Saigon - Final Report
Today was a wonderful way to end our tour of this beautiful country. Saigon is a city of 8 million people, and has 3.2 million motor bikes, and less than half a million cars. Traffic is unreal. We left early, mostly to avoid rush hour, on our way to our exploration of the Mekong Delta. As usual traffic cost us about 45 minutes to get out of Saigon, and then another hour or so before we stop at the Cao Dai Temple. This religion is based in Vietnam, boasts about 5 million adherents worldwide, and is an attempt to merge the best of the world’s major religious beliefs into a single religion which respects the values of each as well as the significant important persona, ie., Muhammed for Islam, Christ for Christianity, Buddha for Buddhism, etc. Interesting place Then we board our boat to explore the Delta. The Mekong is the 10th longest river in the world and has an extensive delta. We pass hundreds of fishing trawlers that go out to the ocean for three weeks at a time, and return with their catch to provide for the local markets. There are three significant islands in the area we are exploring. We can take a canoe in to visit Monkey Island to see a bee farm and local coconut products before traveling across the delta arm we are located on for lunch. We then return to land and head back to Saigon Our final dinner is very nice, and different from previous meals. Our guide gives each of us a group photo that he has taken and printed.
To all those of you who have followed our blog, we say thanks. We learned in the last few days that some of you may have posted comments on our blog. Unfortunately those comments were not posted so that we could read them. Don’t know why, but we do appreciate your interest in our trip.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saigon - Day 14
As you may have presumed, much of our visit to Vietnam has had undertones of the Vietnam War. Today, then, is probably the culmination of that experience as we travel to the Cu Chi tunnels northwest of Saigon. To get to the entrances to the various tunnels we had to walk through the jungle for several hundred yards, and along the way we gained a new understanding of the difficulty presented by the terrain and the local farmers whose normal daily apparel was identical to the uniform of the VC These tunnels were very influential in the fall of Saigon as they provided cover as well as movement for the Viet Cong. The tunnels covered large portions of territory which on the surface was controlled by the Joint Forces, but underground was in the control of the VC. The mass of tunnels were at least three levels deep, as long as 250 km (150 miles) long with numerous offshoots, some of which were booby trapped, and no overall map of the whole, so no one person could be able to show another how the whole was designed. An amazing maze underground. As described to us today, by our guide, the Cu Chi villagers were for the South in the daytime, but at night, in many cases because of intimidation, they joined the VC. I have been probing our guide for the whole time here in Vietnam as to the state of the South Vietnamese people regarding whether they wanted the US “advisors” and later, our troops. His response is absolutely we were wanted, not just by the political leadership, but by the people as well. He also told us that the South was way ahead of Korea, Taiwan, and other SE Asian countries in 1974, and since reunification has fallen way behind, thanks to the policies of the current communist regime. However, since the end of the US embargo, and resumption of diplomatic relations in the 1990s, the economic conditions have improved dramatically.
We also visited a small rubber plantation where we saw how the trees are tapped for raw latex. This tree was originally imported by the French during colonial times, and is now a minor contributor to the local economy as synthetic rubber has replaced the natural as the desired product. We learn, as the salt water of our sweat drips into our eyes, that we are back in the land of heat (95F) and humidity (92%).
For a little on the light side, the Vietnamese dollar is known as the Dong. Of our group of ten, only two are male. Wanna guess what we can joke about when discussing any purchases using the local currency?
As you may have presumed, much of our visit to Vietnam has had undertones of the Vietnam War. Today, then, is probably the culmination of that experience as we travel to the Cu Chi tunnels northwest of Saigon. To get to the entrances to the various tunnels we had to walk through the jungle for several hundred yards, and along the way we gained a new understanding of the difficulty presented by the terrain and the local farmers whose normal daily apparel was identical to the uniform of the VC These tunnels were very influential in the fall of Saigon as they provided cover as well as movement for the Viet Cong. The tunnels covered large portions of territory which on the surface was controlled by the Joint Forces, but underground was in the control of the VC. The mass of tunnels were at least three levels deep, as long as 250 km (150 miles) long with numerous offshoots, some of which were booby trapped, and no overall map of the whole, so no one person could be able to show another how the whole was designed. An amazing maze underground. As described to us today, by our guide, the Cu Chi villagers were for the South in the daytime, but at night, in many cases because of intimidation, they joined the VC. I have been probing our guide for the whole time here in Vietnam as to the state of the South Vietnamese people regarding whether they wanted the US “advisors” and later, our troops. His response is absolutely we were wanted, not just by the political leadership, but by the people as well. He also told us that the South was way ahead of Korea, Taiwan, and other SE Asian countries in 1974, and since reunification has fallen way behind, thanks to the policies of the current communist regime. However, since the end of the US embargo, and resumption of diplomatic relations in the 1990s, the economic conditions have improved dramatically.
We also visited a small rubber plantation where we saw how the trees are tapped for raw latex. This tree was originally imported by the French during colonial times, and is now a minor contributor to the local economy as synthetic rubber has replaced the natural as the desired product. We learn, as the salt water of our sweat drips into our eyes, that we are back in the land of heat (95F) and humidity (92%).
For a little on the light side, the Vietnamese dollar is known as the Dong. Of our group of ten, only two are male. Wanna guess what we can joke about when discussing any purchases using the local currency?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Dalat to HoChiMinhCity (Saigon) - Day 13
Today proves to be an interesting one, as we encounter the vagaries of small time airlines (Vietnam Airlines) masquerading as one of the big guys. We rise at 4:45 a.m., put our bags out at 5:15, head for breakfast in anticipation of our transfer to the airport for an 8:05 flight. Upon arriving at the airport our guide does a group checkin, gets our bags checked, hands us our boarding pass and sends us to the Boarding Lounge. Not 15 minutes later the PA announces that our flight to Saigon will not board until 10:20 a.m., a full 2+ hours late! Needless to say Tano is visibly upset as this is not the first time this has happened to him even though he has called in advance to confirm the flight times. Finally at 10:35 we begin boarding for our takeoff at 11:00. About 10 minutes into the flight we are told to return to seats, fasten seatbelts, etc., for landing! We waited all this time for a 30 minute gate-to-gate flight!!
Following lunch we take a city tour of Saigon. It is a very beautiful city with lots of French architectural influences remaining from the colonial days. We take in the War Remnants Museum. As you might expect it portrays a very one-sided view of the Vietnam War, but even so, it helps us to understand how many Vietnamese felt about our involvement at that time. We have very mixed feelings after this stop. Our next stop is yet another lacquerware factory, but because this one is Vietnamese the designs and processes are somewhat different from the Thai shop we visited. Quite interesting. Our final stop includes the Notre Dame Cathedral, built by the French and completed in 1880, and the main Post Office across the street, built with leftover materials from the cathedral construction. Both are very beautiful though quite different in design. On our way to our hotel we convince Tano that we need an ice cream stop, so he has the bus take us to a nearby shop where we purchase some of the best ice cream in Southeast Asia. Great way to end an otherwise challenging day.
Today proves to be an interesting one, as we encounter the vagaries of small time airlines (Vietnam Airlines) masquerading as one of the big guys. We rise at 4:45 a.m., put our bags out at 5:15, head for breakfast in anticipation of our transfer to the airport for an 8:05 flight. Upon arriving at the airport our guide does a group checkin, gets our bags checked, hands us our boarding pass and sends us to the Boarding Lounge. Not 15 minutes later the PA announces that our flight to Saigon will not board until 10:20 a.m., a full 2+ hours late! Needless to say Tano is visibly upset as this is not the first time this has happened to him even though he has called in advance to confirm the flight times. Finally at 10:35 we begin boarding for our takeoff at 11:00. About 10 minutes into the flight we are told to return to seats, fasten seatbelts, etc., for landing! We waited all this time for a 30 minute gate-to-gate flight!!
Following lunch we take a city tour of Saigon. It is a very beautiful city with lots of French architectural influences remaining from the colonial days. We take in the War Remnants Museum. As you might expect it portrays a very one-sided view of the Vietnam War, but even so, it helps us to understand how many Vietnamese felt about our involvement at that time. We have very mixed feelings after this stop. Our next stop is yet another lacquerware factory, but because this one is Vietnamese the designs and processes are somewhat different from the Thai shop we visited. Quite interesting. Our final stop includes the Notre Dame Cathedral, built by the French and completed in 1880, and the main Post Office across the street, built with leftover materials from the cathedral construction. Both are very beautiful though quite different in design. On our way to our hotel we convince Tano that we need an ice cream stop, so he has the bus take us to a nearby shop where we purchase some of the best ice cream in Southeast Asia. Great way to end an otherwise challenging day.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Dalat - Day 12
We begin our day with a visit to Ta Nung, the vegetable and flower growing center of Vietnam, just north of Dalat. There are many greenhouses all hand constructed of bamboo and clear plastic sheeting. We visited one of the growers where we saw some of the most beautiful long stem roses and Gerber daisies. They had many acres of these two flower varieties. They pick the roses once a week and the daisies every three days. All this is done by hand, as well as the weeding, watering and fertilizing. It is, however, one of the more profitable agricultural products, and does very well in the mild climate of the Dalat area. From here we head down the road to visit a cricket farm. Yup, that’s right - this entrepreneur has figured out how to raise crickets in quantities suitable for wholesale supply to restaurants. They are a very popular snack in Vietnam. We then head a little further down the road to visit a silk factory, nearly fully mechanized, to extract the silk from cocoons and turn it into beautiful silk fabric which is then dyed and turned in to a variety of silken ware for sale at the factory. In addition they sell the fabric to other factories in Vietnam and other SE Asian countries. About 1 in 100 cocoons is a double, and must be processed separately by hand. This silk is used to produce the raw silk which is a heavier, less smooth silk, but equally beautiful, and much more expensive because of the hand spinning.
