Hello all we have arrived in Thailand, and are we ever happy. Don't get us wrong, we loved India and most of the experiences that we had there. India is a really interesting country, and has a lot going on. It is however more work than a happy vacation. You really need to watch out as most people will try to take advantage of you and over charge you. Getting from one place to the next is always nerve wracking, as you have no idea where you are going. So needless to say when we got off the plane in Bangkok and into the taxi to our hotel we were doing a happy dance in our seats. Again we loved India but this felt like the first time we were truly able to relax in a long time. Our last 12 days were spent in Darjeeling. We relaxed for days and only set out to explore the town when we felt like it. Seeing tea plantations, a zoo, mountaineering institute, and sampling the food that had more of an Asian taste than Indian, all contributed to a laid back feel. Life in Darjeeling is slower. We even saw a movie and took a visit to the Hospital.
We'll start with that last word first. As we're sure you'll all just skip down to that paragraph anyways. Liza had been experiencing severe back pain for quite some time. After several weeks of her dealing with it, we decided that this may not just be some kind of muscle spasm or pinched nerve and went to the hospital. The doctor saw us almost immediately and after a quick exam concluded that it was probably a muscular type of pain. He ordered an X-ray and ultrasound just to be safe. The X-ray was performed immediately. When we walked into the room there was an old machine with an analog display that looked like it had not been used since WW2. Liza changed into a stained gown and the X-ray was taken. We returned the next day, for the ultrasound. Liza had about a litre of water in her bladder and was ready to blow. Since we had to wait it became very uncomfortable and she just wanted to leave. It was probably just muscle pain any ways. After some reassurance she finally got into the Ultrasound room and was told that she was having gallbladder attacks and would have to have her gall bladder removed. Apparently this is not that much of an emergency and is able to wait until we get home. Our doctor has been informed and asked to schedule the surgery for our return. We were not having the surgery there was for sure. Especially since the bathrooms were the worst we had seen in all of India. That is pretty bad, considering. So that takes care of that story, now on to Darjeeling. The beautiful hill station, that is a vacation from India.
The Happy Valley tea plantation is were Harrods (exclusively) gets their tea. For those of you that don't know Harrods is a very expensive British store. They may still have a store in the Toronto Pearson Airport. We sat in a tea room waiting for a tour guide and were treated to a lovely cup of Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe #1 Tea (try and say that ten times fast). It is apparently the finest in the world especially since it was first flush (first pluck of the season). The pickers are given tea for home use, and we were sold some (under the table). The money we spent on it went directly to the workers and saved us a bundle on the stuff from the store. The tour took us through the factory and we saw the process from fresh leaves to separated fermented leaves ready for packaging. The bits are separated into 5 parts. From the whole tip (best), to the dust (lowest quality for tea bags). A quick tour but very educational.
The big thing to do in Darjeeling is walk. There are incredible views from every road. The views apparently get better at other times of the season. So good that you can see Kanchendzonga the worlds third highest mountain. The zoo is a great walk from our hotel. There are views of the valleys below at every turn. The zoo itself is probably one of the best in the world. The pens that the animals live in are very well maintained and are basically large walled in parts of forest. The zoo is responsible for some of the best captive breeding programs in the world, for rare Himalayan species such as the red panda and snow leopard. The tourists going through were quite irritating though. I saw an adult woman yelling at sleeping wolves to try and make them move. She was standing beside a sign written in English and Hindi saying: "Don't harass the animals" and "SHhhhhhhh". I guess some people never grow up. Attached to the zoo is the Himalayan mountaineering institute. There you can see a statue of Tenzing Norgay that was erected by Sir Edmund Hillary. Opposite this is the place where he was cremated. Tenzing Norgay was Hillary's Sherpa and the two were the first to ever summit Everest. I know not exactly the most exciting stuff, but it's probably the closest to Everest I'll ever get.
On another day we went to a place called Hayden Hall. It is a volunteer organization that helps to educate and gain employment for women from the villages. Aunt Joan volunteered here in 1979 as a nurse. We were able to meet with Noreen who was still there and remembered Joan fondly. She showed us photos of Joan (she looks the same) and we were taken on a tour. On the tour we bumped into a large group of children who were so interested in us. They all greeted us with Namastes and touched our hands, and our hearts too.
Two days after leaving Darjeeling we finally got to Kolkota. We meant to stay in a hotel but our taxi driver couldn't find it (Typical). So we spent the night in the airport. We are so looking forward to our three weeks here in Thailand. We already decided that we want to return. We are also really looking forward to returning home (except for that work thing)and seeing you all. This is probably our second last entry...
Until then take care.
Mark and Liza
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Cool Off
Well here we are in Darjeeling. After spending two weeks in the heat (45+) of Varanasi, we feel kind of cold. That's right-cold, and it's about 20 degrees here. Darjeeling seems like it's going to be amazing. Our room is the nicest we've had in a long time, and the temperature is right (once we get used to it). It seems there is a lot to do here as well: from tea plantation tours, hikes to himalayan view points and possibly white water rafting, to just strolling around enjoying the gardens, the zoo and the so far great food (of course). We may even check out a movie at the movie theatre. We are both very excited to explore this town.
Varanasi was an incredible experience. Leading up to it we were both getting a little tired of travelling, and so a rest seemed to be required. Varanasi was the right place to do it. At first Liza thought that she would get bored and stir crazy, but she came to appreciate the break and all that Varanasi had to offer. We went shopping several times and ended up having to buy yet another suitcase (we seem to have a problem).
We took boat rides. One in the evening and one in the morning (5:30am yikes). The boat makes it's way up the river so that you can see the Ghats. Along the ghats you get to see life unfold. People bathing, doing laundry, playing cricket, yoga sessions, bands playing, getting married and cremating their relatives. Seeing this was a real eye opener. There was even a body floating in the river. The boatman explained that this was a holy man and so was not cremated and left for the river to take away. It was explained later that holy people, children, and pregnant women are not cremated. It was difficult, and yet fascinating to see. All aspects of life and death are played out by the river side. I saw one woman doing laughing yoga. It was the eeriest thing I have ever seen. She sat in lotus on a pedestal and as she put her arms in the air she would laugh maniacally. It sent shivers up my spine. Also seen was a team of rollerskaters (not rollerbladers) going around a ring of neon coloured pylons, doing all sorts of funky tricks. This brought a smile to my face.
At Liza's urging I took some Tabla lessons. It was a great idea, and truly one of my highlights. My teacher (Mishra) was a talented young musician from a long line of famous musicians. He taught me the Tabla alphabet, and some words. He then told me that if I practiced these well that eventually I would be able to make my own sentences. Apperently the Tabla set I bought was of 'beginner' quality and he took me to his friends shop where the finest tablas in Varanasi are made. I didn't buy anything because mine are good enough to learn on and eventually I can save up and buy a really good set on line. Albeit at twice the cost.
Apparently most tourists only go to Varanasi for a few days, but we stayed. Since we stayed several shop keepers, and soldiers (they are everywhere) came to know us and smiled every time we walked by. We were probably the only tourists (or locals) that greeted them. It was fun walking through the alleys and hearing Namaste instead of come have a look at my shop. Don't get me wrong we got a lot of that too. Another highlight was seeing goats all over the place. One day we bought a loaf of bread and fed a bunch of the goats. We are now fantasising about getting a pet goat. We could make our own cheese and have a cool pet too.
Liza and I also met a lovely couple from Toronto and have been spending some time with them. It's nice to have friends and people to go meet for dinner dates and such. They came up to Darjeeling as well and we may go up to Sikim with them. We haven't decided. The only thing to do in Sikim is see incredible views of the Himalayas (if the weather is right). But it could be a chance to see some of the worlds highest peaks. Especially now that we aren't going to Nepal anymore. We will see.
Until next time.
Varanasi was an incredible experience. Leading up to it we were both getting a little tired of travelling, and so a rest seemed to be required. Varanasi was the right place to do it. At first Liza thought that she would get bored and stir crazy, but she came to appreciate the break and all that Varanasi had to offer. We went shopping several times and ended up having to buy yet another suitcase (we seem to have a problem).
We took boat rides. One in the evening and one in the morning (5:30am yikes). The boat makes it's way up the river so that you can see the Ghats. Along the ghats you get to see life unfold. People bathing, doing laundry, playing cricket, yoga sessions, bands playing, getting married and cremating their relatives. Seeing this was a real eye opener. There was even a body floating in the river. The boatman explained that this was a holy man and so was not cremated and left for the river to take away. It was explained later that holy people, children, and pregnant women are not cremated. It was difficult, and yet fascinating to see. All aspects of life and death are played out by the river side. I saw one woman doing laughing yoga. It was the eeriest thing I have ever seen. She sat in lotus on a pedestal and as she put her arms in the air she would laugh maniacally. It sent shivers up my spine. Also seen was a team of rollerskaters (not rollerbladers) going around a ring of neon coloured pylons, doing all sorts of funky tricks. This brought a smile to my face.
At Liza's urging I took some Tabla lessons. It was a great idea, and truly one of my highlights. My teacher (Mishra) was a talented young musician from a long line of famous musicians. He taught me the Tabla alphabet, and some words. He then told me that if I practiced these well that eventually I would be able to make my own sentences. Apperently the Tabla set I bought was of 'beginner' quality and he took me to his friends shop where the finest tablas in Varanasi are made. I didn't buy anything because mine are good enough to learn on and eventually I can save up and buy a really good set on line. Albeit at twice the cost.
Apparently most tourists only go to Varanasi for a few days, but we stayed. Since we stayed several shop keepers, and soldiers (they are everywhere) came to know us and smiled every time we walked by. We were probably the only tourists (or locals) that greeted them. It was fun walking through the alleys and hearing Namaste instead of come have a look at my shop. Don't get me wrong we got a lot of that too. Another highlight was seeing goats all over the place. One day we bought a loaf of bread and fed a bunch of the goats. We are now fantasising about getting a pet goat. We could make our own cheese and have a cool pet too.
Liza and I also met a lovely couple from Toronto and have been spending some time with them. It's nice to have friends and people to go meet for dinner dates and such. They came up to Darjeeling as well and we may go up to Sikim with them. We haven't decided. The only thing to do in Sikim is see incredible views of the Himalayas (if the weather is right). But it could be a chance to see some of the worlds highest peaks. Especially now that we aren't going to Nepal anymore. We will see.
Until next time.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Ghatvision
Hello. Since our last post we have gone to Agra and seen the Taj Mahal, shopped in Delhi and are now chilling in Varanasi.
Agra was one of those places that you just can't wait to get out of. The pressure from the touts is heavy. The menu is the same for every restaurant, although most have stunning views of the Taj. The Taj Mahal is worth it. The day we went happened to be a free day (National Heritage Day, thank you very much). That was great because it would have cost us 1500 rupees ($38 dollars total) to see it. That's enough to eat or sleep for three days. The building is stunning and it is really difficult to tell that it is over 400 years old. It's timeless. I won't bore you with the details. On the day we went there was also a Tamil movie being filmed there and we got to watch some of the acting take place. It seemed more like a soap opera than Bollywood. Other than the magnificence of the Taj the town didn't offer much. Liza did however get threading (the best way to get your eyebrows done, in her opinion) and now wants to learn how to do it.
When we arrived in Delhi it was 10:30 am. Our train to Varanasi wasn't until 8:30pm. We took advantage of the day by eating at a great cafe that had excellent pasta, real coffee (not Nescafe), and homemade ice cream. We also went shopping at FabIndia. It's India's answer to IKEA. The stuff was nice, but didn't strike us as particularly Indian. We spent the rest of the day shopping in the market and then headed back to the train station.
We arrived in Varanasi the following morning. We got a prepaid rickshaw to the hotel. The area where we are staying has a bunch of thin laneways closed to traffic. We were lead by our rickshaw driver to the hotel but it took a long time to get there. Walking with our sixty pound suit case (all souviners .... with another waiting for us in Bangkok) down these narrow cobblestone alleys was trying, to say the least. When we got to our hotel (Hotel Alka) we were pleasantly surprised by the incredible restaurant views of the Ganges, and the very helpful Leslie. We have two weeks to spend here but I don't think we'll get bored. All you have to do is walk out to the riverside and find a shady spot to sit. Let the magic of Varanasi do the rest. I call this Ghatvision. People are bathing and washing their clothes in the ganges. They are cooling there buffalo in the water, and of course cremating their relatives. I have sat and watched some children doing a swimming class in the river, while watching others play Cricket on the walkway. The river is incredibly polluted, but the faith of the people does not let that bother them. Varanasi is an incredible place to be. There is always something to see. As long as you are willing to sit and let life happen you are guaranteed to see things that will awe you, or perhaps just entertain you.
Liza and I have also been feeding the local goats. We really do love goats and if we can find the right country residential place to live, we might just buy one. Probably a pipe dream but it's nice to have dreams all the same. Until next time keep dreaming.
Agra was one of those places that you just can't wait to get out of. The pressure from the touts is heavy. The menu is the same for every restaurant, although most have stunning views of the Taj. The Taj Mahal is worth it. The day we went happened to be a free day (National Heritage Day, thank you very much). That was great because it would have cost us 1500 rupees ($38 dollars total) to see it. That's enough to eat or sleep for three days. The building is stunning and it is really difficult to tell that it is over 400 years old. It's timeless. I won't bore you with the details. On the day we went there was also a Tamil movie being filmed there and we got to watch some of the acting take place. It seemed more like a soap opera than Bollywood. Other than the magnificence of the Taj the town didn't offer much. Liza did however get threading (the best way to get your eyebrows done, in her opinion) and now wants to learn how to do it.
When we arrived in Delhi it was 10:30 am. Our train to Varanasi wasn't until 8:30pm. We took advantage of the day by eating at a great cafe that had excellent pasta, real coffee (not Nescafe), and homemade ice cream. We also went shopping at FabIndia. It's India's answer to IKEA. The stuff was nice, but didn't strike us as particularly Indian. We spent the rest of the day shopping in the market and then headed back to the train station.
We arrived in Varanasi the following morning. We got a prepaid rickshaw to the hotel. The area where we are staying has a bunch of thin laneways closed to traffic. We were lead by our rickshaw driver to the hotel but it took a long time to get there. Walking with our sixty pound suit case (all souviners .... with another waiting for us in Bangkok) down these narrow cobblestone alleys was trying, to say the least. When we got to our hotel (Hotel Alka) we were pleasantly surprised by the incredible restaurant views of the Ganges, and the very helpful Leslie. We have two weeks to spend here but I don't think we'll get bored. All you have to do is walk out to the riverside and find a shady spot to sit. Let the magic of Varanasi do the rest. I call this Ghatvision. People are bathing and washing their clothes in the ganges. They are cooling there buffalo in the water, and of course cremating their relatives. I have sat and watched some children doing a swimming class in the river, while watching others play Cricket on the walkway. The river is incredibly polluted, but the faith of the people does not let that bother them. Varanasi is an incredible place to be. There is always something to see. As long as you are willing to sit and let life happen you are guaranteed to see things that will awe you, or perhaps just entertain you.
