Free Burma

So much has changed. My life has taken many turns and I am very happy. Many of the people I met on my trip as less so, especially over the last few weeks - many of them are fighting a crazy military regime where holy men are brutalised and brother is pitched against brother. I am committed to doing what ever I can to show peaceful solidarity with them. send whatever positive and loving thoughts that you have to Burma; to the oppressors and the oppressed.

I'm on my way home!

I'm on my way home! I have 12 more hours to hang out in Bangkok. So excited about seeing you all! Burma was a great place to take the final steps in my trip. I flew with Kate (from Tooting Broadway) early this morning, having been dropped off at the airport in a horse and carriage, and she is heading onto Japan. We left Yair heading to a disco last night so he is probaly in hospital or prison, and Rob got up to say goodbye. Happy Birthday to Monty for yesterday and Cathy for last week and Happy Saint Patricks Day and No Cathy, it definitely wasn't on the radar in Burma although Ireland is pretty famous over here because they know Roy Keane and other football stuff. Its very strange to think I have handed over my last laundry and will soon have my last ‘non home cooked food’ (for a while at least). Very strange indeed. Dave - I was able to access internet briefly in most places but it took a long time so I generally aborted until I got to Bagan where I had finally worked out all the little loop holes that locals employ. This two weeks was definitely not the computery part of my trip. Also I was keeping a ‘diary’ on the laptop and I transferred it using a USB fob and then edited the dates. Clever me, eh? X Big Love, Cat PS My Birthday in a week or 2...anyone fancy a cup of tea?

Bagan

We hired a horse and cart to take us around the sights of Bagan for12000K (about $10). As it was Sabbath, Yair wasn’t supposed to lift a finger so he probably has to make some extra prayers tonight as he couldn’t help but pass judgement on my poor bargaining ability. I was over whelmed by the desperation of people to sell something, anything. I ended up buying 3 pictures, two pieces of lacquer ware (we had a look around the village/factory where it is made), a marionette (puppet), a scarf. We went for lunch at a little ‘restaurant’ where we were all fired up by the over familiarity that a male traveller had with one of the young local boys. Funnily enough, Kate and I were more sympathetic to the fun these 2 were having, and Yair and Rob seemed to think there was something funny going on. At one point Yair was calling to the boy to get him away from this man and then we found out that he had given to family money because last night at 10pm they found out that they were in crisis. Their restaurant, which they have run for 4 years, is to be torn down as it doesn’t fall into line with government expectations. (The government are keen to turn the area into the sort of money spinner that Angkor Wat is). The family is expected to relocate elsewhere with no financial help. We paid some extra for our meal and we were invited back to eat with them tonight but we couldn’t go as we had arranged to meet Marine and Laurent, who we bumped into at the market and who I who I had met in South Laos. There were an over whelming number of beautiful temples to be seen on our tour but the heat makes it difficult to enjoy them fully. There are also stories of snakes but apparently it is too hot for them too. I was very pleased with myself getting up pretty high to the view points which were so impressive and beautiful. I can’t compare this to Siem Riep as the whole experience is very different but the place is magnificent. I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes and the heat has enhanced the side effects of the anti malarials that I have been taking which has been a big surprise at this late stage.

Mandalay to Bagan

Quick Thoughts Boat trip memories and sundries (details to be filled in when I see you if necessary): Banana assault on my head, manicures with Kate, listening to Alabama 3 while Oliver played on his new hand crafted $30 guitar at the back of the boat, watching sunset listening to Barbara Bonny sing Ave Maria on the roof of In Wa GH, Yair terrorising hotel reception staff over a couple of dollars at Motherland GH, reading the safety instruction on the internal flight, bad karma on the mountain, pleading with the GH staff to get a birthday message to Monty, Aroma Coffee and bird flu and marionettes, horse and cart to the airport in Bagan, dumping my sewing kit and other small bits. Sunburned hands and dirty zebra feet.

…and another million temples and an ox driven cart

My very dirty rucksack is packed and we are ready to head off in the morning to Bagan, the epicentre of temple world. I have learned a few things about myself during this trip; one is that I always want to pee before a journey, no matter the distance, and the other is that I can’t sleep before a longer journey. I have also improved at being able to say ‘no’ when necessary and being able to say ‘goodbye’ without feeling sad. Tonight I said goodbye to John and Ada, and Jair and I will get the nine hour ‘speed boat’ tomorrow morning. We spent today on a spacious river boat getting to Mengun where there is a beautiful white monastery and an immense unfinished stupa which was damaged by an earth quake but is still climbable. Boy it was hot though and we were on the boat without any cover apart from our hats and factor 30+ sunscreen. When we got back we all felt a bit ill so an afternoon nap was forced upon us and we didn’t have time to see the Marionettes puppet show and the Comedy Moustache Brothers as I had hoped. Once we felt better, we went to change some money, black market style, and get some local curry food. We finished the evening off with an ice cream concoction of one sort or another, something that travellers are usually reluctant to have but here in Mandalay, it’s a highlight! Myanmar is very beautiful but its not for the feint hearted. There is a lot of poverty (and heat and mosquitos) and it is very difficult to pin down whether the people are really as happy as they seem. Some of the younger adult ‘guides’ that we have had know that there is a lady under house arrest but they have no idea what she stands for. There is the same pressure for business from beautiful and charming children as there was in Siem Riep and it is tragic that they can’t have the sort of childhood that I had. One of their ploys is to help the foreigners; no matter how fit they are, by minding shoes and pointing out steps and low ceilings etc and then requesting payment. Today, I gave one of them a piggy back around the temple and she had a great giggle.

