The Fat Lady Sang

Last but not least. The last blog of our travels through Asia. Where was I?...Ummm, Siem Reap. While in Siem Reap we decided to finally give in and try one of these 'fish massage' places we kept seeing. Its a tub of small-ish fish, and you stick your feet in and they 'massage' your feet by eating off all the dead skin. It is THE weirdest sensation ever. I kept having to yank my feet out because it would tickle and Matt only put his heels in. It was definitely an experience.

From Siem Reap we spent one full day in Battambang. There was nothing to see there and the city pretty much shuts down around 9p. Nobody is even outside walking the streets so its very eerie. After Battambang, we took a 10 hour bus ride to Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville is a nice little beach town with not much to do but sit on the beach...which was perfectly fine with us!

 

 While laying on the beach all day baking in the sun is awesome, there was no end to being hounded to buy fruit, bracelets and other souvenirs, massages or any other sell-able item. Nonetheless, it was a relaxing few days of topping up our tans. We also went to another beach down the road that was much quieter and relaxing than the main one in Sihanoukville. 

     After Sihanoukville we booked a minivan to Ha Tien, a town on the Vietnam side of the Vietnam/Cambodia border. The morning that the minivan showed up it was already filled with 10 people, of which about 8 were small children, for a 12 passenger vehicle. After we were picked up we stopped 3 more times for more people, and in the end there were 21 people crammed into the van. It was....interesting. Along the way, one of the kids threw up out the side window ALL OVER the side of the van, TWICE. On the way to the border with Vietnam, we stopped 10 times for locals getting in and out of the van, and when they were unloading their stuff from the back of the van, one of them pulled out a CHICKEN they had stored away for the trip! It's amazing the things they transport in a van or bus. Makes me laugh.

  Before the border we were put on another minivan with other backpackers going to Vietnam. At the border, on a dirt road, the driver collected our passports and left us with the van while he went to a shady-looking building. Then we were taken to a checkpoint where an official took our temperatures, for which we were subsequently charged a dollar, and then we filled out some paperwork, gave over our passports again and then were let go to show our passports AGAIN at another barrier and were finally let go.

When we got to Ha Tien we took one look around and decided to go to the island Phu Quoc. The plan was to stay in Ha Tien (as our Lonely Planet said it was a 'quaint little town') but there was not much there. So, we took a ferry to Phu Quoc and spent a few hours looking for accomodation. While we were checking in, M came across a massive, fake-looking, grub of some sort. After thinking it was fake, he poked it with a broom and it squirmed. It looked like an alien form.

 

Phu Quoc was okaaaaay. We didn't know that to enjoy the beach it was easier for you to stay at one of the beachside resort/bungalows. If you weren't staying at one, you had to trek a long way to find a path down to the beach. Matt and I rented a scooter instead and rode out to a beach on the opposite side of the island. The weather wasn't too great that day but it was a nice, quiet beach.

We only spent a few days on Phu Quoc and then left for mainland Vietnam, and the Mekong Delta, to see the floating markets. Getting to Can Tho was an ordeal, but once there we were approached by a gentleman who was looking to take tourists on a Delta tour to the floating markets. We haggled and agreed on a price and a morning departure of 530a the next day. That night while we were eating at an italian place recommended by Lonely Planet I could have sworn I saw something run across the floor but not having gotten a good look at it I assumed it was just a shadow or the tablecloth blowing in the fan's draft. Right before we were done with dinner I finally saw what I thought I'd seen. It was a massive rat running across the floor under a table on the wall across from where Matt and I were sitting. I pointed it out to him and we sat, not quite horrified as we'd seen rats at our eateries, but surprised because it was MASSIVE. One of the stray cats from outside saw it running and came in to check things out. It ended up chasing it back across the room towards us but the rat disappeared under a beverage fridge. I love Asia. 

     Next morning we got up and went to the morning markets on a small boat that went sooooo slow. Luckily it was just Matt and I and we got to enjoy the scenery alone. It took quite a while to get to the first market, but it was worth seeing. I'd read that each boat has a stick at the front of their boat with their products tied to the top to show others what they were selling. 

