Howdy everyone! So for the last week we have been climbing on Cat Ba island, with deep water soloing in Ha Long Bay. (Deep water soloing is where you climb as high as you can or dare and fall or jump off into water). Halong Bay is a magical place where limestone karsts shoot up from the green water, which makes climbing there even more beautiful!
The first day we went DWS (deep water soloing) with Slo Poney, a climbing tour service owned and operated by westerners. It was a big group of us that went out on two basket boats (literally giant baskets with little motors) and did some fun climbing on beautiful stone over amazing blue waters. The climbing was easy, so it was more a matter of how high you wanted to climb rather than how high you could get. In our case, we're both big chickens! Towards the end of the day we saw a mega huge jelly fish!!!
The next day we meet up with a guy we meet briefly in Laos named Dave and his girlfriend Moriel, who were going on a private boat with a guide to DWS for four days and three nights. They invited us to come along so we said yes! Our guides name was Victor and he was a hoot to hang with. A fifty three year-old, heavy smoker, rail thin climber. The boat was smaller than any other boat out there, but very comfortable for four people. We went directly to climb at the same walls that we had climbed the day before. It was a little chilly and we were launching from kayaks instead of basket boats. Victor would direct us on the best climbs there and keep saying "Go higher! Go higher!" It was his mantra that we soon learned to ignore. We had a delicious dinner of fish and clams and other wonders from the sea before sleeping in the bay.
When night was solid around us we discovered that the water was alive with phosphorescence! Each time we spat or agitated the water it lit up with vibrant green lights!!! Beyond anything any of us had seen in our lives. We slept ok aside from a shivering/fever fit from Dimity and hearing rats run and fight in the walls of the ship all night.
Day two on the boat we woke up to hearing poor Dave puking in the toilet. Not the most magical way to start the day, but the day was beautiful, so we decided to sport climb at Moody beach. The climbs were great fun on amazingly sharp rock. I lead everything on the island and Dimity lead all except one very hard overhanging climb. Moriel is very new to climbing, but she got on almost everything and did very well. Dave was throwing up all day and had a fever. Towards the end of the day Dimity was feeling very sick too, so by the time dinner came around Moriel and I did all of the eating. We had another fun night of phosphorescence and rat fights.
Day three we woke up and everyone was feeling a little bit better, so we traveled out to the far side of the bay and did the best DWS ever!!!! We went to Polish Pillar and did some other fun stuff in the area. The climbs were hard and not too long on amazing stalactites on an overhang. We tired ourselves out before heading back to Cat Ba island. We decided that we needed a night in a real bed to kick the sick away. We stayed in the owner of Cat Ba ventures, a man name Tung's hotel where his wife cooked us a great home cooked meal. We slept deeply and happy to not hear any rats or weirdness like that.
Day four of the adventure we went with Victor to Butterfly Valley to do some awesome sport climbing. Dave was feeling back to almost 100% so he and I lead almost everything. The climbing there is some of the best that I have ever been on. Amazing tufas and stalactites make for some very interesting climbing. We finished the day working on a 5.12d or a 5.13a depending on who you are.
Aside from the climbing, we have had many 5 dollar massages, interesting conversations with our new friends, and 5 dollar meals. But somehow we have managed to spend 200 dollars on who knows what!? Dimity's obsessive compulsive expense tracking is clearly not accounting for everything!
Three more days on Cat Ba, then back to Hanoi!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
How to Cross the Road in Vietnam - and survive.
My mother said it best four years ago: http://journals.worldnomads.com/dkirwan/story/5496/Vietnam/How-to-cross-the-road-in-Vietnam-and-survive
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The 25 Hour Bus Ride...
When you hear that we journeyed twenty five hours by bus, your first thought is "that sounds terrible!" or something like that. And it almost was. We booked our bus ride on a normal (upright seats) bus, but when we got to the bus station we saw a sleeper bus (a bus where the seats are more like a bed) and opted for the upgrade on the last two seats available - and it was well worth it. We took off at 6:30pm, stopped for a nice dinner at 9pm and drove through the night, able to lay down to sleep almost through the full night. At three in the morning we stopped for a bathroom break and a very drunk Vietnamese guy got on and took the spot that another man had. He was an unfavorable neighbor who stunk of booze (no doubt he was celebrating the New Year) and snored through the night.
The next stop was at the border at 6am. We waited around for three hours to get across and into the next leg of our journey. It all went smoothly with a quick lunch stop where we had to point to a menu and hope that the nice Vietnamese women understood our requests for rice and eggs. Later that night we ended up in Hanoi around 9pm. We took the hostel that the bus driver recommended along with all the other backpackers on the bus. Starving as we'd only had two small meals in the last 27 hours, we ventured out into Hanoi's busy streets. Unable to find a restaurant, we walked through various alleyways, each alley full of makeshift restaurants competing to serve the same dish. We ended up on the "fish soup" corner where we pointed to some unknown objects, chose our noodles, and awaited our meal, which ended up being rather disappointing, especially combined with the warm beer we were served.