Inle Lake

We went for dinner at the Queen Inn GH where we had planned to stay on our second night in Nong Shwe and had a real belly laugh, most notably when John, straight faced as you can imagine, said that when someone (male) annoys him on a bus journey; he sneaks his hand onto his leg. The following morning, we set off for Inla Lake at 0830; John Ada, Jair, myself and Y, a Burmese chap with his heart set on finding a western girlfriend and Catarina, who was new to the group. We had a wonderful day, driving in the boat through villages where everyone, but especially the children, were delighted to see us. These people allowed us to take the most beautiful photos of the entire trip, reinforcing the fact for me that if a beautiful photo is taken, the subject is the true artist. We went to a market and to various other shopping opportunities where dollars were the pricing system, making us a little suspicious that these ventures were all government run. I limited myself to a few small pieces of silver that I had really wanted anyway but it was hard to resist some of the silks when we saw first hand the work that went into them. It was a very hot day and when we came home we were all tired. We went on adventure to the internet café where normal email access isn’t possible, but with the help of the resident computer guru I was able to see emails from people and, after about 15 minutes, was able to send a one line email to Monty. Then we met up with Italian Andreas and played ‘21’ until betting with the salt shakers and other condiments took its toll. In the morning, we made plans to move to Mandalay in a taxi. Suffice it to say, this story is a lot longer than the blog will allow me to share for the moment. We (in one way or another) secured bicycles for a few hours this evening and immediately all got separated, all having different but lovely adventures. I hung out in the local post office (exciting I know - LOL), telling them of my time growing up in a post office just like theirs. I will be very interested to find out how many of the 18 cards that I posted to you today will actually arrive – bearing in mind that the messages I put on them were suitably innocuous and favourable to Myanmar…Then I went to a Wat and was invited to tea with some men who didn’t speak more than 2 words of English and watched some very skilful traditional ball game – bit like volley ball but with a harder ball and no hands.. As I have been going through Myanmar, I have been far too busy and excited to surrender to the pull of home that I felt so strongly when I was in comfortable Thailand last week. Never the less, work has been on my mind, not least of all because of the figures for HIV in Burma, which I read before I arrived. At any opportunity, I have mentioned that I work as a nurse with people with HIV in the hope that people would ask me about it so that I could perhaps learn from them or teach them. Tonight I met TT; a wonderful, strong, and typically beautiful 32 year old Myanmar woman, who has set up her own restaurant here. She did us the honour of sitting with us when I remarked how lovely her English was (a comment that seems crass now, but I am just so glad she sat with me). She told us a little about what she does and I told her what I do – to cut a long story short, she is worried that about 40% of people here are ‘sick’. Naturally, her dignity and the seriousness of her conversation didn’t stop my persistent Israeli friend from trying to hit on her! LOL

Share Taxi from Inle Lake to Mandalay.

Last night we went on a mission to secure a taxi from Inla Lake to Mandalay and our luck came in when after lengthy negotiations elsewhere, our guesthouse agreed to provide us with a (black market) taxi for the princely sum of $70. We started off at 0830 and after a pretty hairy journey through the mountains around Inla Lake, we arrived at our destination at about 5pm. On the journey we saw many people working in the fields and on the roads but by far the most strange was a group of young women who were tarring the road by hand. It was a hot and dusty day, even in the car and knowing that many of these people are part of a forced labour group of workers was a stark reminded of the responsibility that I feel being given the privilege of being allowed into Burma. When we arrived at The Royal Guest House, I was given a $3 room with a shared bathroom which is small but nice and fulfils my adjusted necessary requirements of having a window and a fan so I am happy. We found an internet café where I was the only one lucky enough to be able to read and respond briefly to emails. Then we went to a local café for supper where Jair’s requirements for kosher food were met with some confusion so he headed off with John, almost certainly in search of the local ‘dhisko’. After they left a Burmese man tried to stick us with his beer bill but Ada saw it coming and we averted any conflict. There is a small cosy roof terrace at the top of our guesthouse, so Ada and I met there with another ‘lone’ traveller called Anya, from Germany, and ended our evening discussing the best practices of responsible tourism in a country such as Burma.

