I am soooo god damn happy to have left Hanoi...it was a shithole. I had a fine time, but it was definitely incidental to the location.
Not a lot to offer, dirtier, nosier, & with more pollution that Bangkok. No where near as cheap as Laos, or in many instances Thailand & populated predominantly by rude pricks that are keen to give you short change or try to steal your shit.
Thankfully, I have headed south. Hue was great, would have liked to stay longer...people friendlier...less traffic...more smiles. We booked a motor cycle tour & I spend the whole day being carted around on the back of a bike owned by my new friend Loc...it was great...beautiful country side...met lots of locals...I could do that every day for a month.
I am now in Hoi An for 4 days...no agenda...just free time, this is definitely the place to shop in Vietnam...but I am committed to try to keep travelling light & to come back with photos, memories & experiences...rather than souvenirs.
The connection to Blogger always seems painfully slow since arriving in South East Asia. Further north everying was slow...now I can access everything except the one site that I want (ie my own)
I promise to update site with photos as soon as I can.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Happy In Hoi An
Whew!
I have finally left Hanoi. Don't believe TheLonely Planet...don't believe what yoursecond grade teacher told you...don't believe the hippy at the bus station. Belive The D-Man when he tells you...Hanoi starts out bad & then gets worse. Any time a city's main claims to fame are pollution & traffic my recommendation is to stay far away...
The motorcycle taxi guys are shiftier & more persistant that anyone else on the planet...Bangkok's Tuk Tuk drivers seem like MotherTheresa next to these guys...now I know why they won the war...shiftiness and persistence.
I will gladly share the tale of the nipple-cripple/ kung-fu fight I became involved in outside of the Army Museum with 6 moto taxi guys to anyone that it interested...but the tale is to disturbing for print and is worth at least one beer.
Since leaving Hanoi all has been looking up. Hue was beautiful, about a quarter of a million people, all of whom seemed friendly except the cyclo drivers that worked the night shift (a pattern is forming)
We arranged to havea group of locals take us on the back of their motor cycles for a full day trip around the country side...it took a little getting used to being on the back...but it did allow me to take some good photos and excellent video footage.
I have since arrived in wonderful Hoi An for 4 days. This might be the best of Vietnam has to offer. I rented a motor cycle and spent the whole day riding along the beaches and through the rice paddies. There was only one near miss as I cut off a policewoman on her motor cycle...but other wise pretty tame...nothing like Hanoi where all traffic lights are viewed as a recommendation only and the weak are killed and eaten.
The further south I go the friendlier the people are...though I suspect this may change in Saigon ...aka Ho Chi Min City...aka Ho' Ville...aka Ho Town.
I still haven't been able to use my frisbee...but the beaches of Cambodia & Thailand await. So I remain optimistic.
I have finally left Hanoi. Don't believe TheLonely Planet...don't believe what yoursecond grade teacher told you...don't believe the hippy at the bus station. Belive The D-Man when he tells you...Hanoi starts out bad & then gets worse. Any time a city's main claims to fame are pollution & traffic my recommendation is to stay far away...
The motorcycle taxi guys are shiftier & more persistant that anyone else on the planet...Bangkok's Tuk Tuk drivers seem like MotherTheresa next to these guys...now I know why they won the war...shiftiness and persistence.
I will gladly share the tale of the nipple-cripple/ kung-fu fight I became involved in outside of the Army Museum with 6 moto taxi guys to anyone that it interested...but the tale is to disturbing for print and is worth at least one beer.
Since leaving Hanoi all has been looking up. Hue was beautiful, about a quarter of a million people, all of whom seemed friendly except the cyclo drivers that worked the night shift (a pattern is forming)
We arranged to havea group of locals take us on the back of their motor cycles for a full day trip around the country side...it took a little getting used to being on the back...but it did allow me to take some good photos and excellent video footage.
I have since arrived in wonderful Hoi An for 4 days. This might be the best of Vietnam has to offer. I rented a motor cycle and spent the whole day riding along the beaches and through the rice paddies. There was only one near miss as I cut off a policewoman on her motor cycle...but other wise pretty tame...nothing like Hanoi where all traffic lights are viewed as a recommendation only and the weak are killed and eaten.
The further south I go the friendlier the people are...though I suspect this may change in Saigon ...aka Ho Chi Min City...aka Ho' Ville...aka Ho Town.