Our final stop this morning is a visit to Buon Chuoi, a very traditional hill village of the Chil people who migrated to Vietnam from Indonesia and Malaysia many years ago. About 15 years ago, the government began relocating these people from the forests and hillsides to prevent the “slash and burn” agricultural practices they had used for decades. This new village is surrounded by thousands of acres of coffee plantations, and the Chil now make their living working in the coffee fields. The government is subsidizing the building of new brick homes for this tribe, as well as a brand new school. One of the most interesting sights we saw was the dozens of pot-bellied pigs running loose in the yards and street. We also saw many young children, ages 6 and under, who stay in the village on their own while their parents work in the coffee fields. They are darling, but very shy. Oh, by the way, we had to be transported to this village in an open wagon pulled by a tractor over a road so rough I hesitate to call it a road. It actually was quite fun.
Late this afternoon we go to Dalat University for a talk on Vietnam’s higher education system. Basically the “university” is primarily a four year undergraduate school that offers only Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, and whose curriculum is controlled by the government with little or no input from the faculty. Following the presentation by the professor, we are taken on a guided tour of the campus by students who want to practice their English speaking with us. Most are fairly competent, and it is generally a very good experience. Afterward we are headed to Dalat Village to watch a local Lat hill tribe perform their colorful native dances. As we boarded the bus our guide, Tano, asked if we would mind if he invited the students to join us. We of course say to invite them, and so we are joined by about 25 of them. This turns out to be a highlight of the trip as most of them have never interacted with any hill tribe and are quite fascinated by the dances and the people. During the performance at least twice the audience is drawn to participate in the dances, and the students love it. On the way back to drop them off at the campus they serenade us with two songs to thank us for letting them join us. They were such nice kids it was hard to see them go.
Thanks for your update Audrey. Guess no one else is reading. Too bad.
We begin our day with a visit to Ta Nung, the vegetable and flower growing center of Vietnam, just north of Dalat. There are many greenhouses all hand constructed of bamboo and clear plastic sheeting. We visited one of the growers where we saw some of the most beautiful long stem roses and Gerber daisies. They had many acres of these two flower varieties. They pick the roses once a week and the daisies every three days. All this is done by hand, as well as the weeding, watering and fertilizing. It is, however, one of the more profitable agricultural products, and does very well in the mild climate of the Dalat area. From here we head down the road to visit a cricket farm. Yup, that’s right - this entrepreneur has figured out how to raise crickets in quantities suitable for wholesale supply to restaurants. They are a very popular snack in Vietnam. We then head a little further down the road to visit a silk factory, nearly fully mechanized, to extract the silk from cocoons and turn it into beautiful silk fabric which is then dyed and turned in to a variety of silken ware for sale at the factory. In addition they sell the fabric to other factories in Vietnam and other SE Asian countries. About 1 in 100 cocoons is a double, and must be processed separately by hand. This silk is used to produce the raw silk which is a heavier, less smooth silk, but equally beautiful, and much more expensive because of the hand spinning.
Our final stop this morning is a visit to Buon Chuoi, a very traditional hill village of the Chil people who migrated to Vietnam from Indonesia and Malaysia many years ago. About 15 years ago, the government began relocating these people from the forests and hillsides to prevent the “slash and burn” agricultural practices they had used for decades. This new village is surrounded by thousands of acres of coffee plantations, and the Chil now make their living working in the coffee fields. The government is subsidizing the building of new brick homes for this tribe, as well as a brand new school. One of the most interesting sights we saw was the dozens of pot-bellied pigs running loose in the yards and street. We also saw many young children, ages 6 and under, who stay in the village on their own while their parents work in the coffee fields. They are darling, but very shy. Oh, by the way, we had to be transported to this village in an open wagon pulled by a tractor over a road so rough I hesitate to call it a road. It actually was quite fun.
Late this afternoon we go to Dalat University for a talk on Vietnam’s higher education system. Basically the “university” is primarily a four year undergraduate school that offers only Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, and whose curriculum is controlled by the government with little or no input from the faculty. Following the presentation by the professor, we are taken on a guided tour of the campus by students who want to practice their English speaking with us. Most are fairly competent, and it is generally a very good experience. Afterward we are headed to Dalat Village to watch a local Lat hill tribe perform their colorful native dances. As we boarded the bus our guide, Tano, asked if we would mind if he invited the students to join us. We of course say to invite them, and so we are joined by about 25 of them. This turns out to be a highlight of the trip as most of them have never interacted with any hill tribe and are quite fascinated by the dances and the people. During the performance at least twice the audience is drawn to participate in the dances, and the students love it. On the way back to drop them off at the campus they serenade us with two songs to thank us for letting them join us. They were such nice kids it was hard to see them go.
Thanks for your update Audrey. Guess no one else is reading. Too bad.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Hoi An to NhaTrang - Day 9
We left early this morning for the airport, although the weather made it very uncertain that we would be able to fly to Nha Trang. If we are unable to fly we are faced with a lengthy bus ride, as much as 12 hours, so we are delighted when we are not only able to board and take off from Hoi An, but we are also able to land as planned in Nha Trang. Unfortunately, though, we are unable to visit the local village because of the rains. Instead we take a brief bus tour of the city, especially the area near our hotel. After checking into our hotel we have lunch, and take a siesta. Later this afternoon we meet with our guide for a “frank” roundtable discussion of Vietnam today. Fortunately, we are able to ask just about anything we want, and get a good idea of Vietnam politics today. For the most part things have improved dramatically since the US dropped its embargo in 1993, and the economy has opened up significantly in the 16 years since then. However, the accompanying personal freedoms that we have come to take for granted have not come to the Vietnamese people. Our guide indicated that he must be very careful about what he says, and very circumspect when speaking in the presence of others.
Nha Trang - Day 10
We set out by boat to visit a fishing village across the bay. It seems to be much more prosperous that some of the other villages we have visited. The homes, in particular, seem much nicer. We transfer back to the boat via round bamboo basket boats or bamboo raft. Since the raft appears to be the more stable of the two, most of us choose that craft. Once we are all safely back on the boat we make our way to a nearby white sand beach, where we spend the next hour and a half. The only problem is the wind is roaring, the waves are still depositing debris from the storm on the beach, and the sun is no where to be seen. All in all this stop is a big bust. We’re glad to get back to land for lunch. Most of us then take a tour to a nearby Champa kingdom temple in the center of Nha Trang followed by a visit to a local market. Both quite interesting. One of the neatest parts of this trip has been the congeniality among the 10 of us. We get along very well, and have been having daily cocktail hours together nearly every night of the trip. Great fun.
Nha Trang to Dalat - Day 11
Our day today begins at 5:15 am, so we can have our bags out by 6, eat breakfast and board the bus in time to depart at 7 am! Again, because of the storms we have to take an alternative route to Dalat which will take an extra hour. For the next 5 ½ hours we wind our way circuitously across two mountain passes, fortunately for us through some of the most gorgeous, lush scenery we have seen. Though the road is a bit harrowing at times, none of us minds because of the mind-boggling scenery. We arrive in Dalat in time for lunch, and then proceed to visit a local silk embroidery picture factory. These are some of the most unbelievable pieces of art you can imagine. Each looks like a hand painted water color or acrylic. They tell us that each square centimeter has as many as 600 stitches. Get out your ruler and take a look at a centimeter to see how mind boggling that is. We then go to Truc Lam Zen Buddhist Pagoda, situated high on a hillside above Dalat. It is a very modern structure, begun in 1993 and completed 2 years later, and is reached by gondola. The grounds are gorgeous with formal flower gardens lush with numerous varieties of flowers and topiary. After checking in at the hotel we are met by our home hostess and taken by cab to her home for dinner. The home is lovely, one of the nicest we have been to, the food delicious, and we enjoyed talking with her 22 year old daughter who is studying English at Dalat University and is very fluent and able to help us communicate easily with the rest of the family. Very nice evening.
We left early this morning for the airport, although the weather made it very uncertain that we would be able to fly to Nha Trang. If we are unable to fly we are faced with a lengthy bus ride, as much as 12 hours, so we are delighted when we are not only able to board and take off from Hoi An, but we are also able to land as planned in Nha Trang. Unfortunately, though, we are unable to visit the local village because of the rains. Instead we take a brief bus tour of the city, especially the area near our hotel. After checking into our hotel we have lunch, and take a siesta. Later this afternoon we meet with our guide for a “frank” roundtable discussion of Vietnam today. Fortunately, we are able to ask just about anything we want, and get a good idea of Vietnam politics today. For the most part things have improved dramatically since the US dropped its embargo in 1993, and the economy has opened up significantly in the 16 years since then. However, the accompanying personal freedoms that we have come to take for granted have not come to the Vietnamese people. Our guide indicated that he must be very careful about what he says, and very circumspect when speaking in the presence of others.
Nha Trang - Day 10
We set out by boat to visit a fishing village across the bay. It seems to be much more prosperous that some of the other villages we have visited. The homes, in particular, seem much nicer. We transfer back to the boat via round bamboo basket boats or bamboo raft. Since the raft appears to be the more stable of the two, most of us choose that craft. Once we are all safely back on the boat we make our way to a nearby white sand beach, where we spend the next hour and a half. The only problem is the wind is roaring, the waves are still depositing debris from the storm on the beach, and the sun is no where to be seen. All in all this stop is a big bust. We’re glad to get back to land for lunch. Most of us then take a tour to a nearby Champa kingdom temple in the center of Nha Trang followed by a visit to a local market. Both quite interesting. One of the neatest parts of this trip has been the congeniality among the 10 of us. We get along very well, and have been having daily cocktail hours together nearly every night of the trip. Great fun.
