journeywithmadonna

……….you know the tune, and now we know why they didn’t include buses and glad we’re taking a little break from them for now.   The train was pretty good, everyone slept a little and twelve hours later we were in Hue, which according to the Lonely Planet is the intellectual, cultural and spiritual heart of Vietnam.  We won’t be here long enough to confirm that, but we can certainly say it’s the most beautiful little city we’ve seen in Vietnam so far………and the rain has passed us by and the heat is back.   Yesterday we took a long walk which brought us to the Imperial palace, actually a small walled city where the Nguyen dynasty lived and they ruled it from 1805 to 1947 although it was badly damaged by war in 1947 and then the Vietnam war, or as they call it here, the American war.

Following the long walk back Marilyn and I got our hair shampooed and washed……..and she threw in a face massage which was lovely.  Well she didn’t actually throw it in as we had negotiated the price and then she doubled it……..anyway a story to tell when I’m back!    We had another great supper, a super sleep and breakfast and then off again to the Thien Mu Pagoda which was founded in 1601 and apparently is one of the most famous buildings in Vietnam.    It was the home pagoda of Thich Quang Duc who immolated( burnt himself to death) in 1963 to protest the politics of the president.  Now monks and students gather there to study in the peaceful orchid-lined courtyard which today, even with all the tour buses coming and going, was actually quite peaceful and beautiful.

From here we are headed to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon and so glad we learned to cross the street in Hanoi because HCMC  is even bigger which, of course, means more cars and motorcycles.  Should be exciting and we’ve decided to fly there rather than spend two days on the bus/train…..good for our sanity!

………was a movie we frequently watched with Kathleen and Andrea when they were little, and today Jim and I found the secrets of Ninh Binh!  We started the day deciding that for now we needed a break from the buses and came to Ninh Binh yesterday mainly because we couldn’t enjoy Halong Bay and knew from the guide that in NB you could pick up a train going south.  We had a pretty neat hotel that was a two minute walk from the train station so off we went to find out that there was an overnight sleeper train to Hue which took about twelve hours.  Given that our bus experiences had not been too positive we thought “why not?” The highlight of NB(population around 130,000) and area is Tam Coc which was a ten minute drive away and The Lonely Planet describes it as “Halong Bay on  the rice paddies for its huge rock formations jutting out of vibrant green rice paddies………Tam Coc gives Halong Bay a run for its money”.   There are caves that you can take a rowboat through with a guide and it lasts for about two hours.  Marilyn decided to opt out of this and instead decided to walk around the town and see what else it had to offer and hopefully find a neat little place for supper.

We were off in different directions and Jim and I were so pleasantly surprised at what we found.  We were in a row boat with a young girl paddling it with her feet and her mother sitting beside me and we were going through the rice paddies and on either side of us were these limestone cliffs that came rightup out of the water.  I had a “same, same but different” moment recalling Milford Sound in New Zealand many years ago.   Although it was overcast it was  truly beautiful(as it had been in Milford) and on the way down very peaceful as there weren’t as many boats out as there were on the return trip.  We went through three caves (727m, 60m and 45m) and all were very stunning.  On our return we were shocked to see how many more boats were in the water and we thought to ourselves “did we ever luck out”!   The water was now full with people from tour buses that had come  in from Hanoi for a day tour and there were lineups everywhere.

North Vietnam has been an interesting experience and we all agreed that it is not a place we have felt welcomed.  Many of the people were downright rude to us and we’re not sure if that was  because of the color of our skin and our North American accent, and of course their experiences from days gone by.  We certainly have tried to be very aware of their history and their struggles but it does get a little strained after a while.  There’s a constant push on tourists to “eat here, buy this, give me money to learn English” and although I do not want to generalize it was much too frequent.  Anyway, I will not go on and on but there certainly will be time for reflection after this trip is over.

Marilyn did not find any highlights in the city, or a nice place to eat, but she did find three Irish guys to have a chat with about how they spent their St. Paddy’s day in Vietnman…….and they didn’t find any green beer either.  This did remind us, however, that Marilyn, Jim and I have spent three out of four of the last St. Paddy’s  days together………in Colca Canyon, Peru….and then Durango, Colorado….and now Vietnam.    Where to next year, I wonder?

