The plan for the first stage of the trip was to experience rich Asia in Hong Kong, in contrast with Cambodia, where many live on under $2 a day. The modern coal and nuclear fueled views across Kowloon bay versus the timeless majesty of Angkor Wat.
On a personal level, to explore the contrast between the trails of Hong Kong, and the city by sleeping in my hammock, gazing over the skyline – photos coming soon I promise.
Individual independent travel compared with moving about with a companion I know really well, and the contrast with my last long adventure. Taking stock of these reflections has taken time, but now, with a working laptop, and some time I thought I'd post up some of my handwritten notes.
Hong Kong – despite being a very safe city, I was highly aware, and a little on guard, which is tiring in itself, but especially so, given the pace and festival of colours. That damp dishcloth smell of the East, and the ducks in the windows of the numerous noodle bars are yellow, not the analine red of those in Bangkok, or San Fran's Chinatown.
The hardest thing to get around is trying to understand the expressions of people going by. Like big cities the world over, smiles are not returned. Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Shui has diamond dealers at one end, but a few minutes along, the tenements rise. Accessed by cage like lifts or grubby, rat filled stairways Chunking and newer Mirador Mansions are notorious.
Not wanting to get stuck in the lifts I used the stairs, and glad of the excercise I used them almost exclusively. A private world, a door might open onto an exclusive (by price) spa, a restaurant, brothel, or private home. The English road names still caused a smile, wondering why the colonisers chose those names: - laziness, or an attempt to map out the unfamiliar terrain with a homely abstraction?
There is something I continually find unfathamable about the oriental mind, I have been meaning to read “Orientalism” by Edward Said, since India. Though I am not one to show great emotion to others, though often wishing my feelings were less powerful, I cannot get past the feeling that there is something strangely lifeless that though probably unjustified, can still imagine allows a certain brutality and disregardfs for life.
The people who offer copied watches for sale are almost entirely of Indian, Pakistani or Egyptian extraction. Though less persistent, I was reminded of my first few days in India. The fear of being asked questions by someone, bringing up guild, exposing ones own insecurities. “Why are you here?” It is my sport to ask them if they are married, a question as common in India, as the weather to most Brits.
Seeing Westerners when alone for the first time, there is a tendency to nod, people who would have been ignored at home, come to represent something familiar and shared. I am almost tempted to put out a hand in greeting “drizzly sundays and luke warm beef”, expecting by return “Flat beer and soggy chips to you!”. It was a moment past this reflection, a Londoner past, half cut, and with barely disguised aggression asking a stranger where his unpronounceable hotel with strong cockney patois. I adopted the thousand mile stare and walked on.
I breakfasted at Mc Donalds, the thought of doing this a few years ago would have been unfathomable. It is not a refuge, not because it is familiar, but because it is nowhere. A baseline if you will to compare new experiences to, and though I hate to admit it, the coffee was good.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Book list
I do love making a list, nothing better on a rainy day, waiting for a bus. I would love to be posting pictures, but it is so damned slow. I have not found any bulk image resize software that works on my litte acer yet. Lest everyone think my adventures are all daring do and bothering gap year students, here are some of the books I have been digesting since the trip began:-
Consuming Passions: History of English Food and Appetite - Philippa Pullar
People's War; People's Army - Bernard B. Fall, Vo Nguyen Giap, Roger Hilsman
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers - Loung Ung
Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell
Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Hunt, A Walk through Austin - Kinky Friedman
Far from the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred - Phil Cousineau
Consuming Passions: History of English Food and Appetite - Philippa Pullar
People's War; People's Army - Bernard B. Fall, Vo Nguyen Giap, Roger Hilsman
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers - Loung Ung
Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell
Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Hunt, A Walk through Austin - Kinky Friedman
Far from the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred - Phil Cousineau
Back from Kinebalu
Hi Folks,
So nice to be clean again, after sweating like a pig in the rainforest around Mount Kinebalu. No I did not climb it, it was not altitude or lack of determination that defeated us, but the price and red tape.
