Follow The Ho Chi Minh Trail

I've been back in Vietnam for just over a week now and I am enjoying the country very much.

My time here began as a repeat, going to many of the same places with my new group. The War Museum, Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta, etc. though it was still enjoyable. However, I must first advise you of my visa situation. Due to my extended time in the country, I needed to get an extension of my current visa, which I was aware of and should be a very simple and painless process. But like many things in this part of the world, it was not. I opted to ask my tour guide where the best place to get this done would be, figuring he would say Immigration. He did not. He directed me to the U.S. Consulate. So I went and this place was like a fortress with a line of people waiting to get in, and likely into the country as well. Oddly, the security guards that were there all appeared to be Vietnamese, so apparently we outsource these positions too! Anyway, they directed me to the Immigration office. So I went, and after accidentally stopping in the Korean Embassy first, spoke to a person who took 1,000 Dong from me, then told me to go to another counter, who in turn advised me that they couldn't do an extension here and that I would need to go to a travel agent (there are hundreds in the city). But wait, it gets better.

I went to the travel agent that I had used once before while here, explained what I needed and paid the rushed fee of $39. Not a problem. As I pay, a guy on a motor bike pulls up into (literally) the shop, takes my passport and drives off. I think I had a completely blank stare on my face for a while and images of further dealings with my Consulate when my information turns up on the black market in SE Asia. I had two days to be concerned but in the end I did get it back and the visa was all set. And by all set I mean there was a stamp there, from Immigration (where I been) and below it a price of $10, which tells me that the government got its $10, the travel agent, the guy on the bike and the one who stamped it all took their share of the remaining $29. Why am I shocked?

That aside, I left HCMC and travelled first to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Last time I fired an M-16 when I was visiting the tunnels, this time I opted for a slightly more powerful M-60! That thing has some real kick to it!

From there we headed to the Mekong Delta where I spent the night at a homestay, right on the banks of the river. While there was nothing overly special to report from this, that night was a less than comfortable sleep on what looked to be a stretcher. I tried to fall asleep, though it proved a more difficult task than I had thought. I mean, aren't roosters supposed to sing in the morning? Not at night, right? Did I miss something. Well, these roosters serenaded me all night, along with their lizard, dog and insect friends. In addition, I woke up twice to what I thought, in a slightly disoriented state, was a helicopter. It turned out to be the propellers of passing river boats, but I was convinced we were under attack.

I began traveling north, the first stop being Dalat. The town was pretty nice, up in the hills it was significantly cooler than what I felt in HCMC. From there I went to Nha Trang, situated right on the beach. The trip there was interesting, as we travelled through the hills. The scenery was nice, but the road was quite concerning. Around every turn seemed to be a new landslide, with half the road covered in red dirt and rocks, and protective walls in pieces. It is safe to say that I do not have a lot of faith in Vietnamese construction. Picture below are from outside of Dalat.

While in Nha Trang I took a cruise to a local fishing village and got to wander around for a bit, then took a ride in a basket boat, which looks exactly as it sounds. I was basically floating in a giant bamboo basket. From there we headed out to a small cove where I was able to do some more jumping off boats! Water wasn't nearly as clear as Thailand, but still fun. After a nice lunch on the boat, we got to hang out on a nearby beach for a few hours which was great. I know, life is tough! Below are pictures of a man in a basket boat and jumping off the roof with a tour mate.

Nha Trang wouldn't be the place I would want to fly to for a big vacation, but it was fun and there were plenty of good restaurants, bars and such to keep me entertained for a couple of nights. The next stop was one night in Quy Nhon (I can't pronounce this stuff either), and I would recommend avoiding this place if possible. Nothing to do, at all, other than sit on the beach or swim, though there seems to be a lot of jellyfish there so I opted against it. Along the way, though we passed some great scenes, those that are really stereotypical Vietnam. Expansive fields of green rice paddies, complete with women in hats and water buffalo, surrounded by mountainous jungle terrain.

After another long drive through the countryside, I have ended up in Hoi An. Basically its known for two things: It's French heritage and architecture, and its shopping. There are about 200 tailors in this town and they can turn shoes, shirts, suits and dresses around in 24 hours (Alana, you would have loved this place!) Seeing that I don't like architecture, or the French, all that much, and I have no need for a suit at the moment, I'm taking it as an opportunity to explore the area for 2 days. I think I'll keep myself busy.

Oh, I almost forgot a stop on our way to Hoi An. It was at the sight of the My Lai village (pronounced Me Lie). If you know anything about the Vietnam War, you are probably familiar with the massacre that took place here by the U.S. leaving 504 civilians dead. If you're not, do a real quick google search and you'll see the photos from that day in 1968. Having the interest in that period's history that I do, I found it to be very interesting, but it was certainly not a good day for the U.S. military. One of the woman who survived that day was there, near the sight of her old house, though she is quite old now. Below is a photo of the woman, and a tree with remaining bullet holes from the fighting.

