So I need to indulge more about myanmar, but i have been through vietnam already and am currently making my way through laos.
A few things about vietnam to get it out of the way.
Its AWESOME... Go there if the get the chance. Its really cheap. The food is the best around. And the cultural activities are top notch. That said the people aren't really friendly. At least not in my opinion and not compared to other peoples in that part of the world. They just got their own shit going on and don't care if your black or white. Really they could care less or a a large majority of them could. Again this is my opinion. Maybe you have experienced something different, and congratulations.
A few things...
If you are wanting a good message I recommend you don't go to the ones that also offer a sauna and jacuzzi and the like. If you do you will just get a shitty message and an expensive HJ.
Eat as much as you possibly can. It is very healthy and delicious. You must try bun nhit gyoun (SP? but its close). A slightly moist noodle salad that will knock you off your rocker.
The coffee is the bombest drink possible. Even if you don't like coffee, and your a sucker if you don't, try it. que rico.
Wear your helmet if you are motorbiking. Not only is it the law my friend Chris and I saw 4 accidents in Ho Chi Minh in about as many days.
One month is not enough time for vietnam. Fair enough Chris and I took it rather slowly but you ought to if you want to enjoy yourselves as we do, on the chill vibe, and we only made it half way up the country. Give it two months.
Tet, the lunar new year is awesome, at least the fireworks are and the people's attitudes, the tax that EVERYBODY adds on for the next two weeks SUCKs. Try to avoid it during tet unless you want to shell out the extra dough. Fuck you tet tax. Longest holiday in the world...
There are hundreds of propaganda posters in vietnam, many of which have great graphics. Wish I had the chance to take one.
Skip Mui Ne unless you really dislike chilling on the beach and only want to windsurf and kite board and watch out for the scags, they'll get ya.
Don't take an easyrider tour. A group/gang of motorbike drivers that are in a few cities and charge an exorbitant amount for their rides proclaiming "You will see the real vietnam, guaranteed." Yea, what a crock of bullshit. Hate those guys. Except Cong your cool.
Try not to spend too much money in Hoi An. All those nice suits and fake shoes make it real hard.
Hue is a really cool city. Except that it was raining the entire time. Stay at the backpackers hostel there. FREE BEER from 5-6, almost makes up the money you spent on your room.
Other than that kick it is hard as you can.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
I've got rat meat stuck in my teeth
1/14-1/16
Instead of heading all the way to Mandalay from Katha I disembarked in a city called kyaukamyaung. In case you are trying to pronounce it it is definitely not phonetic. When I got off the boat a younger guy was there who started talking to me in english. Apparently he was waiting for his english friend who didn't quite make it on the boat. His name was Benjamin, he was with his cousin steven and his uncle midnite? Yea I know what your thinking, even funnier than that is he had to think of it for a moment before he could tell me. Apparently a rather famous name from the sound of it. I got a ride from these guys into a town called swebo where I wanted to catch a bus but couldn't get it till the next day, but it worked out for the better. I was riding with midnite and he had a dash sticker on his moto. Probably 87 percent of burmese are Buddhist, but Benjamin and his family are part fillipino, so they are christian. Yup you gussed it, it was a picture of jesus on midnite's dash, I was kind of surprised but certainly more entertained by its presence.
Driving to shwebo there were a couple of occasions when there was a group of ladies with large silver bowls which they were sifting that had something clinging in them. They were most certainly looking for donations, but there were no monasteries or temples around. Not quite sure what they were collecting money for, but it sounded nice. These kind gents want to show me a little around town so I jump on one of their bikes yet again and we go to what was at one point the kings lake, but is now more like an tiny body of water for irrigation. We go to this one spot where they harvest palm tree sap and turn it into a wine type substance. It is lightly carbonated form the fermentation and maybe a little water is added, but its straight sap. At first we sit in the off limits area (oh no) and then make a quick exit because we hear word that the local general is on his rounds, and the lake is supposedly still a bit of sacred site, at least right next to the bank.
We sit down at the establishment and the guys ask me if i want to try rat. well sure what the hell. gotta do all i can. The one guy who speaks english tells me not to worry, that its clean and from the field. I laugh to myself when I hear this because not a minute earlier did I see a rat run by. Its pretty much like bad beef jerkey. The actual meet wasn't too bad but the parts with skin, yea, not so great. But it certainly didn't kill me.
There was an interesting military presence at this place. Benjamin was in fact quite worried that I was with these guys outside of the city and it was nearing dark. This was a new experience for me as I had been in a similar position many times and with no worries. It surprised me that they were so concerned, they also certainly didn't want me saying that I was from the US. Went to dinner that night, and shwebo is a town that I think gets few visitors because in this restaurant there were about 5 kids working, and they had their eyes glued on me the entire time. Maybe they were interested in my eating procedure. In burma at most establishments you can buy anywhere from 1-5 cigarettes from the counter for your table, also an extreme act of hospitality is displayed in that the people working the restaurant will offer you a light. Well these kids were on it so fast when I pulled out a cigarette. I don't think I have seen better service in all my travels.
