Greetings from Hong Kong

Let me start out by saying Hong Kong is a hell of a long way from Dundas.
There is a 12 hour time difference, so I guess it's about half way around the world. As my friend Bill describes Hong Kong- it's New York City on steroids. Another big difference is that NYC is flat, while HK consists of nothing but hills. There are a lot of steps. I know!
You want to go shopping at 11 pm?; everything is open. It's only you and 8 million other people. I cannot think of one name brand store I haven't seen represented here. It's a shoppers' paradise.
The transportation system in HK is phenomenal. You can purchase an "Octopus" card, which is like a debit card. You load it up with a certain amount of money. When you get on any of the modes of transportation, you swipe the card and it automatically deducts the amount of the fare. On the subway you swipe on the way in and out. The cost is dependent on how far you travel. No tickets, no money for change. It's fantastic, and it works for all forms. I used it on minibuses, regular buses, the subway, trams, and ferries.
My favourite sights have been, oddly enough, religious in nature. I visited a Buddhist nunnery yesterday. It was on a hill, of course, but it is a series of large wooden buildings, beautifully constructed. No nails, no screws, everything fits together like a wooden puzzle, only huge.
It's hard to tell it's a nunnery, because they all have completely shaven heads, and loose brown robes. Unless you watch them go into the womens' side of the washroom you can't tell.
It is amazing to see such a peaceful building surrounded by 50 story apartment buildings.
The nunnery also has one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever see. Few flowers, but lovely rock formation, and bonsai trees.
In the afternoon I visited a Buddhist cemetery, and a Buddhist monastery.

The cemetery is interesting. Because of the cost of land, cemeteries are large rooms, lined with "drawers" for the cremated remains. There are dozens of these rooms, each with a couple of hundred remains. Family members visit and burn incense sticks. There are also large furnaces where family members can burn offerings. They use fake money to gain favours from their ancestral spirits. As a spirit I don't know how I would feel about being given monopoly money. I think I would prefer a few nice sandwiches, and maybe some new DVD's.
Another feature of this cemetery is that it's on top of a hill, with 500 steps to get there. It wasn't until I went down again that I discovered there was an elevator. I was wondering how some of the older people I saw at the top got there.
Right next to this cemetery was another monastery "The Monastery OF 10000 Buddhas". Another 500 steps up.

By the time I got to the top of that one I wasn't sure whether it was 500 steps and 10000 Buddhas, or 10000 steps and 500 Buddhas. It felt more like the second one. And they aren't kidding about the number of buddhas. They do come in all sizes, from much larger than human size to tiny images. The walk up is along a path which is lined with several hundred life-sized statues, in various poses and facial expressions. Each one is unique.
It was quite warm and humid, and I lay down for an hour or so after I got home.
For my last meal in HK Diane, Bill and I went to a Nepalese restaurant. Very good food.
I have been staying with friends of a friends, a lovely couple, Diane and Bill. They have been perfect hosts, and these few days have been great. I am sure that this level of luxury won't be reached for the rest of my trip. I am off to Hanoi later today, and that's where the real adventure will begin.
Till the next time
Ralf
PS If you want to leave comments. please feel free.

Greetings from the land of the Dong

Just a quick clarification. The "dong" is the currency of Vietnam.
It took 2 hours to fly from HK, and almost 2 hours to drive from the airport into Hanoi.
I took a minivan from the airport to the city, and as soon as I got in it reminded me of Guatemala. There were 14 of us in the minivan plus all the luggage, Crowded wouldbe an great understatement.
The other thing that reminded me of Guatemala was all the garbage along the roads. The air pollution, I think, is worse than Hong Kong. At night the sky turns a metallic bronze.
And the traffic is insane. That's the only way to describe it. Think about rush hour traffic in any Canadian city, and then add a thousand motor scooters to all the cars. I kid you not. There are intersections like Yonge and Bloor, but no traffic lights. Nobody stops, traffic just weaves in and out. It is unbelievable that I did not see one accident. When you cross a road you just start to walk at a steady pace. You don't want to look towards the oncoming traffic. It would scare the hell out of you, and they would see the fear in your eyes; which is never a good thing.
I love it here though. The vitality of the city is unbelievable. And the motorscooters are priceless. You see everything from families of four, on one scooter, to ladies in fancy dresses and high heels, weaving in and out like professional motorcycle racers. And the loads some of them carry. I saw on that had about 40 flats of eggs hanging on the back. A flat is 12 by 12 eggs.

I did have one interesting interaction. A very beautiful lady in a red dress, with a slit up to her neck, high heels and all, stopped and asked if I was interested in a massage. Unfortunately (or maybe not) I hadn't been to an ATM yet.
That was another experience. I did go to one later, and withdrew 12 000 000 dong. Instant millionaire. The reality though is that's only about 600 dollars. The dong is not large. And size does matter. I did not encounter the lady in red on the way back.
I did have a great dinner. 8 spring rolls and a bottle of Tiger beer. My kind of meal. And all for 4 bucks.
My hotel room is right in the old city, there is a safe ( the kind to store money) in my room, air conditioning, mini fridge, fresh fruit, and beakfast included, all for 40 dollars.
As I said I love it here.
Tomorrow it is time to venture forth and discover Hanoi.
Wish me luck
Ralf

My second day in Hanoi

I had a very fortunate experience this morning. As I was walking I heard some music, and I followed my ears. I came across a street festival, which featured lion dancers, groups of ladies doing fan dances, tai chi (?), and martial arts exhibitions (not by the ladies). It turned out it was a celebration at a temple, and the occasion was the birthday of the founder of the temple. The ceremonies lasted about 2 hours, and it was great entertainment.
I also went to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. He is the country's most adored citizen, like Lenin in Moscow and Attaturk in Turkey. His body is preserved and on show 10 months of the year. The other two months he is in Moscow getting a facelift, and a formaldehyde refill. I had no intention of viewing the body, but it is in a huge park, and there is security all over the place. You can't just wander around, you basically follow the crowd. Because I hadn't expected to see the body I didn't check my camera at the security office, but I found myself in line to see the body. I was hoping I wouldn't get caught, and I didn't. He does look good for somebody who has been dead a few years.

The most amazing thing about Hanoi is the traffic. I know I have said this before, but I have to repeat it. It is more thrilling than any Disney ride. At one point you feel like Moses parting the Red Sea, the next you think you are a torreador in a bull fight arena. I had a coffee in a restaurant with a balcony, and I just watched the traffic for half an hour. It was like an RCMP Musical Ride, with motorcycles and cars weaving around each other.
Absolutely amazing.
The trick is not to look at the traffic, just look straight ahead and walk at a steady pace. You certainly must learn to have faith in your fellow human beings.
The weather today was much nicer, it was cool, and very pleasant. I have yet to see the sun on this trip. The air is so bad, the sun can't get through. There are a lot of people with face masks.
One more day in Hanoi then it's off the the northeast of Vietnam.
Till the next time
Ralf

Ralf gets a haircut

There are some "crafts"villages near Hanoi. I tried to decide whether to go to the "snake" or the "silk" village.The specialty of the "snake" village is to raise snakes for the specialty restaurants in the area. The description of a typical meal in Le Mat goes like this, I quote one of the guidebooks.
"  Usually the cook presents the live cobra at the table either tied to a stick, or held by a helper. First he cuts the snake's neck, allowing the warm blood to gush out and fill a glass. Then he slices its stomach and removes a small green balloon-like venom sac, pouring it into another glass. The heart is next; the cook makes an incision a little higher, carefully cutting out the snake's still beating heart, and presents the tiny organ on a plate or in a glass of rice whiskey. The snakes venom is blended with its urine and some more rice whiskey.The brave can down the glass and its living contents. Quite the cocktail, eh.
The rest of the snake is then cooked and presented to the table."
I decided to go to the silk village, Van Phu. I took local buses, and that is quite a challenge when you can't read the signs, and nobody speaks English. But I did persevere, and I did reach it. It was not what I expected. This village is well known for the handmade silk, and the silk sold at the boutique shops in Hanoi almost all come from there. So I thought it would be touristy, sort of like St. Jacobs, a little out in the country. Not in Vietnam. Even though it's listed as 7 km from Hanoi, it is simply a small part of the urban sprawl, actually "urban slum" would be a better description. I never saw another tourist, on the way there, while I was there, and the way back. There were some nice silk pieces, very reasonable, and I actually did some shopping.

