, these adventurers do not worry about the comfort of a close-knit group of friends in the physical realm.
They travel not because they know somebody from that country, but because there is a potential for a new adventure. And I'm quite enjoying such a lifestyle right now as well.
The novelty will wear off after a while though, I'm sure. I look forward to sharing time with people I know and having a more than skin-deep connection. Being an Aiesecer and an adventurous backpacker gives me the option to be both - I love it.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Roughin' it In Northwest Vietnam
One of the exciting things you can do while in Vietnam is to visit the Northwest region for the beautiful scenery and visiting minority tribes. Tourism has been booming in this region in the last couple of years, and there is an interesting infusion of culture between the outside world and the ethnic minorities today (e.g. - minority youths have their own hotmail accounts which they can check at Sapa when they come to markets).
I did a 2 night/3 days trip to Sapa and got to do a homestay in the villages. It was an experience I won't forget (I'm quite shattered from the 3 days of mountain trekking though).
Cozy sleeper cabins that take you on a 10 hour train-ride along the Song Hong (Red River)
The hills are definitely alive - the neatly organized fields look similar to the hilly farms in South America or tea farms in Japan. The main crop grown here are rice, and since the altitude is so high, they can only get one harvest a year. The other main crop is cardamon, which can be sold at five times the price of coffee (which is already a cash crop) in the market.
Five different types of tribes live in these hills: the H'Mong, Dzao, Dazi, Thais, and Saphils. The H'Mong is the majority of inhabitants, accounting for 52% of the population. Our guide, Nam, told us that the H'Mong people are known for their kungfu fighting and excellent hunting skills. The moral is: don't mess with the H'Mong.
When we stopped for lunch, H'Mong children came to sell us accessories. You can see that the girl is a Black H'Mong because she is wearing mostly black attire. There are also the Flower H'Mong who have beautiful flower embroideries on their skirts.
The Vietnamese government fully supports the infrastructure construction (e.g. - roads and bridges) and provides social health care. All children in Vietnam receive basic education. With tourism as an added industry (plus, these people don't pay taxes), the life of the villagers are not too shabby. Even the H'Mong tribe gave up their nomadic lifestyle and became subsistent farmers. In fact, life is getting better with tourism. "It brings more good than bad," said Nam.
Moo...
Ironically, I saw more chickens in North Vietnam than I have in my entire life.
These water-powered rice mills are quite amazing.
Water fills up one end until it spills out. Then, the arm acts like a see-saw and drops down on the pile of rice, removing the husks.
Once we approached a village, the H'Mong girls rushed out to greet the foreigners, trying to sell handmade crafts.
They are little entrepreneurs in learning. "What is your name?" "Where are you from?" "How old are you?" "How many brothers and sisters do you have?" "Buy from me?"
Their English is superb (even better than what you hear in the streets of Hanoi) and some of them even knew Japanese. They go to school in the morning and sell handcrafts in the afternoon.
They played an interesting game of 'Hand Badminton' with us. The shuttlecock is made of chicken feathers and you hit it at the palm of your hand.
A little cultural present from me - I taught them how to make origami. They loved the pretty papers.
We did a homestay at this house. Since it was cold at night, the lady of the house gave us some of their home-distilled rice wine. Quite potent and definitely kept us warm. Then, we watched a really bizarre Jet Li DVD on their big-screen TV. Ah, life in the countryside...
The interior is quite nice and cozy
View from the house - it has everything you need: the mountain view and a fresh stream right in your front yard!
Our next destination was Thac Bac village. Unfortunately, it rained the day we were trekking. No, let me take that back. It was POURING, POUNDING, HAILING - cold, wet, and slippery. I took some nasty dives in the course of all this, looking like a mud-doll at the end of the day. I also had a terrible cold, which sent me straight to bed when I got to the village. Brr... it's not recommended to trek in Spring here - I would wait till the Summer next time.
Thac Bac village
Laundry by the stream
One last look at the valley
Our awesome guide, Nam. He was chef extraordinare and the trip wouldn't have been interesting without him.
The Crew - we survived. Whew!
Awesome experience in Sapa and the villages beyond. It was such an interesting peek into the livelihoods of the minority tribes, and I hope to go back again some day.