I still haven't been able to use my frisbee...but the beaches of Cambodia & Thailand await. So I remain optimistic.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Good Morning Vietnam
Hello,
Posts have been lacking...I have been on the move.
Did a border crossing from Lazy Laos to Northern Vietnam...before we reached the border I knew I was in a very different place. Cold war Russian styled border guards with not a smile to be seen.
Ha Long Bay was better than I could have guessed...every county thinks they have the nicest bay...Sydney Harbour...Bay of Islands etc. But this was outstanding. Limestone rock formations...caves...cliffs & beaches. I will upload photos when I get a better connection.
The boat we rented was superb, a beautiful junk, the best showers in SE Asia, outstanding food, French wine, a welcome change from my earler exploits in the region.
I have been in Ha Noi for a couple of days...mainly visiting revolutionary museums a dodging traffic. I was warned but unprepaired for the insanity of local traffic...a sea of motor cycles that stop for no man, dog, or red light.
I am on a sleeper train down south & will send an update when I find internet location with writing on the keyboard...this post has been done at a snails pace :(
I am fit and well & having a great time...drinking $5 per bottle whiskey & becoming infused with revolutionary fervor...or maybe fever.
Posts have been lacking...I have been on the move.
Did a border crossing from Lazy Laos to Northern Vietnam...before we reached the border I knew I was in a very different place. Cold war Russian styled border guards with not a smile to be seen.
Ha Long Bay was better than I could have guessed...every county thinks they have the nicest bay...Sydney Harbour...Bay of Islands etc. But this was outstanding. Limestone rock formations...caves...cliffs & beaches. I will upload photos when I get a better connection.
The boat we rented was superb, a beautiful junk, the best showers in SE Asia, outstanding food, French wine, a welcome change from my earler exploits in the region.
I have been in Ha Noi for a couple of days...mainly visiting revolutionary museums a dodging traffic. I was warned but unprepaired for the insanity of local traffic...a sea of motor cycles that stop for no man, dog, or red light.
I am on a sleeper train down south & will send an update when I find internet location with writing on the keyboard...this post has been done at a snails pace :(
I am fit and well & having a great time...drinking $5 per bottle whiskey & becoming infused with revolutionary fervor...or maybe fever.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Recent History of Laos
1960's - Hmong tribesmen are trained by the CIA to fight against the Vietnamese.
The North Vietnamese use a supply trail known to the west as the Ho Chi Min Trail that runs into Laos to supply their troops. As a result Laos with a population at the time of 3 million people received as free gift from the government of the United States over 3 million tonnes of bombs, delivered by over 600,000 sorties...which averaged one bombing run every 8 minutes for 9 years.
1975 - Communist take power
1979 - Food shortages cause hundreds of thousands to flee to Thailand - the government allows very limited private enterprise within agriculture
1986 - Inspired by Gorbechev and his changes in the USSR - changes begin in Laos and they allow foreigners to enter
1995 - The USA stops the embargo on aid they have enforced for 20 years
2007 - Daire arrives
The North Vietnamese use a supply trail known to the west as the Ho Chi Min Trail that runs into Laos to supply their troops. As a result Laos with a population at the time of 3 million people received as free gift from the government of the United States over 3 million tonnes of bombs, delivered by over 600,000 sorties...which averaged one bombing run every 8 minutes for 9 years.
1975 - Communist take power
1979 - Food shortages cause hundreds of thousands to flee to Thailand - the government allows very limited private enterprise within agriculture
1986 - Inspired by Gorbechev and his changes in the USSR - changes begin in Laos and they allow foreigners to enter
1995 - The USA stops the embargo on aid they have enforced for 20 years
2007 - Daire arrives
Monday, January 15, 2007
Alive and well in Laos
Hi Guys,
Sorry for not dropping anyone a line for a while, I've been travelling by boat along the Mekong from Northern Thailand to Luang Prabang...where I now have internet access. Unfortunately it appears that access to Hotmail and a lot of the other popular web-based email servers are restricted by the gov't.
Laos is exactly what I had hoped for...the trip along the Mekong was just rediculously nice, we travlled by slow boat with a family from Luang Prabang , the view were amazing for the entire two days...the entire shoreline of the river was just one beatiful beach after another with limestone cliffs and thick, thick, thick, jungle. I took lots of photos, but there is no way they will be able to replicate the way the tapestry just continued to unfold as we chugged slowly along, beating the heat of the afternoon with ice cold Beer Lao.