To climb the mountain requires a permit, license, guide, insurance, accommodation, and now meals to be booked. The meals alone costing upwards of 50 ringit, which is over ten times what I had become accustomed to paying for a good feed. And the prices were all more for non Malays
The staff at the park were sympathetic, but their hands tied. Though the staff arranging accommodation were a royal pain in the ass, repeating the company line and blatantly lying. After identifying the racket that was in operation we decided to attempt the climb in one day, but were told we would need an interview with the ranger officer. I had spoken to him before, and could not get any sense. When I climb a mountain, camp rough, put a boat to sea, I do not expect anybody to rescue me if things get dicey. It is my decision, and as a adult, one I feel qualified to make.
It appears in this case, the changes to park policy are less to do with safety and more for profit. Not surprising really, but perhaps others could vote with their feet as we did, there are plenty of other mountains to climb...
So nice to be clean again, after sweating like a pig in the rainforest around Mount Kinebalu. No I did not climb it, it was not altitude or lack of determination that defeated us, but the price and red tape.
To climb the mountain requires a permit, license, guide, insurance, accommodation, and now meals to be booked. The meals alone costing upwards of 50 ringit, which is over ten times what I had become accustomed to paying for a good feed. And the prices were all more for non Malays
The staff at the park were sympathetic, but their hands tied. Though the staff arranging accommodation were a royal pain in the ass, repeating the company line and blatantly lying. After identifying the racket that was in operation we decided to attempt the climb in one day, but were told we would need an interview with the ranger officer. I had spoken to him before, and could not get any sense. When I climb a mountain, camp rough, put a boat to sea, I do not expect anybody to rescue me if things get dicey. It is my decision, and as a adult, one I feel qualified to make.
It appears in this case, the changes to park policy are less to do with safety and more for profit. Not surprising really, but perhaps others could vote with their feet as we did, there are plenty of other mountains to climb...
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Malaysia - first impressions
Singapore airlines, have definietly got their act together. Just the way air travel should be, including the meal, seared fish with oregano and tomato sauce with green beans and mash. I really enjoy airline food, even though it is mainly there to keep us busy, and rarely much good, fiddling with the packets, and deciding which order to eat things is fun. So much better with a glass of Chardonnay, the first wine I have tasted since leaving, and complimentary of course.
Changi Airport does has free wifi, gym, and a pool at terminal one. So nice to get yogad up, push some weights, shower and bugger about on facebook. Though nobody will be surprised I just curled up on the floor infront of the dicovery channel to sleep.
On to Malaysia, bracing myself for the touts around the airport, only to be told by a friendly taxi driver to buy a ticket. My ride would be the one at the front of the queue. So much more civilized, and much cheaper than Vietnam, no beeping, no offers of weed or women, wow!
An evening with a new friend, who had recently sold her Austrialian ligerine busniess, including fair few beers on the seafront, massage and dinner cost less than you could pay for a pint at home. But of course the jungles are calling, and I have got a lot of useful tips from a friendly German tax auditor, who at 6'10" has made the unsuspecting Malays jump or rub their eyes in disbelief.
You will all be pleased to hear it is raining here, heavy, now drizzling - as it does every afternoon at this time of year, but it is warm - I cannot wait to find an spot where I can get soaped up, and stand under out in just my skin.
Jim
Changi Airport does has free wifi, gym, and a pool at terminal one. So nice to get yogad up, push some weights, shower and bugger about on facebook. Though nobody will be surprised I just curled up on the floor infront of the dicovery channel to sleep.
On to Malaysia, bracing myself for the touts around the airport, only to be told by a friendly taxi driver to buy a ticket. My ride would be the one at the front of the queue. So much more civilized, and much cheaper than Vietnam, no beeping, no offers of weed or women, wow!
An evening with a new friend, who had recently sold her Austrialian ligerine busniess, including fair few beers on the seafront, massage and dinner cost less than you could pay for a pint at home. But of course the jungles are calling, and I have got a lot of useful tips from a friendly German tax auditor, who at 6'10" has made the unsuspecting Malays jump or rub their eyes in disbelief.
