Vietnam Airlines is the only airline allowed to fly domestically within Vietnam (those communists certainly know a thing about monopolies). We didn't have any trouble flying them until our last leg of the trip when we were trying to leave Hanoi for Laos. The flight got cancelled unfortunately and we were forced to stay an extra day in Hanoi. There is only one flight to Luang Prabang from Hanoi each day on a Vietnam Airlines/Lao Airlines codeshare flight so we had no other options. In exchange for signing away all of our rights, we were given $25, a night in a sketchy hotel that wanted to hold our passports (we refused and were given some really terrible rooms) and bad food. We even ended up adopting a Korean woman who spoke no Vietnamese or English, trying to make sure she got to Laos where her husband is working to build a new University. We took her to a local bar that night where some of us (and some other Westerners) tried the local draft beer. Definitely not part of the original itinerary.
The next day, our flight to Luang Prabang was delayed by several hours. We were afraid we would never make it here. Luang Prabang is a small idyllic town that is extremely charming. It is the royal city of Laos (where the monarchs used to live). Having only recently opened up to tourism, it feels much more genuine and unspoiled than both Cambodia and Vietnam. There are wats all over the town and monks wearing colorful orange and yellow garments walking around. Women ride motobikes carrying parasols. The people are extremely friendly and no one is aggressive when trying to sell you something. It is a welcomed change. Our first meal in Laos was a Laotian-style BBQ where we got to cook our own food in a broth. It was fun and delicious. We survived a sudden storm that knocked out power in the village twice. We made good use of the dorky head lights that a couple of people brought with them on the trip.
The next day, we woke up to the sound of roosters crowing at the crack of dawn. We decided to ride mountain bikes up a country road through the hills to visit some Laotian villages and take in the scenery. It was the first time I had ridden a bike in 7 years. It was a bumpy and muddy ride and I am very sore today, but I survived the experience. Ran into someone else's bike once but no falls, just a couple of scratches. We ate lunch at Tad Se waterfall and swam for a bit there before climbing into kayaks to paddle back to town. There were some rapids but the water levels are very low since rainy season here starts in August. It took over 3 hours of pretty rigorous paddling. I got a massage both yesterday and today (it costs only $3-4 per hour which is awesome) afterwards.
We walked around Luang Prabang today and climbed up Mount Phou Si to visit a wat at the top of the hill. The view from the hilltop was breathtaking. You can see the entire village - even the tiny airport that has only one gate (a man sitting at a desk with a sign that says show your passport please). We walked around the market and picked up souvenirs and ate lunch at a cute restaurant right along the river. It has been extremely relaxing - the pace of life is just much slower here. Things close early (we got kicked out of the bar at 11:30 last night) and people get up very early. We tried to crash a Laotian wedding (apparently it's something they welcome!), but it ended by the time we got there. We meant to get up to watch the procession of monks - a daily ceremony that takes place at 6am, but none of us managed to pull ourselves out of bed at the crack of dawn. It's something that the entire village takes a part in and villagers offer food as alms to the monks.
The original plan was to fly to Chiang Mai this afternoon, but we were unable to get plane tickets. So we are taking an unexpected detour to Vang Vieng where we plan to go tubing down the river, and then head down to Vientiane, the capital, where we will catch a flight to Bangkok.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Halong Bay
Our 3 day trip to Halong Bay was a ton of fun - definitely my favorite part of Vietnam. We took boat rides around many tiny islands (there are over 2000 of them), most of which are not inhabited. We were surrounded by cliffs and trees. The entire view was absolutely magnificent. Even the boat ride was fun. We did a bit of tanning on the top deck and jumped off the side of the boat several times to go for a swim. We explored Hang Dau Go, a large cave up in the hills of one of the islands, which people nicknamed "Surprise" Cave since the were surprised when they walked through it and found the 3rd chamber, which is huge and according to our guide, can hold up to 4,000 people. Unfortunately, people have defaced the walls inside the caves with graffiti and even chipped off the stalagmites to sell to tourists. We spent the night on the boat - it was like a mini-cruise ship that only accommodated around 12 people. Our group of 8 ended up with our own boat.
On our second day, we went kayaking in the morning and the afternoon around the islands that were part of Cat Ba Island National Park. Cat Ba Island is the largest island in the Halong Bay area. We paddled into secluded lagoons and had the opportunity to see the cliffs and rock formations up close. The water was calm so it was an easy paddle, although paddling the weight of my partner who has never kayaked before and is almost twice as heavy as I am did turn my arms into jello that night. We paddled to 2 different beaches, just a couple of the many secluded beaches that we found, and swam for a bit for before and after lunch. A boat took us to the main island where we spend the night.
On our last day, we took a boat ride to the pearl farm. We jumped into the waters closeby there for a swim before the boat brought us back to Halong City. This is definitely the thing to do if you are in Hanoi/Vietnam.
Hanoi on the other hand, has been a rather uninspiring city. It's busy and bustling, but everything closes very early. We tried a local grilled fish dish called cha ca at a restaurant which some author lists as one of the 1,000 things to do before you die. I thought it was okay - there is only one dish served - grilled fish (grilled really means deep fried in Vietnam). I'm really tired of fried foods, especially fried fish and spring rolls. Later that night, we closed out several places and then got lost trying to find a third bar that supposedly stayed open past midnight. We never found it, but ended up playing soccer on the streets with some locals, who then brought us to a dark alley with a pho shop at the end of it. The pho shop was really someone's tiny living room with a few tables and plastic chairs. I don't think they were really supposed be serving people there in the middle of the night since they kept trying to close the doors and wanted us to stay quiet. Nevertheless, the pho was great. It was such a random evening, but the first time that we have really had the opportunity to interact with the locals. The language barrier makes it rather tough.
