OK... this is it. This is my final email. At last I will go back home in a couple of days. Not that it hasn't been great, but I want to sleep in my apartment. I'm sick of hotels.
Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City). Pretty cool city. It has everything. Besides Bangkok, it's the closest a Southeast Asian city gets to being Western. It has everything. It's actually the biggest city in Vietnam, even though it's not the capital (but I think I mentioned that before). But, unlike Bangkok, it has a small-city feel. I can't think of an American city like this, but for those of you that have been to Guadalajara, Mexico, it's kind of like that.
Yesterday we decided to veg, so we didn't get much done. After a day of travel we need one day (at least half) to recuperate. I think the trip is getting to me because we have a very hard time getting up early. But, anyway... yesterday, we went out to dinner. Our hotel is very far from the tourist area because we decided to splurge. We're staying at a 4-star hotel that, even though it's not a 5-star hotel, it's still better than the $15-30 per night hotels we stayed at. After Cambodia, where I picked the hotels, Lorena refused to go along with my selections in Vietnam, so we've been staying at pretty nice hotels... you know, the kind that have hot water in them... or clean sheets... or that are lizard-less. It's not as bad as it sounds, but we did stay at pretty nasty places in Cambodia (although I think we didn't have much of a choice).
Anyway, as I was saying, we went out and looked for a place to eat. Since we were the only foreign devils around, nobody spoke English. So we wandered into a Vietnamese version of Hooters. A lot of girls is very skimpy outfits trying to sells us beer (or "bia" in Vietnamese) like there was no tomorrow. They had to go get a special menu that was in English. I think they may have ordered it from a sister restaurant because it took them about 30 minutes to give it to us. But, that was the most authentic cuisine we've had since we started our trip. Some of the selections: suckling piglet, snake (and snake head under a different heading), unborn piglet, pig's feet (I must admit I've had these in Mexico... they're OK), eels, chicken's feet, frog (with or without skin), cow tail soup (or was it ox), some animal's kidney, etc. I tried to convince Lorena to get the suckling piglet (I imagined a pig with an apple in its mouth; plus, it was about $15 bucks), but she didn't go for it. The girls had fun watching us eating and ordering rice (apparently they don't eat rice normally). It was fun. [Alex, era como ir al Negro Durazo o Carnitas Uruapan]
Today we walked around Saigon and went to the Reunification Palace. It used to be the building that housed the South-Vietnamese government before "reunification." It's a building frozen in time. Some pilot bombed it in the 60's and they completely rebuilt it, so picture mustard colored shag carpets, Ikea-looking chairs, orange-colored tables... you get the picture. Then, in the basement, they showed us a short documentary telling the "truth" of the Vietnamese conflict. It's interesting to get the other point of view, even if it's a bit (or a lot)on the propaganda side. It was OK. There's not much to see in Saigon in terms of culture. It's just a big city. We did have a pretty nice lunch today, though.
Yes, my fellow aggressors, occupiers, imperialists, etc. (I think they indoctrinated me in the basement), this will be my last email about my travels, unless you guys want me to describe our life in Fresno. The next email I'll send will be of pictures.
Oh, and remember, go to Thailand (Bangkok for a couple of days or more if your budget is huge and you can afford a really nice hotel) and concentrate on the beaches. Then, go to Cambodia (Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat before it's pillaged by the petroleum company I was telling you about) but try to avoid Phnom Phen (at least for the time being). As for Vietnam, you definitely should come, specially to the north. You need at least two weeks (at least, but a month would be ideal) to see the country. I think we're coming back in a few years.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Hue
Hello, everybody.
I'm sad to announce that this will be one of the last emails I will write about my trip. We're back in SF (and then Fresno) on the 20th, just 5 days from now. Although I am feeling a little homesick (for example, I ate something they like to call "pizza" yesterday), I know it's going to be a little sad to leave.
Anyway... Hanoi. As you might recall, we left Hanoi for Hue on the 13th. Hanoi was great. Even though it's the capital, it has the charm of a provincial capital (think Sacramento, but in Vietnam - just the size of the downtown area). It's also a very clean and sort-of-organized place. Of the three capitals we've been to, Hanoi has to be my favorite. Bangkok is a HUGE city... it has everything... it's also an economic powerhouse but, VERY dirty. Phnom Phen is kind of depressing; Cambodia is a very poor country. Hanoi, on the other hand, is not a poor city... and, as I said, even though it's the capital, it's not that big (I counted two "tall" buildings).
One of the most interesting things about Hanoi is crossing the street. There are very few stop lights and the crosswalks are there just for show. You have to run to the middle of the street, between the two lanes of traffic, and as soon as you think it's safe, you run to the sidewalk. I've bungee-jumped before and I would say you get the same rush, especially when crossing one of the major boulevards.