Anyway, right now we’re getting ready to take the sleeper train from Ninh Binh to Hue…….and it’s about a twelve hour train trip overnight.   No doubt, it will be another new event in this trip because once again, with the language barrier, we are not 100% certain what we signed up for………but time will tell.

Just a quick note to add that when we checked into our last hotel the guy at the front desk had pretty good English and when he saw my passport he said “Madonna, your  Asia tour….thank you for coming”  and just smiled.    I thought to myself the “other Madonna” is doing this trip very differently but I think I have an idea of what it must be like to be chased by the papparazzi because some days that’s what it feels like as you are being chased down the street.

Anyway, just getting ready to take that train after another very interesting  day in north Vietnam.  So far it has been an amazing journey and there are still many highlights ahead.

Just want you to know Michael that the iPad has come in very handy on the trip and we are so glad we brought  it along.  Also thanks for the helpful hints so many of you have sent ……we’ve been reading all your blog responses and enjoying them.   Hope you have a Happy Monday and that the St. Paddy’s day celebrations don’t slow you down too much….at least those of you who have to work on Monday.     Good night ………… as we’re headed to Hue in central/South Vietnam where the weather  forecast is 30 degrees and sunny…….. Good by rain!

………from Nimh Bimh!!!!!!   We ‘re just happy to be alive today  as yesterday was quite harrowing.   It started off innocently enough as we had a good sleep and an early start to the bus station to catch a bus to Halong Bay, an area we had heard so much about and were looking forward to spending 2-3 days there.  Our bus was to leave at 8:30am and at 8am we were quickly told to get aboard and that was before we could grab a coffee or a quick bite to eat before we headed out on what was supposed to be a 3 hour trip.  So off we go with this middle aged man who quite obviously did not like us…….and I kept smiling and was trying to be polite and do as I was told but he just got ruder so I sat in my seat and became very quiet.  From there on the trip was uneventful and four hours later he stopped in the middle of the highway and without talking signaled that we get off.   We were stunned and tried to ask where do we go but he just took our bags, threw them on the side of the highway and because  Marilyn was the last to get off he literally pushed her and closed the door.   Needless to say we were pissed and somewhat confused because this obviously was not the bus station.  On top of this the weather was crap and we were in a state of shock because for the past two weeks there has been nothing but sunshine……..and very polite people.  So we took a taxi into town, had a coffee, checked the weather, which although warm, was going to remain extremely foggy and rainy for the next few days. Halong City itself was no treat and we had come because of the islands and now, because of the weather, the boats were grounded so we decided to use this as a travel day and go south.  Being careful not to get more bad information about ‘bad’ buses we went to a very respectable travel agency where the people were very helpful but they could not sell us tickets and told us where to go for the bus and what to ask for and from there we took a taxi.  

From there the trip went south and so did we!  We paid for the first class air conditioned bus but what we got was a larger minivan than the previous ones but not so crowded.  We got herded on so fast we couldn’t even ask a question and quickly realized that we had been duped……..yet again!  Before too long, after many stops, the bus was packed so tight there was standing room only and we were saying our prayers.  I have never seen Jim on such high alert…………no one dosed off on that trip.   Right about now I could go on a Rick Mercer rant but I won’t because I want to put that trip behind me……….although I will never forget it.  Instead I think I will acutally have a scotch and hopefully find a good meal in this interesting little town and with any luck maybe even a green beer.   Hopefully your day will be great and have a good party Andrea and Andrew.   Thanks for all the messages and touch base tomorrow.

……….bet you knew that headline was coming!!!  Actually it was evening  when we arrived and our trip from Laos to Hanoi was pretty smooth with the exception of a few minutes at the Laos airport when they seemed to be having trouble finding our reservation……..but we have learned patience in Laos and all worked out well.   It was just an hour flight that went quite smoothly but wish I could say that was the same for our ride from the airport to the hotel.   Forty five minutes of terror in the back seat as we watched our driver handle the roads and the traffic as he quite comfortably conversed with Jim about the city, the traffic and the country…….meanwhile Marilyn and I never took our eyes off the road.  He told us that Hanoi, and area, has about eight million people and there are over four million motorcycles and everyone of them came out to greet us the night we arrived.  There’s no way I can explain the sight as I was in awe of how they held the road and never crashed into each other. One of the things Jim had mentioned to us as we left Laos was the possibility of renting a car in Vietnam because that would save us loads of hassles that we experienced in Laos with getting around.  Then he read the guidebook that reviewed the dangers of not only driving in Hanoi but also the dangers of crossing the street as a pedestrian.  Apparently there were 13,000 fatalities in 2010 and that seemed low given the population and the way they drive.  Our taxi driver said the only rule was that the person who was out front had the right of way and it did not matter if it was a two street intersection or a six street  intersection ….basically it was survival of the fastest.  It was amazing to watch people with no helmets on, with a baby or another passenger with them while they were talking on their cell phone, weaving in and out of traffic and likely if it was a woman she would have high heels on.  I can’t even walk with high heel shoes on, never mind drive a motorcycle!