More on Hanoi in the next blog! Now its sleepy time... Lotsa love, Nolan
The next stop was at the border at 6am. We waited around for three hours to get across and into the next leg of our journey. It all went smoothly with a quick lunch stop where we had to point to a menu and hope that the nice Vietnamese women understood our requests for rice and eggs. Later that night we ended up in Hanoi around 9pm. We took the hostel that the bus driver recommended along with all the other backpackers on the bus. Starving as we'd only had two small meals in the last 27 hours, we ventured out into Hanoi's busy streets. Unable to find a restaurant, we walked through various alleyways, each alley full of makeshift restaurants competing to serve the same dish. We ended up on the "fish soup" corner where we pointed to some unknown objects, chose our noodles, and awaited our meal, which ended up being rather disappointing, especially combined with the warm beer we were served.
More on Hanoi in the next blog! Now its sleepy time... Lotsa love, Nolan
Pi Mai (Happy New Year) in Luang Prabang!
After a bumpy 7-hour journey through the Laos’ central highlands, we arrived in Luang Prabang. Since it was the start of Pi Mai, the Laos New Year, we were lucky to find a room in the heart of the town’s historic peninsula, an UNESCO World Heritage sight. We arrived at night to see the old French villas lit beautifully next to hidden temples that dazzle you by day with gold and mosaic decorations.
We immediately set out in the charming town to the night food market. To get there we weaved our way through a long tunnel of Hmnog market vendors. The Hmong people come from the highlands and sell bright textiles, silk scarves, handbags, and knick-knacks made from their various traditional fabrics. Starving, we by-passed the shopping and ate like kings for peanuts, which made up for our more expensive accommodation rate for the New Year.
The following day we woke up early and explored the many temples around the small town and walked along the river. When we walked back through town in the afternoon, we were suddenly doused with buckets of water or squirts from children on the street. Luckily, we were wearing quick dry clothes, but we raced back to the hotel to water-proof ourselves! This was nothing compared to the next two days…
Our second day in Luang Prabang, we woke up at the crack of dawn to watch the monks collecting alms. There are so many young monks in Luang Prabang, mostly boys who are around fifteen years old. It is considered an honor for a boy to go into monkhood for a short period of time, and it seems that most do it at an early age. In the mornings, the boys file down the main street in their saffron robes collecting alms from the local people. We watched them move solemnly down the street, as their bowls gradually filled to the brim with food for them to eat throughout the day. Next to them, small children begged the monks for food and filled up bags of goods to bring home to their families. It’s a strange sight as the tourists lining the streets in front, behind, and opposite of the monks like paparazzi - an extreme clash of tradition with modernism.
Following our colorful morning, we took a tuk-tuk to the Kuang Si waterfalls, an impressive waterfall that spills into various blue lagoons that you can swim in or splash into via tarzan rope swing. Since it is such a big holiday, the falls were - unfortunately - packed with people, the most noisy being the locals who lugged in their speakers to do some karaoke. Also at the falls is a bear rescue center, where baby bears played in a caged off area - adorable!
On the way back to town, our tuk-tuk crew consisting of an Australian, a Lao, two Spaniards, and a Malay, got soaking wet from children who expertly threw water to aim between the plastic partition and the open spaces of our tuk-tuk sides. Back in town, the party was bigger than the previous day. All of the shop fronts - most of which are family run and family homes - shut down to turn to the more important task of dousing passerbys (on bike, feet, motorcycle, car - you name it!) with clear and dyed water, paint, baby powder (this is called "frosting"), and grease. We somehow avoided the paint wars and came out of our hotel room after the festivities for dinner.
The following day - the 15th - was the height of Pi Mai. Literally every shop shut down and you couldn't walk one foot without ten buckets of water being poured down your back or on your head - did I mention that the water is dirty Mekong water? Not a fun activity for the paranoid traveler! Most of the backpackers in town joined in the festivities, everyone baring their own water guns, paint bottles, etc. as a means of defense! Trucks paraded down the street with the bed packed full of young people singing, cheering, and rejoicing in their soaking, and often, brightly colored state. From what we could tell, the majority of the population seemed to be inebriated as well despite the many drivers on the road!
This extreme water fight was all in preparation for the Miss New Year parade. Nolan and I were lucky to run into another traveler who had heard of this local event. It turned out to be a giant fairground, or stadium, full of locals, vendors, and arcade type games. The event was the Miss New Year contest in which about 40 beautiful young girls (must be virgins) from Luang Prabang compete for the title. The best part of the contest was the traditional dancing that took place beforehand. We were able to watch various ethnic dances, hear traditional music, and see the beautiful costumes that come from the various tribes of Laos.