The other interesting adventure was that I passed a barber who had set up shop on the sidewalk. I needed a haircut, so I sat down and got a haircut. The good news is that it was only a buck fifty, the better news is that I won't need a haircut for six months. The only bad news is that I might have a problem getting through passport control; they might not recognize the photo as being me.
I did another brave thing today. I took a "xe om", which is a motorcycle taxi, and interprets as "I want to die young, riding a motorcycle, hopefully with a scared shitless Westerner on the back". I think the guy thought I was gay, I was holding on so tightly. Beats any rollercoaster ride I have been on, and is cheaper, even if you include the cleaning bill for the pants.
This is my last night in Hanoi for a few days. I am off to the "Wild North". I am hoping for electricity, but I doubt I will see a lot of internet, so if you don't hear from me in a while that is the reason.
I was thinking today, as I wandered like a lost cloud, thank goodness I am doing this while I am still yound. I don't think I'll be doing this in twenty yeras.
Have fun
Ralf

Reporting from Ha Giang

It has been quite an adventure the last couple of days.
The bus terminal that I went to in Hanoi had only one bus a day to Ha Giang, and it leaves at 3 am. (I later found out there was another terminal with more buses to Ha Giang). So I took a cab to the station at 2, and everything was locked up. There was only me, standing with my bags, and a dozen or so rats cavourting around. I didn't make any friends.
At 2:45 there appeared a man, who opened one of the buses. It was a 20 seat minibus. I noticed the back seat was taken up by 2 huge truck tires. As we drove to Ha Giang we picked up more and more passengers, and their packages. One man came aboard with a large wheelbarrow. Not something you would see in good old Canada. By the time we neared Ha Giang we had THIRTY (I counted) passengers, bags all over the place, people sitting on the bags. It was quite a sight.

We arrived in Ha Giang at 10:30 am. Ha Giang City is the capital of Ha Hiang province. There is absolutely no tourist information there. No office, no maps, no-one to that speaks English. I went to 3 hotels to ask for travel information. No luck. The Lonely Planet had mentioned a Tourist Office. I found the street, but no office. I went into one of many cell phone places, and by pointing asked the man to call the number in the guide book. It was out of service. One of the many motorcycle taxi guys tried to help me, and actually took me to a Travel Agency. A very nice lady told me that the only way I could travel further north to see the sights I wanted to see was to rent a motorcycle. There was no way I was going to drive a motorcycle on these roads, with this traffic, with no maps. The other option was to hire a motorcycle and driver, me on the back. It would be a 2 day trip.

I really started to have doubts about this whole Northern Experience, but I really didn't want to chicken out, so I made the arrangements. Her younger brother who spoke some English was to be my driver.
The other thing about Ha Giang. There are no restaurants. NONE. There are a lot of hole-in-the-wall places. I tried one, but had no luck communicating, and I left.
Dinner was a can of tuna and a baguette. But it was the most expensive can of tuna they had.
My hotel room was like the one in Hanoi, without the safe, telephone, mini fridge, computer in the room, air conditioning, and free fruit. Otherwise the only diffeence was one of the hardest mattresses I ever slept on. But I did have a great sleep, and the room was 9 dollars.
Another funny thing I have noticed is that the rooms in the hotels all have very high ceilings, over 10 feet. What is curious is that the average Vietnamese is less than 5 foot 6.
To continue..The next morning I stored my bag at the travel agency, and we were off at 7 am, Son, the driver and I. After about 2 hours we stopped at a town which had a Sunday market. It was great. The local hill tribes all come, and it is as much a social gathering as a market. The costumes are fabulous. Very bright colours, and great head wears. I hope the photos turn out. I actually sat down at one of the stalls, and had a bowl of Pho, the Vietnamese staple. It was great.
The roads are basically one lane, which makes it interesting when you meet, or pass, a truck. I just closed my eyes and had faith in Son.
We stopped for lunch and I had some of the toughest chicken I have ever eaten. I think it was left over from the War. I ate the rice, it's good with some Soya sauce. As we were leaving it started to rain. We put on our ponchos, and off we went. Luckily the rain stopped after half and hour or so.
I have to say the scenery was fantastic.

Everything is quite hazy. I think it's smog. Most of the locals still cook with wood, they burn their garbage, and they still use "burn and slash" agriculture. They use every imaginable piece of land for growing rice, corn, and greens. Step hills are terraced, and flooded to grow rice. And everything has to be done by hand. No electricity in the back country.
Another cute sight..a teenage girl tending 3 water buffalos at the side of the road, talking on her cell phone.
I am off to bed, another slab of marble.

Hope you are all enjoying these tales. Leave comments if you so wish. There is room at the bottom of each of the blogs for this.
By the way I sure missed my Friday Williams coffee.

Back in Ha Giang

The adventure is over, and aside from a sore bum I am fine.
And it was quite the adventure.

The scenery was spectacular, beautiful mountains, the Vietnamese Alps. The climate is milder, otherwise I would have really frozen my buns off. Even at 15 it is chilly on a bike.
 As we left Ha Giang, the land was somewhat level, and there were a lot of rice padddies. This is the season where they start to plant, and lots of farmers were in the paddies, plowing, underwater, the paddies with water buffalos and wooden plows. Others were planting the rice, one plant at a time, underwater. Bending over all day long must be tough.
As we started to climb the paddies were more and more terrased into the hillsides. It must have been unbelievable carving out the terraces, but I imagine it took centuries, not years. There were also corn fields and other vegetables grown.
The most fascinating part of the trip was to see the hill tribes. They are ethnically different from the Vietnamese, and have a very basic style of living. Subsistence agriculture. At their elevation there are no animals larger than small goats. There are also a lot of chickens, and dogs. I would guess some of those dogs ends up as part of the menu. We stopped at a local market, and it was quite different from the one on Sunday. Fewer meat stalls, some goats for sale, basic grains, corn, beans, rice, vegetables and fruit, but not the selection fron further down. And junk food. There are also stalls selling clothing, and everything else you can think of.
Most of the people live in small groups of homes, up on a hillside, wooden and stone structures. No electricity, everything uses wood, for heating, for cooking. You see a lot of people along the road, carrying bundles of wood. The main mode of transportation is walking. It is too hilly for bikes, and very few can afford a motor bike.

Except for the plastic utensils I imagine this hasn't changed for a few hundred years.
The people are tiny. At the market I don't think I met anyone taller then me. And the women are about a foot shorter.
On the way back we had a great lunch. 3 egg omelet, fantastic chicken soup, rice, and even french fries. I have developed a taste for Soya sauce. Great on rice or even on french fries. 3.50 total.
We made it back to Ha Giang in the afternoon, and I rested my sore cheeks for a while. Ha Giang is a fairly large city, but I still haven't found a restaurant. I also haven't been able to have a cup of coffee for 3 days. The tea they serve here is very strong and bitter. There isn't one place in town that sells postcards, and there are some beautiful sceneries to have on a card.