  On our Delta tour our boat driver took us to see how rice noodles are made. It was really interesting to watch them work together and turn out so many rice circles to dry and eventually make rice noodles.

Our Mekong Delta tour boat :)

After the rice noodle 'factory', we went down the side canals to another morning market, and then were home by 1p. We left that day on a bus to Ho Chi Minh City.

 In Ho Chi Minh City we did a bit of sight-seeing. The first stop was the Reunification Palace. The building was once the symbol of the South Vietnamese government, which hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and thousands of Americans died trying to save. On the morning of 30 April 1975, the government of South Vietnam sat quietly on the second floor of this grand building waiting to transfer power to the Northern forces who were crashing through the wrought iron gates below. The building took its current form in 1966 after it had been partially destroyed in an attack by South Vietnam leader Diem's own air force. The building is still used for official functions. The most interesting section is the basement - a network of tunnels and rooms, including a war room and a telecommunications room.

 One of the tanks that crashed through the front gates of the Reunification Palace in April of 1975.

 Some of the telecommunications equipment in the basement rooms.

 View of the front gates from the top floor of the Palace.

 Another day we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. This is where the Viet Cong would live and hide from the South Vietnamese and American troops during the war. They created a series of tunnels that stretched over 250km.

 We got the opportunity to go into the Cu Chi tunnels and walk to the end. I had a bit of a claustrophobia panic and climbed out of the second stairway we came to, but a few people went all the way.

 One thing that never seized to amaze Matt and I were the sheer number of scooters in HCMC. As you can see, they drive anywhere. This guy in the foreground didn't want to wait at the light with the other hundred scooters so he took to the sidewalk and skipped the light. This is the norm there. You are never safe from getting run over by a scooter anywhere. They ride through busy markets, on the sidewalk, backwards on the wrong side of the street, anywhere. It's ridiculous and hilarious.

After a night bus to Nha Trang we spent more time relaxing on the beach. Nha Trang is another nice little beach town. We found a great, cheap Italian restaurant that served Matt a great cup of tea and a good breakfast. On a day with bad weather, we rented a scooter again and went looking for a spa that was rumored to have a really good mineral mud bath. After asking directions 3 times, getting lost a few times and following random signs that seemed to not lead where we needed to go, we found it.

 Da Lat was our next stop. Its a small town up in the mountain and a definitely temperature change. We had to drag out the trousers, jumpers and hats. But one exciting experience was the great find of Da Lat wine. So delish.
While in Da Lat we did a day tour of a couple of waterfalls, the Valley of Love and a silk embroidery shop.

 Like any city in Vietnam (or anywhere in South East Asia) there was a market.

      We found a most delicious restaurant in Da Lat as well. We tried the fresh spring rolls (which means they aren't fried; but fried is great too!) and some good traditional Vietnamese food. The service was amazing and the two men running the place spoke really good english.
     Mui Ne was the next beach town stop. They have some awesome must-see sand dunes and have Vietnam's signature blue fishing boats. Renting another scooter we went to see the dunes.

 

 Back in HCMC for the last few days of our trip. :(  

 Everything in HCMC was decorated for Vietnamese New Year on February 2nd. The colors for the new year celebrations was red and yellow.

 One of our last days was spent at the indoor market getting the last of our souvenirs. We haggled HARD and came out happy with our souvenirs and the savings.

 After shopping, we were flagged down crossing the street by an asian lady wanting us to sit out and have a beverage at her stand. She was overly accommodating and made sure we had 'coolers' for our beers. It was a much-needed refreshment after sweating like pigs in the indoor market.

 Some of the decorations being sold for the new year were these dragon fruit dragon plants.

 This is the main road we stayed on in HCMC. It's amazing the amount of wires they have running across the roads. This is a mild showing in the snap below. Note the really tall building in the background......