The next day I made it to monywa for the solar eclipse of a lifetime. The night before I noticed that there were large barrels being heated by small fires next to the road and that the road was blocked off. On the bus ride to monywa I realized that barrels were being heated to melt tar for paving the road, which was a meticulous hand laying of rocks before the tar was added. Akin to that technology I was awarded with some more tech during the eclipse. The moon didn't completely block the sun because it wasn't close enough to the horizon, but it did last about 10 minutes. So me and some other travellers were on the roof checking it out and burning up our retinas when some burmese dudes came up. They had the genius idea of fuming pieces of broken glass with a candle which made for an excellent filter with which to view the eclipse. Effing smart dudes.
There is a very popular game in burma called chinolon. It is almost exactly like volleyball, except you use every part of your body besides your hands. Often you will see this being played on dirt roads and alleys and on the side of the street and its popular. That night in monywa there was a professional game going on with a ref and stands full of people and even people hanging on the fence around the small court to get a view. These guys were serious professionals launching themselves up in the air and doing scissor kicks to launch the ball across the net. Super sweet.
Instead of heading all the way to Mandalay from Katha I disembarked in a city called kyaukamyaung. In case you are trying to pronounce it it is definitely not phonetic. When I got off the boat a younger guy was there who started talking to me in english. Apparently he was waiting for his english friend who didn't quite make it on the boat. His name was Benjamin, he was with his cousin steven and his uncle midnite? Yea I know what your thinking, even funnier than that is he had to think of it for a moment before he could tell me. Apparently a rather famous name from the sound of it. I got a ride from these guys into a town called swebo where I wanted to catch a bus but couldn't get it till the next day, but it worked out for the better. I was riding with midnite and he had a dash sticker on his moto. Probably 87 percent of burmese are Buddhist, but Benjamin and his family are part fillipino, so they are christian. Yup you gussed it, it was a picture of jesus on midnite's dash, I was kind of surprised but certainly more entertained by its presence.
Driving to shwebo there were a couple of occasions when there was a group of ladies with large silver bowls which they were sifting that had something clinging in them. They were most certainly looking for donations, but there were no monasteries or temples around. Not quite sure what they were collecting money for, but it sounded nice. These kind gents want to show me a little around town so I jump on one of their bikes yet again and we go to what was at one point the kings lake, but is now more like an tiny body of water for irrigation. We go to this one spot where they harvest palm tree sap and turn it into a wine type substance. It is lightly carbonated form the fermentation and maybe a little water is added, but its straight sap. At first we sit in the off limits area (oh no) and then make a quick exit because we hear word that the local general is on his rounds, and the lake is supposedly still a bit of sacred site, at least right next to the bank.
We sit down at the establishment and the guys ask me if i want to try rat. well sure what the hell. gotta do all i can. The one guy who speaks english tells me not to worry, that its clean and from the field. I laugh to myself when I hear this because not a minute earlier did I see a rat run by. Its pretty much like bad beef jerkey. The actual meet wasn't too bad but the parts with skin, yea, not so great. But it certainly didn't kill me.
There was an interesting military presence at this place. Benjamin was in fact quite worried that I was with these guys outside of the city and it was nearing dark. This was a new experience for me as I had been in a similar position many times and with no worries. It surprised me that they were so concerned, they also certainly didn't want me saying that I was from the US. Went to dinner that night, and shwebo is a town that I think gets few visitors because in this restaurant there were about 5 kids working, and they had their eyes glued on me the entire time. Maybe they were interested in my eating procedure. In burma at most establishments you can buy anywhere from 1-5 cigarettes from the counter for your table, also an extreme act of hospitality is displayed in that the people working the restaurant will offer you a light. Well these kids were on it so fast when I pulled out a cigarette. I don't think I have seen better service in all my travels.
The next day I made it to monywa for the solar eclipse of a lifetime. The night before I noticed that there were large barrels being heated by small fires next to the road and that the road was blocked off. On the bus ride to monywa I realized that barrels were being heated to melt tar for paving the road, which was a meticulous hand laying of rocks before the tar was added. Akin to that technology I was awarded with some more tech during the eclipse. The moon didn't completely block the sun because it wasn't close enough to the horizon, but it did last about 10 minutes. So me and some other travellers were on the roof checking it out and burning up our retinas when some burmese dudes came up. They had the genius idea of fuming pieces of broken glass with a candle which made for an excellent filter with which to view the eclipse. Effing smart dudes.
There is a very popular game in burma called chinolon. It is almost exactly like volleyball, except you use every part of your body besides your hands. Often you will see this being played on dirt roads and alleys and on the side of the street and its popular. That night in monywa there was a professional game going on with a ref and stands full of people and even people hanging on the fence around the small court to get a view. These guys were serious professionals launching themselves up in the air and doing scissor kicks to launch the ball across the net. Super sweet.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Ahhhh the river
After the festival in the north it was time to hit the Irrawaddy river. At first it appeared like el vado, a lake in northern new mexico, which has sandy banks and is dotted with coniferous trees and has wide open areas where the trees are not gathered, but even though el vado is a lake it remains a place where the climate feels and looks very dry and it was the same on the river. But in this area there is a visual treat of seeing ox-drawn carts being pulled along the bank. After this type of environment the banks remain sandy but are surrounded by lush forest.
