October 3, 2002

Bus > Mohan (Laos Border), China  16:30 / 28h / 200y
1 Tire, 1 Rim, Brakes

Finished last minute shopping and packed up another 5kg of assorted clothing for shipment. This time avoiding claims by the postal staff that the box was unsafe unless I repacked it all.

The sleeper bus to Mohan, the border town with Laos. I pay my 50y more then everyone else and take my back of the bus upper bunk, the absolutely worst possible seat. Thrashing like a bullwhip and surfing across the nylon coated matress with 3 happy spirits from Kunming. I guess part of it was fun, trying to hold a tune on Blue. The usual breakdowns enroute. All night, back and forth.

October 4, 2002

Mohan (Laos Border), China

Open my eyes to find a new landscape forming. Nepal-esk terraced hillsides, tropical banana and palm trees, a hot and humid break from the overcast of Kunming. Wood and brick shacks begin to replace the cement Chinese shoeboxes of white and red bathroom tile and blue plate glass.

More thrashing about, I secure myself to the side of the bus using my rainjacket as a seatbelt. Afforded relative comfort until a stop in a small village found me a decent seat. Offloaded by the driver and into a minivan.

A 2 lane dirt road turned 1 by precisely placed piles of gravel. They must have plans to turn this into a real road, someday. A hot sweaty and smokey ride to Mengla, a dirty little town best avoided. Dropped off at the bus station with the intent to neglect my actual ticketed destination. The arguements begin and while 2 hotel hawkers try to convince me there are no more buses to Mohan tonight, a minivan shows sympathy making good on the deal.

A small dirt road winds its way through the jungle. 2.5 hours spent next to a man who chain smoked his way through 6 cigarettes. Grass huts replace the wood and brick.

Mohan - A one dirt road border town. Open the trunk and out my pack falls into a puddle of mud. Quickly a girl comes to the rescue, rubbing the mud in deeper with dirty dishwater and rags. A kind gesture that won me into her restaurant for dinner. An evening of delicious food and Blue.

October 5, 2002

Bus > Luang Nam Tha, Laos  9:00 / 2h / 10,000k

'Ting...Ting...Ting...' the 7 o'clock wakeup call. An old man slowly and carefully hammers his way down the hall installing floor tile. Up and out and ready for Laos.

Why are all border towns shifty and money changers cheaters? 100 Kip bills (equal to 1 cent) reluctantly dolled out in wads of 5,000 kip and stacked into rubberbanded super wads of 50,000 kip. The 1st trick, ofcourse to give not enough wads per super wad. The 2nd trick, ofcourse short-changing a wad. The 3rd trick, counting each super wad as 100,000 kip. An afternoon spent counting money and argueing with the changers. A full shoulder bag on a modest exchange of only 124y. I am sure I lost money in the process. Goodbye China!

Laos

VISA
320y = 15 Days SE (USA - From Kunming)
270y = 15 Days SE (Everyone Else - From Kunming)
3 Days Application (takes 2)
ECONOMY
10,800 Kip = $1   1,300 Kip = 1y
Diem = 50,000k  Food = 5,000-20,000k   Room = 10,000-30,000k   
Ride = 5,000k/h   Moto = $6/day  Gas = 3,000-4,000k/l   
Water = 1,500k/l  Web = 100-300k/h Slow
ESSENTIAL LAO
1 = Nung  2 = Song  3 = Sahm  4 = Sea  5 = Hah
6 = Hok  7 = Ket  8 = Bayat  9 = Gow  10 = Ship
'Pan' = Thousands
'SaBaDee' = Hello
'KapChai' = ThankYou
NOTES
Lao is an oasis of tranquility coming from China, almost dangerously quiet.
The thing to do is temples, caves, and kayaking down the Mekong.
Prices are extremely inflated and don't makes sense given the economy.
The upside being that there is absolutely no hassling or bargaining.
The food is similar to Thailand, but without the vastness nor taste.
Get used to weak noodle soup costing 5,000k or french bread & butter costing the same.
Bring your own butter.
Lao people are generally friendly but seem brain-dead when approached with a question.
The landscape is absolutely beautiful.
People photos are hit or miss.

A pieceful walk between borders and a no pain entry. Welcome to laos.

Changed my remaining 700y at the bank for 910,000 kip given in 500 kip bills. A much easier exchange at only a slightly lower rate and without the corruption and cheater wizardry found in China.

Jumped in the back of a covered pickup truck to Luang Nam Tha. Together with a couple of French travellers with stories of the past 6 months overland through Russia (loved) and Mongolia (hated) and China (so-so). Across a wide open countryside of absolute beauty.

Back to the third world, the poorest of Asian countries. Alot closer to Central America then China. No blaring horns or big trucks and absolutely none of the rawkus noise and commotion of China. Chickens, pigs, and cows along a dirt road passing fields of green and villages of a dozen or so grass huts. Very peaceful and welcoming.

Luang Nam Tha - 2 paved roads 1 km in length with a smattering of 2 story cement and brick guesthouses. A bank giving a poor exchange on the yuan (luckily I changed at the border). Restaurants and markets under umbrella. A friendly environment without purchase pressure.

Follow the French to a guesthouse on the main street and check in. Same rates for either a double or a single and so to save a buck (literally) I share a room with Ahn, a Belgian girl who just finished a volunteer assignment in Thailand. Spent the past 6 months living in a jungle and teaching. Warns me that I have entered malaria country. Down to the pharmacy to stock up on medicine. The old lady behind the counter pulls out a bucket of Chloroquine. No wonder the mosquitoes are resistant, I pick Doxycycline instead, 100mg once per day.

What to do in a sleepy little town like this on a hot and humid 32c in the shade day? Exactly what everyone else seems to do here, nothing. Acclimitizing to my new surroundings by keeping out of the sun and relaxing. Chit chat and guitar sing along with my new friends. Plans to head to Vientiene tomorrow to straighten out my visa and rent a moto.

The taste of Thai. TomBak chicken soup, sticky rice, and a mixed fruit shake for 19,000k. Heavy rains all night.