As we were driving to our hotel our driver was filling us in on the city and the area we were staying in.  He pointed out how the streets were set up, for example, one street was ‘card street’ where they sold nothing but cards; another one was ‘bath street’ where they sold only things for the bathroom and then there was ‘cake street’ where they sold nothing but cakes…….that one really got my attention.

We finally got to our hotel, booked in and went out to a neat little restaurant around the corner called “Marilyn’s” ……….just couldn’t pass it by as it had a good menu and we didn’t want to slight our Marilyn……..who, once again, is becoming almost as popular as Madonna……..I said, almost!   We ate a lovely little meal on the balcony overlooking the street and looking down at all the traffic, especially the motorcycles, it reminded me of an anthill that had been disrupted and were going all over the place in what looked like a disorganized fashion…….but disorganized it wasn’t as all survived and no accidents were witnessed.

The hotel was fine, a pick from the Lonely Planet guide, but it was quite noisy with a cat screaming in the night……….actually most of the night and it sounded like it was quite close and in pain.   As a result we woke up tired in the morning but headed out for a great coffee and breakfast and then to see the sights that Hanoi had to offer.   But first we had to figure out how to cross the street!  The Lonely Planet advises that you cross very slowly “giving the motorbikes time to judge their position so that they can  pass on either side .  They won’t stop or even slow down, but they will try to avoid hitting you.  Just don’t make any sudden moves” and good luck.  Let me tell you,  you need more than luck to cross the streets in Hanoi……it’s a skill and it may even be genetic.   We practiced on smaller streets, with Jim out front, and slowly we moved out of our neighborhood into larger streets.  Needless to say Jim got the hang of it fairly quickly and would often follow a Vietnamese person and then Marilyn and I would follow him and by using 150% of our senses and the help of Marilyn ‘s prayers we made it every time.  But once we froze, at least I did, and the horns were blaring and cars were scattering and I almost had a panic attack as I backtracked.   But after a few deep breaths and recalling what I had learned, ie.  walk slow and look straight ahead, I made it and from then on it was easy……….well that’s not true, but it was easier.

Given that we decided to spend just two nights in Hanoi that meant we had just one day to see some highlights and therefore decided to do a walking tour.  As Jeanette had mentioned on the blog the water puppets were worth a stop so we did go to see them only to find out they were sold out.  So off we went to St. Joseph’s cathedral, Hoan Kiem Lake and Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower), Ngoc Son Temple(yes, another one) and finally to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum but unfortunately it had to close early and we could only be on the grounds.  By then it was time for our first pho, ie. Vietnamese noodle soup, and it did not disappoint.   Time for a little window shopping, a little reading and a siesta, or whatever they call it in Vietnam, and we were getting  ready for supper…..and as usual it was very good.

Over supper we made plans to leave via bus in the morning because none of us were that thrilled with Hanoi………too busy, too noisy, too dirty and overall just too chaotic.  Also it was the first time on the trip that I felt a little threatened as there constantly seemed to be people, mainly  men, watching us or our bags.  They also frequently came up to you just making small talk but in a phony way and even Jim was on alert and we would quickly  brush them off.  Shortly thereafter you would see them approach another tourist and you really knew they were up to ‘no good’.  So the plan was made to go out to Halong Bay, a Unesco world heritage site,  where there were over 3000 islands jutting out of the waters and where we could stay on a boat overnight, kayak, sail and do tai chi.  We were happy about leaving the noisy city behind but I was a little disappointed because although I looked, I never did find cake street!