 ....we spent a few extra dong to take an elevator to the viewing deck of this building to see the views of HCMC.

 The 30th of January was apparently a pre-party for the new year celebration as EVERYONE seemed to be out and on their scooter. I've never seen so many scooters with anywhere from 1 to 5 people on them.

Homeward bound on 1st Feb, 2011. Sad days. Back to the real world and Matt being able to see what its like to stay in bed all day while I go to work. Hope you all enjoy it! xx M&B

South East Asia in a nutshell

  It's been a hot minute, but Matt and I have been away for...6-ish weeks now. I've honestly lost count, like we all do when we're on holiday and the date/day doesn't matter. Nonetheless, I feel obligated to give you all a little tidbit of our trip so far. Landing in Bangkok after two 7+ hour flights, we took a bus to the Bangkok bus station, booked an overnight sleeper train to Surat Thani, on the coast, and an inclusive ticket with a bus/boat combo from Surat Thani to Ko Phangan. In all, we traveled for more than two days without a shower or a change of clothes. Sitting in the Bangkok train station for over 4 hours in jeans, when the temperature is 30 degrees and you just got off two plane trips isn't your idea of a good time. But, arriving in Ko Phangan and checking into the hostel and having a shower was the best thing to happen in two days. :)

We stayed through the Full Moon Party, on the full moon every month, where the whole island, and people from neighboring islands, party on the beach from 8p-8a, or longer. There's native boys twirling sticks on fire, a massive jump rope on fire...most anything you'd think would be fun, but then its set on fire and drunk people love it. Anything dangerous when you've had a few beers looks like a really good idea. We consumed buckets: a small sand-pail type bucket with your choice of alcohol (local will always be cheapest) and your choice of mixer, and red bull with about 6 straws, because you're always sharing with your new-found friends. (ps. The red bull here is exponentially more potent than that anywhere else in the world, so it's killer). After dancing the night away and wondering when the sun came up, Matt and I made our way back towards the hostel in search of food. Unlucky, we didn't find any so we just went to bed instead.
     After Ko Phangan we headed to Ko Tao where I did my PADI Open Dive Certification. I was hemming and hawing forever about it, but after being approached on the ferry over I picked Ban's diving center. It included accommodation for the duration of your dive, plus your materials. Not to shabby, I thought, and Matt could stay for the same price as it was a double room so there was no penalty for him not doing his dive certification with me. It took four days, and was an amazing experience. I've got a bit of exercise-induced asthma and was a bit wary of the regulator (the air hose, basically) being able to give me enough air to not set off an asthma attack, but things went swimmingly. Not even my fear of sharks scared me away from this. It's unreal being weightless under the ocean just cruising around.

   Next was Krabi and then Ko Phi Phi. On Ko Phi Phi we took an all day boat trip to see a few islands and snorkel. If you've never seen the movie The Beach, look up the island they're on in the movie, and that's one of the beaches we went to. It was really great, the weather was amazing, and our group was small.

   Bangkok was our next stop, and after a 13 hour bus ride we were happy to be there. We splurged a little for a nice hotel for a few nights, then booked into the most amazing hostel. It had everything we'd want, plus an included breakfast that exceeded our expectations. The only down side was that we were a bit more out of town than we had been. But it was worth it. We were lucky enough to be there for the King's birthday, which was an 8 day celebration followed by 3 days of holiday (yes, please!) so the entrance fees was free to get into the Royal Palace and the other popular temples.

We spent one day looking around a very posh mall that had one floor dedicated to selling Lamborghini's, Porshe's, Bentley's, Spyder's and the like. The rest had Fendi, Gucci....any high-price brand name anyone like me couldn't afford but drooled down the display window. We booked another over-night train to Chiang Mai, in the north, which was supposed to be a really cool little city.
    I think of everywhere we've been, Chiang Mai has been the best. Its a walled city, with more city surrounding that, but its very chill. Very few people bother you to sell you things, unlike Bangkok, and its relatively quiet. We tooled around, did a walking tour of the most popular temples, did the Saturday and Sunday night markets, both of which were MASSIVE. And we rented a scooter and drove up to a temple on a mountain and then checked out the area around Chiang Mai University.