The people are very polite and friendly. I haven't seen one example of yelling or screaming, or road rage. They are tidy. They sweep they front and the side walk in front of their houses. Women, pulling large carts, then collect the garbage. The problem is that there is a lot of dust, and that isn't picked up, so it is simply moved around. There is also a lot of exhaust from the bikes.
These bikes by the way are no Harley's. There are 110 cc bikes. That's what I travelled on.
The other problem is the wood fires. All along my 2 day trip there were continuous fires along the mountains. Slash and burn agriculture. Then there are the cooking fires. Even in Ha Giang the restaurants use wood fires for the cooking they do. I have seen several cases where residents burned their garbage on the sidwalk in front of their homes, on the main street in Ha Giang.
And one more note. If the Ontario Food inspectors were to hit Ha Giang, there wouldn't be ONE restaurant or market open.

Anyway, I am off on another 8 hour bus ride back to Hanoi.
Till the next time
Ralf

March 31 Back in Hanoi

Well it has been a week, and what a week.
Some general impressions.
Sidewalks are primarily for  parking motorbikes. They are also used as eating places, selling just about anything; everything except pedestrians. I guess that's what roads are for.
I have never seen such airpollution. When I was in Hong Kong the big news was the smog. HK is much better than Vietnam. The only time I have seen the sun is through a bronze filter. I don't think all the motorbikes help. Add to this the fact that a lot of people smoke I can't imagine the rate of lung cancer here.
Houses are quite different here. They are very narrow, about 10 feet across, but very deep, and 3 story high. The front doors are like patio doors, and open up the entire width of the house. The front room on the first floor is the living room, TV, and eating area. In the evenings the doors are open and you can see the household. And of course this is the room where you park your motorbike.
Today will be a day of rest, just walking and shopping. I have found a laundry that charges 1 dollar per kg. I am going to splurge.
Adieu
Ralf

March 31 Another hazy day in Hanoi

I wonder if I am ever going to see the sun again. I sure hope that this smog isn't everywhere in Vietnam.
I just walked in the old town today. This old quarter still follows the medieval custom where all the same trades are on the same street. My hotel is on the grave stone street. At any time there men on the sidewalk carving away. There is the bamboo street, if you need some bamboo poles. I bought some underwear on the Underwear Alley. That's all they sell there, and it's the only place where you can get underwear. Sizing is the other fun. My "medium" is an "XL" here.
The Vietnamese language is interesting. It is a tonal language. This means that how you sound a word is very important. For example the word "ma" has six different meanings, depending on how you sound it. Two of the meanings are "mother" and "horse". I guess you would have to be very careful when you ask someone "May I ride your horse?"
Anyway life goes on.
One great thing here is the local beer. There are "taverns" every couple of blocks. A man sits beside a large plastic vat. A rubber hose is like a tap, which he controls with his finger. When someone orders a glass he fills the glass. 35 cents a glass; and it's good beer. Cheaper than Coke.
Tomorrow I am off on another road trip, starting at Ba Be Lakes and then to Cao Bang. I won't be back to Hanoi till Sunday.
I will try to keep blogging
Ralf

April 1 to April 4

April 1 to April 4
The last 3 days have been fun.

I had wanted to visit BaBe National Park and Ban Gioc Waterfalls in the Northeast of Vietnam. According to the Lonely Planet this not easy to do without a tour, and for once I decided to do the smart thing. I decided to use a travel agency. I spoke to the gentleman at ET Pumpkin and he arranged a private 4 day tour to the area.
Smart thing. I went with a driver, and an English speaking guide. They were both were excellent, and I have to say driving here is not pleasant. I would say we averaged 40 km/h, over winding mountain roads. You never know what is around the next corner. You sound your horn, and hope. We met all kinds of things. My favourites were the water buffalo. They has the most world-weary woeful expression on their face; as they look at you in the middle of the road. It's almost like they are saying "And you think you have problems...". There are also families of ducks, waddling across, pigs, cows, and many many dogs. The dogs think they own the road. You have to sound the horn to get them to move. One couple of dogs were busy copulating in the middle of the road, with trucks, cars, motor bikes, and bicycles, going around them left and right.I guess they have their priorities.
The other thing you see hundreds of are motor bikes, and their loads. It sometimes is unbelievable. One time two trees seemed to be in the middle of the road. As we got closer a motorbike, with a 10 foot tree on either side came towards us. We saw bikes with several dozen chickens, 3 live pigs, 5 goats, all on the back. And that doesn't include the huge bags. I think the most priceless was a motor bike with a small horse, tied up, its legs in the air, on the back of a 110 cc bike. I got a picture of that one. Usually by the time you see one, they are gone, but the horse one was in a town.
We arrived in Ba Be NP in the afternoon. We had a "homestay", which means staying with a local family. It was in a small fishing village, overlooking the lake. At this time of year the water level is quite low. During the rainy season the water rises 2 to 3 meters, and sometimes higher. That is the reason all the houses are built on stilts. The bottom level is for staorage, and the higher level contains all the living quarters. The house is about 30 by 30 feet, and is one large room. Curtains are used to partition off the rooms. Furniture is basic; for everyone. My room had a mattress on the floor, and a mosquito net. There was also a large deck, overlooking the water.
Most Vietnamese families live together. When a son marries his wife moves in with him. There is no welfare system and so the younger generation provides for their parents. The family we stayed with had on older couple, their so, his wife, and two small children.
We had a great meal, cooked by the son. It was the best meal I have had in Vietnam so far. The way they cook their vegetables is fantastic. I can't wait to try some of the things I have eaten, once I get home.
In the evening we sat on the deck, drinking tea. I must say I haven't got used to their tea, or their coffee, so far. The tea is served in cups that hold about 1 ounce. After a while it becomes lukewarm, very strong, and bitter. I imagine crocodile piss would taste like this.
It was a lovely evening, very similar to what sitting up north at a cottage would be like. It is jungle country, lots a crickets and frogs. To make it more authentic, there were even the odd mosquito. The house has no screening, so it must be fun during the evening. The mosquito netting certainly is need.
At 8 all the electricity in the village went out. It could be very romantic, but not when you are travelling alone.
The next morning the rooster sounded the alarm at 5:22, and before six the women were doing laundry in the river.
The father served pancakes, made with rice flour, milk, eggs and water. It was served with local honey. Very tasty.
In the morning we did a boat ride on the lake. The lake is quite beautiful, surrounded by mountains, covered by jungle. I would have loved to do it in a canoe. (The lake)
Then it was back in the car for another long winding road trip. We visited a couple of small villages, and my guide explained the process of growing rice. Very labour intensive, and the whole family works at it. The farmers here have no safety net, provided by the government. No crop, starvation. A very tough life.
We visited another village, higher in the mountains, too high for rice. Here they farmed corn, beans, and other greens. Each village, in addition to farming, has a specialty. One that we visited made knifes. Everything is done by hand. Many of the building still use straw and mud construction. The floors are packed dirt.
Another village specialized in making incense sticks.
The family we stayed with that day was a middle class family in a small town. The have quite a large house. The main floor is cement floored, and has a living room at the front of the house, a kitchen, and bathrooms. The sleeping areas are on the second floor. Again the furniture is simple. A mattress, mosquito net, that's it.  Again the family consisted of an older couple, their son, his wife, and a beautiful young daughter. Once again the food was great.
I slept quite well those two nights.
The next morning breakfast was noodle soup with duck. Pho, the Vietnamese soup, is the national dish, and they eat it all day long, and I have yet to have one that wasn't fantastic. Another item for my menu list.
I think Sandy can retire from the kitchen.
We then drove on to Ban Gioc waterfalls, through some mountainous, and spectacular scenery. Ban Gioc is Vietnam's largest waterfall, and half is in China, half in Vietnam. It was beautiful, and I took my 50 pictures.
There are very few tourists in this area. I think over the 3 days in the north I saw a total of fewer than 10. And, again, there isn't one postcard of this scenery.
After we left the falls, it started to drizzle. The evening was spent in the provincial capitol, Cao Bang. It was different being in a hotel again.
Sunday was rainy, not hard, but it was foggy, and actually quite cool. It took us all day to get back to Hanoi. 285 km, and it took us 7 hours of driving.
I think tomorrow will be a day of rest.
I hope everyone had a Happy Easter
Ralf

Last day in Hanoi

I have just spent my last night in Hanoi, and I hope a change of location will give me a change in weather. Hanoi has not been kind to me in terms of the weather. Warm to hot, 100% humidity, a lot of drizzling.
A couple of days ago, after I returned from my car trip to the north, I just relaxed. I did some shopping. I am not good at bargaining, I don't like it, and I feel that I am dealing with people that live on a few dollars a day, so when I bought my first tee shirt last week it was from a young girl on the street. I did do some bargaining, and ended up paying 5 dollars. Yesterday I bought another tee shirt, at a store in the Old Quarter, for 2.50, no bargaining.

