Pics of Ho Chi Minh City - the streets around our little hotel room.
Arriving at night, the city was aglow with lights from almost every building. Flashing lights, making it look like an eastern Las Vegas, and row after row of restaurants and fancy boutiques. We'd arrived somewhere totally unexpected - after the dirt and squalour of some of our recent Asian destinations - this was really upmarket. Yep - a total surprise! (Note: the pictures above do not do my comment justice! I didn't have my camera handy when we were arriving - so this snap is of a quiter, considerably less 'upmarket' street, close to where we were staying. But cute, and tidier than most of the other places we'd recently been, none-the-less.)
Our hotel was down a side street, off the main road - close to everything, yet discreetly hidden (the street was so small you could easily miss seeing it as you walked along the main street), and it was buzzing with life. The moment we stepped foot outside the hotel doorway you had to watch out for scooters and motorbikes as they whizzed passed. And local ladies sat outside cooking and preparing their food, whilst their little ones tottered around them.
Our hotel room was very small - our bags took up most of the free floor space (they're BIG bags, mind you... plus we now have a giant tube full of paintings that Karlos is lugging around) - but it was cool (air-con) and comfortable (after a week of poor-quality mattresses and pillows - it really reminds you what matters in life!)... so it was pretty close to heaven. We also had cable TV and spent a bit of time chilling out and hiding from the busy streets watching movies.
Pic of a yummy Vietnamese dish - fresh spring rolls.
The restaurant right next door was peeeeeerfect. Selling delicious Vietnamese food (think healthy stirfrys and soups, bursting with fresh meat, vegetables and flavour) for around 40,000 dong. This sounds like an exraordinary price to pay for food... but 19,500 dong is just US$1. We were stoked! Especially given that the giant bottles of Saigon beer were just 12,000 dong! Amazing... expecially after the overpriced (and UTTERLY crappy) food of Phnom Penh. We literally felt human again.
Anyway! Next morning we went on a half day tour of the Cu Chi tunnells - about 50km from the city. The Cu Chi tunnels are an intricate, underground tunnel system of around 200km in length - that the Vietnamese used during the Vietnam war. It was mind-blowing. They had dug out these tunnels, by HAND, at night - and fought with the Americans during the day. They are so intricate it is thought that not even the most talented architect could have designed them. There are three levels to the tunnels - the top level consists of several large 'rooms' - such as the kitchen, dining room, hospital, and so on - all linked by tunnels from one to the next, with a 'get out' every 30 metres. And the second and third levels consist simply of a series of tunnels winding up and down, from one end of the tunnels to the river at the far end. There are also 'air tunnels' at regular intervals... and a tunnel to release the smoke from the kitchen was built in to transport the smoke several metres away from it (to disguise the location of the kitchen, in case the americans saw the smoke).
Pic is an extremely small version of the tunnel network, and not to scale.
Pic of the map of the tunnel system, and various american and vietnamese army bases during the war - pretty intricate. The man pointing at the map was a veteran, and our tour guide.
They were pretty damned clever, the Vietnamese - the tunnels were built just large enough to fit themselves ('themselves' being considerably smaller than the Americans), meaning that any Amercian soldier trying to enter the tunnels would most likely get stuck. The reason for not building the tunnels straight, on levels 2 and 3, was so that any gunfire shot down the tunnels would be stopped at the first corner. The tunnels were also built under clay earth - so any bombs dropped on top of them only made the clay harder, and the tunnels stronger. It was mind blowing, it really was. The intricacy of the system was incredible.
Our tour guide (a veteran of the vietnamese war) was a treat - full of information and funny anecdotes. He knew the tunnels well, and showed us around a part of them - we even got to go into the tunnels at one point. A stretch of 120m, with 4 stops to get out along the way if you were too uncomfortable. I had no idea I was claustraphobic... until my heart started pounding at the thought of going down there (perhaps the war stories didn't help) - but I gave it a go... I got out at the first opportunity and only was down there about 25m, but I still gave it a go!
We had lots more tales of war to hear, and then Karlos joined a group of people to shoot an AK-47 (you could feel those guns pound in your chest, even though they were being fired a couple hundred metres away) and then we ate some "wartime food" before heading back. As a part of this tour, before we got to the tunnels, we also stopped at a factory - where victims of the war (people disabled because of agent orange, for example) were making crafts. It was amazing to watch them paint cermaics, and shape wood, and stick egg shells onto pots for painting and varnishing. It was also humbling - showing us where so many of the crafts we barter for at the markets come from. I'll think twice next time I want to save a dollar.
And so the rest of our time in Saigon was spent eating delicious food, drinking with new found friends, a hideous experience with rude stall owners at the markets (made up by Karlos who bought me a watch from a shop when we left), visiting the old house of my brother-in-law (who used to live here long ago), and a hilarious pedicure incident - where I really overpaid to, basically, have my nails repainted and a painful leg massage, whilst 5 other women were crammed into the same therapy room! Hahaha.
But this was Vietnam. This was Saigon ~ Crazy, beautiful.
(Picture above - for Reuben).