………..shouldn’t be a problem, should it?  Well, let’s find out.  We survived the long, hot, uncomfortable trip back and were glad that we made that decision because the elderly gentleman I spoke of earlier said he was there for five days waiting for enough people to fill a boat to Luang Probang (10 people).   Every day he would go with his wife to the river to be told not enough people and then the day we left there were twenty people on a boat made for ten so he refused because they were packed in like sardines…..and decided instead to come in the minivanwhere we were not that much different.  Returning to Luang Probang was a welcomed relief and we checked into the same hotel we had spent two nights previously and it felt like we had come home because they were so happy to us.   Kind of like when we come home from work and O’Reilly is all over us and thanks Cathy for the note and I’m glad he misses us as I was afraid after spending almost seven weeks with you and Keith he might never come back.  We’ve seen many, many dogs here so he does come to mind a lot but you can tell him we haven’t seen any as handsome and we really miss him(don’t worry Kathleen and Andrea, we miss you guys just as much!!!!)

Right, back to our hotel where everyone was so welcoming and it was so clean with loads of hot water and needless to say the shower was very welcoming.  After our cleanup we immediately went to the travel agency(one of thousands in this small city) to book our flight for the next day.  We were told there were no flights on Laos airlines but we could get out later the next day on Vietnam airlines but it would cost more and we agreed and our tickets were confirmed.  We decided to pay by visa but they did not have a machine(at a fairly busy travel agency!) and we would have to travel by tuk tuk to use the visa machine at head office which was five minutes away and pay a surcharge…….no problem, so off we went.  We left with a written confirmation that we had to review and sign and everyone was happy.

Another great meal, a good sleep and a hot shower prepared us for the day as we were planning on doing some more sightseeing as we were not leaving until 4:30ish.  But as Jim and I were coming out of our room along comes Marilyn with a very unhappy and stressful look on her face saying that the young man from the travel agency was at our hotel because there was a’little problem’.  Apparently there was a change and there were no longer enough seats on the plane for the three of us, just two of us could go and they would try and find another seat on Laos airline which yesterday had been full.  When we showed him our confirmation he just smiled, laughed actually, and said to please come to the travel agency and we promptly did.

When we get to the travel agency and show our confirmation which we had received about 14 hours ago where it said in large letters ‘confirmed’ he once again just smiled stating things have changed and just laughed……..we weren’t!   Not wanting to lose face and get upset we controlled our North American tempers because the day before as we were passing by a similar agency we could hear this very loud English speaking man being very angry over something he thought he was to get and apparently didn’t and it sounded horrible….we held our composure. Our little agent could speak some English and we were at his mercy because we had no usage of his language other than thank you and right then we were not too thankful.  However he told us this was not his problem, wrong use of words, and we communicated that it was in fact his problem, and ours, and he picked up the phone and dialed. He then gave it to me and someone at the other end said he was with the airline, things had changed and they could make arrangements for us to travel together on a later flight, not too much later, but it would have to be with Laos airlines………and remember this was the airline we had tried to book with but it had no seats yesterday!  Our little man at the desk just continued smiling and then said he would give us some money back, about $15 each and a new confirmation. What were we to do?  Obviously we agreed and we signed up again.  He laughed as he was counting out our refund in ‘kip’ and then laughed some more telling us he was a little short by about 8000kip…..which although it sounds like a lot was only about $2.   We just shook our heads and began to laugh ourselves and then he told us he used to be a monk.   That brought to mind, of course, all the research they have done on the impact of meditation on monks and how happy they are and I thought to myself I could learn a lot from this guy.  Before we left we had a brief conversation about the monks and asked him why he left.  He said he went in when he was around twelve and after 7-8 years he became interested in women and wanted to drink and have fun and laughed out loud.  I really liked the little guy but was uncertain as to whether we had been ripped off or not.   It wasn’t just the two dollars but we began to wonder if he got a better offer for our seats………..now that’s stinky thinking…..guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens at the airport because we didn’t have assigned seating….either time!

The rest of the day was ours to enjoy our last day in Laos and what better way to do it then to visit a wat, guess by now you know that’s a temple.  This one, however, was up quite a hill…..actually a mountain it seemed like when we were climbing straight up those three hundred plus steps in the heat.  But Wat Phousi was worth every step!  Not only did we get a good cardio workout but we got an unbelievable view of the city and the rivers……….as well as seeing many, many, many golden Buddhas.    My favorite was the reclining Buddha that must have been almost fifty feet and she looked so contented.  If I could have I would have laid down right beside her for a nap but I had enough common sense to know that this probably was not a good idea so I trekked on.  Next there was a cave that even I had to bend down so I wouldn’t hit my head and there were quite a few more Buddhas inside there.

