Our 36 day adventure was escorted by Overseas Adventure Travel, OAT, the second tour company that we have used preferring to travel on our own. Our other tour was through China Focus for a 30 day tour of China in 2007.
I was impressed with the OAT travel philosophy that is built around travel, adventure, and discovery. This resulted in an in-depth exposure to the country, and culture of the countries visited. Beyond seeing the big cities and the usual tourist attractions we went to small out of the way villages, had dinner with families in their homes, visited schools from elementary level to university and were able to interact with the people of Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. However I felt that the tour focused more on the failures of the countries rather then the successes of the countries. I never saw a nice home in Thailand or any of the beautiful beaches and resorts of Thailand. I left Thailand with the impression that the monarchy holds all wealth and the country and citizens spend a fortune praising the king and queen. If Thailand would spend the money that they spend on bigger than live banners, billboards, and monuments of their king and queen on sewage disposal, garbage pick-up and street paving in their remote villages the country could take a major step into the 21st century.
The real asset held by OAT is their tour was the tour guides. We were assigned a guide from each country who escorted and coordinated our visits in each country. Our Cambodia guide, Thai , grew up in a floating city and was chosen to be sent to an inland school and continued his education to become an extremely knowledgeable and personable guide, as a part of our trip he took us to his family home on the water and introduced to his family. He was able to provide a knowledgeable and insightful answer to every question ask. His knowledge of Ancor Wat that the other temples and their history was inspiring.
Our Thailand guide, Poupe, a 46 year old single mother is one of the most personable and versatile people that I have ever met As well as a knowledgeable guide she sang, danced, and educated us on virtually every aspect of Thai live. At times she provided TMI, but it was done in good spirit and with the best of intentions.
Our Vietnamese guide Dy, pronounced Yee, was a true professional, maintaining control of the group, sharing his knowledge, and giving us a valuable exposure to the Vietnam people while helping many of us answer the many questions that we brought with us about the Vietnam War. Dy also introduced us to his family, which I believe to be a part of the OAT program, thus allowing us to see how a successful middle class Vietnamese family lives.
The hotels were for the most part very good, we only had one that I would have not stayed in if we were traveling on our own. Although it was on a beautiful setting on a river with nice grounds and pool the room was not clean and the facility had fallen into disrepair. The hotels for the most part place you in the middle of the activity of the bigger cities and with easy access in the smaller cities, we were never in the suburbs where activity might have been out of reach. A cab fare to a market or restaurant never was more then $3.00. Although it was on a beautiful setting on a river with nice grounds and pool the room was not clean and the facility had fallen into disrepair.
Currency was difficult to adjust to; 3400 Bat equaled a dollar and 17,000 Dong equaled a dollar. Thus I found myself getting one million Vietnamese Dong out of an ATM to get spending money. So a cab ride would cost 34,000 Dong.
The food was good but I did tire of Thai food before we moved on to Vietnam. Lunches and dinners provided through OAT were always from a fixed menu and many times were excellent, but the best meals that we had were those that we had when we sought out top quality restaurants when we were on our own. We were able to find them through our Lonely Planet travel guide or through internet search. With the low cost of transportation you could get the best meal in town including cocktails and wine for $30.00 as long as you stayed out of the multi-national hotels.
We choose not to take any of the optional tours, about seven offered, choosing instead to explore the cities and countryside on our own. In the one cases that we wanted to go to the same location that the optional tour, the Cu Chi Tunnels, we were able to purchase the tour locally at the Saigon Post Office for less then half the price that OAT asked; ours did not include lunch but eating in Vietnam is quite cheap. It was also nice talking with another tour guide and getting their perspective on the was, the government and the economy. Some of our best times were striking out on tuk-tuks to the Chinese Market, or a temple, or a restaurant on our own and experiencing the country at our own pace.
The only real issue that I have with OAT was their tipping policy. In the pre-trip information they informed us that tipping was optional for the exceptional service of our tour guide and $7 to $10 per day per person was customary. Upon arrival we were given an orientation pamphlet that repeated the $7 to $10 tipping to the tour guide but added $4 to $6 per day per person for the bus driver, $2 to $4 for the driver assistant, $1 for the room maids, and additional for boat drivers, local tour guides, elephant drivers and elephant snacks. On our China trip we tipped our tour guide and he took care of all additional tipping that was required or expected. Several of us felt this was a shirking of the responsibility of OAT to take care of their hired employees and independent contractors. If you met their suggested tipping the total would amount to 10% of the tour price.
I look back on the tour now and feel it was more of an education than a vacation, and that is not to say that I didn’t enjoy the trip and that I will not use OAT in the future. We were up every morning at 5:30 to 6:30 AM and on the road by 8:00 AM and our day ended after dinner at 7:30 to 8:00 PM. Some of our fellow travelers, there were 15 of us, often chose to skip dinner and get to bed early. The average age in our group was probably 60 years old, but all were relatively fit and able to keep up the pace.
I feel I know Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, I know their people, I understand their economies, and I understand their culture. If I’d taken a cruise that stopped in these countries I don’t think I would have been able be achieve the level of understanding that I have today.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Our Last Day in Saigon
Saigon is a city of 8 million people, many motorcycles and few cars, this is because there is a heavy import tax on automobiles ranging from 100% to 250% so a $50,000 German car will cost a Vietnamese $125,000. They also only allow the importation of new automobiles. Today we traveled to the Mekong Delta which required us to go through southern Saigon. This is where the growing upper-class lives, this is where you see the imported cars, the larger homes, the upscale shops and the massive apartment complexes. We didn’t see any of north of Saigon in any of the other cities that we visited. We proceeded to the Delta where we boarded a tour boat to see how the local fishing industry worked the river, the China Sea, and the growing fish farms. This was the area that the US Gun Boats patrolled winding in and our of the numerous islands in their attempt to drive out the Viet Cong. The government of the north had two army’s, the Viet Ping, recruited men and woman of the north who served the Peoples Republic of Vietnam and the Viet Cong the people of the south who either sided with the political views of the north or more often the people of the south who wanted to rid their country of the invaders.
We got out of our tour boat and boarded a san-pan, a small three passenger boat that was able to navigate the shallow waters that ran between the numerous islands. Our passage took us to a bee farm where we sampled the honey, had snacks and played with their python, an opportunity which I couldn’t pass up.
We then took a mile walk to a coconut candy factory that wouldn’t meet OSHA standards but did put out a unique and tasty form of taffy. Then a trek through the coconut plantations where we saw deserted plantation homes that had been the property of South Vietnam supporters that fled the country at the end of the war. We stopped in a small village for a fish dinner Vietnamese style (see the pictures) the young lady presented a grilled fish which she stripped the meat from and combined with rice, herbs, and vegetables to make a spring role which you wish you could buy in the US. Back on out tour boat and back to our bus we made our way back into Saigon.
Our Vietnam farewell dinner was held at Po Cho, a stylish restaurant, but not memorable food. After our meal our group went to the Grand Hyatt for a cocktail, a Chocltini, which I will be drinking more of in the future. The pianist vocalist was an added treat to a very sophisticated room that added a new element to your 36 day journey.
In the rain five of us made our way to one of Saigon’s most famous bars, Apocalypse Now, dating back to the early 60”s and the Vietnam War. It’s now a techno-pop club with loud DJ spinning and strobe lights. Although we found the bar unique the balance of the young Vietnam patrons found us unique; American 60 something’s that were willing to get-down to their music. We were truly an oddity in their domain and they welcomed with smiles, pictures and dance. It will be one of our cumulative captured memories.
This morning we board a plane back to Bangkok for a nigh layover and then a 23 hour flight through Tokyo and back to Atlanta.
Vietnam is a beautiful country that will change dramatically over the next ten years, the people are friendly, and most of all forgiving. They have a long history of wars with the Chinese, the French, America, and Australia, and they now welcome them all to their country as tourists.
Tomorrow morning we catch a 5:00 am flight to Tokyo than on to the US.
We got out of our tour boat and boarded a san-pan, a small three passenger boat that was able to navigate the shallow waters that ran between the numerous islands. Our passage took us to a bee farm where we sampled the honey, had snacks and played with their python, an opportunity which I couldn’t pass up.
We then took a mile walk to a coconut candy factory that wouldn’t meet OSHA standards but did put out a unique and tasty form of taffy. Then a trek through the coconut plantations where we saw deserted plantation homes that had been the property of South Vietnam supporters that fled the country at the end of the war. We stopped in a small village for a fish dinner Vietnamese style (see the pictures) the young lady presented a grilled fish which she stripped the meat from and combined with rice, herbs, and vegetables to make a spring role which you wish you could buy in the US. Back on out tour boat and back to our bus we made our way back into Saigon.