Team Israel

We left for Bago at 830am in a local bus that cost less than a dollar. When we got there at about 1030, we were all surprised by the pressure for business put on us even before we got off the bus. We took shelter in a café and gradually the attention became more bearable so we were able to make some decisions. I voted myself into the position of Rucksack Minder while the others went off to different places to find out how best to get to Inle Lake and what we could do for our six hours in Bago. They arrived back with pretty much the same story; places were limited, sitting together might be a problem (didn’t really bother me), changing bus before day break was inevitable and the journey was long. So we bought the tickets. Then we agreed to pay 3000K (+$5 of the $10 government tax for tourism) each to four local moto drivers who took us on a sight seeing experience around Bago – to several temples, reclining Buddha, weaving factory, cigar factory and for local lunch where I spoke with Rosie who is learning English. At 630pm it was bus time and we were herded into one of several arriving buses for about $8 (10000K) each. I can honestly say that, despite having a seat this time, I slept for longer on the boarder crossing to Vietnam so I was glad to get off at 5am. This was where the journey got interesting; we had been told we would have to pay 1500K (just over $1) for the six hour, onward part of the journey. To start with the price we were actually offered was 7000K. We weren’t budging – sat in a coffee shop until day break, chatting to anyone who wanted to chat. There were 4 Germans with us by then who eventually took a bus for a bit less than the first offered price but Jair had to pray so we waited. At about 9, we were offered an uncovered van for a good price so off we struck, smiling at our hard won accomplishment. Ohhhhhhh how pride comes before a fall!!!! We found ourselves taken to the train track where it was clearly planned for renegotiations to take place. This wasn’t going to happen, so we insisted on going back to the bus station but these guys were keen to waste our time. After about 20 minutes, Ada and Jair got angry; we were put in a tuk tuk/bus and taken back to the station through the market (which was interesting and a bit different). There was some time pressure on us as Jair’s journey had to end by 4 pm so that he could start celebrating Sabbath. At the bus station, expressions of disappointment in Burmese pricing systems and scams, and threats of going back to Yangon and Thailand made to some nice people brought the price of the bus down to 4000k, which at that stage became acceptable. After getting my inflatable microphone out to show to a man playing guitar, we got on the very full bus, soon to be joined by a couple of military men and started the next leg of the trip. Exhausted by now, I slept for an hour or so. The scenery through the mountains was beautiful but the roads were treacherous. We got a taxi to Inle Lake where we had to pay government tax of $3 and found ourselves a guesthouse. That beer and shower were soooooooo good.

So what to say so far about BURMA?

Its hot, hot, hot and the power cuts that take place regularly, bust most annoyingly just as we go to bed, are really stifling. Yesterday, I arrived in Yangon early morning and met Ada and John, from Australia, who are on their way to England and a few others. We decided to take a taxi into town together and there the adventure began. Taxis anywhere can be a challenge and Yangon was no exception but it gave us a chance to see first hand how useful having an Israeli in the group can be. Yair, a slightly older, lone traveller, set the tone for the trip by reducing hard nosed taxi drivers to a quiver with his bargaining powers. We have kept him close by ever since and as a bonus, he is a comedian as well but the best thing is that he has no pretentions and talks to everyone. He has ordered 2 suits to be made for the princely sum of $60 and if there is a bargain to be got, he will get it. This is particularly handy when it comes to buying black market currency, which happens as routinely as a hair cut back home. The market changes slightly daily hovering around 1240 Khat (pronounced chat) for a dollar, it doesn’t take too long to figure it out though and I have been very pleased with my perfectly new never-folded $100 bills that I brought from Bangkok. Yair has one with a serial number which is unacceptable to the changers and any tears will make them significantly less marketable. The highest note in Burma is 1000K so wallets and rucksacks are bulging with the notes. The four of us have walked a lot while we have been here, visiting a Wat and various road side coffee shops. Earlier today we spotted a small slum type village and after a quick discussion we walked in, said hello, tried to say some Burmese words and were made feel so incredibly welcome, even being given a tour through the back to see the well where they get their drinking water and water for washing. Even thought the houses looked tiny from where we were standing, they all had satellite dishes. TV here is another anomaly. It all cuts out at about 11pm and while it is on, it seems to be an unending debate about taxi drivers across the world. I have been told that hotmail and gmail are inaccessible but I haven’t seen an internet café for myself yet. I know that people at home aren’t expecting contact so its no harm. We have discussed travel options with many, many people here and finally agreed to get to Bago by 2 hour bus journey tomorrow. Then we will go to Inle Lake. I think we will try to stay together as long as we can as there is negotiating power in numbers and while Yair is possibly not my usual travelling companion, there are unlikely to be too many dull moments with him.

Rough Itinerary for Cats travels in Myanmar/Burma.

