In the north

Finally made it to the Capital City of Ha Noi today, after a 13 hour train ride and then a 5 hour bus ride to the coastal town of Halong Bay yesterday.

Halong bay was so incredibly stunning. All the photos I took just do not do it justice. The only way to get the true feel of it is to come here yourself. Halong Bay is surrounded by 1,969 little islets that make up this giant maze around the Bay. We took a boat trip out around them and got to explore a couple of caves. It was very misty, which made little islets appear out of nowhere when we went floating past them.

Hue was also a very worthwhile stop. I visited the imperial city (based on China's forbidden city) and got to dress as a local would have during that error. A lot of asian tourists thought we were part of the attraction and started taking photos and clapping at us. A lot started following us as they thought we were about to put on a show.

Before we left Hue for Halong Bay we took a motorcycle trip round the country. This may have potentially been the scariest thing I have done to date, as drivers here aren't particularly fond of giving way but more just all go at once. We saw huge rice farms and then even went and visited a Rice Museum. I know what you're thinking - that must have been quite boring right? Well it was. Apart from this really old lady that gave really odd demonstrations on how rice is made. Almost borderline disturbing.

I was chatting to my rider as we were going through the country - he's approaching 50 and has still never left Vietnam. He would quite like to go to Cambodia if he gets the money, but this was still in the distant future. The health care system is also less than desirable. If patients can't afford a bed for a night (about $20 to $30US), noone could care less. The hospitals will just leave them outside to die. If locals can't afford to be buried, they have mass graves that have a whole lot of dirt piled on top of them. People put coloured ribbons on these graves as good luck prayers. I saw several of these during my trip north. Makes me feel a very long way from home.

Anyway, in Ha Noi for the next couple of days until I head West to Laos. Will update when I can.

Where the hell am I now?

Sleep deprivation has started to take its toll. I couldn't remember where we were today and was quite gutted to find out it was Friday - I had thought it was only Wednesday. I've now lost two days from my week. Woe.

The sleeper train from Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang was nice, but it was near impossible to sleep on. Every time the train turned a corner, stopped, went over loose rails or changed speed I'd wake and feel it.

Nha Trang itself was really nice. The beach was good fun and our hotel had a giant swimming pool. Spent the day drinking pinacoladas in the pool while floating round in a donut. It was a hard day. We also went to the mud baths and had a spa treatment. It was a lot of fun, however it did just end in mudwrestling. There was also a very large lady in a bikini bathing herself there. Every time she rolled round in the mud I'd expect her to oink. I was sorely disappointed when she didn't.

We caught another sleeper train that night to Hoi An. It was really awful. The sheets provided in our cabins were covered in what I can only imagine was genital hair and the whole train wreaked of durian fruit. It was disgusting.

Hoi An is awesome. Went and got a tailored suit for myself and have also took a cycling trip through the city to the countryside. Apart from automatically riding on the left side of the road (they drive on the right - and there are very few rules here regarding traffic and intersections) it was good fun. Kids would come running out of their homes to high five us as we rode past and when we got to the beachside, kids from a nearby school came flocking towards us to take photos and ask us questions. Felt like a bit of a celebrity. Especially as they couldn't stop complimenting us or screaming at us in excitement. Also ended up getting very drunk yet again in the pool on the terrace and playing stupid games down at reception. So much so we actually woke the staff. Oops.

Vietnam is a very cool country. It's a lot more modern than Cambodia and they seem to have better infrastructure and a more organised society. However I'm over the constant tooting in traffic here and the bikes taking to footpaths and bowling people over when there isn't enough room on the road. The people here are also a lot more pushy when it comes to upselling. I've developed quite a backbone I think to deal with them.

Every now and then I think about home and what everyone else is up to. I've only been away just over 2 weeks, and it's scary to think I may not be back for another 2 years.

Anyway, on that note, I'm off to bed. Travel to Hue tomorrow, and I'm not keen to do yet another bus trip tired as hell. Everything just becomes more unbearable without a proper nights sleep.