Great hike, another good lunch where we shared a large beer, and then back to the hotel for a hot shower and  wait for our tuk tuk to the airport.   While waiting we were chatting about the great week we had in Laos even if it was, at times, stressful.  No one got sick and thank God Marilyn was with us because the bugs really liked her and Jim and I were almost bite free.      Well there’s our tuk tuk driver and it’s amazing how we have come accustomed to driving in the back of a pick-up truck………actually looking forward to it.  Vietnam here we come!

…….or should I say coming to terms with our age! It’s been a tough couple of days and even though we came to Asia trying to leave our North American expectations and ways of living and thinking behind, it can be quite difficult at times and you realize that patience really is a virtue and the people of Laos have that down pat.  

We decided that we would take a bus to Nong Kiaw which the Lonely Planet described as a sleepy little village offering mesmerizing views of soaring limestone crags and wonderful mountains.  It had a population of 3500 and basically was a pair of dusty streets with wonderful views of the river when crossing the bridge. The woman at the bus station told us it would take 14 hours by bus and Jim’s face went ashen because it was only about a 100kms.  Thinking she misunderstood us we showed her on the map and she kept telling us it was 14hrs so we go back to Luang Prabang to check into an alternative mode of travel.  Lucky for us 12 seater mini vans go on a regular basis and were not that much moreexpensive so we decided on that mode of transportation.  Well getting a straight story from anyone has become almost impossible and I finally realized that when a person from Lao nods their head saying “yes, yes”  it really doesn’t mean anything except they are happy to please.   This was evident when the twelve seater, air conditioned van became a fourteen seater with the windows opened full tilt.  Marilyn and I were stuck in the back with two other women and every time we hit a bump our heads hit the ceiling and you know how  short we are.  The bus trip was about three and a half hours so we knew we could make it .  On the bus was a young man from Vancouver who was working/volunteering for an NGO and he told us we were in for a long bus trip from Nong Khiaw to the Vietnam border and he told us about a great river trip to Muang Khua which was about six hours and would cut a significant amount of time off our next bus trip so we decided to do that.  easier said than done!!!  In Nong Khiaw, after we got settled into our guesthouse, we walked to the river to check departure times for the next day to find out that it would only go if there were 18 people……..which meant it could be tomorrow, or the next day or the next.  So we then walked the dusty streets again back to the bus station to find out that  you couldn’t get guaranteed seats on the bus the next day either because it depended on how many seats would be vacated by people getting off the bus.  In the steaming heat we once again walk those dusty roads back to the guesthouse and picked up a couple of beer and a bottle of wine along the way.

By then we were a little frustrated, very dirty and tired and it was a good time to get a shower, relax and have a glass of wine and decide how we were going to get to Vietnam……….but of course there was no hot water;actually I don’t think Marilyn had any water in her shower at all.   So it was a quick clean-up, then a glass of wine and off we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner…..the good news is that the food is always good!   So we decided to sleep on it and in the morning go to the river and hope there was a boat and enough people to fill it.  I, for one, didn’t sleep much because I was reading our travel guide and it described the route from the boat, if we could get it, as a “grueling ten hour bus trip” and one I didn’t want to make.  I woke up in the night thinking “what the hell am I doing here” and how long will I be here because getting out was not going to be easy and lots of stinky thinking going on before I finally fell asleep.   Jim, as usual, was awake first and he was also thinking about our dilemma and after discussing all of the options we decided it was probably best to backtrack to Luang Probang and fly to Hanoi……..but first we had to discuss this with Marilyn.  We knew she would be awake as we had agreed to meet early for breakfast so when I went to check it was obvious she was ready to do something different and we both said at the same time “we’re getting too old for this”………..and when I told her Jim and I were thinking that backtracking and flying to Hanoi was a good idea the biggest smile came over her face and she said “that’s exactly what I was thinking”…….so the decision was made but, as usual, easier said than done!!!