I arrived back in BKK this morning and I am staying in the New Siam Riverside Guesthouse. Phone (66) 0 2629 3535 Room 4407. I finally get to stay in the LEGENDARY Khao San Road area. The guesthouse is very nice but not completed so the rate is reasonable enough - with a view of the river and a hair dryer!!!! I will leave Bangkok for Rangoon by Air Asia early (flight leaves at 0715) tomorrow morning (Tuesday 13th March). In Rangoon I aim to stay at Beauty Land 2 Guest House near Scott Market or White City GH or White House Hotel or near Sule Pagoda in the YMCA (2 or 3 days in Rangoon) Then I will go to Inle Lake where I will head to Nyaungshwe area and hopefully stay either at In-Wa GH or Queen Inn GH or Aquarius GH. (I plan to spend 3 days here) Then to Mandalay where I aim to stay at Royal GH (2 days) Then I will take the slow boat to Bagan (the high-light of the trip) (3 or 4 days). No idea where I will stay here but I will know my way around by the time I get here so it wont be a problemoh. Then back to Rangoon and fly out to Bangkok on the 27th March at 0835, stay in Bangkok for one day and fly to London at 0315 on Wednesday the 28th March arriving 12.15 (midday) at Heathrow. There are some lovely beaches and areas off the beaten track but I can't say if I will get to them or not yet. There is access to internet in Rangoon but very little else where. I’m sure I will find some way to stay in touch. Yesterday, I bumped into Czech Christian, one of my travelling companions from Laos and he was so thrilled with his recent time in Burma, he has reignited my enthusiasm for travel. I do feel the pull of home very strongly now that I know the time is short. I am looking forward to seeing everyone. Love, Cat X

Chiang Mai - work work work and play

Well, the Thai boxing was interesting but I am assured that it can be better. The foreigners that were training here and scheduled to fight both conquered their Thai opponents. There were some impressive matches between youngsters who had fully defined abdominal muscles that would put most grown ups to shame. There were no Thais in the audience though and it wasn't really a stadium. From what I have heard, one of the best things about Thai boxing is the atmosphere in the Thai crowd so I am going to try to get to a proper event before I leave Chang Mai. I am proud to inform you that I successfully completed my intensive 3 day quick introduction to Thai massage course thanks the patience and thoroughness of my teacher, Oye. Its a pretty physical pursuit and ironically considering the amount of massage I have had over the last few day, I feel as though I have been to the gym for a tough session. Last night Milo, Katherine and I headed on down to the local discotheque, called Bubble (for those of you who know it) and, although we got there embarrassingly early, we ended up having a whale of a time dancing to the tunes of DJ Wit and his mates. The end of the night felt a bit like a circus when the slow dances came on and there was a mad scramble in some corners. I am still facing the decision about how to get to Burma although taking a flight at least to get there is now a certainty.

Its great to be back in Thailand

After a very early Hanoi breakfast and coffee with Pearl (my new younger brother), I arrived in Bangkok airport at lunchtime and headed straight to the train station where although it was busy, I had no trouble securing a second class lower berth on the left hand side of the over night train. This was done on advice given to me so that I would see sunrise as the train arrived in Chang Mai. On arrival, a young couple, Milo and Catherine, headed with me to the Chang Mai Thai House, which was recommended to me by my Canadian companions during the Ha Long Bay trip. It was everything we hoped for and even has a swimming pool (not that I have time to try it!). We were all very tired but I enlisted straight away on the evening cookery course at the Pad Thai school and ended up being the only student so had the full attention of the teacher; a real life Meow. When I got back to the hotel, Milo and Catherine came to take me for a quick beer and we found a snazzy roof top bar right next to the beautiful and enormous night market. I have also booked a three day Thai massage course and day one was today. I have the personal attention of Oie who is teaching me in my guest house room. It is difficult in parts but I am getting the hang of it although there would be a need to do some serious study at home for me to be of any use with it. With respect to my next travel move; on closer inspection, the visa that I have for Myanmar doesn't allow land boarder crossings although I know for a fact that the boarder a few hours from here is open for people making visa runs. It wont be the end of the world to have to go back to Bangkok and fly to Rangoon but I was looking forward to the excitement of another land crossing especially one that not everyone travelling in South East Asia makes. Vietnam is a great country and I am very glad I saw it, especially with the excitement over the Vietnamese New Year, although the country itself is huge and being there at the time of the festivities made it hard to get around. The people there are more awake and competitive than the peoples of neighbouring countries so it was often exhausting for foreigners, particularly those of us who had become used to the laid back ways of Loas. I had some wonderful experiences in Vietnam, not least of all with the gentle and kind school teacher called Pearl who worked at the hotel in Hanoi where I stayed and who came to my rescue in one of my less bloggable hours - never make the mistake of standing up to a Vietnamese woman - YOU WILL LOSE :¬). Tonight I am going to watch a Canadian and a Swiss take part in Muay Thai boxing, a defining, unmissable, cultural aspect of Thailand. Looking forward to it. X

Ready to move on - no tears

Visa for Myanmar is ready, will do the boarder crossing by land from Thailand. Flying to BKK tomorrow.