That dog has rabies

After another gruelling bus ride watching these ridiculous love songs in Cambodian, I made it to the beach town of Sihanoukville. We stayed in little bungalows about 200m from the beach.

The beach itself was disgusting. It was full of rubbish and Keryn was stung a couple of times in the water. After about 10 minutes we decided it wasn't really for us and we headed back to our bungalow. We got back to find this derranged looking dog just napping on our doorstep, with no fur and this red rash all over it. Turns out, that dog had rabies.

We spent the following day travelling and snorkelling in the islands surrounding Sihanoukville. They were incredibly picturesque, the water was warm and we ate fresh fruit all day. Met some locals that night who taught me the traditional Khmer dance. It was fantastic. Its meant to bring good luck for the new year, and then the following day it rained. Apparently this meant that the gods were happy, as rain is a sign of good luck for the new year.

Since then, we've now crossed into Vietnam, stayed in Chau Doc and am currently in Ho Chi Minh. Nearly been hit several times trying to cross the road here - it is simply manic. Spent the day going through the Cu Chi tunnels, which were the ones the Vietnamese used during the Vietnam War. Funnily enough, its referred to here as the American War. Also, very few people speak english here. The novelty of not being able to understand whats in bags from the super or trying to tell someone you wanna send a postcard home is starting to wear off.

Off to catch a sleeper train tonight to Nha Trang. Am looking forward to it as I've never done one before, but we'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow morning.

S-21 and the Killing Fields

Went and saw the killing fields and S-21 today. Pol Pot had a dictatorship over the country from 75-79 and was responsible for the deaths of over 3 million Cambodians.

S-21 was awful. It use to be a school converted to a prison after Pol Pot came to power. Pol Pot was his regime name, short for Political Potential. The prison was used as a torture chamber and for 17,000 Cambodians, it was the last place they ever saw.

The place was eerie and they had photos of victims up. Noone was ever released, and only 7 people survived the prision, one of which I met today. The torturing was inhumane, and they use to use a false sense of friendship to lure people in. Pol Pot use to throw money out in villages to the people so they naturally loved him and thought he was a great leader.

After that we went to the killing fields, where there were over 129 mass graves. Each grave had anywhere from 10-2000 people in them. When it rains, they find more debris from the graves. Clothing and bones keep rising to the surface and you can see them on the paths you walk on. Quite an uncomfortable feeling.

People here have very little, and most display outside their houses which politcal party they support. They cling to politics here in much the same way the western world clings to their materialistic possessions. The locals will tell you all about the people in power, as long as no other locals are about. Some people from the Pol Pot era (Khmer Rouge) were granted amnesty after their great attrocities and are now in Government today. It makes me feel even worse to think that even after 79, New Zealand along with many other western countries still backed this government, as we were too scared about the spread of communism. Odd to think, where everyone here is so happy and every Cambodian is your friend.

On a lighter note, off to Sihanoukville tomorrow where it will be beaches and snorkelling galore! Can't wait.

Angkor: What?

Awful titleI know. I just couldn't help myself.

Left Bangkok on a bit of a low - a 15 minute taxi ride ended up taking 2 hours due to the protests. We were at a standstill in traffic for ages and we all began to melt in the taxi. Army helicopters kept flying above and there were riot police and red shirts everywhere. Apparently we were lucky to leave Khao San road when we did - met people who tried leaving a couple of hours after us and apparently everyone just refused to take them. Also, the violence soon spread to there and they had to evacuate everyone in the street.

However, met the group and am now safely in Cambodia. It took us about 5 hours in total to get to Siem Reap, which is a far cry from the 15 hours it once use to take. Cambodia only opened its borders to tourists in 1999, and it doesn't feel overrun by foreigners or anyone, yet. It has a very sleepy chilled out feel and the people aren't so pushy.

Went to Angkor Wat and the surrounding cities yesterday, which was amazing. I had no idea how big the entire thing was. However, at 42 degrees I just about passed out. Got severe heat rash and there was just nowhere to go to cool down. A couple of people in our group suffered from heat stroke.