In this area all along the banks people are panning for gold. When you look at the sand and especially when you grab a handful you can easily see the flakes in it. This helps for the thousands of tons of gold that are covering stupas and statues in burma. The people that collect the gold seem very nomadic. They pitch elongated half dome tents out of plastic and bamboo, I assume, and live where the gold is until it is time to move to another area. There are many varieties in the way the gold is panned. From hand sifting to using large pumps and conveyors, but always done at the local level. There are no corporate machines or vehicles and always the people live where they work in a very modest manner. The first day we (those of us on the boat that were foreigners) arrived in a town called simbo. Just a great small place with dirt roads and a warm rural feeling with genuine hospitality. Tons of children walking the street some yelling "I like you, I like you, I like you..." At least I think this is what they were saying.
Next day headed to bamow(sp.?). The boat was fine at first. About mid way through the trip it was filled to over capacity with about 40 people and 8 or 10 benches to sit on, not so nice. Bamow is a small yet busy town with a lot of chinese influence because it is not so far from the border. The hotel I stayed at had an awesome buffet breakfast. Probably the best breakfast in myanmar. Various soup making stations, lots of sweets, egg dishes and plenty of fresh juice.
Left to the next town called Katha. Within 10 minutes the boat we are on, which was full of tourists, got stuck aground in the river. The workers onboard do something to free the boat and we were on our way. When the water was slightly deeper we docked and a boat that we had passed before we got stuck pulled along beside us and all the locals that were heading to katha got off that boat and onto the one we were on. They also replace the prop. Tourists get all the treatment.
Traveling down the river on the hill side or the banks there is stupa after stupa. As you pass one another looms up in the distance, this occurs on both sides of the river. Some are modest and some are grandiose, perhaps it depends on the wealth of the particular area.
The next morning leave from Katha at 5AM, definitely not my favorite. The banks are no longer sandy and gold panning is no longer the main industry. It has changed to teak timber from the surrounding forest on barges heading down the river. Most of the bank is now soft rock and covered with vegetation, the incline hasn't changed too much, but the panning must not be good. I get off at a town pronounced shweebo instead of going all the way to mandalay. Haggling is alive even for boat transportation. Instead of paying the $35 to mandalay I only pay $25 to shweebo, sweet.
Some thoughts:
There is a monk sitting next to me in the cybercafe.
Telephone booths are actually tables set up with telephones on them on the sidewalk that are connected to the lines overhead.
In Yangon there are no motorbikes. Instead of pitstop stations for motor bikes they have them for bicycles, a simple hand pump and a patch kit perhaps.
In this area all along the banks people are panning for gold. When you look at the sand and especially when you grab a handful you can easily see the flakes in it. This helps for the thousands of tons of gold that are covering stupas and statues in burma. The people that collect the gold seem very nomadic. They pitch elongated half dome tents out of plastic and bamboo, I assume, and live where the gold is until it is time to move to another area. There are many varieties in the way the gold is panned. From hand sifting to using large pumps and conveyors, but always done at the local level. There are no corporate machines or vehicles and always the people live where they work in a very modest manner. The first day we (those of us on the boat that were foreigners) arrived in a town called simbo. Just a great small place with dirt roads and a warm rural feeling with genuine hospitality. Tons of children walking the street some yelling "I like you, I like you, I like you..." At least I think this is what they were saying.
Next day headed to bamow(sp.?). The boat was fine at first. About mid way through the trip it was filled to over capacity with about 40 people and 8 or 10 benches to sit on, not so nice. Bamow is a small yet busy town with a lot of chinese influence because it is not so far from the border. The hotel I stayed at had an awesome buffet breakfast. Probably the best breakfast in myanmar. Various soup making stations, lots of sweets, egg dishes and plenty of fresh juice.
Left to the next town called Katha. Within 10 minutes the boat we are on, which was full of tourists, got stuck aground in the river. The workers onboard do something to free the boat and we were on our way. When the water was slightly deeper we docked and a boat that we had passed before we got stuck pulled along beside us and all the locals that were heading to katha got off that boat and onto the one we were on. They also replace the prop. Tourists get all the treatment.
Traveling down the river on the hill side or the banks there is stupa after stupa. As you pass one another looms up in the distance, this occurs on both sides of the river. Some are modest and some are grandiose, perhaps it depends on the wealth of the particular area.
The next morning leave from Katha at 5AM, definitely not my favorite. The banks are no longer sandy and gold panning is no longer the main industry. It has changed to teak timber from the surrounding forest on barges heading down the river. Most of the bank is now soft rock and covered with vegetation, the incline hasn't changed too much, but the panning must not be good. I get off at a town pronounced shweebo instead of going all the way to mandalay. Haggling is alive even for boat transportation. Instead of paying the $35 to mandalay I only pay $25 to shweebo, sweet.
Some thoughts:
There is a monk sitting next to me in the cybercafe.
Telephone booths are actually tables set up with telephones on them on the sidewalk that are connected to the lines overhead.
In Yangon there are no motorbikes. Instead of pitstop stations for motor bikes they have them for bicycles, a simple hand pump and a patch kit perhaps.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Why I am blessed/ Why it is important to get an up to date guide, or so I though.
