Too many weirdos here looking for sex
No Beach Time in Phuket
11/25/2008 9:08:01 PM - Day 253 - Phuket, Thailand
The best weather I got in Phuket. It was a nice beach though.
I had heard so much about the island of Phuket In Thailand over the years as well as always seeing discount flights advertised for the island back home that I figured it was worth a stop. I heard it was a nice, relaxing place with a lot of nice beaches to laze some days on while enjoying a slow paced life. This was what I was hoping for, especially since just leaving the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, but unfortunately what I had imagined turned out not to be the reality.
Phuket had a decently nice airport and there I was able to get a taxi to my hotel named "Som Guesthouse" (Som Guesthouse Review in Phuket, Thailand) on Patong Beach, the main beach in Phuket. I figured that would have been the best beach to stay at since it was the "main" beach. Pulling into my hotel I noticed that the area around Patong Beach was really, really developed and busy. I initially thought that the main beach at Phuket wouldn't be so busy, which in hindsight was really naïve considering how many airlines connect to Phuket's airport and how popular of a destination it was. I wouldn't be getting any secluded beaches to chill out on, but no big deal I thought, the beach itself was nice so even if it was super crowded, I'd still have a great time out there.
Unfortunately, it either rained or was completely overcast each day I spent in Phuket. The only day it wasn't totally overcast, which was the first day I was there, I headed out to the beach. When I was there I noticed that much like Bangkok, there were a ton of old foreigners with young Thai women. I was a little disappointed at seeing this and felt somewhat out of place. There were also a bunch of couples there as well. I remember after I left the beach I went to get some lunch and started talking to the Thai waiter because I was the only person in the place when three very old foreigners walked by with three very young and attractive Thais, being loud and obnoxious as they walked by after which the Thai waiter looked at the ground and shook his head dejectedly. I asked him "does seeing that make you angry?" I knew it would make me angry to see a bunch of rejects from foreign countries throwing money around and taking all the girls in my homeland. He said "yes" and walked away.
The nightlife was nice since the area in Patong is packed with bars and restaurants. I met a couple cool people at the rock and roll, Harley Davidson themed bar they have in Patong. I made the most of the bad weather by getting work done, getting some great food and seeing a bit of the city. Looking back on my time here in Phuket, I wish I would have opted to stay at one of the smaller beaches because maybe they wouldn't have been full of people on sex tourism (people looking for hookers and the like). Also, they might have not been as crowded. Oh well, if I come to Phuket again, I'll have to keep that in mind. I also think here in Phuket it would be nice if you were with a friend or wife/girlfriend since there are a lot of restaurants and bars to hangout in. My next stop is the island of Ko Samui, however I am staying at the main beach there as well and I am beginning to second guess that decision. Oh well, I mean seriously, Thailand can't be that full of weirdo sex tourists right?
Oh, and on a side note, some protesters in Bangkok have stormed the international airport there and took it over. They said they don't want to allow the Prime Minister of Thailand to land in Bangkok (he was away on official business), so reports are saying that they'll leave the airport after he lands somewhere else in Thailand. I've heard that the past couple of years have been full of political problems here in Thailand, but I'm sure this will be resolved soon. Especially since tourism is such a vital resource for Thailand and the longer that airport is shut down, the worse off everyone is. I'm just glad that I'm not in Bangkok right now because who knows how this will all turn out.
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"One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble"
Bangkok is Crazy
11/22/2008 11:54:31 PM - Day 250 - Bangkok, Thailand
That's me in the middle in case you thought I was a statue! Wat Pho Temple in Bangkok, Thailand.
I kept myself busy in Bangkok (Bangkok, Thailand Review and Travel Information), which is pretty easy considering the amount of things there are to do here. I flew in from Laos on a super overpriced flight since I was short on time and wanted to get into Bangkok as soon as possible. Like I said in my last post, flying in and out of Laos is very expensive with very few options and going by land seems to take forever. The airport in Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi International Airport is a really nice place and they even make all the touts in the arrivals hall stand in designated areas so that you don't get swarmed when you arrive. It is pretty funny because in steel encircled squares throughout the arrivals hall are a bunch of people trying to get the tourist's attention to buy taxi rides or hotel accommodation. The best way to get into the city is to go to the registered taxi ranks right outside the exit of the arrival's hall to take a registered, metered taxi. I picked one up and was soon on my way to my hostel named the "Lub-d Hostel" (Lub-d hostel Review in Bangkok, Thailand). One thing I noticed as I was driving in was how developed Bangkok was. I think it has been the most developed city that I have visited in South East Asia thus far.
I was only going to spend a couple of days here in Bangkok because after some research, figured that would be all that I would need to do what I had planned. A lot of people come to Bangkok only to party or for sex tourism (people who are here only for the hookers). I'm not here for either. Sure, I wanted to go out and party one night (for fucks sake it's Bangkok), but getting thrashed out of my mind isn't the main reason for me coming here, I can do plenty of that back home. The first night I was there I met a two other Americans at my hostel and we decided to set off the next day to do some sightseeing.