We were supposed to leave Hanoi yesterday but our flight got cancelled. Will save that debacle for another posting. Miss everyone lots.
On our second day, we went kayaking in the morning and the afternoon around the islands that were part of Cat Ba Island National Park. Cat Ba Island is the largest island in the Halong Bay area. We paddled into secluded lagoons and had the opportunity to see the cliffs and rock formations up close. The water was calm so it was an easy paddle, although paddling the weight of my partner who has never kayaked before and is almost twice as heavy as I am did turn my arms into jello that night. We paddled to 2 different beaches, just a couple of the many secluded beaches that we found, and swam for a bit for before and after lunch. A boat took us to the main island where we spend the night.
On our last day, we took a boat ride to the pearl farm. We jumped into the waters closeby there for a swim before the boat brought us back to Halong City. This is definitely the thing to do if you are in Hanoi/Vietnam.
Hanoi on the other hand, has been a rather uninspiring city. It's busy and bustling, but everything closes very early. We tried a local grilled fish dish called cha ca at a restaurant which some author lists as one of the 1,000 things to do before you die. I thought it was okay - there is only one dish served - grilled fish (grilled really means deep fried in Vietnam). I'm really tired of fried foods, especially fried fish and spring rolls. Later that night, we closed out several places and then got lost trying to find a third bar that supposedly stayed open past midnight. We never found it, but ended up playing soccer on the streets with some locals, who then brought us to a dark alley with a pho shop at the end of it. The pho shop was really someone's tiny living room with a few tables and plastic chairs. I don't think they were really supposed be serving people there in the middle of the night since they kept trying to close the doors and wanted us to stay quiet. Nevertheless, the pho was great. It was such a random evening, but the first time that we have really had the opportunity to interact with the locals. The language barrier makes it rather tough.
We were supposed to leave Hanoi yesterday but our flight got cancelled. Will save that debacle for another posting. Miss everyone lots.
Monday, July 23, 2007
The Citadel at Hue and Hanoi
The Citadel - the ancient Imperial Palace in Hue, is a walled city that very much reminded me of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The gates and walls, as well as the moat that surrounds the complex is similar in designed to that of the Forbidden City. Unfortunately, most of it laid in ruins, having been destroyed during the Tet offensive. The few buildings that we did see though were impressive. We walked around the complex as best as we can in the heat. We literally "shade-hopped," scurrying from one shady spot to another. It's difficult to look put together in this weather, but we saw a girl in a beautiful sundress, matching jewelry and sunglasses looking cool as can be. She could have be strolling around Paris. It looked as if she were immuned to the heat. It made us all feel dumpy.
The entire time we were at the Citadel, we watched storm clouds rolling in. Half the sky looked completely dark. We barely made it out of there before this massive storm hit, ruining out afternoon plans of lounging by the pool at the 5-star hotel near where we were staying. The sky just opened up. Unfortunately for me, rainwater flooded my room at the hotel, drenching my stuff. It could have been a lot worse, but getting the hotel to do my laundry in time for our flight to Hanoi was a disaster. Customer service just does not exist in the developing world. My travel documents (but not my passport which I carried with me) also disappeared. The whole experience was aggravating.
For dinner, we decided to go to this restaurant called Lac Thien, which is run by a deaf-mute family that is supposed to be famous. It seriously looked like a hole-in-the-wall. The funny thing was there are 3 deaf-mute restaurants right next to each other, each claiming to be the original. Lonely Planet claimed Lac Thuen is the original, while Rouge Guide claimed Lac Thien is the original. I guess we will never know. The food was mediocre but the experience was interesting. They gave us wooden bottle openers and showed us how to use them. People take pictures with it around the world and send it back to them and they post them around the restaurant.
We arrived in Hanoi early this morning. It's a hectic city filled with people on motorbikes. We're staying in the Old Quarter right next to Hoan Kiem lake. It's Sunday night and there are tons of couples zipping along on their motorbikes with the girls perched on the backs. Some of them even ride sidesaddle. It's amazing they don't fly off. I thought it was crazy in HCMC, but in Hanoi, the sheer number of motorbikes is even more astonishing. Some of the streets are quite wide and motorbikes more than 10 deep come at you in all directions. Walking across the street is dangerous. I seriously feel like I'm risking my life each time. We do it in groups - you're supposed to calmly walk across as the motorbikes come at you, and trust that they will go around you and not hit you (they do not stop for you). But I think we are getting the hang of it. We've survived so far.
We saw a water puppetry show - a uniquely Hanoi experience. Supposedly the farmers invented it in the past to entertain themselves during the rainy season. They make marionette puppets dance and move on water. It was fun to watch but must have been uncomfortable for the puppet masters who had to stand in waist-deep water the entire time.
We booked a tour to go to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island for the next 3 days. We're sleeping on a "junk" boat for one night, and on Cat Ba Island the 2nd. It's supposed to be amazing, with lots of caves and coves to explore, beautiful beaches and a national park. We're going to spend a chunk of the 2nd day kayaking.
We have to get up early tomorrow in search of bottled water to buy and liquor for the boat. 2+ weeks in Southeast Asia has toughened me. The need to constantly negotiate in order to prevent yourself from being ripped-off left and right is tiring and has made us all paranoid. Now, we will literally argue over the cost of a bottle of water even though the difference is less than 50 cents (but it sounds like a lot in Vietnamese dongs - the conversion is 16,000 dongs to a dollar). I can't wait to go back to a place where prices are set and are the same for everyone. Unfortunately for me Beijing will not be one of those places. But at least I will speak the language.