Liza and I have also been feeding the local goats. We really do love goats and if we can find the right country residential place to live, we might just buy one. Probably a pipe dream but it's nice to have dreams all the same. Until next time keep dreaming.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Desert Shopping: A How To Guide.
Hello. Well here we are back in Delhi. Sitting in a hotel lobby passing time before our train to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal). We arrived at 5:30 am, and we are very tired and grumpy. At least our impatience has been united against the touts. Man are they getting on my nerves. Just because we stop on the side of the street to look around does not mean we need ten people running up to us to offer their rickshaw services or hotel, and we shouldn't have to say 'no' more than once. Oh it's going to be one of those days.
Well Jaisalmer was great, hot(40+), but great. We definitely didn't need six days there though. We spent most days relaxing, but ventured out a few times to shop see the sights and ride a camel to the Samm sand dunes. One day while we were walking towards a restaurant, we were summonded to a man's textile store. This happens about 50 times a day(wherever we are at least). We politely declined but the man was friendly and insisted that he had 'fixed prices' (meaning they were fair, no haggling and the prices were listed). We said we would look. Well needless to say, after 2 HOURS there, and his lessons on good quality and bad quality and his verbalizations on his hatred towards people who cheated tourists, we decided to buy some good quality items. We loaded up on loads of stuff and had to return the next day for some stuff that needed to be repaired or altered. The next day we went back and the stuff was not ready. We returned an hour later and the stuff was not repaired properly - it was sewn together half assed, and the quality was simply crappy. The guy we bought it off of was not there, and we had to get back for our camel safari. We told the boy running the shop that we would return later. When we returned to our hotel Liza approached the Hotel manager and asked him what he would pay for the items we had bought. He was shocked at what we paid (six times the normal rate)and laughed at the quality. He told us that the man was selling crap and that the stuff we bought would be thrown out by the women who made it. He told us that that man was a liar, and that he always cheated tourists. Liza was angry and the man told her to return the stuff and he would take us to a government run shop. He said that she needed to make noise to get her money back. For continuity I will talk about the camel safari after. After the camel trip we returned at 8:30 that night and I began asking the man for our money back as we where not happy with the work he had done or the fact that we now knew he had ripped us off terribly. Liza did not want to speak as she was shaking with anger. The man made the terrible mistake of insisting that she rather than me explain why we were returning the items. I was cheering for Liza and yet at the same time couldn't help feel a little sorry for the greedy salesman. Liza let him have it. She vented anger that had been building against scammers from seven countries. I think he was shocked that this sweet, witty funny woman from the night before was capable of standing up for herself, so strongly. We got our money back. He had no other option. I hope that teaches the greedy bugger. The following day the hotel manager took us to a government funded shop (apparently) and we paid way more but for much better quality. They took us through all the varying qualities of work and showed us how to tell the difference. It was obvious the stuff the other guy was selling was not even 1/2 the quality of the the stuff there.
The camel Safari was incredible. Most places including our hotel were charging about 1000 Rupees each for a sunset tour. This means you take a jeep out to the desert and then ride a camel for 30 minutes to the Sam sand dunes. You then watch the sunset and return. We went through the Tourism department and did it for 500 Rupees in total. Yay. Our driver seemed to be the biggest nerd in India. He stopped at several places to show us various plants and rocks in the desert. He even had fossilized shells in his pocket to show us that the region had once been an ocean. Lucky for us there was a Hindi tourist with us, because understanding geology and paleontology in Hindi is quite difficult. We were taken to a tent were we had chai and hopped on our camel. We were supposed to get one each but ended up having to share one. It was better this way as riding a camel is less comfortable than it looks. We rode it out to the sand dunes and watched one of the most amazing sunsets ever. The only downside was watching a middle aged man on a camel chug back a beer and then throw the empty bottle on the ground, adding it to the rest of the garbage every where.
We spent a couple more days touring the city and the fort. The fort is really quite amazing. It's about 850 years old, and as there are still cows everywhere it still feels like the middle ages, as you walk through the narrow lanes. We were going to check out the Maharajahs Palace but it seemed quite over priced. I think the most interesting aspect of it is the hand prints around the doorway. After the Maharajah's Death his wives placed there hand prints on the door way and jumped into his funeral Pyre. Rather morbid, and creepy to look at.
The next day we went to Johpur. On the train we shared a berth with an Indian man named Samjay. He was a military man and told us of his family. We had a lovely conversation that encompassed a lot about the differences in our cultures and the pros and cons of each. The next day we tried to get spices, but everyone was charging what the Indians call the white skin tax (we get charged this everywhere). That's no joke. It's expected that we pay more than locals. Fine. We don't mind paying more but not 7-10 times more. We got loads of spices (paid more but know it's the real thing) and a big suitcase (that broke) and then returned to our guesthouse. We then asked the guest house staff what we could expect to pay for stainless steel dinnerware. They told us and then went further by sending their mother with us to ensure that we were not ripped off. This was her first time as a tour guide and although she couldn't speak a word of English we could tell that she was beaming with pride to be able to do us this favour. We bought loads of stuff and then offered to get her a gift to thank her. She declined but we insisted. Her eyes went wide and she immediately grabbed a spice box (which turned out to be the most expensive thing on our list [$5]). We put our stuff aside and Liza was given some really nice glass bangles from the mother and we were invited for lunch. Liza had a glass of chai with them while I did an online job interview. They were really welcoming people and had two pet calves that stayed in their foyer.
We then hopped on a train to Delhi, and here we are. Off to Agra and then Varanessi. Only 2 minutes left at this internet cafe, so bye for now!!
Well Jaisalmer was great, hot(40+), but great. We definitely didn't need six days there though. We spent most days relaxing, but ventured out a few times to shop see the sights and ride a camel to the Samm sand dunes. One day while we were walking towards a restaurant, we were summonded to a man's textile store. This happens about 50 times a day(wherever we are at least). We politely declined but the man was friendly and insisted that he had 'fixed prices' (meaning they were fair, no haggling and the prices were listed). We said we would look. Well needless to say, after 2 HOURS there, and his lessons on good quality and bad quality and his verbalizations on his hatred towards people who cheated tourists, we decided to buy some good quality items. We loaded up on loads of stuff and had to return the next day for some stuff that needed to be repaired or altered. The next day we went back and the stuff was not ready. We returned an hour later and the stuff was not repaired properly - it was sewn together half assed, and the quality was simply crappy. The guy we bought it off of was not there, and we had to get back for our camel safari. We told the boy running the shop that we would return later. When we returned to our hotel Liza approached the Hotel manager and asked him what he would pay for the items we had bought. He was shocked at what we paid (six times the normal rate)and laughed at the quality. He told us that the man was selling crap and that the stuff we bought would be thrown out by the women who made it. He told us that that man was a liar, and that he always cheated tourists. Liza was angry and the man told her to return the stuff and he would take us to a government run shop. He said that she needed to make noise to get her money back. For continuity I will talk about the camel safari after. After the camel trip we returned at 8:30 that night and I began asking the man for our money back as we where not happy with the work he had done or the fact that we now knew he had ripped us off terribly. Liza did not want to speak as she was shaking with anger. The man made the terrible mistake of insisting that she rather than me explain why we were returning the items. I was cheering for Liza and yet at the same time couldn't help feel a little sorry for the greedy salesman. Liza let him have it. She vented anger that had been building against scammers from seven countries. I think he was shocked that this sweet, witty funny woman from the night before was capable of standing up for herself, so strongly. We got our money back. He had no other option. I hope that teaches the greedy bugger. The following day the hotel manager took us to a government funded shop (apparently) and we paid way more but for much better quality. They took us through all the varying qualities of work and showed us how to tell the difference. It was obvious the stuff the other guy was selling was not even 1/2 the quality of the the stuff there.
The camel Safari was incredible. Most places including our hotel were charging about 1000 Rupees each for a sunset tour. This means you take a jeep out to the desert and then ride a camel for 30 minutes to the Sam sand dunes. You then watch the sunset and return. We went through the Tourism department and did it for 500 Rupees in total. Yay. Our driver seemed to be the biggest nerd in India. He stopped at several places to show us various plants and rocks in the desert. He even had fossilized shells in his pocket to show us that the region had once been an ocean. Lucky for us there was a Hindi tourist with us, because understanding geology and paleontology in Hindi is quite difficult. We were taken to a tent were we had chai and hopped on our camel. We were supposed to get one each but ended up having to share one. It was better this way as riding a camel is less comfortable than it looks. We rode it out to the sand dunes and watched one of the most amazing sunsets ever. The only downside was watching a middle aged man on a camel chug back a beer and then throw the empty bottle on the ground, adding it to the rest of the garbage every where.
We spent a couple more days touring the city and the fort. The fort is really quite amazing. It's about 850 years old, and as there are still cows everywhere it still feels like the middle ages, as you walk through the narrow lanes. We were going to check out the Maharajahs Palace but it seemed quite over priced. I think the most interesting aspect of it is the hand prints around the doorway. After the Maharajah's Death his wives placed there hand prints on the door way and jumped into his funeral Pyre. Rather morbid, and creepy to look at.
The next day we went to Johpur. On the train we shared a berth with an Indian man named Samjay. He was a military man and told us of his family. We had a lovely conversation that encompassed a lot about the differences in our cultures and the pros and cons of each. The next day we tried to get spices, but everyone was charging what the Indians call the white skin tax (we get charged this everywhere). That's no joke. It's expected that we pay more than locals. Fine. We don't mind paying more but not 7-10 times more. We got loads of spices (paid more but know it's the real thing) and a big suitcase (that broke) and then returned to our guesthouse. We then asked the guest house staff what we could expect to pay for stainless steel dinnerware. They told us and then went further by sending their mother with us to ensure that we were not ripped off. This was her first time as a tour guide and although she couldn't speak a word of English we could tell that she was beaming with pride to be able to do us this favour. We bought loads of stuff and then offered to get her a gift to thank her. She declined but we insisted. Her eyes went wide and she immediately grabbed a spice box (which turned out to be the most expensive thing on our list [$5]). We put our stuff aside and Liza was given some really nice glass bangles from the mother and we were invited for lunch. Liza had a glass of chai with them while I did an online job interview. They were really welcoming people and had two pet calves that stayed in their foyer.
We then hopped on a train to Delhi, and here we are. Off to Agra and then Varanessi. Only 2 minutes left at this internet cafe, so bye for now!!
Friday, April 10, 2009
All You Need Is Love
Hello and welcome to another post. Since last time, we've been to see the wonder of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, gotten our Chakras straight in Rishikesh, visited the father of the Nation in Dehli and have arrived in the ancient town of Jaisalmer.
Amritser is a fairly unattractive town, but the Golden Temple is amazing. You walk in to this complex (after washing your feet, of course) and are immediately greeted with a view of this gleaming golden structure in the middle of a large man made pond. It is amazing to watch all the throngs of people with their multi coloured sari's and turbans. They are there on a pilgrimage, but they all look like they are on a picnic. It's religion without taking it's self too seriously. Really wonderful and relaxed place to be. After visiting the temple, we stopped by a music store where I bought a set of tablas (Indian drums). They have been a bitch to carry around but I am so excited to get home and play them. The day before we had gone to a Hindu temple (Matta Temple) where women go to pray for a baby (yes we said our own prayers:). The temple is like walking through an old fun house with mirrors, and streams, and tunnels. The colours were vibrant as usual, and we were welcomed to sit in the main prayer room where people chanted and prayed to the woman who founded the temple. We politely declined, and enjoyed the experience as observers. After this we treated ourselves to a box (!!!) of Indian sweets - a different way for BOTH of us to look pregnant.
On our last day we went to the Pakistan/India border town of Attari, and watched the border closing ceremony. It was extremely hot, and security was intense. The bleachers are surrounded by sand bags. Liza got fully frisked and patted down in a screened area twice. The second time she had to explain what her SheWee was (www.shewee.com). The security lady was confused but let it slide. Each side has bleachers where the spectators sit and watch as the border guards march around and face each other off. Our side easily had 5 times more spectators than the Pakistani, but we seemed to be quieter. Hearing hundreds of Muslims chanting "Allah who Akbar" (God is Great) in unison is very eerie and not something you want to hear when travelling by air. It sent shivers up my spine.
So then we took a train to Hardiwar, and a bus to Rishikesh. This is the town made famous by The Beatles. They came in the sixties for an ashram stay and apparently wrote most of the White Album there. Needless to say this is a HIPPIE town and there are yoga and meditation classes everywhere. I went to the Maharishi Yogi Ashram, where The Beatles had stayed. It is now abandoned and overgrown by forest. It is fenced off by the Indian Forestry Department. I had to pay a security guard 50 Rps. to see it. He told me that I had to be quiet about it as he could lose his job. I think he is quite an entrepreneurial man. Inside I came upon an older hippie couple laying on a bench. The guy looked like Jerry Garcia. They were smoking a joint and appeared to be enjoying the calm and tranquility of the place. The huts that the ashramites stayed in looked like the Ewok village on ground. It was a pretty neat place. Wandering around looking at old toilets I couldn't help but wonder if one of the Fab Four had used it. I took pictures just in case. As interesting as an abandoned bunch of buildings is I never got the sense of The White album. In other words I never saw a Strawberry field. Maybe I should have asked Jerry for a toke.
On the next night I went to a rooftop classical Indian music concert. It was amazing to see the music being played live and for the first time ever I saw a man play a nose sitar. Basically he hummed out his nose and it sounded like a sitar if you closed your eyes. For the finale we were treated to Indian dance. The lady moved beautifullly through the stories while a man sang them over tablas and a harmonium. The walk home was a little nerve racking as it was pitch black and cows monkeys and stray dogs were every where. I made it home safe enough. The worst thing that happened was I stepped in a cow pattie. Shitty.
On the next day we headed across this huge suspension bridge. On the bridge Liza was attacked by a bull. Actually it just moved it's head, but it bruised her abdomen with it's horn. It could have been much worse. I never trusted those things anyways, but now we give them an extra wide berth. We went for coffee and breakfast and then spent the day shopping. We also booked a yoga class for the next day our last. The class was really quite enjoyable. I have been to several, but they all seem to be about the poses. Yoga is much more and Mootrie (our teacher) was able to share some of the philosophy involved, as well as the stretches and breathing exercises. With our body and souls aligned we headed to the bus station. Our Rickshaw had 12 people and a baby in it. People were sitting on one another and Liza and I practically had to stick our heads out the window to make room. From there we took an equally crowded bus were a lady sat on the floor and slept against Liza's leg. When we got to the train station we waited five hours for our train to Delhi. During the wait I was attacked by a monkey. Actually it was a baby monkey who grabbed on to my leg. I was concerned at first (rabies) but there was no wound it had just startled me. Maybe it thought I was it's daddy.
With only eight hours to spend in Delhi we stored our bags and took a rickshaw to the Gandhi Memorial. It is in the place where he was assassinated. The path to his memorial is supposed to retrace his final steps, at the end of which there is a flame burning and what looks like a tomb. We then went to the Gandhi Museum where you can see his blood stained clothes that he was shot in and all his worldly possessions. There were also many pictures, showing his life. It was quite morbid, but it also showed how simple a life he lived. He was a true leader who sacrificed everything he could for his people. Made me think a lot of our leaders who travel in super premium class and eat thousand dollar a plate dinners, all on our dime and in our name.