Our Vietnam farewell dinner was held at Po Cho, a stylish restaurant, but not memorable food. After our meal our group went to the Grand Hyatt for a cocktail, a Chocltini, which I will be drinking more of in the future. The pianist vocalist was an added treat to a very sophisticated room that added a new element to your 36 day journey.
In the rain five of us made our way to one of Saigon’s most famous bars, Apocalypse Now, dating back to the early 60”s and the Vietnam War. It’s now a techno-pop club with loud DJ spinning and strobe lights. Although we found the bar unique the balance of the young Vietnam patrons found us unique; American 60 something’s that were willing to get-down to their music. We were truly an oddity in their domain and they welcomed with smiles, pictures and dance. It will be one of our cumulative captured memories.
This morning we board a plane back to Bangkok for a nigh layover and then a 23 hour flight through Tokyo and back to Atlanta.
Vietnam is a beautiful country that will change dramatically over the next ten years, the people are friendly, and most of all forgiving. They have a long history of wars with the Chinese, the French, America, and Australia, and they now welcome them all to their country as tourists.
Tomorrow morning we catch a 5:00 am flight to Tokyo than on to the US.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saigon and Cu Chi Tunnels
Monday morning we flew to Saigon, our first stop was the Scars of the Vietnam War Museum. The Museum consists of a collection of photographs taken by photographers from around the world in an effort to explain what happened in the Vietnam War from the North Vietnamese point of view. A major part of the display was devoted to the US’s use of chemical weapons in particular Agent Orange, and the initial effects as well as the lasting effects. This is not the place for me to express my feelings on what I saw and what I felt.
We ate lunch at a hot pot shop, Vietnams fast food. Hot Pot is a little meat and a lot of vegetables and noodles submerged in a hot chicken broth and seasoned to taste, it was quite good filling and very low calorie. It’s easy to see why the Vietnamese are so thin, I have yet to see a fat Vietnamese. The day was concluded with a bus tour of Saigon, a vibrant city of 8 million that is more western than any other city that we have seen in Vietnam. That’s not to say it looks like your city, but it is cleaner, laid out more like a western city and wealthier. The average Saigon worker makes $400 a month and that has been pulled up with the major investment in their Technology Park by Intel which pays its average worked $800 per month.
Tuesday morning five of us left the hotel and went out on our own to see the Cu Chi Tunnels 24 miles outside of Saigon. For decades the Cu Chi people had dug shelters under their homes to hide from intruders then the French and then the Americans. They soon learned that if their enemies discovered their subterranean hiding place they were easy killing so they started to build tunnels from one hideout to the other. Most of the tunnels were 9 to ten feet below ground while some went as deep as 36 feet all leading to underground bunkers. By the time the Americans set up their Army base outside of Saigon and neighboring the Ch Chi land the tunnel city had reached over 200 miles of tunnels and bunkers. This served as an excellent hiding and staging ground for the Vietcong. While the American used the latest technology and military hardware to fight the Cu Chi people the Cu Chi’s used the tools that they had been using for centuries to trap and kill animals, including punji pits, leg spikes, and
Punji sticks would be placed in areas likely to be passed through by enemy troops. The presence of punji sticks may be camouflaged by natural undergrowth, crops, grass, brush or similar materials. They were often incorporated into various types of traps; for example, a camouflaged pit into which a man might fall . They were often smeared with human feces to increase the risk of infection.
Sometimes a pit would be dug with punji sticks in the sides pointing downward at an angle. A soldier stepping into the pit would find it impossible to remove his leg without doing severe damage, and injuries might be incurred by the simple fact of falling forward while one's leg is in a narrow, vertical, stake-lined pit. Such pits would require time and care to dig the soldier's leg out, immobilizing the unit longer than if the foot were simply pierced, in which case the victim could be evacuated.
Punji sticks were sometimes deployed in the preparation of an ambush. Soldiers lying in wait for the enemy to pass would deploy punji sticks in the areas where the surprised enemy might be expected to take cover, thus soldiers diving for cover would impale themselves.
The time spent in the tunnels served to again present the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese people point of view. I find it amazing the this same company is now under the rule of the same Communist Party that ran the Americans out and now is dependant on companies like Intel, Microsoft, Coke and Budweiser for its future development.
We ate lunch at a hot pot shop, Vietnams fast food. Hot Pot is a little meat and a lot of vegetables and noodles submerged in a hot chicken broth and seasoned to taste, it was quite good filling and very low calorie. It’s easy to see why the Vietnamese are so thin, I have yet to see a fat Vietnamese. The day was concluded with a bus tour of Saigon, a vibrant city of 8 million that is more western than any other city that we have seen in Vietnam. That’s not to say it looks like your city, but it is cleaner, laid out more like a western city and wealthier. The average Saigon worker makes $400 a month and that has been pulled up with the major investment in their Technology Park by Intel which pays its average worked $800 per month.
Tuesday morning five of us left the hotel and went out on our own to see the Cu Chi Tunnels 24 miles outside of Saigon. For decades the Cu Chi people had dug shelters under their homes to hide from intruders then the French and then the Americans. They soon learned that if their enemies discovered their subterranean hiding place they were easy killing so they started to build tunnels from one hideout to the other. Most of the tunnels were 9 to ten feet below ground while some went as deep as 36 feet all leading to underground bunkers. By the time the Americans set up their Army base outside of Saigon and neighboring the Ch Chi land the tunnel city had reached over 200 miles of tunnels and bunkers. This served as an excellent hiding and staging ground for the Vietcong. While the American used the latest technology and military hardware to fight the Cu Chi people the Cu Chi’s used the tools that they had been using for centuries to trap and kill animals, including punji pits, leg spikes, and
Punji sticks would be placed in areas likely to be passed through by enemy troops. The presence of punji sticks may be camouflaged by natural undergrowth, crops, grass, brush or similar materials. They were often incorporated into various types of traps; for example, a camouflaged pit into which a man might fall . They were often smeared with human feces to increase the risk of infection.
Sometimes a pit would be dug with punji sticks in the sides pointing downward at an angle. A soldier stepping into the pit would find it impossible to remove his leg without doing severe damage, and injuries might be incurred by the simple fact of falling forward while one's leg is in a narrow, vertical, stake-lined pit. Such pits would require time and care to dig the soldier's leg out, immobilizing the unit longer than if the foot were simply pierced, in which case the victim could be evacuated.
Punji sticks were sometimes deployed in the preparation of an ambush. Soldiers lying in wait for the enemy to pass would deploy punji sticks in the areas where the surprised enemy might be expected to take cover, thus soldiers diving for cover would impale themselves.
The time spent in the tunnels served to again present the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese people point of view. I find it amazing the this same company is now under the rule of the same Communist Party that ran the Americans out and now is dependant on companies like Intel, Microsoft, Coke and Budweiser for its future development.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday and Sunday in Da Lat Vietnam
Saturday September 19, we drive five hours , 4500 feet, up the mountains to Da Lat, a community originally built by the French in an effort to escape the heat of the low lands. Along the way we stop at a village of river fisherman that speak a different dialect of Vietnamese thus our guide is not able to understand their language. I see my first pot belly pig other then the one used for shark bait by the sea fisherman yesterday. A local fisherman is net fishing in the river and catches a fish no bigger then a minnow which he puts on a stringer. Now that I think about it I did see fish that small for sale in some of the markets.
A the top of the mountain we stopped to see a waterfall and received a promise of cooler weather for the next several days. On our way up we came across Chinese construction companies widening the road, when we were down at China Beach we saw that most of the resort construction was being done by Chinese companies and the new casino in Laos was being built by a Chinese company. It appears that all the money that we are sending to China is being spread around other developing economies. We are seeing the many different part of Vietnam and it’s culture as well as the tentacles of the next economic power of the world.
As we neared Da Lat the landscape changed from corn and tobacco farming to hillsides covered with greenhouses filled with vegetables and flowers.
Tonight we had a home hosted dinner; we were met in the hotel lobby by a bubbly Vietnam girl in a pink motor cycle helmet. She put the six of us in a van and told us she would meet us at her home. The cab drive wound through the streets of Dalat and we came to a stop in front of the 19 Family Home. Yee, pink helmet, introduced us to her mother, father, two younger sisters, Tea and Bond, and her cousin Bao, a young man. This was the beginning of one of the most delightful evenings of our trip. Mom, Tuan, and Dad, Lien, cooked the meal while Yee, and her younger sister, Tea, served us. We started with home made banana wine, sweet, smooth and it didn’t stop coming. The main course was a rice pancake filled with shrimp, bean sprouts, and herbs. We submerged this in a sweet sauce and topped it with lettuce, basil, tarragon, mint and other herbs. It was delicious and different from anything that we had had thus far on our trip.