The entire time we were at the Citadel, we watched storm clouds rolling in. Half the sky looked completely dark. We barely made it out of there before this massive storm hit, ruining out afternoon plans of lounging by the pool at the 5-star hotel near where we were staying. The sky just opened up. Unfortunately for me, rainwater flooded my room at the hotel, drenching my stuff. It could have been a lot worse, but getting the hotel to do my laundry in time for our flight to Hanoi was a disaster. Customer service just does not exist in the developing world. My travel documents (but not my passport which I carried with me) also disappeared. The whole experience was aggravating.
For dinner, we decided to go to this restaurant called Lac Thien, which is run by a deaf-mute family that is supposed to be famous. It seriously looked like a hole-in-the-wall. The funny thing was there are 3 deaf-mute restaurants right next to each other, each claiming to be the original. Lonely Planet claimed Lac Thuen is the original, while Rouge Guide claimed Lac Thien is the original. I guess we will never know. The food was mediocre but the experience was interesting. They gave us wooden bottle openers and showed us how to use them. People take pictures with it around the world and send it back to them and they post them around the restaurant.
We arrived in Hanoi early this morning. It's a hectic city filled with people on motorbikes. We're staying in the Old Quarter right next to Hoan Kiem lake. It's Sunday night and there are tons of couples zipping along on their motorbikes with the girls perched on the backs. Some of them even ride sidesaddle. It's amazing they don't fly off. I thought it was crazy in HCMC, but in Hanoi, the sheer number of motorbikes is even more astonishing. Some of the streets are quite wide and motorbikes more than 10 deep come at you in all directions. Walking across the street is dangerous. I seriously feel like I'm risking my life each time. We do it in groups - you're supposed to calmly walk across as the motorbikes come at you, and trust that they will go around you and not hit you (they do not stop for you). But I think we are getting the hang of it. We've survived so far.
We saw a water puppetry show - a uniquely Hanoi experience. Supposedly the farmers invented it in the past to entertain themselves during the rainy season. They make marionette puppets dance and move on water. It was fun to watch but must have been uncomfortable for the puppet masters who had to stand in waist-deep water the entire time.
We booked a tour to go to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island for the next 3 days. We're sleeping on a "junk" boat for one night, and on Cat Ba Island the 2nd. It's supposed to be amazing, with lots of caves and coves to explore, beautiful beaches and a national park. We're going to spend a chunk of the 2nd day kayaking.
We have to get up early tomorrow in search of bottled water to buy and liquor for the boat. 2+ weeks in Southeast Asia has toughened me. The need to constantly negotiate in order to prevent yourself from being ripped-off left and right is tiring and has made us all paranoid. Now, we will literally argue over the cost of a bottle of water even though the difference is less than 50 cents (but it sounds like a lot in Vietnamese dongs - the conversion is 16,000 dongs to a dollar). I can't wait to go back to a place where prices are set and are the same for everyone. Unfortunately for me Beijing will not be one of those places. But at least I will speak the language.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Hoi An and Hue
The old town in Hoi An was charming - a cute, quiet and peaceful place right by the beach. It feels right out of a different time period. The buildings have been very well preserved - there were beautiful Chinese Assembly Halls and little shops selling handicrafts and made-to-order clothing dot the streets. Several people in the group had suits, dresses and shirts made. There is also a riverfront and a bustling market, as well as some lovely art galleries. I bought a painting of the old town done with paint on rice paper. It was a really cool modern and abstract interpretation. Cars were not allowed into the old town because the streets are too narrow and the town is a World UNESCO Heritage site. The only modes of transportation are motobikes and bikes.
The heat in Hoi An was brutal though, making walking and being outdoors nearly impossible. The air was hot, heavy and stifling, making it hard to enjoy the town unfortunately. While we did walk around and even visited a fair trade crafts store and workshop, we spent a lot of time at the hotel trying to stay hydrated and cool. It's pretty sad when spending an extra half an hour on the bus to Hue (we requested the first pick-up) sounds like heaven. We skipped My Son where we had been planning to stop to see the Cham temples and ruins (a lot of it did not survive the Vietnam War since the Viet Cong decided to make this one of their base). It was just that hot.
I am in the Imperial City of Hue right now (another World UNESCO Heritage site). It was the ancient capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty. We took a dragon boat ride down the Perfume River yesterday and visited the Thien Mu Pagoda, the Hon Chu temple and a couple of the royal tombs (the tombs of Emperor Tu Doc and Ming Manh). The pagoda is considered a symbol of Hue. It has seven layers and is perched on a hill surrounded by pine trees. It is beautiful. The tombs (really more like memorial gardens with lakes since their bodies were buried elsewhere) were also really pretty (Ming Manh in particular). Tu Doc was a particularly interesting emperor. He had 104 wives and concubines but had no children. When he died, the 200 servants that buried him were all beheaded to keep the location of his actual burial site a secret so grave robbers would not steal the treasures buried with him. Supposedly, they still have not found the site. And he was also really short, so the statues of civil and military servants in his honor courtyard were all made to be shorter than him - around my height. They looked really funny.
We had been planning to stop by a third one (the tomb of Khai Dinh) but it was too hot and miserable. Oh, and an interesting fact that I learned. The old system of written Vietnamese were based on Chinese characters. The emperors all wrote an autobiographical self-reflections about their life which were carved into these huge stone tablets - in Chinese. That's not used today anymore. There was a thunderstorm on our boat ride back but the boat drivers did not seen at all concerned by the fact we were in the middle of the river while there was lightning and rain. The storm brought with it cooler weather which was a welcomed respite from the heat.
We had an early dinner last night and then went to karaoke. Luckily they had English songs. I think we kept the entire neighborhood up with our loud, rather obnoxious singing. We did not realized how loud we were and how not soundproof the room was. Both Hoi An and Hue do not really have a happening night scene. It seems like most places close by 10pm. Last night was our first "late night" and we were out until around midnight only.