We then took a train to Jaisalmer. This is a desert town. Camels are everywhere and we plan to ride them tomorrow to the sand dunes. All the buildings are sand coloured and it feels more like we are in the Mid East than in India. As we were arriving on the train there was a gentleman who used our berth to charge his phone. He appeared to be a government engineer, or something. There was an earthquake about 30 kms. from Jaisalmer and he was calling people for damage reports. When he got off the train he was saluted by a soldier and his bags carried for him. I was just shown a newspaper report from the man beside me showing that a little damage was reported and a person was injured from rocks falling from a crumbling building. Nothing too severe but apparently there may be an aftershock in the next twenty four hours. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Well that's it for now look forward to hearing from you all and talk to ya soon.
MArk and Liza
Amritser is a fairly unattractive town, but the Golden Temple is amazing. You walk in to this complex (after washing your feet, of course) and are immediately greeted with a view of this gleaming golden structure in the middle of a large man made pond. It is amazing to watch all the throngs of people with their multi coloured sari's and turbans. They are there on a pilgrimage, but they all look like they are on a picnic. It's religion without taking it's self too seriously. Really wonderful and relaxed place to be. After visiting the temple, we stopped by a music store where I bought a set of tablas (Indian drums). They have been a bitch to carry around but I am so excited to get home and play them. The day before we had gone to a Hindu temple (Matta Temple) where women go to pray for a baby (yes we said our own prayers:). The temple is like walking through an old fun house with mirrors, and streams, and tunnels. The colours were vibrant as usual, and we were welcomed to sit in the main prayer room where people chanted and prayed to the woman who founded the temple. We politely declined, and enjoyed the experience as observers. After this we treated ourselves to a box (!!!) of Indian sweets - a different way for BOTH of us to look pregnant.
On our last day we went to the Pakistan/India border town of Attari, and watched the border closing ceremony. It was extremely hot, and security was intense. The bleachers are surrounded by sand bags. Liza got fully frisked and patted down in a screened area twice. The second time she had to explain what her SheWee was (www.shewee.com). The security lady was confused but let it slide. Each side has bleachers where the spectators sit and watch as the border guards march around and face each other off. Our side easily had 5 times more spectators than the Pakistani, but we seemed to be quieter. Hearing hundreds of Muslims chanting "Allah who Akbar" (God is Great) in unison is very eerie and not something you want to hear when travelling by air. It sent shivers up my spine.
So then we took a train to Hardiwar, and a bus to Rishikesh. This is the town made famous by The Beatles. They came in the sixties for an ashram stay and apparently wrote most of the White Album there. Needless to say this is a HIPPIE town and there are yoga and meditation classes everywhere. I went to the Maharishi Yogi Ashram, where The Beatles had stayed. It is now abandoned and overgrown by forest. It is fenced off by the Indian Forestry Department. I had to pay a security guard 50 Rps. to see it. He told me that I had to be quiet about it as he could lose his job. I think he is quite an entrepreneurial man. Inside I came upon an older hippie couple laying on a bench. The guy looked like Jerry Garcia. They were smoking a joint and appeared to be enjoying the calm and tranquility of the place. The huts that the ashramites stayed in looked like the Ewok village on ground. It was a pretty neat place. Wandering around looking at old toilets I couldn't help but wonder if one of the Fab Four had used it. I took pictures just in case. As interesting as an abandoned bunch of buildings is I never got the sense of The White album. In other words I never saw a Strawberry field. Maybe I should have asked Jerry for a toke.
On the next night I went to a rooftop classical Indian music concert. It was amazing to see the music being played live and for the first time ever I saw a man play a nose sitar. Basically he hummed out his nose and it sounded like a sitar if you closed your eyes. For the finale we were treated to Indian dance. The lady moved beautifullly through the stories while a man sang them over tablas and a harmonium. The walk home was a little nerve racking as it was pitch black and cows monkeys and stray dogs were every where. I made it home safe enough. The worst thing that happened was I stepped in a cow pattie. Shitty.
On the next day we headed across this huge suspension bridge. On the bridge Liza was attacked by a bull. Actually it just moved it's head, but it bruised her abdomen with it's horn. It could have been much worse. I never trusted those things anyways, but now we give them an extra wide berth. We went for coffee and breakfast and then spent the day shopping. We also booked a yoga class for the next day our last. The class was really quite enjoyable. I have been to several, but they all seem to be about the poses. Yoga is much more and Mootrie (our teacher) was able to share some of the philosophy involved, as well as the stretches and breathing exercises. With our body and souls aligned we headed to the bus station. Our Rickshaw had 12 people and a baby in it. People were sitting on one another and Liza and I practically had to stick our heads out the window to make room. From there we took an equally crowded bus were a lady sat on the floor and slept against Liza's leg. When we got to the train station we waited five hours for our train to Delhi. During the wait I was attacked by a monkey. Actually it was a baby monkey who grabbed on to my leg. I was concerned at first (rabies) but there was no wound it had just startled me. Maybe it thought I was it's daddy.
With only eight hours to spend in Delhi we stored our bags and took a rickshaw to the Gandhi Memorial. It is in the place where he was assassinated. The path to his memorial is supposed to retrace his final steps, at the end of which there is a flame burning and what looks like a tomb. We then went to the Gandhi Museum where you can see his blood stained clothes that he was shot in and all his worldly possessions. There were also many pictures, showing his life. It was quite morbid, but it also showed how simple a life he lived. He was a true leader who sacrificed everything he could for his people. Made me think a lot of our leaders who travel in super premium class and eat thousand dollar a plate dinners, all on our dime and in our name.
We then took a train to Jaisalmer. This is a desert town. Camels are everywhere and we plan to ride them tomorrow to the sand dunes. All the buildings are sand coloured and it feels more like we are in the Mid East than in India. As we were arriving on the train there was a gentleman who used our berth to charge his phone. He appeared to be a government engineer, or something. There was an earthquake about 30 kms. from Jaisalmer and he was calling people for damage reports. When he got off the train he was saluted by a soldier and his bags carried for him. I was just shown a newspaper report from the man beside me showing that a little damage was reported and a person was injured from rocks falling from a crumbling building. Nothing too severe but apparently there may be an aftershock in the next twenty four hours. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Well that's it for now look forward to hearing from you all and talk to ya soon.
MArk and Liza
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Kolkota to Amritsar
We have just arrived in Amritsar. This is the Sikh capital. Home of the Sikh's holiest Temple the Golden Temple. We have just gotten off the train, after having spent 5 days in Kolkota.
Kolkota is a huge city. Over 15 million people. Walking around the streets, there are people every where. Poverty is very in your face, and the second you walk out the door of your guest house you are tailed by beggars. It's very hard to see.
Our first day we went to the Indian Museum and a Bengali movie, called Challenge.
The museum was what you would imagine the museums looked like in your grandparents day. Many of the display cases are relics themselves. There was a mummy and lots of animals in formaldehyde. Also a huge collection of sculptures. Which were quite fascinating. The Movie was awesome. We (read I) expected to want out half way through, but found it entertaining. Even though there were no subtitles we fully understood what was happening. The movie had it all. Fighting, comedy and yes, dancing. The fight sequences were so bad that even I was praying for more dancing. We can't wait to see our next Bollywood movie.
The following day we went shopping. I never thought I would say this but Sari shopping was kind of cool. Liza and I sat on these stools as the staff sat on raised mattresses before us and showed us all the multicoloured beautiful wares. When we eventually returned to buy a couple they even offered us chai (the best yet), and helped Liza try them on. In the mall we stumbled upon the Sindhi (regional group of Indians) New Year celebration. There was music and one of the band members put his hat on me and started playing music. I had no choice but to dance. They went from shop to shop, offering blessings and playing music, while the shop owners danced with open joy. One of the first things we have noticed about the Indian people, is how inclusive they are. They take great pride in sharing their culture with everyone.
The following day we hopped on the subway and went to the Kali Ghat. This is the most holy temple in Kolkota (for the Hindi). We were taken on a tour by a Brahman (so he said). He gave us blessings, and then tricked us into making a donation. Kinda like putting a piece of shit on a chocolate sundae, instead of the cherry.
Next day we went to the Mother Theresa house. We were never asked to make a donation, we were just welcome to come and see and sit. We also had the opportunity to participate in a mass, with the sisters. Seeing Mother Theresa's small room and reading of all her selfless acts, was very inspiring. It was a very powerful place to be and Liza and I both had to fight back tears. After that we took a Taxi to Science City. For those of you from Toronto, it's kind of like the Science Centre and the CNE from about twenty years ago all rolled into one, and then divided by 50. It was awesome. We even went on a roller coaster. I think I was the only person screaming...
The next day was our departure day. We stayed in our hotel room until they kicked us out, and then headed to Howrah Train Station. This is India's biggest train station. We waited there for the 4 hours before our train arrived and then we were off. The train was just what we were hoping for. We had our own berth all to ourselves and food and chai were brought to us regularly. The staff seemed to come more than was necessary to clean our berth, but it was probably to do with wanting a tip, and a bit of curiosity.
The one thing we really seem to notice is people (men) are blatantly staring at us. This happens all the time. I don't think that it's me as much as Liza that they are staring at. I am constantly glaring at people. They eventually look up at me and then look away, but come on guys, get a life. At least if you're going to stare, keep your eyes at eye level. We are in a much smaller place now and so we will see if that changes. I doubt it.
Well that's where we are now. Hope every one is doing well and can't wait to hear from you all.
Mark
Kolkota is a huge city. Over 15 million people. Walking around the streets, there are people every where. Poverty is very in your face, and the second you walk out the door of your guest house you are tailed by beggars. It's very hard to see.
Our first day we went to the Indian Museum and a Bengali movie, called Challenge.
The museum was what you would imagine the museums looked like in your grandparents day. Many of the display cases are relics themselves. There was a mummy and lots of animals in formaldehyde. Also a huge collection of sculptures. Which were quite fascinating. The Movie was awesome. We (read I) expected to want out half way through, but found it entertaining. Even though there were no subtitles we fully understood what was happening. The movie had it all. Fighting, comedy and yes, dancing. The fight sequences were so bad that even I was praying for more dancing. We can't wait to see our next Bollywood movie.
The following day we went shopping. I never thought I would say this but Sari shopping was kind of cool. Liza and I sat on these stools as the staff sat on raised mattresses before us and showed us all the multicoloured beautiful wares. When we eventually returned to buy a couple they even offered us chai (the best yet), and helped Liza try them on. In the mall we stumbled upon the Sindhi (regional group of Indians) New Year celebration. There was music and one of the band members put his hat on me and started playing music. I had no choice but to dance. They went from shop to shop, offering blessings and playing music, while the shop owners danced with open joy. One of the first things we have noticed about the Indian people, is how inclusive they are. They take great pride in sharing their culture with everyone.
The following day we hopped on the subway and went to the Kali Ghat. This is the most holy temple in Kolkota (for the Hindi). We were taken on a tour by a Brahman (so he said). He gave us blessings, and then tricked us into making a donation. Kinda like putting a piece of shit on a chocolate sundae, instead of the cherry.
Next day we went to the Mother Theresa house. We were never asked to make a donation, we were just welcome to come and see and sit. We also had the opportunity to participate in a mass, with the sisters. Seeing Mother Theresa's small room and reading of all her selfless acts, was very inspiring. It was a very powerful place to be and Liza and I both had to fight back tears. After that we took a Taxi to Science City. For those of you from Toronto, it's kind of like the Science Centre and the CNE from about twenty years ago all rolled into one, and then divided by 50. It was awesome. We even went on a roller coaster. I think I was the only person screaming...
The next day was our departure day. We stayed in our hotel room until they kicked us out, and then headed to Howrah Train Station. This is India's biggest train station. We waited there for the 4 hours before our train arrived and then we were off. The train was just what we were hoping for. We had our own berth all to ourselves and food and chai were brought to us regularly. The staff seemed to come more than was necessary to clean our berth, but it was probably to do with wanting a tip, and a bit of curiosity.
The one thing we really seem to notice is people (men) are blatantly staring at us. This happens all the time. I don't think that it's me as much as Liza that they are staring at. I am constantly glaring at people. They eventually look up at me and then look away, but come on guys, get a life. At least if you're going to stare, keep your eyes at eye level. We are in a much smaller place now and so we will see if that changes. I doubt it.
Well that's where we are now. Hope every one is doing well and can't wait to hear from you all.
Mark
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The New World
Namaste everyone. Liza and I have arrived safely in India. We spent a week in Chiang Mai and a couple of days in Bangkok.
Our 12 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai was relatively uneventful. I felt sick a lot of it and had to sleep for a couple of hours. Someone threw up all over the aisle about eight rows back, which of course made it worse. Got to our guest house in Chiang Mai, where Liza went to bed. I went downstairs for a beer to salute St. Patrick in the beautiful court yard. Two days later we moved to the guest house across the way. It was the same price but with a TV.
I went for a walk on one day and saw four of the 300 temples. Even I am starting to get tired of temple pictures. The highlight was a Monk in a glass box meditating. I could not believe my eyes. This man was in a full trance inside a glass box. My shutter finger was getting very itchy but I could not bring myself to take a picture of this. It took a lot to just get up close for a close up, which is when I realized he was made of wax. I still couldn't take a picture, it was very powerful. This was to honour a monk who has since passed away, but there were photographs of him giving his own wax statue a blessing.
The next day we did yet another cooking course. This one (Baan Thai) was the best one yet. They gave us fruit plates so we could taste some of the fruits we hadn't been brave enough to try yet, and a recipe book. A real recipe book, not a photocopy of Internet printouts. It was a full day and we took breaks between meals. Still at the end we could not finish our dishes, and ended up having to waddle our bloated selves to our taxi. The food was delicious (although mostly deep fried), and we met a few really nice people in the class.
Walking down the street one day we came upon a dental shop that offered laser tooth whitening. I was only 9000 Baht, which is about 300 dollars. A good deal... very good deal. We were informed that we might have sensitive teeth for the next day. That didn't sound too bad so we gave it a try. The whitening included a cleaning and a foot massage. After about 4 passes (15 minutes) it started to feel like someone was hooking live wires to my teeth. They had to stop and made a mold of my teeth so I could do the milder home version. For the next 5 hours I kept getting these zings of pain through my teeth. Liza made it through ten passes. Our teeth do appear a lot whiter now, though I don't think I'm going to be doing tooth paste commercials any time soon.
The other thing we did was go to the hospital to get rabies vaccinations. Apparently rabies is epidemic in India, and they don't exactly have ideal medical facilities here. The rabies treatment is non existent. We were amazed to see how well the hospitals in Thailand operated. They were very top of the line. The service we got was also incredible, and included a checkup. We got our first shot but after finding out that there was no way to keep the subsequent two shots refrigerated we had to abandon the plan. New plan... Don't touch animals.
We took a train to Bangkok, and stayed there two days while waiting for our flight to India. Bangkok was alright. Khao san was not at all as crazy as I had anticipated. I think the only thing to say about Bangkok is it's very seedy.