And I'm back.
After a government implemented hiatus I am back in Cambodia and able to take you along with me on my adventures.
Following my stint in Yangon with Maung Maung (maw maw) I decide to go way north and make my way down south. I head to the bus station which is about 40 minutes out of town and I am certainly the only western foreigner there. Also I am a good foot taller than everybody, so some guys walk up to me and we make jokes, they stand on their tip toes and i crouch down and everyone is laughing. Also there are these burmese cigarettes which are long and rolled in a green leaf, with a bit of tobacco and some other herbaceous material, unfortunately not the heady kind. And I like to smoke these, so I take one out and light it and enjoy it and all the local men get a kick out of it. A good way to entertain the locals.
More and more I am already liking this country, especially when it appears that the conditions of the bus are quite good. I know that I am in for a 10 hour bus ride, so I take some xanax before hand to assist me in passing out on the ride. Well xanax doesn't last very long, and on the bus trips in myanmar there are stops that are made every few hours. On the first stop we come to I am jolted awake and walk out of the bus in a drug haze and I approach what appears to be a carnivalesque food center. There are stand at the front steaming peanuts and pork buns and various dim sums. Inside there are bright flashing lights and people set up all around the tentlike structure and they appear to be carnies at their separate booths. Even though I know this is not the case it still appeared as though it was much more than just a food center enhanced by all the sights, sounds and scents.
I arrive in mandalay around 5 in the morning and shit it is really cold. And this i have to become used to because the north is effing cold. I go around mandalay for the day after procuring a same day ticket for the train from a travel agent after being told at the train station that they were sold out for that day. I also bought a ticket for the next day which they graciously refunded about and hour later. Mandalay is one of the big four in myanmar also included are inle lake, bagan and yangon. For the day I went around mandalay by bicycle cart and took in the sights that were not on the $10 ticket.
Embarked on the 20 hour train ride. The rails are cerca 1920 and the cars 1950. so literally when in the sleeping car and lying down, one is bounced off the bunk on the foot side and then the head side nearly a foot in the air.
The next afternoon I arrived in Myitkyina which is quite far north, and yes it would turn out to be very cold. I was searching the town for lodging. As there was a big festival that weekend many places were booked. If they weren't they were usually not licenced for foreigners to stay there. After a while of looking this gentleman and his friend who are driving a tuk-tuk approach me and ask if I need any help. I say that I am in need of a room. They help as much as they can, eventually taking me to the immigration office and getting me permission to stay at a local hotel. I end up staying at a new chinese hotel, chinese money is everywhere in myanmar, and pay an astronomical $20 a night. What a rip off, not even hot water.
After that is settled I ask them to take me to a local restaurant. We end up at a friends place on a veranda made of bamboo over looking the Irrawaddy river. The food was okay, but the views and company were fantastic. There were only members of the family there and probably some folks who heard a white man was around. So I was the spectacle but we had a lot of fun.
Afterwards we go out on the town to continue the drinking that we had already begun. At the first place we went to we had a quick drink and then some disagreement broke out between my new found brothers and the proprietor, apparently they didn't care for our business that evening, especially from a white man. So we headed to the festival which appeared like a developing world state fair. I was the tallest/ whitest person around, or so I thought, saw a taller white guy as I was leaving.
The guys from the tuk tuk were light weights and got pretty sauced, infact I had to remind them where the tuk tuk was. On the way back I witnessed a pig being killed. I wouldn't have noticed except for the squeals being mad as a long spike was driven into its heart. Then after it was dead they poured very hot water over it and shaved the skin. It was interesting to see and I though it was good preparation for the buffalo sacrifices that I thought I was going to witness the next day. But the next day there were no sacrifices and I heard many reasons for why not. One was because it only happens every other year, another was that they no longer do it. But I think the probable one is that they do it earlier in the month before all the foreigners arrive. This was on January 10th by the way.
We found the tuk tuk and I made them take me to my hotel. Knew the place was clean so I relished in the chance to sleep in the buff. What a great day
After a government implemented hiatus I am back in Cambodia and able to take you along with me on my adventures.
Following my stint in Yangon with Maung Maung (maw maw) I decide to go way north and make my way down south. I head to the bus station which is about 40 minutes out of town and I am certainly the only western foreigner there. Also I am a good foot taller than everybody, so some guys walk up to me and we make jokes, they stand on their tip toes and i crouch down and everyone is laughing. Also there are these burmese cigarettes which are long and rolled in a green leaf, with a bit of tobacco and some other herbaceous material, unfortunately not the heady kind. And I like to smoke these, so I take one out and light it and enjoy it and all the local men get a kick out of it. A good way to entertain the locals.
More and more I am already liking this country, especially when it appears that the conditions of the bus are quite good. I know that I am in for a 10 hour bus ride, so I take some xanax before hand to assist me in passing out on the ride. Well xanax doesn't last very long, and on the bus trips in myanmar there are stops that are made every few hours. On the first stop we come to I am jolted awake and walk out of the bus in a drug haze and I approach what appears to be a carnivalesque food center. There are stand at the front steaming peanuts and pork buns and various dim sums. Inside there are bright flashing lights and people set up all around the tentlike structure and they appear to be carnies at their separate booths. Even though I know this is not the case it still appeared as though it was much more than just a food center enhanced by all the sights, sounds and scents.
