Ok, he's my last post from Asia... I can't believe my time here is already coming to an end. And it might get cut short... I only have 26 minutes left. If I go over the 30 minute mark I have to pay 2 more Ringgit (about 66 cents and might not have enough for the cab to the train station in the morning).
It seemed like so long ago that we arrive, but it was just over 48 hours ago on Sunday. After our 1 our bus ride into the city we took the monorail to the 'Golden Triangle' to look for a hotel - we didn't want to go stay in Chinatown (a cheaper location) since the Lonely Planet says many of the places there have bedbugs. We left the first place since not all of us wanted to stay in a dorm room. The second place we stopped at seemed good.. The Lonely Planet had recommended it, there were spacious lounges on each floor with tvs and couches and breakfast was included in the approximately $8/night/person cost. It sounded great!!! We quickly dropped our bags in the room and headed out to a night market.
My first impression of Kuala Lumpur was amazing. There you are, walking down the street and you can see a KFC, a Malaysian food street vender, a woman wearing a burkah, a buddish monk and an Indian woman dressed in a sari. All with 10 feet of each other. This city seems to take multi-cultural to a new level! And, it blends the old with the new well, yet seemlessly. A Sony billboard hangs over a street market, an old mosque is overshadowed by a modern skyscraper and you don't think twice about it.
When we got back to go to sleep, though, our impressions of the hotel room suddenly changed. The beds lack sheets (besides the basic one covering the mattress) and blankets, the window (overlooking a main street) is as thin as paper and the AC fights a loosing battle all night long. It was too late to change our minds, though. We told ourselves that we would survive. The first night I slept using my towel as a blanket. The night I used a scarf I had bought. Neither worked all two well. You know its bad when you dream of the US Embassy giving you a clean towel, sheets and a blanket to use in the hostel (I know, weird dream). We managed to sleep well none-the-less, though.
Monday we explored the city. The first thing I learned was the city is a lot smaller than you might think. I was guiding with the map and when we could cover an inch (on the map) in 1 block I knew we would not be needing to use the public transport. We visited the national mosque (you forget that Malaysia is a Muslim country) and the National museum (learning about the countries diverse roots!) before we split up and I headed to the Islamic Arts Museum.
Today we headed to the PETRONAS Twin Towers to get tickets to go up on the sky bridge. We ended up being a lot farther back in the line than we had expected and got tickets for 6:15 PM in the afternoon... This completely threw a wrench in our plans since we had been planning to get out of the city in the afternoon. I went to the visitors desk and asked for any suggestions on things to do in the city. Before I knew it they were waving us in to go up to the sky bridge so we could use our tickets then and then be able to use the rest of our day (it was 10 AM). In the afternoon we headed to caves that contain a Hindu temple.
We have definitely been getting tired. I bumped into a group from Texas today and was talking to them about our trip. I said that if we weren't headed home tomorrow we would need a couple of days of R&R at the beach. Traveling for this long wears you down. I think I'm starting to get sick and definitely need a couple of days to sleep in. Because of this, we decided to go to the movies last night. We saw Killers.. Not what I would consider a good movie at all, but it was a break in an air conditioned place. I'm looking forward to a day when I don't WANT to take a cold shower simply because its my one time all day that I actually get to be cold.
So, here I sit with 13.30 Ringgit (about $4) left in my wallet (excluding the amount I'm about to pay for the internet) and getting ready to catch a cab at 5:30 AM to the train station so we can get on a bus to the airport where we'll get on a flight to England. I don't think we'll be concocting any crazy travel plans at camp again this year, but who knows..
Oh, and just to show how cheap this hotel is... I asked if they could call a cab for us at 5:30 AM tomorrow. The guys said they had no numbers of any taxi companies. I asked if I could look some numbers up online. He said ok. I asked if I would have to pay. He said 'of course'. I gave him a look. He let me use his computer. I looked up the numbers. I gave them to him. He said staff aren't allowed to use the telephone. I had to go use the payphone outside. AND THEN I cut my foot on a piece of glass in the stairwell. I told the guy that he needed to clean it up if they were going to ask people to take their shoes off inside. He said the cleaning lady would come in the morning. I stared at him again. He went to get the broom.