One thing that I have noticed, and can't be missed as you travel around Vietnam, are the propaganda signs. They are everywhere, and I wish I could understand what they say. I'm sure it is along the lines of pro-government, pro-country, pro-army, etc. The picture at the top was one I found at a little street-side restaurant while we were driving. As you can see, they LOVE Ho Chi Minh here. He is all over the place, on signs, pictures and all of their money. I find it strange, but thats me.

Finally, I think its funny that my travel agent has been unable to re-arrange my flights for me. I have been dealling with this guy for nearly 5 weeks and still unable to get this done. I could go on for an entire blog entry on this one, so all I will say is that my current flight itinerary has me already departed from Asia and sitting on a beach in Hawaii at this very moment. Do you see the problem here?

Cheers!

In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle...

I realized that I forgot to discuss one aspect of my Vietnam experience in the last blog, and re-telling my first trip to Ho Chi Minh City would not be complete without doing so. Alana and I (see, you're still part of it!) decided to go to a local place to eat, seeing that it would be the most authentic. We sat down at a little table (and by little I mean pre-schoolers could use these things and still feel cramped) outside on the sidewalk, and reviewed the menu. Only problem was that the entire thing was in Vietnamese, not one word of English, and the employees didn't speak much either. Well, we knew the word for chicken and there were only four options listed for it. Rather than go for the most expensive (no comment Mike), which could have brought us an entire chicken, we took a shot and ordered #18, pointing to the menu. Well, it wasn't a full chicken, but here's what we got:

Yeah, those are its feet. Actually, we got the feet of a few chicken, because there were about 5 or 6 in there. Mmmmm! We went to get another dinner afterwards. Along that same note, we managed to try python, durian (possibly the worst smelling fruit out there), and fried spider legs!

Anyway, Alana ditched me for some strange thing called work back in the U.S. and I caught a flight to Singapore for 2 nights. What a difference to any other place I've been in Asia. From the moment you get off the plane, it is modern, orderly and extremely clean. Then again, it better be otherwise some will get beaten with a cane, literally. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdFLPn30dvQ I visited the Raffles Hotel, which is the home of the Singapore Sling (roughly $20). The city is filled with shopping malls and restaurants, which is good because they are all air conditioned and it is very hot out. They've got a lot of good bars and restaurants, but things are definitely expensive. I'd love to sit outside and have a few beers, but for $7-10 U.S. dollars a beer, that gets costly.

After a few days in a modern city, I caught a flight to Malaysian Borneo, where upon landing I immediately caught a cab to the bus station. The next bus was full so I had to wait nearly 4 hours for the next one, which I did, then began the 6 hour bus ride to the middle of nowhere. Actually, that is exactly what I thought when the finally dropped me off. I was going to the town of Sepilok which is home to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center (SORC) and a staging point for many jungle trips. Well, at 8 pm the bus pulled over to the side of the road at an intersection. There were no hotels, no stores, no real bus stop, no lights and a lot of rain. I was not pleased and I was all alone in my misery. I got on my backpack and started walking in the direction the guy pointed me in and saw a sign for the hotel I was planning stay at....2.5 km down the road.

My luck in Borneo wasn't the greatest, which I guess is what happens when you travel alone, book your flight 5 days before you get there and don't plan any of the excursions ahead of time. My fortunes didn't change a few days later when I tried to get on the internet and would up spending US$4 for 30 minutes, during which time the connection, which may as well been dial-up, allowed me to access a single webpage.

Complaining aside, I started the next morning my checking out the SORC and was thrilled with what I saw. Basically, the Center takes orphaned orangutans, normally due to the mother being killed though sometimes they are found as pets in local villages, and rehabilitate them to be reintroduced into the wild. The SORC is not enclosed by big fences, so it is as though you are viewing them in the wild. A few shots from feeding time:

The next day I left on an overnight into the jungle to do some trekking and take some boat cruises to see some real wildlife. As we pulled up to the camp we saw a cobra in the road, and as soon as I arrived at the lodge itself, I saw that one of the guides had just caught a python by the common area! The boat cruises, evening and morning were great. Got to see a ton of wildlife, including macaques, black squirrels (they are cooler than they sound), a ton of crazy looking birds (also cooler to see than it may sound), and the endangered probiscus monkey. This is one of the things that I really wanted to see, and we saw a ton of them. I wasn't able to get a close up shot of them, but here is what the look like if you're interested: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/enlarge/proboscis-monkey_image.html

We also were able to track down some Asian elephants, one of two species that lives in Borneo, though in the process I got attacked by leeches. Before your mind goes wild, it was Gordy in Stand By Me and I did not faint! They were easy enough to flick off, but I guess that is what happens when you jump out of the boat and walk into the jungle in shorts and flip-flops. The only negative was that I wasn't able to see any orangutans out there, though they were spotted by other boats.