Yee is the most dynamic Asian girl that I have ever met, her personality grew as the evening continued. I asked her if she was married, she’s thirty years old. “No she was not” Would you be interested in marrying an American boy? “It would be my pleasure.” Her younger sister Tea is dating a French boy with hopes of a future together. He came from France to develop a wine industry in Vietnam.
I made a commitment that I would do what I could to let as many available American boys know of Yee’s availability. She can be contacted at mailto:unlined@yahoo.com, you’ll find her picture on my Picasa Album http://picasaweb.google.com/kjohng/AsianTrip2009#. Yee’s 30 years old works for a consulting company in Da Lat, Vietnam and comes from one of Da Lat’s leading families. This is a must see.
Our Sunday adventure started early. Seven of us caught an old chug train for a 30 minute ride through the country side to Chua Tinh Quang. It gave us an up close view of the greenhouse operations of the area. Da Lat grows and exports vegetables, fruits, and flowers thus employing many of the residents. Because of the altitude the weather is cooler and less humidity, thus providing us with a welcome break form the draining weather that we have been enduring the past several weeks. In Chua Tinh Quang we found a bustling country town where no one was able to speak English to assist us in finding the Broken Bottle Pagoda. Finally we found a young girl who understood the word Pagoda and pointed us in the right direction. The Broken Bottle Pagoda consisted of a temple overseen by monks, one of which was an 83 year old man who spoke perfect English and invited us in to take pictures and worship. The Pagoda was a six story tower that allowed us the ability to climb the narrow steps to get panoramic pictures of the terraced landscape. Having overstayed our time we hurried back to the train for our return trip to Da Lat. Da Lat is a major travel destination for Japanese golfers because of its beautiful golf course, so our next stop was the Grand Palace Golf Course for a relaxing time in the highly manicured surroundings.
We then made a stop at the local Botanical Gardens, admission 10 Dong or 66 cents. Although cheap it didn’t stand up well against the Golf course and the local farms that we saw from the train ride. We then took a 2 mile hike around the city lake to the Sunday Market, my pictures tell that story best.
After a great lunch at the An Quy resturant we went to see the Hotel Soffitel the major high end promoter of tourism in the area. The hotel reflects the heavy French colonial influence seen in all of the architecture of Da Lat. The hotel was a photographers playground with its elegant furnishings and appointments, it even offered me an antique urnal shot which is always one of my photographic objectives in our worlds travels.
We met us with the rest of our group at 3:15 for a visit to Da Lat University. After a lecture from one of the Universities Language professors, monthly salary $200, we were assigned a student to escort us around the campus giving us an opportunity to learn more about Vietnamese life and them an opportunity to practice their English. I met up with Thuy, a 19 year old farm girl from a neighboring providence. She is a sophomore in the English program hoping to become an English teacher in her hometown high school. She rents an apartment in Da Lat with two other girls for $30 per month, her father sends her $10 share each month as well is able to pay the $200 per year tuition so that she may have a better life for herself. As we were completing our visit to the University Thuy shared with me that her assigned English name in the class room is Karry. I felt that karma had drought us together for this hours exchange of culture, we parted with two big hugs and an exchanged of email addresses so that we could continue our brief but meaningful friendship.
Back on our bus we headed out of town to spend some time with the people of the original Da Lat tribe.
While the predominate religion in Vietnam is Buddhism the Da Lat tribe are Catholics that have incorporated some of their tribal customs into their devout believe in Catholicism, to include the regular sacrifice of a buffalo at the alter. We didn’t arrive on a timely basis so as to participate in the sacrifice but we did enjoy a spirited demonstration of their native dance and music, to include group participation in both the singing and dance and the ceremonial communal drinking of rice wine through a bamboo straw from an earthen jug. We finished our long and eventful day with a dinner at a small restaurant which served traditional Vietnamese food including Hot Pot and a contribution of Crickets and Scorpions by David and Kim. Both were very fibrous and tasted like nuts.
A the top of the mountain we stopped to see a waterfall and received a promise of cooler weather for the next several days. On our way up we came across Chinese construction companies widening the road, when we were down at China Beach we saw that most of the resort construction was being done by Chinese companies and the new casino in Laos was being built by a Chinese company. It appears that all the money that we are sending to China is being spread around other developing economies. We are seeing the many different part of Vietnam and it’s culture as well as the tentacles of the next economic power of the world.
As we neared Da Lat the landscape changed from corn and tobacco farming to hillsides covered with greenhouses filled with vegetables and flowers.
Tonight we had a home hosted dinner; we were met in the hotel lobby by a bubbly Vietnam girl in a pink motor cycle helmet. She put the six of us in a van and told us she would meet us at her home. The cab drive wound through the streets of Dalat and we came to a stop in front of the 19 Family Home. Yee, pink helmet, introduced us to her mother, father, two younger sisters, Tea and Bond, and her cousin Bao, a young man. This was the beginning of one of the most delightful evenings of our trip. Mom, Tuan, and Dad, Lien, cooked the meal while Yee, and her younger sister, Tea, served us. We started with home made banana wine, sweet, smooth and it didn’t stop coming. The main course was a rice pancake filled with shrimp, bean sprouts, and herbs. We submerged this in a sweet sauce and topped it with lettuce, basil, tarragon, mint and other herbs. It was delicious and different from anything that we had had thus far on our trip.
Yee is the most dynamic Asian girl that I have ever met, her personality grew as the evening continued. I asked her if she was married, she’s thirty years old. “No she was not” Would you be interested in marrying an American boy? “It would be my pleasure.” Her younger sister Tea is dating a French boy with hopes of a future together. He came from France to develop a wine industry in Vietnam.
I made a commitment that I would do what I could to let as many available American boys know of Yee’s availability. She can be contacted at mailto:unlined@yahoo.com, you’ll find her picture on my Picasa Album http://picasaweb.google.com/kjohng/AsianTrip2009#. Yee’s 30 years old works for a consulting company in Da Lat, Vietnam and comes from one of Da Lat’s leading families. This is a must see.
Our Sunday adventure started early. Seven of us caught an old chug train for a 30 minute ride through the country side to Chua Tinh Quang. It gave us an up close view of the greenhouse operations of the area. Da Lat grows and exports vegetables, fruits, and flowers thus employing many of the residents. Because of the altitude the weather is cooler and less humidity, thus providing us with a welcome break form the draining weather that we have been enduring the past several weeks. In Chua Tinh Quang we found a bustling country town where no one was able to speak English to assist us in finding the Broken Bottle Pagoda. Finally we found a young girl who understood the word Pagoda and pointed us in the right direction. The Broken Bottle Pagoda consisted of a temple overseen by monks, one of which was an 83 year old man who spoke perfect English and invited us in to take pictures and worship. The Pagoda was a six story tower that allowed us the ability to climb the narrow steps to get panoramic pictures of the terraced landscape. Having overstayed our time we hurried back to the train for our return trip to Da Lat. Da Lat is a major travel destination for Japanese golfers because of its beautiful golf course, so our next stop was the Grand Palace Golf Course for a relaxing time in the highly manicured surroundings.
We then made a stop at the local Botanical Gardens, admission 10 Dong or 66 cents. Although cheap it didn’t stand up well against the Golf course and the local farms that we saw from the train ride. We then took a 2 mile hike around the city lake to the Sunday Market, my pictures tell that story best.
After a great lunch at the An Quy resturant we went to see the Hotel Soffitel the major high end promoter of tourism in the area. The hotel reflects the heavy French colonial influence seen in all of the architecture of Da Lat. The hotel was a photographers playground with its elegant furnishings and appointments, it even offered me an antique urnal shot which is always one of my photographic objectives in our worlds travels.
We met us with the rest of our group at 3:15 for a visit to Da Lat University. After a lecture from one of the Universities Language professors, monthly salary $200, we were assigned a student to escort us around the campus giving us an opportunity to learn more about Vietnamese life and them an opportunity to practice their English. I met up with Thuy, a 19 year old farm girl from a neighboring providence. She is a sophomore in the English program hoping to become an English teacher in her hometown high school. She rents an apartment in Da Lat with two other girls for $30 per month, her father sends her $10 share each month as well is able to pay the $200 per year tuition so that she may have a better life for herself. As we were completing our visit to the University Thuy shared with me that her assigned English name in the class room is Karry. I felt that karma had drought us together for this hours exchange of culture, we parted with two big hugs and an exchanged of email addresses so that we could continue our brief but meaningful friendship.
Back on our bus we headed out of town to spend some time with the people of the original Da Lat tribe.