The first stop was the Sriracha Zoo because there I read you can hold a baby tiger as you feed it. There is also another place near Bangkok called the Tiger Temple where you can do the same thing, but at Sriracha Zoo you can also do a lot of other cool stuff so I figured it was the better stop of the two. We had to hire a private taxi to get out there, and after some hard negotiating got a good price on one especially since the price was split between the three of us. On the way, we stopped off at another zoo that was a bit run down which made me feel somewhat bad for some of the animals in there. They did have a pretty wild crocodile and elephant show though. In the alligator show the trainers put their heads into a crocodile's mouths which I thought was pretty fucking nuts. After that, they shoved their entire arms down the crocodile's mouth. I don't know how they can get away with that stuff without getting their arm's bitten off, and I know it has something to do with instinctual characteristics of crocodiles and how they behave, but whatever the case those guys are fucking nuts and work hard for the money.
I saw some things at the Elephant Show which I never thought I would have seen in my entire life. I saw an Elephant paint a picture of a flower in a flower pot. How the fuck does an Elephant learn how to do that? Than another Elephant walked along a tight rope (it was two tight ropes, one for each pair of legs). Seriously, since when did Elephants start walking along tight ropes?! It was amazing to say the least and the trainers didn't use any sticks or prods to have the elephants move around, they only said a word and off the elephants went which I thought was nice.
After that we headed to the Sriracha Zoo in Pattaya. This zoo was much, much nicer than the last and was on par with zoos I have been to in the United States. We got to do some cool stuff like take pictures with Orangutans, see a cool tiger show and pig racing. The Orangutans were pretty funny and one pig in the pig racing did simple arithmetic which I still don't know how he did to this day. The main reason for coming here though was for the baby tigers. At Sriracha Zoo they have a huge tiger breeding center, and because of this, they naturally have a ton of baby tigers to play with. The zoo was near empty when we got there (I don't know why, it is a really nice place) so when we went to the baby tiger area we had it to ourselves for the most part. For a small fee they had me sit down while they let out a baby tiger who quickly jumped on my lap because the tiger obviously knew that it was about to get fed and lunged for the bottle in my hand. The handlers were a couple of Thai girls who started laughing and gently positioned the baby tiger on my lap so that I could feed it and get some awesome pictures. Like most people, I've loved tigers since I was a kid and being able to feed a baby one was an awesome experience.
The three of us got back to our hostel in the early evening and decided to have another outing, but this time to watch the national sport which also happens to be a hobby of mine, Muay Thai also known as Thai Boxing (kickboxing). Muay Thai came from Thailand so I can't think of any better place to watch it. In fact, many of the guys I trained Mixed Martial Arts with back home would make trips out to Thailand specifically to go to Muay Thai training camps. We went to watch the fights at Lumpini National Stadium, one of the two stadiums in Thailand which has the largest fights in the country. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric. I felt like I was in the background for a fight from the movie "Bloodsport" or in the crowd in "Street Fighter II". For those of you that don't have any idea what I am talking about, it was loud, every punch, kick and knee was greeted with howls of cheers from extremely boisterous fans, there was rampant betting going on in the stands and the fighters were amazing, delivering huge amounts of damage upon one another and never hesitating for a second. The best of the best in Thailand.
The Muay Thai fights came to a close in the evening just at about the perfect time to go out. If you're in Bangkok, you have to go out at least once (for most people, going out is all that they do). We decided to hit up a bar area named Patpong that the staff of our hostel recommended to us. Also, there was one other thing we wanted to do there. It is an infamous event that you hear many a backpacker talk about after a visit to Bangkok. It was the "Ping Pong" show. Basically, it’s a show where some girl shoots ping-pong balls out of her vagina aka "snizz ". I've heard people talking about it even when I was back home in the states and it was a very hot topic amongst travelers in South East Asia with both men and woman going to watch because it was such a touristy event in Thailand these days. We ended up having to pay like $20 each, and promised the guy who got us up we would each give him a couple dollars tip if nobody tried to rip us off anymore inside the club which worked out for the best because each time a waitress or stripper came up to us trying to sell us something he shooed them away. Inside the club was a ton of tourists, both men and woman and of course a stage full of strippers. Out of nowhere a girl bent over on the stage aiming in our direction and shot a banana out that almost hit me in the head! I dodged that shit like the Matrix son (thanks Chappelle)! Then she started shooting bananas all over the place. I found out that there was a lot more to a "Ping Pong" show than just ping pong balls. Different girls were shooting bananas, pulling very, very long strings out of the snizz, opening bottles with the snizz, shooting darts out of the snizz and hitting balloons (no way in hell I was anywhere near any of those balloons) and of course, shooting the ping pongs and hitting tourists who were too slow to move out of the way. There was loud music going on in a packed club and most of the crowd was tourists who were laughing or staring with a mixture of amazement and confusion. The "Ping Pong" show is one of those things you got to see in Thailand, and after we got our fill of dodging flying bananas we made our way out.