Anyways, I've used 33 minutes. They better not ask for the 2 ringgit (60 cents) more.. I'm not going to pay. If you're reading, check back in a couple of days. I think I might do one more post, and I promise it will be interesting!!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Saigon, Mekong Delta and Cambodia
So, this is going to be a blog post on steroids. I'm catching up with 2 countries and countless miles travelled - all in the next 20 minutes. I would have updated it a couple of nights ago, but... The hotel we were at 2 hotels ago charged 25 cents for each 15 minutes of internet use (We are getting stingy, but we mostly didn't use it out of stubborness) and the internet browser at the our last hotel crashed every 2 minutes (or so it seemed). Here goes!
I loved Saigon, but not the first hotel we stayed in. We got in late and, therefore, had called the hotel in advance and arranged to get picked up by them from the airport. We checked in. The bathroom window was broken so hot air was pouring in. The sink leaked. The beds were hard. There was a stain on my pillow. The AC was literally 6 inches from my feet and I still couldn't feel it. I lay in bed, failing in my attempts to go to sleep. I thought I felt bed bugs crawling on my legs. We fled in the morning to a cheaper (and much nicer hotel only a block away).
The first day we just walked around the city, saw the sites and visited museums. Our second stop was the War Remnants Museum. This was probably the most sobering Vietnam War experience we had. The pictures gave everything a vividness so often missing. The stories were incredibly moving. At the end we got to see a remake of a South Vietnamese prison. It showed something called a tiger cage. It was a barbed wire cage 18 inches tall, 6 feet long and maybe 2 feet wide with the ground acting as the bottom. I thought it would be painful with one person inside. It was intended for 3 POWs. We left. We were all speechless.
We went to the main night market in town. A couple of students approached us to practice their English. One of the was a Geography major!!! Talk about a small world. I was also beginning to remember how much I loved bartering. It's dangerous. I bought a shirt I didn't really want because the lady met my ridiculously low price as I walked away (I was getting more than 75% off on some items I bartered for). Another lady looked like she might accept my low price. I left as fast as I could. Or I at least tried to. She called me back. She met my price. I came up with an excuse not to buy it ("the fabric was too thin").
Friday we went to the Chu Chi tunnels in the morning. They are located northwest of Saigon and were a VC stronghold during the war (The zone was so uncontrolled that American planes returning from combat missions were allowed to drop their unused bombs anywhere in the area. With no permission necessary.). We saw a propaganda video that talked about killing Americans. We saw some of the traps into which American and South Vietnamese troops would fall. It brought the war to life yet again. It made me think a lot.
That afternoon we went to the 'Reunification Palace' - the building that was the presidential palace during the war. Interestingly enough, the one standing today is different than the one first built. It was bombed during the war, but, not as you would guess, by the North Vietnamese. It was bombed by the South Vietnamese leaders own air force. He survived but he was later forced from power.
Over the weekend we worked our way to Cambodia by going through the Mekong Delta. Sadly, we didn't have much time to actually explore the delta, we spent most of the time in a bus or on a boat. When we finally got to the Cambodian border on Sunday afternoon I realized that I had lost the passport photo that I would need to get my visa at the border crossing. I told our guide. He said it would cost one extra dollar. I'm not sure if that was an 'administrative fee' or a bribe. I didn't ask. But we did know for sure that we had paid $22 for our visas. The stamp that went on our visas said "Cost - $20". We don't know where or to whom that 2 extra dollars went.
Sunday night we took a bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the city right next to Angkor Wat. All I can say is that the bus was freezing. ABSOLUTELY FREEZING. Somebody said that either the AC isn't working here or the people want to show it off. Well, they showed it off all right. The man across from me covered his head/upper body with a towel. A couple behind him were using a curtain to deflect the AC. I just sat there. Freezing to death. I was SO happy to get off that bus.