While the predominate religion in Vietnam is Buddhism the Da Lat tribe are Catholics that have incorporated some of their tribal customs into their devout believe in Catholicism, to include the regular sacrifice of a buffalo at the alter. We didn’t arrive on a timely basis so as to participate in the sacrifice but we did enjoy a spirited demonstration of their native dance and music, to include group participation in both the singing and dance and the ceremonial communal drinking of rice wine through a bamboo straw from an earthen jug. We finished our long and eventful day with a dinner at a small restaurant which served traditional Vietnamese food including Hot Pot and a contribution of Crickets and Scorpions by David and Kim. Both were very fibrous and tasted like nuts.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Da Nang to Na Trang
We left Hio An and drove to the Da Nang Airport but first stopped at China Beach, which was one of the primary R&R destinations in the Vietnam war. We flew from Da Nang to Can Ranh Bay a name that is familiar to anyone over 55 years old. This was one of the largest air force and navy bases in the Vietnam war. Our bus headed deep into the country side taking us to Dien Phu a small farming village for a home visit so that we could experience the life of a villager in South Vietnam, we got a bonus in that our host was a 65 year old gentleman who had fought for the South in the war. We had a Vietnamese lunch in his home that had been built by the Gold Circle Foundation. Lunch wasn’t very appealing sitting in his frnt room with no moving air in 98 degree heat. After lunch we moved to a spot in the front yard which captured a breeze off the near by lake. We were offered an opportunity to ask questions which started with his interpretation of the War and its effects on the country, next we talked about village income taxes. He pays $1.25 per year in property taxes, no income taxes, and if he gets sick he goes to the hospital finds a corner and waits for care. If he’s going to eat his family will have to bring food, if he’s going to bath his family will have to see to his personal hygiene. His children can go to school if he can afford to get them to the school pay for their books, uniforms, and food. School is not mandatory. The villagers are farmers farming rice, they also make baskets which they sell to the other villages and fisherman at the nearby coast. We asked if his life would be different if the South had won the war? “Do you see Communism anywhere in our country? My life would be the same, we all engage in commerce, we are all capitalists, nothing would be different.” We then went and were taught how to make bamboo baskets. Before we left the general area we went to a local grammer school. It’s inlightning to see the hill these countries have to climb when they have no tax base to educate their children, thus they can’t produce an educated work force to build their country. So instead political officials take for themselves and allow the people to continue to live as they are.
If anyone ever tells me that our government screws up everything that it gets involved I’m going to tell them to move to Vietnam where there are no meaningful taxes and see how they like an uninvolved government.
We checked into our hotel in Nha Trang, and went out to a Vietnamese restaurant; I’m getting tired of Vietnamese food.
Today we caught a boat to cross the bay to a fishing village. As on most islands they have a problem dealing with trash, but unlike the islands that most of us are used to they make little effort to dispose of trash, it tends to end up in the sea. That aside this is a community that is self sufficient, they have a post office, a medical clinic, and an internet café. They eat and sell what they catch and open their island to the tourist, it’s evident though that they don’t see many Americans, more French and Australians.
From the fishing village, back on our boat and around to the other side of the island for a relaxing three hours on a private beach. This was a welcomed slowdown in pace; a dip in the sea, a tequllia sunrize, a pedicure/foot and leg message, and a fish lunch and I was ready for our last week in the far east. To top the day off we went to a local restaurant and had a hamburger and fries; I can now finish out the trip on Vietnamese food.
If anyone ever tells me that our government screws up everything that it gets involved I’m going to tell them to move to Vietnam where there are no meaningful taxes and see how they like an uninvolved government.
We checked into our hotel in Nha Trang, and went out to a Vietnamese restaurant; I’m getting tired of Vietnamese food.
Today we caught a boat to cross the bay to a fishing village. As on most islands they have a problem dealing with trash, but unlike the islands that most of us are used to they make little effort to dispose of trash, it tends to end up in the sea. That aside this is a community that is self sufficient, they have a post office, a medical clinic, and an internet café. They eat and sell what they catch and open their island to the tourist, it’s evident though that they don’t see many Americans, more French and Australians.
From the fishing village, back on our boat and around to the other side of the island for a relaxing three hours on a private beach. This was a welcomed slowdown in pace; a dip in the sea, a tequllia sunrize, a pedicure/foot and leg message, and a fish lunch and I was ready for our last week in the far east. To top the day off we went to a local restaurant and had a hamburger and fries; I can now finish out the trip on Vietnamese food.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Moving South in Vietman
We woke up to clear weather and were on our Junk by 7:00 am, we were scheduled for a four hour cruise through Ha Long Bay. The harbor was full of thousands of boats from small fishing boats to three mast Junks that slept up to 35 passengers. Ours , the Hai Au Junk, was a day junk that had an upper viewing deck and a lower deck that served as a dinning room. We weaved our way out of the harbor being offered fresh fruit by ladies in small boats that came up along side. Before us, as far as we could see were mountain tops poking up through the water, each covered with green vegetation or sheer rock. Last year over 2.65 million people toured Ha Long Bay up 49% from 2007. It brought back memories of our sail down the Lee River in China two years ago. The Hai Au Junk was a junk, poorly maintained but adequately furnished and supplied for our purpose, we were here for the sights of Ha Long Bay.
Our first stop was at Surprise Cave, which required a climb of about 1,000 feet up to the entrance. The story is that a stranded fisherman found the cave when trying to escape the dangers of a fierce storm. The government has installed the steps and interior lighting to provide a Disney type attraction. At it’s peek over 5000 people per day take the Junk trip across the bay to tour the cave. Back on the Junk we sailed deeper into the harbor where we found numerous floating fishing villages. As the sun burnt off the haze the protruding peaks, green foliage , the blue sky and turquoise water painted a memorial picture of one of the most beautiful spots in the world.
This is a place that I would like to come back to; I’d like to spend three nights on one of the luxury junks, wake up to the sunrise, swim at secluded beaches, and have cocktails at the sunset.
We’re now back on the bus heading back to the Hanoi airport to catch our 6:00 pm flight to Hue.
Hue, pronounced Way, was the original capital of Vietnam and was thus the home of the kings of Vietnam. We toured the Citadel which reminded me of the Forbidden City in Beijing China. It’s not as grand. The Citadel was a victim of the Vietnam war as it change hands several times and thus was bombed and shelled by both the Viet Kong and the American forces. It’s currently under restoration through the efforts of UNESCO. When the works is done Hue will become a major tours attraction for Vietnam.
This afternoon Michael, Marcia Deb and I went to the tomb of the fourth king of Vietnam. It was a strange feeling because at times we were the only people on the grounds, it was almost as if we had discovered these ruins that were over 100 years old. The structures have received little maintenance over the past 100 years so we had to maneuver through fallen stones and broken walkways. There was no maps or instructions as to the location of the tombs of the past king or his empresses and concubines so it was our task to find and identify, I felt like a archeologists making a new find.
Hue is a much cleaner city then Hanoi I suppose because it is much smaller and less congested. We saw very few cars in Hue the primary means of transportation is motor scooters and bicycle, there are few stop lights so crossing the streets requires courage and luck. You must step into the street and allow the scooters drive around you as you move across the street with commitment.
On our way to Hoi An we stopped along side the road to see how the fishing people lived. They used a series of hand made nets that they threw into the water then maliciously pulled in to catch any fish that they might trap. They also showed us the traps that they used to catch crab, I tried their boat on for size and determined this was not a line of work for me.
Hoi An is an old city with a lot of character, it reminded me of Key West. It’s located about three miles inland from the China Sea with a river connecting the sea and the city. The cities architecture consists of one and two story buildings with tile roofs and stucco walls. All the buildings have been converted into shops or restaurants. Most of the shops deal in tailored clothing or some other of fabric/ clothing sales. The restaurant and bar scene is just like Key West, lively, wide open and colorful. We eat at Cargo Wednesday night and had cocktails, salad, tenderloin steak with vegetables, and desert all for $33.00 a comparable meal in Birmingham would have been $70.00 plus.
That after noon Michael, Marcia and I took a bike ride from our hotel to the beach and I we enjoyed a beer at the beach and a dip in the China Sea. Our morning was spent on a trip to a 4th. Century Champa ruin. These are the people that ruled this land to include Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand until they went extinct as a result of all the wars that fought and lost resulting in the far east as we know it today. The neat part of exploring in this part of the world is that many of the ruins are as if they were just discovered the month before. The country is in it’s stage of development that has allowed them to open the ruin and make them accessible but they haven’t been able to do much more then clear the vegetation from the structures, thus you get the feeling of being early to the scene of a significant discovery. You take pictures of stone carvings by pulling back vines knowing that you may be the only person on earth to have recorded an image of a 1600 year old stone carving. It may not be fact but it’s a cool thought for me to carry home.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our first stop was at Surprise Cave, which required a climb of about 1,000 feet up to the entrance. The story is that a stranded fisherman found the cave when trying to escape the dangers of a fierce storm. The government has installed the steps and interior lighting to provide a Disney type attraction. At it’s peek over 5000 people per day take the Junk trip across the bay to tour the cave. Back on the Junk we sailed deeper into the harbor where we found numerous floating fishing villages. As the sun burnt off the haze the protruding peaks, green foliage , the blue sky and turquoise water painted a memorial picture of one of the most beautiful spots in the world.