Back at the hotel the following day, I opted for a relaxing afternoon at the pool. On my way there, a whole 3 minute walk from my room, I encountered 2 snakes. The first was orange, green and black, which concerned me but was later informed its bite isn't harmful (well that's good to know) and a baby that looked a whole lot like a cobra. Someone I met at the hotel found a spider that was larger than any tarantula they had seen before too. As I said, I went there for the wildlife!

The day before I left Sepilok I went back to the SORC in the morning. While a number of orangutans did show up, the highlight was definitely as I was leaving the center and a troop of 20 or so macaques decided to show off and sit along the railing of the walkway. Mind you, these are not animals in captivity, but completely wild. So cool to see them up close, though someone got too close (stupid) and nearly got attacked by two of them. I was not that person if you were thinking that.

Later that day I took the tedious 6 hour bus ride back to Kota Kinabalu, which is where I flew into. I don't know what it is about Malaysian buses, but they like to freeze out there passengers. Also, while I tried to block out the on-board entertainment with my iPod and book, they were playing DVDs that, among a awful movie, had over an hour of Malaysian techno videos (featuring the same people over and over again). They ended the journey with a Britney Spears video marathon. I was happy to get off the bus, and it wasn't just for warmth.

Kota Kinabalu was surprisingly better that I expected. There were some decent shops and places to eat, but I did make a few observations: The mall arcade had about 7 Daytona USA video games (which I thought was great, but I played that in 7th grade); at least 75% of the stores in the mall sell cell phones; I saw a toilet sign that directed people 232 meters in one direction (that's pretty precise, I thought); and I witnessed a group of 20 or so people completely captivated by a showing of WWF wrestling at an outside restaurant for an entire day! Literally, they were there for a minimum of 12 hours. I also noticed that their military personnel like to wear fanny packs when they walk around town, presumably on leave. Strange. Aside from the city, Borneo is really nice and the scenery is amazing. The jungle is so lush, like nothing I have ever seen before. All the way back the hills are covered in mist, which is really cool to see. I think my next trip here will be planned a bit better though. The shot below was taken from the bus.

Anyway, I am back in Singapore now, and I really like this city. I wish I had a week or so to spend here, because there is a ton of things I'd like to do that time doesn't permit me at the moment. One of which is to go skiing, that's right, skiing. They have an indoor ski hill just outside the city and you know that if given the chance I'd get a few runs in this season! Who cares if its 90 degrees outside! Tomorrow I leave for Vietnam again, where I'll be for the next 3 weeks.

Cheers!

Good Mornin'......

Well, Robin does it best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKNZgDbLwGY&feature=related

Yes, I have arrived in Vietnam! But we'll get to that in a bit, as there is a few things to go through first. When I last wrote, I was in Sihanoukville, along the southern coast of Cambodia. I stick with my original feelings that there really isn't anything special there, except one restaurant called Happy Herbs Pizza. I know a few people that might be in the right mindset to see where this could go. I had read in a guidebook that they have good food, but there was a reference to a 'garnish.' A few of us decided to go check it out and when it came time to order, we got Happy Shakes and Happy Pizza. Now it is very safe to say that my drug of choice is alcohol, but really, what could possibly happen from ordering this, right? After all, the shake was listed right on the menu (it was $1.50, compared to $1.00 for a non-Happy version). Well, I was certainly proven wrong. About 30 minutes after finishing dinner, it was as though someone flicked a switch. There was definitely something in the shake. Normally I would not have been too concerned, but knowing the state of medical care in the area (virtually non-existent) and the fact that some random guy dropped some unknown substance into my drink while I was in Cambodia did make me a little uneasy. Two things in summary: First, it was a very slow walk home that night and second, I recommend the mango!

I, along with a few others that I was with, straighted out by lunch the next day as we took a trip to a national park in the area and went for a cruise on the river. Parks in this part of the world have not been overly impressive, so I'll move on to my next stop in the capitol of Phnom Penh. This city wasn't too bad. It was definitely busy, like every Asian city I've been to, with traffic jams of cars, bikes, scooters, food carts, pedestrians, animals, etc. My first day there we went for a walk and I found monkeys (and later an elephant) hanging out on the streets. This still takes some adjusting to.