And so... one month in South East Asia has been exciting, educational, challenging, a lot of fun, and exhausting... but boy am I glad to be moving the fook on! I miss everyone in England terribly, am reminiscing fondly of the USA, and starting to get excited about homecoming. But first! Let us hit aussie for a month of good times! Aussie Aussie Aussie - here. we. come!
Peace and love to ya,
~ Comet xo
Thursday, September 30, 2010
This is GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!
This is a border crossing, and CAMBODIA!
I woke up with a start, covered in sweat from head to toe. My clothes, what little I wore of them, clung to my skin in ruffled bunches,and it took me a few moments to remember where I was, and where I was going. Feeling ever so slightly delusive, I remembered - the repetitive 'clack-a-clack' of the train tracks, the heat of the midday sun beating down on my face, the rise and fall of a foreign language around me, and the incessant drone of the thai women who wandered between the carriages selling unusual food from plastic bags, reminding me.
We were on a train, heading for the Cambodian border. After a 4.30am wake up, and a 5.30am train departure - the day felt long already, and it was only 11am. On arrival at Aranyaprathet, the train's final destination on the eastern edge of Thailand, we hauled our overweight backpacks upon us and climbed off the train. Or rather 'jumped off,' in my case, seeing as the train didn't have much in the way of a step between the carriage and the ground.
Instantly we were bombarded by tuktuk drivers, each vying for the role of our driver. "No, thank you," I insisted to several of them who were invading my personal space, pointing to the local bus in answer to their "to Cambodia?" questions. A helpful man on the train from Bangkok had told us to catch the local bus to the Thai border, 15 baht as opposed to the proffered 150 baht from any of the local tuktuk tauts. Fighting our way through masses of motorbikes, tuktuks, and the roaming arms of their owners, we eventually made it to the "bus" which really was nothing more than a large van with an open back for us all to stand in, or sit in if their was space. We made our way to the middle of the van, holding on to the bars overhead and bending our knees to provide better balance against the curves of the road and the weight of our packs.
Pic of the Cambodian border, a little east of Aranyaprathet.
Eventually we came to the Cambodian border - which looked very much like a market. Because it was. Finding our way to the official visa office was tricky, considering every "helpful" Thai to cross our path was busy trying to steer us into tourist offices, to rip us off for as much as they could get. Exhausted, hungry, and in 40 degree heat and carrying a 25kg backpack, I was in no mood for these people whatsoever. A firm "no" and a 'speak to the hand' gesture that prevented them from seeing my face any longer, generally did the trick in stopping them following me. But the border crossing was a hickledy pickledy maze seeing us dart from Thai immigration, to Customs, to the visa office, to Cambodian immigration... all the while side-stepping market stalls and dozens more tauts. It was disconcerting knowing that we couldn't trust anyone, and I was incredibly grateful that I had done my reasearch and knew the process - so I could recognise tourist scams before we fell for them. We also bumped into another two English speakers, likely feeling the same way as us, and - considering we were the only english speakers/white people we could see around - we stuck together.
After finally getting a stamp in our passports, we boarded the government bus to Poipet, now on the Cambodian side of the border, and from there we bartered for a taxi to take us the remaining two hours to Siem Reap - our final destination, and where we all wanted to explore the Angkor Wat temples (think: Tomb Raider). The four of us sat back in the air-conditioned taxi thinking that the rest of our journey would be easy. Think again.
To cut a long story short - half way into our taxi ride, the driver stopped at a local store along the main route to have his car cleaned. We all had to get out the car to wait (even though this was ABSURD!) and the lady of the store told us we had to wait 15 minutes, or "just 5 minutes if we bought something" from her. We pretty much all gave her our two cents worth!! - firmly reminding her that WE were paying for this taxi, so WE would be the ones to decide when we leave. Her attitude went from bad to ugly and she persisted to try and sell us things - but, when we were ready to leave/had enough, we cut her short by getting back into the taxi and telling our driver, promptly - "take us now or we won't pay you."
About 15 minutes before we arrived in Siem Reap (having been on the road for well over an hour and witnessing an array of interesting locals over take us whilst transporting pigs on motorbikes and young men on top of precariously stacked work trucks) - our driver (who could not speak a single word of english previously, by the way!) started on with "the office... I take you to my office." I recognised the tourist scam instantly: this man was going to take us to a tuktuk depot, ask for our money, and then we would have to continue our journey to our hotel by tuktuk and end up paying much more than we had initally agreed to. "No," we all insisted. "To our hotels, or no money." As Karlos said - 'no money' seems to be understood across all languages.
Our driver went quiet. But, lo and behold, he stopped at the tuktuk depot none-the-less. A tuktuk depot that was on the outskirts of the city, down a quiet street, and relatively stranded. He then takes off - leaving us sitting in the taxi with our bags in the boot, surrounded by tuktuk drivers. They all refused to take us by taxi to our hotels, that travel by tuktuk was the only way we would get there from here, and that we must 'pay now.' We all got out and opened the boot, and as I reached for my backpack I told them - if you will not take us, in this taxi, to our hotels we leave now and you get NOTHING. As we begin to put our backpacks on, and they realised we weren't bullshittting, they finally agreed that we wouldn't need to pay until we get to our hotels then, but insisted that we will still need to go via tuktuk.