You will all be pleased to hear it is raining here, heavy, now drizzling - as it does every afternoon at this time of year, but it is warm - I cannot wait to find an spot where I can get soaped up, and stand under out in just my skin.
Jim
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hanoi, its not all bad
If long term travel, has its ups and downs, independent solo travel has Marianas trenches and Himalaya. So it was with a little trepidation I hugged goodbye to Chris in Hanoi, and wished him safe passage back to Swansea. Wondering how he would view the ugly lovely town, having been exposed to so many new things, and how I would feel once again the captain of my soul, with no-one familiar to reinforce my persona.
Three of us reached Hanoi, via three boats in Halong Bay, two long bus journeys. Our new traveling companion was a graduate of Humboldt State, and like me had left a large part of his heart in Arcata in Northern California.
Cat Ba Island where we met, was almost deserted being low season, and no doubt affected by the worsening financial crisis. One could not help imagining this as a vision of the future, with water no longer running down the aqua slides, and cafes only serving drinks. Fortunately for us a sea-front room with stunning views and two comfortable double beds was ours for $5 a night!
Again we were though crazy for renting mountain bikes rather than motorbikes. We were told impossible – hills are too big, very far – which only encouraged us more. The hills though steep, were not nearly as hard as from Caswel back to Mumbles, the effort helping the scenery and making us feel we earned our lunch. Just as well as it included a mystery package, unwrapping the banana leaf parcel we found a block of glutenous rice, filled with egg and fish, really bland but great cycling fuel.
Following these tranquil days with the Capitol city was not going to be an easy transition. The roar of the motorcycles, smells and 3000 Dong beer hoi – home brewed small beer sold from a barrel on the street was inviting.
Funny how inviting smells, can become cloying after a while. The sight of a dog chopped up on a market stall, its duck coloured meat, and gruesome snarl was at first interesting. It soon came to symbolize quite how alien the culture felt. Stragely the next time we visited the head was covered.
In preparation for Tet, the lunar new year, people all over Hanoi were burning paper, and boxes simply made just for burning, held together with plastic ribbons which caught the back of the throat, and worsened the smog hanging over the rainy city.
With both my companions leaving, to the UK and Borneo respectively, I too felt the urge to leave – every long beep of the horn making me want to be on the next flight. Something that could easily be arranged at no cost given my airlines ticketing rules. I had tried to arrange the flight for the next afternoon, planning to confirm the next morning, after Singapore airlines had spoken to their London office.
That evening I spoke to some ex-pats, learning some valuable insights into the culture. I drank two mugs of hot chocolate, and began to remember how much I enjoyed traveling alone, it is far easier to meet people, and you do not get hassled nearly as much.
Waking after a long sleep to a sunny morning, I remembered how I had vowed not to run away when things got tough, I began to realize how easily I had slipped into the default tourist mode. I would stay on, and wait for the change of luck that was sure to follow once I let it.
With time to spare till the flight, I decided to get this laptop running properly. Despite my early attempts with a USB linux distro, the hard drive was too corrupt to be repaired with e2fsck, it needed a complete reinstall, the disk was safely in my drawer at home!
How to get a linux install DVD for one particular computer, and the use of an external DVD drive with very little English spoken was my challenge for the day. No easy task, as everyone here uses pirated copies of Windows, and the Vietnamese people prefer big laptops.
After calling shop to shop I found one with an external DVD drive, and another with the necessary installer disk. Eventually, by leaving my mobile as security I was able to borrow the disk, to get the little Acer back on the road! A little risk for a little reward has always paid off in the past.
While the re-install was underway the shop owner invited me to drink tea at a stall. I learned that he had obtained his CCNA , a valuable computing qualification in one year for $600. His business partner knew Cardiff was the capital of Wales from the football results, and thought the picture I showed him of Three Cliffs Bay, just as beautiful as Halon Bay. I learned it is as I thought just tobacco they smoke in those bamboo bongs. Even after taking up hours of the computer guy's time I was only charged a couple of bucks. The shop that had lent me the disk would accept no money, and even gave me a couple of tangerines!