We stopped a few times on the way and herds of tiny Laotian villagers would run onto the boat to sell us beer, dried fruit, or handicrafts. The kids prices were actually cheaper than what the guys that own the boat charged us...it was kinda funny to see them happily lose or business the the local guys, but that seems to be the way of Lao...they take the Aussie idea of being laid back to all new heights.
The Laotians are fabulous, they are probably the friendliest people I have ever met and possibly the laziest:)
The operate on "Lao time" which meens that you can go to a restaurant and wait for ever to get your food, and then find that they haven't given you what you ordered, because the chef thought you might like something different!
Being a communist country, there is no variety of goods available, every shop has the same two brands of chips, the same 5 brands of cigarettes, and the same two brands of water. The Laotian Kip is not the world's strongest currency...you get about 10000 of them for a dollar. I went out for dinner last night and had an "all you can eat deal" from a stall at the night market...total cost was 50 cents.
I haven't seen alot of Luang Prabang yet...but it might be my new favorite city (population 60 000). The whole city has been heritage listed by the United Nations as being the best preserved example of colonial architecture in South East Asia. All the building seem to have been built by the French...the decaying French buildings with hammer and sickle flags flying from the windows are really evocative...it really feels like a special place. They are not allowed to rent motorcycles to foreigners here so everyone rides around on bicycles...it gives the whole place a chilled out feeling that is very much Lao.
I could go on and on about the lovely people of Laos, they are like no other people I have met...even their language is lazy...they say "hello" as "Sawbadee"...they say "How are you" as "Sawbadee Bo"...then they reply "good" as "Sawbadee"...it is kind of funny whenever you greet a local to say the least.
I haven't heard back about my Myanmar visa yet...but I met a fellow traveller on the train to Chang Mai who is heading South to the Thai islands...so I plan on heading South for a while
I am off to explore the town and soak up a little of the local culture...hope that this dispatch finds everyone healthy and happy at home.
Sorry for not dropping anyone a line for a while, I've been travelling by boat along the Mekong from Northern Thailand to Luang Prabang...where I now have internet access. Unfortunately it appears that access to Hotmail and a lot of the other popular web-based email servers are restricted by the gov't.
Laos is exactly what I had hoped for...the trip along the Mekong was just rediculously nice, we travlled by slow boat with a family from Luang Prabang , the view were amazing for the entire two days...the entire shoreline of the river was just one beatiful beach after another with limestone cliffs and thick, thick, thick, jungle. I took lots of photos, but there is no way they will be able to replicate the way the tapestry just continued to unfold as we chugged slowly along, beating the heat of the afternoon with ice cold Beer Lao.
We stopped a few times on the way and herds of tiny Laotian villagers would run onto the boat to sell us beer, dried fruit, or handicrafts. The kids prices were actually cheaper than what the guys that own the boat charged us...it was kinda funny to see them happily lose or business the the local guys, but that seems to be the way of Lao...they take the Aussie idea of being laid back to all new heights.
The Laotians are fabulous, they are probably the friendliest people I have ever met and possibly the laziest:)
The operate on "Lao time" which meens that you can go to a restaurant and wait for ever to get your food, and then find that they haven't given you what you ordered, because the chef thought you might like something different!
Being a communist country, there is no variety of goods available, every shop has the same two brands of chips, the same 5 brands of cigarettes, and the same two brands of water. The Laotian Kip is not the world's strongest currency...you get about 10000 of them for a dollar. I went out for dinner last night and had an "all you can eat deal" from a stall at the night market...total cost was 50 cents.
I haven't seen alot of Luang Prabang yet...but it might be my new favorite city (population 60 000). The whole city has been heritage listed by the United Nations as being the best preserved example of colonial architecture in South East Asia. All the building seem to have been built by the French...the decaying French buildings with hammer and sickle flags flying from the windows are really evocative...it really feels like a special place. They are not allowed to rent motorcycles to foreigners here so everyone rides around on bicycles...it gives the whole place a chilled out feeling that is very much Lao.
I could go on and on about the lovely people of Laos, they are like no other people I have met...even their language is lazy...they say "hello" as "Sawbadee"...they say "How are you" as "Sawbadee Bo"...then they reply "good" as "Sawbadee"...it is kind of funny whenever you greet a local to say the least.