October 6, 2002

Bus > Vientiene, Laos  9:00 / 11h / 75,000k

8am and the loudspeaker 'bells' wake us all. Followed by a lengthy discourse on the daily news. Breakfast with the gang and a suprise bus on its way to Vientiene pulls through town. I say my goodbyes and jump in.

A long ride thankfully void of smoking and local curiosity, but not free from big stereo boom. Lunch stop. Flat noodles soup and some rawhide quality BBQ beef, not very good. An amazing lack of local socializing and conversation. This country is so quiet its scarey.

After 11 hours on the road the bus pulls into the first big city at night. Vientiene? Everyone gets off the bus and so do I. Find myself a grubby hole and check in for the night.

Out on town for dinner. Le TamTam - The only open restaurant at 10:30 and packed with La Wei, mostly Israeli and French. Chicken Prabang - A soup with all the spice of Thailand and none of the flavor. This place is obviously in 'the book'.

Why does everyone keep calling this place Luang Prabang?

October 7, 2002

Luang Prabang, Laos

Looks like I got off the bus early, optimistically half way early. Luang Prabang, a world heritage city of tourists and temples. Palms line streets of french colonial architecture. Looks like my plans of visa are moot. Well, I might as well have a look around.

Visited a temple or two. Talked to a few monks. Walked along the Mekong. Stopped to watch as a few middleaged entrepeneurs build the Vientiene river boat of the future. They aren't quite sure what they are doing, but are driven by dollar signs. Invited into an artist school football party. Chicken foot soup and whiskey. Guitar and sing alongs. Arm wrestling. Everything.

October 8, 2002

Luang Prabang, Laos

Another attempt at working my way around town once again distracted. The temple boys atop Wat TomPuSee. More guitar and smiles. A nice view of town. A bit of a nap. Back to the art school for more sing song. Sunset over the Mekong.

Invited in for dinner. Squirrel and bamboo soup, baby catfish with noodles and ofcourse sticky rice. Determined to actually see the sites tomorrow.

Wiggins Catching Up

October 9, 2002

Luang Prabang, Laos

Ran into a gang on their way to the waterfall and joined in. A very nice waterfall.

Back to town for an evening of travel talk over a Beer Lao at Nazim's Indian restaurant. Good food and interesting talk. Something about cracking a coconut over the river to pray to a rat god of silly putty.

October 10, 2002

Moto > Somewhere, Laos  12:00 / 6h 2h
10,907k Broken Odometer, Full Gas

Today finally plans to rent a moto and scoot off for a few days. An early morning taking in temples and saying my goodbyes. Stashed away everything less my rainjacket and a handful of film and my trusty Silk Sac. Back to the wide world of moto travel. 5 days on the local favorite, a Honda Wave 110 hybrid scooter, negotiated at $6 per day. A bit of a squirrel but safely pulling me 60k on clean asphalt.

The 13 South to Muang Phu Khun, where the 7 splits North East toward Phonsavan. A beautifully paved and banked mountain road snakes its way through rolling hills of lush green tropical jungle. Alongside the Mekong, where fishermen throw their nets and kids splash about. Grass huts and smiling faces surround. Leaning into the bends. A blazing hot 35c in the valleys at 500m dropping sharply to 20c over the peaks at 1500m. 3.5 hours to the turnoff. A beautiful ride.

Stop for some soup and sticky rice and to pick up a cheap pair of gloves. Continuing on. The sun sets at 6pm, leaving me stopped short in a small village enroute. Welcomed in by an elder.

The pharmacy shop garage. Cement floor and tin roof, lit by candle and packed with curious eyes. Seated crosslegged with the towns wise men. A ceremonial BeerLao is passed around.

Me and my host are dismissed for a circle about town. Swarms of children counting 4 per adult all busy with the towns work. My old friend points at pregnant women as we pass and exclaims 'Sow'. The search for the perfect shoot of sugarcane. Hacked off by machette and eaten like celery, spitting out the tough chord. A juicy tasty treat. Back to the hut for dinner.

Each man a basket of rice while the women and children wait aside. 3 primitive dishes. A leefy green spinach soup, scrambled egg, and something strange. The candle dies and the generator is fired up. A single incadescent illuminates the room. The crowd disperses.

Tucked into a wooden plank bed layered with a few rancid sheets. Saved by the Silk Sac. Sneezing, sniffling, slight fever, and aches. I am coming down with a cold. Perhaps a combination of the doxycycline, intense sun, and beer.

A new moon. Complete darkness.

October 11, 2002

Moto > Phonsavan, Laos  1100m  7:30 / 5h 1h
Chain Tension, Gas 3l@12,000k

The village is up at 6, the sun at 7.

Definately sick. I feel like I have been hit by a truck. Lucky for me to stop in a pharmacy. A handful of paracetamol, 500mg. Accepting only a 'KapChai' as payment, momma has me out and on my way by 7:30 with a fresh bag of sticky rice.

Gravel on the road slows me down to 30k. I cross the pass and angle down into a valley thick in clouds. A bone chilling 13c with significant wind chill. Wish I had brought shoes.

Highway 7 on the map, a mud pit in reality. A local bus stuck in the mud. Tug of war to pull it out. Glad I didn't bring shoes.

Pick up a hat and socks. A pleasent and easy final strectch into Phonsavan. A quick stop to tension the chain found me an hour nap on a bed inside a welding shop. This fever really has got me down.

A decent lunch and off to the 'Plain of Jars', the thing to see here. A field of 50 or so scattered rocks with holes cut into them. A history nobody knows, or so the governement insists, having stopped a team of Australian researchers from publishing a book. Nice but nothing special. Ran into a couple Canadians from Luang Prabang scouring the mine fields for schrapnel. Craters to the left and right of the trail.

Hitched them back to town and spent the afternoon through evening talking more travel. Intercepted their original plans to back through Laos and Thailand to catch a xmas flight home, and introduced the Tibet, Nepal, India idea. It didn't take much for them to change their minds.

Checked into a Vietnamese guesthouse. A hot shower goes a long way toward recovery.