Well here we are in Kolkota. We were prepared for the worst, and are at our most vigilant. We have been very pleasantly surprised. The people of India have been wonderful. When we got to the airport we had to hire a taxi through the prepaid booth. This is literally a hole in the wall just big enough to stick your hand through. Kinda like making a crack deal?
We arrived at our guest house, and while we were settling in to our room there was a knock on the door. The manager wanted me to come with him. I was concerned at first that he was upset that I gave him wrong passport numbers. He took me to a window and pointed to an elderly man that I had passed on the way into the hotel. He asked if it was this man that had taken me to the hotel. I said no, I already knew that I wanted to stay at his hotel before I even left Bangkok, and that this was were I had asked the taxi to take me. He yelled at the now three men now waiting at the entrance, and they looked up hurt. I asked the manager if he wanted a commission to which he replied yes. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, and started to return to the room. I then turned to the manager and explained that as I walked in the man outside had said Tourist Inn, to which I replied yes that's where I'm going. He just shook his head. At first I was a little nervous about three guys hanging outside the hotel that thought I owed them money and then something in me changed. I will not be intimidated into giving out my money to scammers. And as if to make I point I made a point of meeting eyes with the man on our way to dinner.
As we finished our dinner the power on the street went out. We headed back to our guest house and found the lights out there too. We were invited by a couple of the staff to sit and wait for the lights to return. They were upgrading the power on the street and they were expecting power within an hour and a half. The two gentlemen told us of all the good and bad things in India. They told us some of their life stories and were genuinely welcoming, and helpful. This was another one of those real experiences, we both craved, and has set the tone for India.... Hopefully. Kolkota is apparently the cheapest place, but also the worst place for scams and thefts, and so if we can handle this then we are in for a wonderful surprise.
Our 12 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai was relatively uneventful. I felt sick a lot of it and had to sleep for a couple of hours. Someone threw up all over the aisle about eight rows back, which of course made it worse. Got to our guest house in Chiang Mai, where Liza went to bed. I went downstairs for a beer to salute St. Patrick in the beautiful court yard. Two days later we moved to the guest house across the way. It was the same price but with a TV.
I went for a walk on one day and saw four of the 300 temples. Even I am starting to get tired of temple pictures. The highlight was a Monk in a glass box meditating. I could not believe my eyes. This man was in a full trance inside a glass box. My shutter finger was getting very itchy but I could not bring myself to take a picture of this. It took a lot to just get up close for a close up, which is when I realized he was made of wax. I still couldn't take a picture, it was very powerful. This was to honour a monk who has since passed away, but there were photographs of him giving his own wax statue a blessing.
The next day we did yet another cooking course. This one (Baan Thai) was the best one yet. They gave us fruit plates so we could taste some of the fruits we hadn't been brave enough to try yet, and a recipe book. A real recipe book, not a photocopy of Internet printouts. It was a full day and we took breaks between meals. Still at the end we could not finish our dishes, and ended up having to waddle our bloated selves to our taxi. The food was delicious (although mostly deep fried), and we met a few really nice people in the class.
Walking down the street one day we came upon a dental shop that offered laser tooth whitening. I was only 9000 Baht, which is about 300 dollars. A good deal... very good deal. We were informed that we might have sensitive teeth for the next day. That didn't sound too bad so we gave it a try. The whitening included a cleaning and a foot massage. After about 4 passes (15 minutes) it started to feel like someone was hooking live wires to my teeth. They had to stop and made a mold of my teeth so I could do the milder home version. For the next 5 hours I kept getting these zings of pain through my teeth. Liza made it through ten passes. Our teeth do appear a lot whiter now, though I don't think I'm going to be doing tooth paste commercials any time soon.
The other thing we did was go to the hospital to get rabies vaccinations. Apparently rabies is epidemic in India, and they don't exactly have ideal medical facilities here. The rabies treatment is non existent. We were amazed to see how well the hospitals in Thailand operated. They were very top of the line. The service we got was also incredible, and included a checkup. We got our first shot but after finding out that there was no way to keep the subsequent two shots refrigerated we had to abandon the plan. New plan... Don't touch animals.
We took a train to Bangkok, and stayed there two days while waiting for our flight to India. Bangkok was alright. Khao san was not at all as crazy as I had anticipated. I think the only thing to say about Bangkok is it's very seedy.
Well here we are in Kolkota. We were prepared for the worst, and are at our most vigilant. We have been very pleasantly surprised. The people of India have been wonderful. When we got to the airport we had to hire a taxi through the prepaid booth. This is literally a hole in the wall just big enough to stick your hand through. Kinda like making a crack deal?
We arrived at our guest house, and while we were settling in to our room there was a knock on the door. The manager wanted me to come with him. I was concerned at first that he was upset that I gave him wrong passport numbers. He took me to a window and pointed to an elderly man that I had passed on the way into the hotel. He asked if it was this man that had taken me to the hotel. I said no, I already knew that I wanted to stay at his hotel before I even left Bangkok, and that this was were I had asked the taxi to take me. He yelled at the now three men now waiting at the entrance, and they looked up hurt. I asked the manager if he wanted a commission to which he replied yes. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, and started to return to the room. I then turned to the manager and explained that as I walked in the man outside had said Tourist Inn, to which I replied yes that's where I'm going. He just shook his head. At first I was a little nervous about three guys hanging outside the hotel that thought I owed them money and then something in me changed. I will not be intimidated into giving out my money to scammers. And as if to make I point I made a point of meeting eyes with the man on our way to dinner.
As we finished our dinner the power on the street went out. We headed back to our guest house and found the lights out there too. We were invited by a couple of the staff to sit and wait for the lights to return. They were upgrading the power on the street and they were expecting power within an hour and a half. The two gentlemen told us of all the good and bad things in India. They told us some of their life stories and were genuinely welcoming, and helpful. This was another one of those real experiences, we both craved, and has set the tone for India.... Hopefully. Kolkota is apparently the cheapest place, but also the worst place for scams and thefts, and so if we can handle this then we are in for a wonderful surprise.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Fire on the Mountain
Hello all, Mark here writing to you from Udon Thani, Thailand. Since we last wrote we have driven through out of control brushfires at insane speeds, gotten loaded while tubing down a river making friends, and spent a few days holed up in a hotel getting over our bugs.
From Luang Prabang we took a mini van back to Vang Vieng, where we were going to give tubing another shot and enjoy the really good pancakes. The mini bus drove so fast that I seriously thought our driver had something wrong with him. At our first stop I even mentioned to another passenger that perhaps if we all say something together he might slow down. She got on another van instead, and apperently had a much smoother ride. It started getting very smoky and we were flying around these tight mountainous roads. At one point we stopped, and when I looked up I noticed that the road ahead was blocked by opaque smoke and there was a 30 foot fire on the side of the road. The driver started backing up, but then decided to go forward. The 2 ladies in front of us started to get very nervous and then Liza put her foot down. She said, "whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa .... stop, i'm taking control now." She did this becasue most people on the bus were petrified, and the bus driver didn't really seem sure as to what to do. She was thanked later on! We stopped for a few moments and the driver started to say something along the lines of it's okay, the fire is gone. The Aussie guy in front of me (Brad) also stated that it should be fine, as they were controlled brush fires. Other cars started to come through the smoke from the other side, which was when I started to relax a bit. My main fear was the visibility. If we started to drive in to the smoke and it became too thick we would have been in a lot of trouble. Instead it cleared up in about 30 feet and all was fine. We passed crazy fires on either side of the road, one was even hitting the power lines. Liza was on fire in the van as far as her joke telling and set the whole van at ease. We ended up making friends with the two dutch ladies and Brad, and made plans to meet the following day for some tubing action.
The next day at about 12:30 we met with Brad. One of the other ladies had taken ill (this is what I call foreshadowing). We got our tubes and headed to the jump off. We made friends with the others in the Tuk Tuk as well. Last time we did the tubing we were the only ones on the river. This time it was like a full on party. I felt a little old but took on the attitude that this was my party. We had many drinks and and Brad and I tried eating wasps. We had to spit them out because no matter how much we chewed, there was no way to get them down. about half way down the river were the last bar is we hired a boat to return us. I really don't remember much from this point on. Liza and I met with Brad and Kathryn (another one of the tubers from the Tuk Tuk) for dinner. After this we went to a full moon party. Except for Kathryn we tuckered out by about 11:30 and headed home. I remember waking up at about 6:00 am and waking Liza up to say, "hey where's the money belt?" (contains money and passports). It was nowhere to be seen. We looked everywhere and started to assume the worst. We went down to the front desk and checked. We questioned the kids in our hallway... Nothing. We were going to have to cancel our trip and return home, then I looked at the bed and noticed something sticking out from behind the mattress ... saved again. We both have no idea how it go there, but St. Christopher and St. Anthony came through for us again! We did learn a valuable lesson though. We learned how important that stuff is, and how screwed we would be if we lost it. As if to hammer the meaning in I saw a young girl crying in the internet cafe next door. She was on the phone (Skype) with her embassy, she had lost her passport, credit cards and money.
Later that day we were supposed to be getting on a bus to Vientiane. I had to get the tickets changed for the next day. I was burning up, my throat hurt and my stomach and butt were doing weird things. The bit of hang over probably didn't help either. I was okay for the next day. But when we woke in Vientiane the following day I was really having stomach problems. For a second I started thinking malaria, and then I remembered how I felt the morning after chicken wings from Tags in Whitehorse on several occasions. The next day I wasn't much better so I started taking antibiotics for Travellers Diarhea. It's been three days but today I feel much better.
Tommorow we will be taking a bus to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. We plan on spending a few days there, and then taking the night train to Bangkok. A few days in Bangkok and then we are off to INDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From Luang Prabang we took a mini van back to Vang Vieng, where we were going to give tubing another shot and enjoy the really good pancakes. The mini bus drove so fast that I seriously thought our driver had something wrong with him. At our first stop I even mentioned to another passenger that perhaps if we all say something together he might slow down. She got on another van instead, and apperently had a much smoother ride. It started getting very smoky and we were flying around these tight mountainous roads. At one point we stopped, and when I looked up I noticed that the road ahead was blocked by opaque smoke and there was a 30 foot fire on the side of the road. The driver started backing up, but then decided to go forward. The 2 ladies in front of us started to get very nervous and then Liza put her foot down. She said, "whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa .... stop, i'm taking control now." She did this becasue most people on the bus were petrified, and the bus driver didn't really seem sure as to what to do. She was thanked later on! We stopped for a few moments and the driver started to say something along the lines of it's okay, the fire is gone. The Aussie guy in front of me (Brad) also stated that it should be fine, as they were controlled brush fires. Other cars started to come through the smoke from the other side, which was when I started to relax a bit. My main fear was the visibility. If we started to drive in to the smoke and it became too thick we would have been in a lot of trouble. Instead it cleared up in about 30 feet and all was fine. We passed crazy fires on either side of the road, one was even hitting the power lines. Liza was on fire in the van as far as her joke telling and set the whole van at ease. We ended up making friends with the two dutch ladies and Brad, and made plans to meet the following day for some tubing action.
The next day at about 12:30 we met with Brad. One of the other ladies had taken ill (this is what I call foreshadowing). We got our tubes and headed to the jump off. We made friends with the others in the Tuk Tuk as well. Last time we did the tubing we were the only ones on the river. This time it was like a full on party. I felt a little old but took on the attitude that this was my party. We had many drinks and and Brad and I tried eating wasps. We had to spit them out because no matter how much we chewed, there was no way to get them down. about half way down the river were the last bar is we hired a boat to return us. I really don't remember much from this point on. Liza and I met with Brad and Kathryn (another one of the tubers from the Tuk Tuk) for dinner. After this we went to a full moon party. Except for Kathryn we tuckered out by about 11:30 and headed home. I remember waking up at about 6:00 am and waking Liza up to say, "hey where's the money belt?" (contains money and passports). It was nowhere to be seen. We looked everywhere and started to assume the worst. We went down to the front desk and checked. We questioned the kids in our hallway... Nothing. We were going to have to cancel our trip and return home, then I looked at the bed and noticed something sticking out from behind the mattress ... saved again. We both have no idea how it go there, but St. Christopher and St. Anthony came through for us again! We did learn a valuable lesson though. We learned how important that stuff is, and how screwed we would be if we lost it. As if to hammer the meaning in I saw a young girl crying in the internet cafe next door. She was on the phone (Skype) with her embassy, she had lost her passport, credit cards and money.
Later that day we were supposed to be getting on a bus to Vientiane. I had to get the tickets changed for the next day. I was burning up, my throat hurt and my stomach and butt were doing weird things. The bit of hang over probably didn't help either. I was okay for the next day. But when we woke in Vientiane the following day I was really having stomach problems. For a second I started thinking malaria, and then I remembered how I felt the morning after chicken wings from Tags in Whitehorse on several occasions. The next day I wasn't much better so I started taking antibiotics for Travellers Diarhea. It's been three days but today I feel much better.
Tommorow we will be taking a bus to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. We plan on spending a few days there, and then taking the night train to Bangkok. A few days in Bangkok and then we are off to INDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, March 6, 2009
All things Laos
We are in Laos now and loving it!! I'm pretty sure I speak for both Liza and I when I say this is our favorite. Laos seems to be everything we thought travel would be. Walking down streets lined with temples, exchanging smiles and greetings with the very friendly locals. The art and people make for picture perfect sights at every turn.
I will start with our departure from Vietnam. On our second last night we went to the Red Bridge Cooking School. It was one of the better cooking courses we have done so far. It included a tour of the market, and a boat ride up the Mekong river. The market tour was awesome. Our guide Su Su was hilarious. She showed us all the right produce to make amazing meals and help our libido's. Woo - Hoo. We then took a boat ride up the Mekong to the cooking school. We saw lots of rural Vietnamese life, and of course rice patties. The meals we prepared tasted wonderful, and the chef that led the class had a great dry sense of humour, that made me laugh lots. The next day we took a bus to a town called Hue. From here we were supposed to get a bus the next day to Savannakhet, Laos. All the buses seemed to be full. We thought we were going to be stuck in this fairly boring town.
We found a lady across from our hotel that sold us two tickets. Now we have read horror stories about this bus ride and we were very nervous. Tourists have been stuck sitting on the floor and then left at the border waiting for another bus. Sometimes they will put you on a nice bus to the border, and then put you on a overcrowded local bus. Well someone was watching over us. We were on a local bus but we had seats the whole way, and it wasn't over crowded. Upon arriving in Savannakhet it was like having a weight lifted off our chests. There was an immediate change in the feel in Laos. The people of Vietnam all seem to want to knock you ever to get to the front of the line all the while helping themselves to your money with their ridiculous overcharging of tourists. In Laos we were offered local prices for just about everything and treated with smiles and honesty.