Nha Trang to Dalat - Day 11
Our day today begins at 5:15 am, so we can have our bags out by 6, eat breakfast and board the bus in time to depart at 7 am! Again, because of the storms we have to take an alternative route to Dalat which will take an extra hour. For the next 5 ½ hours we wind our way circuitously across two mountain passes, fortunately for us through some of the most gorgeous, lush scenery we have seen. Though the road is a bit harrowing at times, none of us minds because of the mind-boggling scenery. We arrive in Dalat in time for lunch, and then proceed to visit a local silk embroidery picture factory. These are some of the most unbelievable pieces of art you can imagine. Each looks like a hand painted water color or acrylic. They tell us that each square centimeter has as many as 600 stitches. Get out your ruler and take a look at a centimeter to see how mind boggling that is. We then go to Truc Lam Zen Buddhist Pagoda, situated high on a hillside above Dalat. It is a very modern structure, begun in 1993 and completed 2 years later, and is reached by gondola. The grounds are gorgeous with formal flower gardens lush with numerous varieties of flowers and topiary. After checking in at the hotel we are met by our home hostess and taken by cab to her home for dinner. The home is lovely, one of the nicest we have been to, the food delicious, and we enjoyed talking with her 22 year old daughter who is studying English at Dalat University and is very fluent and able to help us communicate easily with the rest of the family. Very nice evening.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Hoi An - Day 8
Today we are visiting a World Cultural Heritage site, My Son, to see the ancient ruins of the Champa Kingdom which covers the period from the 4th to the 13th Centuries, and is widely regarded as the beginning of civilization in much of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Most scholars believe it started with an influx from India, bringing with them the Hindu religion and Sanskrit language. At these ruins nearly all of the structures are brick, with no apparent use of anything like cement or glue to hold them together, and yet, several of the structures have been dated to more than a thousand years old. There is continuing archeological work and restoration here though slowly because funding is limited. One theory is that the bricks were put in place using a paste made of cane sugar (grown in this area) and ashes, and then fired by building a huge fire inside the structure to function as a sort of kiln, firing the bricks together from the inside out. This is followed by extensive, highly ornate carving of the bricks on the exterior to create a temple to one of the 3 Hindu gods. Very interesting place.
As we were driving out to the ruins we were following a river so full that it was beginning to spill over its banks from the heavy rains the past two days, and by the time we return parts of our roadway are covered with about 6 inches of water. We also stopped to see fishermen using makeshift fishing nets trying to take advantage of the high waters to capture some fish not normally found this far up the river. When we arrived back in Hoi An we were driving to the restaurant where we would have lunch, but the bus was forced to back out because the intersection ahead had nearly 6 feet of water covering it! We were very fortunate to see My Son rain free. We had the rest of the afternoon free so we picked up our laundry and repacked our suitcases before heading out for dinner. Evening proved a little more exciting than usual as the lights in our room went off about 9 pm and were off all night. Good thing we brought flashlights.
Today we are visiting a World Cultural Heritage site, My Son, to see the ancient ruins of the Champa Kingdom which covers the period from the 4th to the 13th Centuries, and is widely regarded as the beginning of civilization in much of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Most scholars believe it started with an influx from India, bringing with them the Hindu religion and Sanskrit language. At these ruins nearly all of the structures are brick, with no apparent use of anything like cement or glue to hold them together, and yet, several of the structures have been dated to more than a thousand years old. There is continuing archeological work and restoration here though slowly because funding is limited. One theory is that the bricks were put in place using a paste made of cane sugar (grown in this area) and ashes, and then fired by building a huge fire inside the structure to function as a sort of kiln, firing the bricks together from the inside out. This is followed by extensive, highly ornate carving of the bricks on the exterior to create a temple to one of the 3 Hindu gods. Very interesting place.
As we were driving out to the ruins we were following a river so full that it was beginning to spill over its banks from the heavy rains the past two days, and by the time we return parts of our roadway are covered with about 6 inches of water. We also stopped to see fishermen using makeshift fishing nets trying to take advantage of the high waters to capture some fish not normally found this far up the river. When we arrived back in Hoi An we were driving to the restaurant where we would have lunch, but the bus was forced to back out because the intersection ahead had nearly 6 feet of water covering it! We were very fortunate to see My Son rain free. We had the rest of the afternoon free so we picked up our laundry and repacked our suitcases before heading out for dinner. Evening proved a little more exciting than usual as the lights in our room went off about 9 pm and were off all night. Good thing we brought flashlights.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Hue to Hoi An - Day 7
Well we’re finally cooling off -- amazing what a typhoon can do to temperatures. We left Hue at about 7:45 this a.m., in a light shower. Within a few minutes we were in driving rain with very strong winds. When we stopped for “Happy Room” break we had to use umbrellas and even then managed to get pretty wet. Our next stop was in DaNang at a marble carving factory. The skies opened on us, and though we tried to wait it out, we eventually made a mad dash for the bus. Surprisingly we didn’t get nearly as wet as we thought we might. The marble carving was very interesting. It has been a cottage industry here for hundreds of years because of a nearby marble mountain, but mainly focused on Buddhist related images. With the onset of significant foreign tourism it has now expanded to incorporate more Western looking images, including some very modern looking items. Lunch in Hoi An is a real treat -- maybe the best so far. Many dishes but not exactly the same, and just delicious. We are staying at Ancient House Hotel in Hoi An which is interesting in that it is arranged much like an old inn with rooms on many levels, no elevators, lots of stairs, four-poster beds with mosquito nets, while at the same time offering cable tv and in-room wi-fi free of charge. Hoi An and Hue are in central Vietnam, and as such are significantly different from the north. Houses are mainly one story, colors are different, the area seems more prosperous, etc.
This afternoon, with no regard for the rain pouring down on us, we take a walking tour of Hoi An’s old city. It centers around a bridge built nearly 300 years ago to join the Japanese side of the old city with the Chinese city. We visit a Chinese Buddhist temple/gathering place, the old wooden bridge, the Japanese side of the village including a visit to a Vietnam Historical Site that is a several hundred year old merchant’s home and shop. We also walk along the river where we recognize that the river is already spilling its banks, not a good sign for tomorrow’s activities. But we roll with the flow. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. We complete our visit with a Vietnam cooking demonstration at a local restaurant. It is participatory, meaning we have to prepare at least a part of our evening meal. Kind of fun, and the food is excellent.
Well we’re finally cooling off -- amazing what a typhoon can do to temperatures. We left Hue at about 7:45 this a.m., in a light shower. Within a few minutes we were in driving rain with very strong winds. When we stopped for “Happy Room” break we had to use umbrellas and even then managed to get pretty wet. Our next stop was in DaNang at a marble carving factory. The skies opened on us, and though we tried to wait it out, we eventually made a mad dash for the bus. Surprisingly we didn’t get nearly as wet as we thought we might. The marble carving was very interesting. It has been a cottage industry here for hundreds of years because of a nearby marble mountain, but mainly focused on Buddhist related images. With the onset of significant foreign tourism it has now expanded to incorporate more Western looking images, including some very modern looking items. Lunch in Hoi An is a real treat -- maybe the best so far. Many dishes but not exactly the same, and just delicious. We are staying at Ancient House Hotel in Hoi An which is interesting in that it is arranged much like an old inn with rooms on many levels, no elevators, lots of stairs, four-poster beds with mosquito nets, while at the same time offering cable tv and in-room wi-fi free of charge. Hoi An and Hue are in central Vietnam, and as such are significantly different from the north. Houses are mainly one story, colors are different, the area seems more prosperous, etc.
This afternoon, with no regard for the rain pouring down on us, we take a walking tour of Hoi An’s old city. It centers around a bridge built nearly 300 years ago to join the Japanese side of the old city with the Chinese city. We visit a Chinese Buddhist temple/gathering place, the old wooden bridge, the Japanese side of the village including a visit to a Vietnam Historical Site that is a several hundred year old merchant’s home and shop. We also walk along the river where we recognize that the river is already spilling its banks, not a good sign for tomorrow’s activities. But we roll with the flow. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. We complete our visit with a Vietnam cooking demonstration at a local restaurant. It is participatory, meaning we have to prepare at least a part of our evening meal. Kind of fun, and the food is excellent.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Hue - Day 6
We begin our exploration of this beautiful city with a visit to the 18th Century Citadel, built by the Nguyen Dynasty to protect Hue from invaders. It is built in traditional fortress style, with an outer wall 6 metres deep and 20 feet high with a 50 foot wide moat surrounding it, cutouts for artillery, and heavy doors at the 10 gates. Inside there is a second wall with a second moat, making the whole fortification very secure. Inside the second wall is Vietnam’s Forbidden City, home of the royalty for most of 3 centuries. Unfortunately, when the French returned to power after World War II they decided to raze as much of this historic site as possible, and what little remained was destroyed during the TET offensive in 1968. As a consequence the site is now undergoing restoration under the auspices of UNESCO and the Vietnam government. Nevertheless we are able to see what has been restored so far and found it both interesting and beautiful. Next we visit a Buddhist run orphanage that receives support from Grand Circle Foundation. 192 orphans live there fulltime, with 92 of them boys, and 100 girls. The youngest is 2 weeks old, and the oldest are in 3rd year university, so probably about 20. They are clean, well-dressed, appear to be well-fed and happy. Their only other option is government-run orphanages which Tano says are very bad and overcrowded.
