Singapore

Hi everyone,

It's time finish posting about the trip, so let me tell you about Singapore.

We landed on our flight from Ho Chi Minh, and entered the first world. The taxi driver's meter gave him updates about traffic conditions, the streets were lined with flowers, and the city was clean. Really clean, not pseudo, Vietnam-style clean.

Ilana's friend Peter was gracious enough to allow us to stay with him. He lives in a fantastic condo near the water. We also met up with John and Melissa, who were staying next door (what are the odds?).

The food in Singapore was fantastic, though we were shocked a bit shocked at the prices. I suppose this can mostly be attributed to the contrast between Singapore and Vietnam. The city itself is kind of an oddity; one family controls the politics and the rules are extremely harsh so everyone lives together in harmony. Let's face it, they do not have much choice. That said, it is easy to keep everyone in line when they can be promised economic prosperity, and thus many people move there from around Asia in order to make money. There were some very cool bars in the city as well, though they tax alchohol (sin tax) at an extremely high rate.

We saw a very nice temple, but apart from that there was not much in terms of culture which we wished to visit. To be honest, after Cambodia, we were not looking to see every temple and monument. We did visit little India, which was very much like certain neighbourhoods in Montreal, which would make sense, I suppose, as they're modeled after the same place. You know.. India.

Surprisingly, prostitution is legal in Singapore, at least in certain places, mostly because people in Asia have a different attitude than North Americans when it comes to the oldest profession. We walked through some of these areas, and it is amazing to what happens when an activity is (less) marginalized. It certainly helps that the crime rate in the country is so low, and thus people feel safe.

For me, it felt a little bit too safe, too clean, and too 1984. There are cameras everywhere, and the rules are much too harsh for my liking (spitting,

jaywalking etc. carry fines of almost $2000 CAD). Ilana enjoyed it more than I did, as I think she was more sick of living in less than ideal conditions than I was. Singapore is a nice place to visit, but I would not advise going there for longer than a couple of days while on this sort of trip. In fact, if you are planning to do a similar trip, I think that Singapore can be left off of the list, especially if you're not traveling to Malaysia or Indonesia.

Thanks for reading!

Crossing the Street in Ho Chi Minh / Saigon

Crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh City made me feel like Moses parting the sea, but this is a sea of vehicular chaos. There are 3 million motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh, and they all seemed headed straight for me every time I set foot on the curb.
The Proper way to cross the street in HCMC:
1) Look both ways before crossing
2) Step on the street
3) Look both ways again
4) If there are no traffic lights and there is a continuous flow of traffic, walk at a consistent pace
5) Don’t stop if you don’t have to, but if you do, they will drive around you
6) Walk faster if they appear to be slowing down even slightly
7) Congratulations, you have made it in one piece
I had some practice crossing the street in Hanoi, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as Saigon. At first it was a little frightening because there are motorbikes coming from every direction. But, after walking around the city, I started to feel more comfortable. The only scary thing is that while I was in the middle of all of that chaos, the motorbikes came so close to me I thought my foot would get run over or burnt by someone’s exhaust pipe. In Vietnam, I feel better about crossing the street when vehicles are coming at me than I would in Montreal, because in Vietnam they actually slow down.

note: posted by Ilana

Ho Chi Minh / Saigon

Hi everyone,

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh/Saigon with low expectations. Most of the people we had encountered had not enjoyed the city. While waiting in line for a taxi, we ran into Gavin and Max, who had left Hoa’s before us for Nha Trang. We had been told to stay at Madame Cuc’s, but it was booked, and so we began a long and fruitless search for accommodation. Madame Cuc’s sent us to another place, but we were not impressed. After searching for at least an hour, we stayed in the place they had recommended. Our first instincts turned out to be correct. They were to incompetence as Japan is to cleanliness.

Accommodation aside, we were pleasantly surprised by the city. We were staying on the backpackers streets, and the night life was decent. It is certainly not a place to travel in order to party (though the beer is cheap), but it was much better than Hanoi. The food was also pretty good.

It is very difficult to use credit cards in Vietnam. We had not taken quite enough money out of the ATM, and did not want to incur more fees by withdrawing once again, so we went looking for a restaurant that accepts Visa. In the end, we were able to locate one, but the use of credit cards is far from ubiquitous.

On our first day we visited Reunification Palace. It is like a song put out ten years ago: not new enough to be considered modern or cool, nor old enough to be considered classic or chic. However, it is a symbol of the northern victory. I couldn’t help thinking that if Saigon (at the time) had had a stable, powerful government and military in the 1970s, Vietnam would be a first world country. We then visited a market, in which we made many purchases, owing to the friendly prices and decent selection.