       We went to a little cafe, of sorts, for breakfast where we had the best breakfast since we arrived.  The Laotian lady was smiling and friendly( they always are) and served up great coffee with a fabulous omelet for Jim and a Lao pancake for Marilyn and I that had fried bananas and ginger on it with a little coconut cream…….some good!  We were chatting about how to get a bus or minivan out of town when the two guys at the next table told us that the minivan they had come up on was in fact the back of a truck that was loaded with people, watermelons, huge jugs of water and a bench to sit on……….and cautioned us to make sure we didn’t get on the public bus.   So off we went to check the buses and/or minivans and were told that if we were willing to leave right away there was a twelve seater minivan leaving so we did.  But when it arrived, once again, there were fourteen people onboard and a baby and the seat Jim was to sit on was broken……….but we were anxious to leave because no one could tell us when we might get out so off we went on another bumpy ride with the windows open to serve as air conditioning.

Hope this doesn’t sound like a crap session because all of this has just gone to show me how difficult it is to leave those North American ways behind and to see how the people of Laos struggle everyday and how easy I really have it.  The people here work so hard and it seems like they are not really getting anywhere.  On the trip down to Luang Probang I was sitting next to an elderly man from Switzerland who has been living in Asia for about ten years and he was vacationing in Laos.  He stated that Laos, with a population of 6.5 million, hasn’t got a chance first because of Thailand’s 80million wanting their resources and now because China is taking whatever it wants from Laos and this is evident as you travel through Laos.  The hills are stripped of trees and just can’t imagine what it’s like here in the rainy season.    In spite of all of this the people seem very happy and are very welcoming and seeing them with their children just warms your heart…….they impress as extremely caring!       So how dare I complain?     Well I’m not………..just writing on my blog about an amazing trip, the good and the bad, with a great husband/tour guide and one of my best friends………it just can’t get any better than that………well a little hot water might help!

………..and quiet were what we experienced on the Mekong River trip.  It was a time just to sit back, relax, read your book, daydream, chat with your neighbor or whatever.  The first day was six hours with an overnight stay in Pak Ben and then another eight hours on the boat and must admit that although it was lovely, by the end of the second day we were ready to stand on land……..with very shaky legs and full bladders, at least Marilyn and I, because the ‘ladies room’ was not too welcoming.  At one point along the river we saw a family riding elephants, which was another first, and we made many stops along the way because this was not just a tourist boat but basically a local form of transportation.   We would pick up people, drop off lumber, deliver water, and God knows what else was going on and off.  I think the cost for this two day trip was around 240,000 kip which is the currency they use in Laos…….which reminds me…….when we crossed the border from Thailand to Laos Jim cashed some $$ into Laos currency and informed Marilyn and I that we had become instant millionaires.    The reason?   One dollar is worth 8,000kip which meant the two day boat ride cost around $30……….even with the less than perfect bathrooms and the  old recycled car seats, that it quite a deal!   And it was good news that we did not take the fast boat, ie. the speed boat, because  as Marilyn and Jim pointed out you lose your trust on those boats when the driver is wearing a helmet, and everyone else is not!

Generally on the boat there were two groups of people, and most were tourists.  The majority  were young people in their twenties/early thirties and then there were those of us in our 50’s and 60’s………we labelled us all as ‘before children and after children’.  There weren’t a lot of Laotian people travelling and there were just a couple of children and, of course, children all over the world have a universal language in that their cries and their laughter all sound the same.  Fortunately for us the  little 3-4 year old boy up front was full of laughter and excitement because one  tourist was showing him her camera and allowing him to take pictures of whatever he wanted and once he saw them he would scream with delight which brought smiles to everyone’s faces.   And speaking of laughing, Jim was reading a book that Andrew had given him  for Christmas and, he too, was laughing out loud…….which brought back memories of a trip we had taken almost exactly thirty years ago.  We went to New Zealand in February of 1982 and I was reading John Irving’s book The World According to Garp and would find myself laughing out loud and Jim, who is not a fiction reader really was curious and started reading the book as well.  The book he’s reading on this trip is non-fiction and I’m not much of a non-fiction reader but I’m definitely reading it when he’s done……….I had forgotten that memory and that NZ trip was our trip before children and this one is the trip after, I guess, in that they are now launched!!!!!!!!!

