This is a fasion haven's paradise. Hoi An is a small little town that has mostly dried out from the floods. Many streets consist of nothing but store after store of open front taylor shops; there are over 200 in the town. You just walk into one and glance through fashion magazines till you find something you want, pick out the fabric, get measured up, and your clothes are ready 5 hours later!!! Of course you can always design your own clothes, or bring in somthing to be copied. I got some new Nike running shorts, complete with Nike insignia stiching for a fifth of the cost in the US!!! Also got a jacket, couple long sleeve shirts, some pants, and a skirt.
The big question of the day is do I ship it home or carry it???
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Hue inspirations
The streets were flooded in Hue and it wasn't much fun walking around with water up to my calves so I spent a lot of time in the cafes by my guesthouse with 2 friends. The ones were were in were covered in quotes and messages and drawings from all who had passed through. Here were some of my favorites:
- If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up to much space.
-"You can always count on America to do the right thing - once they've exhausted the alternatives" - Winston Churchill '43
-Being successful: To get what you want. Being Happy: To want what you have.
-Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching. Work like you don't need the money. And fuck like you're being filmed.
-Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. (Careful of mines though!).
I contributed twice to the wall. Once to share the Stevenson quote I shared on an earlier blog. And once for this:
"I'd rather be rich than stupid"
- If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up to much space.
-"You can always count on America to do the right thing - once they've exhausted the alternatives" - Winston Churchill '43
-Being successful: To get what you want. Being Happy: To want what you have.
-Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching. Work like you don't need the money. And fuck like you're being filmed.
-Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. (Careful of mines though!).
I contributed twice to the wall. Once to share the Stevenson quote I shared on an earlier blog. And once for this:
"I'd rather be rich than stupid"
Rain Rain go away
I've spent the last 2 days with wet feet! There has been a typhoon in Vietnam. I got on a night train headed from Hanoi to Hue (about halfway down the East coast of Vietnam) after a fun Thanksgiving dinner at the R+R bar in Hanoi.
It was an eclectic group of Americans at the meal. One guy was a war veteran and shared some stories, but most were in town for work. I spent a lot of time chatting about relationships with a young 40 year old woman from Colorado who was married from 28-31. I think she was the closest to my age of anyone there. After the turkey and corn we hit an Irish pub for trivia night. Then I raced thru the city in the rain to catch my night train.
About 80 Kilometers before Hue we stopped for a while and were eventually told that the tracks were flooded and we'd be waiting at least a few hours- maybe a few days. So I got off with some other travelers and we chartered a minibus to take us. After squishinng into the van for about an hour and passing through many sections of the journey where we couldn't see the road under the water we had to turn around. The rain was still coming down and the water was rising. We passed many flooded houses. We got back onto the train in time to learn the water was down a little and we could pass all the way through. This time we got about 15 KM from Hue before a part that was impassible. Wouldn't you know we were the first vehicle the police turned back.
We were wet and unhappy to be doing circles, but I was seeing amazing things outside my window and had no time commitments to get to Hue so it wasn't a big deal. And I had _Cider House Rules_ to read and was perfectly content with the excuse to sit and follow Homer Wells' life. Luckily there was a really friendly Vietnamese guy who spoke great English and he took a bunch of us under his wing. We stayed just north of the train in the Demilitarization Zone. I shared a room with some nice women from Melbourne. And after noodle dinner with the vietnamese 'tour guide' another traveler- native also- took me as he got his hair cut. The shop was a concrete floor and small room w an open front to the street. Pretty rustic by US standard, perfect by Vietnamese standards. I got my hair washed as the rain poured out front. Many Asians seem to get their hair washed at the hair dressers w/out a cut. And I got another treatment, but I'm really not sure if it was meant to be a face massage or a facial. Whatever it was it was not so relaxing.
The next morning everyone I was with decided to head back to Hanoi (about a 12 hour bus ride) and to catch a plane from there. I decided I figured a way to get to Hue; I really did not want to back-track, and I had heard the roads were passable. I walked around in the rain and found the bus station and got a ride to Hue. This time we made it to the edge of town and the rain was too high to enter. So we strapped our bags on our backs, took off our shoes, hiked up our pants, and waded the 200 yards through it. Lots of Hue was flooded and many places were closed. I met up with a girl I had met in Hanoi. We shared a room with one of her friends. We took cyclo rides (the one person chair with a rider in the back) through the town for a couple of hours and saw some nice parks. I'm sure Hue would be even better if not under water. And I got up early this morning to move on- now I'm in Hoi An. It's much warmer and I can even see the sun :)
It was an eclectic group of Americans at the meal. One guy was a war veteran and shared some stories, but most were in town for work. I spent a lot of time chatting about relationships with a young 40 year old woman from Colorado who was married from 28-31. I think she was the closest to my age of anyone there. After the turkey and corn we hit an Irish pub for trivia night. Then I raced thru the city in the rain to catch my night train.