Appreciating dance and beauty in Hanoi and Ha Long Bay

Well, what do I say about Hanoi? Hanoi is a maze of streets, many of which serve a purpose in their own right. I wandered into Tin Street the other day and am thankfully sleeping nowhere near it (I was forewarned). The accommodation is a few dollars more but where I got a wooden hut in Laos, here I get all the mod cons. Having done the five floor trek of steps to my room everyday in the heat of Saigon (some say it is practice for the mountain treks that many people do here), I buckled and paid a few dollars extra again when I saw a lift in this particular hotel. The people are sometimes serious looking but with a bit if work (especially when I try to speak some words of Vietnamese) there is invariably a smile. I have experienced the one scam that I am aware of - in a taxi so it could have happened in any country - when the driver took a 'slightly' circuitous route - but I got to see some night time scenery and $3 really wasn't a lot of money. So what have I been doing? Well, I spent the first 2 days getting lost and meeting nice people. There really is no sense to the orientation here except to say there is a big lake in the middle of the area where I am staying but its often hidden behind the streets. Once I found my way back from the lake it started getting easier but this is a tiny part of this big city. The desk staff in the hotel; Pearl, Mike, Va Tin have been great, suggesting cheap Vietnamese food nearby and taking me on their scooters to Bia Hoi Junction, where a glass of beer costs 2000VN Dong (6.3p) and its a great place for meeting other people on the road, though sadly not too many locals. This beer is a very light tasting home brew beer worth limiting to 2 or 3 glasses for Health and Safety reasons. I have bumped into Tom who I met in Paxai, while I was looking at a giant dead sacred turtle here, and to Becky and Miffy who I met in Hoi An while we were getting to the Ha Long Bay tour boats. Last night at Bia Hoi Junction I bumped into John, who I met trekking in North Laos, who has shaved his long read hair and beard off and so now looks very different! I am loving travelling on my own but I also love having someone to talk to about what we saw and share tips so this suits me well. I booked a three day trip to Ha Long Bay through the hotel on the recommendation of a young woman who was also staying here with her Mom but didn't know what to expect. Now that I have seen it, I keep thinking this place is more suited to the name 4000 Islands (same same but different to South Laos). In a nutshell, legend has it that a dragon flew down to protect the Vietnamese and her tail made great troughs on the mountains which then filled with water leaving the hundreds and hundreds of mountainous Islands that we can see now. The weather is usually misty and drizzly, creating an eerie atmosphere, and that is what we saw but it didn't stop us from caving and having a cycle on one of the islands and taking a kayak out to explore a sheltered harbour. My photos wont do this place justice but I did see a couple alone on the upper deck of another boat, waltzing quickly and taking a video of themselves with the scenery in the background. They looked so happy - I hope they are looking at that that in years and years. We stayed on the boat the first night and the second night we stayed in a hotel on one of the bigger islands. We generally agreed that the food was exceptional as we were spoiled with prawns and squid, and fish that was caught while we were out there. Its a tough life... The people I was with were great. I met the very funny and kind Dave and Angela from the South of England, who have been together for a million years with a young but grown up family despite looking no older than me! There were 2 retired Canadian couples who I spend most of my time with as we were put together for the second day when some of the group went home and they were brilliant, putting me to shame when I struggled a little with getting on and off the boats which would have been an obstacle course for anyone. After the meal in the hotel, I was delighted to see Bob ask his wife to dance - wouldn't it be wonderful to dance like that after 2 months of marriage let alone 30 odd years! We tried to see the rare monkeys on Monkey Island but they weren't hungry enough and we had to make do with some common monkeys. Yesterday we headed back to Hanoi and my lovey friends on the hotel desk have put me in the 'best room in the hotel'. I thought they were joking until I saw it - its huge - its the family room and I have been loving it!

And the big question is...

Were the English polite to the Irish President - or is that drama from the last time history now? Aidan? Either way...Yahooooooooooooo

Be careful what you wish for...

I have arrived in Hanoi - and its raining! x

Bicycle Chains and Bikini Bottoms

I cannot profess to any great travel adventures since the boarder crossing but I am pleased that I came to Vietnam. The weather is great and the scenery and beaches are fabulous although a touch of sunburn has kept my seaside fun to a minimum. I haven’t seen any of the thieving and meanness that I was warned about by several people before I came. A few days after I got to Hoi An, I met up with Hannah, who I originally met in North Laos. We cycled to the beach a few times and on one occasion, the chain came off Hannah’s bike. Our repair efforts were unsuccessful and a local man came to our assistance and before you know it the rest of the house was involved. I scurried off to buy him a beer for his trouble and when I turned back, Hannah was on her way in the door where the lady of the house pretty much washed the oil off her hands for her and then we were invited to sit at their table with them. They didn’t speak a word of English but we shared a small drink, some sweets, awkward watermelon seeds and some photos before we set off home to our hotel. On another occasion, Hannah lost her bikini bottoms but I really shouldn’t say anymore – it was all very innocent on her part anyway. On arrival at Ho Chi Minh City, I booked onto an organized tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels and other historical sites, which ended up being a bit like a cattle market the way we were all herded around – I admit to getting irritated by it but it was still a great experience. I climbed into the little tunnels where the VC hid themselves and from where they made many attacks during the war, I walked around the War Remnants Museum to see some more of the evidence of the craziness of war and I spent some time at the Reunification Palace, where Communist victory was declared in 1975. Last night, I was lucky enough to see another side to Ho Chi Minh City when (thanks to Anele) I met up with a HIV nurse from Manchester called Elaine, who is now working here, and her husband, Mark. We went to some lovely bars and had great local food and a really good laugh and chat. The food here is much better and cheaper than I had anticipated but the city doesn’t disguise the rat and cockroach inhabitants too well and the squat toilets are partitioned off parts of the kitchens. That said, I think my immunity is as strong as its ever been. The markets are impressive and another parcel will be winging its way back to London tomorrow before I fly on to Hanoi the day after. I’m starting to miss rain but don’t tell anyone.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi - Happy Vietnamese New Year!!!!