Karlos gave him a peice of his mind, and then the rest of us laid into these scam-mongering Cambodians and I actually think we took them by surprise. Even our hotel manager had emailled us to warn us about this scam, so we weren't fools.
And so, after telling them bluntly that we knew they were scam artists, that we would be telling every tourist wemeet about them, and that they need to get us to our destination quick smart - we were finally on the last leg of our journey. Before reaching our hotels though, the man accompanying the two tuktuk drivers said: "if we want to tip the tuktuk driver, who won't get any of the money wewill pay for the taxi, we can." I was now fuming. We didn't agree to a tuktuk ride, it was a huge discomfort and inconvenience for usand he was STILL TRYING to guilt us into handing over more money!! I snapped something at him in a tone that may as well have said 'shut yourf*cking mouth before I punch you, you twat" and eventually we were in our hotel. A hot, humid hotel room with the world's mostuncomfortable beds - but more relieved than we had ever been.
*
Apart from the stressful day getting to Siem Reap - I loved it there. Our first night was spent on 'pub street,' enjoying delicious coconut curry, local beer at just US0.50 and the company of some fellow travellers. We then braved the chaotic traffic and crossed tothe other side of town to explore the night markets - where we found many treasures and also managed to watch some cambodian dancing.We could barely walk anywhere without being accosted by people trying to sell you a massage, a fish spa, dinner, or tuktuk rides - butthe people of Cambodia weren't as persistent as the Thais seemed to be, so pretending you hadn't heard them was the easiest thing, and then walking on.
The next day we had another 4.30am wake up - as our incredibly helpful hotel man booked us a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. Karloswasn't too stoked about the early wake up - in fact, neither was I even though I am a real morning person. But it had to be done. Wecouldn't come all this way and not see the sunrise, as everyone reccommended. And so, this basically involved us having a tuktuk driver for the day - who drove us from one temple to the next, as we wished.
Our driver got us to Angkor Wat just before sunrise - so it was still dark when we first arrived. Hoards of people walked the stone path, and up and down wooden steps to get to the main viewing point - shuffling in the dark like ghosts, silence all around us. We madeour way to a small lake at the foot of Angkor Wat and watched in awe as the sun slowly rose, bringing a beautiful pink colour to thetemple, that became deeper until eventually becoming more golden just before the sun burst up over the top. Before the sun had fully risen over the top, however, we decided to skip ahead of the other tourists and go into the temple itself, to explore.
It was amazing. We walked through the ruins of this ancient temple, which is still in such a wonderful condition that it is almostwhole - and where amazed at the architecture, the detail, and the beauty. The good thing about Cambodia, and indeed this part of theworld, is that there are no rigid health and safety rules - so we could freely walk up and over and through and between the many areas,inside and outside, of the grand temple. The details carved into the walls is also truly amazing - it's hard to comprehend the amountof craftsmanship that went into the creation of this temple - it truly is one of the wonders of the world.
Whilst the rest of the tourists flocked into Angkor Wat, we made our way out again - saying hello to lots of little monkeys on the way, and viewing the temple once again from the front - the sun now high in the sky and creating an unique air of both majesty and tranquility.
Our tuktuk driver was waiting for us as soon as we came out - which amazed me given the vast number of other tourists and theirtuktuks. We were grateful he remembered what we looked like! And he was incredibly helpful - taking us exactly where we wanted to goand making every effort to see we had an enjoyable time. He took us to see Bayon, in the ancient walled city of Angkor Thom, wherewe looked upon large stone faces and felt peaceful, just like millions of other people over the last few thousand years. We also went toTa Phrom, a temple complex that was used to film 'Tombraider,' and I imagined how Daniel Craig would have once been here too... ;-)
Ta Phrom was truly amazing - there are even giant trees growing through the temples, it has been around for that long. The temples were really something to behold. But after several hours of heat, humidity, climbing temples, and sprinting through hoards of localstrying to sell us their wares - we were done.
That evening more time was spent eating local food, drinking cheap beer, and spending time in the night markets. Karlos bought 5large oil paintings for US$130. It was fun selecting art that would look good in our home together, and to think that we would havea piece of Cambodia to take home with us. As one of the market stall holders took Karlos to an ATM machine, on the back of his scooter,I stayed and chatted with the lady who was rolling up the paintings - and it was really lovely to learn how appreciative she was by Karlos' purchase. I realised that US$130 would mean so much more to them, than us.
It was hard seeing the amount of people begging in Siem Reap - young children, shoeless mothers carrying newborn babies, men withoutarms or legs. But at the same time - these people had a life about them that you wouldn't find amongst the impoverished and disabledin the western world. There seems to be a Cambodian spirit of 'do what you can and make do.' And these people seemed to do just that.Despite their living standards seeming below par, to us - the people of Cambodia appeared happy and content in life overall. The men wesaw without limbs had a healthy glow to their faces, and an approach to life that the western world could learn much from. These people seem empowered to us, surprisingly.
And who are we to judge anyway?