I arrive in mandalay around 5 in the morning and shit it is really cold. And this i have to become used to because the north is effing cold. I go around mandalay for the day after procuring a same day ticket for the train from a travel agent after being told at the train station that they were sold out for that day. I also bought a ticket for the next day which they graciously refunded about and hour later. Mandalay is one of the big four in myanmar also included are inle lake, bagan and yangon. For the day I went around mandalay by bicycle cart and took in the sights that were not on the $10 ticket.
Embarked on the 20 hour train ride. The rails are cerca 1920 and the cars 1950. so literally when in the sleeping car and lying down, one is bounced off the bunk on the foot side and then the head side nearly a foot in the air.
The next afternoon I arrived in Myitkyina which is quite far north, and yes it would turn out to be very cold. I was searching the town for lodging. As there was a big festival that weekend many places were booked. If they weren't they were usually not licenced for foreigners to stay there. After a while of looking this gentleman and his friend who are driving a tuk-tuk approach me and ask if I need any help. I say that I am in need of a room. They help as much as they can, eventually taking me to the immigration office and getting me permission to stay at a local hotel. I end up staying at a new chinese hotel, chinese money is everywhere in myanmar, and pay an astronomical $20 a night. What a rip off, not even hot water.
After that is settled I ask them to take me to a local restaurant. We end up at a friends place on a veranda made of bamboo over looking the Irrawaddy river. The food was okay, but the views and company were fantastic. There were only members of the family there and probably some folks who heard a white man was around. So I was the spectacle but we had a lot of fun.
Afterwards we go out on the town to continue the drinking that we had already begun. At the first place we went to we had a quick drink and then some disagreement broke out between my new found brothers and the proprietor, apparently they didn't care for our business that evening, especially from a white man. So we headed to the festival which appeared like a developing world state fair. I was the tallest/ whitest person around, or so I thought, saw a taller white guy as I was leaving.
The guys from the tuk tuk were light weights and got pretty sauced, infact I had to remind them where the tuk tuk was. On the way back I witnessed a pig being killed. I wouldn't have noticed except for the squeals being mad as a long spike was driven into its heart. Then after it was dead they poured very hot water over it and shaved the skin. It was interesting to see and I though it was good preparation for the buffalo sacrifices that I thought I was going to witness the next day. But the next day there were no sacrifices and I heard many reasons for why not. One was because it only happens every other year, another was that they no longer do it. But I think the probable one is that they do it earlier in the month before all the foreigners arrive. This was on January 10th by the way.
We found the tuk tuk and I made them take me to my hotel. Knew the place was clean so I relished in the chance to sleep in the buff. What a great day
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
"My country, it's beatuiful man"
Alright, let's start with new years eve. Serendipity beach in sihanoukville is somewhat crescent shaped. So from dusk til about one AM there were hundreds and hundreds of roman candles being lit all along the beach. Taylor and myself bought about 35 dollars worth of fireworks, which would go for probably close to one hundred in the US, so we had our fair share of fun on the beach as well.
We also proceeded to participate in a 48 hour bender amongst ourselves starting on the first that involved more than necessary trips to the casino. Damned Koreans taking our money, which is funny because Taylor is working in Korea at the moment. We both left the morning of the third, without sleep for the last two days, and it turned into a doozie (SP), at least for me.
I caught my bus at 8AM rom the beach heading to bangkok. Well, when I got to the border and had crossed, thus nullifying my cambodian visa I was eventually, after sitting on a minibus and having my ticket looked at multiple times, and then getting kicked off, told that the company on the beach had forgotten to notify the company on the Thai side that I was headed to Bangkok. Luckily, for me, there was another individual in my position as well. We waited around for a while til we could catch a ride with another minibus that took us to the Trat bus station. Where the hell is Trat? Who cares because we got there around 5pm and had to wait til 930 for our bus. By this time I might have gotten a couple of winks but very few. As soon as the bus took off I was out. I was so out that I only woke up when the bus was pulling in to park and all the other passengers had already disembarked. Again luckily for me the other guy was there because he grabbed my bag for me.
This was around 2am so I hailed a cab to the airport because my flight was at 7 in the morning. I arrived at the airport and slept a couple of hours on the floor until the din of passengers in the airport awoke me and I got my boarding pass and proceeded to the gate. Where I then slept a bit until someone awoke me and alerted me that we were boarding. On the plane I was out, but by this time there was something wrong with my right eye and I couldn't see out of it very well and it hurt like hell. So arrived in Yangon, tossed my contact, attempted to call some guesthouses which were all booked, but one very kind one told me they would find me a place to stay if I came through. I got a taxi into the city, about an hour I think, I was sleeping the whole way. I arrived at the guest house, which was packed with people, thanks lonely planet, and immediately found a couch at the back and passed out for a few hours. When I awoke they told me they had found a place, gave me the address and I made my way there.
Needless to say when I got to my guest house I slept till the next day.