In the afternoon that day I attended a Water Puppet Show. This is a very traditional form, unique to the North of Vietnam. The audience were all tourists, and it was ok, but not something I would want a video of. I had a nice dinner, and for 5 to 6 bucks, you can eat in style.
The highlight of the day was a 1 hour aromatic massage (14 $). It was fantastic. I had a hell of a time getting up from the table afterwards.
Slept like a baby. I definitely want to do this again.
Yesterday I decided to join a city tour. Group of one. My guide was a university student. She spoke English quite well. The Vietnamese have the same problems as the Chinese students I met in China. The are good at reading, and writing, but they don't get a chance to listen to native English speakers, so their spoken usage is difficult at times.
We went back to the Ho Chi Min mausoleum, and also the Presidential Palace, which was built by the French. All important buildings in Vietnam are yellow. My guide explained that yellow in the colour of royalty, and denotes power. In the good old days only the king was allowed to wear gold. That is very similar to the British royalty, where only the king was allowed to wear purple, and the colour of clothing showed the social posituion of the person.
We also visited the Temple of Literature, which wasn't so much a temple as a place of learning. It was Vietnam's first university, and is over 1000 years old. It is dedicated to Confucius. Confusionism isn't as much a religion as a philosophy of social rules, and is basically a system of feudalism. The King is appointed by the gods, men are superior to women, and it lays down a set of rules for social behaviour. No wonder the kings liked it.
I was asking my guide about teachers' pays, and she said an experienced teacher in Hanoi makes about 150$ a month. Less experienced teachers, and teachers outside of Hanoi make less. OSSTF would shudder.
After a big lunch, we visited the Museum of Ethnology. This was opened in 2000 and is excellent. There are even English descriptions. There are 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam and a lot, like the hill tribes I visited in the north are very unique, they have their own culture, their own language.
It was a long day, from 8 to almost 6.
I was stuffed from lunch, so for dinner, I just sat at one of the local street "pubs". Draft beer is still only about 30 cents. As you sit street vendors walk by selling all kinds of goodies. I had a supper of peanuts, dried shredded octopus (quite good), a slice of bologna, which the lady sliced for me, and even cut up, and also a rice cake, which was tasteless. Everything seems to cost 50 cents. A can of beer is 50 cents, same with a bottle of water, or a can of pop. Maybe that's only for tourists.
I went for a nice walk around the lake in central Hanoi. It is very nice. There is a pagoda and a temple in the lake, and it is all lit up at night. Lots and lots of people, some strolling, some doing exercises.
The amazing thing about this country are the people. I haven't seen one drunk, no arguing on the street, everyone seems content and cheerful. It is amazing.
You do hear honking of horns continuously, but it is used as a warning to others, not as a sign of anger. I have been amazed I have only seen one minor accident. One of the reasons is the traffic moves much more slowly the in our cities. Top speed is 30, usually between 10 and 20; but it moves continuously. There is not time when you are stuck somewhere for any time. It flows slowly and steadily. It is an amazing experience. I suggested to one of my guides they should make up tee shirts with a picture of a typical traffic scene, and a saying "I crossed a road in Hanoi, and I am still alive" I am sure it would sell well.
Till the next time
Ralf

Doing the Sapa Hustle

I left Hanoi on the 9 pm train to Sapa. The train was quite long, about 20 cars. Most cars are privately owned. My car is owned by the Pumpkin Tourist Agency and was quite nice. Two bunk beds. The couple in my car was a couple in their thirties, originally from Bulgaria. She is a lawyer with the UN, living in Copenhagen, he is in managment with a perfume company, stationed in Singapor. We had a nice talk before we went to sleep. There is a 45 minute drive from the train station to Sapa. Part of this 99 dollar tour included breakfastst the Pumpkin Hotel, in Sapa, and a chance to take a shower. I has signed up for a 2 day, 3 night tour. On Thursday I would walk, with a guide, to several villages, and stay overnight at one. Friday was another hike, then a ride back to Sapa, and the train back to Hanoi.
The Bulgarian couple had been told this was not possible, and they would have to stay at the hotel in Sapa. When I told them about my arrangement they tried to change theirs, but were told "Not possible" After quite a discussion, it "Became possible".
We set off with our guide on a hike I will long remember. I am used to the Bruce Trail at home, this was a goat path as a comparison, 13 km of nothing but up and down, and quite slippery in places. I remembered my motorcycle ride as mild compared to this.

The other things that happens is that 3 of the local tribal women joined us as we left Sapa. They were helpful, in helping us down some of the slippery sections.
After 3 hours we arrived in a small village for lunch. At this point the women that had been with us suddenly started to sell us local wares. By this time you have built up a relationship and you feel obligated to make at least a purchase from each. At the lunch spot "our" ladies were joined by another dozen others, all selling stuff
"You buy from me?" are the words heard most often.
After lunch our ladies left us, but 4 others took their place. It was quite amusing. I was "adopted" by this 43 old woman, who followed me for the next 3 hours. She would tell me where to step, she would point out the edible plants along the way, and feed me "goodies". The whole time she would give me a travelogue, pointing to various sights along the way. The only problem it was all in Vietnamese, and I had no idea what she was talking about. Whenever we reached a village another dozen or so women would appear and "You buy from me" would be heard many many times.
We finally arrived at our homestay, and I made my obligatory purchase. I have bought some strange things.
The day was actually wonderful. There were few clouds, the sun was shining, and the temperature was comfortable. The scenery was spectacular.
The evening was very nice. We had a good dinner, and the Bulgarian couple and  I had some great discussions. A night to remember.
The next morning, first thing, my Vietnamese "mother" re-appeared, to sell me more stuff.
I finally said good bye, and we finished our hike. At our last lunch, I counted 14 women surrounding us, trying to sell. I resisted.
After we returned to Sapa I splurged, and rented a room for the 2 hours before we left for the trainstation. 2.50$, well worth spent.
We took the mini bus back to the train station and had our "Final Dinner", as it said on the ticket. I spent another dollar to have my shoes cleaned; they were absolutely filthy, and the guy did an amazing job.
I had another nice dinner conversation, and we promised to keep in touch.
The train ride back to Hanoi was not as pleasant as the train ride there, bur I think it was due to a sore body.
Anyway, back to Hanoi.
Till the next time
Ralf

