Today we took the bus to My Son and visited the temples and then came back by boat. The trip was interesting but the temples disappointing once you have been to Angkor Wat the rest is ordinary even if they are from 4centrury. The bus driver was picked up for speeding and after he paid his bribe money (apparently he already had a 1 month suspension of his license so he handed over fist fulls of dong) and we proceeded at great speed on ward. He was fuming mad and we flew around those mountains at such speed that the li8ttle statue of Mary in the front went flying and the Vietnamese passenger behind me began to make the sign of the cross and I knew even the locals were a tad scared.
This temple had one peculiar thing in that it had a statues to Shiva which were clearly phallic symbols of the male anatomy called "linga" and the female anatomy left a bit to the imagination but these were called "yonnie" Needless to say this caused quite a bit of wise cracking from the back packer component among us. Well I'm off to dinner now and tomorrow we go by bus to Hue.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Old Hoi An
Today was 39 degrees and the sunblock is getting a work out. We walked the old town today and went to a cultural music show! Hugo quipped says they should pay the audience but it was nice really. The old town ticket lets you go into the old homes and community halls of various communities that have survived for several hundred years (even through all the US bombings in the 60-70s. ). Its a lovely town and we walked it for 6 hours. Full of little alleys and nice spices and great smells everywhere of incense and cooking. People practising and plying their handcrafts a strange juxtaposition of old and new permeates the whole of Vietnam. You see old peole carrying their bamboo buckets and a mobile phone!! Monks in traditional robes and racing a rafio control car! Massive old teak house buildings and then a plasma TV! At 2pm we collapsed in the pool and had a siesta. We are starting to see the merit of the 11-2pm sleep. If this weather was your life day in and day out, you can only function early and when the sea breeze comes in.
In a moment we are going to pick up some business shirts Hugo has had made over here. The hotel has a shuttle bus as it is in a rice paddy on the banks of the river and its is so pretty here and peaceful so a nice way to relax and then commute the 4 km into town. Shopping is good and one can keep finding ways to lose your money!! Thats fun, but you do get mighty sick of being asked to buy stuff AAAALLLLL day long.
In a moment we are going to pick up some business shirts Hugo has had made over here. The hotel has a shuttle bus as it is in a rice paddy on the banks of the river and its is so pretty here and peaceful so a nice way to relax and then commute the 4 km into town. Shopping is good and one can keep finding ways to lose your money!! Thats fun, but you do get mighty sick of being asked to buy stuff AAAALLLLL day long.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Ahoy from HoiAn
We had a quick flight to HoiAn via Danang today and then found out our amazing hotel which overlooks a rice paddy and a lovely river. We borrowed bikes and cycled for 2-3 hours to the beach and through villages and had a lovely time. Tonight we went into the old town and walked through the lantern lit streets people everywhere just eating and enjoying life This town is delightful and our hotel is amazing for the price!! Naturally the romantic cloth lantern lit streets and the warm night air are still punctuated with "hello miss you want drink" hello miss you want tailored skirt." You want cyclo ride miss.." "you buy... you buy beautiful pearl miss" and so ends another day in the land of commerce.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
How long to Halong
We have just returned from a few days sailing one of the wonders of the natural world. Halong Bay just east of Hanoi (well 4 hours of cramped bus drive actually.) The buses are made for Vietnamese bums and heights so Hugo and I had to fold ourselves into the seat and suck up the excess and hold it for 4 hours. Then of course they need to put 4 people in 3 seats (or even 5 if they can squeeze you a bit tighter... not possible for our row!!). My claustrohobic tendencies are undergoing a rapid desensitisation treatment:). However we will never be desensitised to their music. We have to keep reminding ourselves it's a cultural expereince but its so awful its almost torture. Hugo almost bought an Ipod in desperation!!