One thing that you have to do while in Asia is visit the local markets, which I've done in nearly every stop because you really can't avoid it. You are bound to see some great sights, and by this I mean all sorts of unusual foods, such as fried spiders, crickets, roaches, worms, and then of course there is the slightly more tame, but still weird full birds, all parts of pigs, innards, etc. Below is the market in Phnom Penh, along with the well sanitised butcher's counter! It's no wonder our life expectancy is slightly higher.

Now, the next day was certainly not a humorous stop, but one that was important to see while in this country. As you may know, Cambodia has had a very troubled past, filled most recently with civil war, ending only a decade ago. The Killing Fields a known throughout the world and represent the genocide that took place there. Having said this, our first stop was at S-21, which was one of the largest detainment areas in the country and is located on the outskirts of the city. Here, tens of thousands of Cambodian civilians were held for any number of reasons. They were tortured, starved and killed by their own government, in an effort to create the perfect farming society (among other things). Coincidentally, the man in charge of this center was on trial while I was there. The picture below is one of the rooms that was used to torture prisoners and features the actual bed, and torture devices that were used by the Khmer Rouge. The second is of one of the buildings (originally a secondary school) that was used to house prisoners.

Our next stop was to one of the actual killing fields, one of hundreds that have been found so far. It reminded me very much of what I saw at the concentration camps in Europe and it was extremely eerie to be at the location of such atrocities, and in wandering around the area you can see the mass graves signs marking spots of extreme brutality. And, while you try to avoid them, there are still old clothes and bones of those who were killed. They did build a nice memorial to the victims, though it is quite morbid at the same time, as it contains shelves full of skulls, and some of the clothes that were found. Below are photos of the landscape which is covered in holes, a tree used for beating (see sign) and an image from the memorial. Not pretty, but its a part of history and, I feel, a must for anyone visiting the country. I have plenty of other photos, but those will have to wait until I'm home to show.

After spending 8 or 9 days in Cambodia, I will say that it really is a great country. It has some amazing sights, beautiful landscapes, extremely friendly people, though unfortunately, a horrific past. That said, I strongly recommend you all visit it.

Now, on to Vietnam!....At least for a little. We took a bus to the border and I could immediately notice a difference. On the Thai-Cambodia border there were people begging, trash all around, very noisy, dirt roads, beat up customs/immigration buildings and visible corruption on both sides. Not so much the case on this side. Apparently, Vietnam exudes a great deal of authority and residents of both sides are cautious of upsetting anyone. It was clean and quiet, roads paved, large buildings with strict agents. It was a pleasant change and I breezed through customs! The picture is tough to read, but the sign says "Welcome to Vietnam."

I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon) and have been here for the past 6 days, and I really like it. Noticeably cleaner than anywhere in Thailand or Cambodia, and there seems to be some sort of order on the roads (though still chaotic), as well as no one hassling you for rides. Briefly, here is what I've done: First stop was the War Remnants Museum, which does a great job of illustrating the war through pictures, detailing the experiences of journalists, showing the effects on the Vietnamese, and giving a time-lined history of the country's fight. Now, being an American, this can get a little weird, as it is clearly anti-American. I am not going to say that it isn't justified, but there is definitely another side that is not being told. That said, I highly recommend a visit if you get here. Yesterday Alana and I took a trip to the Mekong Delta, where we got to see a bit of the country side, some of the locals' craftsmanship, and took a cruise through some of the small canals that connect the villages. Even got to try some snake wine! Below are shots of me in one of the rice paddies, some of the local beverage, and

In addition to these trips, we went to see the Cu Chi tunnels, located about 30 km from the city. Here, the villagers and the Viet Cong used a system of tunnels to live, as well as escape and fight the Americans during the war. If you are at all familiar with the war, you know what I'm talking about, and it was really interesting to visit. We were able to go into the holes and see just how small they were in parts. Frankly, I could not have been a member of the VC, nor could I have been a tunnel rat. My knees were killing me after 50 feet. While there we had the opportunity to fire a number of machine guns, and for fun, I chose the M-16. I liked it! I didn't hit my target, but I liked it. I don't know how our soldiers fire these weapons without earplugs because they are really loud. Having gotten a taste for firing automatic weapons, I think I'll give the M-60 a shot when I'm back there in a couple of weeks!

So, that is my first tour in Vietnam, so to speak. I have about 10 days until I join a group heading through the rest of the country, so rather than stick around here, I have opted to catch a flight to Singapore in the morning, where I'll spend a couple of days before flying to Borneo (Malaysian) for a week, before returning to Saigon. Why not, right?!?!

The video below illustrates some of the traffic downtown. If you look closely, you can actually see a minor scooter collision directly in front of me.

Cheers!