Our first night in Savannakhet we went for a walk and drink with two Japanese men (Hiroki, and Masami) we had met on the bus. They were really cool, and we enjoyed having them be a part of our travels. The following day we went to a dinosaur museum. It was very small, but we were given the tour by the curator and the local paleontologist. He even showed us a french documentary that he was in. Two days later we took a bus to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
In Vientiane we eventually (our Tuk Tuk driver got lost) got to our hotel which was a bit of a splurge (swanky). I woke up the following morning feeling a little ill. I went and toured all the sites, and then when I got back to the hotel I was bed ridden. It must have been some kind of flu. I was up the next day, but still not 100% (I couldn't eat). The next day I was back to normal, and hungry. We took a bus on this day to Vang Vieng.
Vang Vieng was like the young tourist mecca. I don't know if I'm getting old but the town was full of young twenty year olds. They all thought that they were "The complete traveller." The truth is all they wanted to do was get drunk and get laid. The Laotian people are very modest, and all the hotels have posters, indicating rules for respectable behaviour. These rules are posted, and written everywhere. So what makes these kids think it's okay to walk down the street in a bikini, and no shirt for the guys. Couldn't they feel the glares of the locals as they passed them? These kids were literally spitting in the face of their hosts. I went for a walk down the main back packer area one night and was amazed to see a bunch of kids in open air bars watching re-runs of Friends. It was at this point that I realized that all the joys of "the backpacker" life that I was looking forward to was just a trend. They all read the Lonely Planet and follow it like a bible, while learning nothing of the countries they are visiting. I could go on a big rant here but I will curb it. Actually I will finish it with the tale of this last character I met. I am walking out of the woods (Liza is back at the hotel, we got a lot of sun this day) and come upon this guy exiting another trail. I ask him where he is coming from and he tells me he was at this temple all day, reading Siddhartha. He then asked me where I was staying. I told him I was staying in a bigger hotel as it was time to spoil ourselves. He then went on to tell me how he has stopped consuming so much. He says consumerism is ruining the earth. He then goes on to tell me that he travels for six months every year, to avoid Sweden's winters. I guess you don't need to consume so much if you are well off enough to travel like that every year. I just found this to be pompous bullshit. This guy was so pleased with himself, it's as though he didn't realize the hypocrisy he was living.
Anyways Vang Vieng was awesome other than that. Tubing down the Nam song river was the highlight. You sit in tubes and float down the river, stopping at bars that are set up along the way. We stopped at one where we were offered free shots of Lao Lao (local homemade rice whisky). A great and scenic journey. We both got too much sun, but oh well. Liza spent one day in the hotel dealing with the same illness I had just gotten over (sorry honey). Another highlight was the Chocolate, Banana, Coconut pancakes we had for dessert every night.
We are now in Luang Prabang. This is the artsy town of Laos. Silk and textiles everywhere, as well as beautiful temples, and boutique hotels. We will enjoy this for a while and then I believe we will go back to Vientiane, and then to Bangkok. We'll see, there are so many options that it changes all the time. We are both getting a bit of travellers fatigue but we are still enjoying every day. Thanks for following and we look forward to seeing you all.
Mark
I will start with our departure from Vietnam. On our second last night we went to the Red Bridge Cooking School. It was one of the better cooking courses we have done so far. It included a tour of the market, and a boat ride up the Mekong river. The market tour was awesome. Our guide Su Su was hilarious. She showed us all the right produce to make amazing meals and help our libido's. Woo - Hoo. We then took a boat ride up the Mekong to the cooking school. We saw lots of rural Vietnamese life, and of course rice patties. The meals we prepared tasted wonderful, and the chef that led the class had a great dry sense of humour, that made me laugh lots. The next day we took a bus to a town called Hue. From here we were supposed to get a bus the next day to Savannakhet, Laos. All the buses seemed to be full. We thought we were going to be stuck in this fairly boring town.
We found a lady across from our hotel that sold us two tickets. Now we have read horror stories about this bus ride and we were very nervous. Tourists have been stuck sitting on the floor and then left at the border waiting for another bus. Sometimes they will put you on a nice bus to the border, and then put you on a overcrowded local bus. Well someone was watching over us. We were on a local bus but we had seats the whole way, and it wasn't over crowded. Upon arriving in Savannakhet it was like having a weight lifted off our chests. There was an immediate change in the feel in Laos. The people of Vietnam all seem to want to knock you ever to get to the front of the line all the while helping themselves to your money with their ridiculous overcharging of tourists. In Laos we were offered local prices for just about everything and treated with smiles and honesty.
Our first night in Savannakhet we went for a walk and drink with two Japanese men (Hiroki, and Masami) we had met on the bus. They were really cool, and we enjoyed having them be a part of our travels. The following day we went to a dinosaur museum. It was very small, but we were given the tour by the curator and the local paleontologist. He even showed us a french documentary that he was in. Two days later we took a bus to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
In Vientiane we eventually (our Tuk Tuk driver got lost) got to our hotel which was a bit of a splurge (swanky). I woke up the following morning feeling a little ill. I went and toured all the sites, and then when I got back to the hotel I was bed ridden. It must have been some kind of flu. I was up the next day, but still not 100% (I couldn't eat). The next day I was back to normal, and hungry. We took a bus on this day to Vang Vieng.
Vang Vieng was like the young tourist mecca. I don't know if I'm getting old but the town was full of young twenty year olds. They all thought that they were "The complete traveller." The truth is all they wanted to do was get drunk and get laid. The Laotian people are very modest, and all the hotels have posters, indicating rules for respectable behaviour. These rules are posted, and written everywhere. So what makes these kids think it's okay to walk down the street in a bikini, and no shirt for the guys. Couldn't they feel the glares of the locals as they passed them? These kids were literally spitting in the face of their hosts. I went for a walk down the main back packer area one night and was amazed to see a bunch of kids in open air bars watching re-runs of Friends. It was at this point that I realized that all the joys of "the backpacker" life that I was looking forward to was just a trend. They all read the Lonely Planet and follow it like a bible, while learning nothing of the countries they are visiting. I could go on a big rant here but I will curb it. Actually I will finish it with the tale of this last character I met. I am walking out of the woods (Liza is back at the hotel, we got a lot of sun this day) and come upon this guy exiting another trail. I ask him where he is coming from and he tells me he was at this temple all day, reading Siddhartha. He then asked me where I was staying. I told him I was staying in a bigger hotel as it was time to spoil ourselves. He then went on to tell me how he has stopped consuming so much. He says consumerism is ruining the earth. He then goes on to tell me that he travels for six months every year, to avoid Sweden's winters. I guess you don't need to consume so much if you are well off enough to travel like that every year. I just found this to be pompous bullshit. This guy was so pleased with himself, it's as though he didn't realize the hypocrisy he was living.
Anyways Vang Vieng was awesome other than that. Tubing down the Nam song river was the highlight. You sit in tubes and float down the river, stopping at bars that are set up along the way. We stopped at one where we were offered free shots of Lao Lao (local homemade rice whisky). A great and scenic journey. We both got too much sun, but oh well. Liza spent one day in the hotel dealing with the same illness I had just gotten over (sorry honey). Another highlight was the Chocolate, Banana, Coconut pancakes we had for dessert every night.
We are now in Luang Prabang. This is the artsy town of Laos. Silk and textiles everywhere, as well as beautiful temples, and boutique hotels. We will enjoy this for a while and then I believe we will go back to Vientiane, and then to Bangkok. We'll see, there are so many options that it changes all the time. We are both getting a bit of travellers fatigue but we are still enjoying every day. Thanks for following and we look forward to seeing you all.
Mark
Monday, February 23, 2009
4 down 3 to go
Well hello, Mark here leaving another post. Since we last left word we have visited two more cities in Vietnam: Nha Trang, and Hoi An. These two towns are what I was expecting from Vietnam and am glad that they delivered.
We took the train from HCMC to Nha Trang. It was the loudest train ride either of us have ever been on. The TV was playing Vietnamese movies, and the speakers were cranked. Even I had to wear ear plugs. Once we arrived in Nha Trang we walked to our guest house, and pretty well went immediately to bed after showers. Upon waking we went to the dive shop to book our night dive. Don't know if I've mentioned but Liza and I have been trying to do a night dive since we left Canada. We are looking to satisfy a dare (put forth by Steve Bell) as well as our own curiosity about marine night life. After booking that for the following evening we wandered around the town and enjoyed a culinary experience (Pizza), and then relax the day away.
The next day we went to a place to do a mud bath. You sit in these large concrete tubs and they fill it with mud. After that you dry in the sun and then shower. Following this you sit in a hot mineral spring bath, and soak. Quite a nice experience, and well worth it. Only downfall the two local teens being just a bit inappropriate. Kinda reminded me of the Takhini Hot Springs:). That night we went and got geared up for our night dive. We walked across the main road with tanks and weight belts (quite a work out). Upon getting to the beach the waves were coming in pretty hard. We tried anyways but were rejected by the sea. The dive company agreed to let us try again the following evening.
So we went to a little french restaurant. The chef (a young vietnamese woman) apparently won the best young french chef of 2004. I don't know if that was local, national or international, but the food was excellent. Liza had been planning this special meal for a few days - We were served up a nine course meal on one plate "for darlings to share." The meal was complete with a bottle of french wine. The pate was incredible and the meal was finished off with a vietnamese coffee and rice liquor.
The coffee here is so good. I have been looking for this coffee they have called Weasel coffee (Ca fe Chon). Apperently the beans are fed to weasels and then regurgitated. This gives the coffee a distinctive taste and is apperently considered the best coffee in the world. It is difficult to find and quite expensive. Apperently only 400 pounds of the stuff are produced a year and 1 pound costs more than a hundred dollars. An alternative is the gold legend coffee. It is not real weasel coffee, but with careful bean selection and roasting, they are able to reproduce the flavor. I saw one package of this, but figured I would find it elsewhere... I haven't. I can order it online but it is way more expensive. I will keep my eyes open today.
The next evening we walked by the beach on our way to the dive shop and the waves were just as mean looking. We went to the dive shop and as soon as they saw us they were already shaking their heads 'no.'. We decided that I would go for a day dive the next day and Liza would have a quiet day of her own. Liza is getting a bit bored of the coral diving (she wants something new!)and it's important for us to have seperate days on occasion:). At 7:20 am I took off for the boat and sailed to the dive spot. It's a small protected marine park about a 45 minute boat ride away. I befriended a british couple on the boat and we shared stories of our travel. The first dive was just okay. I didn't see anything too interesting and it seemed I was on the begginer team. The other divers kept kicking up silt and were not controlling their buoyancy well. I was the same when I started. The second dive was much better as I decided to venture off a bit and explore the many corral formations more closely. I did almost lose my dive master a couple of times but really enjoyed the freedom anyways. After this dive I began speaking with one of the two guys I was diving with only to find out that he was from Greece. I was able to practice my greek and was pleasantly surprised by how easily it flowed. Thanks Dad. It was really a great day of diving and I was able to see a Cuttle fish that wasn't on my dinner plate, the largest eel I have ever seen, and christmas tree worms(beautiful).
After the dive I returned to Liza and we went shopping. We found an art gallery that had silk stitching. It was all very nice but the shipping would have been very expensive. Some of these pieces took 3 years to make. We were taken to a work shop to watch people learning to do this. It seemed like painstaking work. Before we left Nha trang we stopped at a brew pub for a pint. It was very good beer. (Darcy I took pictures just for you). We returned to our hotel and then took a sleeper bus to Hoi An. It was difficult to sleep in this thing as it was so top heavy it felt as if it would flip on every corner.
We arrived in Hoi An at about six am and walked to our guest house. The town is really small and has streets lined with silk shops where you can get a tailor made suit for about 70 usd. Silk lanterns and pillowcases, everywhere on these old thin roads lined with french colonial buildings. It is quite a scene, and really is stereotypical Vietnam, for the first time. We were able to do some shopping at a fair trade cooperative, that employed disabled vietnamese people. They were really lovely people and very helpful. Tonight we are doing a cooking class, and then tommorow we take a bus to Hue. Hue was the capital in ancient times. The following day we head for Laos.
I guess this is a farewell to the chapter of Vietnam. Other than the few scammers, and rude ones, I think the people are the kindest smiling souls. The food is some of the best I've had, and everywhere there is something to catch your eye. Liza voted Vietnam last on her list of favourite places - constantly being ripped off really turned her off. I really have enjoyed my time in Vietnam and would love to return someday. Farewell.
We took the train from HCMC to Nha Trang. It was the loudest train ride either of us have ever been on. The TV was playing Vietnamese movies, and the speakers were cranked. Even I had to wear ear plugs. Once we arrived in Nha Trang we walked to our guest house, and pretty well went immediately to bed after showers. Upon waking we went to the dive shop to book our night dive. Don't know if I've mentioned but Liza and I have been trying to do a night dive since we left Canada. We are looking to satisfy a dare (put forth by Steve Bell) as well as our own curiosity about marine night life. After booking that for the following evening we wandered around the town and enjoyed a culinary experience (Pizza), and then relax the day away.
The next day we went to a place to do a mud bath. You sit in these large concrete tubs and they fill it with mud. After that you dry in the sun and then shower. Following this you sit in a hot mineral spring bath, and soak. Quite a nice experience, and well worth it. Only downfall the two local teens being just a bit inappropriate. Kinda reminded me of the Takhini Hot Springs:). That night we went and got geared up for our night dive. We walked across the main road with tanks and weight belts (quite a work out). Upon getting to the beach the waves were coming in pretty hard. We tried anyways but were rejected by the sea. The dive company agreed to let us try again the following evening.
So we went to a little french restaurant. The chef (a young vietnamese woman) apparently won the best young french chef of 2004. I don't know if that was local, national or international, but the food was excellent. Liza had been planning this special meal for a few days - We were served up a nine course meal on one plate "for darlings to share." The meal was complete with a bottle of french wine. The pate was incredible and the meal was finished off with a vietnamese coffee and rice liquor.
The coffee here is so good. I have been looking for this coffee they have called Weasel coffee (Ca fe Chon). Apperently the beans are fed to weasels and then regurgitated. This gives the coffee a distinctive taste and is apperently considered the best coffee in the world. It is difficult to find and quite expensive. Apperently only 400 pounds of the stuff are produced a year and 1 pound costs more than a hundred dollars. An alternative is the gold legend coffee. It is not real weasel coffee, but with careful bean selection and roasting, they are able to reproduce the flavor. I saw one package of this, but figured I would find it elsewhere... I haven't. I can order it online but it is way more expensive. I will keep my eyes open today.
The next evening we walked by the beach on our way to the dive shop and the waves were just as mean looking. We went to the dive shop and as soon as they saw us they were already shaking their heads 'no.'. We decided that I would go for a day dive the next day and Liza would have a quiet day of her own. Liza is getting a bit bored of the coral diving (she wants something new!)and it's important for us to have seperate days on occasion:). At 7:20 am I took off for the boat and sailed to the dive spot. It's a small protected marine park about a 45 minute boat ride away. I befriended a british couple on the boat and we shared stories of our travel. The first dive was just okay. I didn't see anything too interesting and it seemed I was on the begginer team. The other divers kept kicking up silt and were not controlling their buoyancy well. I was the same when I started. The second dive was much better as I decided to venture off a bit and explore the many corral formations more closely. I did almost lose my dive master a couple of times but really enjoyed the freedom anyways. After this dive I began speaking with one of the two guys I was diving with only to find out that he was from Greece. I was able to practice my greek and was pleasantly surprised by how easily it flowed. Thanks Dad. It was really a great day of diving and I was able to see a Cuttle fish that wasn't on my dinner plate, the largest eel I have ever seen, and christmas tree worms(beautiful).