Halong Bay was absolutely stunning. We had perfect weather. Hot ofcourse, but no rain and clear skies and green flat seas. There are hundreds of islands which come straight out of the ocean and then they are covered with vegetation. It's so beautiful. We were the only locals on our boat because the backpackers and western tourists all stay at sea overnight. I could not stand it because those cabins are so small and stuffy and close. Then I saw a rat on the dock so the thought of spending a night with rodent stow aways and drinking backpackers... naaah... we opted for a day trip instead. We left our friendly backpackers to drink the night away (at mightily inflated prices) and let them try their hand at karaoke... can't be worse than the local singing... truly:) (There's a reason there are not too many "top ten" hits on the western top 40 from this neck of the woods.)
On the day boat we were mobbed by people wanting to know all the details of our lives and to have their photos taken with us. (they are mad I know) we had 3 of our family photos with us, so we showed them. Next thing they went flying around the boat with everyone 'ooing' and 'aaahing' about how tall the boys are. I think they thought we had photographed "Gulliver" when they saw the pics!! (sorry Brett and Jim). It was fun and created quite a comotion.
At night we went for a walk to find a nice little seafood place and enjoy some yummy fresh seafood. The meals are delicious and we have not been ill at all. (Hanoi is the cleanest of the large cities we have been in so far.) You can eat a lovely meal for around $3-6!! It was so nice to see all the locals enjoying family holidays where we were at Halong Bay. There are also many Chinese here as it's high season for locals to travel to Hanoi region (they must like it hot). It's a favourite holiday spot and they are all out shopping at the night market and just enjoying life. I find their extended family life quite enviable. They love to be together and just hang around chatting, snacking all day and night, playing cards and drinking together. They will have a game of chess or draughts or mah jong. It's easy to see why they would feel lonely in the west. They laugh and play with their children who seem to be awake all night!!
In the pool at the hotel I taught a little chinese boy to float and start to swim (his gran kept bowing and thanking me...) it was self-preservation actually, because he was floundering so much I could just see him drowning and needing to do CPR because gran was sure to nod off (as most locals seem to do that if they sit for more than 5 minutes). They have power napping down to an artform.
Tomorrow we are back on the plane and off to Danang and Hoi An. Enjoying it all lots :)
The scenery in Vietnam is more agricultural than Cambodia. Its so enjoyable to see them ploughing rice fields and tending crops and sellling their wares from the bus window that is wehn you can actually turn around to see becasue the locals love to close the curtains in the bus they have an aversion to sun. On the walk into the caves on one of the islands in Halong Bay the sea of umbrellas almost poked my eye out because I am just the right height to cop the points on all sides.
Halong Bay was absolutely stunning. We had perfect weather. Hot ofcourse, but no rain and clear skies and green flat seas. There are hundreds of islands which come straight out of the ocean and then they are covered with vegetation. It's so beautiful. We were the only locals on our boat because the backpackers and western tourists all stay at sea overnight. I could not stand it because those cabins are so small and stuffy and close. Then I saw a rat on the dock so the thought of spending a night with rodent stow aways and drinking backpackers... naaah... we opted for a day trip instead. We left our friendly backpackers to drink the night away (at mightily inflated prices) and let them try their hand at karaoke... can't be worse than the local singing... truly:) (There's a reason there are not too many "top ten" hits on the western top 40 from this neck of the woods.)
On the day boat we were mobbed by people wanting to know all the details of our lives and to have their photos taken with us. (they are mad I know) we had 3 of our family photos with us, so we showed them. Next thing they went flying around the boat with everyone 'ooing' and 'aaahing' about how tall the boys are. I think they thought we had photographed "Gulliver" when they saw the pics!! (sorry Brett and Jim). It was fun and created quite a comotion.
