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.
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