We decided to get a couple beers at some of the bars in the Patpong area that didn't involve ping-pong balls. Walking around you realize just how many people are here for sex tourism (hookers and the like). Every other bar was a brothel, "Go Go" bar or strip club. The streets were also packed with old foreign men with young Thai women and boys (not little kids but maybe late teens early twenties). I thought it was pretty disgusting and when I am that age I hope that I am spending my time with a loving wife and children, not with hookers in Thailand. Too each their own I suppose and I guess I shouldn't judge (I did just watch a ping pong show), but fuck man, it was gross. After a couple of beers and games of "Connect Four" (they love that game here in Thailand) we decided to call it a night.
The next day we headed out to one of the local malls to check out some of the stuff that they had since we've heard good things about "pirate" malls in Thailand and also so that I could Western Union some money to Brazil for Carnival. To make reservations for Carnival you have to pay for half or all of the cost of the room depending on the hotel because the rooms are in such high demand that time of year, and most places that are within my budget only allow for Western Union. It's worth it though because I hear Carnival is a blast and I am also going to be meeting my good friend Reece down there. After transferring the money we hit up the mall. Sure enough, the stories were true. The mall is like a pirated/knock off paradise. They had all kinds of counterfeit goods everywhere! I couldn't believe it. I was used to seeing pirated DVDs, software and clothes on the streets but not in a nice mall like this. You could get IPhones, Modded PSPs, the latest movies and video games and all kinds of designer clothes all pirated or counterfeits at crazy good prices.
After the mall we headed to the central Temple area of Thailand to see some of the religious sights. I saw some cool Buddhist temples as well as the largest reclining Buddha in the world. The temples in Thailand definitely have a style all of their own which made them that much more interesting after seeing so many other temples/religious monuments on my travels. The area is super crowded though so anyone that plans on visiting the Grand Palace area of Bangkok, make sure to do it in the early morning.
Now I am back from my sightseeing and fucking exhausted! I did a lot for the short amount of time I was here which is great because I want to get out know ASAP to the famous beaches of Thailand for a little rest and relaxation. Flying within Thailand on its Domestic Carriers is super cheap so I got a flight out of Bangkok tomorrow to Phuket to begin my time napping on the beach. I can't wait!
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What a relaxing place.
Chilling Out in Vientiane
11/18/2008 11:47:03 PM - Day 246 - Vientiane, Laos
I felt like flying around Pha That Luang Temple.
Vientiane (Vientiane, Loas Travel Information and Review)has been an oasis of calm compared to the other capitals and major cities here in South East Asia. Everyone here is so relaxed, friendly, there aren't a million cars/scooters packed on the road, the sidewalks are walkable and due to the lack of tourists, there aren't close to any touts on the streets trying to sell you drugs, hookers or tours. My stay here has been surprisingly refreshing.
I originally came to Laos in order to go to Vang Vieng, a city up to the north that is supposed to be very popular with backpackers. Reading into it, on cursory inspection it looked like the place was really geared towards partying with one of the coolest activities being riding an inner-tube down the local river and getting pulled into bars all along the way. Being a bit short on time and not really being too interested in partying my brains out at the moment (plus my next stop is Bangkok), I decided to skip Vang Vieng and spend an extra day in Vientiane. I'm really glad how my time in Laos turned out.
I was staying at a really nice hotel called the "Inter City Hotel" (Inter City Hotel Review in Vientiane, Laos). Normally I wouldn't have stayed somewhere as nice as this (and as expensive), but finding accommodation online in Vientiane was pretty damn difficult, and the only place that I could find that listed "free Wi-Fi" as one of the services was the Inter City Hotel. It ended up working out in the end though because even though it was pretty pricey, for the amount of services I got as well as the location and huge room, it was actually a decent value.
While here I checked out some of the local Buddhist Temples and Stupas. There were interesting in the fact that they had a style all of their own. Some of the temples had some far out looking demon statues In front the likes of which I have never seen before except in kid's cartoons. However my nights in Vientiane were the best part of my stay here. Directly across from my hotel was the Mekong River. All along the river are a bunch of locally owned and operated open air restaurants. All they consisted of was a bare wooden floor, tables and cushions for you to sit on. For a great price you could get some fantastic local food in an awesome and authentic atmosphere. Each night I would visit one of the restaurants, eat some delicious food and drink from coconuts as I watched the Mekong River drift by. It was amazing and very, very relaxing.
My next stop is Bangkok, Thailand which is anything but "relaxing". I'm really looking forward to checking the place out though since it is one of the most infamous travel destinations in the world. Plus, I have a serious taste for Thai Food. Until next time!
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Navigating the Limestone Isles of Halong Bay
"Descending Dragon Bay"
11/15/2008 11:17:59 AM - Day 243 - Halong Bay, Vietnam
Navigating the mysterious limestone Isles of Halong Bay.
Halong Bay which directly translated means "Descending Dragon Bay" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must see on any visit to Vietnam. Actually, most tourists that I met in Hanoi were only there because of side trips that they wanted to take to Halong Bay or Sappa (a nice mountain area). I read up on it in my guide book and when I got to Hanoi, made sure to book a trip right away.
I booked a tour at my hostel because I read booking a tour in Halong Bay itself actually worked out to cost more money, and the only way to realistically get out to the best part of the bay with all the limestone isles and karsts was on a tour. The price was actually very, very reasonable (Vietnam is a very affordable country) and it included transport there and back, as well as a night on a Chinese "Junk" boat that doesn't really resemble traditional Chinese Junk Boats of the past, but it is nice and gets the job done. They also include all your meals and a visit to one of the local caves.