Next we experience a vegetarian lunch at a local Buddhist monastery. It is vegetarian because today is the first day of the full moon, and therefore a day of vegetarian only lunch. It was so delicious, and we were pleasantly surprised to enjoy the variety of meatless dishes they provided. Next we head for the largest Pagoda in Vietnam, the Thien Mu Pagoda. It is beautiful. There is the traditional 7 story pagoda at the entrance leading to the Royal Temple which has many gold images of Buddha, as well as eighteen 200 year old ceramic figures of the Apostles of Buddha. Beautiful grounds, wonderful woodwork, lovely ceramic figurines on the roof lines. Very peaceful.
We begin our exploration of this beautiful city with a visit to the 18th Century Citadel, built by the Nguyen Dynasty to protect Hue from invaders. It is built in traditional fortress style, with an outer wall 6 metres deep and 20 feet high with a 50 foot wide moat surrounding it, cutouts for artillery, and heavy doors at the 10 gates. Inside there is a second wall with a second moat, making the whole fortification very secure. Inside the second wall is Vietnam’s Forbidden City, home of the royalty for most of 3 centuries. Unfortunately, when the French returned to power after World War II they decided to raze as much of this historic site as possible, and what little remained was destroyed during the TET offensive in 1968. As a consequence the site is now undergoing restoration under the auspices of UNESCO and the Vietnam government. Nevertheless we are able to see what has been restored so far and found it both interesting and beautiful. Next we visit a Buddhist run orphanage that receives support from Grand Circle Foundation. 192 orphans live there fulltime, with 92 of them boys, and 100 girls. The youngest is 2 weeks old, and the oldest are in 3rd year university, so probably about 20. They are clean, well-dressed, appear to be well-fed and happy. Their only other option is government-run orphanages which Tano says are very bad and overcrowded.
Next we experience a vegetarian lunch at a local Buddhist monastery. It is vegetarian because today is the first day of the full moon, and therefore a day of vegetarian only lunch. It was so delicious, and we were pleasantly surprised to enjoy the variety of meatless dishes they provided. Next we head for the largest Pagoda in Vietnam, the Thien Mu Pagoda. It is beautiful. There is the traditional 7 story pagoda at the entrance leading to the Royal Temple which has many gold images of Buddha, as well as eighteen 200 year old ceramic figures of the Apostles of Buddha. Beautiful grounds, wonderful woodwork, lovely ceramic figurines on the roof lines. Very peaceful.
Hanoi to Halong Bay to Hue - Day 5 & 6
We board our bus headed to Halong Bay, four hours down the road. Along the way we see lots of rice fields, several being tended by local farmers with virtually no mechanized equipment, many pineapple fields which yield a small, very sweet fruit, tons of bicycles, motorbikes, trucks, and several small villages, many of which run directly into each other, forming a continuous row of shops topped with homes. About two hours into our drive we stop at a local school/craft market for handicapped children and adults. The students are learning to paint with silk thread producing beautiful pictures that from a distance look like oil paintings, as well as wood and stone carving, clothing sewing, lacquer ware painting among other skills. The goal is to teach them a skill they can use to make a living when they leave the security of the school. A very interesting stop.
We board a sampan that will take us to our junk which is anchored out in the harbor. Upon arrival we are given our room key and some time to get freshened up for lunch. Our guide, Tano, has told us that this is a brand new junk, only used 3 times before, and that as recently as 2000 there were no junks that offered overnight accommodations. Amazing since this Bay is one of the most beautiful spots in the world and can only be explored by boat. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and deservedly so. While I am at a loss for words to clearly describe the beauty we are encountering here, I will try to describe it as best as I can. The water is emerald green, most likely reflecting the greenery that covers the nearly 2,000 islands dotting this Bay. They jut up out of the water many hundreds of feet straight up with layer after layer of vertically stratified rock. Couple that with a nearly constant mist/fog and you have eerie but spectacular views every way you look. As part of our cruise we stop at a floating fish farm where rows of cubes of sea water hold dozens of kinds of fish and shellfish, some caught by locals, and all destined for local markets. Fascinating. We also stopped for about an hour while some of our group (not the 3 of us) climbed up the equivalent of 28 stories to see a cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. They said it was quite interesting - enough for us wimps. Sunset was beautiful over the water, followed by the eerie hoodoo-like images exposed only by moonlight. Morning came quite early as the junk engines start up at 6 a.m., ending the peaceful quiet of the night. After a short cruise during our breakfast we return to our bus for the return trip to Hanoi where we have lunch and head for the airport for our flight to Hue. We make the short transfer from the airport to the hotel, and gladly head for our rooms. Dinner tonight is on our own, so we choose to head upstairs to the hotel restaurant. Very good choice.
Is anybody out there? We haven’t heard a word from home except our friend and house sitter, Linda. Write and update us on the big snow and the Broncos.
We board our bus headed to Halong Bay, four hours down the road. Along the way we see lots of rice fields, several being tended by local farmers with virtually no mechanized equipment, many pineapple fields which yield a small, very sweet fruit, tons of bicycles, motorbikes, trucks, and several small villages, many of which run directly into each other, forming a continuous row of shops topped with homes. About two hours into our drive we stop at a local school/craft market for handicapped children and adults. The students are learning to paint with silk thread producing beautiful pictures that from a distance look like oil paintings, as well as wood and stone carving, clothing sewing, lacquer ware painting among other skills. The goal is to teach them a skill they can use to make a living when they leave the security of the school. A very interesting stop.
We board a sampan that will take us to our junk which is anchored out in the harbor. Upon arrival we are given our room key and some time to get freshened up for lunch. Our guide, Tano, has told us that this is a brand new junk, only used 3 times before, and that as recently as 2000 there were no junks that offered overnight accommodations. Amazing since this Bay is one of the most beautiful spots in the world and can only be explored by boat. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and deservedly so. While I am at a loss for words to clearly describe the beauty we are encountering here, I will try to describe it as best as I can. The water is emerald green, most likely reflecting the greenery that covers the nearly 2,000 islands dotting this Bay. They jut up out of the water many hundreds of feet straight up with layer after layer of vertically stratified rock. Couple that with a nearly constant mist/fog and you have eerie but spectacular views every way you look. As part of our cruise we stop at a floating fish farm where rows of cubes of sea water hold dozens of kinds of fish and shellfish, some caught by locals, and all destined for local markets. Fascinating. We also stopped for about an hour while some of our group (not the 3 of us) climbed up the equivalent of 28 stories to see a cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. They said it was quite interesting - enough for us wimps. Sunset was beautiful over the water, followed by the eerie hoodoo-like images exposed only by moonlight. Morning came quite early as the junk engines start up at 6 a.m., ending the peaceful quiet of the night. After a short cruise during our breakfast we return to our bus for the return trip to Hanoi where we have lunch and head for the airport for our flight to Hue. We make the short transfer from the airport to the hotel, and gladly head for our rooms. Dinner tonight is on our own, so we choose to head upstairs to the hotel restaurant. Very good choice.
Is anybody out there? We haven’t heard a word from home except our friend and house sitter, Linda. Write and update us on the big snow and the Broncos.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Hanoi - Day 3
Today we leave the city for Tho Ha village about 30 miles from Hanoi which is known for making rice paper. It is somewhat isolated from the nearby communities by the river, so they seldom have visitors from overseas. We have to take a local ferry which we board on a very shaky iron mesh walk and which is used by anyone who wants to go into the nearby towns, including numerous motorbikes which seem to have (or grab) priority, followed by a walk up a steep embankment to get to the village. Once there we walk through the village, its market, and past a local school. The students are playing, quite competitively, a game similar to our Charades. Along every street and alleyway there are hundreds of bamboo racks of rice paper drying in the sun. We are going to a home where the mother is to show us how she makes rice paper in circles about the size of a large flour tortilla.. She makes about 2,000 per day over 9 hours. Her own little assembly line, I guess. This home is also part of a family compound, and is now home to the 4th generation of this family. It is very nice, clean, beautiful ceramic floors, nice antique furniture. We continue to walk through the village, stopping to look at a 3 century old Buddhist temple that is being replaced by a new temple built higher off the ground to prevent flooding during the rainy season. Upon our return to Hanoi we have lunch and return to our hotel. We need to repack so that we are ready for our trip to Halong Bay tomorrow. We are taking only an overnight bag so we will reshuffle a little. Tonight we went with some of the group to a nearby restaurant for a really nice dinner. We really enjoyed our meal as it was not traditional Vietnamese, but not really western either.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Hanoi - Day 2
We began our day with a visit to the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, first president of Vietnam, and leader of the opposition war against the South, and eventually the U.S. It is a very large granite structure which we were only able to see from the exterior as it is closed for two months for maintenance (of Ho Chi Minh’s body!) Nearby we visit the Presidential Palace, a large French-style mansion that he lived in from 1954, when the French left, until 1958. He then decided that he wanted to live more simply, and moved to an existing smaller apartment on the same grounds. He ultimately abandoned this for a two room stilt house very much like the peasants lived in so that he could seem more like one of them, Next we walk to the “One Pillar Pagoda”, a very famous site that was originally built nearly 1000 years ago. Our final stop this morning is at the Museum of Ethnology which defines and describes the 54 ethnic groups that comprise Vietnam’s people. 53 of these are basically small hill tribes, but because they have distinct language and cultural differences they are considered separate. The museum is outstanding, with excellent dioramas for each ethnic group, and explanations printed in Vietnamese, French, and English. Outside there are actual reconstructions of typical homes for several of the tribes. Amazing how different each is. After lunch we are transported by cyclo (bicycle with 3 wheels and room for one passenger) through the old part of the city where each street, some only one block or two, is named for the wares sold on the street. So you see two or three blocks of shoes, or ladies garments, or hardware, or you name it. Oh, and by the way, did I mention the traffic? These are essentially 1 lane streets that usually have at least 3 or 4 motor scooters plus a bus, car or taxi sharing the 1 lane. We disembark at the Temple of Literature, so named because it is the gateway to the first university in Vietnam. Many of the Vietnamese in the north practice either Confucianism or Taoism, and the temple reflects this, as its main features are Confucian. On our way back to the hotel we make a quick stop at the monument erected in 1997 to commemorate those American pilots captured and held in prison in Hanoi during the war, particularly John McCain, who was present for the dedication of the monument. Our day ends with a Water Puppet Show, very interesting, and dinner at a local restaurant. Have I mentioned steamed rice? Stir fried vegetables? Chicken, shrimp, pork and occasionally beef fixed so many different ways that you have never heard of? Actually, we are enjoying the local cuisine so far.