But, the tuc-tuc (sitting cart pulled by a motorbike) ride to the hotel was even more interesting. 2 guys from the hotel came to pick us up from the bus station for free. One of them was constantly apologizing for being late. The other one was driving... Well sort of. He was swerving. A lot. He was trying to follow the line that marked the edge of the road. A couple of times I seriously thought we were going to cross that line and go OFF the road. I don't think I've ever held onto a handle bar so tight. I thought I knew why this was happening... We arrived at the hotel. I shook the drivers hand and got my face as close to his as a I could without being too obvious. I could smell the alcohol on his breath...
Monday through Wednesday spent in Angkor Wat. I don't have too much time to describe it, but saying that it's incredible doesn't do it justice! The first day when we got off the tuc-tuc in front of the main temple (Angkor Wat) it left me in awe. Cambodia has gone through a lot recently (genocide less than 35 years ago), but they've never lost their pride in Angkor Wat. Seeing all of the different temples was truly spectacular.
Wednesday afternoon we went to Battambang (Cambodia's second largest city). Thursday we took a cooking class (Cambodian/Thai food is really good!!!) and then went to a nearby killing cave in the afternoon (Used during the genocide committed by Pol Pot in the 1970's). The cave is now next to a buddist temple. Hopefully those who were killed can now find peace. Again, it really made me think. It took my breath away seeing a shrine full of human skulls and bones.
Friday morning we took a bus to Phnom Penh. We left at 6 AM. We didn't think that it would be that long of a bus ride - the distance between the two cities isn't that great. As we got closer to Phnom Penh the roads got worse. Think of it this way.. Take a speed bump from the US. Now drive over it at 30 miles an hour. That's what it felt like. Yet the roads looked perfectly flat. I have no idea how they do it!!! We didn't arrive in the capital until noon. It had been a 6 hour bus ride.
Friday afternoon and Saturday we explored the city. We went to the national museum. Saturday morning we went to the killing fields (One site right outside of the city where a large number of people were killed) and to a prison from during the Pol Pot regime. Again, another harrowing experience. And this genocide happened less than 35 years ago.
The best part, though? We went to a pool Saturday afternoon. We were all tired from the travelling. We needed a break. We swam and read and slept. It was the best $4 I've spent all trip. We left feeling recharged. Ready to go.
Today we flew from Cambodia to Kuala Lumpur. We found a 'guest house' and around. It's definitely different from Cambodia!!! Stay tuned! And thanks to those who have let me know what they think about the blog. It's nice to hear that people are actually reading it.
I loved Saigon, but not the first hotel we stayed in. We got in late and, therefore, had called the hotel in advance and arranged to get picked up by them from the airport. We checked in. The bathroom window was broken so hot air was pouring in. The sink leaked. The beds were hard. There was a stain on my pillow. The AC was literally 6 inches from my feet and I still couldn't feel it. I lay in bed, failing in my attempts to go to sleep. I thought I felt bed bugs crawling on my legs. We fled in the morning to a cheaper (and much nicer hotel only a block away).
The first day we just walked around the city, saw the sites and visited museums. Our second stop was the War Remnants Museum. This was probably the most sobering Vietnam War experience we had. The pictures gave everything a vividness so often missing. The stories were incredibly moving. At the end we got to see a remake of a South Vietnamese prison. It showed something called a tiger cage. It was a barbed wire cage 18 inches tall, 6 feet long and maybe 2 feet wide with the ground acting as the bottom. I thought it would be painful with one person inside. It was intended for 3 POWs. We left. We were all speechless.
We went to the main night market in town. A couple of students approached us to practice their English. One of the was a Geography major!!! Talk about a small world. I was also beginning to remember how much I loved bartering. It's dangerous. I bought a shirt I didn't really want because the lady met my ridiculously low price as I walked away (I was getting more than 75% off on some items I bartered for). Another lady looked like she might accept my low price. I left as fast as I could. Or I at least tried to. She called me back. She met my price. I came up with an excuse not to buy it ("the fabric was too thin").