I did a 2 night/3 days trip to Sapa and got to do a homestay in the villages. It was an experience I won't forget (I'm quite shattered from the 3 days of mountain trekking though).
Cozy sleeper cabins that take you on a 10 hour train-ride along the Song Hong (Red River)
The hills are definitely alive - the neatly organized fields look similar to the hilly farms in South America or tea farms in Japan. The main crop grown here are rice, and since the altitude is so high, they can only get one harvest a year. The other main crop is cardamon, which can be sold at five times the price of coffee (which is already a cash crop) in the market.
Five different types of tribes live in these hills: the H'Mong, Dzao, Dazi, Thais, and Saphils. The H'Mong is the majority of inhabitants, accounting for 52% of the population. Our guide, Nam, told us that the H'Mong people are known for their kungfu fighting and excellent hunting skills. The moral is: don't mess with the H'Mong.
When we stopped for lunch, H'Mong children came to sell us accessories. You can see that the girl is a Black H'Mong because she is wearing mostly black attire. There are also the Flower H'Mong who have beautiful flower embroideries on their skirts.
The Vietnamese government fully supports the infrastructure construction (e.g. - roads and bridges) and provides social health care. All children in Vietnam receive basic education. With tourism as an added industry (plus, these people don't pay taxes), the life of the villagers are not too shabby. Even the H'Mong tribe gave up their nomadic lifestyle and became subsistent farmers. In fact, life is getting better with tourism. "It brings more good than bad," said Nam.
Moo...
Ironically, I saw more chickens in North Vietnam than I have in my entire life.
These water-powered rice mills are quite amazing.
Water fills up one end until it spills out. Then, the arm acts like a see-saw and drops down on the pile of rice, removing the husks.
Once we approached a village, the H'Mong girls rushed out to greet the foreigners, trying to sell handmade crafts.
They are little entrepreneurs in learning. "What is your name?" "Where are you from?" "How old are you?" "How many brothers and sisters do you have?" "Buy from me?"
Their English is superb (even better than what you hear in the streets of Hanoi) and some of them even knew Japanese. They go to school in the morning and sell handcrafts in the afternoon.
They played an interesting game of 'Hand Badminton' with us. The shuttlecock is made of chicken feathers and you hit it at the palm of your hand.
A little cultural present from me - I taught them how to make origami. They loved the pretty papers.
We did a homestay at this house. Since it was cold at night, the lady of the house gave us some of their home-distilled rice wine. Quite potent and definitely kept us warm. Then, we watched a really bizarre Jet Li DVD on their big-screen TV. Ah, life in the countryside...
The interior is quite nice and cozy
View from the house - it has everything you need: the mountain view and a fresh stream right in your front yard!
Our next destination was Thac Bac village. Unfortunately, it rained the day we were trekking. No, let me take that back. It was POURING, POUNDING, HAILING - cold, wet, and slippery. I took some nasty dives in the course of all this, looking like a mud-doll at the end of the day. I also had a terrible cold, which sent me straight to bed when I got to the village. Brr... it's not recommended to trek in Spring here - I would wait till the Summer next time.
Thac Bac village
Laundry by the stream
One last look at the valley
Our awesome guide, Nam. He was chef extraordinare and the trip wouldn't have been interesting without him.
The Crew - we survived. Whew!
Awesome experience in Sapa and the villages beyond. It was such an interesting peek into the livelihoods of the minority tribes, and I hope to go back again some day.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Halong Bay: Battling Chinese Invasion and the Cold
Water Puppet Show
I was told that one of the "must see"s in Hanoi was the water puppet show - a distinctly Northern Vietnamese cultural entertainment. Magically choreographed by 9 puppeteers and accompanied by a live orchestra , this art transcends language barriers and tells the stories of the countryside and Vietnamese mythology.
The puppets dance across the water to the lively music and captivates the audience with their sophisticated moves. There's simply nothing comparable to this art.
The Dance of the Fairies
Faces behind the bamboo curtain
You gain a newfound respect for the comical-looking puppets after seeing the show
Here's a sexy fishmonger couple
Some Good You Can Do While You Travel
Traveling through a country with poverty can make one feel guilty at times. But there are ways to enjoy the trip as a tourist while contributing to the community. It may be hard not to be skeptical sometimes, but if I get more information about what the organization is trying to do, I think it's worth a try.