On our second day, we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. This system of tunnels is one of the main reasons that the north won the war. There are more than 250km worth of tunnels. I had much difficulty sliding into one which has been widened to accommodate tourists. The VC were not very large. Life in the tunnels must have been horrible. That said, when fighting for one’s country, it seems one can endure many hardships. It was hard to ignore the parallels between the “American War” (as it is described in Vietnam) and the wars currently being waged by the west. Sights of this nature can never be described as unbiased, but the language used here was almost amusing in its slant. For example, the Saigon government is described as the American puppet government and the words cruel invaders are used liberally. It is not hard to remember that Vietnam is a “communist” country.

We then visited the War Remnants Museum. That was quite an experience. The language there was even harsher. We learned about the victims of Agent Orange, and saw pictures of the horrible effects of this deforesting agent. We also saw the guns, bombs and grenades used in the war. The human race never ceases to design innovative and creative ways of doing harm to itself. Let us say that it was not a lighthearted visit, though it was very educational.

Thanks for reading!

Hoi An

Hi everyone,

After spending such a long time on the beach, we decided to head to Hoi An. It is an old city which was not destroyed during any Vietnamese wars. There is one main purpose for embarking on a trip to this city, and this purpose is made of material. There are over 400 tailors in Hoi An, each wanting to make suits, dresses, or shoes for travelers willing to be separated from their cash. Many people choose to stay at China Beach rather than in Hoi An itself, making one day trip to have clothing made and a second to pick it up, but we decided that it was time to move on from Hoa's.

Armed with recommendations provided by fellow travelers, Hoa, and shop owners we met at the beach, we stepped into the custom-made minefield of shops, eager to have clothing made, but mindful of getting burned along the way. After much comparison shopping, we settled on two tailors, Sarah's Boutique and Dong Duong. I had two suits made, along with some shirts and ties. Ilana had several dresses made, one of which we designed together. Thankfully, all came out very well, and we were very happy with our purchases.


On one of our days in Hoi An, we rented a motorcycle and headed for a beach bar called Phattie's (yes, Ilana got on the back of a bike, and in the end, she did not hate it). The owner is an incredibly nice Canadian, and he and his wife run the place while putting everyone at ease with their casual demeanour. What passes for a motorcycle in Hoi An is a scooter in the eyes of most people, but the owner let me ride his own motorcycle, which is a two stroke Russian-made machine. A bar employee also let me try his, which is a proper four stroke Bonus. As I had been wanting to ride a motorcycle for several years, this was the best thing that could have happened to me in Hoi An. While I was rather shaky at first, I got used to the bikes and thoroughly enjoyed riding them. Our friends from Hoa's joined us later in the evening, and we left the bar as it closed. It was an absolutely awesome day.

Thanks for reading!

Da Nang (China Beach)

Hi everyone,

We had planned to spend three days on China Beach, near Da Nang. Instead, we spent ten wonderful days on the beach. We stayed at Hoa's Place, which is run by Hoa and his family. They were incredible. He speaks perfect English, even adding a cursory curse word when drinking.

Hoa's Place can best be described as basic. However, it more than makes up for what it lacks in amenities with its charm. Every night at seven, they have a "family dinner," which most people attend. The food is edible. After dinner, everyone sits around playing poker and drinking. They have an honour system for all purchases, which involves recording your consumption in a book. They run the place marvelously, and everyone feels welcome.

The beach is simply gorgeous. Sitting on the beach, letting each grain of sand slip through my fingers, I could not imagine a better place to relax. The beach was almost deserted during the day, due to the heat, though it was packed with locals later in the afternoon. The waves were rolling onto the beach in fine form, with just the right amount of power to make swimming interesting, but not enough to make it dangerous. Even the beach chair mafia ladies were tolerable, though they were constantly attempting to charge more than the going rate for chairs and umbrellas. They walk up and down the beach offering food and drink, but were for the most part easy to ignore. The locals were very friendly, playing various ball games in the ocean, and even including me in their volleyball game.

I am so happy that I was able to see this relatively undisturbed beach, as Hoa's is located on prime real estate, and will likely be displaced by 5 star hotels in the near future. The only potential problem is the jellyfish, which are only mildly annoying.

Some Vietnamese people wake up incredibly early, and do not seem to have any regard for the beauty sleep of others. Six o'clock in the morning is not an appropriate time to be shrieking with friends and family. I suppose the silver lining of the development of the beach will be the removal of such people from the sleeping areas.

This was a great way to relax after a full two months of travel. I would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Vietnam. Hoa and his family are the kind of people that I hope I meet more often while traveling.