We began our day with a visit to the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, first president of Vietnam, and leader of the opposition war against the South, and eventually the U.S. It is a very large granite structure which we were only able to see from the exterior as it is closed for two months for maintenance (of Ho Chi Minh’s body!) Nearby we visit the Presidential Palace, a large French-style mansion that he lived in from 1954, when the French left, until 1958. He then decided that he wanted to live more simply, and moved to an existing smaller apartment on the same grounds. He ultimately abandoned this for a two room stilt house very much like the peasants lived in so that he could seem more like one of them, Next we walk to the “One Pillar Pagoda”, a very famous site that was originally built nearly 1000 years ago. Our final stop this morning is at the Museum of Ethnology which defines and describes the 54 ethnic groups that comprise Vietnam’s people. 53 of these are basically small hill tribes, but because they have distinct language and cultural differences they are considered separate. The museum is outstanding, with excellent dioramas for each ethnic group, and explanations printed in Vietnamese, French, and English. Outside there are actual reconstructions of typical homes for several of the tribes. Amazing how different each is. After lunch we are transported by cyclo (bicycle with 3 wheels and room for one passenger) through the old part of the city where each street, some only one block or two, is named for the wares sold on the street. So you see two or three blocks of shoes, or ladies garments, or hardware, or you name it. Oh, and by the way, did I mention the traffic? These are essentially 1 lane streets that usually have at least 3 or 4 motor scooters plus a bus, car or taxi sharing the 1 lane. We disembark at the Temple of Literature, so named because it is the gateway to the first university in Vietnam. Many of the Vietnamese in the north practice either Confucianism or Taoism, and the temple reflects this, as its main features are Confucian. On our way back to the hotel we make a quick stop at the monument erected in 1997 to commemorate those American pilots captured and held in prison in Hanoi during the war, particularly John McCain, who was present for the dedication of the monument. Our day ends with a Water Puppet Show, very interesting, and dinner at a local restaurant. Have I mentioned steamed rice? Stir fried vegetables? Chicken, shrimp, pork and occasionally beef fixed so many different ways that you have never heard of? Actually, we are enjoying the local cuisine so far.
Bangkok to Hanoi, Vietnam - Day 1 (Phase 3)
We headed for SuvarnabhumI Airport, Bangkok’s three year old airport, a huge and very modern facility. After all the official rigamarole, we boarded our plane for a two hour flight to Hanoi. Because two of the main bridges into Hanoi are under reconstruction, our bus ride to the hotel took nearly two hours -- usually a 30 minute ride. After checking in to our rooms we headed out for a short walk around the neighborhood. Hanoi is strongly influenced, architecturally by the French, who occupied Indochina, including Vietnam for around a hundred years. We saw lots of local people out on the street playing Vietnamese checkers, setting up “fast food” shops on the sidewalks (not allowed before 5 p.m.) and just generally hanging out. The traffic is unbelievable with hundreds of thousands of motor scooters competing with taxis, buses, trucks, bicycles, and a few privately owned cars. After a delicious dinner at the Banana Flower Restaurant, we hit the pillows for a long awaited rest.
We headed for SuvarnabhumI Airport, Bangkok’s three year old airport, a huge and very modern facility. After all the official rigamarole, we boarded our plane for a two hour flight to Hanoi. Because two of the main bridges into Hanoi are under reconstruction, our bus ride to the hotel took nearly two hours -- usually a 30 minute ride. After checking in to our rooms we headed out for a short walk around the neighborhood. Hanoi is strongly influenced, architecturally by the French, who occupied Indochina, including Vietnam for around a hundred years. We saw lots of local people out on the street playing Vietnamese checkers, setting up “fast food” shops on the sidewalks (not allowed before 5 p.m.) and just generally hanging out. The traffic is unbelievable with hundreds of thousands of motor scooters competing with taxis, buses, trucks, bicycles, and a few privately owned cars. After a delicious dinner at the Banana Flower Restaurant, we hit the pillows for a long awaited rest.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Bangkok - Day 15
We are now on our last day in Bangkok. Early this morning we headed for the Royal Palace and Temple. It is huge! Lots of temple buildings, all spectacularly adorned, many in gold leaf. One pagoda is completely covered in gold leaf tiles imported from Italy. This complex was built by Rama V in the late 19th century and is heavily influenced by his love of all things European. We see this most directly when we leave the temple complex to enter the Palace section.
The main palace was built in classical style complete with columns and large column-like windows. After the building was completed Rama V realized it didn’t really “fit” with the rest of the buildings so he had the roof removed and replaced with Thai-style roofs. The result is a little startling. Not sure it really makes the building “fit” any better.
Spent the afternoon relaxing and repacking for our trip to Vietnam tomorrow. We had a farewell dinner on the river on another rice barge. Fun time. Our group has meshed very well and we have a good time together. On to Phase 3 tomorrow.
We are now on our last day in Bangkok. Early this morning we headed for the Royal Palace and Temple. It is huge! Lots of temple buildings, all spectacularly adorned, many in gold leaf. One pagoda is completely covered in gold leaf tiles imported from Italy. This complex was built by Rama V in the late 19th century and is heavily influenced by his love of all things European. We see this most directly when we leave the temple complex to enter the Palace section.
The main palace was built in classical style complete with columns and large column-like windows. After the building was completed Rama V realized it didn’t really “fit” with the rest of the buildings so he had the roof removed and replaced with Thai-style roofs. The result is a little startling. Not sure it really makes the building “fit” any better.
Spent the afternoon relaxing and repacking for our trip to Vietnam tomorrow. We had a farewell dinner on the river on another rice barge. Fun time. Our group has meshed very well and we have a good time together. On to Phase 3 tomorrow.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Chiang Mai - Day 12
We began our day with an hour plus ride to an elephant camp where we were immediately transferred to a chair-box-seat on the back of a mature Asian elephant. For about an hour we rambled through the rainforest, stopping occasionally to pick up a bunch of bananas and/or sugar cane for the elephant to snack on while we complete the journey. It was truly a quiet, peaceful venture which we are glad we were able to experience. Following our ride we were treated to a half hour or so of a dozen elephants ranging in age from 1 year to 10 years old as they performed a variety of very entertaining tricks and skills. We had lunch in the clubhouse of a local country club, where we were offered the option of playing golf -- could not imagine playing 18 holes (or even one hole) in this heat/humidity. So-o-o onto another shopping opportunity, this one a local bronze works. They showed us step-by-step how they hand craft table ware, and then took us into the showroom where, in addition to the table ware, they had hundreds of other items for sale. Fortunately most were so big we weren’t even tempted. Our final stop took us to a silk factory where they showed us how silkworms are transformed into silk thread and then woven into beautiful silk fabric. Again it was expensive enough that we were able to resist. After a short rest at our hotel, we were off again, this time for a cruise on the Ping River through the center of Chiang Mai. Lovely sunset, great hors ’d oeuvres and a very relaxing way to end the day.
We began our day with an hour plus ride to an elephant camp where we were immediately transferred to a chair-box-seat on the back of a mature Asian elephant. For about an hour we rambled through the rainforest, stopping occasionally to pick up a bunch of bananas and/or sugar cane for the elephant to snack on while we complete the journey. It was truly a quiet, peaceful venture which we are glad we were able to experience. Following our ride we were treated to a half hour or so of a dozen elephants ranging in age from 1 year to 10 years old as they performed a variety of very entertaining tricks and skills. We had lunch in the clubhouse of a local country club, where we were offered the option of playing golf -- could not imagine playing 18 holes (or even one hole) in this heat/humidity. So-o-o onto another shopping opportunity, this one a local bronze works. They showed us step-by-step how they hand craft table ware, and then took us into the showroom where, in addition to the table ware, they had hundreds of other items for sale. Fortunately most were so big we weren’t even tempted. Our final stop took us to a silk factory where they showed us how silkworms are transformed into silk thread and then woven into beautiful silk fabric. Again it was expensive enough that we were able to resist. After a short rest at our hotel, we were off again, this time for a cruise on the Ping River through the center of Chiang Mai. Lovely sunset, great hors ’d oeuvres and a very relaxing way to end the day.
Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai - Day 11
We left early again for our drive to Chiang Mai which will take approximately 4 hours. After about an hour and a half our guide offered to take us to another unusually pretty Buddhist Temple. We all agreed after seeing the Wat Rong Khun temple, that it is one of the prettiest we’ve seen. It is all white with the most intricate carvings we’ve seen thus far. At one point, as you are coming up the walkway into the primary image room, there is a depiction of hell with hundreds of hands reaching up from beneath the earth. The funniest part was at least two of the hands were giving us “the bird”, and someone had painted the fingernail of one of them bright red! Shortly after this we stopped for coffee at a local Inn called “Cabbages and Condoms”. The owner is apparently dedicated to insuring safe sex among the locals. Needless to say some of the “souvenirs” were quite interesting. Following lunch at a local Chiang Mai restaurant, we went to a Gem factory, where all three of us succumbed to the lure of rubies, and each bought a ring. Next we visited a lacquer ware factory, learned the step-by-step process for producing these beautiful handcrafted items, and picked up a couple of souvenirs. The local craftsmen in this country are so talented it is difficult to resist their wares. Fortunately both the packing space and the wallet are running out, so we’ll now save money/space for Vietnam.