I spent two days in the busy city of Danang, strolling around and having more of the great coffee in road side cafes with old men who couldn’t speak any English but persisted with conversation anyway. The general mood was lovely, with lots of decorations going up for Vietnamese New Year (Tet). Many people smiled at me; the children being more brave, frequently calling out hello to me. I was offered several free fruit, red melon seeds, a beer, a watch and two pens. Lots of people took an interest in helping with my attempts at Vietnamese greetings and requests. My fears about Vietnam have so far been completely unfounded – I really did think that people were going to be mean and it is not the case at all, although being careful anywhere is a good idea. I moved onto Hoi An, which is only 30 minute away, and met a young pair of friends called Becky and Miffy on the bus journey so had a lovely day on the beautiful beach nearby with them. Hannah, who I met in Northern Laos, arrived yesterday so we are now sharing a room (with access to a swimming pool!). The town of Hoi An is the tailoring centre of South East Asia so I have had a couple of tops made. I also did a cookery course which involved a trip on a river boat. Other that that, it is sit tight and wait to see how the festivities go on. All the shops close for up to 2 weeks, transportation dries up and in less touristy places, it is difficult to get food. On the eve of Tet itself (17th) there are massive celebrations as everyone celebrates their birthday on the same day – there is definitely a great buzz in the air already! In less touristy places, (according to the guide book) it is apparently quite normal to be invited to peoples houses, however there is a pecking order in how the guests are chosen with unmarried, childless ladies coming close to the bottom of the pile LOL. While in Danang where I was the only foreigner I saw, I had fabricated a husband (promoting Monty) and 2 year old child to make myself more ‘invitable’ – of course then I felt so guilty about (not the lying) leaving the child at home in England without its mother that I had to reconsider. Fortunately a new solution has arisen in the shape of 23 year old Hannah who, on two occasions yesterday, was mistaken for my daughter – gee whiz – don’t you just love sun damage! I have been having a few problems with my blog which initially I assumed to be something to do with censorship but could just as easily be to do with the website – either way please forgive syntax errors as I can’t really review the blog properly (hence the delay in reporting Dave – sorry). At present it looks as though I will actually go to Saigon (it would be a shame to come this far and not see it) on Monday if reduced travel services allow but I’m still pushing for Burma as so many people over here say it’s the highlight of their trip. Chuc Mung Nam Moi from Cat

I think I can tick the ‘interesting boarder crossing’ box. Pakse to Danang.