On the way to Halong Bay we made the usual stops at souvenir shops that I have come to expect on all the tours I take in Asia and eventually made it to Halong Bay some four or so hours later. The docks at Halong Bay were teaming with people loading up onto a multitude of tourist boats, all of them more than likely doing a tour similar to my own. The boat I was on was pretty nice and in order to save money, I ended up sharing a room with a cool Russian guy who was actually my same age. The crew on the boat was for the most part very friendly and after some introductions with them as well as the eight or so other people who were on the tour, we were on our way.
The weather was quite foggy making for quite a mysterious setting. Soon we were at the start of the limestone isles and I have to say they were quite the sight to behold. Like mini mountains of jade, they jutted out of the water partially enveloped by walls of fog creating a mystifying sense of the unknown. It was like something out of the movies.
The first day we checked out a very cool cave as well as kayaked around some of the harder to reach spots getting a chance to view some amazing, untouched landscape. Soon we were docked for the night and many small boats manned by locals who lived in the bay on floating houses would paddle up and offer to sell snacks and drinks. I made the mistake of buying some beer pissing off the captain on my boat which in turn pissed me off but the rest of the crew said not to worry about it. I later found out that we weren't supposed to buy alcohol while on the tour, which made me feel like an ass, but in my defense my hostel never mentioned any of that to me. We also got to have some amazing food. Local fisherman would boat up to our ship at which point our ship's cook would board the fisherman's boat and look at their day's catch seeing if there was anything he thought was good to prepare for that night's meal.
Today was spent navigating more of the Limestone Mountains in the bay which beckoned to us behind walls of mist. It was nice, relaxing and at the same time, very intriguing. I don't know why, but I love spending time on boats which made this trip extra enjoyable. After lunch today we're headed back to the busy capital of Hanoi where I’ll leave the tour, spend one more night in the city before flying out to Laos the following afternoon.
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Man, this place is hectic!
Hanoi
11/13/2008 6:30:21 PM - Day 241 - Hanoi, Vietnam
Paying my respects at Hao Lo Prison, AKA "The Hanoi Hilton" former American POW camp.
If I thought Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC or "Saigon") was a busy city in Vietnam, I had yet to visit Hanoi. This place is out of control hectic. It is so crowded in the tourist district that many times there isn't even room to walk on the sidewalk. Also, what I have heard about the people in Hanoi being different than those in HCMC has been, at least in my experience, somewhat true. Except for the staff at my hostel the "Little Hanoi Hotel" (Little Hanoi Hotel Review in Hanoi, Vietnam) who were beyond amazing, a lot of the people I have met here in Hanoi have not been as friendly as those in HCMC. Maybe it is because of the history of the war, maybe it's just a difference in culture in the North, maybe I had bad luck or maybe they didn't like my deodorant? Whatever the case, I decided to cut my stay in Hanoi down a bit.
There isn't too much to see or do in the way or tourist sites in Hanoi. They have a lake in the old quarter that is ok, but teaming with touts and busier than all hell. The Old Quarter itself has some interesting architecture. There was one place that caught my attention though which was the Hoa Lo Prison, aka the "Hanoi Hilton" which held a lot of American Prisoners of War (POW) during the Vietnam War. It was also the prison that presidential hopeful John McCain was imprisoned at when he was shot down over Hanoi during the Vietnam War. The Hoa Lo Prison had a history that stretched back before the Vietnam War when the French used it to persecute Vietnamese Revolutionaries during the French Occupation. This seems to be the main focus of the Prison since it has been turned into a museum, showing the hardships faced by the Vietnamese people during the French occupation. There was two small sections set aside for the American POW's that spent time there, with one of them actually housing the original pilot uniform John McCain was wearing when he was shot down and captured. Once again, the amount of propaganda that was on display at this section of the museum was unbelievable. Whomever created these displays flat out lied about what the American POW's went thru during their stay at Hao Lo Prison.
First off, they said that they never tortured any of the American POW's, but John McCain was tortured so much that his hair turned grey and he can no longer lift his arms above his shoulders (only one example of the POWs being tortured). Then they went on to say that the American POW's actually enjoyed their time at the Hao Lo Prison, showing many pictures of them playing volleyball, basketball, eating Christmas dinner and basically enjoying themselves. Are you fucking kidding me? This of course is contrary to what the POW's said which made the life there seem hellish, and that the Vietnamese Government would stage these pictures deliberately for propaganda purposes. They made the Hao Lo Prison seem like a country club for American POW's. Staring at these grossly inaccurate displays was infuriating. The American Government did a lot of horrible things during that war that I find irreprehensible, but at least there aren't museums in the US that clearly lie about these atrocities. In fact, most of the US museums point out the atrocities that were committed by the Americans in the War, unlike the Hao Lo Prison which flat out lies. I found it offensive, just like the films at the Cu Chi Tunnels, and could only shake my head at the thought of visitors to the museum seeing this crap and actually believing it.