About 80 Kilometers before Hue we stopped for a while and were eventually told that the tracks were flooded and we'd be waiting at least a few hours- maybe a few days. So I got off with some other travelers and we chartered a minibus to take us. After squishinng into the van for about an hour and passing through many sections of the journey where we couldn't see the road under the water we had to turn around. The rain was still coming down and the water was rising. We passed many flooded houses. We got back onto the train in time to learn the water was down a little and we could pass all the way through. This time we got about 15 KM from Hue before a part that was impassible. Wouldn't you know we were the first vehicle the police turned back.
We were wet and unhappy to be doing circles, but I was seeing amazing things outside my window and had no time commitments to get to Hue so it wasn't a big deal. And I had _Cider House Rules_ to read and was perfectly content with the excuse to sit and follow Homer Wells' life. Luckily there was a really friendly Vietnamese guy who spoke great English and he took a bunch of us under his wing. We stayed just north of the train in the Demilitarization Zone. I shared a room with some nice women from Melbourne. And after noodle dinner with the vietnamese 'tour guide' another traveler- native also- took me as he got his hair cut. The shop was a concrete floor and small room w an open front to the street. Pretty rustic by US standard, perfect by Vietnamese standards. I got my hair washed as the rain poured out front. Many Asians seem to get their hair washed at the hair dressers w/out a cut. And I got another treatment, but I'm really not sure if it was meant to be a face massage or a facial. Whatever it was it was not so relaxing.
The next morning everyone I was with decided to head back to Hanoi (about a 12 hour bus ride) and to catch a plane from there. I decided I figured a way to get to Hue; I really did not want to back-track, and I had heard the roads were passable. I walked around in the rain and found the bus station and got a ride to Hue. This time we made it to the edge of town and the rain was too high to enter. So we strapped our bags on our backs, took off our shoes, hiked up our pants, and waded the 200 yards through it. Lots of Hue was flooded and many places were closed. I met up with a girl I had met in Hanoi. We shared a room with one of her friends. We took cyclo rides (the one person chair with a rider in the back) through the town for a couple of hours and saw some nice parks. I'm sure Hue would be even better if not under water. And I got up early this morning to move on- now I'm in Hoi An. It's much warmer and I can even see the sun :)
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Gobble Gobble
Happy Thanksgiving
Will be eating at a local bar having a turkey feast. Should be good to hang out with some Americans. I am meeting so few. That's ok b/c so many of the ones I'm meeting are fitting right into those stereotypes that makes everyone else hate Americans. Loud, pushy, greedy, inconsiderate, elitist. It is such an interesting perspective spending so much time with non- Americans. I have a hyper awareness of when I show those qualities.
Happy thanksgiving to everyone. Life feels great right now and I am so thankful for this travel experience. It makes it twice as good knowing I have the support and love of so many people back in the US. I am doubly thankful for all of you and for staying in contact across the distance.
Have a yummy day. Have fun if you're skiing. David- look out for the rocks :)
Will be eating at a local bar having a turkey feast. Should be good to hang out with some Americans. I am meeting so few. That's ok b/c so many of the ones I'm meeting are fitting right into those stereotypes that makes everyone else hate Americans. Loud, pushy, greedy, inconsiderate, elitist. It is such an interesting perspective spending so much time with non- Americans. I have a hyper awareness of when I show those qualities.
Happy thanksgiving to everyone. Life feels great right now and I am so thankful for this travel experience. It makes it twice as good knowing I have the support and love of so many people back in the US. I am doubly thankful for all of you and for staying in contact across the distance.
Have a yummy day. Have fun if you're skiing. David- look out for the rocks :)
Tastes like chicken
Hanoi has been great. So many sights and sounds and tastes! Tried to go for a run and couldn't get far because the shops and restaurants just flow out into the sidewalks all the way to the street. So you walk and run in the street with all the crazy motorbikes. Finally I got to a gorgeous park and had some quiet from all the honking. There are about a dozen rivers and lakes in Hanoi and many beautiful parks.
My guesthouse manager has been a great guide and he took me to have snake 2 nights ago. We were brought to a table and before I realized what was happening there was a snake slithering on the floor behind me. I big one- I'm not sure why I was picturing a little garden snake in my head.
They slit its throught and drained the cherry red blood into a glass. Cut the heart out into another. I won't go into all the details of the killing process, but it had too many sounds that I didn't like.
Eating it wasn't that bad. It doesn't really taste like chicken. They prepared it in a few ways- one was a spring roll. Wasn't so bad. I declined on the fresh heart though.
My guesthouse manager has been a great guide and he took me to have snake 2 nights ago. We were brought to a table and before I realized what was happening there was a snake slithering on the floor behind me. I big one- I'm not sure why I was picturing a little garden snake in my head.