So I made my boarder crossing from Lao Boa in Loas to Khe Sahn (about half way up the country) in Vietnam and then onto Danang. Well I don’t really think anything could have prepared me. In the garden at Sabaidy2 guesthouse, Bernard and Atilla had reassured me that for $15 (turned out to be $18 for falang...); I could expect the bus to have deluxe sleeper facilities. The tuk-tuk driver didn’t show at the prearranged time so Mr Voun sent one of his staff to take me to the Northern bus terminal. I was dropped off at 18.45 at the one waiting bus and my driver left. I worked out quickly that it was a local bus and was told with relative certainty that it was full – there were already 80 people on the 60 seater. I joked that I could go on the roof and was told in all seriousness that there were already too many chickens there. After a few minutes of coaxing, I wasn’t getting anywhere so I headed to find a way of getting back the 6km to the guesthouse in the dark, but one of the drivers ran behind me laughing that there were now ‘seats everywhere’. Hmmmmmmm… My backpack went up with the chickens and I was put on a 5 litre paint bucket right beside the driver. As we set off, another 7 people got in the doorway so much of the journey was done with them hanging out of the bus a bit. Every time the driver changed gear, I had to move my legs and there were people sleeping on me, once I relaxed enough to let them which was an inevitability. There was also a much loved pup under my feet so I couldn’t move them without an occasional yelp and a look of concern from the owner. As we left Pakse I was able to see the ‘slash and burn’ farming, for which the Laos are criticised, and which reminded me of home as a child when the furze bushes were burned back. It looked like streams of lava in the night – at that stage of the journey I was still romanticising! LOL. There were parties on the streets of the villages that we went through, probably to mark the start of preparations for Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. We stopped a couple of times for pee breaks and arrived at the boarder at about 2am where most people had food and we waited. Some people had children that I pulled faces at and a few older ones very kindly invited me to their table. They found another older man, who used to work with the US in aviation, to speak with me for a few minutes to check I was OK. We set of again for the boarder at about 5 and by 6 the bus stopped a hundred meters or so from the boarder for the locals to buy black market currency and sim cards and to have the most wonderful 50 mls of cold dark sugary coffee which they stirred with vigour and then added ice to. The people on the bus had taken a subtle but protective interest in who I spoke to, guiding me to stay with them. I had the feeling that locals would do OK out of these financial wheelings and dealings but the foreigner would be an easy mark. I saw the locals pleasantly and discretely checking their sims etc before the deals were done. One of the men directed me towards the boarder crossing and that’s where the real circus began – me and up to a thousand other SE Asians almost breaking into a stampede to get to the window to get our passport stamps. Strangely, this is the one place where I had to part with money unexpectedly; where all the locals were charged a dollar to leave Laos I was charged $10 – I am looking forward to working that one out. The process eventually involved me (with some trepidation) passing my passport through the crowd to the window and then waiting for hours for shouts of ‘Falang?’ to know that it was ready. I had a pleasant surprise when I walked into Vietnam as the guards there were lovely (and handsome) and they didn’t take the money that I had put with the passport, which the locals pay for the stamp. In its turn, our bus was unloaded, sniffer pup was out, there were some sellers but it was pretty relaxed until I came across the one and only attempt to scam me (that I was aware of). Two people wearing the usual dust protection face masks asked me where my bus ticket was, saying with authority that I needed to show them or pay more; I couldn’t find it and had given it to the boarder guards as proof of onward travel so perhaps I hadn’t got it back(?). Any way, even through the haze of my lack of sleep, I knew I had to find the bus driver and by the time I did, they were gone. Back on the bus, we started the next leg of the journey to Hue. More people got on. I couldn’t sit down. At that point I saw that the seat I had had beside the driver was one of the best on the bus. 3 or 4 hours later we got to Hue and the bus started clearing out making several stops along the way. I was sent to the back of the bus to rest on bags of rice, (where seats had been removed) and met a lovely teacher who had a few words of English. After telling me to put my bum bag inside my clothes, he moved away to let me sleep. A little while later, the 8 or so remaining people on the bus sent me back some watermelon and it was like magic, I was awake and able to see the beautiful mountains we were to travel trough on the journey. There was an impressive tunnel. I was very tired indeed ;). We stopped at a road side café and while I was in the loo, they ordered me what they were having – fish in rice stew and tea. I was delighted but hesitated when I saw the driver take a fish head out of his. Who knew you could get so much meat out a fish head, eh? Phew, no heads in mine and it was great. We got to Danang in the dark and a moto driver offered me his services. I had hoped to get to Hoi An but it was more sensible to stay here so I struck off with him to the Modern Hotel which was recommended in the guide book – closed, next place - not there. The motor bike went over during a parking manoeuvre but no big harm done, although the rucksack went flying and I think it was here that some damage was done to the lock. I had a good look at the driver in the improved street lights and saw that he had a facial weakness…Got back on the bike, found a place to stay that was also on my list (The $14 Hotel Hoa Hong – with a bath YAHOO) and went out to explore. There are lots of celebration lights here and absolutely no farangs that I can see except me. I had a meal in a beautiful restaurant, lots of fairy lights and lamps and candles. I have found a winner in my Spring Role competition. As I paid the bill, I saw a huge rat heading for the water feature but you know what…it seemed OK. So I went for a loooooong sleep. I know this is a long blog but I have to tell someone…so if you got this far; thank you! LOL As a reward take a look at one of the beautiful things to see in 4000 Islands, Laos X

Letting go of Laos

I'm feeling very sorry for myself as tonight I have to pull myself away from Laos. The Vietnamese festival of Tet is just starting which I believe has the same consequences as New Year does at home with all the public service buildings and restaurants etc closing down. I have timed it well - I make the boarder crossing tonight across from Savannakhet. There is a weird stop (even under normal circumstances) for 7 hours in the middle. Between 12 midnight and 7am we wait in the bus with our rucksacks on our laps (in my case 20kgs), for the boarder to open. Last night, for no good reason, I slept for about an hour so Im a bit worried as even the most capable travellers advise alertness on arrival in Vietnam. So many people here are saying they went to Vietnam and then left after 3 days because of the hassles... With true tired traveller irrationality, my eyes welled up when I was served soup instead of noodles this morning... Hopefully there will some lovely people on the bus and I wont 'be alone for long'. Its all part of the adventure and I know that I will get back what I put in - Hey Ho.Cat X. PS - On the upside I have met some lovely French people who have been helping me to remember my French. PPS - Dave, the trek was in the National Park near Luang Nam Tha (the guide/manager is still missing) and your interest in the blog has always guaranteed you a T-shirt ;~)