**
After a cultural few days in Siem Reap, we caught a bus and 6 hours later made it to Phnom Penh...
It was an interesting bus journey. We were the only white skinned people, and certainly the only english speakers - so whilst I buriedmy head in a book, Karlos joined the rest of the bus watching cambodian music videos and game shows on the TV screen upfront. Whateverwas being said in cambodian didn't matter much - Karlos seemed to be laughing just as loud as everyone else.
We stopped several times to use bathrooms and purchase food from market stalls - I paid the equivalent of $10 for a tube of saltypringles, as I refused to eat the dubious looking meats up for sale. At one place we even saw upside down turtles over hot coals...not really my cup of tea. I'm just not that adventures with my stomach!
Arriving in Phnom Penh, at nightfall, was madness. The driver's assistant got off the bus first, and actually had a STICK to hold backthe tuktuk drivers with. I was the last person off the bus - having sent Karlos ahead to get our backpacks from underneath whilst Igrabbed the smaller items we had with us onboard. By the time I got off the man with the stick had moved on, and so I was on my own.I literally had to put my hands on some of these men and push them aside, just so I could step down off the bus. I get it. They're allpoor and in need of our tourist dollar - but it was really frustrating. Luckily for us, we had organised a pick up with our hotel - soa lovely young cambodian man grabbed my bag from me, we sidestepped the man offering us a day shooting AK-47s, and climbed into ourtuktuk - next to the rubbish dump that smelled like urine, and the man who was sifting through it.
After a very uncomfortable night's sleep, in the hottest hotel room on earth - that had a powercut in the middle of the night resultingin our fan turning off, and me, so hot I was delerious, attempting to have a cold shower only to discover that ran on power too (Ithought I was going to die) - we woke up and read some online information about what to do in Phnom Penh. The first thing I read in a'top ten things not to miss' article was to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (cheery), and another article discussed the recent" brickings" of tourists in the riverside area - a place where we ate dinner the night before, was just down the street from our hotel, and was being described as "unsafe for tourists." This was the first time in our entire trip so far that I felt unhappy anduncomfrtable being somewhere. I didn't want to leave our hotel room - but it was hot and dark (no windows), so we had no choicebut to leave for some fresh air at least.
And so, we found a lovely tuktuk driver, and set off to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. I have to say - this was without a doubtthe most upsetting and sickening experience of my life. But at the same time, I would recommend anyone visiting Cambodia/Phnom Penhto visit it. The atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime, and the slaughter of several thousand of innocent cambodians must be remembered, in order to prevent anything like this from happening again on Cambodian soil.
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly a high school that was converted into prison S21 by Pol Pot "clique" - saw the imprisonment,interrogation, torture, and eventually murder of several thousand innocent cambodians, as well as several foreigners. These people,simply, were thought to be in opposition to the Khmer Rouge regime. It was barbaric, and nothing less than a tragedy in the history of humanity. The greatest tragedy being - despite many of the prison's wardens being sent to prison themselves after the genocide was stopped - many of the regime's ring leaders are yet to be prosecuted. It is shocking.
We spent that evening sitting in a cafe along the riverside, drinking 0.50 beers, not getting hit by bricks, and discussing the depths some people can fall. What it is that leads some people to commit great acts of brutality upon others, simply in order to avoid the same fate themselves. Should we display sympathy for these people, or hatred? And what would we do if we were in the same boat? Fortunately, we have so far never needed to know. It was a humbling experience for me, albeit a distressing one.
The rest of our time in Phnom Penh (and Cambodia) was spent avoiding food - cats, dogs, rats, frogs, you name it - and street beggars - in particular, the large numbers of young children, who weren't in school, and were trying to sell us books and/or drugs. It wasdifficult to consistently say "no" to all of the hopeful faces, and to be honest - I was looking forward to moving on.
We booked a bus to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - and our passports and vietnam visas were delivered back to our hotel MINUTES beforeour bus was due to leave. Nothing like keeping things interesting we reckon!
And that, my friends, was a snapshot of our time in Cambodia.
Peace and love, planet earth.
~ Comet xo
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
This is Bangkok and pingpongs!
After 10 days in Paradise (Koh Phangan) and a "shitty day" in transit ~ pretty much any day in transit as a backpacker is shitty, but it's all good! ~ we made it back to Bangkok - oriental city - and I still can't get that blasted Tim Rice song out of my head!
"One night in Bangkok and the world's~your~oyster..." (Karlos has no clue what all this is about!)Despite our hotel having rude staff and not even basic facilities (like internet access), it was in a really good location - just off Khao San Rd. And for anyone who has travelled south east asia - you know it starts here in Khao San rd, right?! Khao San rd is the place Leonardo Di Caprio drank snakes blood ('The Beach') - and whilst there actually isn't any snake blood on sale here - pretty much anything else goes. No sooner had we stepped out of our hotel, we were greeted by row after row of market stall selling bags, shoes, bikinis, dresses - all very cheap, and all exactly what I needed! Hahaha. It doesn't matter if I have to currently SIT on my backpack in order to zip it up... there is always room for a new bikini... and a dress... or two... and I did manage to get rid of 3 books that I had collected and read - and scored 300 baht for them too! Anyone travelling south east asia - make FULL use of the book exchanges here. You can pick up lonley planet guides, novels for the long train journeys etc - all for a really cheap price. And when you're done - you can go to another book exchange and either sell them back, or swap them for a new read. Brillo.