They slit its throught and drained the cherry red blood into a glass. Cut the heart out into another. I won't go into all the details of the killing process, but it had too many sounds that I didn't like.
Eating it wasn't that bad. It doesn't really taste like chicken. They prepared it in a few ways- one was a spring roll. Wasn't so bad. I declined on the fresh heart though.
Monday, November 22, 2004
Ha Long Bay
Just got back from 3 days on the coast of Vietnam. Ha Long Bay is like no other place I have ever been. Hundreds of huge limestone rocks jutting 300 feet straight up out of the bay. Many covered in lush greenery.
I was there with a little tour and we spent the first day and a half on a big wooden sailing boat with a big deck and vietnamese lounge chairs on the roof. We spent lots of time sailing around the bay, checking out a huge cave, and swimming in the bay. I was quite content to sit up in the sun and breaze as we navigated the bay and read my book: Cider House Rulesby John Irving.
I was there with a little tour and we spent the first day and a half on a big wooden sailing boat with a big deck and vietnamese lounge chairs on the roof. We spent lots of time sailing around the bay, checking out a huge cave, and swimming in the bay. I was quite content to sit up in the sun and breaze as we navigated the bay and read my book: Cider House Rulesby John Irving.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Scammed by chocolate
Flew to Hanoi yesterday. Culture shock from the peaceful ways of Laos. This is a big bustling city complete with a bagillion motor bikes. To cross the street you have to just step off the sidewalk and go! There are no breaks in traffic. They just swerve around you.
I feel a little bad because I heard so much about how the Vietnamese try to scam travelers that I am scheptical of so many of them. Are there smiles genuine, or to lure me into a purchase? I am so cautious of getting scammed. And within 3 hours of being here I was !!!!!! While walking around the lake in the old quarter of town a woman came up to me and I looked in her basket to see what she was selling. It was a long, narrow donut. I told her "No, I'm not interested," and started to walk away. She didn't know much English, but enough to convey that there was chocolate inside. So of course I was interested and I turned back to her. She wanted 10,000 dong for 2, and I bargened down to 2,000 dong for 1. I was feeling quite happy about my bargenning skills as I sat on a bench to enjoy my treat. I imagine you can guess by now that there was no chocolate inside! And guess what else, my seller was no where to be found. Surprise, surprise. So that was my first, and hopefully my last Vietnamese scam. Lesson learned for only 13 cents :)
I feel a little bad because I heard so much about how the Vietnamese try to scam travelers that I am scheptical of so many of them. Are there smiles genuine, or to lure me into a purchase? I am so cautious of getting scammed. And within 3 hours of being here I was !!!!!! While walking around the lake in the old quarter of town a woman came up to me and I looked in her basket to see what she was selling. It was a long, narrow donut. I told her "No, I'm not interested," and started to walk away. She didn't know much English, but enough to convey that there was chocolate inside. So of course I was interested and I turned back to her. She wanted 10,000 dong for 2, and I bargened down to 2,000 dong for 1. I was feeling quite happy about my bargenning skills as I sat on a bench to enjoy my treat. I imagine you can guess by now that there was no chocolate inside! And guess what else, my seller was no where to be found. Surprise, surprise. So that was my first, and hopefully my last Vietnamese scam. Lesson learned for only 13 cents :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Best day
Yesterday was just amazing from start to finish.
Started the day with a spectacular Lao massage. I ran 9 miles yesterday so I had a good excuse to splurge- although at $3 an hour I didn't need much of an excuse. Had the whole place to myself. Lying in a dark room with soothing Lao music was a perfect way to escape the 85 degree heat.
After I was all loosey goosey I took my book and headed to the river. There are som bamboo bars along the river. And I headed to one that was once in a bamboo tree forest, but is somewhat cleared out, so there are places for about 8 hammocks to hang, and a little bonfire at night. No one was around, so I had my pick of spots. I ordered up a pinapple shake and settled in for a few hours of reading in the cool breaze. I should also mention that my view was not only of my dirty feel, but the river and huge limestone mountains behind it.
Once it cooled down a little I met up with a canadian friend to go biking. After crossing a rickety bamboo bridge we headed over a really bumpy dirt road though villages and rice fields to a little blue lagoon. Bright blue water and a great tree hanging over it for jumping in. Perfect after the dusty and sweaty 45 minute ride.
To cap the perfect day off I splurged on a bottle of wine and ate dinner with my friends down by the river on a bamboo platform with pillows and cusions. River noises rushing by and a few shooting starts ahead. I can't tell you what I wished for or it won't come true, but once I have another day as wonderful as that, I'll be sure to tell you.
Started the day with a spectacular Lao massage. I ran 9 miles yesterday so I had a good excuse to splurge- although at $3 an hour I didn't need much of an excuse. Had the whole place to myself. Lying in a dark room with soothing Lao music was a perfect way to escape the 85 degree heat.