One restaurant that has been receiving attention from guidebooks and TV programs is
This restaurant was founded by a Vietnamese-New Zealander who wanted to help get kids off the street. So with his business acumen, he built KOTO - 'Know One Teach One'. A class of kids are recruited from all over Vietnam (both the city and country side) to live and work at KOTO. There, they learn how to work as waiters, chefs, and store clerks - the graduates go on to work professionally in the hotel and tourism industry. The US$6+ you spend there will go towards the room & board and helping keep KOTO open. And the food there is really good!
Our cyclo driver knew KOTO immediately and took us there. One funny thing about this guy is that he didn't have a bell - so whenever he wanted to signal, he yelled "Peaap! Peeap!"
Pumpkin dumplings in vegetable chili soup - Mmm...
When I went to Halong Bay, we stopped by a handicraft shop. All the handicrafts sold there were made by handicapped kids. 80% of what you pay goes towards their room & board.
Beautiful embroidery art
The girls work on the embroidery art at the store - what you see is what you get
Halong Bay
I can't say that the weather was best, but the landscape is awesome. No postcard or photo can do justice to see the 343 major limestone islands and rocks that emerge from the glassy emerald waters in Halong Bay. Since it was one of the sea borders to its age-old territorial enemy, China, some of the caves have history related to the battles.
Hang Dau Go - the caves here are amazing... except maybe they should refrain a bit on the florecent lights. It was almost like Peter Pan and Alice and Wonderland on crack. Still, the giant fang-like stalagmites and stalactites are natural wonders that take you by surprise.
Here, the military hero, Tran Hung Dao, hid bamboo stakes to win against the Mongolians during the 13th century. Using their knowledge of the tides, the Vietnamese army crossed the waters over the stakes at high tide. But the Mongolians were caught in the middle at low tide, leading to their defeat.
The floating villages in Halong Bay are another wonder of Halong Bay. They fish and go to nearby islands to cultivate land. They are mainly subsistent farmers and will continue to live their lives on water.
The government determined that children living in the floating villages must receive education too. A teacher commutes to these floating schools (yellow house in middle) every day from Hanoi.
Some friends I made along the way: Kohei (Japan) and Nelly (France)
Aviv and Boaz (the crazy Israeli backpackers)
One of the things I love about traveling is meeting amazing people. We exchanged interesting information about traveling through Southeast Asia. To me, it was an introduction to a new breed of people: backpackers. They don't mind leaving home for months to even years, flexible about being alone or traveling together with anybody who wants to join their company.
The two Israeli guys were especially adventurous - when I went kayaking (yes, I went despite the freezing weather - and it was so worth it!), the two guys called us over... from a floating house. The villagers had invited them over for tea and tobacco - which the Japanese guy and I joined as well. It was truly a cultural delight to be able to see the house of the floating village people and to meet them, even for a brief moment.
Various vendors come to sell fruits and fresh seafood
Cat Ba Island
After sleeping on the boat the night before, we headed out to Cat Ba Island and hiked up the mountain to get a gorgeous view of the bay. It took us about 5 hours and it was especially hard after the rain, but we all made it.
Village on Cat Ba Island
We reached the summit! The Austrian student and the 3 Italians with a local man who wanted to climb the mountain with us.
We were huffing and puffing, but this guy was singing (he learned an Italian song, singing "Ciao! Ciao! Ciao!" all the way back) and skipping his way up in sandals.
The aerial view of the village
100s of islands in Halong Bay
Acid rain had made the rocks jagged
The 3 Italian guys play pool - for the first time, and won!
Back in Hanoi. Off to Sapa to do a homestay in ethnic villages tomorrow. Keep on trekking!
I was told that one of the "must see"s in Hanoi was the water puppet show - a distinctly Northern Vietnamese cultural entertainment. Magically choreographed by 9 puppeteers and accompanied by a live orchestra , this art transcends language barriers and tells the stories of the countryside and Vietnamese mythology.