Friday we went to the Chu Chi tunnels in the morning. They are located northwest of Saigon and were a VC stronghold during the war (The zone was so uncontrolled that American planes returning from combat missions were allowed to drop their unused bombs anywhere in the area. With no permission necessary.). We saw a propaganda video that talked about killing Americans. We saw some of the traps into which American and South Vietnamese troops would fall. It brought the war to life yet again. It made me think a lot.
That afternoon we went to the 'Reunification Palace' - the building that was the presidential palace during the war. Interestingly enough, the one standing today is different than the one first built. It was bombed during the war, but, not as you would guess, by the North Vietnamese. It was bombed by the South Vietnamese leaders own air force. He survived but he was later forced from power.
Over the weekend we worked our way to Cambodia by going through the Mekong Delta. Sadly, we didn't have much time to actually explore the delta, we spent most of the time in a bus or on a boat. When we finally got to the Cambodian border on Sunday afternoon I realized that I had lost the passport photo that I would need to get my visa at the border crossing. I told our guide. He said it would cost one extra dollar. I'm not sure if that was an 'administrative fee' or a bribe. I didn't ask. But we did know for sure that we had paid $22 for our visas. The stamp that went on our visas said "Cost - $20". We don't know where or to whom that 2 extra dollars went.
Sunday night we took a bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the city right next to Angkor Wat. All I can say is that the bus was freezing. ABSOLUTELY FREEZING. Somebody said that either the AC isn't working here or the people want to show it off. Well, they showed it off all right. The man across from me covered his head/upper body with a towel. A couple behind him were using a curtain to deflect the AC. I just sat there. Freezing to death. I was SO happy to get off that bus.
But, the tuc-tuc (sitting cart pulled by a motorbike) ride to the hotel was even more interesting. 2 guys from the hotel came to pick us up from the bus station for free. One of them was constantly apologizing for being late. The other one was driving... Well sort of. He was swerving. A lot. He was trying to follow the line that marked the edge of the road. A couple of times I seriously thought we were going to cross that line and go OFF the road. I don't think I've ever held onto a handle bar so tight. I thought I knew why this was happening... We arrived at the hotel. I shook the drivers hand and got my face as close to his as a I could without being too obvious. I could smell the alcohol on his breath...
Monday through Wednesday spent in Angkor Wat. I don't have too much time to describe it, but saying that it's incredible doesn't do it justice! The first day when we got off the tuc-tuc in front of the main temple (Angkor Wat) it left me in awe. Cambodia has gone through a lot recently (genocide less than 35 years ago), but they've never lost their pride in Angkor Wat. Seeing all of the different temples was truly spectacular.
Wednesday afternoon we went to Battambang (Cambodia's second largest city). Thursday we took a cooking class (Cambodian/Thai food is really good!!!) and then went to a nearby killing cave in the afternoon (Used during the genocide committed by Pol Pot in the 1970's). The cave is now next to a buddist temple. Hopefully those who were killed can now find peace. Again, it really made me think. It took my breath away seeing a shrine full of human skulls and bones.
Friday morning we took a bus to Phnom Penh. We left at 6 AM. We didn't think that it would be that long of a bus ride - the distance between the two cities isn't that great. As we got closer to Phnom Penh the roads got worse. Think of it this way.. Take a speed bump from the US. Now drive over it at 30 miles an hour. That's what it felt like. Yet the roads looked perfectly flat. I have no idea how they do it!!! We didn't arrive in the capital until noon. It had been a 6 hour bus ride.
Friday afternoon and Saturday we explored the city. We went to the national museum. Saturday morning we went to the killing fields (One site right outside of the city where a large number of people were killed) and to a prison from during the Pol Pot regime. Again, another harrowing experience. And this genocide happened less than 35 years ago.
The best part, though? We went to a pool Saturday afternoon. We were all tired from the travelling. We needed a break. We swam and read and slept. It was the best $4 I've spent all trip. We left feeling recharged. Ready to go.
Today we flew from Cambodia to Kuala Lumpur. We found a 'guest house' and around. It's definitely different from Cambodia!!! Stay tuned! And thanks to those who have let me know what they think about the blog. It's nice to hear that people are actually reading it.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
It's been a little while since I last updated the blog, so here goes.