The plan is to hit the citadel later this morning and walk around. I ordered a silk dress earlier - completely made-to-order with hand embrodiery - all for $22. It's incredible. Hope it turns out well.
The heat in Hoi An was brutal though, making walking and being outdoors nearly impossible. The air was hot, heavy and stifling, making it hard to enjoy the town unfortunately. While we did walk around and even visited a fair trade crafts store and workshop, we spent a lot of time at the hotel trying to stay hydrated and cool. It's pretty sad when spending an extra half an hour on the bus to Hue (we requested the first pick-up) sounds like heaven. We skipped My Son where we had been planning to stop to see the Cham temples and ruins (a lot of it did not survive the Vietnam War since the Viet Cong decided to make this one of their base). It was just that hot.
I am in the Imperial City of Hue right now (another World UNESCO Heritage site). It was the ancient capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty. We took a dragon boat ride down the Perfume River yesterday and visited the Thien Mu Pagoda, the Hon Chu temple and a couple of the royal tombs (the tombs of Emperor Tu Doc and Ming Manh). The pagoda is considered a symbol of Hue. It has seven layers and is perched on a hill surrounded by pine trees. It is beautiful. The tombs (really more like memorial gardens with lakes since their bodies were buried elsewhere) were also really pretty (Ming Manh in particular). Tu Doc was a particularly interesting emperor. He had 104 wives and concubines but had no children. When he died, the 200 servants that buried him were all beheaded to keep the location of his actual burial site a secret so grave robbers would not steal the treasures buried with him. Supposedly, they still have not found the site. And he was also really short, so the statues of civil and military servants in his honor courtyard were all made to be shorter than him - around my height. They looked really funny.
We had been planning to stop by a third one (the tomb of Khai Dinh) but it was too hot and miserable. Oh, and an interesting fact that I learned. The old system of written Vietnamese were based on Chinese characters. The emperors all wrote an autobiographical self-reflections about their life which were carved into these huge stone tablets - in Chinese. That's not used today anymore. There was a thunderstorm on our boat ride back but the boat drivers did not seen at all concerned by the fact we were in the middle of the river while there was lightning and rain. The storm brought with it cooler weather which was a welcomed respite from the heat.
We had an early dinner last night and then went to karaoke. Luckily they had English songs. I think we kept the entire neighborhood up with our loud, rather obnoxious singing. We did not realized how loud we were and how not soundproof the room was. Both Hoi An and Hue do not really have a happening night scene. It seems like most places close by 10pm. Last night was our first "late night" and we were out until around midnight only.
The plan is to hit the citadel later this morning and walk around. I ordered a silk dress earlier - completely made-to-order with hand embrodiery - all for $22. It's incredible. Hope it turns out well.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Cu Chi Tunnels and Diving
The Cu Chi Tunnels were one of the most interesting experiences on this trip so far. They were the old Viet Cong tunnels used during the Vietnam War. I got a chance to crawl through one of them. The tunnels were really narrow and dark, and it was extraordinarily hot and humid down there. I can't image what it must have been like to live down there for a long time. It was a claustrophobic experience (and I'm tiny!) and the tunnels have been widened for visitors. They were located in a forest in Cu Chi, outside of Ho Chi Minh City and the trees, the heavy rain and the sound of people firing AK47s in the background certainly gave it an eerie, atmospheric feeling. I fired a gun for the first time. It was rather scary - not something I care to repeat.
We went to the War Remnants Museum afterwards. The museum was not very well put together and the photographs of victims of the war were terrible. Granted the views presented by the museum were very one sided (obviously we were the evil Americans killing innocent villagers), it still makes me wonder why the Vietnamese people would even let Americans visit their country since the war really wasn't that long ago. Nevertheless, it is just a reminder that war itself is awful, regardless of the causes you are fighting for. So many innocent lives are wasted.
We left HCMC without really seeing much of it. We are currently in Hoi An right now, which is right by the coast. For the first time on this trip, we had time to lounge around. We spent half a day at Cua Dai beach which was beautiful. Even with SPF 70 sunscreen on under a big umbrella, I still got really sunbrunt. We took a cooking class that evening with was fun. We learned to make 3 dishes and tried 5 dishes total, including something called the White Rose, a special dumpling that is only available in Hoi An. It was delicious. We did more drinking than we did cooking - it was more of a cooking demonstration but I got to make Vietnamese spring rolls in rice paper.
And I went diving for the first time this morning! I didn't tell the people I couldn't really swim, but it really did not require a whole lot of swimming. It was an amazing experience. I saw whole schools of colorful fishes, coral, sea anemones and bright blue starfishes. I definitely need to learn to swim and tread water so I can get certified and go deeper into the water. Definitely much more fun than snorkling. The only downside was the long boat ride over. I was not feeling so great since the water was choppy.
Time to visit the Old Town which escaped damage during the war! We might get silk clothes tailor made here. There are so many tailor shops and luggage stores (selling luggage to people who literally acquire whole new wardrobes while they are here).
Oh, and apparently I look Vietnamese. I guess it wasn't just the people at the Vietnamese consulate that thought that. So many people have tried to talk to me in Vietnamese since I arrived in Vietnam 5 days ago. It's kind of funny.
We went to the War Remnants Museum afterwards. The museum was not very well put together and the photographs of victims of the war were terrible. Granted the views presented by the museum were very one sided (obviously we were the evil Americans killing innocent villagers), it still makes me wonder why the Vietnamese people would even let Americans visit their country since the war really wasn't that long ago. Nevertheless, it is just a reminder that war itself is awful, regardless of the causes you are fighting for. So many innocent lives are wasted.