Jeny Charles Tsampa

October 12, 2002

Moto > Muang Kham, Laos  745m  18c  8:30 / 1h / 60k
Gas 2l@6,000k

The recent adjustments and the straight valley road has me up to 80k. Once again, dropping into a valley of clouds the chill slows me. A quick roadside lunch in Muang Kam, the turnoff for Nam Noen.

Moto > Phoulao, Laos  1400m  28c  10:00 / 3h 1h / 95k

Climbing back out of the clouds, the skies open and the temperature soars. A single lane 6 to PhouLao, the turnoff to Sam Neua.

Moto > almost Sam Neua, Laos  1100m  32c  13:30 / 3h 1h / 85k
My 1st accident, scared by a snake

My 1st mishap. A snake around a corner scares me off the road. A painful spill leaving me with a cut palm and bent footpegs disabling me from down shifting out of 3rd. I continue on cautiously and of course run out of gas. Drift into a 4 shack village and one old man's face lights up. Scurries off and returns with a half liter of diesel for sale. '6,000 kip!!!' Sticker shock finds me pushing the bike onward. 3k down the road a generous soul lends a liter and fixes my foot peg.

A suprise turnoff to 'Visit Namouang Hotspring'. And so in need of a good bath I do. Lao can be absolutely useless as far as directions go. Enter Noi, a kind teenaged boy who led me through the rice patties to the spring. A cement pool containing bubbling muddy water and a dozen lounging locals suprised to see a foreigner. Avoided repeated attempts by the key man to prod me into 'the bathtub'.

Motored my new friend back to his hut and couldn't refuse an invite in. An old wooden loom. A wood fire cooks rice. Sit around and warm up. Dozens of kids surround.

Introduced to his family of 8. No english. Learned to count in Lao.

A pot of river fish boils while the youngest of girls feathers the smallest of sparrows by hand. Mom busy breastfeeding another and at the same time roasting a stick of chilis to crush by rock. The table is set with 3 bowls of fish soup. The men call to the table first, followed by the ladies. The sticky rice is passed around. A baseball sized chunk compressed in the right hand. Pulling off golf ball sized chunks to drip into the soup. It isn't very good.

The meal ends and 'my friend' begins rummaging through my bag. A curious let's see what the tourist brings, mostly excited to find money. Something doesn't feel right here.

October 13, 2002

Moto > Sam Neua, Laos  1120m  15c  8:00 / 30m / 17k
Heavy Fog, Gas 3l@10,000k

6am and the chores begin. Looming, chopping wood, sweeping. The short waves radio fails to find a station. The babies cry. Why?

Another friend in disguise. Presented with a bill in the morning. A repeat of the scandalous scene that happened to me in Pokhara, Nepal. This time I pay up to avoid the inevitable conflict.

Quickly I pack out and through heavy fog I make my way to Sam Neua.

Moto > Vieng Xai, Laos  960m  27c  9:30 / 45m / 28k
Blue Skies

A lunchtime bowl of noodles and on to Vieng Xai. The sky clears. An afternoon riding between beautiful limestone peaks and exploring wartime general's caves. Alone in the dark. Back to Sam Neua.

Moto > Sam Neua, Laos  1120m  25c  14:00 / 45m / 28k
Partly Cloudy, Gas 2l@7,000k

A seat for some terribly overpriced noodles and a chat with a friendly local who claims it is 450k back to Luang Prabang. Off to Phou Lao.

Moto > Phoulao, Laos  1400m  15:30 / 3h / 90k

Arrive after dark and check into a locals 'gusthose' for only 8,000k. Rustic.

October 14, 2002

Moto > Luang Prabang, Laos  500m  23c  7:00 / 11h 1h / 400k
Gas 5l@18,000k

5am and crickets still in force. Around the world just about everybody gets up well before they need to, but in 3rd world countries like this where nobody really needs to get up at all. Why?

Highway 1 - 350k of the worst crated dirt and rock road. My 2nd spill, 15 dgrees down over heavy rocks and into a tight turn. This time leaving me safe but bending the brake pedal.

A full day on the road back to Luang Prabang. At 500m the road improves. Showering bugs after dark. Check into the Cold River Inn. A friendly crowd. Tomorrow I return the moto and on to Vang Vien.

October 15, 2002

Bus > Vang Vien, Laos  440m  13:15 / 7h / 40,000k

Dropped off on an airport runway. The hawkers, the escape. Discovered town on a random walk.

Van Vien - A 3x3 grid of restaurants, bars, and hotels. The Dahab of Laos, the place to be seen. A tourist vacation mecca, a bit over the top. Gel sculpted hair, total disregard for culture or understanding. Welcome to another stop on the world party scene. Obviously nothing like the Lao I spent the past 5 days motoring through.

A step closer to the SE Asia the same people have warned me of. Reckon it shouldn't take more then a day to feel finished here, which is good as my visa is almost through. Besides, the thing to see here is caves, which I have seen plenty of in my life.

Check in and out on the town. Give Pizza A Chance, very good. Gangsta rap and movie showings on DVD.

October 16, 2002

Vang Vien, Laos  440m  40c

A piece of early morning Blue and out on the town.

I feel like I just came outta the bush. A jungle man out of his element. Not one Lao person as far as the eye can see.

A baguette sandwich at the Scandinavian bakery next door to start the day. A scene of 'morning after' whites smug over their cool choice of vacation spots. This time a smattering of over 50 and retired follows the usual backpacker crowd. A bit of a vacation in Bermuda feel. Good to see everyone out and about today.

One Lao face peeks through the crowd. An old man that one day had it all and can no longer live in his own town, wonders where the sticky rice went. A chipmonk who lost his tree to the lumber industry. Now, shuffles along slowly, looking for handouts and trying not to get run over by the waves of RangeRovers piled high with plastic kayaks.

A blazing 40c in the shade. Off by foot to see the caves. 'Lookie... same same... Buddah stone... Ahhh beautiful...' Quite ordinary caves actually.

American Pie 2 on DVD. Not as funny as the first.

October 17, 2002

Hitched > Vientiene, Laos  390m  36c  9:00 / 5h / Free

Hitched my way to Vientiene. A quickie in a pickup truck, followed by the long haul in a slow cement truck, and finished off by a drinking water truck. A 3 hour trip turned 5. Another blazer.