The morning of the parade, Nolan and I decided we'd had enough of changing our clothes three times a day and booked a night-time bus to Hanoi. We checked up on email and before leaving the cafe, the owners - cousins - asked us to sit and have a beer with them. It was a wonderful experience getting to talk to locals about their culture, the new year, and business in Luang Prabang. I asked them if they had ever been a monk, and one was for two years when he was 15 - 17. He said he probably won't ever do it again because you have to walk barefoot (which is scorching hot at times), you don't get to eat dinner, no girls, and no new year. It seems the locals may have it wrong encouraging young lads who are mostly interested in girls, eating, and celebration to do their monkhood at such an early age! We said goodbye to our new friends and headed into the heart of the festivities to watch the parade from a safe restaurant terrace.
Sitting down, we merged tables with some Argentinians, a German, an Italian, and some Americans. We sampled Lao Lao, the local whiskey (potent stuff!), drank some beers, and engaged in some serious water fighting. When 4:30pm rolled around, Nolan and I definitely did not want to go. We changed into dry clothes and waited for our ride to the bus station. When the tuk-tuk arrived, we noticed there were no barriers to block water bombs. We braced ourselves and hopped in...fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the bus station - Nolan with a greasy black hand print in the center of his back and the both of us soaked to the bone!
Regardless of the many wet clothes, Pi Mai (or Songkran in Thailand) is definitely the best New Year celebration in the world! We're thinking about bringing it back to New York City...but maybe in the summer. :)
We immediately set out in the charming town to the night food market. To get there we weaved our way through a long tunnel of Hmnog market vendors. The Hmong people come from the highlands and sell bright textiles, silk scarves, handbags, and knick-knacks made from their various traditional fabrics. Starving, we by-passed the shopping and ate like kings for peanuts, which made up for our more expensive accommodation rate for the New Year.
The following day we woke up early and explored the many temples around the small town and walked along the river. When we walked back through town in the afternoon, we were suddenly doused with buckets of water or squirts from children on the street. Luckily, we were wearing quick dry clothes, but we raced back to the hotel to water-proof ourselves! This was nothing compared to the next two days…
Our second day in Luang Prabang, we woke up at the crack of dawn to watch the monks collecting alms. There are so many young monks in Luang Prabang, mostly boys who are around fifteen years old. It is considered an honor for a boy to go into monkhood for a short period of time, and it seems that most do it at an early age. In the mornings, the boys file down the main street in their saffron robes collecting alms from the local people. We watched them move solemnly down the street, as their bowls gradually filled to the brim with food for them to eat throughout the day. Next to them, small children begged the monks for food and filled up bags of goods to bring home to their families. It’s a strange sight as the tourists lining the streets in front, behind, and opposite of the monks like paparazzi - an extreme clash of tradition with modernism.
Following our colorful morning, we took a tuk-tuk to the Kuang Si waterfalls, an impressive waterfall that spills into various blue lagoons that you can swim in or splash into via tarzan rope swing. Since it is such a big holiday, the falls were - unfortunately - packed with people, the most noisy being the locals who lugged in their speakers to do some karaoke. Also at the falls is a bear rescue center, where baby bears played in a caged off area - adorable!
On the way back to town, our tuk-tuk crew consisting of an Australian, a Lao, two Spaniards, and a Malay, got soaking wet from children who expertly threw water to aim between the plastic partition and the open spaces of our tuk-tuk sides. Back in town, the party was bigger than the previous day. All of the shop fronts - most of which are family run and family homes - shut down to turn to the more important task of dousing passerbys (on bike, feet, motorcycle, car - you name it!) with clear and dyed water, paint, baby powder (this is called "frosting"), and grease. We somehow avoided the paint wars and came out of our hotel room after the festivities for dinner.
The following day - the 15th - was the height of Pi Mai. Literally every shop shut down and you couldn't walk one foot without ten buckets of water being poured down your back or on your head - did I mention that the water is dirty Mekong water? Not a fun activity for the paranoid traveler! Most of the backpackers in town joined in the festivities, everyone baring their own water guns, paint bottles, etc. as a means of defense! Trucks paraded down the street with the bed packed full of young people singing, cheering, and rejoicing in their soaking, and often, brightly colored state. From what we could tell, the majority of the population seemed to be inebriated as well despite the many drivers on the road!
This extreme water fight was all in preparation for the Miss New Year parade. Nolan and I were lucky to run into another traveler who had heard of this local event. It turned out to be a giant fairground, or stadium, full of locals, vendors, and arcade type games. The event was the Miss New Year contest in which about 40 beautiful young girls (must be virgins) from Luang Prabang compete for the title. The best part of the contest was the traditional dancing that took place beforehand. We were able to watch various ethnic dances, hear traditional music, and see the beautiful costumes that come from the various tribes of Laos.
The morning of the parade, Nolan and I decided we'd had enough of changing our clothes three times a day and booked a night-time bus to Hanoi. We checked up on email and before leaving the cafe, the owners - cousins - asked us to sit and have a beer with them. It was a wonderful experience getting to talk to locals about their culture, the new year, and business in Luang Prabang. I asked them if they had ever been a monk, and one was for two years when he was 15 - 17. He said he probably won't ever do it again because you have to walk barefoot (which is scorching hot at times), you don't get to eat dinner, no girls, and no new year. It seems the locals may have it wrong encouraging young lads who are mostly interested in girls, eating, and celebration to do their monkhood at such an early age! We said goodbye to our new friends and headed into the heart of the festivities to watch the parade from a safe restaurant terrace.