Laid back In Laos - My Laos name is Meow

About six days ago I went on a planned tour from Mr Boons Sabaidy2 guesthouse in Pakse to the Bolaven Plateau where they claim the best coffee growing on the planet. We were taken to the tea and coffee plantations, to Waterfalls where we had the coldest swim in Laos and then we stayed overnight at Mr Tims. Here we listened to old time jazz in the much dustier but very peaceful and beautiful South Laos countryside. I also enjoyed my cheapest accommodation yet when I shared a hut for 3 with Sandrine (a young French woman who speaks with an Irish accent), Tom and Garth (so 4). It worked out at $1.25 each. I had a crazy gecko moment when a poor critter hopped onto my back and then took a stroll onto my neck...I probably don't need to describe what happened next but suffice it to say I was praying to the King of Geckos for forgiveness as I went to sleep. The next day the others went on further into the Plateau and I hung out, thinking that was as laid back as I could get. How wrong I was! There is a place, and its a strange place indeed, called The 4000 Islands. I travelled there with Iris and Janna who were also on the Bolaven tour. The weather was hot so we swam in the Mekong to cool down and wash ourselves, off Don (Island) Det. Facilities were sparse with limited electricity and pumped water (to keep the story short). The food there and the people who made it were lovely. On the first night we had a barbecue with Janice Joplin playing from the most precarious looking CD player I have ever seen. The second night we went to the Reggae bar (with Swiss Mike who speaks with an Irish accent and Mattheus who is German and speaks like a German) where Valium is served on the breakfast menu. Naturally I made do with fried garlic, chips and egg. There wasnt really a lot of movement for the 2 days that I was there. It was liberating to be so calm and so conscious that I dont need much and what I need is around me. I became an unwitting carer for a kitten (called crusty) who has been on suicide watch since birth – on separate occasions she has burned off her whiskers, burned her paws, and had to have a chicken bone and a fishing hook removed from her throat and she isnt eating and drinking or having normal maternal attention. She was showing a bit more strength yesterday and so I reluctantly put her in the care of Maria, the 3 year old child of the restaurant who I was impressed to see put her in a hammock. Poor crusty wasnt around this morning so I can only hope that she hasnt been successful in her attempts to end it all. I knew I needed to come back to Pakse to pick up my Vietnam visa (and because I was becoming too involved with the cat) and had a lovely surprise when I looked at my passport to realise that I could stay an extra 3 days...(this surprise was matched only when the flight last week with Loas Air from Luang Prabang to Pakse took off 20 minutes early). My plan at the moment is to journey up to Savannakhet where I can make the boarder crossing at Lao Bao, focus as much as I can on seeing North Vietnam and then spending a few weeks in Myanmar before I head to Thailand and then home. I feel I need to add that any mention of 'rushing' in Laos started off as a joke so anyone receiving emails from me should be advised that despite that fact that I say I am rushing, it really isn't the case but I am trying to stay out of internet cafes where my typing speed would have me chained to the computer for hours on end - which is exactly what I know you don't want me to be doing. I am meeting the loveliest people over here but there is no substitute for you guys back home and I think of you often and especially when I see beautiful things. I cant wait to force the photos on you - I just know you cant wait, at the moment I am averaging 150 per day. ;~) PS There seems to be a bug affecting apostrophies in my blog - apologies. XXX

Recovery from the trek - Paxai

The trek was wonderful but it is probably evident that it took its toll and the last days have been spent recovering. We had a great time (despite cold and rain) getting lost in the hills and my fear of heights and falling etc didn’t really hamper me too much as I had lots of support from the others who held on end of my walking stick (no joking – that’s all it took) when I occasionally felt that I was losing my balance. There was one hairy moment where our guide Mr Aah-lun pretty much lifted me up the side of a particularly slippery part (and the stick he had given me got caught in his legs and nearly toppled him to his death – but that’s another story). Suzi got a leach on her foot but she was cool as a cucumber. We stayed in an ‘eco-hut’ and had dinner with the Kamu chief, who was very unimpressed when I told him my father has five cows – he has eighty but no motorised transport. Suzi was asked to stay in the village and she has no cows in her family so I don’t know what that’s all about…The only other excitement was a middle aged German guy who let the side own a bit by having an over enthusiastic desire to photograph the local ladies with their tops off. Suzi and I had to say good-bye to Terry as we were going in opposite directions at that point but I think they might try to meet in Borneo. Meanwhile Suzi’s new boyfriend was trying to find her ‘somewhere in Laos’ and when we got back to Luang Pra Bang, they bumped into each other in an internet café. The following morning, there was a flight to Paxai which, although expensive, I believed I had earned. On arrival Paxai seems more like Cambodia that the rest of Laos that I’ve seen; the roads are wide but many aren’t paved, there are lots of shops and most of them are closed and diet coke is pretty thin on the ground as well. Saying that, they are very good at massage, the clean and basic guest house I’m in is about $3.50 and has a leafy garden and some of the best coffee in the world is grown here so I’m of to explore that by bus tomorrow. Then I’m off to the Four Thousand Islands while I wait for my Vietnam visa to come through early next week.