Upon my awaking never have I felt like more of a complete stranger in a strange land. Burmese is an extremely foreign language and there is hardly any english written or spoken anywhere. As I was wandering the streets, I was trying to keep myself contained and not shrivel into my shell of xenophobia, not that I am a victim of such, but I have never been in a place so strange, that felt so far from home. I thought about ways to get out of here, but told myself not to be a puss and buckle down.
And then an angel of sorts appeared in the form of a 67 year old toothless burmese man named momo, who is a wood carver and teacher, and speaks english. Woo Hoo.
So this guy has taken me under his wing and literally toured me around Yangon, luckily for me school is on holiday. I buy him breakfast and lunch, and give him a little money at the end of the day and he is happy to travel around with me. And I am getting such a wonderful sense of this city that I would otherwise not. It is such a treat. We have tea and the best ethnic cuisine and he teaches me burmese here and there and it is really a relief. Because I had never felt the way traveling that I did when I experienced myanmar, maybe it was just fear, but that alone keeps too many at bay.
Today we started with tea and pork buns at a chinese restaurant, then we went to see some religious attractions and a large man-made lake with the kings boat on it. Then we went to the largest reclining buddha in myanmar, which I think is about the same size as the one in bangkok, not as beautiful, but what was excellent is that we were the only ones there, amazing. on our way out of the rectangular arena that housed the buddha some gentle men opened a gate that usually isn't to bring in a cart of materials and next to them there was a dilapidated concrete slab, as that is usually what walk ways are made of, and momo fell right through. I felt really bad, but luckily it seemed that he was not hurt.
And its true what they say about burmese people being really kind. I was on the bus today and visibly about a foot too tall and stooping, so this guy who was my age or a little younger offered me his seat. I felt silly and didn't know how to say no so I just took it.
Slowly I am becoming more comfortable with this place, and I assume I will soon learn to love it. The culture here is immense and outstanding. The street culture alone is awesome, especially when compared with Cambodia where there is very little. You can find anything on the street from stands making betel nut chews (nut and spices wrapped in leaf, which everyone chews and spits out a blood red spit) to printing presses, to bars, to retail stands. It really is all on the streets.
Yup I think that is enough for now. I will shortly be traveling to some remote parts of the country, so fear not if you don't hear from me for a little while. I will only be enjoying myself to the fullest.
We also proceeded to participate in a 48 hour bender amongst ourselves starting on the first that involved more than necessary trips to the casino. Damned Koreans taking our money, which is funny because Taylor is working in Korea at the moment. We both left the morning of the third, without sleep for the last two days, and it turned into a doozie (SP), at least for me.
I caught my bus at 8AM rom the beach heading to bangkok. Well, when I got to the border and had crossed, thus nullifying my cambodian visa I was eventually, after sitting on a minibus and having my ticket looked at multiple times, and then getting kicked off, told that the company on the beach had forgotten to notify the company on the Thai side that I was headed to Bangkok. Luckily, for me, there was another individual in my position as well. We waited around for a while til we could catch a ride with another minibus that took us to the Trat bus station. Where the hell is Trat? Who cares because we got there around 5pm and had to wait til 930 for our bus. By this time I might have gotten a couple of winks but very few. As soon as the bus took off I was out. I was so out that I only woke up when the bus was pulling in to park and all the other passengers had already disembarked. Again luckily for me the other guy was there because he grabbed my bag for me.
This was around 2am so I hailed a cab to the airport because my flight was at 7 in the morning. I arrived at the airport and slept a couple of hours on the floor until the din of passengers in the airport awoke me and I got my boarding pass and proceeded to the gate. Where I then slept a bit until someone awoke me and alerted me that we were boarding. On the plane I was out, but by this time there was something wrong with my right eye and I couldn't see out of it very well and it hurt like hell. So arrived in Yangon, tossed my contact, attempted to call some guesthouses which were all booked, but one very kind one told me they would find me a place to stay if I came through. I got a taxi into the city, about an hour I think, I was sleeping the whole way. I arrived at the guest house, which was packed with people, thanks lonely planet, and immediately found a couch at the back and passed out for a few hours. When I awoke they told me they had found a place, gave me the address and I made my way there.
Needless to say when I got to my guest house I slept till the next day.
Upon my awaking never have I felt like more of a complete stranger in a strange land. Burmese is an extremely foreign language and there is hardly any english written or spoken anywhere. As I was wandering the streets, I was trying to keep myself contained and not shrivel into my shell of xenophobia, not that I am a victim of such, but I have never been in a place so strange, that felt so far from home. I thought about ways to get out of here, but told myself not to be a puss and buckle down.
And then an angel of sorts appeared in the form of a 67 year old toothless burmese man named momo, who is a wood carver and teacher, and speaks english. Woo Hoo.
So this guy has taken me under his wing and literally toured me around Yangon, luckily for me school is on holiday. I buy him breakfast and lunch, and give him a little money at the end of the day and he is happy to travel around with me. And I am getting such a wonderful sense of this city that I would otherwise not. It is such a treat. We have tea and the best ethnic cuisine and he teaches me burmese here and there and it is really a relief. Because I had never felt the way traveling that I did when I experienced myanmar, maybe it was just fear, but that alone keeps too many at bay.