By the way, we had intended to include some of our photos with this blog, but the system limitations have thus far made that impractical if not impossible. If we get better accessibility when we are in Bangkok in a couple of days we’ll try to edit in some photos.
We left early again for our drive to Chiang Mai which will take approximately 4 hours. After about an hour and a half our guide offered to take us to another unusually pretty Buddhist Temple. We all agreed after seeing the Wat Rong Khun temple, that it is one of the prettiest we’ve seen. It is all white with the most intricate carvings we’ve seen thus far. At one point, as you are coming up the walkway into the primary image room, there is a depiction of hell with hundreds of hands reaching up from beneath the earth. The funniest part was at least two of the hands were giving us “the bird”, and someone had painted the fingernail of one of them bright red! Shortly after this we stopped for coffee at a local Inn called “Cabbages and Condoms”. The owner is apparently dedicated to insuring safe sex among the locals. Needless to say some of the “souvenirs” were quite interesting. Following lunch at a local Chiang Mai restaurant, we went to a Gem factory, where all three of us succumbed to the lure of rubies, and each bought a ring. Next we visited a lacquer ware factory, learned the step-by-step process for producing these beautiful handcrafted items, and picked up a couple of souvenirs. The local craftsmen in this country are so talented it is difficult to resist their wares. Fortunately both the packing space and the wallet are running out, so we’ll now save money/space for Vietnam.
By the way, we had intended to include some of our photos with this blog, but the system limitations have thus far made that impractical if not impossible. If we get better accessibility when we are in Bangkok in a couple of days we’ll try to edit in some photos.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Chiang Rai to Myanmar and Laos - Day 9
On our way early again, we headed to the border between Thailand and Myanmar. After clearing immigration for both countries we headed for our ride by TukTuk through the border town of Tachilek. The first thing we notice is the poverty seems much more severe in Burma. Many more beggars, lots of poorly clothed people, and many more who appear quite undernourished. As many of you know the government here, in addition to being one of the most oppressive, is known for its corruption. Most foreign aid has gone into the pockets of its ruling military, and the results are quite evident. We take a tour at a local Shan-style temple where we are given flowers and instructions to make three wishes to the shrine for our day of the week. This is based on the actual day of the week you are born, mine and Jan’s both being Wednesday. After making the wishes and pouring water over the Buddha three times, over his folded hands two times, and over the symbol for that day once, in our case the elephant, we are then led to a large bell which we strike 9 times with a wooden post. Purportedly, our wishes will now come true. Hope so! Our lunch is at a wonderful outdoor restaurant about 40 km out of Chiang Rai. We are transported by “farm truck” as the roads are too rough for the bus. It was more like a tractor with a wooden box on its rear, but the barbequed chicken was so delicious we didn’t care about the primitive transportation. Our day concluded with a cruise on the Mekong River and a visit to Laos. It is amazing to me that these people live so close to each other, and yet each nationality exhibits such different physical characteristics.
On our way early again, we headed to the border between Thailand and Myanmar. After clearing immigration for both countries we headed for our ride by TukTuk through the border town of Tachilek. The first thing we notice is the poverty seems much more severe in Burma. Many more beggars, lots of poorly clothed people, and many more who appear quite undernourished. As many of you know the government here, in addition to being one of the most oppressive, is known for its corruption. Most foreign aid has gone into the pockets of its ruling military, and the results are quite evident. We take a tour at a local Shan-style temple where we are given flowers and instructions to make three wishes to the shrine for our day of the week. This is based on the actual day of the week you are born, mine and Jan’s both being Wednesday. After making the wishes and pouring water over the Buddha three times, over his folded hands two times, and over the symbol for that day once, in our case the elephant, we are then led to a large bell which we strike 9 times with a wooden post. Purportedly, our wishes will now come true. Hope so! Our lunch is at a wonderful outdoor restaurant about 40 km out of Chiang Rai. We are transported by “farm truck” as the roads are too rough for the bus. It was more like a tractor with a wooden box on its rear, but the barbequed chicken was so delicious we didn’t care about the primitive transportation. Our day concluded with a cruise on the Mekong River and a visit to Laos. It is amazing to me that these people live so close to each other, and yet each nationality exhibits such different physical characteristics.
Phrae to Chiang Rai - Day 8
We leave Phrae this morning early on our way to visit a Pre-school supported by Grand Circle, of which OAT is a part. What a wonderful experience! When we arrived the students came to our bus with flowers/leis for each of us, and then took our hands and escorted us to the front of the school where they lined up, raised the flag and sang the national anthem for us. Then they did about 20 minutes of exercises, each one led by a different child. Then we went inside where they immediately split up by ages, 2, 3, and 4 year olds and began working on various projects. There are 45 students, 3 teachers, and they have a surprisingly good facility and lots of materials. They attend 5 days per week from 7;30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are given lunch while there. It is very progressive, with the children learning both Thai and English alphabets, numbers, and colors. It was a great way to start the day. From there we visited the local Senior Center where the Grand Circle Foundation has given them startup money to produce local crafts for sale to various clients including tourists. By the way, average life span for women is 50-55, and for men is 70. So-o-o they generally think we are quite elderly! They have even asked Marce for pictures because of her white hair. We then visited a local family for a home hosted lunch. This is considered “plain” food because it is what the local farm families eat. Didn’t seem to plain to us as the entire meal was cooked and served in banana leaves and was delicious.
We are heading into the Golden Triangle, once a producing region for the opium trade, most of which has now been replaced with other crops such as pineapple, rice, bananas, papaya, and other fruits and grains. Tourism is now very profitable as well, as this is the point where Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and Laos meet as rivers from each country empty into the Mekong River. The countryside is lush with green vegetation everywhere, no doubt a result of the very high humidity and regular sunshine. After lunch we board songtaew taxi trucks to take a ride in the nearby hills to visit what are known as the “hill tribes.” We visited two tribes, the Yao who have lived up here for 600 years, and the Akha who have lived here for only about 50 years. In all there are more than 20 of these hill tribes, all subsistence farmers, and each with its own culture and language. The Yao gave us a weaving demonstration, while the Akha, dressed in their traditional costumes, did a native dance for us. Both very colorful and interesting. We arrived at our hotel later than usual, but it was well worth it.
We leave Phrae this morning early on our way to visit a Pre-school supported by Grand Circle, of which OAT is a part. What a wonderful experience! When we arrived the students came to our bus with flowers/leis for each of us, and then took our hands and escorted us to the front of the school where they lined up, raised the flag and sang the national anthem for us. Then they did about 20 minutes of exercises, each one led by a different child. Then we went inside where they immediately split up by ages, 2, 3, and 4 year olds and began working on various projects. There are 45 students, 3 teachers, and they have a surprisingly good facility and lots of materials. They attend 5 days per week from 7;30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are given lunch while there. It is very progressive, with the children learning both Thai and English alphabets, numbers, and colors. It was a great way to start the day. From there we visited the local Senior Center where the Grand Circle Foundation has given them startup money to produce local crafts for sale to various clients including tourists. By the way, average life span for women is 50-55, and for men is 70. So-o-o they generally think we are quite elderly! They have even asked Marce for pictures because of her white hair. We then visited a local family for a home hosted lunch. This is considered “plain” food because it is what the local farm families eat. Didn’t seem to plain to us as the entire meal was cooked and served in banana leaves and was delicious.
We are heading into the Golden Triangle, once a producing region for the opium trade, most of which has now been replaced with other crops such as pineapple, rice, bananas, papaya, and other fruits and grains. Tourism is now very profitable as well, as this is the point where Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and Laos meet as rivers from each country empty into the Mekong River. The countryside is lush with green vegetation everywhere, no doubt a result of the very high humidity and regular sunshine. After lunch we board songtaew taxi trucks to take a ride in the nearby hills to visit what are known as the “hill tribes.” We visited two tribes, the Yao who have lived up here for 600 years, and the Akha who have lived here for only about 50 years. In all there are more than 20 of these hill tribes, all subsistence farmers, and each with its own culture and language. The Yao gave us a weaving demonstration, while the Akha, dressed in their traditional costumes, did a native dance for us. Both very colorful and interesting. We arrived at our hotel later than usual, but it was well worth it.
Monday, October 19, 2009
On from Bangkok - Day 7
We left Bangkok this morning amidst the morning rush hour - not something we will miss. We head for Damnuerk Saduak where we are visiting its Floating Market which is quite fascinating. Locals load their sampans with fruits, vegetables. Curries, sweets, clothing, you name it, and ply their wares by floating up and down an approximately ½ mile section of the local river. Onshore, along the river, are an equal number of fixed vendors peddling their wares. Next we visit the legendary Bridge Over the River Kwai, part of the Thailand-Burma Railway built by POW’S during WWII. Over 100,000 men died in the course of the building, about 75000 of whom were Allied prisoners of war, most of them British, Australian, and though not POW’S many local Thai and Burmese recruited for the work. We visited the War Museum and Cemetery attached to the site before moving on to our hotel. Japanese engineers who designed the rail line estimated it would take 5 to 7 years to complete, but, using the harsh treatment of PoW’s, it was completed in 20 months.