Sitting down, we merged tables with some Argentinians, a German, an Italian, and some Americans. We sampled Lao Lao, the local whiskey (potent stuff!), drank some beers, and engaged in some serious water fighting. When 4:30pm rolled around, Nolan and I definitely did not want to go. We changed into dry clothes and waited for our ride to the bus station. When the tuk-tuk arrived, we noticed there were no barriers to block water bombs. We braced ourselves and hopped in...fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the bus station - Nolan with a greasy black hand print in the center of his back and the both of us soaked to the bone!
Regardless of the many wet clothes, Pi Mai (or Songkran in Thailand) is definitely the best New Year celebration in the world! We're thinking about bringing it back to New York City...but maybe in the summer. :)
Laos Food
Laos food is nothing short of divine! Here are a few of our favorites so far (in English):
Fresh Spring Rolls: Every day we gorge ourselves on fresh spring rolls, which are made from vermicelli noodles, egg, and mint or basil leaves wrapped in rice paper. They are served with a chili-peanut sauce, which is YUM! These are also good fried, but there goes the health factor.
Sandwiches: Not the American kind! The French left their love for baguettes in tow when they left Laos. Now, you can get any kind of sandwich you want (I tend to stick with egg and vegetables while Nolan goes for chicken), served on a baguette with various sauces from Mayo, hot sauce, and soy sauce (my favorite!0. These sandwiches are served from vendors at all hours and cost anywhere from $1.25 to $3.
BBQ: We never got to try the traditional Laos BBQ, but we had several tasty vegetable, tofu, and chicken skewers on the street as well as fresh Mekong fish (guts and organs included).
Fruit: Each morning, I start the day with a bowl of fresh fruit (mango, papaya, banana, apple, dragon fruit, pineapple), yogurt and meusli! It’s the best way to start the day as far as I’m concerned! (Nolan would probably say the egg sandwich is better!). Of course, the fruit shakes, particularly coconut ones, are fresh and tasty!
Laap: This is one of Laos’ national dishes, a spicy salad which consists of minced chicken, beef, pork, duck or fish mixed with mint leaves, lemon/lime juice, fish sauce, and chili. It’s served with rice and deliciously healthy!
Papaya Salad: The original som tam, for those of you familiar with Thailand’s green papaya salad. Apparently, it came from Laos first, but was brought to Thailand because of their close proximity. It’s my personal favorite dish from this region and is made in a mashing bowl with shredded green papaya, garlic, tomatoes, sugar, raw green beans, chili, lime juice, fish sauce, tiny dried shrimp. Sometimes it’s so spicy you can’t eat it! It’s often served with lettuce or sticky rice, which is helpful in cutting the spice.
Foe Soup: As mentioned several times, we’ve had noodle soup that consists of salty, but tasty broth, vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, morning glory, mystery meatballs, strips of chicken or beef. You can add chili, fish sauce, soy sauce, or sugar to the soup to make it to your tasting.
Dessert: The desserts here are usual made with coconut and something else. Our favorite are the cocount pudding that is cooked so the outside becomes crispy. We’ve also had some gelatinous coconut squares mixed with different flavors, which are interesting.
Now, amidst all of these new and welcome tastes as well as the gorging on street food, I’ve developed my first-ever bout of travel sickness. Not even in India did I have a stomach issue that lasted more than two days, but low and behold, the inevitable has finally caught up with me in Laos. When we boarded the bus to Vietnam, the two backpackers next to us also have an upset stomach. Guess it’s back to restaurants and rice in Vietnam…
Laos Food Junkie,
Dimity
Fresh Spring Rolls: Every day we gorge ourselves on fresh spring rolls, which are made from vermicelli noodles, egg, and mint or basil leaves wrapped in rice paper. They are served with a chili-peanut sauce, which is YUM! These are also good fried, but there goes the health factor.
Sandwiches: Not the American kind! The French left their love for baguettes in tow when they left Laos. Now, you can get any kind of sandwich you want (I tend to stick with egg and vegetables while Nolan goes for chicken), served on a baguette with various sauces from Mayo, hot sauce, and soy sauce (my favorite!0. These sandwiches are served from vendors at all hours and cost anywhere from $1.25 to $3.
BBQ: We never got to try the traditional Laos BBQ, but we had several tasty vegetable, tofu, and chicken skewers on the street as well as fresh Mekong fish (guts and organs included).
Fruit: Each morning, I start the day with a bowl of fresh fruit (mango, papaya, banana, apple, dragon fruit, pineapple), yogurt and meusli! It’s the best way to start the day as far as I’m concerned! (Nolan would probably say the egg sandwich is better!). Of course, the fruit shakes, particularly coconut ones, are fresh and tasty!