We left HCMC without really seeing much of it. We are currently in Hoi An right now, which is right by the coast. For the first time on this trip, we had time to lounge around. We spent half a day at Cua Dai beach which was beautiful. Even with SPF 70 sunscreen on under a big umbrella, I still got really sunbrunt. We took a cooking class that evening with was fun. We learned to make 3 dishes and tried 5 dishes total, including something called the White Rose, a special dumpling that is only available in Hoi An. It was delicious. We did more drinking than we did cooking - it was more of a cooking demonstration but I got to make Vietnamese spring rolls in rice paper.
And I went diving for the first time this morning! I didn't tell the people I couldn't really swim, but it really did not require a whole lot of swimming. It was an amazing experience. I saw whole schools of colorful fishes, coral, sea anemones and bright blue starfishes. I definitely need to learn to swim and tread water so I can get certified and go deeper into the water. Definitely much more fun than snorkling. The only downside was the long boat ride over. I was not feeling so great since the water was choppy.
Time to visit the Old Town which escaped damage during the war! We might get silk clothes tailor made here. There are so many tailor shops and luggage stores (selling luggage to people who literally acquire whole new wardrobes while they are here).
Oh, and apparently I look Vietnamese. I guess it wasn't just the people at the Vietnamese consulate that thought that. So many people have tried to talk to me in Vietnamese since I arrived in Vietnam 5 days ago. It's kind of funny.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Angkor Children's Hospital and Mekong Delta
The temples were great, but I am definitely templed out at this point. We visited so many of them that they started to all look the same by the end. However, we met a guy, Ryan, who is dating a Harvard '01 graduate. His boyfriend found out that Kate Jackson, who I am traveling with, was going to be in Cambodia through Facebook and contacted her. Ryan is currently volunteering as an architect at Angkor Children's Hospital and arranged for us to take a private tour of the hospital on our last day in Cambodia.
The hospital provides free care to children in the Siem Reap area and surrounding counties. There is currently a severe dengue fever outbreak in the country. In the month of June, the saw more children come in with dengue fever than in all of 2006. The hospital only has 50 hospital beds but there are hundreds of children there right now, many sleeping on straw mats on the floor wherever they can find space. Even the outdoor waiting room area is converted into a sleeping area at night for people who were unable to see the doctor that day.
The visit to the hospital was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Cambodia, it was also very difficult. I saw severely malnutritioned and sick children as well as prematurely born babies. One of them was born 3 months early and weighed only 1 kg (about 2.2 pounds). While the facilities are pretty good considering the hospital is located in an impoverished third-world country, and the doctors and nurses are hardworking and caring, they are still lacking all the necessary resources to take care of the deluge of patients they are seeing on a daily basis. The hospital is completely funded by donations and was founded by a Japanese photographer who visited Siem Reap several years ago. I hope that everyone who reads this will donate online at http://www.fwab.org/ (Friends Without a Border). In addition to providing free care, they also educate parents on how to take proper care of their children, teach them about nutrition and hygiene, provide free dental care (only dental clinic in all of Siem Reap for children) and serve as a premier teaching hospital for doctors and nurses. They do get some funding from the Clinton Foundation and works with CF to provide free drugs and care for children with HIV.
After the visit, we left Cambodia and headed to Vietnam. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) last night. HCMC is a loud and chaotic city. There are people on motorbikes everywhere, sometimes as many as 8-10 rows deep. It feels like I am risking my life every time we cross the street. There are almost no traffic lights, except at the major streets.
We went to the Mekong Delta today, stopping in 3 places - Cai Be, Vinh Long and My Tho. We saw the floating markets in Cai Be where people took their boats filled with fresh produce out into the river to sell. Here in the Mekong Delta, boats are the main form of transportation. The children even attend school via boat. We had the opportunity to see people make rice paper, coconut candy and popped rice (looks like rice krispies treats). I even tried to make rice paper myself but failed miserably. It is harder to do than it looks because it is so thin. We took a boat trip down the Mekong River to see the markets in Vinh Long. They were similar to the ones in Cambodia - loud and bustling, filled with people selling all sorts of things from personal care products to fruits and vegetables to meat. We stopped by Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho on our way back to HCMC.
We ended up ordering in food for dinner since it poured all evening. They delivered out food on trays. Instead of using disposable plates and utensils, they put it on regular plates and gave us silverware. It was rather surprising. I guess they are not really used to people ordering take out here in HCMC. So far, the food in Vietnam has been a bit disappointing. We even went to a really nice and fancy restaurant in HCMC last night but that was not fabulous. Hopefully I will be able to get some good pho and bun (vermicelli). The bun we had was not like the kind we have in NYC or Boston so I was disappointed. Maybe I like fake Vietnamese food better than the real kind?
Tomorrow, we are visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels where the Viet Cong soldiers hid underground during the Vietnam War. I think we will get the opportunity to shoot AK47s in addition to crawling through the tunnels. Should be an interesting experience. We're also planning a visit to the War Remnants Museum and if we have time, stop by the Reunification Palace. Then we're headed to Hoi An where I am going to learn to dive (it's apparently okay even though I can barely swim...) and cook a Vietnamese meal!
The hospital provides free care to children in the Siem Reap area and surrounding counties. There is currently a severe dengue fever outbreak in the country. In the month of June, the saw more children come in with dengue fever than in all of 2006. The hospital only has 50 hospital beds but there are hundreds of children there right now, many sleeping on straw mats on the floor wherever they can find space. Even the outdoor waiting room area is converted into a sleeping area at night for people who were unable to see the doctor that day.