The puppets dance across the water to the lively music and captivates the audience with their sophisticated moves. There's simply nothing comparable to this art.
The Dance of the Fairies
Faces behind the bamboo curtain
You gain a newfound respect for the comical-looking puppets after seeing the show
Here's a sexy fishmonger couple
Some Good You Can Do While You Travel
Traveling through a country with poverty can make one feel guilty at times. But there are ways to enjoy the trip as a tourist while contributing to the community. It may be hard not to be skeptical sometimes, but if I get more information about what the organization is trying to do, I think it's worth a try.
One restaurant that has been receiving attention from guidebooks and TV programs is
This restaurant was founded by a Vietnamese-New Zealander who wanted to help get kids off the street. So with his business acumen, he built KOTO - 'Know One Teach One'. A class of kids are recruited from all over Vietnam (both the city and country side) to live and work at KOTO. There, they learn how to work as waiters, chefs, and store clerks - the graduates go on to work professionally in the hotel and tourism industry. The US$6+ you spend there will go towards the room & board and helping keep KOTO open. And the food there is really good!
Our cyclo driver knew KOTO immediately and took us there. One funny thing about this guy is that he didn't have a bell - so whenever he wanted to signal, he yelled "Peaap! Peeap!"
Pumpkin dumplings in vegetable chili soup - Mmm...
When I went to Halong Bay, we stopped by a handicraft shop. All the handicrafts sold there were made by handicapped kids. 80% of what you pay goes towards their room & board.
Beautiful embroidery art
The girls work on the embroidery art at the store - what you see is what you get
Halong Bay
I can't say that the weather was best, but the landscape is awesome. No postcard or photo can do justice to see the 343 major limestone islands and rocks that emerge from the glassy emerald waters in Halong Bay. Since it was one of the sea borders to its age-old territorial enemy, China, some of the caves have history related to the battles.
Hang Dau Go - the caves here are amazing... except maybe they should refrain a bit on the florecent lights. It was almost like Peter Pan and Alice and Wonderland on crack. Still, the giant fang-like stalagmites and stalactites are natural wonders that take you by surprise.
Here, the military hero, Tran Hung Dao, hid bamboo stakes to win against the Mongolians during the 13th century. Using their knowledge of the tides, the Vietnamese army crossed the waters over the stakes at high tide. But the Mongolians were caught in the middle at low tide, leading to their defeat.
The floating villages in Halong Bay are another wonder of Halong Bay. They fish and go to nearby islands to cultivate land. They are mainly subsistent farmers and will continue to live their lives on water.
The government determined that children living in the floating villages must receive education too. A teacher commutes to these floating schools (yellow house in middle) every day from Hanoi.
Some friends I made along the way: Kohei (Japan) and Nelly (France)
Aviv and Boaz (the crazy Israeli backpackers)
One of the things I love about traveling is meeting amazing people. We exchanged interesting information about traveling through Southeast Asia. To me, it was an introduction to a new breed of people: backpackers. They don't mind leaving home for months to even years, flexible about being alone or traveling together with anybody who wants to join their company.
The two Israeli guys were especially adventurous - when I went kayaking (yes, I went despite the freezing weather - and it was so worth it!), the two guys called us over... from a floating house. The villagers had invited them over for tea and tobacco - which the Japanese guy and I joined as well. It was truly a cultural delight to be able to see the house of the floating village people and to meet them, even for a brief moment.
Various vendors come to sell fruits and fresh seafood
Cat Ba Island
After sleeping on the boat the night before, we headed out to Cat Ba Island and hiked up the mountain to get a gorgeous view of the bay. It took us about 5 hours and it was especially hard after the rain, but we all made it.
Village on Cat Ba Island
We reached the summit! The Austrian student and the 3 Italians with a local man who wanted to climb the mountain with us.
We were huffing and puffing, but this guy was singing (he learned an Italian song, singing "Ciao! Ciao! Ciao!" all the way back) and skipping his way up in sandals.
The aerial view of the village
100s of islands in Halong Bay
Acid rain had made the rocks jagged
The 3 Italian guys play pool - for the first time, and won!
Back in Hanoi. Off to Sapa to do a homestay in ethnic villages tomorrow. Keep on trekking!