Vientiene - A bit of a hole. Checked into the grubby guesthouse recommended by the Canadians and immediately signed up for my visa extension ($2/day processed same day) and my Vietnamese Visa ($55 and 1 photo for 30 days SE, processed in '4 working days') ready next Tuesday. Down to the photo developer to restock my visa photos and refill my SLR with CR2s, definately broken. This town is beat. Nothing to do.

Took Blue down to the fountain and the Scandinavian Bakery to pass time while waiting to meet up with Andy & Tamiko, two travellers from Seattle who happened across my website one day by searching Yahoo! for 'China S110 Internet Cafe'. And ever since been following my travels. On a year extended tour of Asia themselves, our paths cross. A really nice couple with an interesting website of their own.

Andy & Tamiko's Website

An evening contemplating the GroovyGuide idea. Yeah, it could be really cool, now what?

October 18, 2002

Vientiene, Laos  390m  38c

A lazy day hanging out with the gang, working our way from breakfast to lunch to dinner and wondering what to do in between. An evening at 'The Boat Race Festival', sponsored by Pepsi. 3 stages all in competition to bring the most rawkusly loud Casio grade music to the crowds' ears. Braindead dancers. Beer Lao.

October 19-21, 2002

Vientiene, Laos  390m  38c

Andy & Tamiko head back to Thailand to complete their dive training.

An extremely dull 3 days trying to find something to do while waiting for my visa. An extremely boring city.

A silent struggle with my German dormmate over usage of the air conditioner.

Too hot to care.

David's Rotterdam Year Two

Kevin's Fresh Chicken

October 22, 2002

Vientiene, Laos  390m  38c

The annual boat race finals and everyone is out in celebration. Down to the river to see what's all the fuss.

Teams of 30 per needle shaped boat pushing along. Sideline cheers and beers. A bit too hot for me, I seek shelter in the shade.

Today all DVDs ring out at full tilt. Streets of disco but without the dancing. Shops pushing hard to take the business out doing each other with heavy bass.

Bus > Hanoi, Vietnam  18:30 / 24h / $25

The bus to Hanoi, Vietnam. 6:30pm and a minivan takes me to the station. 7:30pm and off we go. 8:00pm the first stop for gas. 8:30pm Stop for dinner. 3 hours after we were scheduled to leave, and we are still in Vientiene. Seats that don't recline. It's gunna be a long one.

4 hours of remarkably slow driving and 5 hours sleeping on the bus while the driver takes a room.

October 23, 2002

Hanoi, Vietnam

Nearly 12 hours after the trip began and we are only 3 hours outside Vientiene. 6:00am and the driver awakens, inching the bus forward. 6:30am and we stop for a pee break. An oversized bus of 40 seats with 9 passengers (4 of which are bus staff) slowly rattles its way over a single lane of broken asphalt and dirt.

One old lady keeps the staff busy, shuffling around on the roof reorganizing her luggage of empty cardboard boxes. She keeps herself busy in a desperate and futile attempt to beautify herself. Digging deep sorting through her suitcase of cosmetics to produce a bottle of french perfume. Windows open.

Heavy fog and rain. 7:00am and we finally arrive at the border, opens at 8. An hour of completely lax and disorganized checkout. An equally confuscated entry, complete with an anticipated $1 'administrative fee'. Denied. Stubbornly I filled the entire window until they got tired of me. 9:30am welcome to Vietnam.

Laos

(117 exhibits)

Vietnam

VISA
$55 = 30 Days SE (from Laos)
4 Days Application
ECONOMY
15,300 Dong = $1
Diem = 110,000d  Food = 5,000-40,000d   Room = 30,000-80,000d
Ride = 300d/k  Moto = $4-5/day  Gas = 5,100+900d/l (+oil)
Web = 2,000-10,000d/h
ESSENTIAL VIETNAMESE
1 = Mote  2 = High  3 = Bah  4 = Bone  5 = Nam
6 = Sau  7 = Bai  8 = Dahm  9 = Cheen  10 = Muey
'Sihn Chow' = Hello
'Gah Muhn' = ThankYou
'Com Pho' = Restaurant
'Com' = Rice
'Pho' = Noodle Soup
'Thit' = Stir-Fried
'Gah' (stressed down) = Chicken
'Gah' (stressed up) = Fish
'Boa' = Beef
'Luhn' = Pork
'Dofu' = Tofu
'Zahn' = Snake
NOTES
A wonderful country not to be missed.
Coming from Laos it is a ball of activity.
A groovy version of China mixed with a touch of nag from India.
Better prices for better food, but more expensive accomodation.
Far cheaper to travel with a friend as all rooms are doubles.
The food is similar to Chinese, but without the vastness of selection.
Get used to noodle soup, it is the cheapest meal costing 5,000d.
Public transportation is overcrowded, prefer renting or buying a Minsk moto.
City streets of ultimate chaos, so drive with caution or wreckless abandon.
Before December the mountain roads can be washed out and a real mess.
A two price system, one for locals and another for foreigners, sanctioned by the government.
Carry small bills or you will lose the change.
Vietnamese people are good at 'business'.
An absolutely beautiful landscape.
People are mostly camera happy, except the hill tribes.

Highway 8 - Winning 1st prize for 'Vietnam's most beautiful road'. If it weren't so foggy, perhaps I could say the surrounding countryside is most beautiful, but certainly the road itself is no beauty. Significant landslides and road repair. Everyone out to push aside the boulder.

Lunch for an hour, my first significant meal since leaving China. A simple plate of stir-fried ribs (of some animal) and rice. Still not sure of the exchange but the lady insistantly shook 30,000d at me. $5 and a few rounds of 'that's not enough' facial gestures found me 50,000d in change.

A busy 2 lane thoroughfare of monster noisemakers and mindless cyclists. A deadly combination. The peacefulness of Laos is far gone. Back to Asia proper.

Across a flat and swamped out plain, flooded by the continuing monsoon rains. Apparently this year was a hard one.

Broken down for an hour. Something to do with the air compressor or the breaks. A handful more stops and 24 hours after the start I find myself out on a frantically busy street somewhere in Hanoi.