   
The best thing we did there was a trip out to see the elephants, and to ride and bathe and feed them. We booked through our hostel, and unbeknown to us, we were the only ones to book on that day. We were picked up by the friendly owner of the hostel, Paul, and driven way out into the middle of nowhere, past every other elephant sanctuary or center. We got a bit nervous, passing everything and being the only two in the truck, but it turned out great. We changed into our mahout clothes (a mahout is the person who drives and keeps an elephant) and then learned 6 basic mahout commands in Thai, and then practiced them on a 4 year old baby elephant named Dodo. He was so precious...and big despite his being 4 years old. After that we had some lunch and then were told what elephant we were to ride that day to the river. I had a full-grown female (males are too aggressive to ride) and Matt had the same, but his was pregnant as well (which explains her numerous groans). Watching Matt get settled on his elephants neck seemed like a piece of cake. When they had mine ready next to the porch and I was supposed to just jump onto it, it seemed like a giant. Its so weird, but you look at elephants and you think, 'they're massive', but when you actually get up to it, on the ground level, it is the most enormous living thing I've ever stood next to (and been asked to jump onto!) in my life. It blows you away how big it really is up close. We rode for about an hour and a half to the river where we rode them into the river, and since Dodo came along, the mahouts had him shoot water out of his trunk onto me and Matt. Then we washed them in the river, throwing water from buckets onto them and brushing them with a hard-bristle brush. As much as I don't like to support organizations that exploit animals for human enjoyment, this trip seemed to be the most humane and the animals treated the best of anyone I've talked to who've done trips or any I've read about.

    From Chiang Mai we got a 5 hour minvan to Chiang Khong, spent the night, and then crossed the border into Laos. From there we took a two day slow boat down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang with an overnight stay in Pak Beng. It was definitely an experience but I wouldn't do it again. The only plus side to it was that you could sit on the floor and stretch out instead of being crammed into a bus seat for 16 hours. And we met two couples that we pal-ed around with for the next few days.

Luang Prabang was a small quiet town, with some pretty temples to see. We got up really early one morning to see the locals give alms to the Buddhist Monks.

We also went to quite a few markets in Luang Prabang. There was a morning market with everything from cuts of meat to eggs, cow's hooves to chili peppers. For dinner we found a side street with all kinds of stalls selling a buffet. Delicious!

Then it was off to Vang Vieng for Christmas and tubing down the river. Luckily one of the couples we met had people meeting up with them in Vang Vieng so we had a big group of people to tube with and to eat a proper Christmas meal with that night.

After a bus to the capital, Vientiane, we flew to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for New Year's Eve. Phnom Penh doesn't have much more to offer than S-21, a Khmer Rouge prison during their genocidal rule from 1975-79, and their killing fields out in the countryside, and a few markets. It was really educational, especially for me, having written about the Khmer Rouge in Uni to see S-21, a brutal prison housed in an old primary school where people were taken, tortured, and after 'confessing' were taken to the killing fields and executed. We spent a day doing that, and learning about the rulers and how something like that could happen. Very sad.

    
From Phnom Penh we left the 1st of Jan, 2011 (!), I can't believe how time flies, and we came up to Siem Reap. This is where Angkor Wat and other amazing temples are. We did a two day tour in a tuk-tuk around the temples, getting up at 530a and 630a two days in a row.

Siem Reap is very similar to Chiang Mai so Matt and I have fallen in love with it as well. Its much quieter than Phnom Penh where you couldn't walk down the street for 10 seconds without someone in your face about a tuk-tuk/postcards/books/tours. Literally, every 10 seconds. It was tiring. It's been great weather, we've shed a tear for you in snow and negative degrees, but we wouldn't give it up for anything. Hope everyone is doing well, and that your Christmas and New Year's celebrations were merry. Much love to all! xx