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Day 8
Today we continue our exploration of the Burma-Thailand RR by visiting the Hellfire Pass Museum, so named because as the prisoners were carving a 45 foot deep channel 25 feet through the mountains, the Japanese Army put the project on “speedo” in an attempt to complete the project as quickly as possible. To do so they forced the POW’S to work 20 hours a day, including by light of campfires. From here we board our long tail speedboats for a trip along the River Kwai to the place where we will have lunch. Then we take a short train ride on the infamous train before heading to the hotel for the evening,
Our group is small and, fortunately, very compatible. We’ve been gathering, on a rotating basis, for cocktails each evening in one of our rooms. Fun way to get to know each other better.
Day 9
We leave Kanchanaburi and drive through acre after acre of rice paddies, visit a local farmer market in Uthaithani before boarding a traditional rice barge to cruise along the Sakae Krang river while we have lunch on the barge.
After a long drive we arrived at our hotel, a very nice resort setting.
Day 10 - !3th Century Sukhothai
Today we begin by touring the original capital of Thailand, the 13th Century capital city of Sukhothai. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this historical park has so many temple ruins that many have not been restored, due to cost. They have selected three or four to restore, at least partially, so that visitors can have an idea of the immensity of the temple area.
On our way to our hotel we stop at a Lao family business dedicated to the production of indigo dyed cloth. It was fascinating to see how they use the native plant, soaked overnight, to begin the process, add lime, then begin to soak the cotton fabric, four or more times to get it to the desired shade of blue. They also use the batik process to produce designs on the fabric. We purchased a beautiful tablecloth made from the cloth they produce.
By the way, because of bandwidth issues, I am not including any pictures. Sorry, as I know that would be much more interesting. If I reach a location with adequate bandwith I will try to send some pics.
We left Bangkok this morning amidst the morning rush hour - not something we will miss. We head for Damnuerk Saduak where we are visiting its Floating Market which is quite fascinating. Locals load their sampans with fruits, vegetables. Curries, sweets, clothing, you name it, and ply their wares by floating up and down an approximately ½ mile section of the local river. Onshore, along the river, are an equal number of fixed vendors peddling their wares. Next we visit the legendary Bridge Over the River Kwai, part of the Thailand-Burma Railway built by POW’S during WWII. Over 100,000 men died in the course of the building, about 75000 of whom were Allied prisoners of war, most of them British, Australian, and though not POW’S many local Thai and Burmese recruited for the work. We visited the War Museum and Cemetery attached to the site before moving on to our hotel. Japanese engineers who designed the rail line estimated it would take 5 to 7 years to complete, but, using the harsh treatment of PoW’s, it was completed in 20 months.
\
Day 8
Today we continue our exploration of the Burma-Thailand RR by visiting the Hellfire Pass Museum, so named because as the prisoners were carving a 45 foot deep channel 25 feet through the mountains, the Japanese Army put the project on “speedo” in an attempt to complete the project as quickly as possible. To do so they forced the POW’S to work 20 hours a day, including by light of campfires. From here we board our long tail speedboats for a trip along the River Kwai to the place where we will have lunch. Then we take a short train ride on the infamous train before heading to the hotel for the evening,
Our group is small and, fortunately, very compatible. We’ve been gathering, on a rotating basis, for cocktails each evening in one of our rooms. Fun way to get to know each other better.
Day 9
We leave Kanchanaburi and drive through acre after acre of rice paddies, visit a local farmer market in Uthaithani before boarding a traditional rice barge to cruise along the Sakae Krang river while we have lunch on the barge.
After a long drive we arrived at our hotel, a very nice resort setting.
Day 10 - !3th Century Sukhothai
Today we begin by touring the original capital of Thailand, the 13th Century capital city of Sukhothai. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this historical park has so many temple ruins that many have not been restored, due to cost. They have selected three or four to restore, at least partially, so that visitors can have an idea of the immensity of the temple area.
On our way to our hotel we stop at a Lao family business dedicated to the production of indigo dyed cloth. It was fascinating to see how they use the native plant, soaked overnight, to begin the process, add lime, then begin to soak the cotton fabric, four or more times to get it to the desired shade of blue. They also use the batik process to produce designs on the fabric. We purchased a beautiful tablecloth made from the cloth they produce.
By the way, because of bandwidth issues, I am not including any pictures. Sorry, as I know that would be much more interesting. If I reach a location with adequate bandwith I will try to send some pics.
At long last, after days of not being able to post to this blog because of bandwith limitations and/or language issues (ever tried to read Thai?), here is the first edition. It will take you through
Cambodia and Bangkok. Heaven only knows when I can post again, but I will keep trying!
Blogpost
Day 3 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Today is officially Day 3 of our tour, although the first 2 days were spent in airports as we worked our way across the International Date Line, technically losing a day as we did so, before finally landing in Bangkok last night. We finally reached our hotel at about 12:30 a.m., and after checking in, landed in bed about 1:30, actually 36 hours since we arose in Denver on Thursday. Needless to say we were exhausted, and a little concerned about the capabilities of our airlines. We were delayed, for one reason or another, in all 3 airports before finally landing in Bangkok.
After an early start this morning, we arrived in Siem Reap. We soon observed the skies open upon us and we wondered if we would be able to take part in the plan for the afternoon. The shower, though mighty, was brief, so we set out on a walk through a park in front of the King’s Palace. The park is closed when the King is in residence, but was open for our walk. Most notable were the presence of thousands of fruit bats hanging from the park’s trees,. Next we drove to the outskirts of town where we were treated to a ride through the thoroughly soaked village in an oxcart, followed by a visit to our oxcart driver’s home. Though poor, these people are friendly, proud, and very welcoming. We then took a walk through the local market in which our host family shops. Everything from fresh vegetables to clothing, animism medicines to electronics, raw and dried fish, and lots of fresh chicken, beef, and pork, all sans refrigeration. Typical of third world markets, but fun to visit anyway.
Tonight we were treated to a local buffet dinner, followed by a traditional dance show.
The food was good and the entertainment delightful, though none of us is likely to develop a taste for Cambodian music – pretty atonal. Our return to our hotal was via Remok or motorized rickshaw powered by a motorcycle. Fortunately the rain held off so other than the usual traffic nightmares present in every third world country where the only law is who is bigger, faster, and braver.
Our hotel is very nice. Clean, well-appointed, and, best of all, air conditioned!
Day 4 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Mornings start early in an effort to avoid the midday heat. Good idea since the early morning is hot enough. I have perspired so much my face is getting a salt rash! We started to Tonle Sap Lake, southeast Asia’s largest, where we board a motorboat to visit the floating houses on the Lake. Because this freshwater lake can go from as low as 2 to 4 ft to as deep as 45 ft, permanent homes are constructed on stilts high enough to avoid flooding in normal years. Unfortunately this was not a normal year so many of these homes were flooded. The other type of home found on this lake is the equivalent of a houseboat in our country, Whole families, which here can be as much as 3 generations, and as many as 20-25 people live together, and move there home as needed to find the fish by which they make their living. Some use poles to suspend their nets in a circular design and essentially trap the fish, while others create small fish farms in the shallower water, and harvest the fish when they reach market size. .There is even a floating school on the Lake where children the equivalent of our K-5 schools can go to school!
This afternoon we visited the Angkor National Museum, only 3 years old, which features a vast collection of Hindu and Buddhist relics and artworks that trace the development of these two religions. Because Buddhism grew out of the Brahmin (Hindu) religion much of the artifacts tell more of the Hindu story, in spite of the fact that present day Cambodia is 96% Buddhist. Next we visited the War Museum, not something we would usually take, however since this one is dedicated to the evils of was and the tour guides are survivors of the nearly thirty years of war Cambodia has recently endured, we went. Wonderful place. Our guide lost part of a leg, use of one of his eyes, and has permanently embedded shrapnel and ball bearings from the land mines his country had been littered with. Land mines are still a problem, but work continues to attempt to clear them. All in all a very sobering experience.
Day 5 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
We hoped to see Angkor Wat by sunrise, but unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, so we began our day wit h a drive to Banteay Srei, the pink sandstone temple known as the “Citadel of Women”, one of the best preserved sites in Cambodia, at least partially because it has some of the most intricate and deep carvings that have withstood the test of time since 967 AD. We loved it, perhaps, because it is the smallest we have visited so far, and thus is the most delicate. Following lunch we checked out of our hotel and proceeded to the Killing Fields Memorial. Our guide, a survivor as a young child, is well able to share the horrors of this period, she is also reluctant, as are many Cambodians, to be specific in her criticism of PolPot because many of the Khmer Rouge (PolPot army) are still alive and living in the villages they pillaged. She talked of her father waiting to be “interviewed” by the Army because his . brother had informed the Rouge that her father had supported LonNol, PolPot’s rival. The fear is still palpable to her. The memorial itself says it all -- now a dormitory for Buddhist monks, it was the site of terrible torture and death, and is epitomized by a repository of skulls and bones found in the jail (now the dorm). Very sobering - not unlike visiting Dachau or Auschwitz. We also visited an artisan workshop that trains talented art students in the native arts of silk painting, wood/stone/soapstone carving, lacquer painting, among others. They also provide specialized training for the deaf/mute and physically handicapped. They produce some beautiful pieces of artwork. Off to the airport to return to Bangkok. I think I will be able to publish from our hotel there. Cambodian connection is available but not too reliable.