There’s not much more to say about the trip down the Mekong other than that it was a great experience with a pretty neat group of people and was quite relaxing.   Once we arrived in Luang Probang our goal was to find a pretty nice place to stay as we were all in desperate need of a shower and some good food as the lunches we had packed for the boat were just OK.   We found a great hotel in the heart of the downtown and after a clean up, a good meal and a pretty good  sleep we decided to go for a walking tour of the city and, of course, ran into many people from the boat.   But then I heard Marilyn say “my God, that’s not so and so” and there they were, friends of hers from Ottawa who are currently living in Vietnam.   They had come to Luang Probang for the weekend and, once again, you realize what a small world we live in.    Following a good visit with them we decided to go to the bus station to check out how to travel up north but because it was outside of town we took a tuk tuk which really, as Marilyn said, turned into a “putt-putt” because it broke down and the poor old driver was frustrated trying to figure out what was wrong and then he took the gas cap off, blew into it and it putt-putted into the gas station………..out of gas……..filled her up and we were off again to check out our next event.   Once that was over we were all ready for a little quiet time so when Jim was off for a little nap Marilyn and I went for a full body oil massage which was wonderful even though the little massage therapists were full of cold……….and we were hopeful that we wouldn’t catch them.    We’re leaving town tomorrow for Nong Khiaw but if we come back this way one of the things I would like to do is volunteer at the local elementary school for a couple of hours teaching English.  Apparently they like for English-speaking tourists to drop into the school to converse with children so they can practice their English……………we were concerned, however, that we would be leaving behind a couple of fast talking little Laotians speaking English with a Newfie accent……….things could be worse!

…….or should that be medication on the Mekong? This question arose a couple of days ago after breakfast when we were once again reading our ‘Lonely Planet’ travel guides and Marilyn came across the following “Boats should hold about 70 people, but captains try to cram in more than 100…………..it is wise to see the boat in person” so that you are not cramped and have a disappointing experience. We also heard that you could rent a speedboat but because of so many accidents on the river it wasn’t recommended……..so we decided to take the slow boat, ie. two days down the Mekong from Huay Xai to Luang Probang with a one night stopover in Pak Beng. First, however, we had to get across the border from Thailand to Laos……..and that actually was quite simple. It just involved a five minute ferry ride across the Mekong in a boat that was about the length of three kayaks and on board were probably forty of us with loads of luggage, lumber, jugs of water and almost anything else you could think of. The crossing however was very smooth and very brief.
Once in Laos it was very similar to many border crossings minus the guns, the threatening guards, the lineups and the searches of your belongings or your body. Just give them your passports, your money and wait for your entrance visas. There were people at the crossing from France, Switzerland, Holland and at least five of us from Canada and our visa fee was the highest, ie. $42 US each which of course begged the question why was Canada the highest of all the countries in the world………..none of us knew the answer but agreed to check it out with Mr. Harper and wondered if it had anything to do with our foreign aid(homework to do upon our return). Also picture this! There were two young girls traveling on their own, ages 19 and 22 we later found out, and they were quite attractive and joyful and very quickly noticed by the boarder guards. It was a very hot day and rather than wait for our visas we all wanted to sit and have a beer…….and before too long that’s what Maddie and Candace(we later found out their names) were doing with the border guards……..can you imagine that happening at the Canadian or US borders? We all laughed and finally Candace came over to get her passport and commented that the guards(with whom they were flirting) were trying to get them to stay the night……our immediate gut response was protective and from then on in we were bonded.

We all stayed in Huay Xai in Laos for the evening(but not together and not that bonded)and the plan was to take the slow boat to Luang Probang the following morning. Once again great food, good accommodation, another amazing wat( temple) and joyful people especially the children. In Laos we have learned patience and the quote Jim told us was the following: In Vietnam they plant the rice, in Cambodia they watch it grow and in Laos they listen to it grow. And we found out the next day, and ever since, that in Laos you need patience! We went to catch the 9:30 boat at 8:15 to find out there was no 9:30 boat but an 11:30 boat  so we paid our fare and began the wait.   Before too long Maddie and Candace came along and by about 10:30 we were all aboard trying to find seats and were pleasantly surprised that the boat didn’t just have benches but old car seats from vehicles that probably came from a scrapyard somewhere……..and a whole boatload of interesting people that we grew to know a little about over the next two days……….and what we didn’t know we kind of imagined their story as what else do you do for fun with such a fascinating crew of people from not only Laos and Thailand but also Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, France, England, Holland, and we think only one American…..and we thought that was interesting.