The visit to the hospital was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Cambodia, it was also very difficult. I saw severely malnutritioned and sick children as well as prematurely born babies. One of them was born 3 months early and weighed only 1 kg (about 2.2 pounds). While the facilities are pretty good considering the hospital is located in an impoverished third-world country, and the doctors and nurses are hardworking and caring, they are still lacking all the necessary resources to take care of the deluge of patients they are seeing on a daily basis. The hospital is completely funded by donations and was founded by a Japanese photographer who visited Siem Reap several years ago. I hope that everyone who reads this will donate online at http://www.fwab.org/ (Friends Without a Border). In addition to providing free care, they also educate parents on how to take proper care of their children, teach them about nutrition and hygiene, provide free dental care (only dental clinic in all of Siem Reap for children) and serve as a premier teaching hospital for doctors and nurses. They do get some funding from the Clinton Foundation and works with CF to provide free drugs and care for children with HIV.
After the visit, we left Cambodia and headed to Vietnam. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) last night. HCMC is a loud and chaotic city. There are people on motorbikes everywhere, sometimes as many as 8-10 rows deep. It feels like I am risking my life every time we cross the street. There are almost no traffic lights, except at the major streets.
We went to the Mekong Delta today, stopping in 3 places - Cai Be, Vinh Long and My Tho. We saw the floating markets in Cai Be where people took their boats filled with fresh produce out into the river to sell. Here in the Mekong Delta, boats are the main form of transportation. The children even attend school via boat. We had the opportunity to see people make rice paper, coconut candy and popped rice (looks like rice krispies treats). I even tried to make rice paper myself but failed miserably. It is harder to do than it looks because it is so thin. We took a boat trip down the Mekong River to see the markets in Vinh Long. They were similar to the ones in Cambodia - loud and bustling, filled with people selling all sorts of things from personal care products to fruits and vegetables to meat. We stopped by Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho on our way back to HCMC.
We ended up ordering in food for dinner since it poured all evening. They delivered out food on trays. Instead of using disposable plates and utensils, they put it on regular plates and gave us silverware. It was rather surprising. I guess they are not really used to people ordering take out here in HCMC. So far, the food in Vietnam has been a bit disappointing. We even went to a really nice and fancy restaurant in HCMC last night but that was not fabulous. Hopefully I will be able to get some good pho and bun (vermicelli). The bun we had was not like the kind we have in NYC or Boston so I was disappointed. Maybe I like fake Vietnamese food better than the real kind?
Tomorrow, we are visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels where the Viet Cong soldiers hid underground during the Vietnam War. I think we will get the opportunity to shoot AK47s in addition to crawling through the tunnels. Should be an interesting experience. We're also planning a visit to the War Remnants Museum and if we have time, stop by the Reunification Palace. Then we're headed to Hoi An where I am going to learn to dive (it's apparently okay even though I can barely swim...) and cook a Vietnamese meal!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Angkorian Temples
My first sight of Angkor Wat did not disappoint. The temple is absolutely breathtaking and majestic. Since we are waiting for everyone in the group to arrive before visiting it, we've haven't walked through it yet. Instead, we've gone to visit some of the smaller temples including the oldest temples in Roulos this morning. You can climb through the temples and touch the carvings and the stones. It is an amazing experience. One of my favorites is Ta Phrom, a temple that they decided to leave pretty much how they discovered it. They call it the Tomb Raider temple since Tomb Raider was partly filmed here. It makes you feel like an explorer. The trees are massive and have entwined themselves around the stone structures. Unfortunately, a lot of the temples have been looted or defaced, but it does not detract from the magnificence of the structures.
It's funny how you can run into people you know in the most random of places. Last night, we met up with more people starting at the GSB this fall and a bunch of HBS people. One of the girls is best friends with my freshman roommate. I haven't seen her in almost 7 years and we meet again in Cambodia! Definitely did not expect that one.
It is really hot here, but I've still managed to go to the market in the morning a couple of times. Pure chaos is the only way I can explain it. People everyone selling and buying vegetable, meat, fish, chicken, clothing, breakfast, etc. It is both a fascinating and scary sight since none of the meat is refrigerated, although they do put it on ice sometimes. I try not to think about that when I eat here. I haven't worked up the nerves to try a local food stall - just doesn't seem like a good idea. However, there are a lot of really nice restaurants with surprisingly nice decor and ambiance serving the throgs of foreign visitors. I've tried some local Khmer dishes there, which are quite good. Similar to Thai food with a bunch of different curries, but much more mild. We went to the Red Piano last night, which is supposed to be Angelina Jolie's favorite restaurant in Cambodia.
Off to more temples! There's not a whole lot else to do here. But there are a ton of different temples so we've got a busy schedule!
It's funny how you can run into people you know in the most random of places. Last night, we met up with more people starting at the GSB this fall and a bunch of HBS people. One of the girls is best friends with my freshman roommate. I haven't seen her in almost 7 years and we meet again in Cambodia! Definitely did not expect that one.
It is really hot here, but I've still managed to go to the market in the morning a couple of times. Pure chaos is the only way I can explain it. People everyone selling and buying vegetable, meat, fish, chicken, clothing, breakfast, etc. It is both a fascinating and scary sight since none of the meat is refrigerated, although they do put it on ice sometimes. I try not to think about that when I eat here. I haven't worked up the nerves to try a local food stall - just doesn't seem like a good idea. However, there are a lot of really nice restaurants with surprisingly nice decor and ambiance serving the throgs of foreign visitors. I've tried some local Khmer dishes there, which are quite good. Similar to Thai food with a bunch of different curries, but much more mild. We went to the Red Piano last night, which is supposed to be Angelina Jolie's favorite restaurant in Cambodia.