Laap: This is one of Laos’ national dishes, a spicy salad which consists of minced chicken, beef, pork, duck or fish mixed with mint leaves, lemon/lime juice, fish sauce, and chili. It’s served with rice and deliciously healthy!
Papaya Salad: The original som tam, for those of you familiar with Thailand’s green papaya salad. Apparently, it came from Laos first, but was brought to Thailand because of their close proximity. It’s my personal favorite dish from this region and is made in a mashing bowl with shredded green papaya, garlic, tomatoes, sugar, raw green beans, chili, lime juice, fish sauce, tiny dried shrimp. Sometimes it’s so spicy you can’t eat it! It’s often served with lettuce or sticky rice, which is helpful in cutting the spice.
Foe Soup: As mentioned several times, we’ve had noodle soup that consists of salty, but tasty broth, vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, morning glory, mystery meatballs, strips of chicken or beef. You can add chili, fish sauce, soy sauce, or sugar to the soup to make it to your tasting.
Dessert: The desserts here are usual made with coconut and something else. Our favorite are the cocount pudding that is cooked so the outside becomes crispy. We’ve also had some gelatinous coconut squares mixed with different flavors, which are interesting.
Now, amidst all of these new and welcome tastes as well as the gorging on street food, I’ve developed my first-ever bout of travel sickness. Not even in India did I have a stomach issue that lasted more than two days, but low and behold, the inevitable has finally caught up with me in Laos. When we boarded the bus to Vietnam, the two backpackers next to us also have an upset stomach. Guess it’s back to restaurants and rice in Vietnam…
Laos Food Junkie,
Dimity
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Rock Climbing in Laos
The past two days, Nolan and I have veered slightly off the beaten path in our rock climbing endeavors. After getting information about where the crags were and how to get there, we prepared for the next day. We rented bikes from a sweet old man as well as some fruit.
At 8am, we set off down the main road 2km out of town and then turned off on a dirt road. At the end of the road, we came to the river and a very wobbly looking bamboo bridge. According to our hotel owner's directions, we had to cross this rickety structure. We walked our bikes one after the other, treading lightly on the slats of bamboo placed on top of thin logs. With a sigh of relief, we reached the end and headed down the dirt path into a small village of thatched huts. Women and children sat on the stairs and one woman came down and stopped Nolan to pay for the bridge toll. We paid and continued on our merry way through farm fields following the most clear path...which led us into someone's home. Chickens roamed the grounds, a faithful guard dog yelped at our presence and then stepped quietly out of our way. Realizing we were not on the right path, we turned our bikes around quiet as mice, and headed back a barely visible path amidst cows, bumping along the uneven ground on bikes ill-equipped for the terrain. Eventually, we entered a clearing with limestone walls and an overhanging roof with stalactites hanging everywhere. Since we hadn't yet discovered the moderate wall (we did at the end of the day!), we climbed up overhanging routes.
Nolans notes on the routes... The stone is limestone and of excellent quality. Its is about a 45 degree angle with huge, fat stalactites that hang down 2-4 feet from the ceiling. It looks kind of like the lead roof at MPHC... The bolting was done about 5 years ago by excitable Germans. The hardest route I lead was a 5.10C.
Despite the mosquitoes buzzing around our ankles, it was a beautiful, quiet setting by the river, with kids running around climbing trees (or watching us, they were clearly very bored!)! A couple more days here, then we're off to Luang Prabang.
At 8am, we set off down the main road 2km out of town and then turned off on a dirt road. At the end of the road, we came to the river and a very wobbly looking bamboo bridge. According to our hotel owner's directions, we had to cross this rickety structure. We walked our bikes one after the other, treading lightly on the slats of bamboo placed on top of thin logs. With a sigh of relief, we reached the end and headed down the dirt path into a small village of thatched huts. Women and children sat on the stairs and one woman came down and stopped Nolan to pay for the bridge toll. We paid and continued on our merry way through farm fields following the most clear path...which led us into someone's home. Chickens roamed the grounds, a faithful guard dog yelped at our presence and then stepped quietly out of our way. Realizing we were not on the right path, we turned our bikes around quiet as mice, and headed back a barely visible path amidst cows, bumping along the uneven ground on bikes ill-equipped for the terrain. Eventually, we entered a clearing with limestone walls and an overhanging roof with stalactites hanging everywhere. Since we hadn't yet discovered the moderate wall (we did at the end of the day!), we climbed up overhanging routes.
Nolans notes on the routes... The stone is limestone and of excellent quality. Its is about a 45 degree angle with huge, fat stalactites that hang down 2-4 feet from the ceiling. It looks kind of like the lead roof at MPHC... The bolting was done about 5 years ago by excitable Germans. The hardest route I lead was a 5.10C.