After the dive I returned to Liza and we went shopping. We found an art gallery that had silk stitching. It was all very nice but the shipping would have been very expensive. Some of these pieces took 3 years to make. We were taken to a work shop to watch people learning to do this. It seemed like painstaking work. Before we left Nha trang we stopped at a brew pub for a pint. It was very good beer. (Darcy I took pictures just for you). We returned to our hotel and then took a sleeper bus to Hoi An. It was difficult to sleep in this thing as it was so top heavy it felt as if it would flip on every corner.
We arrived in Hoi An at about six am and walked to our guest house. The town is really small and has streets lined with silk shops where you can get a tailor made suit for about 70 usd. Silk lanterns and pillowcases, everywhere on these old thin roads lined with french colonial buildings. It is quite a scene, and really is stereotypical Vietnam, for the first time. We were able to do some shopping at a fair trade cooperative, that employed disabled vietnamese people. They were really lovely people and very helpful. Tonight we are doing a cooking class, and then tommorow we take a bus to Hue. Hue was the capital in ancient times. The following day we head for Laos.
I guess this is a farewell to the chapter of Vietnam. Other than the few scammers, and rude ones, I think the people are the kindest smiling souls. The food is some of the best I've had, and everywhere there is something to catch your eye. Liza voted Vietnam last on her list of favourite places - constantly being ripped off really turned her off. I really have enjoyed my time in Vietnam and would love to return someday. Farewell.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Gooooooooooood morning Vietnam.
Well hello all. Mark writing this time. Liza is beside me talking with Hazel. Oh SKYPE you awesome creation you. Well we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) last Tuesday. We get off the bus and are immediately surrounded by taxi cab drivers offering us a lift. I ask a driver to show me where we are on the map. He shows me an area several blocks from the hotel that we had reserved. So we agree to get in his cab as he has a meter. Before we know it (2 mins.) we are up to 8 dollars USD. The meter is going like the dash computer in the Delorian. Liza and I start saying things like this is expensive and tell the driver that we might have to get out as we didn't have very much money on us. He drops us off at the hotel (12 USD later). we pay him and as we are checking in we mention how much it cost to the hotel clerk. She was shocked. It is at this moment that Liza notices that I have forgotten a package on the bus. I get the hotel clerk to draw me a map to get back to the bus stop. It is literally a 1 minute walk from the hotel. Good job Vietnam with those first impressions. The bus is gone and all the offices closed, so I consider the package lost. We set the alarm for 5:30 am so I can run back to the bus stop to try one more time. I speak with this very nice lady who tells me to return at 9:30am. I do, and after her frantically speaking on the phone and radio she turns to me and smiles, saying she found it. I almost wanted to kiss her. She told me to return at 11:30 at which time the driver would bring me the package. There was a lot of praying to ST. Christopher during this. He has never let us down, even though we thought he was the patron saint of lost things. He is actually the patron saint of Travellers (which makes sense as well. St Anthony is the patron saint of lost things, in case you're wondering.) So it's easy to paint a whole society because of the minority (no matter how visible that minority is), but there are some lovely people here.
We stayed the first 5 days in HCMC, in the backpacker area... and it's quite nice. There are street vendors every where. You can get a belly busting feed for less than 3 dollars. every night for a week and never have the same meal twice. It truely is a culinary heaven. I can't wait for Hoi An. We'll be doing a cooking class there. The coffee in Vietnam is some of the best I've ever had. It's strong and people like to put sweetened cream in it. So the food is delicious and I'm learning how to barter with people about the cost of it.
We spent three days in My Tho (pronounced Me-Tah). It's a small town along the Mekong Delta. The Mekong is huge, it makes the Yukon river look like a stream. There really wasn't much to do in this town. You can do river cruises but we never got around to it. I went to a snake farm for a day. It's run by the Vietnamese army. They use the snakes for their venom (making anti-venom). I saw snakes eating frogs and was offered a cobra for lunch. I had to decline (unfortunately) as I didn't have enough money on me at the time. The following day we returned to HCMC. We took the local bus to and from.
Tommorrow we have to go to the Indian Consolate to pick up our Indian Visa's. After that we are taking a train to Nha Trang. Here we will do a night dive, and have a good time. Nha Trang is the top diving and party spot in Vietnam. After a few days we will head to Hoi An. This is the cultural centre of the country.... Maybe. Lots of arts and silk for sale, cooking classes, and fine dining. After that we will head to Laos. Today we decided to not go to Hanoi and instead go to Laos a few days early. The bus ride from Hanoi is 24 hrs, and we have heard far too many horror stories. like tourist being stuck sitting on the floor, or being stranded in the middle of nowhere. This way we break the bus ride up into a couple of days and apparently the people of Laos are not as likely to rip you off. It's sad that we have to think that way but when it comes to transport, Vietnam is #1 for scams.
I hope that this finds every one well, and would love to hear tales of your adventures.
With love;
Mark and Liza
We stayed the first 5 days in HCMC, in the backpacker area... and it's quite nice. There are street vendors every where. You can get a belly busting feed for less than 3 dollars. every night for a week and never have the same meal twice. It truely is a culinary heaven. I can't wait for Hoi An. We'll be doing a cooking class there. The coffee in Vietnam is some of the best I've ever had. It's strong and people like to put sweetened cream in it. So the food is delicious and I'm learning how to barter with people about the cost of it.
We spent three days in My Tho (pronounced Me-Tah). It's a small town along the Mekong Delta. The Mekong is huge, it makes the Yukon river look like a stream. There really wasn't much to do in this town. You can do river cruises but we never got around to it. I went to a snake farm for a day. It's run by the Vietnamese army. They use the snakes for their venom (making anti-venom). I saw snakes eating frogs and was offered a cobra for lunch. I had to decline (unfortunately) as I didn't have enough money on me at the time. The following day we returned to HCMC. We took the local bus to and from.
Tommorrow we have to go to the Indian Consolate to pick up our Indian Visa's. After that we are taking a train to Nha Trang. Here we will do a night dive, and have a good time. Nha Trang is the top diving and party spot in Vietnam. After a few days we will head to Hoi An. This is the cultural centre of the country.... Maybe. Lots of arts and silk for sale, cooking classes, and fine dining. After that we will head to Laos. Today we decided to not go to Hanoi and instead go to Laos a few days early. The bus ride from Hanoi is 24 hrs, and we have heard far too many horror stories. like tourist being stuck sitting on the floor, or being stranded in the middle of nowhere. This way we break the bus ride up into a couple of days and apparently the people of Laos are not as likely to rip you off. It's sad that we have to think that way but when it comes to transport, Vietnam is #1 for scams.
I hope that this finds every one well, and would love to hear tales of your adventures.
With love;
Mark and Liza
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Thank you Cambodia
Hello everyone! Mark is reading a book on our beach bungalow deck, and I am in a tiny internet room with a few geckos. I am really excited to share our experiences in Cambodia with you all - it has been amazing and I think Mark would agree that we are leaving large pieces of our hearts behind here.
From Singapore, we took a plane to the capital of Cambodia, Phonm Penh, via a brief stopover in Thailand. From the moment we stepped off the plane, the magic began. Riding down the busy streets in Tuk Tuks, sharing smiles with children yelling 'hello' from the side of the road, and listening to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, our emotions ran in every direction. Prior to coming here, we had read a book (can't remember the name) about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime -- it was a collection of children's memories. It moved me to tears on more then one occasion. Needless to say, I was already invested in Cambodia prior to our arrival.
For those who, like I was, are not aware who/what the Khmer Rouge was, I will give you a brief summary as I understand it. This summary will not do it justice, and really, the passion and compassion will likely be lost in these words --- but when we return we can talk more about it!On December 31st, 1975, the Khmer Rouge (like an army, but really Cambodian teenage solders; under the leader Pol Pot) made all the Cambodians living in the city leave for the country. They told them that the Americans were going to bomb the city, and that they needed to leave for a few days - it was not an option to stay. What inevitably happened was that they were all separated into groups (men, woman, children), forced to work in rice fields, starved, beaten, and killed. Killing was the solution to everything - you complained, dead; you looked the wrong way, dead; you were educated, dead; you looked like you stole a grain of rice, dead. About 2 million Cambodians were killed in 3 years. Of course, those that were not killed were tortured. The Vietnamese eventually over took the Khmer Rouge, and the Cambodians slowly returned to their destroyed cities to find what ever family they might have had left. I still can't believe that this happened in my lifetime.
It is important to mention this history in order to appreciate what Cambodia is today. Not a day goes by that I am moved to tears by the smiling faces of people who experienced hell. The Cambodians wounds are still fresh, but you will not see any of them complain. The cities are developing, the traditional arts (that were forbidden and destroyed) have started to rebuild their roots, and the people continue to survive. No matter what happened in the past, they never forget, but they keep moving forward --- and smile the whole time doing it!!! One cannot help but discuss the differences between the Cambodians and some of the people we work with .... but that conversation is for another day!
Having had some understanding of the recent history it was essential, in fact mandatory, that Mark and I visit Prison S-21 and the killing fields. Prison S-21 was a high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a prison, complete with torture rooms. Mark and I walked in and around the torture rooms -- we saw the battery boxes that the prisoners used as a toilet, and the iron claps that kept them chained to their 'beds.' We also saw the exact items used to torture the innocent inmates and the pictures of how the (dead) bodies were found in the room. It was horrific and, for me, a life changing experience. There were other rooms with rows upon rows upon rows of pictures of men, women, and children that had been killed at the prison (the Khmer Rouge kept notes and data). Mark and I were only able to make it to the second room -- seeing the children proved to be too much for us to handle. The air was thick at Prison S-21, and we knew we were walking with ghosts. Although the last killing was about 30 years ago, the fear of death is still alive there.
The prison has rightly been renamed the Genocide Museum.
After wiping our eyes and taking deep breaths, we went to the killing fields. These are huge fields with big divots in them .... bodies were just thrown there and left to rot. Seeing them reminded me of seeing the bodies being thrown on each other during Hitler's regime. There was also a monument there, filled with the skulls of the bodies that were later found in the fields. We payed our respects and, exhausted from emotion, headed home to our guest house. The ride home was silent.
*************************************
Despite seeing some pretty heartbreaking things, Mark and I were also able to explore and have some fun! We left Phomn Phen and went to Siem Riep -- we went to the Russian Market where we saw REAL fresh fish for sale .... so fresh it was still jumping! We also went to a mall and got a detox and played a few games of bowling!!! There is no 10 pin in Whitehorse so needless to say, I was soooooooooo excited!
We spent a day seeing some of the temples of and around Ankor Wat and Mark was in heaven. He has a real interest in the temples and I would do an injustice trying to even talk about what we saw! The pictures are up on facebook ....
We also took a Khmer cooking class which was great fun! We made 2 dishes each and despite not writing the recipes down, have a pretty good idea what to make when we are itching for some Cambodian food. The class did not teach us how to make fried crickets or tarantulas, but have no fear, Mark and I were still able to try them! During our bus ride to Siem Reap we stopped at a roadside market. Crickets, beetles, tarantulas .... you name it, they had it! And we bought it! We tried the crickets and spider, but not the beetles. The cricket was gross but the spider was sweet. I tried a leg, but Mark went straight for the arse and abdomen. He didn't like it.
Following Siem Reap we went to Shianoukville, where we are now. We are staying at the beach, in a bungalow, just relaxing until Vietnam (2 days). Our time in Cambodia is coming to an end, but we will not say goodbye when we leave; instead, until we meet again.
As many of you know, I was really looking forward to volunteering at an orphanage during our time here. After doing some research and being completely disgusted at some orphanages being used as ''tourist sightseeing destinations" I did some soul searching. I decided that now is not the time -- 2 weeks volunteering would be for me, not for the children, and that is not what my goal is. There will be a next time.
Thanks for reading and for commenting! We love hearing your thoughts and miss you all!
Until Vietnam,
Liza
From Singapore, we took a plane to the capital of Cambodia, Phonm Penh, via a brief stopover in Thailand. From the moment we stepped off the plane, the magic began. Riding down the busy streets in Tuk Tuks, sharing smiles with children yelling 'hello' from the side of the road, and listening to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, our emotions ran in every direction. Prior to coming here, we had read a book (can't remember the name) about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime -- it was a collection of children's memories. It moved me to tears on more then one occasion. Needless to say, I was already invested in Cambodia prior to our arrival.
For those who, like I was, are not aware who/what the Khmer Rouge was, I will give you a brief summary as I understand it. This summary will not do it justice, and really, the passion and compassion will likely be lost in these words --- but when we return we can talk more about it!On December 31st, 1975, the Khmer Rouge (like an army, but really Cambodian teenage solders; under the leader Pol Pot) made all the Cambodians living in the city leave for the country. They told them that the Americans were going to bomb the city, and that they needed to leave for a few days - it was not an option to stay. What inevitably happened was that they were all separated into groups (men, woman, children), forced to work in rice fields, starved, beaten, and killed. Killing was the solution to everything - you complained, dead; you looked the wrong way, dead; you were educated, dead; you looked like you stole a grain of rice, dead. About 2 million Cambodians were killed in 3 years. Of course, those that were not killed were tortured. The Vietnamese eventually over took the Khmer Rouge, and the Cambodians slowly returned to their destroyed cities to find what ever family they might have had left. I still can't believe that this happened in my lifetime.
It is important to mention this history in order to appreciate what Cambodia is today. Not a day goes by that I am moved to tears by the smiling faces of people who experienced hell. The Cambodians wounds are still fresh, but you will not see any of them complain. The cities are developing, the traditional arts (that were forbidden and destroyed) have started to rebuild their roots, and the people continue to survive. No matter what happened in the past, they never forget, but they keep moving forward --- and smile the whole time doing it!!! One cannot help but discuss the differences between the Cambodians and some of the people we work with .... but that conversation is for another day!
Having had some understanding of the recent history it was essential, in fact mandatory, that Mark and I visit Prison S-21 and the killing fields. Prison S-21 was a high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a prison, complete with torture rooms. Mark and I walked in and around the torture rooms -- we saw the battery boxes that the prisoners used as a toilet, and the iron claps that kept them chained to their 'beds.' We also saw the exact items used to torture the innocent inmates and the pictures of how the (dead) bodies were found in the room. It was horrific and, for me, a life changing experience. There were other rooms with rows upon rows upon rows of pictures of men, women, and children that had been killed at the prison (the Khmer Rouge kept notes and data). Mark and I were only able to make it to the second room -- seeing the children proved to be too much for us to handle. The air was thick at Prison S-21, and we knew we were walking with ghosts. Although the last killing was about 30 years ago, the fear of death is still alive there.
The prison has rightly been renamed the Genocide Museum.