Hue is very different, on the other hand. It's a very small city and there are very few cars. There are mostly scooters and "cyclos," which are the Vietnamese version of the rickshaw (sp?). I've been dying to get a ride on one of those but the drivers are so aggressive that that I don't want to reward their misbehavior by riding with them. For example, one guy kept asking us if we wanted a ride from the moment we left our hotel; then he waited outside the restaurant. Then, another one followed us from a park to a cafe waiting for us to come out; after the cafe, he followed us to the hotel, until he realized we weren't going to go on his cyclo... that's when I heard an attempt at saying "you fuck you." Rodrigo, your assertiveness would have come in really handy. In fact, you would have gone Marine on his ass. When he attempted to insult me, I only said "OK." The bell-man (he is not a boy) was outside watching and I think he left us alone because he saw him. But it was interesting. It was bound to happen some time. I'm surprised it didn't happen in Bangkok or in Phnom Phen.
So yesterday, we took a "city" tour. We went to three tombs of some of the kings from the last dynasty, lunch, then we went to the Forbidden City (I think it's called the Purple Palace), then a pagoda and then a boat ride on the Perfume River.
OK... the three tombs, even though they were declared a "World Heritage Site" by the UN, they kind of suck. I suspect the fleeing French authorities and the North took many of the artifacts that were in the tombs. We even decided to sit it out on the last one. Then they took us to lunch, which was pretty decent. After about an hour, we were ushered out by one of the waiters with a "You go now!" and a gesture to our bus.
Then it was off to the Forbidden City. The tour guide didn't tell us but it's a small scale replica of the Chinese Forbidden City. Nevertheless, the size of it is impressing. It's huge, and only 10% of the buildings survive (I kind of spaced out during the explanation... not sure if it was the American War or some other reason... it was 39 degrees Celsius!).
After about an hour and a half, we went to a pagoda. Now, let me say that... I'm pagodaed-out!!!! I will be very happy if I don't see another pagoda for a while! But, nevertheless, it had a distinct Vietnamese look to it. Then, the ride by boat down the Perfume River.
The guide explained to us that there are people that live on the water. He also said that the government has given them plots to farm but that they resist leaving their boat life. However, because of pollution and because there are very little fish in the river, they have resorted to selling sand from the banks of the river. I don't know how much money there is in sand but I don't think it's very lucrative. I have pictures that I haven't been able to upload yet.
Anyway... this email is way too long now. So, I say farewell. Off to Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) tomorrow.
Hope everybody is happy. As Buddha says: "Live long and prosper" (or was it Spock?).
I'm sad to announce that this will be one of the last emails I will write about my trip. We're back in SF (and then Fresno) on the 20th, just 5 days from now. Although I am feeling a little homesick (for example, I ate something they like to call "pizza" yesterday), I know it's going to be a little sad to leave.
Anyway... Hanoi. As you might recall, we left Hanoi for Hue on the 13th. Hanoi was great. Even though it's the capital, it has the charm of a provincial capital (think Sacramento, but in Vietnam - just the size of the downtown area). It's also a very clean and sort-of-organized place. Of the three capitals we've been to, Hanoi has to be my favorite. Bangkok is a HUGE city... it has everything... it's also an economic powerhouse but, VERY dirty. Phnom Phen is kind of depressing; Cambodia is a very poor country. Hanoi, on the other hand, is not a poor city... and, as I said, even though it's the capital, it's not that big (I counted two "tall" buildings).
One of the most interesting things about Hanoi is crossing the street. There are very few stop lights and the crosswalks are there just for show. You have to run to the middle of the street, between the two lanes of traffic, and as soon as you think it's safe, you run to the sidewalk. I've bungee-jumped before and I would say you get the same rush, especially when crossing one of the major boulevards.
Hue is very different, on the other hand. It's a very small city and there are very few cars. There are mostly scooters and "cyclos," which are the Vietnamese version of the rickshaw (sp?). I've been dying to get a ride on one of those but the drivers are so aggressive that that I don't want to reward their misbehavior by riding with them. For example, one guy kept asking us if we wanted a ride from the moment we left our hotel; then he waited outside the restaurant. Then, another one followed us from a park to a cafe waiting for us to come out; after the cafe, he followed us to the hotel, until he realized we weren't going to go on his cyclo... that's when I heard an attempt at saying "you fuck you." Rodrigo, your assertiveness would have come in really handy. In fact, you would have gone Marine on his ass. When he attempted to insult me, I only said "OK." The bell-man (he is not a boy) was outside watching and I think he left us alone because he saw him. But it was interesting. It was bound to happen some time. I'm surprised it didn't happen in Bangkok or in Phnom Phen.
So yesterday, we took a "city" tour. We went to three tombs of some of the kings from the last dynasty, lunch, then we went to the Forbidden City (I think it's called the Purple Palace), then a pagoda and then a boat ride on the Perfume River.
OK... the three tombs, even though they were declared a "World Heritage Site" by the UN, they kind of suck. I suspect the fleeing French authorities and the North took many of the artifacts that were in the tombs. We even decided to sit it out on the last one. Then they took us to lunch, which was pretty decent. After about an hour, we were ushered out by one of the waiters with a "You go now!" and a gesture to our bus.