This is a place that I would like to come back to; I’d like to spend three nights on one of the luxury junks, wake up to the sunrise, swim at secluded beaches, and have cocktails at the sunset.
We’re now back on the bus heading back to the Hanoi airport to catch our 6:00 pm flight to Hue.
Hue, pronounced Way, was the original capital of Vietnam and was thus the home of the kings of Vietnam. We toured the Citadel which reminded me of the Forbidden City in Beijing China. It’s not as grand. The Citadel was a victim of the Vietnam war as it change hands several times and thus was bombed and shelled by both the Viet Kong and the American forces. It’s currently under restoration through the efforts of UNESCO. When the works is done Hue will become a major tours attraction for Vietnam.
This afternoon Michael, Marcia Deb and I went to the tomb of the fourth king of Vietnam. It was a strange feeling because at times we were the only people on the grounds, it was almost as if we had discovered these ruins that were over 100 years old. The structures have received little maintenance over the past 100 years so we had to maneuver through fallen stones and broken walkways. There was no maps or instructions as to the location of the tombs of the past king or his empresses and concubines so it was our task to find and identify, I felt like a archeologists making a new find.
Hue is a much cleaner city then Hanoi I suppose because it is much smaller and less congested. We saw very few cars in Hue the primary means of transportation is motor scooters and bicycle, there are few stop lights so crossing the streets requires courage and luck. You must step into the street and allow the scooters drive around you as you move across the street with commitment.
On our way to Hoi An we stopped along side the road to see how the fishing people lived. They used a series of hand made nets that they threw into the water then maliciously pulled in to catch any fish that they might trap. They also showed us the traps that they used to catch crab, I tried their boat on for size and determined this was not a line of work for me.
Hoi An is an old city with a lot of character, it reminded me of Key West. It’s located about three miles inland from the China Sea with a river connecting the sea and the city. The cities architecture consists of one and two story buildings with tile roofs and stucco walls. All the buildings have been converted into shops or restaurants. Most of the shops deal in tailored clothing or some other of fabric/ clothing sales. The restaurant and bar scene is just like Key West, lively, wide open and colorful. We eat at Cargo Wednesday night and had cocktails, salad, tenderloin steak with vegetables, and desert all for $33.00 a comparable meal in Birmingham would have been $70.00 plus.
That after noon Michael, Marcia and I took a bike ride from our hotel to the beach and I we enjoyed a beer at the beach and a dip in the China Sea. Our morning was spent on a trip to a 4th. Century Champa ruin. These are the people that ruled this land to include Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand until they went extinct as a result of all the wars that fought and lost resulting in the far east as we know it today. The neat part of exploring in this part of the world is that many of the ruins are as if they were just discovered the month before. The country is in it’s stage of development that has allowed them to open the ruin and make them accessible but they haven’t been able to do much more then clear the vegetation from the structures, thus you get the feeling of being early to the scene of a significant discovery. You take pictures of stone carvings by pulling back vines knowing that you may be the only person on earth to have recorded an image of a 1600 year old stone carving. It may not be fact but it’s a cool thought for me to carry home.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Hanoi A Changing City
Hanoi is a city of contrasts, it’s easy see the pre 1997 and the post 1997 Hanoi. 1997 is when the US lifted its trade embargo and Vietnam opened up to the rest of the world. As we entered the city from the airport, an hours drive, we passed Hugh industrial complexes displaying the names most large Japanese corporations such as Cannon, Panasonic, Honda, and Yamaha. The current population of Hanoi is 10 million people, in the center of the city where we stayed you see the French influence from 1808 to 1954. The architectural influence is seen in the thin three to four story house; the first floor used for retail and the upper floors used for living of three generations of the family. The tall narrow buildings are functional for four reasons, homes are taxed based on their footprint, they offer retail and wholesale sales, the house as many as four generations, and survive the annual flooding.
Hanoi was heavily bombed in the Vietnam war so many part of the city are dominated by relatively new construction. The French Quarter has a definite look of class while the Old Town is dominated by sidewalk retail. These people eat 14 inches off the ground, they sit on 14 inch plastic stools on the sidewalks outside their homes or store front restaurants eating three meals a day. All food is purchased on a daily basis at the local street market, few homes have any form of refrigeration they cook on the street with butane gas or charcoal in many homes they don’t have electricity so their home is used to sleep and to get in out of the rain.
In the outskirts of the city there are apartment developments and suburb developments to support the industrial development. It’s not at the level of development that I saw in China but there is growth here, much more then Thailand.
Our touring took us the Ho Chi Mien Mausoleum where Ho’s body is embalmed and displayed, were not able to see the body because it was receiving its annual tuning by Russian embalmers. We also saw the presidential Palace, Hanoi Hilton Prison, and B52 park. We also saw a memorial next to Truc Bach Lake erected to John McCain. This is where he was pulled out of the lake on October 26, 1967 after bombing the Hanoi Power Plant and subsequently being shoot down. This all struck me as strange can you imagine a memorial in New York City for the 9-11 terrorists in 2051. Can the world change that much, these are strange people.
We spent Friday morning walking through Old Town and pricing some of the bargains. I looked at some Nike Air running shoes for $45 which could be purchased for $25; they were made in 2005 and they didn’t have a size 9 in four different stores that I tried.
I asked Dy, pronounced ‘E’, why the US got involved in the Vietnam Civil War. This is his explanation; take it for what it’s worth.
The US feared a coalition between Russia and the sleeping giant China. Russia had made attempts to establish strategic positions in Cuba, Vietnam offered an opportunity to establish a strategic position in Asia where attacks could be launched against both China and parts of Russia if such a Russia/ China coalition should evolve. Once the US got involved supporting South Vietnam, Russia started supplying North Vietnam with weapons. Vietnam is still paying their war debt to Russia by giving access to any oil found in Vietnam. Fifty-five thousand Americans and 3.5 million Vietnam died as a result of the war, another 2.5 million Vietnamese are currently dealing with the second generation effects of Agent Orange. Two thousand Amerasian children were born that were not wanted by anyone, they could not get identity cards in Vietnam and now are responsible for a majority of crime in Vietnam, some were airlifted out of Vietnam at the end of the war but many were abandoned by their mothers, and their government.
Last night we went to the Haoni Oprea House to hear the symphony paly the works or Gustav Mahler. Before the concert we eat dinner at a fine French Restruant, the Green Tangerine, see the pictures.
We left Hanoi with the feeling that it was a old but changing city. It will celebrate it’s 1000 anniversary next year. I think Hanoi will become a major commercial center over the next 10 years, they have a lot of cleaning-up to do and I think they can get it done. They have a large, cheap, hardworking workforce that is ready to step into the 21st century. When an ETF becomes available on Vietnam I’ll be an investor.
Back on the bus Saturday morning and we’re off to Halong Bay, considered one of the most beautiful areas in the world. The area was hit by a typhoon last night 84 mph winds and the boats are restricted from sailing in the harbor so we won’t be able to go on the junk and cruise the islands with a night spent on the junk. It looks like the weather will clear and we’ll be able to do a three hour cruise tomorrow morning before heading back to the Hanoi airport.
On the way to Halong Bay we stopped by a work center that only employs children that have been effected by their parents and or grandparents exposure to agent orange. Most have some form of disfigurement, missing fingers, irregular bone structure or learning disabilities. Nita and I found a lacquer painting that will serve as our reminder of this trip.
Hanoi was heavily bombed in the Vietnam war so many part of the city are dominated by relatively new construction. The French Quarter has a definite look of class while the Old Town is dominated by sidewalk retail. These people eat 14 inches off the ground, they sit on 14 inch plastic stools on the sidewalks outside their homes or store front restaurants eating three meals a day. All food is purchased on a daily basis at the local street market, few homes have any form of refrigeration they cook on the street with butane gas or charcoal in many homes they don’t have electricity so their home is used to sleep and to get in out of the rain.
In the outskirts of the city there are apartment developments and suburb developments to support the industrial development. It’s not at the level of development that I saw in China but there is growth here, much more then Thailand.
Our touring took us the Ho Chi Mien Mausoleum where Ho’s body is embalmed and displayed, were not able to see the body because it was receiving its annual tuning by Russian embalmers. We also saw the presidential Palace, Hanoi Hilton Prison, and B52 park. We also saw a memorial next to Truc Bach Lake erected to John McCain. This is where he was pulled out of the lake on October 26, 1967 after bombing the Hanoi Power Plant and subsequently being shoot down. This all struck me as strange can you imagine a memorial in New York City for the 9-11 terrorists in 2051. Can the world change that much, these are strange people.