Today we started with tea and pork buns at a chinese restaurant, then we went to see some religious attractions and a large man-made lake with the kings boat on it. Then we went to the largest reclining buddha in myanmar, which I think is about the same size as the one in bangkok, not as beautiful, but what was excellent is that we were the only ones there, amazing. on our way out of the rectangular arena that housed the buddha some gentle men opened a gate that usually isn't to bring in a cart of materials and next to them there was a dilapidated concrete slab, as that is usually what walk ways are made of, and momo fell right through. I felt really bad, but luckily it seemed that he was not hurt.
And its true what they say about burmese people being really kind. I was on the bus today and visibly about a foot too tall and stooping, so this guy who was my age or a little younger offered me his seat. I felt silly and didn't know how to say no so I just took it.
Slowly I am becoming more comfortable with this place, and I assume I will soon learn to love it. The culture here is immense and outstanding. The street culture alone is awesome, especially when compared with Cambodia where there is very little. You can find anything on the street from stands making betel nut chews (nut and spices wrapped in leaf, which everyone chews and spits out a blood red spit) to printing presses, to bars, to retail stands. It really is all on the streets.
Yup I think that is enough for now. I will shortly be traveling to some remote parts of the country, so fear not if you don't hear from me for a little while. I will only be enjoying myself to the fullest.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
And... I'm out
OY.
SO out of Cambodia for now. Heading to myanmar tomorrow. Trying as I type in this cafe to continue on my bus from sihanoukville to bangkok thinking it would save me dough, however it is only causing drawn out hassles. Something about there not being communication across the borders for the bus company. Rubbish.
Happy new years to all.
Not much comm in myanmar but I shall try my best to keep it in the loop.
SO out of Cambodia for now. Heading to myanmar tomorrow. Trying as I type in this cafe to continue on my bus from sihanoukville to bangkok thinking it would save me dough, however it is only causing drawn out hassles. Something about there not being communication across the borders for the bus company. Rubbish.
Happy new years to all.
Not much comm in myanmar but I shall try my best to keep it in the loop.
Monday, December 21, 2009
AND I'm still in cambodia
Welcome back to the world of my blog. Or perhaps I should welcome myself back.
Amazingly I am nearing the 2 month mark in my trip and I have been doing exciting things, which is a great change from what I now endearingly call suckville also known as sihanoukville. I never thought I would be one who didn't like the taste of super chilling on a beach but low and behold it happened.
There were a few things from suckville that could use some commenting. The first day I tried to go diving there the waters were very rough so we skipped it. On the way back into town was a wonderful sight of monks clad in bright orange folds of fabric on their daily alms gathering. One was holding a black umbrella while an individual was praying to him. Bowing in cadence with the rhythm of the prayer and holding his hands together in front of his face. It was a beautiful sight, especially contrasted to strewn garbage on the street, the traffic and the going ons of early morning life.
That said I went diving the next day--it was alright, poor visibility. I got a bit of a scrape/irritation on my foot from the fin, and it led to an infection. That was shitty, but even worse was getting taken by a medical clinic in Siem Reap. I went to get it dressed and they sold me some pills I didn't need and charged me $10 for a bad bandage job and $8 for the pills. That may not sound like a lot, but its all relative. Luckily that was what I would call my first, and hopefully only, time of being taken in SE asia. All I needed was some antibiotic ointment and its all good now.
So I was in Siem Reap, possibly better known for housing the Angkor Wat complex and temples. It is certainly called a wonder of the world for a reason. It was epic, beautiful and majestic. What I can say about it is, go there. Being there I felt a mix of intense spirituality, destruction (khmer rouge), inspiring greatness and history. But it was constantly buZzing all around me and I found it very difficult to focus on any one element. The presence of each was very powerful but it still felt amazing being there. Perhaps I tried to use my camera too much as a kind of blinders to these sensations, but I got some great pics. It was truly killer for lack of a sweeter word. Beautiful and tragic...
Siem Reap is a cool town but not great. Its expensive and there are so many tourists. However apparently this is quite a slow high season. I'm sure we can all guess why. So I moved on to a city called Battambang, which is the second largest after Phnom Penh. This also involved something exciting because it was my first water travel. I took a boat with maybe 40 other people across the northern section of Tonle Sap lake, the largest fresh water lake in se asia. Then through many tributaries of the lake. Some only as wide as the boat and at times even less than. In fact I think our driver was training. He was constantly throwing it in reverse at bends in the river because he couldn't make the turns correctly and we kept gliding into the side of the path. At one point there was this guy on a really small fishing dingy and the device that was steering the prop caught his boat and launched him off. He looked much less than ecstatic.
Life on the water was extremely cool to experience. IF your house wasn't on a boat everything else was. Some houses were like house boats, others were just straight boats with rounded coverings made from wood, plastic sheeting or metal. Some houses were built on 30 foot tall stilts for when the river floods from snow runoff from way up north into the mekong. Everything else was on boats; markets, taxis, the schools were floating buildings, and some temples. Life looked easy, but I assume it was an illusion, it must have been the people that made it such. There were awesome bamboo contraptions that were house, raft and net fishing device that looked straight out of that shitty kevin costner movie waterworld, all connected together in an impressive amalgamation of bamboo physics. And the children, almost always smiling and waving, so sweet.