When we arrived at Angkor our bus was instantly surrounded by locals trying to sell us stuff. Once the doors opened and we tried to hop out we were like lambs to the slaughter. This girl about 6 years old kept beating what I can only imagine was her brother of about 3 years when we walked past. When we told her to stop she started beating him harder. Our tour guide advised though that they do this to try and get you to feel sorry for him, and give her money to stop. Also, one of the police officers tried selling off his badge to us to try make a bit of money on the side.

After all that and narrating the trip like David Attenborough half the time, we decided to go out and try local cuisine and a fish massage (pronounced fiss masaaars, very big over here). It is the oddest sensation ever, as these little chinchin fish eat the dead skin off your feet. Really ticklish and uncontrollable twitching ensues.

Off to Phnom Peng today by public transport. Today is meant to be another scorcher, and I'm unsure whether they will have a/c or not on the 6 hour journey. Rest assured though, they do have windows I've been told.

We've also developed a bad habit of speaking broken english to the locals - so much so that we start talking to each other in it as well. The joys of Asia.

Challenge One - the Present

So much has happened in the last couple of days - I am seriously loving Bangkok. The whole red shirt thing is a bit disruptive but they're not violent. They are however based one block away from our hostel, so its quite loud here.

Yesterday we went to the zoo and Matt and I held a 3 metre long Burmese Python! It was amazing, but still shaking as I held it. Will post pictures as soon as I get the opportunity to.

Meet our tour group today and head for Cambodia tomorrow. We've decided that we'd set group challenges for us in each country. I got Thailand, so I decided we would buy gifts for each other that we have to wear when we meet our tour group tonight. Laura and I bought for Matt and Keryn and vice versa. Should be interesting - hopefully first impressions won't last. Again, will post pics when I can.

Food is cheap here - can pick up a bag of pineapple at a street vendor for nzd $0.50. Very busy here and always something to do. Got stopped in our tuktuk last night by protesters and made to walk to our hostel. Apparently they've taken Parliament now - I can't check the news however as the websites have been blocked here. Having to rely on locals for info.

Will write again soon.

First Impressions

Apart from death by heat stroke, I have loved my first day in Bangkok. Flew out yesterday morning from Welly, spent lunch down at the Sydney Opera House and crashed out in Bangkok last night.

The flight over was incredibly long, and customs could not have been less interested in us. Just waltzed through with only so much as a wave. I'm surprised I survived the taxi ride from the airport to our hostel, as the taxi driver cruised along at 130k with no seatbelts and only a bicycle strap holding the boot closed.

Got up and walked right out into the middle of a political rally this morning. I didn't realise how big this was over here - we had received warnings before travelling here that non-essential travel should be avoided, but I didn't really think twice about it. From what I can gather, the last elections were rigged and the King stepped in and gave power to a political party that didn't actually win. This has caused several problems as the King is not meant to show favouritism towards any one party. They have covered big landmarks in demonstration asking to stop corruption, and the protesters apparently threw blood or something over sacred temples over here a couple of days ago. The military guard parts of the city and walk round with rifles in hand. Makes me feel a long way from home.

We wandered off and caught a tuk-tuk for the morning. Our driver told us that the protests are hurting Tourism here, which makes up 70% of the Thai economy. He got petrol vouchers for taking us to reputable stores in Thailand, trying to promote a positive image here. We were happy to go along with this, as we saw amazing temples, a giant 30m buddha and got to meet quite a few of the locals.

Other than that, ate at local side street markets for next to nothing (ie nz 50c meals). The polution is astonishing - even though it was a 40 degree scorcher today, the sky was still covered in a grey haze. Riding in the tuk-tuk you can feel the dirt hit your face. The streets are dirty and every now and then you get an awful smell from the open drains they have. Ordered drinks in a bucket before dinner which was quite novel though.

All in all its been an awesome day, especially now that the initial hesitation of arriving has passed. Still incredibly tired though from the flight yesterday and can't wait to have a decent nights sleep. Unfortunately, I think the heat may dictate otherwise.