Despite the mosquitoes buzzing around our ankles, it was a beautiful, quiet setting by the river, with kids running around climbing trees (or watching us, they were clearly very bored!)! A couple more days here, then we're off to Luang Prabang.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Over the Border: Laos
We boarded a bus to Laos around 7pm on Wednesday in Bangkok and arrived at the border in an extremely groggy state around 6am. In buying our visas, we paid with Thai Baht, which meant that we ended up paying $50 each instead of $35 if we had had actual US dollars. This put me in a terrible mood given our tight budget, the fact that $30 goes a long way in SE Asia, and my fitful night of sleep on the bus. By the time we arrived in Vientiane, I was somewhat calmer.
We found a place to stay for about $7 on the outskirts of town, rented a bike and rushed off to the Vietnam Embassy where it was apparently cheaper to get a Vietnam visa than at the hotel. We boarded our bikes, mine sounding like it was crunching bones and Nolan's sounding as if it was dragging tin cans, and raced dangerously back to the money exchange to get US dollars (no more tricks!). Somewhere on this speedy ride, we discovered we had no brakes. Tough luck equals tough fun.
Finding our way back the main street, we raced past a giant monument and various beautiful temples in frantic search of the embassy, which was closing in half and hour. Finally, after hanging outside of the ambassador's residence for a long time, a sweet old man came to the gate and pointed us in the direction of the consulate. We arrived at 11:37 only to see the sign saying they were closed from 11:30 - 1:30. Feeling defeated, we decided to go in search of food, not having eaten a real meal since the previous day. Nolan spotted a restaurant full of locals right around the corner from the Vietnam embassy, so we went with his gut. Approaching the counter, the girls ladling soup gave us blank stares and begged the well-dressed men nearby to help them communicate with us.
We managed to be seated, and were promptly served two plates of greens (raw string beans, lettuce, mint), a dipping bowl of chili-peanut sauce, and a gigantic bowl of soup full of noodle, beef, and mystery meat balls. After adding some fish sauce, soy sauce, and chili, it was delicious! The whole meal cost a whopping 3 dollars for the two of us. We biked around to some more temples until the embassy opened. The man who issued us our visas was the same one who helped us translate in the restaurant. Additionally, the hassle of going to the embassy ourselves was no cheaper than having the hotel do it for us! BLURG!
After a sweet nap, we walked around the city and ate street food till we couldn't walk and passed out. The next morning we did yoga and boarded a bumpy bus that tricked us into buying icecream! BLURG!
Now we are in Vang Vieng, a sleepy town that has been transformed into a backpacker pit-stop where all the shops sell gear for westerners (i.e. souvenir t-shirts/clothing), and (much to my delight!) almost every restaurant sells the famed baguette sandwiches I fell in love with while in Vietnam. Many of the restaurants we've walked by blast episodes of friends or family guy, and westerners strut down the streets half-naked to or from tubing excursions. Despite the, perhaps, inauthenticity, of this town as a "Lao" town, we are sitting at a cafe on the river overlooking a view of stunning limestone cliffs silhouetted againts the dusky sky. It's quite a spectacular sight! The people are very friendly, and when we walk down the street, a chorus of "hello - sabaidi" greet you from the adorable children on the street.
Tomorrow we're heading across the river to these very cliffs to explore the newly developed climbing area. We rented biked for $3 and when it gets too hot, we'll hop on a tube and cool off!
Tomorrow we're heading across the river to these very cliffs to explore the newly developed climbing area. We rented biked for $3 and when it gets too hot, we'll hop on a tube and cool off!
Driving in Bangkok
Bangkok seems to be a maze of perpetual traffic jams. There are four main modes of transportation: (1) bus, (2) taxi/car, (3) tuk-tuk, (4) motorcycles. Motorcycles rule the road because they are immune to the congestion. They weave fanatically between cars and huddle at the front of the line to race ahead when the light turns green.
Tuk-tuks are second best. They're cheap, they're relatively fast, and they're smaller than any car on the road, including smart cars. The cons to riding in a tuk-tuk are the constant inhalation of Bangkok's pollution. On the flip side, when in a tuk tuk or on a motorcycle and in moments of serious stand-still, one of the two lanes on the opposite side of the road (for oncoming traffic) is suddenly transformed into a third lane in which tuk-tuks and motorcycles reign free and oncoming cars avoid them!
We had the luck (or maybe not...) to experience this once. As soon as this makeshift third lane came to an end, our tuk-tuk swerved back into our side of the road at a perpendicular angle to oncoming cars in order to get to the outer-most lane. Surprisingly, no one honks or develops fits of road rage at this behavior, so it must be the norm.
All in all, driving in Bangkok is a nightmare. It's best to walk unless you're going to the opposite end of town. Walking allows you to see the city in a whole different light. You are privy to the local food and produce vendors that adorn every street turning it into a long market tunnel (you will need to duck often if you are 6' or taller). Delicious smells arise from every stall be it fried fish, meat skewers, sweet rice or dumplings, roast chicken, noodle soups, etc. Some of the best fun is eating mystery meat dishes! In the fresh food market, there's a pervasive smell of fish, both fresh and dried, that is less pleasurable, but all the same exciting to see.