After wiping our eyes and taking deep breaths, we went to the killing fields. These are huge fields with big divots in them .... bodies were just thrown there and left to rot. Seeing them reminded me of seeing the bodies being thrown on each other during Hitler's regime. There was also a monument there, filled with the skulls of the bodies that were later found in the fields. We payed our respects and, exhausted from emotion, headed home to our guest house. The ride home was silent.
*************************************
Despite seeing some pretty heartbreaking things, Mark and I were also able to explore and have some fun! We left Phomn Phen and went to Siem Riep -- we went to the Russian Market where we saw REAL fresh fish for sale .... so fresh it was still jumping! We also went to a mall and got a detox and played a few games of bowling!!! There is no 10 pin in Whitehorse so needless to say, I was soooooooooo excited!
We spent a day seeing some of the temples of and around Ankor Wat and Mark was in heaven. He has a real interest in the temples and I would do an injustice trying to even talk about what we saw! The pictures are up on facebook ....
We also took a Khmer cooking class which was great fun! We made 2 dishes each and despite not writing the recipes down, have a pretty good idea what to make when we are itching for some Cambodian food. The class did not teach us how to make fried crickets or tarantulas, but have no fear, Mark and I were still able to try them! During our bus ride to Siem Reap we stopped at a roadside market. Crickets, beetles, tarantulas .... you name it, they had it! And we bought it! We tried the crickets and spider, but not the beetles. The cricket was gross but the spider was sweet. I tried a leg, but Mark went straight for the arse and abdomen. He didn't like it.
Following Siem Reap we went to Shianoukville, where we are now. We are staying at the beach, in a bungalow, just relaxing until Vietnam (2 days). Our time in Cambodia is coming to an end, but we will not say goodbye when we leave; instead, until we meet again.
As many of you know, I was really looking forward to volunteering at an orphanage during our time here. After doing some research and being completely disgusted at some orphanages being used as ''tourist sightseeing destinations" I did some soul searching. I decided that now is not the time -- 2 weeks volunteering would be for me, not for the children, and that is not what my goal is. There will be a next time.
Thanks for reading and for commenting! We love hearing your thoughts and miss you all!
Until Vietnam,
Liza
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Happy Chinese New Year Yo
Hello and welcome to an other blog update by Mark. Since we last left word we were in Kuala Lumpur, and heading to inner Malaysia to see the jungle. We then took a train to Singapore, and then flew to Phnom Pehn via Bangkok. This was a week of thrills and as usual good eats.
Teman Negara is a 170 million year old tropical rain forest filled with exotic beasts and ancient trees. We took a bus to the river and then a boat for 2-3 hours up the river, to Kuala Tahan. We checked in to our guest house, and then booked the night safari. Apparently this is the best way to see animals without hiking for 5 hours. When we went to board the night safari, we were told that it was overbooked and asked to do it later that night, or the following evening. we opted for the next night. The following day we hiked in the jungle to the Canopy walk. This is a rope bridge suspended way up in the trees. Approaching the thing Liza was very nervous. Once we actually got to the bridge her fear lifted, and I was suddenly stricken with near paralyzing fear. It took every ounce of my focus to plod along from bridge to bridge looking at nothing but the 6 inch plank under my feet. Meanwhile Liza danced around happily taking pictures and encouraging me as needed. On the way back we stopped at a cache and watched a couple of wild pigs roll around in the mud. Later on I went on the night safari. Liza had decided against it. I sat on the roof of a pick up truck and rode through a palm tree plantation for two hours. The stars were beautiful, and other than a civet cat was all we saw that night. In the mornings about 4:30 or 5 the mosque next door would pump out the morning prayer. At first this was very frightening, like an unexpected very loud alarm clock. Once expected it was enjoyable.
The following day we hopped on a local bus to a town called Jeruntut. This was almost like being on that bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I wouldn't have even guessed that this bus could get up to these speeds. It was a bus from the 60's or 70's. The driver seemed to handle corners like he was in an Indy car. Jeruntut was a decent enough town. The 7-11 across the street sold beer, and the hotel had free movies and Internet service. On a walkabout I found a great little stall were I could drink coffee, read the newspaper, and watch the people (although I could swear they were watching me more). At 12:45 am we went to the front desk to call a taxi to the train terminal. Where we were told that taxi's stopped running at 8:00pm. The front desk clerk offered to drive us to the train station, as it might be to dangerous for us to walk the 45 mins.
At 2:30am we were on our train and heading south to Singapore. Looking forward to the sleeper car it was a little different than we had expected. The train car was all bunks with curtains drawn across. It was like sleeping in a room with 38 other people. The train rocked back and forth and was very loud. Needless to say we didn't get much sleep. Night one in Singapore.... Sleeping. Our hotel was in Little India. The food in this area was so good, we just found ourselves getting very excited for India. We even came close to changing our plans and going early. A man from India in a clothing shop basically told us we were crazy to go when it was so hot. In the end we stuck to our guns and decided to go in the heat of April. While we were in Singapore it was Chinese New Year. I ventured in to Chinatown to enjoy the festivities but it all seemed rather tame. I wound up enjoying some beers with some old Chinese guys. They could barely speak English, and I don't know how to say anything NICE in Chinese. It was a very interesting conversation. Singapore is great for shopping and eating.... So Liza and I had a great time.
We then took a plane to Bangkok and then to Phnom Pehn. Liza will tell you all about Cambodia real soon. Until then cheers and thanks for stopping by. Also I was finally able to put some pictures on Facebook. I haven't had a chance to label them but will soon.
Teman Negara is a 170 million year old tropical rain forest filled with exotic beasts and ancient trees. We took a bus to the river and then a boat for 2-3 hours up the river, to Kuala Tahan. We checked in to our guest house, and then booked the night safari. Apparently this is the best way to see animals without hiking for 5 hours. When we went to board the night safari, we were told that it was overbooked and asked to do it later that night, or the following evening. we opted for the next night. The following day we hiked in the jungle to the Canopy walk. This is a rope bridge suspended way up in the trees. Approaching the thing Liza was very nervous. Once we actually got to the bridge her fear lifted, and I was suddenly stricken with near paralyzing fear. It took every ounce of my focus to plod along from bridge to bridge looking at nothing but the 6 inch plank under my feet. Meanwhile Liza danced around happily taking pictures and encouraging me as needed. On the way back we stopped at a cache and watched a couple of wild pigs roll around in the mud. Later on I went on the night safari. Liza had decided against it. I sat on the roof of a pick up truck and rode through a palm tree plantation for two hours. The stars were beautiful, and other than a civet cat was all we saw that night. In the mornings about 4:30 or 5 the mosque next door would pump out the morning prayer. At first this was very frightening, like an unexpected very loud alarm clock. Once expected it was enjoyable.
The following day we hopped on a local bus to a town called Jeruntut. This was almost like being on that bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I wouldn't have even guessed that this bus could get up to these speeds. It was a bus from the 60's or 70's. The driver seemed to handle corners like he was in an Indy car. Jeruntut was a decent enough town. The 7-11 across the street sold beer, and the hotel had free movies and Internet service. On a walkabout I found a great little stall were I could drink coffee, read the newspaper, and watch the people (although I could swear they were watching me more). At 12:45 am we went to the front desk to call a taxi to the train terminal. Where we were told that taxi's stopped running at 8:00pm. The front desk clerk offered to drive us to the train station, as it might be to dangerous for us to walk the 45 mins.
At 2:30am we were on our train and heading south to Singapore. Looking forward to the sleeper car it was a little different than we had expected. The train car was all bunks with curtains drawn across. It was like sleeping in a room with 38 other people. The train rocked back and forth and was very loud. Needless to say we didn't get much sleep. Night one in Singapore.... Sleeping. Our hotel was in Little India. The food in this area was so good, we just found ourselves getting very excited for India. We even came close to changing our plans and going early. A man from India in a clothing shop basically told us we were crazy to go when it was so hot. In the end we stuck to our guns and decided to go in the heat of April. While we were in Singapore it was Chinese New Year. I ventured in to Chinatown to enjoy the festivities but it all seemed rather tame. I wound up enjoying some beers with some old Chinese guys. They could barely speak English, and I don't know how to say anything NICE in Chinese. It was a very interesting conversation. Singapore is great for shopping and eating.... So Liza and I had a great time.
We then took a plane to Bangkok and then to Phnom Pehn. Liza will tell you all about Cambodia real soon. Until then cheers and thanks for stopping by. Also I was finally able to put some pictures on Facebook. I haven't had a chance to label them but will soon.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Back To The City
Hello it's Mark again (Liza is working on something else at the terminal beside me). Well here we are in Kuala Lumpur. It is HOT here. Yay. Our time in Borneo wasn't bad, but it rained all the time and oddly enough 20 degrees feels cold. We went to Sepilok to see the Urang Utans. Seeing their interactions with each other and the monkeys that hung around was very endearing. We then decided to go to Turtle Island to spend the night and see turtles lay eggs. Apparently the turtles show up on this island 365 days a year to lay their eggs. Liza was SOOOO excited for this. Unfortunately when we got to the boat jetty, the travel man informed us that he cancelled the boat because there MIGHT be a storm in the middle of the water. We phoned Mr. Lum up and asked if we could have our room back. He agreed.
When we returned, Mr. Lum informed us that the room was being cleaned and that he could hook us up with a friend of his who would take us around to the Proboscis monkey sanctuary and the Kinibatangan river, and all for one low price. We happily agreed. The proboscis monkeys where really interesting and Borneo is the only place that they live. The river ride was also enjoyable, and it didn't rain (quite a bonus). We saw monkeys (Macaques and Langurs) and Urang utans and Proboscis. We also saw a mangrove cat snake and a couple of monitor lizards.
The next day wouldn't you know it was a sunny one and would have been perfect for a trip to the turtle island. Alas, we had a plane to catch, and so left the potentially beautiful Borneo. After a short search we found our hostel. It is by far the shadiest place we have stayed yet. You go past a little snack stall across from the reggae bar. Up some stairs that are grimy and have roaches (big ones) scurrying along them, and arrive at the second floor. The second floor has fresh paint and flowers, as well as a bird cage with pretty little birds in it. In the lobby area there are 8 or 9 large aquariums with turtles and fish. We are greeted by the clerk, and after a brief search for our missing reservation he/she??? agrees to show us a room. The room is kind of grubby, so we take it, what else.
Across from our hostel is the Chinatown market. It is sensory overload. People are walking shoulder to shoulder while merchants are asking you to buy their knock-off hand bags, watches, shoes, and wallets. I have never seen so much Louis Vuitton hideousness in all my life. Also people are trying to sell pirate DVD's. One guy even offered me pirated porn. Liza found that to be hilarious. There is all sorts of food every where too. This makes it like some sort of curious heaven for Liza and I. Being so close to Chinese New Year it is particularly crazy in this area. Parades of dragons and drummers march by at all times and lights are flashing in various colours and intensities. There should probably be a warning for epileptics.
On day two we hopped on the public transit and went to central station. We are taking a train through the Malaysian Jungle to Singapore on the 25th, and needed to buy tickets. Once we got there we were quite shocked to see a large crowd of people waiting to buy tickets. We had to get a number and the number we drew was 3055. the screen said 2039. Needless to say this caused us a minor panic until we realized that the 30 and the 20 represented different counters, or dates. Unfortunately only night trains are available, so we won't see much jungle. We will however be sleeping on bunks in a train car with 38 other people. Different but at least we get to be horizontal.
Yesterday, after a breakfast of dosa (indian crepes) and sauces, we went to the Batu Caves. They are used as a place of worship for the Hindu. There are various sculptures of deities and animals here, but first you have to climb 274 stairs. at the top of the stairs we got a picture of us with a python draped around our necks. I found the stalactites to be beautiful, and the long tailed Macaques entertained us both. In the evening we went to see the Petronas Towers. When we arrived at the subway station we found there was a huge (6 floors) mall at the bottom of the towers. We found a theatre and saw a horror movie (They Wait). It wasn't bad. After this Liza got her eyebrows waxed and then we went outside to see the towers. They are absolutely stunning. Especially at night - the lights were spectacular.
We were so enamoured by the mall that when we got up this morning we decided to return. We had lunch, and then we had dessert. Liza had been looking for this thing called an Iced Kachung since Borneo. We learned yesterday that it is also called an ABC, and something else. So we found an ABC. It is shaved ice with condensed coconut milk, beans, corn, several jellies, and bananas. It was actually pretty good in a strange way. We then saw a movie (Rec.). It is apparently the Spanish movie that inspired Quarantine. It was great, and so we decided to return after dinner to see another horror movie. It was an Indonesian movie called Tisen. As soon as the camera went on I said to Liza "oh, oh this is going to suck." And it did. but it was so bad that I couldn't help laughing. It was a great laugh. The only thing scary about it was the loud sound effects that I pray have not permanently harmed my hearing. Liza actually put in ear plugs because the movie was so loud.
Tomorrow morning we get picked up bright and early to go on a 5-6 hour bus ride. Then we take a boat up a river for 3 hours into the Teman Negara jungle. We will spend 3 days there - we hope to see many animals, insects, lizards and birds. We probably won't, but this is our best chance. Won't likely have Internet in the jungle ... so hope to catch up with you all when we get to Singapore. Happy Chinese New Year!!!!!!!!
Mark and Liza
For all those lurkers our there -- we know who you are ---- become a follower!! It makes us feel good ... and that is what you want right? for us to feel good?
When we returned, Mr. Lum informed us that the room was being cleaned and that he could hook us up with a friend of his who would take us around to the Proboscis monkey sanctuary and the Kinibatangan river, and all for one low price. We happily agreed. The proboscis monkeys where really interesting and Borneo is the only place that they live. The river ride was also enjoyable, and it didn't rain (quite a bonus). We saw monkeys (Macaques and Langurs) and Urang utans and Proboscis. We also saw a mangrove cat snake and a couple of monitor lizards.
The next day wouldn't you know it was a sunny one and would have been perfect for a trip to the turtle island. Alas, we had a plane to catch, and so left the potentially beautiful Borneo. After a short search we found our hostel. It is by far the shadiest place we have stayed yet. You go past a little snack stall across from the reggae bar. Up some stairs that are grimy and have roaches (big ones) scurrying along them, and arrive at the second floor. The second floor has fresh paint and flowers, as well as a bird cage with pretty little birds in it. In the lobby area there are 8 or 9 large aquariums with turtles and fish. We are greeted by the clerk, and after a brief search for our missing reservation he/she??? agrees to show us a room. The room is kind of grubby, so we take it, what else.
Across from our hostel is the Chinatown market. It is sensory overload. People are walking shoulder to shoulder while merchants are asking you to buy their knock-off hand bags, watches, shoes, and wallets. I have never seen so much Louis Vuitton hideousness in all my life. Also people are trying to sell pirate DVD's. One guy even offered me pirated porn. Liza found that to be hilarious. There is all sorts of food every where too. This makes it like some sort of curious heaven for Liza and I. Being so close to Chinese New Year it is particularly crazy in this area. Parades of dragons and drummers march by at all times and lights are flashing in various colours and intensities. There should probably be a warning for epileptics.