Then it was off to the Forbidden City. The tour guide didn't tell us but it's a small scale replica of the Chinese Forbidden City. Nevertheless, the size of it is impressing. It's huge, and only 10% of the buildings survive (I kind of spaced out during the explanation... not sure if it was the American War or some other reason... it was 39 degrees Celsius!).
After about an hour and a half, we went to a pagoda. Now, let me say that... I'm pagodaed-out!!!! I will be very happy if I don't see another pagoda for a while! But, nevertheless, it had a distinct Vietnamese look to it. Then, the ride by boat down the Perfume River.
The guide explained to us that there are people that live on the water. He also said that the government has given them plots to farm but that they resist leaving their boat life. However, because of pollution and because there are very little fish in the river, they have resorted to selling sand from the banks of the river. I don't know how much money there is in sand but I don't think it's very lucrative. I have pictures that I haven't been able to upload yet.
Anyway... this email is way too long now. So, I say farewell. Off to Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) tomorrow.
Hope everybody is happy. As Buddha says: "Live long and prosper" (or was it Spock?).
Cambodia Rules!
Greetings, everybody.
Last time I emailed you I misspelled the place we were staying at. It was not Ao Lang (or Long) but Ao Nang. It is still near Krabi (still pronounced gra-bee) and it was great. We did go elephant trekking and evil monkey watching (I'm attaching a couple of pictures). The bungalow we stayed at was very good and we had a lot of fun. It is a very sleepy town with beautiful natural beauty. Bad thing is that they are building a lot of hotels, so you better go before it's ruined (like Patong Bay in Phuket... horrible).
We decided to go on a tour (we were trying to avoid them, for some reason). We went with the half-day kayaking and half-day elephant trekking. They take you to a very remote beach, give you a kayak, water and fruit, and off you go. First, you go to a little beach where monkeys are used to humans. They are still wild, but they are accustomed to us. The guide chops up some pineapple and they approach you and take it out of your hand. It's kind of scary but fun at the same time. I kept thinking "Outbreak" but the guide said they wouldn't bite if you didn't bother them and you kept feeding them. Then, we went through some canyons in the middle of the jungle. You hear the sounds of life around us. It was amazing. After some more kayaking (at that point I was losing it), we went through another canyon where a family of monkeys lives. Lorena spotted the alpha male, so we started taking pictures, but after getting close to them, the monkeys started jumping on our kayak. I felt I was being held up by them. They didn't go through our stuff, but they did walk around our kayak looking for food. The alpha male jumped in, then the alpha female with her baby. One of them dried himself next to me (you know, how dogs do), which was kind of scary. Oh, and the smell... it's a combination of many bodily functions... I'll leave it at that.
After 4 and a half hours of kayaking, we went elephant trekking. The elephants live in a camp. As I mentioned before, they were unemployed lumber jacks that are now taxis for tourists. They have a pretty good life (as far as I can tell). You ride them for about 45 minutes, you get to feed them, then they take the chair off of them and they bathe them.
We left early for Bangkok the next day. Uneventful.
On Wednesday, we arrived in Siem Reap (or Siem Riep... or Siem Reip - I've seen it spelled many ways). It's great. This is our second day here and we love it so far. We did the Angkor Wat thing today. It's HUGE. They call all of the temples Angkor Wat, but in reality, only one temple is Angkor Wat, and there are many, many temples. What you do is you hire a driver (it sounds expensive, but it isn't... about 100,000 riel per day - about $25 bucks). He picks you up at whatever time you tell him to (it can be at 4:30 am to watch the sunrise... we didn't do that) and he drops you off after sunset. They carry a little cooler with water in the trunk, and any time you are thirsty you can get some (it's included in the price). We had the nicest guy you can imagine. He was out taxi driver from the airport to the hotel and he offered to drive us today. Always smiling, always laughing. I tried to get some info on the Khmer Rouge situation, but he avoided the question. I tried again (thinking it was a communication problem), and he avoided it again. At that point, I stopped (hey, I had to try). But he did give us some inside information on the government, the people, the king and queen, etc.
The temples are amazing. I had religion-envy (I kept wishing I was Buddhist). Most of the temples are either under restoration or are just crumbling down. However, in some of the main ones, there are monks that have a small Buddhist altar (is that just for Catholics?) and people were actually praying. So, unlike the Mayan temples, these temples still represent a current faith! As for the Angkor Wat (wat means monastery/temple), there is a stupa on the north side, which means monks actually live in there.
As for the people, the are awesome. Always smiling, always welcoming you. It seems like all of them speak English (very few Thais speak English), so communication is very easy. Unfortunately, they have a lot of kids selling stuff on the street, but I was informed that they go to school either in the afternoon or in the morning (depending on when they are selling stuff). These kids are amazing. Very smart and clever. Plus, they speak many, many languages. Our driver/guide told us that many of them speak 10-12 languages (although they do not read or write in them) because they deal with the tourists. They ask you where you are from, then they tell you the capital city and start talking in the country's language. Some guys from Poland that I met in Ao Nang and bumped into in Angkor Wat (yes, it's a very small world) told me that some of the kids speak Polish!