As mentioned in the previous blog, Nolan an I continue to gorge ourselves on $1 delicacies wherever we are...which is now Vang, Vieng, Laos! Read on to hear more!
Tuk-tuks are second best. They're cheap, they're relatively fast, and they're smaller than any car on the road, including smart cars. The cons to riding in a tuk-tuk are the constant inhalation of Bangkok's pollution. On the flip side, when in a tuk tuk or on a motorcycle and in moments of serious stand-still, one of the two lanes on the opposite side of the road (for oncoming traffic) is suddenly transformed into a third lane in which tuk-tuks and motorcycles reign free and oncoming cars avoid them!
We had the luck (or maybe not...) to experience this once. As soon as this makeshift third lane came to an end, our tuk-tuk swerved back into our side of the road at a perpendicular angle to oncoming cars in order to get to the outer-most lane. Surprisingly, no one honks or develops fits of road rage at this behavior, so it must be the norm.
All in all, driving in Bangkok is a nightmare. It's best to walk unless you're going to the opposite end of town. Walking allows you to see the city in a whole different light. You are privy to the local food and produce vendors that adorn every street turning it into a long market tunnel (you will need to duck often if you are 6' or taller). Delicious smells arise from every stall be it fried fish, meat skewers, sweet rice or dumplings, roast chicken, noodle soups, etc. Some of the best fun is eating mystery meat dishes! In the fresh food market, there's a pervasive smell of fish, both fresh and dried, that is less pleasurable, but all the same exciting to see.
As mentioned in the previous blog, Nolan an I continue to gorge ourselves on $1 delicacies wherever we are...which is now Vang, Vieng, Laos! Read on to hear more!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A re-cap of the last week in OZ.
Our last week in Australia was awesome. The car that was lent to us was great and we drove up the coast to Nelson Bay. The Australian coast is beautiful in a way that that is hard to describe in words. One night we camped out at One Mile Beach and went for a run around sunset. We ran into the neighboring Samurai beach and came across two nude fishermen. (Samurai beach is a nude beach). After a few days of good eating and fun in the sun we drove back to the Blue Mountains to meet our French-Canadian friend Pascal, who we'd met in the Arapiles, and do some climbs that were previously denied to us due to rain.
When we arrived in the Blue Mountains it was pissing rain and was just above freezing, but by the next morning the rain had stopped and by noon it was sunny again. We had a solid 24hr window of sun and we used it to climb some of the most fun and exciting climbs that we have been on in OZ.
My personal favorite climb was Lardy Lady's Lats. It was 22 and very sustained the whole way up with a roof at the top and a powerful crux. I took a nice fall once and got it on my second try! Very rewarding!
After we got back to Sydney we both decided we were ready to leave OZ early. I was pushing the case based on our financial limitations and how it would be cheaper to change our tickets than to stay another 20 days. And we would be in guaranteed warm weather in a culture that would be very different from our own.
We booked a flight to Hanoi for the following day over the phone for an amazing deal of $550!!! We were so proud of ourselves we spent the day having brunch with our hosts, hanging out around Byron Bay and generally enjoying ourselves... That is until we found out that we need a visa to get into Vietnam and it was almost impossible to get one before our flight was due to take off at 7am the following morning!!!! Added to that once we looked at our flight itinerary we discovered that our awesome flight was really booked for Nadi, Fiji and NOT Hanoi!!! Somehow, the non-English speaking booking agent had interpreted "Hanoi" as "Nadi."
BLURG!!! We both got very sad when we called the airline and the situation was explained to us that there was no way that we were going to Asia for less than 1,200 dollars. We canceled our tickets and re-booked with Thai airways for a flight at 7am the next morning.
And that is how we ended up in Thailand early. Even paying the extra money to leave early, we are still coming out ahead and the culture shock is amazing.
Till the next time, Nolan
When we arrived in the Blue Mountains it was pissing rain and was just above freezing, but by the next morning the rain had stopped and by noon it was sunny again. We had a solid 24hr window of sun and we used it to climb some of the most fun and exciting climbs that we have been on in OZ.
My personal favorite climb was Lardy Lady's Lats. It was 22 and very sustained the whole way up with a roof at the top and a powerful crux. I took a nice fall once and got it on my second try! Very rewarding!
After we got back to Sydney we both decided we were ready to leave OZ early. I was pushing the case based on our financial limitations and how it would be cheaper to change our tickets than to stay another 20 days. And we would be in guaranteed warm weather in a culture that would be very different from our own.
We booked a flight to Hanoi for the following day over the phone for an amazing deal of $550!!! We were so proud of ourselves we spent the day having brunch with our hosts, hanging out around Byron Bay and generally enjoying ourselves... That is until we found out that we need a visa to get into Vietnam and it was almost impossible to get one before our flight was due to take off at 7am the following morning!!!! Added to that once we looked at our flight itinerary we discovered that our awesome flight was really booked for Nadi, Fiji and NOT Hanoi!!! Somehow, the non-English speaking booking agent had interpreted "Hanoi" as "Nadi."