Bangkok, Thailand - Day 1
We started the morning with a walk through the floral market which was an amazing sight. Up and down both sides of the street are fresh flowers of just about any variety you’ve ever seen, and many you’ve probably never new existed. The fragrances are almost overwhelming. -- makes you want to spend the whole day there. Then we headed for Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, one of many beautiful temples we will see in Thailand, 411 in Bangkok alone. We are now traveling by boat on the river Chao Phraya and its many canal on our way to our Thai cooking demonstration and lunch in the home of a local family. Our hostess, Jim, was demonstrating how to make red curry paste from scratch, which she then used tto prepare Red Curry Chicken with stir fry vegetables. Delicious, and amazingly healthy. Virtually all meals include steamed rice, and often fresh fruit for dessert. Her home is right on a canal surrounded by water filled with beautiful flowers and plants, including a
field of pink lotus flowers. We follow lunch with more meandering the canals -- Bangkok is known as the “Venice of Asia - on our way to the Royal Barges Museum. These barges are actually hand carved, and very ornate long boats that have been constructed over many years, one for each of the Kings who have headed the country. They are rarely used, and only for ceremonial purposes. Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy since 1932, with the King functioning much the same as Britain’s monarchy.
Bangkpk, Thailand - Day 2
This morning we begin with a tour of the Chinese open air market -- not nearly as pleasant an experience as the Floral Market -- as it was extremely crowded. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, duck, pork, chicken, and fish. At one stall we saw 3 fish halves hanging - head portions - and the fish were still breathing! Yuk! Happy to be out of that place, We proceeded from there t9 Wat Po (wat is Thai for temple) which is Bankok’s oldest, and is famous for it’s enormous reclining Buddha. It is so big that I couldn’t get the entire image in one shot -- even with a 28mm wide angle lens, Amazing! On to Wat Suthat, home of the Phra Siskayamuni It is larger and older than any of the bronze cast Buddha images in Thailand. The base is 6.25 meters, and is 8 meters tall. After lunch, our final visit was to the Jim Thompson House, home of a wealthy American who is credited with the revitalization of Thailand’s silk industry after World War II. The house is an amazing amalgamation of 6 original teakwood homes centered in the midst of a lovely lush garden setting. We checked out the shop here but found the prices to be quite high, so didn’t buy anything.
One thing I haven’t said much about is the weather. Mostly hot and very humid, it leaves all of us with clothes that stick to our bodies and saltwater in our eyes.
Fortunately our bus is air conditioned, as have been our hotels. The food has been outstanding, for the most part. We have had mostly Thai food but usually served buffet or family style so we can choose what we like, and try what we’re up to giving a shot. It’s been pretty fun actually.
Cambodia and Bangkok. Heaven only knows when I can post again, but I will keep trying!
Blogpost
Day 3 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Today is officially Day 3 of our tour, although the first 2 days were spent in airports as we worked our way across the International Date Line, technically losing a day as we did so, before finally landing in Bangkok last night. We finally reached our hotel at about 12:30 a.m., and after checking in, landed in bed about 1:30, actually 36 hours since we arose in Denver on Thursday. Needless to say we were exhausted, and a little concerned about the capabilities of our airlines. We were delayed, for one reason or another, in all 3 airports before finally landing in Bangkok.
After an early start this morning, we arrived in Siem Reap. We soon observed the skies open upon us and we wondered if we would be able to take part in the plan for the afternoon. The shower, though mighty, was brief, so we set out on a walk through a park in front of the King’s Palace. The park is closed when the King is in residence, but was open for our walk. Most notable were the presence of thousands of fruit bats hanging from the park’s trees,. Next we drove to the outskirts of town where we were treated to a ride through the thoroughly soaked village in an oxcart, followed by a visit to our oxcart driver’s home. Though poor, these people are friendly, proud, and very welcoming. We then took a walk through the local market in which our host family shops. Everything from fresh vegetables to clothing, animism medicines to electronics, raw and dried fish, and lots of fresh chicken, beef, and pork, all sans refrigeration. Typical of third world markets, but fun to visit anyway.
Tonight we were treated to a local buffet dinner, followed by a traditional dance show.
The food was good and the entertainment delightful, though none of us is likely to develop a taste for Cambodian music – pretty atonal. Our return to our hotal was via Remok or motorized rickshaw powered by a motorcycle. Fortunately the rain held off so other than the usual traffic nightmares present in every third world country where the only law is who is bigger, faster, and braver.
Our hotel is very nice. Clean, well-appointed, and, best of all, air conditioned!
Day 4 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Mornings start early in an effort to avoid the midday heat. Good idea since the early morning is hot enough. I have perspired so much my face is getting a salt rash! We started to Tonle Sap Lake, southeast Asia’s largest, where we board a motorboat to visit the floating houses on the Lake. Because this freshwater lake can go from as low as 2 to 4 ft to as deep as 45 ft, permanent homes are constructed on stilts high enough to avoid flooding in normal years. Unfortunately this was not a normal year so many of these homes were flooded. The other type of home found on this lake is the equivalent of a houseboat in our country, Whole families, which here can be as much as 3 generations, and as many as 20-25 people live together, and move there home as needed to find the fish by which they make their living. Some use poles to suspend their nets in a circular design and essentially trap the fish, while others create small fish farms in the shallower water, and harvest the fish when they reach market size. .There is even a floating school on the Lake where children the equivalent of our K-5 schools can go to school!
This afternoon we visited the Angkor National Museum, only 3 years old, which features a vast collection of Hindu and Buddhist relics and artworks that trace the development of these two religions. Because Buddhism grew out of the Brahmin (Hindu) religion much of the artifacts tell more of the Hindu story, in spite of the fact that present day Cambodia is 96% Buddhist. Next we visited the War Museum, not something we would usually take, however since this one is dedicated to the evils of was and the tour guides are survivors of the nearly thirty years of war Cambodia has recently endured, we went. Wonderful place. Our guide lost part of a leg, use of one of his eyes, and has permanently embedded shrapnel and ball bearings from the land mines his country had been littered with. Land mines are still a problem, but work continues to attempt to clear them. All in all a very sobering experience.
Day 5 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
We hoped to see Angkor Wat by sunrise, but unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, so we began our day wit h a drive to Banteay Srei, the pink sandstone temple known as the “Citadel of Women”, one of the best preserved sites in Cambodia, at least partially because it has some of the most intricate and deep carvings that have withstood the test of time since 967 AD. We loved it, perhaps, because it is the smallest we have visited so far, and thus is the most delicate. Following lunch we checked out of our hotel and proceeded to the Killing Fields Memorial. Our guide, a survivor as a young child, is well able to share the horrors of this period, she is also reluctant, as are many Cambodians, to be specific in her criticism of PolPot because many of the Khmer Rouge (PolPot army) are still alive and living in the villages they pillaged. She talked of her father waiting to be “interviewed” by the Army because his . brother had informed the Rouge that her father had supported LonNol, PolPot’s rival. The fear is still palpable to her. The memorial itself says it all -- now a dormitory for Buddhist monks, it was the site of terrible torture and death, and is epitomized by a repository of skulls and bones found in the jail (now the dorm). Very sobering - not unlike visiting Dachau or Auschwitz. We also visited an artisan workshop that trains talented art students in the native arts of silk painting, wood/stone/soapstone carving, lacquer painting, among others. They also provide specialized training for the deaf/mute and physically handicapped. They produce some beautiful pieces of artwork. Off to the airport to return to Bangkok. I think I will be able to publish from our hotel there. Cambodian connection is available but not too reliable.
Bangkok, Thailand - Day 1
We started the morning with a walk through the floral market which was an amazing sight. Up and down both sides of the street are fresh flowers of just about any variety you’ve ever seen, and many you’ve probably never new existed. The fragrances are almost overwhelming. -- makes you want to spend the whole day there. Then we headed for Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, one of many beautiful temples we will see in Thailand, 411 in Bangkok alone. We are now traveling by boat on the river Chao Phraya and its many canal on our way to our Thai cooking demonstration and lunch in the home of a local family. Our hostess, Jim, was demonstrating how to make red curry paste from scratch, which she then used tto prepare Red Curry Chicken with stir fry vegetables. Delicious, and amazingly healthy. Virtually all meals include steamed rice, and often fresh fruit for dessert. Her home is right on a canal surrounded by water filled with beautiful flowers and plants, including a
field of pink lotus flowers. We follow lunch with more meandering the canals -- Bangkok is known as the “Venice of Asia - on our way to the Royal Barges Museum. These barges are actually hand carved, and very ornate long boats that have been constructed over many years, one for each of the Kings who have headed the country. They are rarely used, and only for ceremonial purposes. Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy since 1932, with the King functioning much the same as Britain’s monarchy.
Bangkpk, Thailand - Day 2
This morning we begin with a tour of the Chinese open air market -- not nearly as pleasant an experience as the Floral Market -- as it was extremely crowded. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, duck, pork, chicken, and fish. At one stall we saw 3 fish halves hanging - head portions - and the fish were still breathing! Yuk! Happy to be out of that place, We proceeded from there t9 Wat Po (wat is Thai for temple) which is Bankok’s oldest, and is famous for it’s enormous reclining Buddha. It is so big that I couldn’t get the entire image in one shot -- even with a 28mm wide angle lens, Amazing! On to Wat Suthat, home of the Phra Siskayamuni It is larger and older than any of the bronze cast Buddha images in Thailand. The base is 6.25 meters, and is 8 meters tall. After lunch, our final visit was to the Jim Thompson House, home of a wealthy American who is credited with the revitalization of Thailand’s silk industry after World War II. The house is an amazing amalgamation of 6 original teakwood homes centered in the midst of a lovely lush garden setting. We checked out the shop here but found the prices to be quite high, so didn’t buy anything.
One thing I haven’t said much about is the weather. Mostly hot and very humid, it leaves all of us with clothes that stick to our bodies and saltwater in our eyes.
Fortunately our bus is air conditioned, as have been our hotels. The food has been outstanding, for the most part. We have had mostly Thai food but usually served buffet or family style so we can choose what we like, and try what we’re up to giving a shot. It’s been pretty fun actually.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
First blog post
This is the first page of a blog we hope to create as regularly as we can throughout our trip through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
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