On day two we hopped on the public transit and went to central station. We are taking a train through the Malaysian Jungle to Singapore on the 25th, and needed to buy tickets. Once we got there we were quite shocked to see a large crowd of people waiting to buy tickets. We had to get a number and the number we drew was 3055. the screen said 2039. Needless to say this caused us a minor panic until we realized that the 30 and the 20 represented different counters, or dates. Unfortunately only night trains are available, so we won't see much jungle. We will however be sleeping on bunks in a train car with 38 other people. Different but at least we get to be horizontal.
Yesterday, after a breakfast of dosa (indian crepes) and sauces, we went to the Batu Caves. They are used as a place of worship for the Hindu. There are various sculptures of deities and animals here, but first you have to climb 274 stairs. at the top of the stairs we got a picture of us with a python draped around our necks. I found the stalactites to be beautiful, and the long tailed Macaques entertained us both. In the evening we went to see the Petronas Towers. When we arrived at the subway station we found there was a huge (6 floors) mall at the bottom of the towers. We found a theatre and saw a horror movie (They Wait). It wasn't bad. After this Liza got her eyebrows waxed and then we went outside to see the towers. They are absolutely stunning. Especially at night - the lights were spectacular.
We were so enamoured by the mall that when we got up this morning we decided to return. We had lunch, and then we had dessert. Liza had been looking for this thing called an Iced Kachung since Borneo. We learned yesterday that it is also called an ABC, and something else. So we found an ABC. It is shaved ice with condensed coconut milk, beans, corn, several jellies, and bananas. It was actually pretty good in a strange way. We then saw a movie (Rec.). It is apparently the Spanish movie that inspired Quarantine. It was great, and so we decided to return after dinner to see another horror movie. It was an Indonesian movie called Tisen. As soon as the camera went on I said to Liza "oh, oh this is going to suck." And it did. but it was so bad that I couldn't help laughing. It was a great laugh. The only thing scary about it was the loud sound effects that I pray have not permanently harmed my hearing. Liza actually put in ear plugs because the movie was so loud.
Tomorrow morning we get picked up bright and early to go on a 5-6 hour bus ride. Then we take a boat up a river for 3 hours into the Teman Negara jungle. We will spend 3 days there - we hope to see many animals, insects, lizards and birds. We probably won't, but this is our best chance. Won't likely have Internet in the jungle ... so hope to catch up with you all when we get to Singapore. Happy Chinese New Year!!!!!!!!
Mark and Liza
For all those lurkers our there -- we know who you are ---- become a follower!! It makes us feel good ... and that is what you want right? for us to feel good?
Monday, January 12, 2009
A New Friend
Hello all Mark here. Liza has stayed back for this one. After a terrifying flight and long stop over in Jakarta airport, We are in Malaysian Borneo. Land of the Orangutang, Proboscis Monkey and some of the best scuba diving in the world. Arrived in our guest house, found the staff to be very kind and accommodating, but the place wasn't what we were looking for. Kota Kinabalu is a big city but there is little to do there... other than shop. And so shop we did. We spent a whole day walking around the shopping malls. It seems as though out of a hundred stores 90 were electronics stores, mostly selling cell phones and computers. We also saw arcades where a couple of girls where going nuts on the Dance Dance Revolution, and a guy in a suit was belting his heart out in a Karaoke booth. Liza got herself an I Touch. She is very happy with it. She is now all caught up on her stories. And now we can check out the Internet for free anywhere there is free WI FI. Which is almost anywhere. I was going to get myself a Lap Top but decided to wait till we get home.
Later on that night we took a night bus to Semporna. The people on this bus were so rude. Liza and I were about to flip our lids. The two young guys beside us where cranking really crappy asian music. At one point I thought it was going to be some hard metal but it turned out to be crap as well. At about 12:30 am I had to ask the kid to turn it down... which he did a little. It was then that we noticed thateveryone was yelling on the cell phone, or playing there own music, and singing along. When we arrived at about 3:30 am (about an hour earlier than anticipated) tired and angry, we were greeted by some of the shadiest cab drivers ever. The town itself was one of the ugliest we have ever seen. All bars and gates over all the doors, stray dogs that rule the town, children running around at all hours, and the smell of rotting garbage sum the place up quite well. We ignored the cab drivers and played cards with the street kids giving them the deck when we were done.
We then walked to our accommodation, hoping that they would be open. They were not. We sat on the curb and waited till they opened up watching packs of stray dogs roam, and occasionally get close enough for us to have to stand up and move. Once the place (Scuba Junkies) opened we were greeted by a kind desk clerk who allowed us to rest on the lobby couch, use the Internet and offered us breakfast, even though we weren't really entitled to it till we woke up the following morning. Needless to say I was STOKED. He also put a rush on our room. We quickly realised during breakfast that we might be out of place. Every one was young (early 20's) hip and hung over. It seems that this place is not only a popular scuba diving outfit but a party scene too.
After breakfast we set up our dives. (Steve we tried to book a night dive at the other island and one here but it seems to be the wrong time of year here. We are hoping to settle the dare in Thailand) We came to go to Pulao Sipidan which is apparently one of the top 10 dive spots on earth. We were sadly unable to get a permit so we settled on Sibuan. Sibuan is a cliche island. White Sand, warm turquoise waters, and little children who live on the island will sell you a coconut (about 2 RM and very tasty). Very beautiful and exactly what we were looking for. The dives started out rather uncomfortably. The equipment was shabbier than we were used to, and the dive masters didn't seem very patient or helpful. It is too bad that such negative energy was around because the sea life was wonderful. The second dive included some ship off the coast setting off dynamite (yes it's illegal) and scared the hell out of us. I thought my tank had exploded. At the end of the third dive we were swimming in the water. When Liza climbed aboard the captain suggested that I swim to the island. as he was moving the boat. I thought he was going to dock the boat on the island and that this was a wonderful idea. When I got to the island it appeared that the captain had forgotten about me. The boat took off and I was stranded on a very tiny island in the Celebes sea. Eventually the boat did turn around for me, as I new it would(eventually) but I didn't want Liza to have to create a scene and have everyone thinking that I delayed them. Apparently they came back because some young Yank girl wanted to get a picture of her with her dive master fling. Very cute. Needless to say we couldn't have been happier to get out of there.
We took a day bus to Sandakan the next day. This is where you go to see the Uran utang sanctuary and do a river cruise. We checked in to a place called the May Fair hotel. This place looks like a downtown Toronto hotel that you book by the hour. Mr. Lum (as the Lonely Planet says) is very gruff, but he is very nice if you can see through his tough exterior. We have A/C and a Flat screen TV and DVD player. There is also a library of hundreds of DVDs downstairs. This is fantastic as it's been pouring everyday. There is also a Dim Sum restaurant down the street where we are fast becoming regulars. This town is quite ugly too but the people seem friendlier. We have decided to stay here until it is time for us to go to the airport on the 17th and head to the mainland.
Hope you are all well, lots of love
Mark
Later on that night we took a night bus to Semporna. The people on this bus were so rude. Liza and I were about to flip our lids. The two young guys beside us where cranking really crappy asian music. At one point I thought it was going to be some hard metal but it turned out to be crap as well. At about 12:30 am I had to ask the kid to turn it down... which he did a little. It was then that we noticed thateveryone was yelling on the cell phone, or playing there own music, and singing along. When we arrived at about 3:30 am (about an hour earlier than anticipated) tired and angry, we were greeted by some of the shadiest cab drivers ever. The town itself was one of the ugliest we have ever seen. All bars and gates over all the doors, stray dogs that rule the town, children running around at all hours, and the smell of rotting garbage sum the place up quite well. We ignored the cab drivers and played cards with the street kids giving them the deck when we were done.
We then walked to our accommodation, hoping that they would be open. They were not. We sat on the curb and waited till they opened up watching packs of stray dogs roam, and occasionally get close enough for us to have to stand up and move. Once the place (Scuba Junkies) opened we were greeted by a kind desk clerk who allowed us to rest on the lobby couch, use the Internet and offered us breakfast, even though we weren't really entitled to it till we woke up the following morning. Needless to say I was STOKED. He also put a rush on our room. We quickly realised during breakfast that we might be out of place. Every one was young (early 20's) hip and hung over. It seems that this place is not only a popular scuba diving outfit but a party scene too.
After breakfast we set up our dives. (Steve we tried to book a night dive at the other island and one here but it seems to be the wrong time of year here. We are hoping to settle the dare in Thailand) We came to go to Pulao Sipidan which is apparently one of the top 10 dive spots on earth. We were sadly unable to get a permit so we settled on Sibuan. Sibuan is a cliche island. White Sand, warm turquoise waters, and little children who live on the island will sell you a coconut (about 2 RM and very tasty). Very beautiful and exactly what we were looking for. The dives started out rather uncomfortably. The equipment was shabbier than we were used to, and the dive masters didn't seem very patient or helpful. It is too bad that such negative energy was around because the sea life was wonderful. The second dive included some ship off the coast setting off dynamite (yes it's illegal) and scared the hell out of us. I thought my tank had exploded. At the end of the third dive we were swimming in the water. When Liza climbed aboard the captain suggested that I swim to the island. as he was moving the boat. I thought he was going to dock the boat on the island and that this was a wonderful idea. When I got to the island it appeared that the captain had forgotten about me. The boat took off and I was stranded on a very tiny island in the Celebes sea. Eventually the boat did turn around for me, as I new it would(eventually) but I didn't want Liza to have to create a scene and have everyone thinking that I delayed them. Apparently they came back because some young Yank girl wanted to get a picture of her with her dive master fling. Very cute. Needless to say we couldn't have been happier to get out of there.
We took a day bus to Sandakan the next day. This is where you go to see the Uran utang sanctuary and do a river cruise. We checked in to a place called the May Fair hotel. This place looks like a downtown Toronto hotel that you book by the hour. Mr. Lum (as the Lonely Planet says) is very gruff, but he is very nice if you can see through his tough exterior. We have A/C and a Flat screen TV and DVD player. There is also a library of hundreds of DVDs downstairs. This is fantastic as it's been pouring everyday. There is also a Dim Sum restaurant down the street where we are fast becoming regulars. This town is quite ugly too but the people seem friendlier. We have decided to stay here until it is time for us to go to the airport on the 17th and head to the mainland.
Hope you are all well, lots of love
Mark
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Leg Two
Hello everyone! Happy New Year! We are in Sanur (again) after our few days in Jungutbatu. The island, unfortunately, was not what we expected. Although beautiful, the beaches were all used as a harbour, and the locals farmed seaweed. No big deal, right? WRONG. The smell of seaweed bleaching in the sun is the most gut wrenching smell Liza has ever encountered (Mark never noticed). Needless to say, a lot of Liza's time was spent trying to cover her nose without offending anyone.
Mark had a cake delivered to the island for Liza's birthday. So sweet. We celebrated with 12 other strangers in the restaurant. And by celebrated, we mean they ate the cake and that was it. New years, unfortunately, was not all that special for Liza. Liza had bee dealing with a rash that was intensely itchy for 3 weeks. She would spend her nights getting up every few hours to shower so she wouldn't scratch. It was spreading from her legs up to her nether regions, at which point she decided she better see the doctor. The doctor advised that she was having an allergic reaction to something (bug, beach, fungus, larvae) and gave her some pills and cream. She passed out that night around 830 pm, and Mark didn't even think about waking her up to ring in the new year. Mark sat outside drinking beer and talking to some psychologists from Denmark. They were a lovely couple, and now we have a place to stay in Denmark.
We left the island two days ago and decided to spend our last few days in Bali, in Sanur. Returning to the same guesthouse felt like coming home. It's a nice feeling when you are on the road. We are going to Malaysia tomorrow via Jakarta. We are super excited to get there and to try new food! Ha ha - this trip is all about the food. ALL about it.
Speaking of food, we forgot to mention something about the food in Bali. Whenever we go to a restaurant, the food is made to order. That means we often wait 45 minutes for our meal BUT, when we get it, it is amazing. Everything is made from scratch, even the sauces. We feel like a king and a queen at least once a day!
What will we miss most about Bali?
- our comfortableness here (we feel like we really know our way around here, and how to deal with the people)
- babi gooling (yup, food)
- the dog "billy" at our guesthouse
What will me not miss about Bali?
- the garbage on the beaches
- the constant hounding from scammers and salespeople (saying 'no' to the same person 10 times gets tiring)
Liza has mastered the art of haggling and negotiation. She is confident and fair and has fun with it. We have gotten a few deals that have also benefited the seller. Mark is getting more comfortable with it ..... although he is happy to let Liza have her fun.
So, the plan for Malaysia ---- got to Borneo and spend some time there diving, hanging with Orangutans, hiking (more like strolling by) Mt. Kinabalu, and soaking in the hot springs, before heading to Peninsular Malaysia. Once there we will explore Kuala Lumpur, tea plantations in Cameron Highlands, and trek through the jungle. Should be a pretty busy and pretty exciting time! We of course will keep you all posted!
Liza and Mark
Mark had a cake delivered to the island for Liza's birthday. So sweet. We celebrated with 12 other strangers in the restaurant. And by celebrated, we mean they ate the cake and that was it. New years, unfortunately, was not all that special for Liza. Liza had bee dealing with a rash that was intensely itchy for 3 weeks. She would spend her nights getting up every few hours to shower so she wouldn't scratch. It was spreading from her legs up to her nether regions, at which point she decided she better see the doctor. The doctor advised that she was having an allergic reaction to something (bug, beach, fungus, larvae) and gave her some pills and cream. She passed out that night around 830 pm, and Mark didn't even think about waking her up to ring in the new year. Mark sat outside drinking beer and talking to some psychologists from Denmark. They were a lovely couple, and now we have a place to stay in Denmark.
We left the island two days ago and decided to spend our last few days in Bali, in Sanur. Returning to the same guesthouse felt like coming home. It's a nice feeling when you are on the road. We are going to Malaysia tomorrow via Jakarta. We are super excited to get there and to try new food! Ha ha - this trip is all about the food. ALL about it.
Speaking of food, we forgot to mention something about the food in Bali. Whenever we go to a restaurant, the food is made to order. That means we often wait 45 minutes for our meal BUT, when we get it, it is amazing. Everything is made from scratch, even the sauces. We feel like a king and a queen at least once a day!
What will we miss most about Bali?
- our comfortableness here (we feel like we really know our way around here, and how to deal with the people)
- babi gooling (yup, food)
- the dog "billy" at our guesthouse
What will me not miss about Bali?
- the garbage on the beaches
- the constant hounding from scammers and salespeople (saying 'no' to the same person 10 times gets tiring)
Liza has mastered the art of haggling and negotiation. She is confident and fair and has fun with it. We have gotten a few deals that have also benefited the seller. Mark is getting more comfortable with it ..... although he is happy to let Liza have her fun.
So, the plan for Malaysia ---- got to Borneo and spend some time there diving, hanging with Orangutans, hiking (more like strolling by) Mt. Kinabalu, and soaking in the hot springs, before heading to Peninsular Malaysia. Once there we will explore Kuala Lumpur, tea plantations in Cameron Highlands, and trek through the jungle. Should be a pretty busy and pretty exciting time! We of course will keep you all posted!
Liza and Mark
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