BLURG!!! We both got very sad when we called the airline and the situation was explained to us that there was no way that we were going to Asia for less than 1,200 dollars. We canceled our tickets and re-booked with Thai airways for a flight at 7am the next morning.
And that is how we ended up in Thailand early. Even paying the extra money to leave early, we are still coming out ahead and the culture shock is amazing.
Till the next time, Nolan
A Love Affair...with Thai Street Food
I know that we have to backtrack a bit, and you're probably wondering what the heck we're doing here in Thailand, but I've just got to share this with you. In writing an email to Emma, I tried to recap everything that Nolan and I had eaten in our first day in Thailand, and, eh hem, it was a LOT.
So here goes...
(Important: street food dishes are between 10 - 50 BHT, which equals $1)
Breakfast:
We woke up early due to jet lag (OZ is three hours ahead) which means we're finally back on a "normal" schedule of waking up at a decent hour. By 8am we were downstairs in the Shanti Lodge ready for breakfast. I had been salivating in my dreams about yogurt, home-made granola and tropical fruit and that's exactly what I got - a gigantic bowl of it along with a pint-sized cappuccino (shocking after our minuscule coffees down under). Nolan chowed down a veggie omelet, toast and an identical coffee.
After breakfast, we gathered ourselves and walked across the street to 7- Eleven, which seem to run rampant in this part of the world, Oz included. I bought a "Big Sheet" of seaweed (which is apparently very good for my thyroid), swallowed that, and then we went on our merry way to the Grand Palace.
Honestly, I'm not even sure I remember to mention everything. After over-indulging today, I think my mantra from now on will be to eat less and healthily - and I'm sure Nolan's will be the exact opposite!
Goodnight!
Dimity-in-a-food-coma
So here goes...
(Important: street food dishes are between 10 - 50 BHT, which equals $1)
Breakfast:
We woke up early due to jet lag (OZ is three hours ahead) which means we're finally back on a "normal" schedule of waking up at a decent hour. By 8am we were downstairs in the Shanti Lodge ready for breakfast. I had been salivating in my dreams about yogurt, home-made granola and tropical fruit and that's exactly what I got - a gigantic bowl of it along with a pint-sized cappuccino (shocking after our minuscule coffees down under). Nolan chowed down a veggie omelet, toast and an identical coffee.
After breakfast, we gathered ourselves and walked across the street to 7- Eleven, which seem to run rampant in this part of the world, Oz included. I bought a "Big Sheet" of seaweed (which is apparently very good for my thyroid), swallowed that, and then we went on our merry way to the Grand Palace.
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We hit the main street, walked a block or two, and BAM! Street market galore with one food stall after the next! We scoped out some delicious boiled eggs coated in a thick outer shell of ??? but delicious when topped with cucumbers and hot chilly sauce! After this, I felt a bit full...after all, it was only 9:15.
Luckily, as we entered another block of food, we stumbled into a man praying three times to a temple barely visible between two buildings. He told us we should also do this for good luck. Following our prayer, he launched into a "getting-to-know-you" conversation that felt slightly like it was leading to a "good deal," or a "free tour." After 15 minutes of chatter with this fellow teacher from Chiang Mai, he had written a complete Sanskrit list of sights to see in my mole book and a tuk-tuk driver pulled up to take us on our merry way for as long as we wanted at only 20 BHT. Miraculous!
Food was never far from the mind, but in the next few hours, we saw three temples and numerous Buddha statues from many different time periods/places, conversed with another teacher in the lucky temple, were surreptitiously dragged by the driver to three suit stores in hopes that we would buy something and get him a coupon, and finally landed near Kho San Road. We chose from one of the many ramshackle eateries on the street composed of tin tables, plastic stools, and clear cups so thin you feel as if you might break it just by picking it up. We chowed down a delicious fish curry with veggies and a pork and shrimp dish washed down by a refreshing Singha.
Next, we headed to Kho San Road...and were stopped by the sight of a fruit stall. We quickly ordered a mango with chili and sugar, and at the next stall over topped up our bulging stomachs with a cocount pudding in some kind of crispy shell - to die for!
Full as bulls, we headed down the garish backpacker road amidst stalls selling identical products, and bought a Lonely Planet for SE Asia and checked off some other items on our lengthy to-do list.
Back on the street, we headed home, somewhat aimlessly having been hopelessly turned around by our morning tuk-tuk adventure. On the way home, we picked cooled off (slash gave ourselves serious brain freeze) with a cocount shake and a Thai iced tea, both replete with condensed milk - horribly bad for you. Because I had had enough sweets, I bought a bag of tamarind candy, which I've been chewing on all day.
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| Tamarind Candy |
Back at the Shanti Lodge, we rested and caught up on internet work. Two hours later, we had large Singha's by our side. Three hours later, we'd downed a som tum (green papaya salad - my FAVORITE!), a quarter of roasted chicken, a strange tasting sausage-shaped thing, and a tasty noodle soup with mystery meat balls amidst locals.
Goodnight!
Dimity-in-a-food-coma
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