We spent Friday morning walking through Old Town and pricing some of the bargains. I looked at some Nike Air running shoes for $45 which could be purchased for $25; they were made in 2005 and they didn’t have a size 9 in four different stores that I tried.
I asked Dy, pronounced ‘E’, why the US got involved in the Vietnam Civil War. This is his explanation; take it for what it’s worth.
The US feared a coalition between Russia and the sleeping giant China. Russia had made attempts to establish strategic positions in Cuba, Vietnam offered an opportunity to establish a strategic position in Asia where attacks could be launched against both China and parts of Russia if such a Russia/ China coalition should evolve. Once the US got involved supporting South Vietnam, Russia started supplying North Vietnam with weapons. Vietnam is still paying their war debt to Russia by giving access to any oil found in Vietnam. Fifty-five thousand Americans and 3.5 million Vietnam died as a result of the war, another 2.5 million Vietnamese are currently dealing with the second generation effects of Agent Orange. Two thousand Amerasian children were born that were not wanted by anyone, they could not get identity cards in Vietnam and now are responsible for a majority of crime in Vietnam, some were airlifted out of Vietnam at the end of the war but many were abandoned by their mothers, and their government.
Last night we went to the Haoni Oprea House to hear the symphony paly the works or Gustav Mahler. Before the concert we eat dinner at a fine French Restruant, the Green Tangerine, see the pictures.
We left Hanoi with the feeling that it was a old but changing city. It will celebrate it’s 1000 anniversary next year. I think Hanoi will become a major commercial center over the next 10 years, they have a lot of cleaning-up to do and I think they can get it done. They have a large, cheap, hardworking workforce that is ready to step into the 21st century. When an ETF becomes available on Vietnam I’ll be an investor.
Back on the bus Saturday morning and we’re off to Halong Bay, considered one of the most beautiful areas in the world. The area was hit by a typhoon last night 84 mph winds and the boats are restricted from sailing in the harbor so we won’t be able to go on the junk and cruise the islands with a night spent on the junk. It looks like the weather will clear and we’ll be able to do a three hour cruise tomorrow morning before heading back to the Hanoi airport.
On the way to Halong Bay we stopped by a work center that only employs children that have been effected by their parents and or grandparents exposure to agent orange. Most have some form of disfigurement, missing fingers, irregular bone structure or learning disabilities. Nita and I found a lacquer painting that will serve as our reminder of this trip.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Back to Bangkok on to Vietnam
We are on our way back to Bangkok where we’ll spend a full day and then fly to Hanoi Vietnam. Our stay in Thailand has been interesting and fun particularly with the Zimmer’s and Saulters. I’ve seen beautiful sights, and temples, rode and elephant, rafted a river, eaten some magnificent food, and experience some wonderful people but Thailand’s not a country that Nita and I would make a point to revisit. Unlike China we have not gathered any affection or admiration for the country. Thai’s are extremely religious, loyal to their king, and tolerant of poverty, garbage, and lack of sanitation; the people are the most gracious people that I have ever met and that may explain their tolerance. You can ask a Thai a question and if they don’t know the answer their response will be “yes’ as they fold their hands in prayer in front of their face and bow to you. I will leave Thailand with more questions then answers.
We spent the morning on the grounds of the Grand Palace which is a area that is used for coronation, funerals, and other ceremonial events involving the king and queen. The last coronation was in 1945, the current king has held the throne for 65 years. Each king adds a building or a temple to memorialize himself. As I moved through the grounds and opulent buildings I couldn’t help but think of the hill people who lived in huts with dirt floors. The Thai love their King and Queen they celebrate their birthdays in grand style each Friday there is a dominance of blue shirts because the king was born on a Friday and his color is blue. We also toured the past kings living quarters which is the largest Teak House in the world, it had over 70 room and would be a beautiful home to have in Key-West. Jerry who is a real estate agent in Florida proclaimed it a tear-down because it wouldn’t pass code inspection, only had one functional bathroom, and had suffered bomb damage in WWII. We caught a cab in the rain and went to the Mango Tree for dinner. The cab ride with a lost driver, that spoke no English and we spoke no Thai will be one of those memories that we carry home. The meal, the atmosphere and the service was fabulous. I had sea bass with garlic, lemon grass, and chili, Nita had a stir fry chicken, we had appetizers two Jack Daniels and the bill was the ebullient of $40 including tip.
We had our Thailand fare-well dinner on a rice barge on the Cha Porie River providing an illuminated view of the city space, making for a festive departure from Thailand. We as a group of 15 have now been together for two weeks; like any group relationships are being formed and personalities are surfacing. For the most part everyone gets along, but we do have one bulldog who has attached twice so far. Personally I’ve chosen to avoid her.
We’re now waiting to board our flight to Vietnam. I can’t help think of what I would have been thinking and feeling if I had been making this flight 45 years ago. The TV images, the many movies that I’ve seen are running through my mind. I think of myself as a survivor but Vietnam would have been a test. I want to learn more about what happened from the Vietnamese point of view; I want to know how they felt about the War and how they feel about the US now; although I wasn’t an active participant I feel a level of responsibility, much as I feel some level of responsibility for the Iraq war. This is the part of this trip that I feel I have to experience. I hope to leave Vietnam knowing myself better and having a better understanding of how the world works.
We spent the morning on the grounds of the Grand Palace which is a area that is used for coronation, funerals, and other ceremonial events involving the king and queen. The last coronation was in 1945, the current king has held the throne for 65 years. Each king adds a building or a temple to memorialize himself. As I moved through the grounds and opulent buildings I couldn’t help but think of the hill people who lived in huts with dirt floors. The Thai love their King and Queen they celebrate their birthdays in grand style each Friday there is a dominance of blue shirts because the king was born on a Friday and his color is blue. We also toured the past kings living quarters which is the largest Teak House in the world, it had over 70 room and would be a beautiful home to have in Key-West. Jerry who is a real estate agent in Florida proclaimed it a tear-down because it wouldn’t pass code inspection, only had one functional bathroom, and had suffered bomb damage in WWII. We caught a cab in the rain and went to the Mango Tree for dinner. The cab ride with a lost driver, that spoke no English and we spoke no Thai will be one of those memories that we carry home. The meal, the atmosphere and the service was fabulous. I had sea bass with garlic, lemon grass, and chili, Nita had a stir fry chicken, we had appetizers two Jack Daniels and the bill was the ebullient of $40 including tip.
We had our Thailand fare-well dinner on a rice barge on the Cha Porie River providing an illuminated view of the city space, making for a festive departure from Thailand. We as a group of 15 have now been together for two weeks; like any group relationships are being formed and personalities are surfacing. For the most part everyone gets along, but we do have one bulldog who has attached twice so far. Personally I’ve chosen to avoid her.
We’re now waiting to board our flight to Vietnam. I can’t help think of what I would have been thinking and feeling if I had been making this flight 45 years ago. The TV images, the many movies that I’ve seen are running through my mind. I think of myself as a survivor but Vietnam would have been a test. I want to learn more about what happened from the Vietnamese point of view; I want to know how they felt about the War and how they feel about the US now; although I wasn’t an active participant I feel a level of responsibility, much as I feel some level of responsibility for the Iraq war. This is the part of this trip that I feel I have to experience. I hope to leave Vietnam knowing myself better and having a better understanding of how the world works.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Sunday in Chang Mai
We spent Sunday doing religious things, gave alms to the monks in the morning and went to the temple and gave an offering to the monk, Nita and I were chosen from our group. The monks walk the streets every morning taking offerings of food in exchange for blessings. They eat twice a day, morning and lunch and only drink liquids the balance of the day. These offerings are their only source of food unless the grow some themselves. You can be a monk for a day up to a lifetime. Many young boys become monks because of a self interest in Buddhism or their family sees it as a way of seeing to it that they are fed, housed and educated. This also serves to eliminate most of Thailand's homeless problems.
The offering was kind of cool, the monk on duty at the temple that we visited spoke perfect English, asked where we were from and then blessed us and shook holy water on us.
This evening we went to a home dinner and spent the evening with a family of four that were well educated and employed. It gave us an entirely different look at Thai life than we had been seeing.
The offering was kind of cool, the monk on duty at the temple that we visited spoke perfect English, asked where we were from and then blessed us and shook holy water on us.