At night we went for a walk to find a nice little seafood place and enjoy some yummy fresh seafood. The meals are delicious and we have not been ill at all. (Hanoi is the cleanest of the large cities we have been in so far.) You can eat a lovely meal for around $3-6!! It was so nice to see all the locals enjoying family holidays where we were at Halong Bay. There are also many Chinese here as it's high season for locals to travel to Hanoi region (they must like it hot). It's a favourite holiday spot and they are all out shopping at the night market and just enjoying life. I find their extended family life quite enviable. They love to be together and just hang around chatting, snacking all day and night, playing cards and drinking together. They will have a game of chess or draughts or mah jong. It's easy to see why they would feel lonely in the west. They laugh and play with their children who seem to be awake all night!!
In the pool at the hotel I taught a little chinese boy to float and start to swim (his gran kept bowing and thanking me...) it was self-preservation actually, because he was floundering so much I could just see him drowning and needing to do CPR because gran was sure to nod off (as most locals seem to do that if they sit for more than 5 minutes). They have power napping down to an artform.
Tomorrow we are back on the plane and off to Danang and Hoi An. Enjoying it all lots :)
The scenery in Vietnam is more agricultural than Cambodia. Its so enjoyable to see them ploughing rice fields and tending crops and sellling their wares from the bus window that is wehn you can actually turn around to see becasue the locals love to close the curtains in the bus they have an aversion to sun. On the walk into the caves on one of the islands in Halong Bay the sea of umbrellas almost poked my eye out because I am just the right height to cop the points on all sides.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Hang On in Ha Noi
Hanoi is also hot and muggy 35 degrees todat and 98% humidity!! It is different than Saigon, quite pretty architecture in the old quarter and much cleaner that Saigon. The people are quieter and very proud. Less English is spoen so I have been trying my hand at Vietnamese with the trusty phrase book but its not always understood. Its interesting but challenging weather wise and the fact they have one rule for some people but not everyone and you can see so much scamming. Everyone wants to take you for a ride in more ways than one. There is a strong sense of cultural pride here and they have fought colonialism from the french and USA so they feel quite proud of their efforts.
We did "Ho Chi Minh" mausoleum and surrounds today. The queue to see Uncle Ho snaked along for 500 metres. It took about 40 minutes to file past his embalmed body. He is venerated by the people as a hero of liberation from colonialism.
We alos visister the Temple of Literature which venerates Confucian scholars and people with doctorates. I wiped the turtles head (I was allowed seeing I had the qualification to do so!). Interesting to see how almost 1000 years ago Chinese mandarin scholars esteemed knowledge so much and the scripts with which they first wrote and passed on their wisdom.
Then we found our way back to our hotel in Ha Noi's "old quarter" narrow streets and alleyways and we got so lost. Each street starts with Hang. We 'live' on Hang Be, and then there is Hang Non and Hang Quat and Hang Gai not to be confused with Hang Gui just alongside Hang Quo and around the corner from Hang Lai... if you get my drift. You feel like saying "Who gives a Hang" but you have to find your way home!! Everyone see us as an old couple that clealrly cannot walk so they throg around us all day ask us for Cyclo, moto, or taxi rid for sir and madam, This gos on allllllllll day long. It's incessant and can actually drive you around the twist. Especially when they hang their baskets on you arms and demand you take a photo and then of course demand money and so the continual haranguing does get wearing. Most of the time I am Ok but occasionally you just want some peace when you are trying to work out 'where the hang you are' so you can walk home!
We could have spent longer here as it is actually quite interesting. For those who love shopping a meca with everything you can think of to buy. Tonight we will see the Vietnames water puppet show at 8.00pm so must go and wash the sweat off.
We are off to sail along the world heritage islands of Halong Bay tomorrow.
Well my fellow comrades (getting into the socialist speak here) till next time.
We did "Ho Chi Minh" mausoleum and surrounds today. The queue to see Uncle Ho snaked along for 500 metres. It took about 40 minutes to file past his embalmed body. He is venerated by the people as a hero of liberation from colonialism.
We alos visister the Temple of Literature which venerates Confucian scholars and people with doctorates. I wiped the turtles head (I was allowed seeing I had the qualification to do so!). Interesting to see how almost 1000 years ago Chinese mandarin scholars esteemed knowledge so much and the scripts with which they first wrote and passed on their wisdom.