Late in the night in a city of this size without a map or guide can be intimidating. I start the random walk in search of a reasonable hotel. Slowly, by various sources the needed information is gathered and I find myself to North Lake. Signs of tourist life surround. Internet cafes, souvenir shops, and most importantly hotels. A few stabs with scavenger touts and I manage a room. A bit steep at $5 but big and clean, a real hot shower, and even a TV. Luxury.

Kevin's Vegas

October 24, 2002

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi - Just walk and they will avoid you, hopefully. A principle rule in this city of scooter chaos. No rules. A lively city with loads of street character. Lots to do and see. A refreshing change of spirit from Vientiene.

As fate would have it, during breakfast I meet another traveler interested in my idea to moto around for a month. Boy, of Holland. A 24 year old man, also with a Masters in EE, thrown all away to a life of wanderlust. Travelling on his own, this is his first year away.

Together we down to the market, the 'Karol Barg' of Hanoi. 2 shops in weak competition. This time the sites are set on a second hand Minsk.

Minsk - A single cylinder 125cc 2 stroke war-time Russian relic. Sporting the same gas guzzling 25k/l behavior as the Enfield, but this time promising near indestructibility. $300 rebuilt or $5 for rent. A day spent researching and discussing. Plans to rent a couple bikes tomorrow, set out and see the options. Loads of travel talk and advice over $.10 Bia Hoi.

Geoff's Ho and the art of motorcycle maintenance

October 25, 2002

Moto > Mai Chau, Vietnam  300m  25c  14:00 / 3.5h .5h / 134k
Broken Odometer

The 6 - 2 lanes with loads of trucks and loonatic scooters turning to one lane after Hoa Binh. Scenery like Vieng Xai, North Laos. Over a pass at 950m 21c and back down to 300m 26c. Pull into Mai Chau at sunset, 5:30pm.

Mai Chau - A beautiful village hidden deep within a valley. Checked into a guest house and dug into dinner, assorted catch of the day. Lively travel chat with 2 cyclist, one of Oz and the other of Belgium, each on their own journey.

Bedtime, a dense mat on bamboo slate. All night a collage of crickets, dogs, and roosters echoes into the distance. Occasional spatterings in Vietnamese. I don't think they sleep here.

October 26, 2002

Moto > Moc Chau, Vietnam  400m  21c  12:00 / 4h 2h / 50k
Gas 3.7l @ 21,000d  Broken Steering Column 20,000d

In to town to check the moto prices. A dozen locals 'taking a piss'. Ridiculous negotiations during which Boy's key is stolen. Hot-wiring a Minsk - Pull the black wire from the back of the electrical box under the seat.

Clouds and rain, cold and wet beneath a torn garbage bag jacket. Stopped in Moc Chau for my first repair, a cracked steering column. Quickly welded back together by a friendly mechanic.

Speaking spanish with a local who studied 6 mos. in Moscow. His skills a bit rusty but good enough to find us a cheap hotel and dinner. Plans to research motos with his help tomorrow.

A gang of 20 local English teachers in party mode. A rough night of impossible to refuse rice wine. 20 shots. Deadly drunk.

October 27, 2002

Moto > Ching Dong, Vietnam  530m  25c  14:00 / 4h 2h / 58k
Gas 4l @ 24,000d  New 1st Chain & Adjustments 40,000d

Boy decided to return to Hanoi with the determination of finding a moto to buy, I continue on. A handful of unnecessary repairs and adjustments. Minsk - An amazingly simple design, incredibly easy to fix.

Today I finally put 1 and 1 together to answer a nagging question in my mind. 'What is the connection between the 3rd world and crazy driving?' The kids grow up riding the handlebars of a scooter. An early perspective on drivers education.

Overcast skies. A cool but pleasent ride. Halfway to Son La and night falls. Yen Chau - One hotel and a greedy opportunist of a lady tries her luck at 90,000d. I laugh her off and continue on through the dark. An insect storm stops me in the small village of Ching Dong.

Motions of desparation succeed and I am invited in. The countryside home of the middle class. A french architecture cement block and stucco. One room of 15' x 30' with 20' ceiling and balcony. Tile floor and TV.

An overwhelmingly friendly and curious family. Perhaps a bit shy, less mom, 44 and from Thailand. Ready for her English lessons, numbers and pictionary.

A bamboo mat is rolled out and the living room becomes the dining room. A tray of tofu, boiled and scrambled eggs, and spinach soup. Condiments of squid sauce, salt and red pepper. A big bowl of white rice. Bia Hoi with dad, 47 and honorable. Son, 18 studies his english. Daughter, 16 out on the town with the boys.

After dinner tea and TV, Vietnamese 'Star Search'. The mat is replaced by another and the dining room becomes bedroom.

Kevin's Yak Jerkey

October 28, 2002

Moto > Sonla, Vietnam  790m  27c  8:30 / 2h / 50k

I can safely state that all of Asia is awake by 6.

The killings begin at 7. The vietnamese like to scare their animals to death through torture. They say the adrenaline tenderizes the meat and surely todays animal is right tender. A half hour of squeeling ending in sudden silence.

Winter is here and the days are shorter. I pull myself out of bed.

Onward, one dusty undersized lane of marginal asphalt carries caravans of oversized Russian trucks. In situations like this you have two options. Keep yourself behind the trucks and face absolute torture or keep yourself infront. Obviously infront is preferred but how? By speeding up you certainly end up behind another once again. The only solution is to slow down and relax. Safer, cheaper, quieter, and cleaner. Look around and enjoy the journey. Hill tribe faces wrapped in color.

Light rains mix with the dirt and oil, turning the road into a skating rink, enforcing the leasure pace. Son La - A couple roads lines with shops. Stop for lunch. I used to think the Chinese ate everything. Well, Nams got them beat in the insect and larvae category. A sampling of delicacies. Things tend to taste exactly how you suspect they will.

A few tricks. Tell you one price and charge another. Put many dishes infront of you that you didn't order. The obvious hyper-inflation. Keeping the change. Arguing like a monster.