I haven't heard back about my Myanmar visa yet...but I met a fellow traveller on the train to Chang Mai who is heading South to the Thai islands...so I plan on heading South for a while
I am off to explore the town and soak up a little of the local culture...hope that this dispatch finds everyone healthy and happy at home.
Monday, January 8, 2007
What I forgot about thailand
In no particular order...
The police are all skinny, but the homeless guys are fat.
The dogs are the laziest in the world...I would like to be reincarnated as a thai dog.
Thais like to run the a/c flat out so they can have 4 blankets and a spead on the bed in the middle of summer.
Shower heads only comeup to my nipple...sorry Jamie///bathsonly for you :0
Singha beer tastes better in thailand.
The police are all skinny, but the homeless guys are fat.
The dogs are the laziest in the world...I would like to be reincarnated as a thai dog.
Thais like to run the a/c flat out so they can have 4 blankets and a spead on the bed in the middle of summer.
Shower heads only comeup to my nipple...sorry Jamie///bathsonly for you :0
Singha beer tastes better in thailand.
Your man in Bangkok
Hi Guys,
I am in Bangkok & I am fine & well. I am staying in Chinatown on the border of India Town aka Little India on Maha Chai Rd...there is definately a lot more local colour than Khao San Rd.
I went for a two hour walk at lunch time & saw 6 white people. Bangkok is every bit as cool as I remember it, the traffic is worse than I remember, I saw a guy on a motorbike go under the rear wheel of a pickup truck that turned in front of him and get dragged about 20 feet, I picked up his bike while some locals pulled him into the shade for "roadside assistance" - good news, the motor bike guy was OK except for a broken foot (which he kinda deserved, as he wasn't wearing any shoes!).
As a solo male traveller, I have been receiving more offers for more crazy shit than one can imagine. Did a 5 km run on the grounds of the old Mangkok Special Metropolitan Prison today...I think I lost 5 pounds!
I have to run guys, I didn't have my piece of paper with everyones's e-mail addresses on it. so I am sorry if I missed anyone.
Stay Beautiful
D-Man
xoxo
ps: I will be trying to limit e-mail use & just update my blog instead. Feel free to add comments to my page (but try and keep it clean!)
I am in Bangkok & I am fine & well. I am staying in Chinatown on the border of India Town aka Little India on Maha Chai Rd...there is definately a lot more local colour than Khao San Rd.
I went for a two hour walk at lunch time & saw 6 white people. Bangkok is every bit as cool as I remember it, the traffic is worse than I remember, I saw a guy on a motorbike go under the rear wheel of a pickup truck that turned in front of him and get dragged about 20 feet, I picked up his bike while some locals pulled him into the shade for "roadside assistance" - good news, the motor bike guy was OK except for a broken foot (which he kinda deserved, as he wasn't wearing any shoes!).
As a solo male traveller, I have been receiving more offers for more crazy shit than one can imagine. Did a 5 km run on the grounds of the old Mangkok Special Metropolitan Prison today...I think I lost 5 pounds!
I have to run guys, I didn't have my piece of paper with everyones's e-mail addresses on it. so I am sorry if I missed anyone.
Stay Beautiful
D-Man
xoxo
ps: I will be trying to limit e-mail use & just update my blog instead. Feel free to add comments to my page (but try and keep it clean!)
Saturday, January 6, 2007
OMG - going away drinks
I am a lucky guy...
I had a wonderful send off at the Bat Cave, lots of really cool , nice people & my sister & twin brother there for some family moments.
It's about 8 hours until departure...I still haven't packed yet, but I know I can get anything I forget "in country". So everthing is just ace!
I am so excited about the places I am going to go, at this moment Angkor is drawing me like a magnet, but it is still over 5000kms away and I have 3 countries to traverse and several weeks before I get to Cambodia.
See you guys in Bankok!
I had a wonderful send off at the Bat Cave, lots of really cool , nice people & my sister & twin brother there for some family moments.
It's about 8 hours until departure...I still haven't packed yet, but I know I can get anything I forget "in country". So everthing is just ace!
I am so excited about the places I am going to go, at this moment Angkor is drawing me like a magnet, but it is still over 5000kms away and I have 3 countries to traverse and several weeks before I get to Cambodia.
See you guys in Bankok!
Friday, January 5, 2007
One Day To Liftoff
Less than 24 hours remain until I fly out of Melbourne. Packing and champagne need to begin with great haste...
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