After seeing that, there wasn't much else in the city I wanted to see. Hanoi had been an interesting city to say the least, and I liked the fact that I got to see the difference in culture (at least a small part of it) between the Vietnamese in the North and South. The streets were choked with scooters, it was hard to walk on the sidewalks because of a lack of room and everyone likes to lay on their horns making any venture into the city tiring. I did get some great Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) though at some of the local restaurants as well as set up a tour to Halong Bay tomorrow, which is huge bay full of beautiful limestone mountains that jut out of the water. I've seen pictures of it and have to say that it looks beautiful, so I am really looking forward to the coming trip.
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Just call me big chill.
Camping Out in Nha Trang
11/11/2008 9:12:41 PM - Day 239 - Nha Trang, Vietnam
A small part of the crew partying at one of the clubs before setting out to one of Nha Trang's Beaches for some camping.
I didn't have a specific reason for choosing to stop off at Nha Trang (Nha Trang, Vietnam Review and Travel Information). I only didn't want to go to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Hanoi while I was in Vietnam because I know there is a lot more to the country than only those two cities. Therefore I looked at a map, saw that Nha Trang was a city with an airport up the coast and on the beach. I read up on it a bit and saw that it was supposed to be a nice and relaxed place, and said why the hell not and decided to stop off there to spend a bit of time at on my way to Hanoi. That's the great thing about traveling by yourself on an open itinerary, you get to go and do whatever the fuck you want. I'm really glad that I decided to stop off here since I got the chance to have a very, very cool experience.
Nha Trang is a small city on the beach that is big with tourism, however not so big that it has lost any sense of authenticity. I think it is right at that perfect level where there is a good tourist infrastructure in place, yet at the same time there aren't crowds of tourist there, therefore allowing Nha Trang to retain its much laid back atmosphere. Even the touts here were super chill. After I told me them "no thanks" in regards to anything of theirs I might not want to buy, they would say "cool man" and keep on walking, or sometimes sit down next to me at the beach and start chit-chatting about something. If the touts are chill, you know that the city itself must be very relaxed, and Nha Trang was just that which was exactly what I needed after dealing with all the hustle and bustle of my recent travels.
I spent my days taking naps out on the beach or eating fresh fruit that the touts were selling as they walked along the sand. I even got to try some fruit I have never had before called "Dragon Fruit" which at first glance, because of its bright pink coloring and exterior looks to possibly be poisonous, yet after a bite you realize it is actually delicious. In the afternoons I would either get some exercise in or do work on my laptop and at night I would play a couple of games of pool over a beer or two with the locals or my fellow travelers. It was sublime. The only other place that I have been to on my travels that had this perfect mixture of a low key atmosphere yet not so low key that it's boring was Dahab on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.
One night I had an extra awesome experience. I'm staying here at a place called "Backpacker's House" (Review of Backpacker's House in Nha Trang, Vietnam). It is a new hostel located in the heart of the tourist area of Nha Trang with a young Vietnamese owner named Phil who is very professional during the day, yet at night knows how to let loose and throw a party at his bar/club called the "Red Apple Club" which is attached to the hostel. I got along pretty well with him and his staff. He had even hired a couple English bartenders who were backpackers like me, but fell in love with Nha Trang (as I have) and decided to stick around for a bit bartending (in a lot of cool spots, you meet international bartenders because that is one of the few jobs that are easy to get for travelers who speak English in a lot of touristy areas). One night we were all drinking it up, singing karaoke and playing pool having a good time when Phil tells me they have a camping trip at the beach planned for that night with a bunch of other locals and some people from the bar. He asked if I wanted to roll with and I said "hell yeah." We assembled a small army of scooters along with a couple taxis and got everyone loaded up as we set out to a remote beach located somewhat outside the city for some camping. The beach ended up being a bit far off the main road, so when the taxis dropped off the people who were in them, the people who had scooters began to taxi those left from the main road down a dirt one into the beach area. Once there everyone worked together to get this camping session started. It was pretty cool how it all happened because unlike how things may work out back home or in other parts of the world, nobody had to delegate work and we didn't even have to figure out who was going to do what, everyone took the initiative and starting helping out with the camping in some way, shape or form without even being asked. I've come to find out from my short time here in Vietnam as well as from talking to the locals about the matter is that the Vietnamese are a very communal society with strong bonds. It is almost an unspoken rule that they will help each other out and do what needs to be done to get a job done. They always stick together. Hell, in recent history that was a huge part of how they did so well in the Vietnam War. In even more recent history, it was a huge part on how this camping session was going off without a hitch!
Some of us guys gathered rocks and firewood to start a bonfire. Others began to put up one huge, open aired tent that everyone was going to sleep under. A lot of the girls started cooking up some fresh seafood that someone had brought while others helped out in other little ways here and there. Soon enough we had a fire going, full stomachs from freshly BBQ'ed calamari and shrimp and one hell of a buzz from all the warm beer we drank. We laughed and talked, told stories and enjoyed the nice warm sea breeze under a blanket of stars. The typical stuff that you do when camping, but I was doing this in Vietnam with the locals which made it that much more unique because that is an opportunity I quite possibly will never have again. The tent they had set up was huge and wasn't so much a "tent" as we might think of one as it was a tent that you might see up at an outdoor party or tailgate that everyone drinks/eats under. By the end of the night everyone picked out a spot under the tent and crashed.