This is Koh Phangan and beach parties!
We were now 4 and a half months into our adventure, and in dire need of some chill-out and beach time. Koh Phangan, off the southeast coast of Thailand, was our selected destination. We set off for 5 days of sun, sea, sand and beach parties - and two days later - we arrived! Oh yes... 2 days. It took two days of overnight buses, all day trains, taxis, tuktuks, and overnight ferry boats with row after row of beds in uncomfortably familiar quarters - before we finally got to the island of Koh Phangan. Travelling in Thailand is shit - funny as hell - but shit. Hot, smelly, dirty and chaotic. But arriving in Thailand... is paradise. It wasn't long after arriving in Koh Phangan before we turned our 5 day stay into 10 days... we were in no hurry to leave that's for sure.
And so, our time on Koh Phangan (pn. ko pan'yan) basically consisted of sun batheing, reading books, swimming, endlessly reapplying sunlotion, more sun batheing, and eating as much delicious local cusine that we could get our hands on. I became incredibly addicted to a fried rice with pork dish... "it's just so good," I told Karlos. "It's the MSG, love" he explained.
We met some cool people in Koh Phangan, and had some good times partying on the beach, and in the jungle for the monthly half moon party/rave - splashed with flourescent paint and fuelled by the substance purchased in bright plastic buckets. Samsong. A Thai whisky, not for the faint hearted. Rumour has it, it contains subtances beyond just the advertised alcohol and coke - it certainly keeps you dancing on tables all night long, that's for sure. And many people are fuelled enough to partake in the fire dancing games - firebreathing, fireskipping, and jumping through fire hoops for another shot of the strong stuff. Everyone in Koh Phangan is there for a good time that's for sure - it's Thailand's party island. We chose to stay in a quiet part of the island, so we could chill-out by day, and would then catch tuktuks to the beach party area by night - whizzing through moutain roads, the wind in our hair, the knuckles of our hands glowing in the moonlight - an adrenaline ride in itself.
After almost a week lazing in the sunshine on the beach, we hired scooters and spent a couple of days exploring the island - K driving, and me hanging on for dear life on the back. Health and safety, and road rules, don't so much exist in Thailand. Add to that the fact that dozens of american male tourists, who have never so much as got a leg over a motorike before, whizz around with their shirts off and heads bare and think they are invincible. The roads are not the safest - but with wits about you, they are a lot of fun. We climbed mountains roads that made my abs workout like never before in an attempt to stay seated, then we crusied on the downhill slopes without a care in the world. We stopped at various beaches on the northwest coast to swim and we hired a boat to take us to Bottle Beach - a northeastern beach that is only accessible by boat, meaning it is incredibly secluded - and we spent a blissful morning there having breakfast.
We went to watch a Muay Thai boxing match one evening - amazed at the age of some of the kids fighting and the strength they posessed, and cringing at the size of some of the others - wincing with each and every kick. I become distracted by the monsoon downpour outside the awning, and the number of starving dogs wandering around our feet desperate for a bone.
One evening, early on in our time there, we spent a blissful time drinking rum, listening to the Kings of Leon on K's laptop, and reading our books that we couldn't put down, as best we could given that the sun had long set outside. We spent some time sweeping the sand out of the bed in our bungalow, ignoring the "eh-eh-eh" of gheckos, and had some cuddles in paradise, before we then went in search of the party going on down the road. The music we heard, when we found it - turned out to be nothing more than a row of 3 small beachside bars - each playing a loud kareoke machine, each competing to be the loudest. 3-4 locals hung out in each bar, that was all - it was a sorry state. We selected a bar to have a drink in, and soon spent the next hour or so dancing along to the Thai music with our western style dancing - much to the locals' amusement, and our own. We stumbled back to our bungalow, drunk and happy and fell asleep laughing.
And this was pretty much our time in Koh Phangan - a blurry 10 days of sun, cool waters, fresh fruit, sweet drinks, loud music, and dancing under the light of the moon. A fusion of upbeat and chilled-out vibes. A hotspot on this planet that I would recommend for anyone.
Just don't eat the mushrooms...
Peace and love, planet earth!
~ Comet xo
Monday, September 20, 2010
This is a shitty shitty day!...
Today has been a really shitty day. One of those days where nothing majorly goes wrong, but an array of minor things start to clock up and you slowly fall deeper and deeper into the dark pit of despair, where you seriously question your motives for choosing to embark on a backpacking adventure in the first place. A day when you end up unable to anything much but fight the tears from falling.