I am now sat in a cafe, having enjoyed a steaming bowl of pho at 15000 dong, ($1 = 17500 dong ), well below the usual tourist rate. I am using an open wifi connection, so much nicer, even if it is cheap, paying for Internet access feels like soliciting.
.............
Before I could post the above, I discovered a great little place playing early Beatles and serving BBQ burgers in time for happy hour, and just been talking to a fan of A to Z of Bushcraft! Unfortunately Vietnam is behind the great firewall of China. Sites like blogspot have been deemed subversive, but never fear dear readers, I have rerouted the encryptions, and will not be silenced ;)
Peace out folks
Three of us reached Hanoi, via three boats in Halong Bay, two long bus journeys. Our new traveling companion was a graduate of Humboldt State, and like me had left a large part of his heart in Arcata in Northern California.
Cat Ba Island where we met, was almost deserted being low season, and no doubt affected by the worsening financial crisis. One could not help imagining this as a vision of the future, with water no longer running down the aqua slides, and cafes only serving drinks. Fortunately for us a sea-front room with stunning views and two comfortable double beds was ours for $5 a night!
Again we were though crazy for renting mountain bikes rather than motorbikes. We were told impossible – hills are too big, very far – which only encouraged us more. The hills though steep, were not nearly as hard as from Caswel back to Mumbles, the effort helping the scenery and making us feel we earned our lunch. Just as well as it included a mystery package, unwrapping the banana leaf parcel we found a block of glutenous rice, filled with egg and fish, really bland but great cycling fuel.
Following these tranquil days with the Capitol city was not going to be an easy transition. The roar of the motorcycles, smells and 3000 Dong beer hoi – home brewed small beer sold from a barrel on the street was inviting.
Funny how inviting smells, can become cloying after a while. The sight of a dog chopped up on a market stall, its duck coloured meat, and gruesome snarl was at first interesting. It soon came to symbolize quite how alien the culture felt. Stragely the next time we visited the head was covered.
In preparation for Tet, the lunar new year, people all over Hanoi were burning paper, and boxes simply made just for burning, held together with plastic ribbons which caught the back of the throat, and worsened the smog hanging over the rainy city.
With both my companions leaving, to the UK and Borneo respectively, I too felt the urge to leave – every long beep of the horn making me want to be on the next flight. Something that could easily be arranged at no cost given my airlines ticketing rules. I had tried to arrange the flight for the next afternoon, planning to confirm the next morning, after Singapore airlines had spoken to their London office.
That evening I spoke to some ex-pats, learning some valuable insights into the culture. I drank two mugs of hot chocolate, and began to remember how much I enjoyed traveling alone, it is far easier to meet people, and you do not get hassled nearly as much.
Waking after a long sleep to a sunny morning, I remembered how I had vowed not to run away when things got tough, I began to realize how easily I had slipped into the default tourist mode. I would stay on, and wait for the change of luck that was sure to follow once I let it.
With time to spare till the flight, I decided to get this laptop running properly. Despite my early attempts with a USB linux distro, the hard drive was too corrupt to be repaired with e2fsck, it needed a complete reinstall, the disk was safely in my drawer at home!
How to get a linux install DVD for one particular computer, and the use of an external DVD drive with very little English spoken was my challenge for the day. No easy task, as everyone here uses pirated copies of Windows, and the Vietnamese people prefer big laptops.
After calling shop to shop I found one with an external DVD drive, and another with the necessary installer disk. Eventually, by leaving my mobile as security I was able to borrow the disk, to get the little Acer back on the road! A little risk for a little reward has always paid off in the past.
While the re-install was underway the shop owner invited me to drink tea at a stall. I learned that he had obtained his CCNA , a valuable computing qualification in one year for $600. His business partner knew Cardiff was the capital of Wales from the football results, and thought the picture I showed him of Three Cliffs Bay, just as beautiful as Halon Bay. I learned it is as I thought just tobacco they smoke in those bamboo bongs. Even after taking up hours of the computer guy's time I was only charged a couple of bucks. The shop that had lent me the disk would accept no money, and even gave me a couple of tangerines!