The next morning we all had quite the hangovers and Phil told me with a laugh that a lot of his workers from the bar were calling in sick. I don't blame them, I was hurting pretty badly myself, but the hangover was more than worth it because it was an wonderful experience. Nha Trang will always hold a special place in my heart and I look forward to the day that I get to come back. I only hope that when that day comes, Nha Trang is still holding onto its laid back demeanor and has not succumbed to the fast paced and congested lifestyle that had befallen so many hidden getaways before it. Only time will tell, but even so, I'll still be able to think back upon this experience with a smile and remember that times like these are why I travel.
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Ho Chi Minh City, AKA "Saigon"
Good Morning Vietnam!
11/7/2008 10:19:33 PM - Day 235 - Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam
A US M41 tank destroyed in the war by a delay mine at the Cu Chi tunnel complex.
Vietnam always had a mystique about it for me thanks to my interest in the Vietnam War. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from my visit except from what little I was able to read in my guidebook, but from the looks of it, it seemed that Vietnam is a very diverse and rapidly progressing country that had moved on from the past and its communist roots becoming a regional player in the financial market. After spending a couple of days in Ho Chi Minh City (almost everyone, even the locals still call it Saigon) (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Review and Travel Information). Vietnam always had a mystique about it for me thanks to my interest in the Vietnam War. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from my visit except from what little I was able to read in my guidebook, but from the looks of it, it seemed that Vietnam is a very diverse and rapidly progressing country that had moved on from the past and its communist roots becoming a regional player in the financial market. After spending a couple of days in Ho Chi Minh City (almost everyone, even the locals still call it Saigon), I can say that I can agree with what little I gleamed from my guide book.
Like China, I can't see anything inherently "communist" about the day to day life of the people. Everywhere you go someone is trying to sell you something, and like a capitalistic society you have the "haves" and "have not's". I saw some people driving brand new BMW's while others begged on street corners. I read that the communist party in Vietnam was having trouble keeping its membership up these days. I also read and heard from other travelers that the locals here in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) were much more in tune with the forward moving economy and culture while those up in the north in Hanoi were slower to move their feet wanting to cling a bit more to the "old ways". I can't speak for those in Hanoi (since I haven't even been there yet) but here in HCMC people definitely seemed to have money on their mind but at the same time, everyone also came off as very friendly and endearing which I was a bit relieved to experience being an American in the country of a former enemy.
It's sad because you see reminders of the war on the streets every time you see someone missing a limb(s) which is usually caused by unexploded ordinance left over from the war. Even though I wasn't even alive back then, I can't help but feel bad because a lot of these people weren't alive either and had nothing to do with the war, yet they suffer from it. Normally when people rant and rave about the United States I have no problem standing up for my homeland and trying to explain to them that a lot of the stereotypes held towards Americans are over generalizations without merit. However, here in Vietnam, nobody has "ranted or raved". Not even the victims missing limbs. They've only walked (or limped) past me like ghosts of an old war and all I can do is shake my head. When you're face to face with someone your same age, someone who wasn't alive during the Vietnam War but is missing both of his legs because they were blown off one day when he was kid farming rice, you can't help but feel bad when you tell him you're "American".
Even so, none of the locals have said a thing about the war or said anything bad about America. If anyone had a basis for complaint, it could be some of these people, yet refreshingly, nobody has said a thing. When I asked the locals about the war and their feelings these days, they said that they have moved on and simply want to make the best of today and not dwell on the past. "Wow" I thought. That is one fucking awesome way to look at things.
That being said, I thought the people in HCMC were really nice, friendly, and even the street touts who were trying to sell you this that or the other would leave you alone if you said "no thanks". It was a pleasant surprise for being such a busy city. When I say busy, I mean BUSY. The streets are jam packed with scooters and the occasional car or bus. Everyone is on scooters and they drive like fucking maniacs. I have been to a lot of places by this point, seen a lot of bad drivers and daredevil stunts, but nothing compares to the driving here in HCMC. Imagine if you will a very busy intersection. The light turns green and two huge waves of scooters begin to drive towards one another in opposite directions. However, from each part of the wave a huge "surge" decides that it wants to make a left into the other wave. Well, nobody stops going, they all just surge into one another and figure out things as they go. It's almost as if a scene from a battle is played out over and over each time that light turns green and the two huge groups of scooters charge into one another. I've never seen anything like it, but it seems to work for the most part (however I did see many a person with road rash walking around).
Looking into it, there didn't seem to be much within HCMC worth checking out except for the "War Remnants" museum which had displays showing photographs and artifacts from the Vietnam War. It was a sobering place to go seeing all the things that my government did back then that wasn't in accord with human rights.