Battambang is a cool enough town for me to stay here a few days. So far it looks like a bunch of pharmacies, electronic/household ware shops, beauty salons, and clothes stores. Tonight I went with the driver of my tuk tuk to a popular restaurant with the locals and had a delicious plate of fried eel(spine in of course) which was super good. Yesterday (SUN) I must have witnessed about 4 wedding parties going on. Sometimes for the event they will erect a tent like structure with no walls from a building directly into the street, perhaps to the middle, and it is totally normal and usual.
Thats about all I've got for now. Its nice to let you in on the scoop again. But a few thoughts before I exit.
-Big props to all the ladies that wear high heels and drive manual motorbikes.
-Tuk tuks in cambodia have a front and rear facing seat, unlike the ones in thailand that only have a front facer, so that they can sleep in them.
-Never have I seen a better cargo on a motorbike than two large live pigs upside down in a sort of wicker harness awaiting who knows what.
Amazingly I am nearing the 2 month mark in my trip and I have been doing exciting things, which is a great change from what I now endearingly call suckville also known as sihanoukville. I never thought I would be one who didn't like the taste of super chilling on a beach but low and behold it happened.
There were a few things from suckville that could use some commenting. The first day I tried to go diving there the waters were very rough so we skipped it. On the way back into town was a wonderful sight of monks clad in bright orange folds of fabric on their daily alms gathering. One was holding a black umbrella while an individual was praying to him. Bowing in cadence with the rhythm of the prayer and holding his hands together in front of his face. It was a beautiful sight, especially contrasted to strewn garbage on the street, the traffic and the going ons of early morning life.
That said I went diving the next day--it was alright, poor visibility. I got a bit of a scrape/irritation on my foot from the fin, and it led to an infection. That was shitty, but even worse was getting taken by a medical clinic in Siem Reap. I went to get it dressed and they sold me some pills I didn't need and charged me $10 for a bad bandage job and $8 for the pills. That may not sound like a lot, but its all relative. Luckily that was what I would call my first, and hopefully only, time of being taken in SE asia. All I needed was some antibiotic ointment and its all good now.
So I was in Siem Reap, possibly better known for housing the Angkor Wat complex and temples. It is certainly called a wonder of the world for a reason. It was epic, beautiful and majestic. What I can say about it is, go there. Being there I felt a mix of intense spirituality, destruction (khmer rouge), inspiring greatness and history. But it was constantly buZzing all around me and I found it very difficult to focus on any one element. The presence of each was very powerful but it still felt amazing being there. Perhaps I tried to use my camera too much as a kind of blinders to these sensations, but I got some great pics. It was truly killer for lack of a sweeter word. Beautiful and tragic...
Siem Reap is a cool town but not great. Its expensive and there are so many tourists. However apparently this is quite a slow high season. I'm sure we can all guess why. So I moved on to a city called Battambang, which is the second largest after Phnom Penh. This also involved something exciting because it was my first water travel. I took a boat with maybe 40 other people across the northern section of Tonle Sap lake, the largest fresh water lake in se asia. Then through many tributaries of the lake. Some only as wide as the boat and at times even less than. In fact I think our driver was training. He was constantly throwing it in reverse at bends in the river because he couldn't make the turns correctly and we kept gliding into the side of the path. At one point there was this guy on a really small fishing dingy and the device that was steering the prop caught his boat and launched him off. He looked much less than ecstatic.
Life on the water was extremely cool to experience. IF your house wasn't on a boat everything else was. Some houses were like house boats, others were just straight boats with rounded coverings made from wood, plastic sheeting or metal. Some houses were built on 30 foot tall stilts for when the river floods from snow runoff from way up north into the mekong. Everything else was on boats; markets, taxis, the schools were floating buildings, and some temples. Life looked easy, but I assume it was an illusion, it must have been the people that made it such. There were awesome bamboo contraptions that were house, raft and net fishing device that looked straight out of that shitty kevin costner movie waterworld, all connected together in an impressive amalgamation of bamboo physics. And the children, almost always smiling and waving, so sweet.
Battambang is a cool enough town for me to stay here a few days. So far it looks like a bunch of pharmacies, electronic/household ware shops, beauty salons, and clothes stores. Tonight I went with the driver of my tuk tuk to a popular restaurant with the locals and had a delicious plate of fried eel(spine in of course) which was super good. Yesterday (SUN) I must have witnessed about 4 wedding parties going on. Sometimes for the event they will erect a tent like structure with no walls from a building directly into the street, perhaps to the middle, and it is totally normal and usual.
Thats about all I've got for now. Its nice to let you in on the scoop again. But a few thoughts before I exit.
-Big props to all the ladies that wear high heels and drive manual motorbikes.
-Tuk tuks in cambodia have a front and rear facing seat, unlike the ones in thailand that only have a front facer, so that they can sleep in them.
-Never have I seen a better cargo on a motorbike than two large live pigs upside down in a sort of wicker harness awaiting who knows what.
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