Like I mentioned earlier  the Laotians listen to the rice grow and we were listening to the chatter on this lovely boat as 11:00 came and went and then the tour guide, at least that’s what he called himself although we never saw him again, announced that the information was wrong and the boat would not be leaving until noon as they continued to sell tickets and add more people to the boat.    And then he added in his very broken English, which was better than my usage of his language, that all of us should ignore anything we read in the lonely planet because the boat was safe and had room for more than 70 people and “no need to worry” so we did!!!   And before too long and once the boat was packed we were off and Jim looked at me and said “you always wanted to go on a cruise!” and I thought to myself this is probably just as good as those two cruise ships that had major problems just before we left Canada……….the one that went ashore in Italy and the other one that had other issues that I can no longer recall…….stay tuned and I’ll fill you in on the issues with this one tomorrow………..or whenever I get a new sim card as this one is just about done.
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Madonna
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though the sign said 11:00

…….almost stopped us from getting the bus to Chiang Rai because we were told that the bus does not-travel on holidays but when we stopped at ‘Marlboro Joe’s’ for a coffee in the early morning the Thai owner had pretty good English and told us the buses go every day no matter what the holiday…….so after a good coffee we were off in the back of a truck to the bus station to catch the 10am bus.  We were told the bus leaves every hour but when we got to the station in plenty of time we found out that we had to wait until1:30 and we didn’t know if that was because the bus was full or if they changed the schedule.   In any case we Decided that rather than sit in the bus station for four hours watching the chaos we would go for a walk, a coffee or shop around.  In leaving I almost tripped over a couple of little waifs who were in bare feet and quite dirty and it was hard to tell who they were running from, but they were on the move…….no matter where you are little kids are cute.

The monks have been fascinating to watch and they are everywhere as temples (wats) are everywhere.   People have great respect for them,  and actually for each other and us, the tourists, who visit.  Daily there’s a ‘tak bat’ which is a monks’ alms procession.   This occurs at dawn which might explain why I haven’t seen it yet…….but basically the monks walk barefoot through the streets and the townsfolk give them tiny balls of sticky rice in their begging bowls.  Apparently it is a very quiet, meditative ceremony during which monks demonstrate their vows of poverty and humility.   The monks that we have seen have ranged in age from around ten years of age and……..Mostly older.   What shocked me the other day was seeing a monk, maybe in his forties walking down the street smoking a cigarette………that was another first.  Anyway back to the bus trip….

…….so we had a great coffee at a little Japanese cafe and then walked for about an hour and saw the massage sign and Marilyn said “let’s go in”, I quickly agreed and Jim nodded his head and luckily there were three available and we had the best leg and shoulder massage  which left us feeling like a million bucks as we headed to our bus………and all for about six bucks each for an hour!!!!!!!   When we got to our bus we almost missed it because the signs had changed and departure gates, for lack of a better word, were-different and so we made a mad scramble for our bus to find out that sitting directly behind us were the little shoeless and impoverished darlings…..but not to worry, they were as good as gold and were asleep in ten minutes.

The bus ride to Chiang Rai was uneventful … No air conditioning made it a little hot but we would have to wait another couple of hours for an a/c bus so we thought we would tough it out with the locals……and we did without too much efforts and after three and a half hours we arrived no worse for the wear.    On the way in we saw a sign for the restaurant Cabbages and Condoms which our friend Alison in England had mentioned but in the end we could not find it………basically it’s a grass roots kind of restaurant that is non profit and the funds go to safe sex initiatives and awareness which as you probably already know is much needed in this country.  

We decided to spend only one night in Chiang Rai as there wasn’t much to do so we had another great meal and a couple of beer and an early night.  In the morning we went to a Chinese market which was, once again, overwhelming in that we could not figure out where it started or ended……..it just went on and on!  It was here that I made my first purchase…….bought a simple little hat just in case I needed it on the boat.   The one thing about travelling with a backpack is that you are constantly aware that anything you buy will be on your back for the remainder of the trip……..so all of us have decided that any purchases will be made at the end.   Our next stop was the bus station again as we were headed to Chiang Khong where we were to get a visa that would allow us to enter into Laos……..and find out what exciting adventure lay ahead……….let you know tomorrow as I head for a good nights sleep and hope you have one as well.

……too tired!