I also made a day trip out to the "Cu Chi" tunnel complex which is a large tunnel complex that was used by the Viet Cong and their allies during the Vietnam War about a couple hours out of HCMC. The first thing they have you do when you get there is watch a "documentary" about the complex that is the most propaganda filled piece of crap I have ever seen. The movie looks to have been made in the 50's, and it goes on and on about how this or that Vietnamese soldier was an "American Killer Hero" for killing "X" amount of Americans with line after line saying something like "So and so led an Ambush killing 20 Americans. They are an American Killer Hero and we are all very proud of our American Killer". They said "American Killer" so many times that even the Europeans and Australians in the audience started giving each other uncomfortable sideways glances each time "American Killer Hero" was said. It made my hair stand on end. I understand it was a different time back then, we were enemies at War, so obviously killing as many Americans as possible was a positive for them, but I think it is about time to redo this movie because times are very different. I even heard some Australians complaining amongst themselves saying that the movie was way too biased and derisive for these times.
Minus the shitty movie, the tunnel complex itself was very interesting and was a testament to the fortitude and conviction of the people who used them first during the French occupation of Vietnam (in case you didn't know, France had occupied Vietnam long before American came and left shortly before the American War started) and last during the war with America. The entire complex is 75 miles long and sometimes three levels deep. The soldiers would live down there in extremely cramped conditions dealing with snakes, poisonous insects and all sorts of hardships sometimes days at a time while American troops moved about land. The American military tried a lot of things to get rid of the tunnel complexes but were never truly successful.
When I wasn't crawling around tunnel complexes, almost getting run over by scooters or checking out museums, I was treating myself to hot and tasty bowels of "Pho" pronounced "F-ah" which is a spicy noodle soup mixed in with vegetables, plum sauce and meat. It was so damn good! I highly recommend trying some here in HCMC for anyone who might ever come. I also stayed at a decent guest house in the center of the tourist area named "Ngoc Thao Guest House" (Ngoc Thao Guest House Review in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam).
Tomorrow I fly out into Nha Trang, a beach side town that is supposed to be very relaxed and chill, which is exactly what I need at this point of my trip. I got a flight on Vietnam Airways because it was really inexpensive. I am coming to learn that flying around South East Asia is pretty cheap compared to some other parts of the world and a great way to save time from taking a bus over some crowded and sometimes rather bumpy roads. I can say that I can agree with what little I gleamed from my guide book.
The choas ot taking a scooter taxi in Ho Chi Minh City. Keep in mind, this is VERY tame compared to the really busy spots. At least they wear helmets.
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Now, this really feels like "South East Asia"
Visiting Angkor-Wat
11/4/2008 7:53:19 AM - Day 232 - Angkor, Cambodia
Busting the Pose in front of the Bayon Temple in Angkor, Cambodia.
Cambodia has two main tourist hubs to use as gateways to some of the country's main attractions: the capital, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. After talking to fellow travelers, and reading into it a bit myself, it sounded like Phnom Penh was a pretty shitty place not worth checking out. One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Cambodia was to check out the ruins of Angkor Wat (as well as the other temples around Angkor), and that area was most accessible from Siem Reap in the North of Cambodia which also happened to have an international airport with cheap flights going in and out. I decided to fly in there, skip Phnom Penh, check out the ruins of Angkor and get a taste for Cambodia before moving on to Vietnam.
The airport in Siem Reap was really nice, and getting in was a snap with a whole crew of Cambodian immigration officials to help you with your Cambodian Visa. Most people get around Siem Reap via "Tuk-Tuk" which is a three-wheeled motorcycle that has covered seats on top of the back two wheels. It is a lot cheaper than a taxi and a good way to get some fresh air! I took a Tuk-Tuk to my hostel named "The Siem Reap Hostel" (The Siem Reap Hostel Review in Cambodia) which I can honestly say has been one of the best hostels I have ever stayed at. I was able to book a tour with them along with a guide to the temples of Angkor for the following day to see a bit of history.
Angkor is an area of Cambodia that used to be the power base of the Khmer Empire which was at its height around a millennium ago. Angkor is said to be the largest pre-industrial city in the world with an urban sprawl close to around 3000 square kilometers (the second largest is the ruins of Tikal in Guatemala which is around 100 - 150 square kilometers). Being the powerful empire it was, the Khmer built approximately 1000 temples in the area, with the most renowned being Angkor Wat or "Temple City".
I'm really glad that I went with a guide because otherwise I wouldn't have had a clue about what I was seeing around Angkor. Many times in the past when I have gone to important sites like this, I wasn't really able to appreciate them because I had no idea what I was looking at. We took a Tuk-Tuk to the first stop in the early morning being Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is said to be the largest single religious monument in the world. Once you arrive at the temple complex you get approached by a ton of touts trying to sell you trinkets, but by this point of the trip I have gotten pretty used to it and it doesn't really bother me anymore. The temple itself was huge and definitely not like anything I have seen thus far on my travels. One of Angkor Wat's main attractions is its bas reliefs which adorn the walls all along the first level. They were pretty intricate and gave a great insight into the culture of the Khmer Empire.