We only got to spend one day in Hue, but it was enough time for me to fall in love with it. Before my visit the only reason I knew of Hue was because of the Vietnam war. In high school I we were studying the Tet Offensive and we saw this picture of the citadel in Hue after it had been recaptured by the Americans and the South Vietnamese. I'm not doing history any justice in this description, but think of it this way.. The fighting there was so intense during the North Vietnamese offensive and subsequent counter attack the 5,000 South Vietnamese troops were killed. As you can imagine, the city was pretty much leveled during the war, but a lot has been reconstructed since then. The spent the day going to the various sites around the city on motorbike (we didn't rent motorbikes, we just rode on the backs of them - we're not that crazy). My favorite part was definitely the Citadel. It's hard to describe, but its enormous. There you are walking down back roads and you just want to get lost amongst the colonial architecture (restored) and the many gardens.
The tour of the demilitarized zone the following day was... Well, it was a let down. The tour guide knew very little and his English wasn't that great. BUT, I was still happy to have visited it. It's one thing to visit the Vietnam War memorial in Washington DC with the names of the more than 58,000 American soldiers that died in the war. It's quite another thing to walk on the battlefields where those soldiers fought and died. Names like Khe Sanh which are being forgotten by more Americans each day are one thing when learned about in books. It was... I can't even think of the word. But it was, at the same time, an amazing and terrible experience walking to various bunkers and seeing the pictures in the accompanying museum. I definitely left the DMZ with a different outlook than the one with which I had started the day.
That night we took a night bus back to Hanoi so we could meet Drake's sister who was flying in from Taiwan. I thing about non-Western countries... Prescription medications are easy to come by. Even unknowingly!!! Knowing how much trouble I had had on the first night bus ride to Hue, I stopped in a pharmacy and asked for a sleeping pill. The lady gave me Diazapan - but under a different name. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a heavy duty sleeping pill used in hospitals and can only be purchased with a prescription in the US. I got on the bus. Took one of the pills. Didn't fell tired. Suddenly I woke up and we were in Hanoi. And I was groggy all morning!
I'm not the biggest fan of Hanoi. I can't tell you exactly why. I just don't like it. We spent the day going to the Hanoi Hilton (another experience that's hard to explain), a church and some other sites. The neatest part was a water puppet show we went to that night. The stage is a pool of water. The puppeteers are hidden behind a screen, yet they still manage to move the water puppets (that can be seen by the audience) to the music and the plot of the skit. I have no idea how they do it.
The next day we fled Hanoi (none of us really liked it) and went to HaLong Bay - considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It is a bay east of Hanoi that is marked thousands of rock formations jutting out of the water. It is truly an incredible sight. We also splurged on this part of the trip. You can get rock bottom rates on trips out to the bay. We decided to pay a little extra to ensure good quality. It definitely worked. The first day we drove there on the bus (the roads were so bumpy again I couldn't even read a book) before taking a bus towards a private island. On the way there we stopped and went sea kaying. That night we swam in the ocean off of the hotel's private island, ate a 5 course meal and slept - very well. The next day was the best part, though. We took a boat to the main town and went trekking and rock climbing through the only western certified climbing agency in the bay. The trek was.. Absolutely brutal. We hiked up and down hills. The sun was hot. Really hot. The rocks reminded me of spikes. I was very afraid of falling. But, the climbing in the afternoon definitely made up for it. There we were, climbing up these rock formations that we had been looking up at all day. The experience was incredible. But, the heat and humidity were killer. After every climb it looked like people had just jumped in a swimming pool. I tried to stay hydrated while climbing, but I think it was impossible. Afterwards I chugged 1.5 liters in less than 2 minutes. That night we slept VERY well.
The next morning we biked to a hospital cave (the North Vietnamese built a hospital in a cave during the war. Incredible), before heading back to Hanoi. But, no sooner had we arrived when we got on a plane headed for Saigon - hoping that that city would be more promising.
That get me through last Wednesday night. I'll try to do another blog entry tonight to catch up. Now I have to go get in a car for 4 hours.