Moto > Tuan Giao, Vietnam  20c  11:45 / 3.5h .5h / 85k

Light rains. On to Tuan Giao, the turnoff to Dien Bien Phu. Climbing to the pass at 1600m 20c, cold and wet. I reach the turnoff in a downpour and decide to stay the night.

Finding a hotel (or anything) in Vietnam (or anywhere in Asia) may be a travellers biggest trouble. Asking directions or playing pantamime either leads to a blank confused stare or an unsure finger wiggling into the distance. When you finally do get 'there' it is never where you wanted to go. For instance, today I was sent to a cafe, then a post office, a hairdresser, and finally I happened across a guesthouse.

The second biggest trouble is the Asian double standard. The honest belief that a foreigner should not get the same thing for the same price. For instance, today's receptionist started at 150,000d even though the sign behind her clearly stated 40,000d. Regardless, it took an hour of arguing to widdle her down, sticking at 50,000 for quite some time.

Washed up and out for dinner. A really good duck noodle soup.

October 29, 2002

Moto > Lai Chau, Vietnam  960m  25c  9:30 / 8h 3h / 96k
Gas 6l @ 36,000d

A night of ultimate peace and quiet. Rejuvinated and singing in the shower.

Mandarin season in Asia and once again my consumption is becoming ferocious. 8,000d per kilo, one a day, sweet and tasty.

Rains every day so far and by the look of it today is no different. Mudslides cause a spill and a broken turn signal. A roadside stop to wash the bike and an old man invites me in.

An empty wooden barn. The room fills with children. Father, in his favorite USSSA tee shows off his war scars. Mother, with a big smile her black teeth. The young ladies are curious. 'Mote Phong?' - 'All alone?' Assertively one breaks out a needle and goes to work threading my torn garbage bag jacket.

A puppy licks my wet toes. A butterfly flutters about around a small table where we share tea. A water pipe is passed around. The family photos come out. Age old photos papa is surely proud of. I pull out my digicam promising contribution. Their faces light up.

The rains pass. Papa gives me a big dirty kiss on the cheek and off I go. An absolutely beautiful country. Breathtaking scenery and shining friendly faces around every turn.

Both the traffic and the road itself have become sparse. Passed only a handful of motos in the opposite direction and a couple of swiss cyclist. Concerned they won't make it to Lai Chau before dark and disrupted by the knee deep section of mud along the way.

The sky opens to a beautiful blue, providing my first photo opportunity.

Sunset and I rock my way down the final hill to Lai Chau. Sauce out the best of 3 guesthouses and out for dinner. Back at the hotel 2 french teach a 3rd how to smoke a bong.

Souffle Tout!!!
Blow up everything!!!
( ... but she never couldn't! )
-Amelie

An interesting night.

October 30, 2002

Moto > Phong Tho, Vietnam  1050m  32c  9:30 / 4.5h 1h / 128k
Gas 4.3l @ 25,000d

A lunar road to Sapa. Road that the Minsk eats for breakfast. Fast and furious through loose rock and construction. A beautiful sunny day, the first.

Stop for lunch in a 6 hut village and take my seat next to a local to share the meal. Delicious pan-fried pork, tomatoes and tofu, sour green vegetables, steamed rice, and a coke all for under $1.

An absolutely beautiful ride alongside the NamNa and NamNu rivers. Arrived in Phong Tho in the early afternoon. A bit of fruit in the market, washed in local water. Checked into a hotel and took a rest from the rough day on road.

Out to an exceptional dinner and back at the hotel once again the french trio. Reunited. Star gazing on the balcony. Silly talk.

Stomach pains at midnight.

October 31, 2002

Halloween
Phong Tho, Vietnam  1050m  40c

A day of fasting in attempt to starve the bugs.

Decided to spend a day off the bike, with the french explorers. Off through the dense jungle we went, scaring the hilltribe children to death as we went. A nice afternoon relaxing.

Relaxing, atleast until just before sunset when the mission turned insane. One of the scariest and most dangerous climbs I have ever been. Straight up the side of a sheer face through thick untouched jungle. To the peak and just in time to miss the sunset. Crazy French.

Out to dinner where I salivated all over their order holding true to my fast. And finally, as proper Europeans they could hold out no longer. They had to ask the one question all Euros so love to ask. The loaded question. 'So what do you think of your president?' Bar none, the consensus is general distaste for America and so I offer the best diplomatic answer. A well received 'No Comment'.

An evening of cards where they taught me 'American Eights' (Crazy Eights) and I taught them 'Hearts'. Good fun and loads of typically uneducated and extremist one sided political talk.

November 1, 2002

Moto > Sapa, Vietnam  1570m  37c  11:00 / 3h 1h / 80k
Gas 3.5l @ 20,000d

From the looks of it, Vietnam (as well as the rest of Asia) should have all new roads within a year or so. But for the time being they are a complete mess.

The typical Vietnamese mountain road - One kilometer of of faily decent single lane paved, followed by one kilometer of rocky dirt mess. Construction turned destruction, all the while misconstrued as progress. A front-loader tearing it up and a roller pushing it back down. A handful of pointed hats breaking stone by hand. A few barrels of tar. Top speed 30k on a nice day, 20k in the rain.

Another day of evil kneivel driving. Blue skies and over the pass 2100m 37c. Down into the Sapa valley where heavy cloud cover instantly chills 1625m 21c.

Sapa - The tourist come see hilltribe capital. One hotel after another and more on the way. Air compressors, horns, and hammers. Found mine, checked in and took a walk about.

One annoying old lady after another. Dressed in tribal garb and incessently trying to sell something. Usually a silly hat, or one of those things you put to your mouth to twang at. Sat down with one depressed looking local strumming guitar. 'In this town if you want business, you gotta be in 'the book''. As he sat all alone outside his shop while his neighbor took the cake. 'One white after another, all day...' Strummed a few tunes myself to try and cheer him up. No luck.

Worked my way to the internet cafe, dinner, and back home. Not a special town by any means and definately 'too touristy' as all the tourist I have met here have been quick to note. My advice, take a picture of the church, make your way through the market, check your email and keep going. Unfortunately I had already promised 2 days at the hotel. Plans to take the bike around tomorrow and make the most of it.