Thanks for reading!

note: posted by Mike

Sa Pa

Hi everyone,

Unsurprisingly, we were very happy to leave Hanoi. After doing extensive, and very tedious, research (and by research, I mean running from fake travel agency to fake travel agency) we finally found a night train to Sa Pa. We had heard wonderful things about it from many other travelers, and were offered many a tour from the scam artist tourist agencies. We decided to go it alone, as we believed that we would have had better luck organizing ourselves outside of the nest of deceit that is Hanoi. On the train, we were lucky enough to be in a compartment with two people from the U.S. (John and Melissa) and two people from England. The Americans had booked a private tour in Hanoi (having found some expats to do the booking), and we decided to travel together.

They had arranged a private tour, involving a jeep for the day, and out of the way sights to which most tourists do not venture. We were lucky to be included. That said, the trip did not go as expected. The jeep had "broken down" and we were given access to a mini-bus. Predictably, the mini-bus was running on the schedule of the driver, and we were required to wait for it for hours at a time. Perhaps as a result of this, or perhaps simply because the people running the tour were incompetent, those out of the way sights were never to be seen. Instead, we did a very basic tour of the surrounding areas, and were driven to a small village, where we spent the night "in the home of a minority". This turned out to be run entirely by the Vietnamese government, which have treated the minorities rather like an irritated cow treats a fly. The government chose the minority person with whom we stayed; it was about as authentic as professional wrestling. The next day we were all feeling sick from the food, and saw only a few sights before returning, though I should mention that a jeep eventually arrived, looking as if the odometer had spun around so many times that it must have been dizzy.

Putting the gripes aside for a moment, the landscape is fantastic. It is easy to see why the Lonely Planet raves about the city. It is as picturesque as any I have ever seen, and I am sure that a better run tour would have provided a great view of the lives of minorities in northern Vietnam. That said, their lives appear to have been changed quite a lot since the tourists have arrived. While the men continue to work in the rice fields and on the rice terraces, the women spend their days attempting to overcharge tourists for textiles (I wish I was kidding). They start very young, know how to ask you to buy things in many different languages, and are everywhere. Having visited the Museum of Ethnology the day before, we had learned a bit about the traditional lives of these people, though it was only evident in their dress. It is very strange to see cable television in a traditional Red Zao hut, for example. I am not entirely sure whether tourism is a positive force in their lives. It gives them access to money and knowledge, but they will soon be in danger of losing their ethnic identity and culture.The day American Idol has a north Vietnamese minority contestant, I will know that all is lost. Until then, there is still hope!

Our good luck with trains continued on the way back to Hanoi. We had been booked in a car with a family (3 people, 2 beds, and one screaming child) but we found empty beds in another car, and hoped no one would remove us from these adopted places of rest. While the people who had booked those accommodations did arrive, they were nice enough to find another place to sleep, as it was the middle of the night, and we were already settled in. Our friends were not quite so fortunate, having been given fake tickets, and having been forced to ride in what they describe as a train car from hell. We consider ourselves lucky that we did not have to endure that. I am quite certain that I would have lost my mind had that been the case, as every relevant employee would have been given a piece of it.

Sa Pa really was a great place to see. I believe that if the government had not tampered with it quite so much, and if the tourists had not arrived in such great numbers, it would have been one of the best experiences on the trip. As it was, it ranks somewhere in the middle. While we were not particularly enamoured of Sa Pa, it is certainly not a place to be avoided.It is worth a visit. It would simply be nice if the tours were honestly run, and the experience had not contained the phrase "buy from me" quite so often.

Did I mention that the scenery was amazing? We could not have posted nearly enough pictures on the blog, so please click on Sa Pa Pictures, or enjoy the slideshow below:




Thanks for reading!

note: posted by Mike

Hanoi

Hi everyone,

Apologies for the week of blog neglect.

We arrived in Hanoi (or rather, Ha Noi) in the evening, having flown from Siem Reap. We met two very nice people from Texas, with whom we decided to share a cab into the city (and with whom we spent the better part of two days). They had a reservation at a hotel, and we figured that from there we could find a place to stay. Rather than wait in line for a

taxi, or take a very long trip on a mini-bus, we got into a black taxi. They gave the taxi driver the name of their hotel, and off we went. When we arrived, the hotel had no sign, and something did not seem right. Having read about this in the Lonely Planet, we did not fall for this trickery, and insisted that the taxi take us to the real hotel. I can respect a good scam. I would never do it, and I would hope never to fall for it, but a well thought out plan deserves at least some begrudging respect. However, this was one of the most poorly executed attempts that I have ever witnessed. So much for a welcome to Hanoi!

We spent two nights in Hanoi, which was one too many. We immediately felt like we were back in China, having become accustomed to the modicum of decency present in Laos and Cambodia. However, once again, we prepared to fight for every dollar and watch our backs at every moment. The Museum of Ethnology was interesting, though we tired of it quickly.

This has been my first experience in a country where you must insist that taxi drivers DO NOT use their meters. They all appear to be rigged, and rigged differently, such that a trip from point A to point B may cost twice as much as a trip from point B to point A. Needless to say, one must know how much the trip should cost and bargain like crazy.