After Angkor Wat we headed to the Bayon Temple, famous for its many Buddhist heads that jut out from the walls of the second story of the temple. When we got to Angkor Wat, it wasn't too crowded since we got there so early. It was still morning when we got to the Bayon Temple, but it was fucking crowded as hell in there! I was pretty surprised since from what I hear, it has been a little "slow" around Siem Reap because of the world economy and problems with Thailand, but fuck, I can only imagine what it would be like here if it wasn't "slow" because the place was so damn crowded, it was hard to enjoy. I shouldn't be surprised though, it is one of the world's premier sights in terms of ruins.
While I was taking a picture at the Bayon Temple another guide came up to me asking if I was an "actor from Hollywood". When I laughed and said no, he said he asked because he thought I was very "handsome". I uttered an "Uh, yeah, thanks buddy" as I walked away. It seems that homosexuality is a somewhat common and accepted thing in many parts of South East Asia, especially in Thailand where I have heard many a story of a male traveler unwittingly meeting a "lady boy" thinking he had actually scored with a real woman, only to find out later that he had just unknowingly had a homosexual encounter. I can only laugh and shake my head at that thinking "sucks for that guy!" Personally, I'm not here to meet girls, I'm here to travel and enjoy the experience so I don't plan on having any bad surprises anytime soon.
After Bayon Temple we headed to Ta Prohm, a temple that was used in one of the Tomb Raider movies since it is a pretty eerie place, having been left much in the same condition as when it was found. The temple is a pretty good example of when nature takes back what it once had. Many of the temple's walls were overrun by giant Silk Cotton Trees with its giant roots reclaiming lost territory. This was the last stop on the tour, which was fine by me because according to the guide, the other temples in the area were either in disrepair, and probably wouldn't be that interesting to someone unless they were an archeologist or serious Khmer empire history buff, of which I am neither.
The rest of my time here in Siem Reap has been spent kicking back and getting some work done, intermittingly heading out to the city to see a bit of Cambodian life. The areas where the Cambodians actually socialize and live were pretty run down and impoverished being filled with straw and wood shacks, nothing like what I saw in Malaysia. The Cambodians seemed to be in good spirits though, working hard and enjoying themselves. The touristy areas were just that, touristy areas that had expensive restaurants and were manicured beyond any threshold of authenticity. They were also very French in their architecture, owing back to when France had control of the area. It is also pretty hot here in Cambodia, and we aren't even in the "hot" season, I can only imagine what it will be like then.
I fly out today to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to start a trip up the Vietnam coast. I'm pretty interested to see what it is like there and see the monuments of the Vietnam War.
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First stop, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
South East Asia
11/1/2008 1:45:32 PM - Day 229 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I can't remembe the name of this, but it is a very popular desert here in Malaysia, a country known for its food.
Kuala Lumpur is a conservative, Muslim dominated city in Malaysia, and was also the start to my trip thru South East Asia. I read up on the city, and after a bit of research decided to spend only a couple of days here because in the city itself, there isn't a whole lot to do. If you want to do some cool activities, you have to trek out into the jungles nearby, but I was really excited about getting to my next stop in Cambodia to see Angkor-Wat, so I decided to only check out Kuala Lumpur and head out saving the jungles possible for a future trip.
Getting into the city was pretty simple. The airport in Kuala Lumpur is pretty crappy, but they make it easy for you to find a bus to take into the center of the city (as opposed to paying an arm and a leg for a taxi). Once in the city I took the monorail to my hostel, "Hostel Cosmopolitan" (Hostel Cosmopolitan Review in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia). Going thru the city (and after staying here for a bit), I have to say that it seems to be decently developed. Not really what I was expecting in South East Asia, so hopefully I get my feet wet when I head into Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
This was also the first time that I had been to an Asian Muslim country, which was a bit interesting. Like most places in the Muslim world, drinking is frowned upon, but unlike places in the Middle East, you can easily go to bars and clubs here to party. The only catch is that the drinks are super expensive because of government imposed taxes (once again, trying to discourage drinking). There is a decent non-Muslim population here (mostly Chinese) who like to go out so I hear the bars and clubs still get packed.
Not being too interested in partying somewhere that was going to put a hole in my wallet, I decided to spend my time checking out the sites and trying the food here in Malaysia which I have heard so much about. I went to this well known area called "Chow Kit" and was able to get some awesome food for close to nothing in terms of Dollars. I knew the place was going to good because the entire area was full of locals eating (it is well away from the tourist areas). Also, the people there were super friendly to me which made the environment that much better. One of the biggest differences about eating in Malaysia than most other countries that I have visited is that you eat with your hands. I'm not talking about eating some chicken, or maybe rice, I'm talking eating sloppy, runny food with your hands! If I had come here as a little kid, I would have loved the place! Even as an adult, I still had fun with it.
There were a couple cool sights in the city worth visiting. One was Chinatown, but having just come from China I decided to skip it. I did however go to the Petronas Towers, the highest Twin Towers in the world. I didn't expect much from them (how cool can towers be), however when I got there, I was blown away. The two towers were massive and looked like something straight out of a Science Fiction Movie (I posted a video of the towers below). The towers were very impressive and it is amazing that mankind can create such things. It makes me wonder what kind of stuff we'll be making centuries from now.
The Petonas Towers. Highest twin towers in the world, and they look like they belong in a Sci-Fi movie. They were pretty impressive. Inside is a huge mall.
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