November 2, 2002

Sapa, Vietnam  1570m

Heavy fog in the morning. Not a good day to bike around. Down to the market alongside the swarms of Euro photo journalists for some photos. Plenty of exotic faces but it just didn't feel right.

The local excursion, Cat Cat. Don't waste your time with this one. A lame tourist circuit built through an artificial village designed to keep the tourist out of the real villages.

Spent the afternoon in a real village, just observing village life. Women busy knitting ornamental patterns into clothing. Men drunken on rice wine stumble out of a smokey shack one at a time and are guided home. Absurdly young girls breast feeding their newborns. Children everywhere, kicking and eating dirt and anything else that looks interesting. Pigs, dogs, chickens and their newborns doing the same. Nothing 'real' ever happens. They all stare at me, possibly one of the only tourist to find this village, only 1k off 'the circuit'. I stare back. Strange.

Land of the hotel immigration office. Back to the hotel to coerce my passport back in hand. Destiny, ran into the french once again. Plans to meet up for dinner. Back out for more 'off trail' exploring.

A random walk happened me across a small and cleverly hidden path. I jump on. A beautiful walk through the hills to another untouched village. It is early evening and the parents are out foraging the fields for food. The kids fill village square throwing their homemade tops to the ground in fierce competition. Photo time. It's like trying to teach a dog to sit when you are holding the treat. Canon lets me down, focusing and fidgiting about, the shutter always a second too late or slow to capture the moment.

For tourists, 'the book' is big. Fortunately, what it covers is small.

The final supper. French style and this time sans-fasting. Escargot, some hard apple cider, and dish after dish of good food and fun. Estelle lost her camera on the bus here and is ready for another. But what should she do and how can she do it better? Ask Daryl.

French's Story

November 3, 2002

Moto > Lou Chai, Vietnam  800m  19c  11:00 / 1.5h / 34k
Gas 3.3l @ 20,000d

After 4 beautiful days, the rains return. Seems a bit insane to share a single lane with a train in the rain.

Moto > Bac Nam, Vietnam  220m  12:30 / 1.5h / 44k

Down through layers of thick fog and rain, deep into Lao Cai valley. A wet and frigid 19c. I stop for lunch.

Moto > Pho Rang, Vietnam  155m  15:00 / 1h / 36k

On to Pho Rang (impossible to pronounce correctly). Nothing redeeming, just one of those one road 'gotta stop here for the night' type towns.

The typical hotel scene where the lady skilled in the art of extortion scares me out of taking my own room for 80,000d and instead sharing one with Leonard, the other poor foreigner in town. A quiet and thoughtful PhD graduate of Fluid Dynamics from Holland on vacation before a 2 year fellowship in Japan researching 'Turbulence - Science most important unanswered question'. 3 months through Asia and already tired of noise and in your face grubs. Labelling the Vietnamese as generally childish and disrespectful (obviously hasn't travelled India)and ready for a truely relaxing vacation in Laos.

The usual talks over dinner and ofcourse Bia Hoi. An unsual Euro in that he steered clear of the typical Ameri-bashing, but had to throw in a '... so do have trouble travelling as an American?'. Slow, smart, and careful in his conversation. Definately a scientist.

November 4, 2002

Moto > Bac Quang, Vietnam  220m  30c  9:00 / 4.5h 1h / 73k
Gas 6l @ 32,000d

3:30 and one decrepidly old sounding rooster starts things off. Slowly the dogs and their barking, the people and their hammering and karaoke, the trucks and their obnoxious horns, Leonard to catch his bus, and by 7:00 me.

On the map, the roads are numbered but not at the intersections. 2 separate Yen Binhs, in opposite directions had me the wrong way for 10k. Back to Bac Quang where the locals laugh me on encouraging my choice of small roads.

A big heap of mud and rock under constant cons/des-truction. Driving a moto over a bridge of bamboo and banana leaves can be a bit worrysome. Absolutely no traffic except one kind man who I offered an orange to during a photo break. Instantly latched on as my best friend and eventual saviour for the journey. A mud spill disabling my rear brake and leaving a cut foot. 2.5 hours for 40k, a rough section of 'road'.

Stopped in Yen Binh to visit his friends by the side of the road. Invited in for a nip of rust water and crudely homemade rice wine. A crowd of curiosity swells. Questions I can't answer.

My friend implies that my gloves would make a great gift. With 3 working fingers on his hand I agree. Off he goes. Lunch is offered to me. Quickly I up and excuse myself just in time to avoid the chicken feet.

The road improves and so does my mood. A real lunch in BacQuang.

Moto > HaGiang, Vietnam  200m  14:30 / 1.5h / 60k

A decent single lane onward to Ha Giang. Beware of buffalo on leash.

HaGiang - A relatively decent sized city of no obvious interest. The typical search scene. 45 minutes to find an internet cafe with a disconnecting connection. More searching. Another 45 minutes finds me a 3 star hotel willing to let me pay 1.

November 5, 2002

Moto > Ba Me, Vietnam  Slight Overcast  26c  8:30 / 2h / 53k

Bright and early and down to the local hotspot for breakfast. A typical Com Pho, a 10'x30' hallway of knee high tables and pint-sized chairs. Take my seat and spread my knees wide enough to scoot up to the table. Without a word a fine bowl of snail noodle soup, the local specialty, is delivered. Not bad but hardly filling.

A dizzying and bendy typical mountain road.

Moto > Bao Lac, Vietnam  Full Sun  34c  10:30 / 3.5h / 74k

Road turns hardcore BMX, my only saviour being a day of no rain. Nearly 4 hours along side the beautiful Nan River, not spent enjoying the scenery, but in a nearly comatose trance staring at 'the road' ahead. I have become part of the machine. No longer enjoying the journey but instinctively throwing down a foot at just the right moment to avoid catastrophe and continuing on without realization. Taking this road was clearly a mistake. Hungry and tired.

Every so often a group of amazement by the roadside cheers me on. I glance quickly and wonder. 'Where did you come from?' 'What do you do all day?' And 'Why?' I am sure they are asking the same.

A quick stop in a small shack just outside Bao Lac to fill my belly with cheap instant noodles and off I go. And again, a stop further in town for some too tempting fried dumplings.