Halong Bay

The train from Sapa arrived back in Hanoi at 4:30 in the am. The ride back was not as comfortable as the ride to Sapa, mainly because my body hurts. I said goodbye to the couple I met, and we promised to keep in touch. They were off to Singapor.
I took a cab to the bus station for  bus to Cat Ba Island on Halong Bay. Halong Bay is probably the biggest tourist attraction in Northern Vietnam.
When I arrived at the bus station I discovered that there was a 5:30 bus.
I have to admit that on that bus trip I was as depressed as I have ever been on a trip. Hanoi early in the morning is as close to what I think purgatory would be. Even at 6 in the morning it is hot. The smog covers  the city with a grey blanket, there is a slight drizzle. You can see the shadowy figures of people walking, cycling, or motorbiking. There  is the continuous sound of cars, buses, and motorbikes honking their horns as they go through red Lights. Red traffic lights are mere suggestions.
And everything is filthy. I don't recall a single case where a house was freshly painted. As a matter of fact I can't remember seeing a single paintstore.
I was depressed!
The trip to Cat Ba wasn't much better. It rained most Of the way. It was quite efficient though. First there was a two hour bus ride to Haiphong, then a 45 minute minibus ride to a ferry terminal, a  40 minute ferry ride  to the island, and finally another minibus to Cat Ba Town. There are a lot of hotels. I ended up in a dump. nice view, 6 bucks a night, but small, water on the floor, very basic. No A/C.
In the afternoon I visited Cat Ba National Park. It is 17 km from the town, and not easily accessible. I ended up renting a motor bike. That's the first time on a bike in almost 50 years. It was an automatic, and easy to ride. The first part, through some traffic was a bit hair raising, but after that it was fun. The park wasn't anything to brag about. Jungle, very lush, but no flowers, and no wild life, except myself.
The best part of the afternoon was spending the rest of the afternoon just driving along the coast, stopping for a drink, just enjoying the scenery. The weather was pleasant, no rain, overcast.
The next day I spent all day on a boat trip around the Bay. The scenery is really stunning. Hundreds of islands, and the all have unique shapes. They are not the soft hills we are used to, They are sheer cliffs, covered with vegetation. I hope the hundred or so photos I took turn out. There were about 15 people on board, from all over the world. Germans, Swiss, Polish, Czechs, Greece, and Canada. I had some nice talks with 2 German girls, and a Swiss lady. As we rode around the Bay we saw a lot of boathouses. They consist of a single room shack, about 15 by 15 feet, on a floating platform about 2 times larger. The all have floating fish ponds, small, which provide their livelyhood. That's it for one family. Sometimes there are a dozen of these close together, at other times, there is only one. Now some of these are over an hour from land, and the only transportation is a canoe type boat, no motor. I can't imagine life like that.
Obviously they must bring water in, because everything goes into the water, garbage, bodily waste.
One of the parts of the boat tour is that we stopped at one of these houseboats, and were provided with kayaks, which we could padle around for an hour or so. I had hoped to take a swim, but once I saw the water I decided not to. I also got lost among all the islands, and was the last one back.
After a nice lunch, on board, we cruised some more and visited a nice, large, impressive cave.
On the way back we stopped at Monkey Island. These are probably the last 6 monkeys that haven't been eaten yet. They were eagerly awaiting the tourists for goodies. The monkeys were quite aggressive, and one man was bitten by a monkey.
The tour ended about 5, all that for 17 dollars.
The other attraction in Cat Ba are the pearls. They have oyster beds in the Bay, and they sell gorgeous ear rings, necklaces, bracelets. A pair of nice ear rings, white, pink, or black were 2 bucks. I did some shopping.
In the evening I was walking along when I met the 2 German girls from the boat. I joined them for dinner, and the Greek couple, from our boat also sat with us. After dinner we moved from beer to the local homebrew which was 100% alcohol. Four rounds of those and we were having fun. We ended up closing the restaurant. The bill for a lovely shrimp dinner, 2 beers, 4 drinks came to 10 bucks.
After all that even my hotel room didn't seem too bad.
Till later
Ralf

Hue

I took another overnight train from Hanoi to Hue this time. The trains are very convenient, comfortable,  it saves a night's hotel bill, and also gives you an extra day.
Hue was hot and humid when I arrived. What a surprise!!
I took a taxi to my hotel, 5 bucks, checked in and then went to visit the Citadel, which was the imperial residence for several centuries, until the middle of the 20th. It is similar to the Forbidden City in Bejing, but not quite as large, and in much greater disrepair.
I Just had another Vietnam Moment. I have been typing for half an hour, and suddenly the power went off. All it saved was the first few lines. I must say my 2 finger typing is improving.
Back to Hue.

The Citadel is impressive, but very little of the original is left. The French leveled most of it at the beginning of the 19th century. It's nice to know that the Americans aren't the only ones resposible for the destruction of historical monuments.
My only mistake was touring the Citadel at high noon. It was 40, sunny, and humid. I actually broke down and took a "cyclo", and bicycle with a seat at the front, back to the hotel. I blessed the inventor of air condotioning before having a nap.
There isn't a lot to see in Hue. I tried to find a couple of the pagodas, but got lost, so I ended up having a beer on the shore of the Perfume River. I have to say if the perfume is anything like the river, it will not be a big seller.
Early the next morning I joined an all day boat-bus tour on the Perfume River. A young lady on a motorbike picked me up at the hotel, and drove me to the boat. We visited a small village where they put on a Kung Fu demonstration and then a large temple complex, which was very impressive, and I got my daily lesson on Buddhism. I am becoing an expert on Confusius and Buddha. Buddha statues have big ears so he can hear his people better, a big mouth, so he can smile more, and a big belly to absorb all the problems of humanity.
I remember a tee shirt that says "I have the body of a god, too bad it's Buddha's"
After lunch we got on a bus and saw 2 Royal tombs. The second one, very beautiful, was for one of the last emperors, who was merely a figurehead for the French regime. He was broke, and had to borrow the money to build this monument.
I guess you have to have your priorities as an emperor.
Today wsn't quite as hot as yesterday, but more humid. I drank 4 liters of water, and didn't go to the washroom once. My bladder is starting to ask questions, but it is not the only part of my body being punished
TaTa for now
Ralf.

Moving to Hoi An

Got scammed today.

I went to the train station to catch the train to Danang. From there I had to take a bus to Hoi An. I met the English couple from the boat trip the day before, and he told me that he had bought a ticket for the bus from Danang to Hoi An, from a "travel agent" at the train station. I decided to do the same. Well, lo and behold when we got to Hoi An, no bus showed up. The thing that irritated me the most was that a taxi driver approached us and told us no bus will arrive, but he will drive us the Hoi An for 18 dollars. We waited for 20 minutes for the bus, and then hired another driver for 13 dollars.
The reason I took the train was that, according to the guide book, the train went along the coast over the "Sea Cloud" Pass, and the scenery was "spectacular". Let me say that was a great illusion. If this scenery was a "10" the Via Rail trip through the Rockies would be "1000".
There was one great thing though; once you do cross those mountains the climate and country is totally different. We arrived in Hoi An to clear skies, sunny weather, much less humidity, but still hot. Everything is different. The roads are actually 4 lane and straight. Hoi An is, in Vietnamese standards, very clean. It is actually a clean, pretty town.
It is a very old city, and tourism has encouraged a lot of renovations. It was a pleasure to walk around in pleasant circumstances.
Nothing is perfect in Vietnam though. Hoi An is the "tailor" capitol of the world. There are several hundred (I kid you not) tailor shops. You can't walk 4 feet without someone asking you "Where you from". Once you answer they follow you. The deals are great; a custom made silk dress for 35 dollars. There is a least one scarf for every person in Canada in Hoi An. The tailor shops are a gamble. I talked to an American woman in Hue who had ordered a dress, and when she came in for a fitting, nothing did. She went back 3 more times, and finally took what she had and left. But some shops are very reputable. I didn't buy any dresses, nothing in my colours, but I am shopping like a drunk sailor. I had to buy a second piece of luggage last night, so that all the stuff I bought would fit. I am ready to open a Vietnamese Import Store in Hamilton.
Till tomorrow
Ralf