Unfortunately, I'm working out of a very slow computer with a very slow Internet connection and can't upload pictures for some reason, but I will as soon as I can. Some kid in Ao Nang took a picture with me because he said he wanted to take a picture with a U.S. law graduate... but more on that when I upload the pictures.
Anyway... I figure that some of you probably hate mass emails, so please tell me if I'm boring you or want me to stop emailing you. Won't take it personal.
Have fun. Say hi to Dan for me in his "Welcome Back to S.F. fiesta" fiesta.
Last time I emailed you I misspelled the place we were staying at. It was not Ao Lang (or Long) but Ao Nang. It is still near Krabi (still pronounced gra-bee) and it was great. We did go elephant trekking and evil monkey watching (I'm attaching a couple of pictures). The bungalow we stayed at was very good and we had a lot of fun. It is a very sleepy town with beautiful natural beauty. Bad thing is that they are building a lot of hotels, so you better go before it's ruined (like Patong Bay in Phuket... horrible).
We decided to go on a tour (we were trying to avoid them, for some reason). We went with the half-day kayaking and half-day elephant trekking. They take you to a very remote beach, give you a kayak, water and fruit, and off you go. First, you go to a little beach where monkeys are used to humans. They are still wild, but they are accustomed to us. The guide chops up some pineapple and they approach you and take it out of your hand. It's kind of scary but fun at the same time. I kept thinking "Outbreak" but the guide said they wouldn't bite if you didn't bother them and you kept feeding them. Then, we went through some canyons in the middle of the jungle. You hear the sounds of life around us. It was amazing. After some more kayaking (at that point I was losing it), we went through another canyon where a family of monkeys lives. Lorena spotted the alpha male, so we started taking pictures, but after getting close to them, the monkeys started jumping on our kayak. I felt I was being held up by them. They didn't go through our stuff, but they did walk around our kayak looking for food. The alpha male jumped in, then the alpha female with her baby. One of them dried himself next to me (you know, how dogs do), which was kind of scary. Oh, and the smell... it's a combination of many bodily functions... I'll leave it at that.
After 4 and a half hours of kayaking, we went elephant trekking. The elephants live in a camp. As I mentioned before, they were unemployed lumber jacks that are now taxis for tourists. They have a pretty good life (as far as I can tell). You ride them for about 45 minutes, you get to feed them, then they take the chair off of them and they bathe them.
We left early for Bangkok the next day. Uneventful.
On Wednesday, we arrived in Siem Reap (or Siem Riep... or Siem Reip - I've seen it spelled many ways). It's great. This is our second day here and we love it so far. We did the Angkor Wat thing today. It's HUGE. They call all of the temples Angkor Wat, but in reality, only one temple is Angkor Wat, and there are many, many temples. What you do is you hire a driver (it sounds expensive, but it isn't... about 100,000 riel per day - about $25 bucks). He picks you up at whatever time you tell him to (it can be at 4:30 am to watch the sunrise... we didn't do that) and he drops you off after sunset. They carry a little cooler with water in the trunk, and any time you are thirsty you can get some (it's included in the price). We had the nicest guy you can imagine. He was out taxi driver from the airport to the hotel and he offered to drive us today. Always smiling, always laughing. I tried to get some info on the Khmer Rouge situation, but he avoided the question. I tried again (thinking it was a communication problem), and he avoided it again. At that point, I stopped (hey, I had to try). But he did give us some inside information on the government, the people, the king and queen, etc.
The temples are amazing. I had religion-envy (I kept wishing I was Buddhist). Most of the temples are either under restoration or are just crumbling down. However, in some of the main ones, there are monks that have a small Buddhist altar (is that just for Catholics?) and people were actually praying. So, unlike the Mayan temples, these temples still represent a current faith! As for the Angkor Wat (wat means monastery/temple), there is a stupa on the north side, which means monks actually live in there.
As for the people, the are awesome. Always smiling, always welcoming you. It seems like all of them speak English (very few Thais speak English), so communication is very easy. Unfortunately, they have a lot of kids selling stuff on the street, but I was informed that they go to school either in the afternoon or in the morning (depending on when they are selling stuff). These kids are amazing. Very smart and clever. Plus, they speak many, many languages. Our driver/guide told us that many of them speak 10-12 languages (although they do not read or write in them) because they deal with the tourists. They ask you where you are from, then they tell you the capital city and start talking in the country's language. Some guys from Poland that I met in Ao Nang and bumped into in Angkor Wat (yes, it's a very small world) told me that some of the kids speak Polish!
Unfortunately, I'm working out of a very slow computer with a very slow Internet connection and can't upload pictures for some reason, but I will as soon as I can. Some kid in Ao Nang took a picture with me because he said he wanted to take a picture with a U.S. law graduate... but more on that when I upload the pictures.
Anyway... I figure that some of you probably hate mass emails, so please tell me if I'm boring you or want me to stop emailing you. Won't take it personal.