Off to more temples! There's not a whole lot else to do here. But there are a ton of different temples so we've got a busy schedule!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Singapore
Singapore is definitely one of the prettiest islands I have ever visited. It manages the feat of seamlessly melding tropical fauna with concrete. Despite the high-rise buildings and roads that span the island, there are trees everywhere. It is absolutely amazing - the whole island is pristine and beautiful. The government accomplishes all this by being rather paternalistic. Selling gum is illegal as is littering, spitting, failing to flush the toilet among other things. Packs of cigarettes have pictures of cancerous body parts on the outside to discourage smoking. It even runs an agency, the Social Development Unit, which operates like a dating agency that encourages people to be romantic, with the ultimate end goal of encouraging procreation (the birthrates here are among the lowest in the world). They even offer special weekend rates at hotels because they think people are not having enough sex, since lots of young professionals live at home with their parents. The diversity of people on the island is also striking - a mix of Chinese, Indian, Arab, Malay and foreigners (both expats and visitors).
I stayed with Kelly's college roommate Ming, who is from Singapore. The two of us went to Jurong Bird Park my first day there, where we had the opportunity to feed lories (they look like miniature parrots). Have to admit I was a bit freaked out at first when one of them jumped on my shoulders but they are absolutely adorable. But I was too much of a wimp to try it with the parrots since they're huge.
We spent the afternoon at Raffles Marina where we had lunch and lounged by the pool. I tried Hainanese Chicken Rice, which is the unofficial national dish of Singapore. I don't know what they put in the rice, but it was delicious. And since shopping is considered a national pastime according to Ming, we figured a trip to Singapore would not be complete without a trip to the malls on Orchard Road. We visited Takashimaya, HMV and another mall. Like the malls in Taiwan, they came with amazing food courts. We had fresh watermelon juice and gelato, and I sampled various snacks including mochi, bread and BBQ pork. We saw a movie at Cathay Cinemas afterwards. The theaters in Singapore have assigned seating - you pick your seats when you buy your tickets. They are much smaller but also much nicer, with lots of loungy areas where you can watch previews and relax before your movie.
We visited Newton Hawker Center, an outdoor food court. Hawker centers are famous in Singapore and serve a variety of foods at various small stalls. We were looking forward to a meal of chili crabs there later that evening with friends but that plan was dashed by thunderstorms (sorry Lisa - no chili crabs this trip - will definitely try it next time I'm back in Singapore!).
We walked through Chinatown the next day. It was a mix of local markets and cute colonial buildings. The Chinatown Heritage Center (a museum) depicts what it was like in the old days by recreating the living quarters of Chinese migrants. I also visited an Indian temple and a Buddist temple. At the Buddist temple, which was magnificently decorated in gold, we decided not to wait to see the holy relic of Buddha's tooth. The temple was so commercialized (you can adopt statues and make donations on laptop computers) and ostentacious that it didn't feel like a place of worship.
I am in Cambodia right now. While lush and green, the poverty and dirt is in sharp contrast to Singapore. I visited the Silk Farm this morning where I saw silk being handmade and woven. The trip out there on a tuk tuk was both bumpy and dusty. The roads are in a terrible condition. While some of the hotels are beautiful, the hovels that are home to the local people are dismal. Children walk around without shoes and cows seem to roam about freely. Heading to the temples with an American I randomly met earlier today who has been to Cambodia several times. Will write more later.
Oh, and anyone has any idea how to post pictures?
I stayed with Kelly's college roommate Ming, who is from Singapore. The two of us went to Jurong Bird Park my first day there, where we had the opportunity to feed lories (they look like miniature parrots). Have to admit I was a bit freaked out at first when one of them jumped on my shoulders but they are absolutely adorable. But I was too much of a wimp to try it with the parrots since they're huge.
We spent the afternoon at Raffles Marina where we had lunch and lounged by the pool. I tried Hainanese Chicken Rice, which is the unofficial national dish of Singapore. I don't know what they put in the rice, but it was delicious. And since shopping is considered a national pastime according to Ming, we figured a trip to Singapore would not be complete without a trip to the malls on Orchard Road. We visited Takashimaya, HMV and another mall. Like the malls in Taiwan, they came with amazing food courts. We had fresh watermelon juice and gelato, and I sampled various snacks including mochi, bread and BBQ pork. We saw a movie at Cathay Cinemas afterwards. The theaters in Singapore have assigned seating - you pick your seats when you buy your tickets. They are much smaller but also much nicer, with lots of loungy areas where you can watch previews and relax before your movie.
We visited Newton Hawker Center, an outdoor food court. Hawker centers are famous in Singapore and serve a variety of foods at various small stalls. We were looking forward to a meal of chili crabs there later that evening with friends but that plan was dashed by thunderstorms (sorry Lisa - no chili crabs this trip - will definitely try it next time I'm back in Singapore!).
We walked through Chinatown the next day. It was a mix of local markets and cute colonial buildings. The Chinatown Heritage Center (a museum) depicts what it was like in the old days by recreating the living quarters of Chinese migrants. I also visited an Indian temple and a Buddist temple. At the Buddist temple, which was magnificently decorated in gold, we decided not to wait to see the holy relic of Buddha's tooth. The temple was so commercialized (you can adopt statues and make donations on laptop computers) and ostentacious that it didn't feel like a place of worship.
I am in Cambodia right now. While lush and green, the poverty and dirt is in sharp contrast to Singapore. I visited the Silk Farm this morning where I saw silk being handmade and woven. The trip out there on a tuk tuk was both bumpy and dusty. The roads are in a terrible condition. While some of the hotels are beautiful, the hovels that are home to the local people are dismal. Children walk around without shoes and cows seem to roam about freely. Heading to the temples with an American I randomly met earlier today who has been to Cambodia several times. Will write more later.
Oh, and anyone has any idea how to post pictures?
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Trip to Taipei
I spent the past 2 days in Taipei shopping, visiting the National Palace Museum and eating with my cousin. We took the MRT (their subway system), which is high-tech, modern, clean and efficient, around the city. You can use your cell phone in the tunnels (wish we could do that in NYC!). People actually line up to board the train and eating, drinking and chewing gum is not allowed in the stations or on the train, something that everyone takes very seriously. The respect they show for their city and its subway system is apparent.