Hoi An, Part 2

My second day in Hoi An was pleasant. The weather is sunny and clear, but it does get hot.
I went on a tour with the English couple. It turns out he is also a retired high school teacher, geography and history. His wife is a retired nurse, and this is her retirement trip.
We hired the driver from the train station in Danang, and he was excellent. On the way to the ruins in My Son he stopped at the house of a lady who makes rice paper, for eating. She does the entire process, from husking the rice, to grinding it, then mixing it with water to produce a thin batter. The next step is the interesting one. She has a large pot of very hot water, over which is stretched a cloth. She ladles some of the rice batter, which is very liquidy, and spreads it over the cloth. The whole thing is covered with a lid. After  a few seconds she adds another layer, and covers it for a minute.  She then uses a cloth covered rolling pin, and she rolls the whole thing up. It is then spread on a table cloth, where it dries. I actually took a turn making one. The "paper" can be used for making spring rolls, or it can be covered with sesamr seeds, and letf to dry. It ends up like a crispy thin tortilla.
After this demonstration we went to My Son. This is a temple complex built over several centuries, from about 200 AD to 1000 AD, by the Champa people. It is interesting in that this is the time period when the Mayas built their temples. My Son has a great Hindu influence, but the settings of this site and the Mayan sites are very similar, hot humid jungles.
My Son does not have a lot of temples left. The area was invaded many times, by the Khmer, the Viet, the French, and finally the Americans bombed the hell out of it, because the Viet Cong used it as a base.
You must notice that I spend a lot more time describing the food experience rather than the antiquities.
We also saw a demonstration of some Champa dancing. Very beautiful and graceful. I have to say that the great majority of Vietnamese woman are tiny, beautiful, and very graceful. It is something to see a group riding their bicycles, dressed in flowing white robes. They wear loose pants, covered by a robe to their knees, and slits along the side. Beautiful silk. It does look lovely. It is embarrassing seeing a stout Western tourist trying to wear such an outfit. Sort of like an elephant in a bikini.
The food in Hoi An is great. I have found a little restaurant where a small mug of "New" beer is 20 cents. Hoi An had a couple of specialty foods. One is a "White Rose', which is the white, thin rice paper, with a shrimp in it. Served with fish sauce it is delicious. I also had crab with a tamarind sauce to die for. There isn't a lot to a crab, but every drop of the sauce was eaten.
In the evening I left my hotel to take a night "sleeper bus" to Nha Tranh, but that's another story.
I should mention my hotel in Hoi An. Huge room, a/c, mini fridge, bath tub. The hotel is beautiful, it has a large swimming pool, which is decorated with statues, plants, and is open to the sky. I spent some time floating, looking at the sky. There is also a good breakfast buffet. The cost, 25 dollars a night.
Hoi An should have been a cheap visit, but I went nuts shopping. I actually had to buy a second piece of luggage, and it is full. And I haven't bought any coffee yet.
Till the next time
Ralf

Nha Tranh

Last night was another interesting experience. I took a "sleeper" bus to Nha Tranh. A sleeper bus is quite unique. There are no seats as on a normal bus. There are three rows of "beds" the length of the bus, two levels. The "beds" are almost horizontal, but there is room under each "head" for a space for the feet of the person behind. Quite ingenious, and not uncomfortable. The biggest problem with taking a bus is the constant use of the horn. The horn here is used to warn motor bikes, and bicycles, and other vehicles that you are going to pass. So you can imagine how often you would toot your horn, if you did it every time you passed someone. I did get some sleep though.
I arrived in Nha Tranh at 6 am, got a hotel, and took a shower.One of the nice things is that you can get a hotel at 5, or 6 in the morning.
Nha Tranh is noted for its beautiful beach, and it is a very nice one. One colourful sight were kids flying very pretty kites. I stopped counting at 50.
Vietnam doesn't have daylight saving time, so the sun rises before 5, and it is dark at 6 in the afternoon. As I walked along the street I looked in on a Catholic church. I saw the end of the 7 am mass, and the church was packed, with people standing outside. There were 3 masses, 5, 7, and 9 AM.
I also visited a beautiful pagoda, which also had a Sunday service. A lot of elderly Bhuddist nuns, dressed in grey. Quite a charming sight. There is also a huge white Buddha statue, with many steps to climb, which I of course did.
I should apologize for my spelling. My mind has become somewhat frazzled.
The Vietnamese language is interesting. A French Missionary introduced the Roman alphabet, thank goodness. But the Vietnamese retained the idea of Chinese symbols, so that each syllable is expressed separately. So Hanoi is written a Ha Noi. Toronto would be To Ron To. So when I see a Vietnamese sentence I have no idea where one word ends and another begins. An interesting concept. It is difficult being in a country where you can listen to a 10 minute conversation, and not recognize a single word.
I went for a swim in the evening, and actually saw my first stars in Vietnam. It only took me three and a half weeks.
Till the next time
Ralf

Cham Towers

While I was in Nha Tranh I went to the train station the get information on how to get to Phan Tran, my next stop. I was told 9 am.
When I got to that station the next morning the lady told me there was no train to Phan Tran. I was confused. I finally got an explanation. There was a train to Cham Tran, which is about 6 km from Phan Tran. From the train station I could take a bus. So I got to Cham Tran, and when I got there I discovered that the the towers I was looking for where in Cham Tran. So I decided to skip, Phan Tran, see the towers in the afternoon, and then take a sleeper train to HCMC. (This is almost starting to sound like an Abbot and Costello routine)
As soon as I got off the train several taxi drivers approached me. I tried to explain that I wanted to walk to the towers. "Not possible, too hot, too far". I had about 9 hours to kill, so I said i will try on my own.
Well lo and behold the towers were about a half hour walk.
I have to say that visit was one of the most beautiful afternoons on this trip.
The Cham towers are on a hill, overlooking the town. There is a beautiful garden complex, and a very good visitor centre. The Chams are Hindus, and these towers are still used as temples by the local Cham people. It is a site which is well maintained, and CLEAN, a rarity in Vietnam.
There was no-one there, it was peaceful, beautiful vista, and a nice breeze. I stayed for well over an hour, and actually felt refreshed, if that's possible when the temperature is in the high 30's.
I spent a couple of hours walking the town, and I was the only tourist. The ladies in the market got a kick out of me, and one wanted to sell me a live duck. I declined.
Several little kids stared at me in wonder. It's interesting being on the other side of the camera lens.
I still had 4 hours to kill. That's a long time to sit in a railway station, but the 4 hours did eventually pass.
Off to Ho Chi Min City
Ralf

Ho Chi Min City Day 1

Well I have arrived at my last stop.
The train pulled in at 5, and I had a good sleep. I took a taxi to the hotel district and had a room by six. I took a shower and did a laundry. By 8 I was walking. My first stop was a local market. I will have no problems finding coffee. Tee shirts areless than  two dollars.
I  blew four bucks on  baguette with an egg and smoked salmon, plus coffee in aluxury restaurant.
After breakfast I walked to a Hindu temple. This was an active one with people worshipping. Quite different from a church. There are 2 small rooms, holding no more than adozen people, and crowded with statues of gods. The smaller room was dedicated to the God of Hell with some carved wood panels depicting all the wonderful things to expect if you aren't good. Some things are common to all religions.
After that uplifting experience I went to the War Remnants Museum. This is a collection of military equipment left behind by the Americans. It is a very one sided history of the atrocities committed by the Americans and the South Vietnamese.  It is amazing what civilized people are capable of.
There was a room showing the birth defects caused by Agent Orange. The lucky ones weren't born.
I had to leave, I started to cry.
To add to an already depressing day, when I returned to my hotel, the power in the entire district was off. No elevator, no AC, no fan. It was 35 outside, hotter inside. I went for another walk.
By 4 the power was back on, and I enjoyed a couple of hours of rest, and, of course, another shower.
In the evening I went to the local market. This is in a building a full city block, filled with , literally a couple of hundred stalls, selling everything you can think of, souvenirs, fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, and even coffee. EUREKA!!!
On the outside the walls are lined with more stalls.
The interesting thing that happens occurs at 6 pm. All the stalls close, and the ones on the outside are actually completely dismantled. Within minutes, new stalls move in, in addition to many restaurants. This is the "Night Market". It is an absolutely amazing sight. By 6:30 everything is ready. All the restaurants cook by propane stoves or charcoal BBQ's.
I had supper on the way back to the hotel. A lady had a small pot, filled with burning charcoal. She had a small hand held grill. She would place a round piece of rice paper, the size of a tortilla, on the grill. She would break a couple of quail eggs, and add a few things, like basil, other greens, and substances I don't have an idea what they were. She folds it over, and hands it to you on a piece of newspaper. 25 cents...delicious.
On the sidewalk next to her was another lady. She would take a piece of yellow rice paper, add some pastes, a couple of boiled quail's eggs, some greens, and then she would roll it up. She would cut the roll into 1 inch pieces, and serve it in a baggie. 25 cents, also delicious. I had a couple. Supper for less than a dollar.
When I first arrived in Vietnam, I was very careful not to eat vegetables washed with local water. After I saw the way the dishes I ate from were washed, I decided, the hell with it, I am eating all veggies. I think I am almost ready to drink the local water, but I don't want to tempt the gods too much.
3 more days...
Ralf