I am now sat in a cafe, having enjoyed a steaming bowl of pho at 15000 dong, ($1 = 17500 dong ), well below the usual tourist rate. I am using an open wifi connection, so much nicer, even if it is cheap, paying for Internet access feels like soliciting.
.............
Before I could post the above, I discovered a great little place playing early Beatles and serving BBQ burgers in time for happy hour, and just been talking to a fan of A to Z of Bushcraft! Unfortunately Vietnam is behind the great firewall of China. Sites like blogspot have been deemed subversive, but never fear dear readers, I have rerouted the encryptions, and will not be silenced ;)
Peace out folks
Friday, January 9, 2009
It's been a while, Vietnam update
Well Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and All. I would like to say, those busy living are too busy to write about it. But in truth I have been a bit unsure what to blog and what to keep to private communications. Travel is just a private experience, it seems incongruent to be posting to the world about it.
I last posted leaving for Phu Quoc looking for the island paradise we had heard so much about from those weary of hassles in mainland Vietnam. The hassles we no less present here unfortunately with the usual hoard of moto drivers wanting to take you to best hotels, and charge well over the odds. One tries to separate the touts from the rest of the people, but there is an ever present suspicion of people created by the constant pestering and attempted scams. I am assured it is a cultural thing, that asking “where you go?” is not considered rude, though surely “where would you like to go ?” would be more profitable.
After a long ferry ride to the Island, we were not in the mood and took a cold drink at a cafe while the other tourists got onto motors. Despite telling them we were not interested, the mot drivers sat next to us, drank coffee and offered us cigarettes and hotel cards. Now armed with a map, and having enough of their pestering we were determined to walk it. The sting had gone from the day as we began the 17k to the other side of the island. The moto drivers looking at our packs, nearing 30kgs told us we would surely die on the road. We walked off, expecting to see them again soon, but pressed on defiantly. At 5, and 12ks they appeared again, but eventually left shaking their heads.
Reaching the beach, Chris bless him went to the bar for cold beers and chocolate. The barmaid assumed he must have been attacked given the stake of him, and also thought we were mad to walk. A friendly Parisian, yes they do exist!, pointed out a place to set up the hammock and bivvy. Chris who is plagued by mosquitoes had my hammock with a built in net and splashed on repellent. I crashed in the bivvy bag underneath. Chris still managed to get eaten alive, I was untouched and could not convince him to sleep out another night, especially Christmas Eve.
Christmas was a fairly quiet affair on the beach at Phu Quoc. Though I understand the technology, it still amazes me that one can skype from the beach on an Island, even during a power cut, the router had a UPS!
New Year was spent with at Mui Ne friends from Bodhi and some new ones. From the facebook pictures one can probably tell what a messy night it was. Despite my commitment to yoga, meditation and all, sometimes getting smashed is really what you need, almost cathartic.
After a while though, the palm trees lined resorts become wearisome, one longs for something authentic, that was not designed for ones entertainment, and often poorly executed. We travel as much to lose ourselves as to find them. Not easy to do when one is constantly reminded of being a tourist
Saigon was approached after a sixteen hour bus journey, helped by Valium. We were the only ones we met who managed to sleep soundly, though the cots were too short for Chris and too narrow for me.
On a wander to find a cheap hotel we bumped into friends from new year, and spent a quiet evening a bar until the TV announced Vietnam's victory against Thailand in the Asia football cup. Saigon went wild, with most of Saigon's mopeds on the streets. Two years ago there were around 5 million registered, current estimates including unregistered are nearly 8 million. Most had more than one, sometimes 4 people on board banging drums, pots or the helmets of drivers in a wild celebration.
Hoi An was a welcome relief from the business of Saigon, and is famed for its French colonial charm, cuisine and tailors. We took full advantage of all these, with photos to follow.