Have fun. Say hi to Dan for me in his "Welcome Back to S.F. fiesta" fiesta.
Sawatee
Sawatee, everybody.
I am happy to report that I am no longer the pasty redhead you all know and love. I am now the badly burnt redhead you will still love, but with the hope that, after gallons of Banana Boat Aloe Vera gel, I will end up with a nice tan.
We left Ko Phi Phi Don yesterday and are now in Ao Lang (or Long) Bay, near Krabi (pronounced Gra-bee) Town, the provincial capital of... you guessed it, Krabi. It's a really quiet place with a lot of little restaurants, 7 11's, a McDonald's and tons of ATM's, for some reason. It's definitely busier that Phi Phi (the car-less paradise I mentioned) but less than Patong Bay (the civilized hell-hole we ended up in). So, it's just about right. Our hotel (or should I say, our bungalow) is in the outskirts of the little town, so that adds to the relaxing environment.
Today, we decided to rent a scooter. I sent you a picture of my Hell's Angel uniform (you will notice that my huge brain isn't covered by the tiny helmet). Traffic laws are a little weird but they kind of remind me of Mexican traffic laws, so we're cool (the only law that matters is this one: whomever drives the biggest vehicle owns the road... everybody else, better move out of the way). It's a better and faster way to move around, and very cheap, too.
I sent you a picture of the bay (it's beautiful, I know, and there are many beaches around Krabi). We're going kayaking and elephant trekking on Monday, so I'll send you more pictures of the beaches in a few days, and I'll definitely send you one of Lorena and I on top of an elephant. Oh, and for those of you that think the elephants are being exploited, you are wrong. Turns out, a few years ago, environmentalists managed to stop the timber industry in northern Thailand. The timber industry used elephants so they were out of work. Then, someone had the idea to send the elephants south to be used in the tourist industry. So, instead of getting rid of them, they now have a home and work. OK, I rationalized it... but screw it... where else will I be able to ride an elephant through the jungle? Even with all my extra pounds I'm sure it's better to carry me around than to move around logs.
Oh, and the other picture is of Lorena waiting in the lobby of P.P. Casita, our bungalow in Phi Phi island. Turns out that check-out time is at 11:00 am, and the ferry to Ao Long Bay leaves at 3:30 pm.
OK, that's the latest update. We are leaving Thailand in a few days, so if anybody has some requests, let me know.
I am happy to report that I am no longer the pasty redhead you all know and love. I am now the badly burnt redhead you will still love, but with the hope that, after gallons of Banana Boat Aloe Vera gel, I will end up with a nice tan.
We left Ko Phi Phi Don yesterday and are now in Ao Lang (or Long) Bay, near Krabi (pronounced Gra-bee) Town, the provincial capital of... you guessed it, Krabi. It's a really quiet place with a lot of little restaurants, 7 11's, a McDonald's and tons of ATM's, for some reason. It's definitely busier that Phi Phi (the car-less paradise I mentioned) but less than Patong Bay (the civilized hell-hole we ended up in). So, it's just about right. Our hotel (or should I say, our bungalow) is in the outskirts of the little town, so that adds to the relaxing environment.
Today, we decided to rent a scooter. I sent you a picture of my Hell's Angel uniform (you will notice that my huge brain isn't covered by the tiny helmet). Traffic laws are a little weird but they kind of remind me of Mexican traffic laws, so we're cool (the only law that matters is this one: whomever drives the biggest vehicle owns the road... everybody else, better move out of the way). It's a better and faster way to move around, and very cheap, too.
I sent you a picture of the bay (it's beautiful, I know, and there are many beaches around Krabi). We're going kayaking and elephant trekking on Monday, so I'll send you more pictures of the beaches in a few days, and I'll definitely send you one of Lorena and I on top of an elephant. Oh, and for those of you that think the elephants are being exploited, you are wrong. Turns out, a few years ago, environmentalists managed to stop the timber industry in northern Thailand. The timber industry used elephants so they were out of work. Then, someone had the idea to send the elephants south to be used in the tourist industry. So, instead of getting rid of them, they now have a home and work. OK, I rationalized it... but screw it... where else will I be able to ride an elephant through the jungle? Even with all my extra pounds I'm sure it's better to carry me around than to move around logs.
Oh, and the other picture is of Lorena waiting in the lobby of P.P. Casita, our bungalow in Phi Phi island. Turns out that check-out time is at 11:00 am, and the ferry to Ao Long Bay leaves at 3:30 pm.
OK, that's the latest update. We are leaving Thailand in a few days, so if anybody has some requests, let me know.
Paradise
Hello again...
I realized that I may have given the impression that Thailand sucks. Although I must admit that there was a day that I was really sad and disappointed, I don't think it sucks at all. In fact, I think I found paradise. It's called Ko ( i.e. island) Phi Phi. It's south of Phuket island on the Indian Ocean side. It so great because it has no cars! How can a place with no cars not be paradise?