This is how I feel right now - the last 24 hours have taken their toll and all I feel like doing is crying myself into a deep sleep and praying that I miraculously wake up refreshed and able to carry on with all this... a new day... which somehow I always manage to do. Backpacking is not a glamorous affair - very far from it. But of course, only the best stories are shared, and only the best looking photos put onto facebook... So maybe it's time I write a blog about how shit it can all be too. Not necessarily due to bad things happening, but those days when you simply feel tired, stressed, and bothered. Karlos and I have been backpacking, continuously, for almost 5 months now. That's pretty hard going - and it's bound to have it's up and downs... So...
This is a shit day in the life of a backpacker:
It started last night. I couldn't sleep a wink. God knows why, as I sure as hell was exhausted. Despite it being hot and humid, as usual, the ceiling fan was giving me goosebumps. But I couldn't turn it off as the heat would most definitely have been worse. There was a very big storm going on outside, and every now and then I heard a loud thud - something falling outside - just as I was on the brink of slumber. At one point I got up to use the toilet, and on the way back saw a lizard on it's way into our bed. How on earth I was going to sleep after that - god only knew. Of course I didn't - one eye open all night, and listening for any shuffle shuffle of tiny lizardy feet. Also - the bed was full of sand, as it had been every night, due to our bungalow being on the beach. Sp not quite as romantic as it sounds.
We had to get up at 7am, despite no sleep, in order to get to the ferry pier in time - we'd booked a ferry from Koh Phangan to take us back to Bangkok. I felt like crap waking up - like I was coming down with a cold. And cursed myself as I walked out of the resort - why on earth I need a backpack weighing 25kilos I don't know. We paid the 150 baht (NZ$8) for the tuktuk to take us to the pier - 2 MINUTES down the road. Far out it has started to irritate me. The locals here see we have white skin and assume we are rich - therefore grossly over-charging and taking advantage of our money at every opportunity. $8 for two minutes in a taxi is extortionate even in NZ. But the overhanging guilt of - they are a lot worse off than we are - travels along with us.. EVEN THOUGH I had to contact my bank the other day as I realised I had just $300 to live on for another 6 weeks - but whatever - take my money you effing tout.
At the ferry pier we were the first to arrive - I bought an overpriced, shitty cheese sandwich, and we then sat and waited whilst the rest of the travellers arrived. A good hundred of us. Despite being the first at the pier, we somehow managed to be the very last on the boat - and no seats were left. We went to the top deck when couples were selfishly straddling benches, which resulted in Karlos standing and me sitting on the floor for a good hour. Asian girls stood right next to me, as they posed for photos, their stupid long skirts blowing up into my face and I'm thinking "hello - fuck off!" The quinessential italian tourist arrives, 2 kids in tow, glaring at people on benches and pointing at them whilst speaking in italian, as if this gesture is enough to indicate she is more entitled to this seat than they are. "Hello lady - fuck off." Yeah - not having a good day.
Karlos insisted on drinking our last bottle of rum last night, to save room in our backpacks - so he is terribly hungover and having a crap day too. I know this because neither of us are talking.
Things slightly improve at the first stop - hoards of the irritating travellers disembark - meaning the upper deck is now almost empty and we score a bench. We spent the next 1.5 hours sitting in the sun, cruising through the Thai Gulf, thinking we'd be in Bangkok again before we know it - not too shabby a way to travel... 12 hours on a boat... this day may just improve.
Think again - after 2 hours on the boat everyone has to disembark and our journey to Bangkok was to continue by bus. WHAT! We had paid good money to travel by "high-speed catamaran" from Koh Phangan to Bangkok - at NO point in our booking we were given information that 3/4 of the journey would be by bus. But we had no choice but to get off, albeit pissed off - so we went to the bottom deck to collect our bags. "Go out and go around to the other side" one of the boatsmen told us. So we got off the boat, walked to the other side, and then stood for about 10 minutes waiting for everyone else to get off with their bags... as clearly we were the only ones given this instruction and were going against the flow. We were the to collect our luggage and then had to walk about a 500m along a rickety old pier that looked as though it would strain under my weight - let alone with an additional 25kilos of luggage on my back. This is retarded. I said. Loudly. Thailand was beginning to piss me right off.
We waited for our bus - sitting in the sunshine, looking out over the green, blue, alluring waters of the thai gulf - and all I could feel was miserable. I was in paradise - but I was miserable. Watching all of the poor dogs wander around - reminding me that I was still to find a dog with an owner, still to find a dog that didn't have mange - and I just didn't feel like it was paradise at all. We had paid for a boat all the way to Bangkok dammit - and now we had to get on a bloody bus. The fact that the bus was comfortable, clean, air-conditioned, with a TV showing the latest movies - didn't improve my mood - it was too late. I wished we were in our own car - I was not in the mood for the extremely loud-speaking germans behind us. The japanese man opposite who breathed unbelievably loudly and in a ridiculous one-in three-out rhythm, nor was I in the mood for those french people standing outside the bus toilet and only budging when I insisted. I am fed up of travelling with people who seek to optimise their own comfort at the expense of others - those that recline their seats so far back, without even looking over their shoulder first to see if you are leaning forward - that sort of shit.