Ho Chi Min City Day 2

After my experience at the War Museum yesterday I almost decided against going to tour the Cu Chi tunnels, but I decided to go anyway.
These tunnels are about an hour and a half's drive from the center of the city. They were originally built in the 1940's in the war against the French. At that time there were about 50 km of tunnels. During the war against the Americans they became a major battlefield, and were expanded to a couple of hundred miles, and went down 3 or 4 levels. The Americans were unaware of these tunnels, and actually built an army base on top. They couldn't figure out how their soldiers were shot in their tents in the middle of the night. They tried to eradicate them over the years, and the area became the most bombed area in the war. One article stated that more bombs were dropped here, by the Americans,  than in the entire WW2. The ingenuity is amazing.
The tour shows how they were constructed, and hidden. At one stop a soldier demonstrated how they were entered. There is an opening, about half a meter square, with a top, covered by leaves. You squeeze down, holding the top over your head, and then replace the top after you are in. We were allowed to try it. I volunteered, and barely squeezed in. What they didn't tell me was that at the bottom there was a step, and then a sloping floor. I missed the step, and POOF, I was gone. "The Case Of The Amazing Disappearing Canadian". Luckily I didn't hurt myself, except my ego, but I did have to be pulled out.
We were also allowed to go down another tunnel, and travel 100m to the next opening. These tunnels are half a meter wide, one meter high. The Viet Cong would "duck walk", which is not easy. The tunnel is not straight. There are 3 levels to this one, and numerous turns. These are the original tunnels, but a few lights have been added. Most of the time it is pitch black. Our guide told us that if we couldn't continue there were side tunnels, where you could see daylight, which would allow us to get out early. I have to say that those were the longest 100 m of my life. I made it, duck walking, crawling, but I did do it. You have to remember that the temperature was 38, and this is in a jungle. I was never so happy to see sunlight again. Our guide was impressed, he said that we were the first group where everyone completed the tunnel tour. I also have to say that I was at least 25 years older than anyone else on the tour.
I got back to the hotel at 3, and spent several minutes in the shower. I was absolutely filthy. I did a laundry, but I think a lot of my clothing from this trip will be retired, permanently.
After a couple of hours rest I decided to see the Saigon river, and walk along its "promenade". What a misnomer. The river is a sewage drain; there is a lot of construction, and nothing but slums along the way. Not the things you see in the tourism videos.
My body is aching and I am out of painkillers, so I stopped at a "pharmacy" to buy some more. The lady spoke no English, and it is difficult to get the concept of "excruciating pain" across, in sign language. I curled up on the floor, in a fetal position, and I think that worked. I ended up buying a couple of different ones. The first one turned out to be an Alka Seltzer type. By 1 am I woke up, still in pain. I took several of the others, and they seemed to work. I went to sleep at 3.
I bet you don't get to do all THESE wonderful things when you join a tour.
Ralf

Ho Chi Min City Day 3

I woke up at 5, and decided to go for a walk. It was embarrassing, because when I went to the lobby I found out that two of the staff sleep there at night. I already had woken them up, so they let me out.
The morning was nice and cool, 27, and only 90% humidity. I almost went back to get a sweater.
The other thing was that after I had walked a few meters, two young attractive ladies pulled up beside me, and asked if I wanted a massage. I declined, but the one in the back got off, and started to walk beside me, trying to explain all the things I would be missing. She walked arm in arm with me, and grabbed me the crotch, and gave it a squeeze.
Best sex I've had in a month.
We parted company, and I had a good strong coffee to settle my nerves.
I enjoy my morning walks, the city is waking up, people are busy setting up their businesses. It is amazing. There is a lady where I got my coffee. She was serving at 6 am. I saw her last night at 8 pm, still working. Makes for a long day, particularly in this heat. When I was in Hanoi there was a lady making and selling egg rolls on the side walk. She was about 7 months pregnant, and sat on her stool from 6 in the morning until 7 at night, depending on business. She had enough material for making a certain number of egg rolls, and she worked until all the material was used up. I never walked past her spot near my hotel without seeing her.
After breakfast I decided to walk to "China Town" in Saigon. The temperature was a balmy 35, and it was sunny. It was a long walk, about 75 minutes. I judge the heat by the amount of time it takes for my shirt and underwear to be completely soaking wet. Wet enough to wring out. In the morning it took 15 minutes. By late morning it only takes 5 minutes.

China town is supposed to be interesting with some nice old pagodas. I have discovered that places of worship are quite different here. Our churches are basically clean, spacious, and quiet. The pagodas in Saigon are quite small, I don't think they would hold more than a couple of dozen people, and anything but clean. Worshippers were at different altars, praying, and burning incense. They believe that their wishes rise up in the smoke of the incense, and are heard by their ancestors. I guess the only time there would be a large gathering would be for feast days. The cleanest site, by far, was the mosque.
China Town, itself, was no cleaner. A lot of garbage, slums, and kitsch for sale. There is a large market which sells wholesale. If you want to buy 100 rubber sandals, or 100 hats, this is the place to go.
I took a taxi back to the hotel. I couldn't face another 1.5 hour walk.
I had trouble falling asleep after dinner, so I walked to the Night Market, and ran into a retired American who I had run into in both Hue and Hoi An. We had a couple of beers, and watched the "ladies" of the night in action. They come in pairs, on a motorscooter. We didn't see any "sales", so I don't know how it works. Maybe its like they say "You aren't a true Canadian unless you've made love in a canoe". "Maybe you aren't a true Vietnamese unless you've done it on the back of a motor bike"
The traffic in Saigon is actually scarier than in Hanoi. In Hanoi the streets are usually only 2 lanes, and there are very few cars. In Saigon the roads are wider, up to 6 lanes, and there are a lot more cars, trucks and buses. It is especially "fun" at night. You walk across an intersection, and, if you look up, you will see 50 headlights coming straight at you. For the sake of clean underwear I don't even look anymore. You start to walk, and hope to hell that one of those bikers isn't really angry.They just weave around you like a ballet. It is amazing. When I get home I am going to try U-tube to see if anyone has posted videos of pedestrians crossing the road.
Tomorrow is "Homecoming" and I am anxious. The food has been great, but I miss MY CHEESE. There is no cheese made in Vietnam. None. The only cheese you can buy is a processed Swiss made. The type that comes in a round box, with 8 little triangule sections. Very insipid, but it's the only game in town.
The Vietnamese also like their sweet stuff. I bought a hot dog from a street vendor. When you buy a hot dog, you buy a hot dog. It'd a small wiener on a skewer. No bun, no condiments. And it's sweet. One was enough.
I also tried their pepperoni sticks. Looks like a pepperoni stick, but it's sweet. Not my taste.
They have a lot of pork, but they don't seem to make sausages.
The fruit, on the other hand, is outstanding. Nothing is imported, so it is smaller, but much more flavourful. The pineapples and bananas are about a third the size, but with much more flavour. I guess it's like comparing Ontario strawberries, to the stuff that's imported from Mexico. I have had several different types of oranges, mangoes, bananas, watermelons, and others I have never seen before. One of my favourites in Jack Fruit. Delicious.
Anyway The Adventure is almost over. Time to start working on the photos.
Have fun
Ralf