The department stores and malls here are amazing and beautiful. We visited 6 or 7 in all, including the one in Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world at the moment. We started out at the Pacific SOGO, their newest department store, which makes Saks look shabby. Just about every brand you find in the U.S. can be found here, and there are a lot of British and French boutique labels that I have never heard of. The clothes are all ultra feminine and cute. We ate at this famous soup dumpling restaurant called Din Tai Fung inside the food court there. Even the food court was ridiculously nice - nothing like the ones in the malls/department stores in NYC. They sell chocolates, cakes and snacks of all kinds in addition to cooked food. Would have taken more pictures, but in many places (especially restaurants), pictures are not allowed.
The National Palace Museum, which just reopened last year, was amazing. The building is constructed to mimic the look of the Forbidden City in China where most of the artwork is from originally. The collection that is housed here was moved around China multiple times during WWII, when the Japanese invaded, and the Chinese civil war that followed for 40 years before it finally made it to Taiwan. Hundreds of thousands of pieces of priceless artwork were moved via literally all modes of transportation, including by raft (I couldn't believe it until I saw the pictures). The amazing thing is, not a single piece of artwork was damaged during this process, which is incredible considering the sheer volume, the quantity of porcelain involved, the number of times they had to move everything and the length of time it took to accomplish it all.
We visited Danshui, which is north of Taipei by the water, in the afternoon. We didn't go to the wharf, but did walk up and down some of the little streets that were packed with people. Vendors were selling all sorts of things from food to clothing to toys. There are even games set up. Everything is basically set up right on the street. It was noisy, chaotic but fun. We ate shaved ice since it was so hot. The shaved ice is amazing - wish we had this at home! Next, we drove to Bali, which is on the other side of the water from Danshui. There's a bike lane that stretches many miles and a boardwalk right by the water. You can rent multi-person bikes and these funny looking things that remind me of tricycles - but for multiple people to bike by the water. We ended up not doing this (again because it is so hot) but we walked around. We were originally planning to go to the night market at Shilin but it was late and we had to take the train home. But many more opportunities to go to night markets here. They're all over the place.
The one grip I have about Taiwan is the weather. It is unbearably hot and humid almost constantly. I don't know how people survived here pre-air conditioning! It makes even simple things like walking outside feel really hard. All the women carry around sun umbrellas (in fact, you can rent an umbrella at the Forbidden City when you are visiting) because the sun is so strong and they are obsessed with having pale skin. Although I think the umbrellas look silly, I feel like I should start using one. I did, however, purchase my first hat ever. It's a start!
Oh, and one last thing. I love the fact that the little man in their pedestrian lights starts to walk faster and faster as the time counts down. He starts to run when you have approximately 10 seconds left. It makes me laugh every single time.
Next stop - Singapore. Leaving this afternoon.
The department stores and malls here are amazing and beautiful. We visited 6 or 7 in all, including the one in Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world at the moment. We started out at the Pacific SOGO, their newest department store, which makes Saks look shabby. Just about every brand you find in the U.S. can be found here, and there are a lot of British and French boutique labels that I have never heard of. The clothes are all ultra feminine and cute. We ate at this famous soup dumpling restaurant called Din Tai Fung inside the food court there. Even the food court was ridiculously nice - nothing like the ones in the malls/department stores in NYC. They sell chocolates, cakes and snacks of all kinds in addition to cooked food. Would have taken more pictures, but in many places (especially restaurants), pictures are not allowed.
The National Palace Museum, which just reopened last year, was amazing. The building is constructed to mimic the look of the Forbidden City in China where most of the artwork is from originally. The collection that is housed here was moved around China multiple times during WWII, when the Japanese invaded, and the Chinese civil war that followed for 40 years before it finally made it to Taiwan. Hundreds of thousands of pieces of priceless artwork were moved via literally all modes of transportation, including by raft (I couldn't believe it until I saw the pictures). The amazing thing is, not a single piece of artwork was damaged during this process, which is incredible considering the sheer volume, the quantity of porcelain involved, the number of times they had to move everything and the length of time it took to accomplish it all.
We visited Danshui, which is north of Taipei by the water, in the afternoon. We didn't go to the wharf, but did walk up and down some of the little streets that were packed with people. Vendors were selling all sorts of things from food to clothing to toys. There are even games set up. Everything is basically set up right on the street. It was noisy, chaotic but fun. We ate shaved ice since it was so hot. The shaved ice is amazing - wish we had this at home! Next, we drove to Bali, which is on the other side of the water from Danshui. There's a bike lane that stretches many miles and a boardwalk right by the water. You can rent multi-person bikes and these funny looking things that remind me of tricycles - but for multiple people to bike by the water. We ended up not doing this (again because it is so hot) but we walked around. We were originally planning to go to the night market at Shilin but it was late and we had to take the train home. But many more opportunities to go to night markets here. They're all over the place.
The one grip I have about Taiwan is the weather. It is unbearably hot and humid almost constantly. I don't know how people survived here pre-air conditioning! It makes even simple things like walking outside feel really hard. All the women carry around sun umbrellas (in fact, you can rent an umbrella at the Forbidden City when you are visiting) because the sun is so strong and they are obsessed with having pale skin. Although I think the umbrellas look silly, I feel like I should start using one. I did, however, purchase my first hat ever. It's a start!
Oh, and one last thing. I love the fact that the little man in their pedestrian lights starts to walk faster and faster as the time counts down. He starts to run when you have approximately 10 seconds left. It makes me laugh every single time.
Next stop - Singapore. Leaving this afternoon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)