After a few hours on the bus we got to a rest stop, with a food court - the type where you select your meal by pointing to the most apetising tray and praying it isn't dog, and then realising you need an entire box of kleenex to blow your nose into afterwards, as it was quite possibly was the hottest curry in the world. You go to the toilet and then remember that thai people NEVER have toilet roll in there - and you take one look at the bum gun (a device like a garden hose you use to wash your bum with after doing your business and you think - I'd rather just pee my pants. You get back onto the bus - even more disgruntled.
Another couple of hours later we got to Bangkok - at LAST - arriving only to then face a bunch of taxi drivers who literally stand in the doorway, preventing you from stepping off the bus. There is the insessant "taxi taxi where you go?" And by this stage you just want to scream at them, and punch that heifer german tourist who deliberately whacked you with her bag as you didn't immediately jump aside as she came by. Bitch.
*
And so, here I am - sitting in a hotel room that quite possibly has the rudest reception staff in the world, after yet another taxi driver overcharged us to get here. A hotel that charged us more than our last, yet has no breakfast, no internet, no laundry room, nothing. I have just had a nice WARM shower (my first for almost 2 weeks after only cold ones), washed my hair (heaven), and then realised I have no hairbrush - so the tangles remain. I'm also aware that I have no clean undies for tomorrow and will need to get to an ATM before I can go to a laundrette, or indeed do anything. My cold is worse, and Karlos has just asked me: "what are the symptoms of malaria again... flu like?"... shit. I just want this day to be over!!...
To be honest, we've had plenty of bumps in our journey - most of which we have embraced with good humour and a positive attitude. The tough times, after all, are often some of the best experiences to look back on. Feelings of acomplishment, of pride in your ability to deal with stuff... and these are also the days that remind you why you chose to travel: to learn more about the world, other cultures, and yourself. To gain experiences that you simply wouldn't have if you stayed in one place - not taking a step out of your comfort zone. Travelling can open your mind and make you a more resilient person - but of course none of this would be possible without the challenges.
But today wasn't like that. Nothing bad happened at all. It was simply one of those days that I found hard. Really hard. I simply couldn't be calm, patient, nor strong today. Where the funny ways of this strange place got to me - where rude travellers from other nations bothered me - and where you couldn't even go to the toilet without it being foreign. But on these days you remember the other great reason for travelling... to simply remind yourself that: 'there is no place like home.'
I know I have had a weak day, but tomorrow I will be back on form. So I will let the tears fall, and let my travel partner, my life partner, kiss me on the forehead and say nothing but hold my hand - knowing nothing really does need to be said. And I will fall asleep feeling sorry for myself - missing all of my family in England, and my life in New Zealand... and tomorrow I will wake up feeling better. Strong again. Looking forward to the new day, another 6 weeks of travelling, and a home waiting for me back in New Zealand when I return.
Peace and love to you all,
~ Comet xo
Saturday, September 18, 2010
This is Chiang Mai and the jungle!
After spending a few days in the chaos that is Bangkok, arriving in Chiang Mai was like a breath of fresh air. Still every bit as hot and humid, but somehow a lot easier to deal with. Probably because it isn't as noisy, or as fast. We came off the train to the usual bombardment of "taxi!.. taxi!.. tuktuk!.." and took a sharp turn left, away from the crowds of wannabe drivers. A lady, seperate from the main crowd, came over and spoke in fluent english, to whom we gave our hotel's address and was soon on our way - for an agreed 150 baht.
Arriving at our hotel was heaven - after a 15 hour overnight train ride - an air-conditioned room with TV and private bathroom was luxury. And we would be here for the next week... first stop, a dip in the hotel pool, second stop, breakfast at the resident "sit down and shut up cafe." Hahaha - what a name! All good though - it was all we felt like doing anyway.
Our train journey wasn't all that bad, as it goes. We had hoped for a first-class sleeper cabin, but unfortunately they were all booked out - so we had had to settle for second class, shared cabins - only slightly comforted by the fact that they were half price, compared to first. But to be honest, we actually think we'll travel second class again. Our seats were pretty comfortable, inward facing, and had tables that you could eat your meals on. Then, at night-time, the seats get converted into beds, curtains are put up for your privacy, and there are pillows and blankets for your comfort (wrapped in plastic and smelling fresh, so you know they've been cleaned). A 'top bunk' is pulled down, above you - for any pour soul who had no choice but to purchase that - which creates a nice roof for our 'bottom bunk' beds. We each slept with our backpacks, for security, and managed to get a decent enough night's sleep. The only complaint I do have - is the toilet. I had to physically stop myself from throwing up mid-pee... the heat, the stench, the fact that it really isn't much more than a hole over the railtracks... was almost too much for me.
But back to Chiang Mai... for anyone planning a visit to Thailand - you must include Chiang Mai on your itinerary. It is a vibrant, friendly, and incredibly exciting place. Our first night we were told "you mustn't miss the sunday night market!" And seeing as this was literally round the corner from where we were staying - we of course took the advise. Row after row of colourful market stall - selling locally made wares such as dresses, bags, jewelery, cusion covers, silk dressing gowns, and pretty much every other thing that makes a girl happy, all for extraordinarily cheap prices that could all be bartered even cheaper! Karlos pretended he wasn't interested in this market and so assumed the role of 'barterer' to amuse himself - he was the middle man between me and the stall holders, and managed to score some sweet deals for me! "500 baht?" "No way! She isn't paying that much! 200 baht?" So much fun! There were rows of lazyboy recliners along one wall - "foot massages, 30 minutes for 60 baht (NZ$3)" and endless stalls of delicious smelling meats, all enticing shoppers to take care of themselves... presumably so they could shop all night long!