After I was all loosey goosey I took my book and headed to the river. There are som bamboo bars along the river. And I headed to one that was once in a bamboo tree forest, but is somewhat cleared out, so there are places for about 8 hammocks to hang, and a little bonfire at night. No one was around, so I had my pick of spots. I ordered up a pinapple shake and settled in for a few hours of reading in the cool breaze. I should also mention that my view was not only of my dirty feel, but the river and huge limestone mountains behind it.
Once it cooled down a little I met up with a canadian friend to go biking. After crossing a rickety bamboo bridge we headed over a really bumpy dirt road though villages and rice fields to a little blue lagoon. Bright blue water and a great tree hanging over it for jumping in. Perfect after the dusty and sweaty 45 minute ride.
To cap the perfect day off I splurged on a bottle of wine and ate dinner with my friends down by the river on a bamboo platform with pillows and cusions. River noises rushing by and a few shooting starts ahead. I can't tell you what I wished for or it won't come true, but once I have another day as wonderful as that, I'll be sure to tell you.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Just made it back to civilization after a week or so in places with no electricity, let alone internet.
I had the most fabulous week. AMAZING. Spend a lot of time in little villages where they are living in bamboo huts and cooking over open fire the way they did 100s of years ago probably. I bought a fishing boat with 3 other folks and we canoed down the Nam Ou river. Huge beautiful limestone clifts covered in foliage all around us. When the sun got low in the sky we would find a village to pull over and try to find a place to stay. We always got a warm welcome. I was the official communicator for the group b/c I know a few key Laos words. The first night the kids just stood around and stared at us. They rarely rarely see white people there. It wasn't long before I got out my digital camera and was showing them pictures of themselves. They were in awe. Then I started joking around with them. It was amazing. I had 25 or 30 kids all around me watching my every move. Just joking around. I was facinated by how much I could connect with them while only knowing a few words in common. Lots of laughing. One village I got them to sing "Heads, Shoulders, knees, and toes." And in a larger village I went to school for a few hours with the girl I was staying with. I even got to stand up in front of the class and teach a little.
The people of Laos are so generous and friendly. Just welcoming us into their homes, sharing their dinner, and bed (or floor space really) with us. One place I stayed I was showing them pictures I brought from the US. They asked to keep one of me and the little girl put it right up on the wall. How cool to think my picture may be in this little village for years to come.
I had the most fabulous week. AMAZING. Spend a lot of time in little villages where they are living in bamboo huts and cooking over open fire the way they did 100s of years ago probably. I bought a fishing boat with 3 other folks and we canoed down the Nam Ou river. Huge beautiful limestone clifts covered in foliage all around us. When the sun got low in the sky we would find a village to pull over and try to find a place to stay. We always got a warm welcome. I was the official communicator for the group b/c I know a few key Laos words. The first night the kids just stood around and stared at us. They rarely rarely see white people there. It wasn't long before I got out my digital camera and was showing them pictures of themselves. They were in awe. Then I started joking around with them. It was amazing. I had 25 or 30 kids all around me watching my every move. Just joking around. I was facinated by how much I could connect with them while only knowing a few words in common. Lots of laughing. One village I got them to sing "Heads, Shoulders, knees, and toes." And in a larger village I went to school for a few hours with the girl I was staying with. I even got to stand up in front of the class and teach a little.
The people of Laos are so generous and friendly. Just welcoming us into their homes, sharing their dinner, and bed (or floor space really) with us. One place I stayed I was showing them pictures I brought from the US. They asked to keep one of me and the little girl put it right up on the wall. How cool to think my picture may be in this little village for years to come.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Chin beer
Made it to a little town in the North of Lao. It was a crazy bus ride. The first 4 hours I had a woman throwing up out the window the whole time because the roads were so windy. But that wasn't as bad as when I switched busses for the 2nd 4 hours. There were 31 of us in a 16 passenger bus. Quite cramped. And way to bumpy to hold my book still to read. Not that I was able to because my arms were pinned to my side. The scenery was gorgeous at least. Lush hills. And every once in a while we'd come across a tiny village with about 10-30 bamboo huts together. Little kids playing outside.
Today I have been exploring. Not many people speak English here. I was invited to join in on lunch with a big group of Chinese (we are close to the border). So much fun. We could only communicate a very little. Mostly by me pointing to words in the Laos/English section of my Lonely Planet book. There was lots of singing and merriment. They invited me to come back to their village with them. That will have to be another day.
Today I have been exploring. Not many people speak English here. I was invited to join in on lunch with a big group of Chinese (we are close to the border). So much fun. We could only communicate a very little. Mostly by me pointing to words in the Laos/English section of my Lonely Planet book. There was lots of singing and merriment. They invited me to come back to their village with them. That will have to be another day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)