This evening we went to a home dinner and spent the evening with a family of four that were well educated and employed. It gave us an entirely different look at Thai life than we had been seeing.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Birthday in Thailand
Our stop in Laos, was merely to provide us the opportunity to step foot into Laos. Out boat docked against the fast current of the Mekong River and we walked into a shopping area that didn’t look much different than the many that we had been to in the prior weeks. They did take a few greater liberties with American labels and did have an assortment of Laos liquors to sample including lizard liquor, Snake wine, Turtle liquor, and Ell whiskey. All were large clear jars of a moonshine type liquid with the appropriate dead animal submerged. I tired the Lizard brew but found that it didn’t have the kick that I had expected. Thus far my indulgence has not caused ne any noticeable intestinal problems.
Today we traveled to Chiang Mai principal city of northern Thailand our first stop was at the White Temple.
Poupe asks if we want to stop at the White Temple in Po O Don Chai, built by Chalermchai Kositpipat a famous Thai artist. This temple is offensive to many Buddhist because of its variation from the standard Buddhist temple design. Kositpipat made a fortune selling his paintings internationally then decided that he wanted to honor his Buddhist faith and his home town by building a temple promoting the Buddhist belief of purity. It took 12 years to complete but is now adding more buildings for educational purposes as the community and the Buddhists are warming to his expression of his faith. Their change of heart may also have something to do with the fact that the White Temple has become a major tourist attraction for the otherwise driven past area. I personally found it to be a welcome change from the other temples that we have visited and I liked some of Kisitpiat’s paintings as well but found them a bit pricy.
The balance of the day was spent traveling on the bus, other then a short stop at a Jewelery factory and a Silk Factory. This is part of taking a tour. The tour company gets paid a commission on every body that they push through these doors. Some people buy but most just look and move on.
We were on the bus at 7:00 am this morning to travel fifty-five minutes north of Chang Mai to the Mae Tang Elephant Park . Pounpe recognized my birthday today by presenting me a card and a clay elephant, I had carried two cards from home from Ron and Avie and Albert and Sue, both were fun and warm thoughts form close friends back home. It turned into quite a birthday memory. The elephant is quite a smart and trainable animal, first a show of their strength and dancing then a elephant painting demonstration followed by an hour ride on the back or an elephant through the jungle. Every quarter mile a vendor was perched on a tree platform with bananas and sugar cane for the elephants to eat if the passengers on their backs would spring for 20 baht. How could I say not to feeding the elephant that was carrying us through the jungle and mud? After the elephant ride we were shown how they made paper out of elephant dung. Ginger is into paper but we thought that she might not want to work with elephant dung paper, she’s funny that way.
Next we walked across a ridge of bamboo lied into the river to board our raft to poll down the Mae Tang River. We sat on a bench eight inches above the water while men with long bamboo polls guided us down the river. The river is up now because of the rains and it was flowing fast making the polling job easy. We were told that in the dry season the pollers job requires them to drag the raft over los spots. The trip down the river, about an hour was full of beautiful scenery and relaxing tranquility.
We finished our morning with lunch at a restaurant that was full or live growing orchards. Their orchards grew as air plants hanging from a grid work allowing the root system dangle in the open air. We have the rest of the day for free time. Nita and I choose to go back to the hotel and take a three hour nap before grabbing a Tut-tut and going out to dinner at “The House” in old town with Michael and Marcia and Jerry and Jennifer. We had a five course meal including wine and tip for 2000 Baht or $60.00 in one of the top three restaurants in Chang Mai ; we shared stories, laughed a lot and had a speedy Tut-tut ride back to the hotel to end a memorable birthday.
Today we traveled to Chiang Mai principal city of northern Thailand our first stop was at the White Temple.
Poupe asks if we want to stop at the White Temple in Po O Don Chai, built by Chalermchai Kositpipat a famous Thai artist. This temple is offensive to many Buddhist because of its variation from the standard Buddhist temple design. Kositpipat made a fortune selling his paintings internationally then decided that he wanted to honor his Buddhist faith and his home town by building a temple promoting the Buddhist belief of purity. It took 12 years to complete but is now adding more buildings for educational purposes as the community and the Buddhists are warming to his expression of his faith. Their change of heart may also have something to do with the fact that the White Temple has become a major tourist attraction for the otherwise driven past area. I personally found it to be a welcome change from the other temples that we have visited and I liked some of Kisitpiat’s paintings as well but found them a bit pricy.
The balance of the day was spent traveling on the bus, other then a short stop at a Jewelery factory and a Silk Factory. This is part of taking a tour. The tour company gets paid a commission on every body that they push through these doors. Some people buy but most just look and move on.
We were on the bus at 7:00 am this morning to travel fifty-five minutes north of Chang Mai to the Mae Tang Elephant Park . Pounpe recognized my birthday today by presenting me a card and a clay elephant, I had carried two cards from home from Ron and Avie and Albert and Sue, both were fun and warm thoughts form close friends back home. It turned into quite a birthday memory. The elephant is quite a smart and trainable animal, first a show of their strength and dancing then a elephant painting demonstration followed by an hour ride on the back or an elephant through the jungle. Every quarter mile a vendor was perched on a tree platform with bananas and sugar cane for the elephants to eat if the passengers on their backs would spring for 20 baht. How could I say not to feeding the elephant that was carrying us through the jungle and mud? After the elephant ride we were shown how they made paper out of elephant dung. Ginger is into paper but we thought that she might not want to work with elephant dung paper, she’s funny that way.
Next we walked across a ridge of bamboo lied into the river to board our raft to poll down the Mae Tang River. We sat on a bench eight inches above the water while men with long bamboo polls guided us down the river. The river is up now because of the rains and it was flowing fast making the polling job easy. We were told that in the dry season the pollers job requires them to drag the raft over los spots. The trip down the river, about an hour was full of beautiful scenery and relaxing tranquility.
We finished our morning with lunch at a restaurant that was full or live growing orchards. Their orchards grew as air plants hanging from a grid work allowing the root system dangle in the open air. We have the rest of the day for free time. Nita and I choose to go back to the hotel and take a three hour nap before grabbing a Tut-tut and going out to dinner at “The House” in old town with Michael and Marcia and Jerry and Jennifer. We had a five course meal including wine and tip for 2000 Baht or $60.00 in one of the top three restaurants in Chang Mai ; we shared stories, laughed a lot and had a speedy Tut-tut ride back to the hotel to end a memorable birthday.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
North to Chiang Rai
We leave Phrae and travel on to Phayano, we are entering the Golden Triangle. The sheltered hills, navigable rivers and independent tribal cultures allowed this region to become an infamous center of drug smuggling. In the early 70’s the hill tribes turned to the cultivation of opium for survival; the area also once was home of a band of Chinese nationalists who were followers of Chang Kai Sheck. More recently the Thai government has introduced programs to promote the cultivation of new crops and tourism which has offered alternatives to the drug trade.
Upon arrival in Phayao, a lakeside community, our guide introduced us to Dancing Prawns. These are baby shrimp no more than ¼ inch in size that are trying to jump out of the pail of water that the street vendor has them in. She mixes up some herbs and spices and offers us a taste. I step forward feeling that I didn’t come all this way to be an observer. My strategy was to swallow fast to minimize the amount of jumping going on in my mouth. The taste was totally of the spices there was no shrimp taste at all and a minimum of movement. The lady immediately offered me a plate of cabbage and I knew why, I needed something to counter the burning spices in my mouth.
Phayao is also the home of Thailand’s Arabica coffee, seeing a coffee bar across the street I felt a need to wash the taste of Dancing Prawns out of my mouth. See the pictures of our Café Latte on my album. I intend to import one of the girls that made my coffee to the US and take on Starbucks. The coffee was great and the work of art was amazing.
Adjacent to the coffee bar is a small convenience store, I came across the tobacco department and noticed their Surgeon Generals warning. This is something else that I think we should adopt in the US, see the pictures.
We continued our drive to Chiang Rai where we’ll spend two nights. After lunch we jumped into the back of a pick-up truck and climbed the mountain to visit the hill people. These are the people who 20 years ago were raising poppies to supply the drug trade. Today they raise rice and provide a diversion for travelers. They never made a lot of money selling their poppy crop, the money was made up the food chain, so when the government offered them other alternatives and incentives they were happy to oblige. They seem to be content living in thatched huts with satellite dishes outside every home, they have electricity, a TV and a refrigerator yet their floors are dirt, no heat or air, but no real worries in life either. They must do their job in the jungle but that seems to be the way in Thailand except in the big cities. They call the bathroom the happy room and I suspect it’s because their happy if they have one.
We checked into our hotel, Phowadol Resort and Spa; it’s beautiful. It would be at least $300 a night in the US. We’re here for two nights so I’ll take more pictures. I ate Italian tonight; what a treat.