The tailors can copy anything here, and were able to stitch me up a pair of “Naomi Klein's” from a picture of airwalks taken from the Internet. For $30 they were able to make a matching silk lined woolen hoody, the height of luxury and cargo pants, with suitably pocket picker proof pockets.
After the most boring tour bus experience to the 17th parallel, we would only laugh about in retrospect we are back in Hue, preparing to leave for Hanoi. Sixteen hours on the bus, so I am off to find some good books.
Now up to date with the where and when, the why of travel must surely follow, but breakfast calls.
Love to all
Jim
I last posted leaving for Phu Quoc looking for the island paradise we had heard so much about from those weary of hassles in mainland Vietnam. The hassles we no less present here unfortunately with the usual hoard of moto drivers wanting to take you to best hotels, and charge well over the odds. One tries to separate the touts from the rest of the people, but there is an ever present suspicion of people created by the constant pestering and attempted scams. I am assured it is a cultural thing, that asking “where you go?” is not considered rude, though surely “where would you like to go ?” would be more profitable.
After a long ferry ride to the Island, we were not in the mood and took a cold drink at a cafe while the other tourists got onto motors. Despite telling them we were not interested, the mot drivers sat next to us, drank coffee and offered us cigarettes and hotel cards. Now armed with a map, and having enough of their pestering we were determined to walk it. The sting had gone from the day as we began the 17k to the other side of the island. The moto drivers looking at our packs, nearing 30kgs told us we would surely die on the road. We walked off, expecting to see them again soon, but pressed on defiantly. At 5, and 12ks they appeared again, but eventually left shaking their heads.
Reaching the beach, Chris bless him went to the bar for cold beers and chocolate. The barmaid assumed he must have been attacked given the stake of him, and also thought we were mad to walk. A friendly Parisian, yes they do exist!, pointed out a place to set up the hammock and bivvy. Chris who is plagued by mosquitoes had my hammock with a built in net and splashed on repellent. I crashed in the bivvy bag underneath. Chris still managed to get eaten alive, I was untouched and could not convince him to sleep out another night, especially Christmas Eve.
Christmas was a fairly quiet affair on the beach at Phu Quoc. Though I understand the technology, it still amazes me that one can skype from the beach on an Island, even during a power cut, the router had a UPS!
New Year was spent with at Mui Ne friends from Bodhi and some new ones. From the facebook pictures one can probably tell what a messy night it was. Despite my commitment to yoga, meditation and all, sometimes getting smashed is really what you need, almost cathartic.
After a while though, the palm trees lined resorts become wearisome, one longs for something authentic, that was not designed for ones entertainment, and often poorly executed. We travel as much to lose ourselves as to find them. Not easy to do when one is constantly reminded of being a tourist
Saigon was approached after a sixteen hour bus journey, helped by Valium. We were the only ones we met who managed to sleep soundly, though the cots were too short for Chris and too narrow for me.
On a wander to find a cheap hotel we bumped into friends from new year, and spent a quiet evening a bar until the TV announced Vietnam's victory against Thailand in the Asia football cup. Saigon went wild, with most of Saigon's mopeds on the streets. Two years ago there were around 5 million registered, current estimates including unregistered are nearly 8 million. Most had more than one, sometimes 4 people on board banging drums, pots or the helmets of drivers in a wild celebration.
Hoi An was a welcome relief from the business of Saigon, and is famed for its French colonial charm, cuisine and tailors. We took full advantage of all these, with photos to follow.
The tailors can copy anything here, and were able to stitch me up a pair of “Naomi Klein's” from a picture of airwalks taken from the Internet. For $30 they were able to make a matching silk lined woolen hoody, the height of luxury and cargo pants, with suitably pocket picker proof pockets.
After the most boring tour bus experience to the 17th parallel, we would only laugh about in retrospect we are back in Hue, preparing to leave for Hanoi. Sixteen hours on the bus, so I am off to find some good books.
Now up to date with the where and when, the why of travel must surely follow, but breakfast calls.
Love to all
Jim
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