The Long Flight Home

It was a long journey home. I didn't get any sleep for 45 hours, but I did arrive safe and sound in Toronto on Saturday afternoon.
I did a lot of reflecting while I was waiting in air terminals, and I have to admit I am somewhat overwhelmed by my experiences over the last month.
Vietnam was not what I had expected. My expectations were that there would be a lot of natural beauty, and a lot of history. The lasting impression that will stay with me is not one of natural wonder, but one of the Vietnam people.
I gained an awe and a great admiration for the Vietnamese. particularly the North Vietnamese. I have never met a group of people that worked as hard and with a Stoicism that I really appreciated. I saw a lot of places where you could drink beer, but in the entire month I spent in Vietnam I did not see one single drunk. I didn't see a homeless person, I didn't see my first beggar until I reached the South. I didn't see one case of road rage, and with Vietnamese traffic that is a miracle in itself. I didn't see one example of an argument, never mind a fight.
They accept life as it is, and it is a tough life, and they smile.
I will always remember my 3 hour walk on my trek in Sapa, where a Black H'mong lady adopted me. As we walked along a tricky path she became my guardian angel. She would take my hand and lead my along the difficult parts of the path. She would tell me where to put my feet to remain safe. As we walked along she pointed out edible plants. We would stop, she would pick a plant and show me what parts to eat. How many people can recognize a cardamon flower, and know what parts are edible? It has a very pleasant, quite distinct flavour. When we would come across a poisonous plant she would act out a death dance. When she told a joke, she would start to laugh, and poke me in the ribs, so I knew when to laugh. The entire trek she told me about her life, she pointed out features of the land, in a soft, lilting voice. All in her dialect. I didn't understand a word she said, but I loved her for sharing her life with me for 3 wonderful hours.
Another time I was at the Ho Chi Min Mausoleum, when a group of about 60 or so girls came along. They all wore identical Vietnamese dresses. This outfit consists of a pair of loose fitting long pants, and a different coloured plain long dress over it. The dress has two slits up to above the waist, to allow movement. This group of girls all had white pants, and saffron coloured tops. They all had that lithe Vietnamese body, and as they moved along, as a group, I was awestruck with their beauty and grace. It was like a dream. I felt that if I were to touch one, they would all disappear, and I would wake up. the phrase "Poetry in Motion" would be a perfect example. When Europeans think of angels they think of chubby babies with wings. When I think of angels it is Vietnamese girls, moving with a grace and beauty that is almost indescribable.
As I said before the Vietnamese character is what impressed me most on this journey.

I have been asked a few times why I travel the way I do.
There are several explanations. I have to admit one is simply testing whether I still have the physical and mental ability to do these trips. I am in my 70th year, and this was, both physically and mentally a challenging experience, but I did what I set out to do, and that makes me feel good about myself.
I enjoy travelling with other people, but a solo trip is special. When I travel with other people my "teacher" takes over. I become a guide, and I try to make the journey as pleasant as possible. The agenda becomes their agenda.
When I travel solo, the only person I have to please is myself. I do the things that I want to do. I enjoy getting up at 5, and walking the streets, or visiting the local market. I sit and observe how people get ready for another day. I become a fly on the wall. I enjoy a cup of coffee or Pho, and just soak it all in. I don't want a photo, I want to absorb in the experience.  I don't want a specific scene, I want to remember a feeling. Not a lot of people enjoy doing that.
I am also adventurous when it comes to food. Most of my meals on this trip were street food. There were many times I didn't have a clue what I was eating, but 99% of it was excellent. Luckily I have a stomach that seems hardy.

When I travel solo I don't have to please anyone else, I don't have to worry about how they are enjoying themselves; there is a lot less pressure.

The other thing is that it allows me to think. It is similar to removing yourself from your life, and observing it from the outside of the box. It lets me see the "ruts" in my life. It encourages me to change things. It is almost like being reborn, to a small extent.

I also, always, gain a much greater appreciation of how fortunate I am. I have a loving family, that I love dearly, and that I am very proud of; I have a fantastic group of friends.
I am truly a privileged man, and I don't appreciate all these things, unless I go away, and start to miss these things.

I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings these last few weeks, as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Please feel free to send me any comments. I am working on organizing my photos, and posting them on a web site. I will let you know when they are ready.

Till then ADIEU, it's been great.

Ralf

Guatemala Part 8

Guatemala 8: Final chapter

My last day in Guatemala. I had my morning cappuccino, and then sat on my bench in the park. One of the street urchins approached me selling a newspaper. He, or she, I couldn’t tell, was wearing filthy clothing, he had a dirty face, but the most beautiful eyes. Maybe 5 or 6. All I could think of were my grandchildren, and how fortunate we are to be living in Canada. I gave him a few coins.

I just love the faces in Guatemala. The children look so innocent and angelic; but it is the faces of the old ones that really interest me. I look at them and think about what they have seen. It is interesting I have not been anywhere else, in my travels, where the postcards have so many with just faces of the local people.

A few minutes later a man approached me and offered to sell me a machete. Another Guatemalan moment.

I asked a couple of young American girls to take a picture of me sitting on my bench. You have to be careful who you entrust with your camera. My main criterion is it must be someone who I think I can outrun. It turns out they are part of a group of students from the University of Minnesota, who just arrived in Antigua yesterday. They are spending a semester here studying Spanish. For credit.

Sure beats the hell out of any semester I had in engineering. After a few minutes the rest of the class showed up. They looked soooo white.

As the afternoon goes on more and more tour buses pull up in front of the cathedral, regurgitating masses of wizened, old, overweight people, all wearing their cute little tour badges, wearing ridiculous outfits.

I know my body is no longer in dating shape, but I sure hope as hell I don’t look like that. I shudder.

They stumble off the bus, take pictures of the cathedral, pictures of each other in front of the cathedral, pictures of the virgins spouting water from their nipple, pictures of each other and the virgins.

The virgins don’t look impressed.

Then it’s back on the bus and time to check off Antigua on their “to see list”.

Very depressing.

Evenings at the park are much nicer. Families stroll with their children, groups of teens wander in circles, playing the flirting game, young lovers share intimate moments. Very few gringos.

Very pleasant.

I splurge in the evening, and have dinner at Panze Verde, the best restaurant in Antigua. Luckily a friend has made reservations for me, because they are fully booked. I had a great steak dinner, in a gorgeous setting, in front of a real fireplace, with a real fire.

Cost of the dinner-30 dollars, Memories-Priceless

Sunday morning it is another 5 am shuttle to the airport. My driver is another Daytona 500 apprentice. As we drive through Guatemala City he barely slows down for red lights. He does not stop and wait for the green light, he just slows down. I have had a happy life, but I really don’t want to die in Guatemala City- the armpit of Central America.

Miraculously we make it to the airport, and I have time to change my underwear before I go through security. Amazingly they let me keep all my liquid containers, and even my metal spiked walking stick. I only have a carry on, and I was sure I would lose the walking stick. They did open my bag, but let me keep it.

I flew from Guatemala to Costa Rica, from there to San Salvator, and then on to Toronto.

At the airport in Costa Rica I get to spend my last Qs, and I bought another 6 pounds of coffee. That makes a total of 12 pounds of coffee. I am left with 15 Q.

Well I did it. I am back home with a great big suitcase full of memories.

I would like to thank all of you for allowing me to be part of the team, for accepting me, for supporting me, and for sharing these memories.

It’s been a BLAST.

Adios amigos

Ralf