Upon arrival in Phayao, a lakeside community, our guide introduced us to Dancing Prawns. These are baby shrimp no more than ¼ inch in size that are trying to jump out of the pail of water that the street vendor has them in. She mixes up some herbs and spices and offers us a taste. I step forward feeling that I didn’t come all this way to be an observer. My strategy was to swallow fast to minimize the amount of jumping going on in my mouth. The taste was totally of the spices there was no shrimp taste at all and a minimum of movement. The lady immediately offered me a plate of cabbage and I knew why, I needed something to counter the burning spices in my mouth.
Phayao is also the home of Thailand’s Arabica coffee, seeing a coffee bar across the street I felt a need to wash the taste of Dancing Prawns out of my mouth. See the pictures of our Café Latte on my album. I intend to import one of the girls that made my coffee to the US and take on Starbucks. The coffee was great and the work of art was amazing.
Adjacent to the coffee bar is a small convenience store, I came across the tobacco department and noticed their Surgeon Generals warning. This is something else that I think we should adopt in the US, see the pictures.
We continued our drive to Chiang Rai where we’ll spend two nights. After lunch we jumped into the back of a pick-up truck and climbed the mountain to visit the hill people. These are the people who 20 years ago were raising poppies to supply the drug trade. Today they raise rice and provide a diversion for travelers. They never made a lot of money selling their poppy crop, the money was made up the food chain, so when the government offered them other alternatives and incentives they were happy to oblige. They seem to be content living in thatched huts with satellite dishes outside every home, they have electricity, a TV and a refrigerator yet their floors are dirt, no heat or air, but no real worries in life either. They must do their job in the jungle but that seems to be the way in Thailand except in the big cities. They call the bathroom the happy room and I suspect it’s because their happy if they have one.
We checked into our hotel, Phowadol Resort and Spa; it’s beautiful. It would be at least $300 a night in the US. We’re here for two nights so I’ll take more pictures. I ate Italian tonight; what a treat.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Temples of Sukhothal
We’re heading further north this morning and the country side is turning green with rice farms. Thailand is still an agrarian society I’m not seeing the new factories and high-rise apartments that we saw in China. I find myself comparing what I’m seeing in Thailand to what I saw in China and I feel that Thailand is not making the economic advancements that China is achieving. It appears that this can be a result of different governmental policies.
We stopped at a local farmer’s home who has been recognized as one of the best farmers of the region, his main crop is rice but he also raises bananas and catfish. Unlike most farmers he employs others and produces more then what his family needs. He serves on the local farm cooperative where he teaches other farmers to efficiently use their land, as a part of the Thai government’s program to teach its citizens to achieve self sufficiency. Most farmers carry large debt resulting from the purchase of their land. The average farmer earns 50,000 baht per year while the average family income in Thailand is 150,000 baht per year. ($4500)
As we drive through a city we see road-side retail, consisting of a shop of restaurant in front of the family home. Every city has a bustling market filled with daily food needs, clothing, and hardware. Refrigeration is a luxury thus the people go to the market to buy what they need each day. Food preparation on the road side is common, 75% of the housing would be considered poverty level living in the United States. If you see an attractive building it is either a Buddhist temple, a governmental building or the home of a governmental official. Our guide, who I assume has an above average income told us that she lived in a 450sq ft condo in Bangkok. She does have running water and a bathroom but she cooks over charcoal.
Our next stop was in Sukhothai the location of over 200 Buddhist Temples built in the 12th and 13th centuries. This was the original capital of the Khmer civilization, which included what is now Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. The temples originally reflected the Hindu faith but as the Hindu religion declined in the area most of the Hindu icons were replaced with Buddhist icons. Because of the common Khmer influence there are many similarities to those that we saw in Cambodia although the Cambodia temples are 100 to 200 years older.
Before getting on a tram to see the temples Michael, Jerry and I each purchased a straw gentleman’s hat (Everyone’s talking about the sharp dressed man –ZZ Top) that cost 50 Baht ($1.50). They look line something that we’ll be able to wear the balance of the trip not like Nita’s Birkenstocks knock-offs that smell like elephant dung. The Buda statues are magnificent and I had a bright blue sky to use as a backdrop for many of my photos. The temperature is cooler here, in the low 90's which still leaves us exhausted at days end.
We had lunch at a community house sponsored by OAT, our travel company. Being in northern Thailand the sticky rice, pork and vegetable are eaten by hand, no utensils. All the food was wrapped in palm leaves stitched together with small small sticks. For desert we had rice flour balls filled with palm sugar and coconut, very sweet but good, I could only eat one of the two offered.
After lunch we went across the street to meet the brother of our host for lunch. He ran a rice mill; the local farmers brought him their rice and he ran it through his mill. The first time through the rice husks are removed from the rice grain the second time through any small rice is separated from the marketable rice. The mill owner does this for the local farmers for free in exchange for the rice hulls and the small rice which he keeps and feds to his pigs along with banana peels. It seemed like a win-win arrangement.
Next we went to the local school which was built by the parent company of our tour company, Grand Circle. They've build eight similar schools in Thailand as well as schools in the other countries where they run extensive tours. As we got off the bus at the school we were greeted by a 10 or 11 year old child who acted as our escort for the next hour and a half as we toured the school and allowed them to practice their English. I’ll allow my pictures to tell the story of that hour and a half.
We were told that our hotel this evening was not up to OAT standards but Nita and I found it clean and comfortable; the hotel food is beginning to all look and taste alike. Curry chicken, fried pork, egg rice and vegetables, and oh-yes watermelon….”where’s the beef?"
We’re heading further north tomorrow and will have a day trip into Myanmar in several days, we’re all looking forward to that, and maybe they eat beef.
We stopped at a local farmer’s home who has been recognized as one of the best farmers of the region, his main crop is rice but he also raises bananas and catfish. Unlike most farmers he employs others and produces more then what his family needs. He serves on the local farm cooperative where he teaches other farmers to efficiently use their land, as a part of the Thai government’s program to teach its citizens to achieve self sufficiency. Most farmers carry large debt resulting from the purchase of their land. The average farmer earns 50,000 baht per year while the average family income in Thailand is 150,000 baht per year. ($4500)
As we drive through a city we see road-side retail, consisting of a shop of restaurant in front of the family home. Every city has a bustling market filled with daily food needs, clothing, and hardware. Refrigeration is a luxury thus the people go to the market to buy what they need each day. Food preparation on the road side is common, 75% of the housing would be considered poverty level living in the United States. If you see an attractive building it is either a Buddhist temple, a governmental building or the home of a governmental official. Our guide, who I assume has an above average income told us that she lived in a 450sq ft condo in Bangkok. She does have running water and a bathroom but she cooks over charcoal.
Our next stop was in Sukhothai the location of over 200 Buddhist Temples built in the 12th and 13th centuries. This was the original capital of the Khmer civilization, which included what is now Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. The temples originally reflected the Hindu faith but as the Hindu religion declined in the area most of the Hindu icons were replaced with Buddhist icons. Because of the common Khmer influence there are many similarities to those that we saw in Cambodia although the Cambodia temples are 100 to 200 years older.
Before getting on a tram to see the temples Michael, Jerry and I each purchased a straw gentleman’s hat (Everyone’s talking about the sharp dressed man –ZZ Top) that cost 50 Baht ($1.50). They look line something that we’ll be able to wear the balance of the trip not like Nita’s Birkenstocks knock-offs that smell like elephant dung. The Buda statues are magnificent and I had a bright blue sky to use as a backdrop for many of my photos. The temperature is cooler here, in the low 90's which still leaves us exhausted at days end.
We had lunch at a community house sponsored by OAT, our travel company. Being in northern Thailand the sticky rice, pork and vegetable are eaten by hand, no utensils. All the food was wrapped in palm leaves stitched together with small small sticks. For desert we had rice flour balls filled with palm sugar and coconut, very sweet but good, I could only eat one of the two offered.
After lunch we went across the street to meet the brother of our host for lunch. He ran a rice mill; the local farmers brought him their rice and he ran it through his mill. The first time through the rice husks are removed from the rice grain the second time through any small rice is separated from the marketable rice. The mill owner does this for the local farmers for free in exchange for the rice hulls and the small rice which he keeps and feds to his pigs along with banana peels. It seemed like a win-win arrangement.
Next we went to the local school which was built by the parent company of our tour company, Grand Circle. They've build eight similar schools in Thailand as well as schools in the other countries where they run extensive tours. As we got off the bus at the school we were greeted by a 10 or 11 year old child who acted as our escort for the next hour and a half as we toured the school and allowed them to practice their English. I’ll allow my pictures to tell the story of that hour and a half.
We were told that our hotel this evening was not up to OAT standards but Nita and I found it clean and comfortable; the hotel food is beginning to all look and taste alike. Curry chicken, fried pork, egg rice and vegetables, and oh-yes watermelon….”where’s the beef?"
We’re heading further north tomorrow and will have a day trip into Myanmar in several days, we’re all looking forward to that, and maybe they eat beef.
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