This is the place I imagined when I thought of Thailand. No annoying tuk-tuk drivers, no scams, no girlie bars, no drunk tourists. It's just beautiful beaches, GREAT food and great Thai people. We've been resting for the first time since I came here. We are staying at a bungalow (I'll send you a picture next time). It's like a little house in the middle of the jungle. The "town" (with it's only 100 residents) is just a collection of restaurants, curious shops and scuba diving establishments. The only way to get here is by speed boat or by ferry, and if you want to go to the neighboring islands (which are amazing), you take a taxi-boat.
I forgot to mention that our last day in Bangkok was awesome. We went to the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. I attached a picture (oh, and if I looked annoyed it's because you have to wear pants - because of the temple - and it was VERY hot and sunny that day).
I even enjoyed Phuket Island (we stayed in Patong Bay). As you might recall, I told you guys that it was full of drunken tourists and girlie bars, annoying tailors and tourist agents. However, once you get past that, it's actually a very beautiful place. We took a bus (the kind the locals take) to the provincial capital (Phuket Town) and people were normal there. It was a city founded last century used to trade with the British, Portuguese, Chinese and Malays, so you can see a weird collection of architecture. I'll send pictures next time. However, other than looking at old buildings and temples, there was nothing there. In fact, and I hate to say it because my intention was to do a cultural trip, once you see 10 temples, you've seen them all. Yes, it probably sounds kind of ignorant, but there are just so many Buddhist temples one can see.
Anyway, just writing to say we were OK. There's a bit of a monsoon going on but we went to the local 7 / 11 (yes, there are HUNDREDS of 7-11's in Thailand), bought a bunch of junk food (including an "American Corn Snack" and "Mexican BBQ Style" chips - there is no such thing - which aren't half-bad), ate at a little restaurant and are planning on going back to the room. Tomorrow, if the weather permits, we are taking a little tour around the island. You leave at 9 am and they take you to 3 or 4 beaches to snorkel, then they take you to Monkey Bay (a beach that has a bunch of baboons that walk out and get your food - but I don't trust them... baboons seem kind of mean to me), then snorkeling again and then back (the pool would seem like a good idea at that point).
OK. Hope all are you are well. I'll keep you informed of our trip. If I can carry them, I'll take a few bags of American Potato Snack; I think you might enjoy them.
I realized that I may have given the impression that Thailand sucks. Although I must admit that there was a day that I was really sad and disappointed, I don't think it sucks at all. In fact, I think I found paradise. It's called Ko ( i.e. island) Phi Phi. It's south of Phuket island on the Indian Ocean side. It so great because it has no cars! How can a place with no cars not be paradise?
This is the place I imagined when I thought of Thailand. No annoying tuk-tuk drivers, no scams, no girlie bars, no drunk tourists. It's just beautiful beaches, GREAT food and great Thai people. We've been resting for the first time since I came here. We are staying at a bungalow (I'll send you a picture next time). It's like a little house in the middle of the jungle. The "town" (with it's only 100 residents) is just a collection of restaurants, curious shops and scuba diving establishments. The only way to get here is by speed boat or by ferry, and if you want to go to the neighboring islands (which are amazing), you take a taxi-boat.
I forgot to mention that our last day in Bangkok was awesome. We went to the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. I attached a picture (oh, and if I looked annoyed it's because you have to wear pants - because of the temple - and it was VERY hot and sunny that day).
I even enjoyed Phuket Island (we stayed in Patong Bay). As you might recall, I told you guys that it was full of drunken tourists and girlie bars, annoying tailors and tourist agents. However, once you get past that, it's actually a very beautiful place. We took a bus (the kind the locals take) to the provincial capital (Phuket Town) and people were normal there. It was a city founded last century used to trade with the British, Portuguese, Chinese and Malays, so you can see a weird collection of architecture. I'll send pictures next time. However, other than looking at old buildings and temples, there was nothing there. In fact, and I hate to say it because my intention was to do a cultural trip, once you see 10 temples, you've seen them all. Yes, it probably sounds kind of ignorant, but there are just so many Buddhist temples one can see.
Anyway, just writing to say we were OK. There's a bit of a monsoon going on but we went to the local 7 / 11 (yes, there are HUNDREDS of 7-11's in Thailand), bought a bunch of junk food (including an "American Corn Snack" and "Mexican BBQ Style" chips - there is no such thing - which aren't half-bad), ate at a little restaurant and are planning on going back to the room. Tomorrow, if the weather permits, we are taking a little tour around the island. You leave at 9 am and they take you to 3 or 4 beaches to snorkel, then they take you to Monkey Bay (a beach that has a bunch of baboons that walk out and get your food - but I don't trust them... baboons seem kind of mean to me), then snorkeling again and then back (the pool would seem like a good idea at that point).
OK. Hope all are you are well. I'll keep you informed of our trip. If I can carry them, I'll take a few bags of American Potato Snack; I think you might enjoy them.
Greetings from Phuket
Hello all.