Then we found our way back to our hotel in Ha Noi's "old quarter" narrow streets and alleyways and we got so lost. Each street starts with Hang. We 'live' on Hang Be, and then there is Hang Non and Hang Quat and Hang Gai not to be confused with Hang Gui just alongside Hang Quo and around the corner from Hang Lai... if you get my drift. You feel like saying "Who gives a Hang" but you have to find your way home!! Everyone see us as an old couple that clealrly cannot walk so they throg around us all day ask us for Cyclo, moto, or taxi rid for sir and madam, This gos on allllllllll day long. It's incessant and can actually drive you around the twist. Especially when they hang their baskets on you arms and demand you take a photo and then of course demand money and so the continual haranguing does get wearing. Most of the time I am Ok but occasionally you just want some peace when you are trying to work out 'where the hang you are' so you can walk home!
We could have spent longer here as it is actually quite interesting. For those who love shopping a meca with everything you can think of to buy. Tonight we will see the Vietnames water puppet show at 8.00pm so must go and wash the sweat off.
We are off to sail along the world heritage islands of Halong Bay tomorrow.
Well my fellow comrades (getting into the socialist speak here) till next time.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
can't get phots working
well I have tried to post photos but to no avail so you will just have to imagine the sights sorry
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
'Wat' Next
Well three days in Siem Riep and we have walked for kilometres over at least 20 x1000 year old temples until we were both templed out. It was so hot today as we ascended the temple steps in one place (which were almost vertical for 3 levels of 30 metre steps- no mean feat when you see the signs warning that you do so at your own peril) . Not being a lover of heights I was quite proud of myself for actually getting up there. Getting down was even more hair raising but we managed and the reward was to be greeted by throngs of people wanting to sell you drinks You buy madam you buy sir, you name it they will flog it. Enterprising they are. We laughed our way through it its not worth getting annoyed because they are just making a living. Hugo had done up 40 or so little packets of Australian stamps and these went like hot cakes. They enjoyed them and wanted more for my friend... my brother... The rocks on these temples were baking in the sun and they were so hot that I burnt the map of Cambodia on my gluteus maximus when I sat down! However I am proud to say we kept pace with all the Teva clad back packers from around the world in their uniform of khaki long shorts and singlets and Teva sandals.
Yes it was amazing.These temples are a testimony to their great artisan ancestory of the Khmer empire. They are steeped in history and you really do feel like you are on an Indiana Jones film set. We have so many photos of temples we could bore you allf or a week! They are so large covering an area the size of Los Angeles I am told. We tuk tuk ed our way and felt some what smug when the zealous young back packers were dripping buckets of sweat on their push bikes.I am passed the stage of having to prove myself. I just know some of them were eyeing our tuk tuk off with envy!!
Any way it goodbye to Cambodia tomorrow and Good Morning Vietnam (off to Hanoi tomorrow).
I hope I can make this work in Vietnam because it was not working before in Saigon but will try. Sorry I have not worked out how to load photos yet I may try tomorrow before we go, if time permits.
Yes it was amazing.These temples are a testimony to their great artisan ancestory of the Khmer empire. They are steeped in history and you really do feel like you are on an Indiana Jones film set. We have so many photos of temples we could bore you allf or a week! They are so large covering an area the size of Los Angeles I am told. We tuk tuk ed our way and felt some what smug when the zealous young back packers were dripping buckets of sweat on their push bikes.I am passed the stage of having to prove myself. I just know some of them were eyeing our tuk tuk off with envy!!
Any way it goodbye to Cambodia tomorrow and Good Morning Vietnam (off to Hanoi tomorrow).
I hope I can make this work in Vietnam because it was not working before in Saigon but will try. Sorry I have not worked out how to load photos yet I may try tomorrow before we go, if time permits.
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