On our first proper day in Chiang Mai we set off with 4 other people, on a jungle adventure - a full day of fun, including travel and lunch - for 1200 baht ($60). Our first stop in the adventure was an elephant camp, where we got to ride an elephant through the jungle! It was an hour's ride, but elephants don't move that fast so we didn't get too far! Our elephant was either incredibly stupid, or really smart... it started off well, we were in the lead for a while, but then it slowed down and would only move a few metres before stopping and bringing his trunk back to us for the expected banana. It usually wouldn't move until it had at least two... I'm thinking it was probably smart. We had a little Thai man sitting on the elephant's head, who would grunt and whack it with a stick if it got too stubborn though. All in all - quite the experience.
Next was a delicious lunch of fried rice and fresh watermelon... and then we were off into the jungle for an hours hiking. No worries I though - an hour, pffft, nothing... but the heat was unreal, and our guide had such pace we were practically jogging. We had to cross rivers using stepping stones, planks of wood sometimes, and jump over large boulders, rocks, and plenty of uneven paths. It was fun, much needed exercise, but the weight of my pack, the heat, and my constant sweating meant that I was getting really light headed. I wobbled, nearly fainted, but Karlos grabbed me, I poured water over my head, and we made it the last stretch to find paradise waiting at the top.
After swimming in the cool, fresh water, and letting the power of the waterfall massage our shoulders and backs - we were back down through the jungle, for an hour of white water rafting (scary, as I'd never done it before - but our guide was really competent, yet relaxed and a lot of fun) - definitely want to do that again some day, it was heaps of adrenaline filled fun! Then once the rapids had past, we jumped into the river and swam to some bamboo rafts, that were floated in wait of us. We had a relaxing float back to the elephant camp - from where our driver collected us and took us back to our hotel - exhaaaaausted, but very happy with the day.
After our jungle adventure, I spent the next couple of days swimming, reading books by the pool, soaking up the sun, and making the most of our hotel's wonderful beauty salon. Run by two very sweet local ladies - one who couldn't speak a word of english - their price list, and service is out of this world. I truly believe that any budding beauty therapists, in NZ, UK, or any other 'western' country, should take a business trip to Thailand to have these women show you properly how it is done. Their skills, attention to detail, and pride they take in seeking to make you feel as relaxed and as pampered as possible - is second to none. Better yet - perhaps we should pay them to visit us. I would be extremely happy to see these women paid NZ prices for their work - hour-long massages in salons back home tend to be around $100/hour and upwards... here in Chiang Mai, I paid just $10.
My first beauty salon experience was a pedicure, resulting in neat, sparkly blue toenails and soft pinky soles. And the second - a traditional thai massage. I would like to write about this a little... firstly to point out how utterly ignorant I am! I hear the word "massage" and instantly I think - dim lights, warm oils, ping pong music, soft hands... but this isn't quite what I had in store. As I thought of Karlos on his second jungle adventure, zip-linning through the treetops and working up a sweat, I couldn't help but smile smugly thinking how different my afternoon of massage was going to be... However, as I was shown into the massage room by the non-english speaking therapist, saw the matt on the floor and the tunic and fisherman's pants at the foot of it, that I was indicated to put on, I knew this wasn't going to be quite as I had imagined...
With my oversized outfit on, laying anxiously on the floor matt, my masseuse returned and the ordeal began. It began with her bending my feet as far back as they would go until they popped. I almost sat bolt upright, but intrigue held me in my place... a few minutes in to the massage, my left leg now in a position I was certain it wouldn't naturally put itself into, I had to stiffle the giggles. Realising now, with some certainty, that this is indeed not what I expected... uncomfortable, painful at times, and at no point relaxing... I just couldn't help but want to giggle! Still, curiosity being my strongest attribute, I stuck with it.
About half-way through my thai massage I literally thought I was going to die. She's going to break me, I thought. Literally snap me in two. My massage consisted of my body being contorted, stretched, beaten, and walked on - for an agonising ONE WHOLE HOUR! But, at the end of it, I felt a-maz-ing. I had not realised just how tense my body had been. My masseuse released that tension and I felt more supple, more relaxed, and also more energised than I had for a very long time. The massage was so good I began thinking that maybe I could be a thai massage therapist... until I realised, recieving a massage is so much better than giving. What was I thinking! Hahahaha. My current mission is to convince Karlos he must get one... man have a lower threshold of pain, apparantly... let's see how this goes... hahaha.
And so, our time in Chiang Mai was pretty special... we had a wicked night out on the town, one night - meeting lots of locals, dancing on tables, and drinking thai whisky (samsong) out of buckets... a hint at what we had in store, on the island of Koh Phangan...
The adventures just keep getting better!
~ Comet xo