As some of you correctly pointed out, the correct spelling is Phuket (I think). It's a very big island south of Thailand on the Indian Ocean side. Turns out, this is where the tsunami hit. However, everything is cleaned up now and you can hardly notice that a tsunami hit... except for the signs pointing to the "Tsunami Evacuation Road."
I have to say, we stayed in a very, very, popular part of Phuket. We had no clue. It's called Patong Bay and it's VERY touristy. It's OK, I guess, but people hound you on the street trying to sell you a suit. It gets very annoying after the first 5 minutes. For those of you that have suffered this fate in Mexico, I apologize. It can be very exasperating.
I've noticed something here in Patong Bay, which is kind of sad. The way the tourist industry is set up tells us either of two things. First, it can be that this is what we, as Westerners, expect of a place when we travel there (read: bars, girlie bars, stands selling cheap crap, restaurants selling hamburgers and steak and fries, etc.), which is very sad. Or, that is what the Thais think we want, which is kind of sad too.
Fortunately, I'm going to another island in a couple of days. I think it's spelled Phi Phi (pronounce pee-pee). You can take a boat to other small islands nearby where there is nothing but you and the beach. Sounds fun because I'm getting restless here.
I think I had a very naive (or probably condescending view) of Thailand. Forgot that it was so close to Australia and New Zealand, and that it would be mobbed by Westerners (yes, I thought I was going to be one of only three red heads walking around). But, making the best of it. Beaches, as you might imagine, are beautiful, and the common Thai, the one that does not work for the tourist industry, is very nice, just like I imagined. Looking forward to my stay in Phi Phi, and then Krabi (sp?). I'll let you know how it goes.
Oh, and forgot my USB cable, so no pictures today. Hope everybody is having fun working!
Juan.
As some of you correctly pointed out, the correct spelling is Phuket (I think). It's a very big island south of Thailand on the Indian Ocean side. Turns out, this is where the tsunami hit. However, everything is cleaned up now and you can hardly notice that a tsunami hit... except for the signs pointing to the "Tsunami Evacuation Road."
I have to say, we stayed in a very, very, popular part of Phuket. We had no clue. It's called Patong Bay and it's VERY touristy. It's OK, I guess, but people hound you on the street trying to sell you a suit. It gets very annoying after the first 5 minutes. For those of you that have suffered this fate in Mexico, I apologize. It can be very exasperating.
I've noticed something here in Patong Bay, which is kind of sad. The way the tourist industry is set up tells us either of two things. First, it can be that this is what we, as Westerners, expect of a place when we travel there (read: bars, girlie bars, stands selling cheap crap, restaurants selling hamburgers and steak and fries, etc.), which is very sad. Or, that is what the Thais think we want, which is kind of sad too.
Fortunately, I'm going to another island in a couple of days. I think it's spelled Phi Phi (pronounce pee-pee). You can take a boat to other small islands nearby where there is nothing but you and the beach. Sounds fun because I'm getting restless here.
I think I had a very naive (or probably condescending view) of Thailand. Forgot that it was so close to Australia and New Zealand, and that it would be mobbed by Westerners (yes, I thought I was going to be one of only three red heads walking around). But, making the best of it. Beaches, as you might imagine, are beautiful, and the common Thai, the one that does not work for the tourist industry, is very nice, just like I imagined. Looking forward to my stay in Phi Phi, and then Krabi (sp?). I'll let you know how it goes.
Oh, and forgot my USB cable, so no pictures today. Hope everybody is having fun working!
Juan.
Greetings from Bangkok
Hello to all.
We arrived in Bangkok yesterday (two days ago in your part of town) after making a "brief" (8 hours) stop at the Narita (Tokyo) Airport. Japan seems great, just by seeing their airport. Everything is hi-tech... everything! Even the toilets (for those of you that are interested, I can go into more detail later).
They also have something we don't have in the U.S.: nice airport security personnel. They sort of apologize for being so thorugh with security. You don't get the sense that they are doing you a favor, like you do in the U.S. In fact, our flight was delayed a couple of hours, and they kept apologizing. OK, it was a corporate apology, but still, it was better than "sit your ass down and we'll tell you when the plane is ready" attitude you get back in the the States.
We arrived in Bangkok at around midnight. It's a very interesting city, it's a HUGE city. It reminds me of Mexico's big cities (like Guadalajara) where you get a lot of contrasts: opulence next to a beggar, order next to chaos (crossing the street is an adventure). The taxi rides are very exciting too, not just because the drivers drive like maniacs (or like seasoned pros, depending on how your "re-framing" ability), but because the back seats do not have seat belts. The fact that they don't wear a seat belt either kind of calms you down.