We only got to spend one day in Hue, but it was enough time for me to fall in love with it. Before my visit the only reason I knew of Hue was because of the Vietnam war. In high school I we were studying the Tet Offensive and we saw this picture of the citadel in Hue after it had been recaptured by the Americans and the South Vietnamese. I'm not doing history any justice in this description, but think of it this way.. The fighting there was so intense during the North Vietnamese offensive and subsequent counter attack the 5,000 South Vietnamese troops were killed. As you can imagine, the city was pretty much leveled during the war, but a lot has been reconstructed since then. The spent the day going to the various sites around the city on motorbike (we didn't rent motorbikes, we just rode on the backs of them - we're not that crazy). My favorite part was definitely the Citadel. It's hard to describe, but its enormous. There you are walking down back roads and you just want to get lost amongst the colonial architecture (restored) and the many gardens.
The tour of the demilitarized zone the following day was... Well, it was a let down. The tour guide knew very little and his English wasn't that great. BUT, I was still happy to have visited it. It's one thing to visit the Vietnam War memorial in Washington DC with the names of the more than 58,000 American soldiers that died in the war. It's quite another thing to walk on the battlefields where those soldiers fought and died. Names like Khe Sanh which are being forgotten by more Americans each day are one thing when learned about in books. It was... I can't even think of the word. But it was, at the same time, an amazing and terrible experience walking to various bunkers and seeing the pictures in the accompanying museum. I definitely left the DMZ with a different outlook than the one with which I had started the day.
That night we took a night bus back to Hanoi so we could meet Drake's sister who was flying in from Taiwan. I thing about non-Western countries... Prescription medications are easy to come by. Even unknowingly!!! Knowing how much trouble I had had on the first night bus ride to Hue, I stopped in a pharmacy and asked for a sleeping pill. The lady gave me Diazapan - but under a different name. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a heavy duty sleeping pill used in hospitals and can only be purchased with a prescription in the US. I got on the bus. Took one of the pills. Didn't fell tired. Suddenly I woke up and we were in Hanoi. And I was groggy all morning!
I'm not the biggest fan of Hanoi. I can't tell you exactly why. I just don't like it. We spent the day going to the Hanoi Hilton (another experience that's hard to explain), a church and some other sites. The neatest part was a water puppet show we went to that night. The stage is a pool of water. The puppeteers are hidden behind a screen, yet they still manage to move the water puppets (that can be seen by the audience) to the music and the plot of the skit. I have no idea how they do it.
The next day we fled Hanoi (none of us really liked it) and went to HaLong Bay - considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It is a bay east of Hanoi that is marked thousands of rock formations jutting out of the water. It is truly an incredible sight. We also splurged on this part of the trip. You can get rock bottom rates on trips out to the bay. We decided to pay a little extra to ensure good quality. It definitely worked. The first day we drove there on the bus (the roads were so bumpy again I couldn't even read a book) before taking a bus towards a private island. On the way there we stopped and went sea kaying. That night we swam in the ocean off of the hotel's private island, ate a 5 course meal and slept - very well. The next day was the best part, though. We took a boat to the main town and went trekking and rock climbing through the only western certified climbing agency in the bay. The trek was.. Absolutely brutal. We hiked up and down hills. The sun was hot. Really hot. The rocks reminded me of spikes. I was very afraid of falling. But, the climbing in the afternoon definitely made up for it. There we were, climbing up these rock formations that we had been looking up at all day. The experience was incredible. But, the heat and humidity were killer. After every climb it looked like people had just jumped in a swimming pool. I tried to stay hydrated while climbing, but I think it was impossible. Afterwards I chugged 1.5 liters in less than 2 minutes. That night we slept VERY well.
The next morning we biked to a hospital cave (the North Vietnamese built a hospital in a cave during the war. Incredible), before heading back to Hanoi. But, no sooner had we arrived when we got on a plane headed for Saigon - hoping that that city would be more promising.
That get me through last Wednesday night. I'll try to do another blog entry tonight to catch up. Now I have to go get in a car for 4 hours.
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