Being in Hanoi is sort of like being placed in a hut in the middle of a four lane highway, though it would likely be quieter on the highway. Countless motorbikes are on the streets at all hours, and will barely swerve to avoid pedestrians. Booking a trip onward from Hanoi is also a joy. They appear to have no intellectual property laws, such that many of the travel agencies have had their names copied. It is impossible to tell which are real and which are not. An important difference between a city like Beijing and one like Hanoi is that in Beijing they will try to rip off a foreigner, but they will ultimately receive the thing for which they have paid. In Hanoi, not only will they attempt to take every penny, but they will likely also promise things which they do not have, or give fake tickets, or no tickets, or generally reneg on deals. In our experience, there is no honour in Hanoi.

That said, we did find a very nice place to stay (run by Australians, not locals). It is called The Drift, the rooms are clean, the staff are friendly and happy to help, and the location is decent.

However, our friends stayed at the Camellia Hotel, and that is to be avoided if at all possible. The staff were extremely unhelpful and gave our friends a hard time.

Unfortunately, Hanoi is a necessary stop in order to see northern Vietnam, but I would suggest spending as little time there as possible, and dealing only with people who have been recommended and are trustworthy. It is difficult to find a comfort zone in a city full of people who are constantly trying to scam you, steal from you and deceive you.

Thanks for reading!

Fish Massage, Anyone?

There are many items for sale in the Siem Reap night market, but a fish massage was not something I ever expected. What on earth is a fish massage, you ask? Imagine a pool of fish attacking the dead skin on your worn out feet while you scream and laugh because it feels so weird and so ticklish. You sit with a bunch of other people while everyone makes faces and also tries to convince the passersby to join in on the fish parade.

I can't explain what it felt like to have twenty fish attacking my feet all at once, but it almost felt as if someone was poking me in the same spot over and over, or was tickling me endlessly. It cost $3 US for 20 minutes, which was completely worth it. The only problem was that we didn't know how clean the water was and you could almost see the little bits of fecal matter floating around. Nevertheless, when we got out of the pool, our feet were clean and we were happy.

Temple Pictures

Please either follow this link to Picasa for our temple pictures, or enjoy the slideshow below:

The Temples of Angkor Wat

Enjoy!

Last Day in Siem Reap

Hi everyone,

On the way back from Ban Teay Srey, we stopped at a military compound, as we were told that there was a shooting range there. Neither of us having shot anything more than a slingshot, we decided that it would be an interesting experience. We were not disappointed. This is one of the only places in the world where automatic weapons can be shot for a fee (I assume enough money could buy one the opportunity elsewhere, but I digress). We decided on the AK47, which is the weapon of choice for most developing nations when they choose to wage war. The gun was attached to a stand, the soldiers showed us how to fire, and we aimed at a target down a long tunnel. It was much louder than we had anticipated. Squeezing the trigger, smelling the gunpowder, feeling the recoil and trying to steady the jumping barrel made a profound impact on me. As the sound of the shots reverberated off of the walls, I realized how lucky I have been to have avoided being on either end of this instrument of death. Armed with the knowledge that children as young as 12 have used this heavy weapon in battle, I was able to feel the power and the fear that must be a part of every soldier's emotional repertoire (even though we were in such a structured and safe environment).

On the next day we went to the War Museum. Having just fired a weapon, we then learned about the history of their use in Cambodia. A guide who was born during the war showed us the tanks, guns and mines used during this time. He was volunteering, and had shrapnel still inside from an unfortunate incident with a land mine. He told us about his many losses, including both his family and his home. It was also interesting to hear his political point of view. He suggests giving money directly to victims rather than large organizations. The different types of land mines were astonishing in their lethality. Some of them are engaged by trip wires, others by pressure, and all have the capacity to kill or maim. There are mines which are made of plastic and fertilizer, which must be sniffed out by dogs rather than metal detectors, and others which jump to waist height before exploding. We saw many victims of land mines in town as well. If that amount of damage is still being done by mines from years gone by, I can only imagine what kind of things are being used in wars being waged now!

After leaving the museum, our tuk-tuk driver took us to his apartment so that we could meet and eat with his family. He, his wife and their daughter live in a rented apartment approximately 8’ by 5’, without running water. His was the smallest tuk-tuk that we had seen. That said, he made up for it with his heart. Even at 5am, he was cheerful and happy to see us, and though he was constantly talking about his financial situation, he provided us with a clear view of local life. We ate at a great restaurant, met his adorable daughter, and saw how people from the countryside live. His name is Sophal, and if you are interested he will pick you up from the airport. He can be emailed at sophalangkortour@yahoo.com.

Thanks for reading!