Although it is very interesting, we kind of feel like the Leonardo DiCaprio character in The Beach (yes, I know it's a book, but I haven't read it... sorry). For those of you that have seen the movie, we feel overwhelmed by the tourist traps, the tourists (even though we are tourists), the drunkards, the people trying to get your money, the pollution, etc. We are looking forward to Saturday, when we leave for Phuket, a beach area on the Indian Ocean side. We are staying there for a few days then jumping from island to island for the next week, until we come back to Bangkok for one day to go to Siem Riep (Cambodia). Oh, and they have very interesting form of taxi: the tuk-tuk. It's like a motorized tricycle, with the difference that the exhaust pipe seems to be connected directly to your lungs. It's also very exciting because the drivers zoom in and out of traffic. Another movie reference: the tuk-tuks are similar to the little tricycles shown in Octopussy (a James Bond flick with the best James Bond of all time - Roger Moore). If you haven't seen it and you are still curious, just Google it. In fact, I think I attached a picture of my P.O.V. from the tuk-tuk (remember, I'm a horrible photographer). As you will see, I'm a terrible photographer, but they will give you an idea. I think that those of you that have gmail will have no problem seeing all of them (they are pretty big files). But if I get an error message from your mail server, I'll take out most of them and send one at random.
As you will see, I'm a terrible photographer, but they will give you an idea. I think that those of you that have Gmail will have no problem seeing all of them (they are pretty big files). But if I get an error message from your mail server, I'll take out most of them and send one at random.
Hope all of you are well.
We arrived in Bangkok yesterday (two days ago in your part of town) after making a "brief" (8 hours) stop at the Narita (Tokyo) Airport. Japan seems great, just by seeing their airport. Everything is hi-tech... everything! Even the toilets (for those of you that are interested, I can go into more detail later).
They also have something we don't have in the U.S.: nice airport security personnel. They sort of apologize for being so thorugh with security. You don't get the sense that they are doing you a favor, like you do in the U.S. In fact, our flight was delayed a couple of hours, and they kept apologizing. OK, it was a corporate apology, but still, it was better than "sit your ass down and we'll tell you when the plane is ready" attitude you get back in the the States.
We arrived in Bangkok at around midnight. It's a very interesting city, it's a HUGE city. It reminds me of Mexico's big cities (like Guadalajara) where you get a lot of contrasts: opulence next to a beggar, order next to chaos (crossing the street is an adventure). The taxi rides are very exciting too, not just because the drivers drive like maniacs (or like seasoned pros, depending on how your "re-framing" ability), but because the back seats do not have seat belts. The fact that they don't wear a seat belt either kind of calms you down.
Although it is very interesting, we kind of feel like the Leonardo DiCaprio character in The Beach (yes, I know it's a book, but I haven't read it... sorry). For those of you that have seen the movie, we feel overwhelmed by the tourist traps, the tourists (even though we are tourists), the drunkards, the people trying to get your money, the pollution, etc. We are looking forward to Saturday, when we leave for Phuket, a beach area on the Indian Ocean side. We are staying there for a few days then jumping from island to island for the next week, until we come back to Bangkok for one day to go to Siem Riep (Cambodia). Oh, and they have very interesting form of taxi: the tuk-tuk. It's like a motorized tricycle, with the difference that the exhaust pipe seems to be connected directly to your lungs. It's also very exciting because the drivers zoom in and out of traffic. Another movie reference: the tuk-tuks are similar to the little tricycles shown in Octopussy (a James Bond flick with the best James Bond of all time - Roger Moore). If you haven't seen it and you are still curious, just Google it. In fact, I think I attached a picture of my P.O.V. from the tuk-tuk (remember, I'm a horrible photographer). As you will see, I'm a terrible photographer, but they will give you an idea. I think that those of you that have gmail will have no problem seeing all of them (they are pretty big files). But if I get an error message from your mail server, I'll take out most of them and send one at random.
As you will see, I'm a terrible photographer, but they will give you an idea. I think that those of you that have Gmail will have no problem seeing all of them (they are pretty big files). But if I get an error message from your mail server, I'll take out most of them and send one at random.
Hope all of you are well.
Southeast Asia
I'm posting a series of emails I sent my friends over the course of my post-bar-trip through Southeast Asia. Well, through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Hong Kong (although we stayed in Hong Kong for only a few hours while we awaited our connecting flight).
I hope these emails help and add to the information on Lonely Planet, which I highly recommend. We used the Lonely Planet series for Thailand and Cambodia, and it was great. We used the Rough Guide to Vietnam for Vietnam because it had higher ratings on Amazon.com, but it was a disappointment. First of all, we had gotten used to the information on Lonely Planet. Second, it's called the "Rough Guide," as in cheap, no frills travelling and, thanks to the guide, we ate at a very expensive restaurant (good, but expensive).
Anyway, here they are in sequence. If anybody reads this and has any questions, please feel free to ask.
I hope these emails help and add to the information on Lonely Planet, which I highly recommend. We used the Lonely Planet series for Thailand and Cambodia, and it was great. We used the Rough Guide to Vietnam for Vietnam because it had higher ratings on Amazon.com, but it was a disappointment. First of all, we had gotten used to the information on Lonely Planet. Second, it's called the "Rough Guide," as in cheap, no frills travelling and, thanks to the guide, we ate at a very expensive restaurant (good, but expensive).
Anyway, here they are in sequence. If anybody reads this and has any questions, please feel free to ask.
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