Moto > Nquyen Binh, Vietnam  600m  26c  15:00 / 3.5h / 78k

4pm and the sun dips behind the mountains. The road wiggles its way up to 1300m and by 5 the temperature has dropped to 14c. The local hill tribe is beginning to look neanderthal and I am relieved to begin descent.

Switch to reserve. Pull into Nguyen (pronounced 'win') Binh an hour after dark on fumes. As usual no one seems interested in helping the masked man find a hotel. I wander into the largest building in town and behold, two drunken men with a true interest in my affairs. Inviting me to settle in, probing for my map, and dazzled over my route. In complete disbelief and bewonderment. Government tourism planners perhaps? The district headquarters.

Clearly I am the first tourist on record to happen across this town. No hotels. Escorted and introduced to the Vietnamese 'underground'. A network of accomodation open only to locals. Dorm style beds for dirt cheap under the guise of a bar. Worried for my welfare (understandably so judging by the reaction when I entered) they secure for me a personal penthouse suite. The luxury of being a special guest.

A long and tiring day on 'the road'.

November 6, 2002

Moto > CaoBang, Vietnam  325m  15c  7:45 / 2.5h 1h / 45k
Gas 12l @ 73,000d

12 hours sleep without a stir.

4 officers greet me in the morning. This time sober and in uniform.

'Ho Chi Jo' motioning for ID. 'Huh?' I act confused. 'Ho Chi Jo' repeats my friend from last night 'Nung Van Dui', according to his name badge. 'Oh you mean passport?' and I hand it over with a smile. And so one at a time they eagerly log my presence into their Ho Chi Minh registers (not much different from the notebook I saw a school girl carrying yesterday) as a 'special event'. Sure to earn them brownie points with their masters and blissfully unaware that I am technically not supposed to be there without permit.

The crowd gathers and I can just feel the excitement. The day Daryl visited Nguyen Binh. A new local holiday. The dawn of a new era. Good roads are sure to follow.

100% sunshine and blue skies, but still a chilly winter morning ride to Cao Bang. Stop in a small village enroute for a tea with a photogenic old Nongo Quin, a most friendly good old man with an incredible smile. We trade hats. A bit nipped on rice wine I continue on.

Living a dream, it feels great.

Finally the road vastly improves and the mountains fade. I have reached Cao Bang. Fix my loose steering column and sit down for some internet catchup. Half Life and Chat really slows access.

Spend a bit of time on an update and decide on spending the night before continuing on. Ofcourse Mr. Internet Cafe is also Mr. Hotel and Mr. Restaurant. I go with it to avoid the hassle. Nice room, nice food.

November 7, 2002

Moto > LangSon, Vietnam  430m  30c  8:45 / 5h 1.5h / 132k

A bowl of 'Chow' and a shot of turpentine with the local truckers for breakfast. My advice, don't eat anything named 'Chow' especially with truckers in Vietnam. A 3,000d cheap and thick porridge of grits and 'bits'. Sure it's filling but there is a reason it is the cheapest meal around.

A beautiful day on the road. The best road so far, just a bit too serpentine to get good speed. I reach the small village of Na Sam and cross the first significant tourists I've seen in awhile. A busload of French headed in the other direction. Stopped for photos and to hand out pens and tooth brushes. One look at me and their first comment, 'The War's Over!' All cameras turn to me and instantly I become a star. Promises to send me a copy.

A maze of unmarked roads and all of a sudden - WHALLA - a 2 lane super highway. The first true quality road since Hanoi. I sit by the side in awe as swarms of trucks and cars whiz by. Gather up my courage and jump in. The road to Lang Son.

Lang Son - A big city far less inviting then I was hoping for. Overwhelmed by the vastness and commotion, I ditch my plans of stopping for a bite and push through.

Moto > TienYen, Vietnam  130m  14:00 / 3.5h / 94k

TienYen - A pleasent little fishing town. Checked into a family-run hotel/hairdresser/restaurant one stop shop. Mama quickly negotiates in dinner and before my Electric On Demand shower kicks in I find myself at the family table being force fed. The papa and son rice wine team pushes me to my limit. Lizards in a jar.

I've given up trying to answer the 'Where are you from?' inevitable. For some reason a clearly spoken 'America' is always mis interpreted as 'Ah... Mexico!' followed by a listing of futbol heroes. Recently, I just switch to speaking Spanish and go with it. 'Olay!'

November 8, 2002

Moto > HaLong, Vietnam  130m  11:00 / 3h .5h / 90k
Gas 7l (.5l on the ground) @ 42,000d  
Front Brakes 20,000d  3 Signals 30,000d  Wash 5,000d

Treated my bike to some overdue repairs and a good washing for getting me this far. Sounds happier. Feels lighter.

Compressed sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf, mama's gift to me on checkout. Not so good, I smile and wrap half of it back up 'for the road'. Just out of town I stop for something 'real'. Certainly no China, but you can get considerably good food here and for much less. Especially good if you like pork and duck, or snake and dog.

2 lanes of quality road and a steady stream of heavy and obnoxious middle of the road riding tour buses and trucks. A pinch louder then China if that's even possible. One truck with a boat horn tries to run me down. Captain jackass.

Low and behold, HaLong Bay. The East becomes the West as for the first time since leaving home years ago I gaze out over the Pacific. Today I have officially circum-navigated the globe.

HongGai to HaLong - The dustiest section of road I have ever driven. A monster cloud of road dirt and black smoke stretching over 20k. Everyone on the streets wearing industrial dust masks. It would have taken a space suit to block that storm. An absolute nightmare of a drive. A thousand trucks make it worse. No relief.

HaLong - A disorderly and dirty city of reasonable size. One friendly man helps me find the port for the ferry to CatBa. One nasty lady decides the price should be double for me. I decide to continue on to HaiPhong, exploring my options.

Moto > Somewhere outside HaiPhong, Vietnam

Three ferries and a bit of driving to HaiPhong. The first ferry to BaiChey, 1,000d. Motor to QuangYen, 30m. Back on 'the circuit', everytime I stop for directions someone wants a buck. The second ferry to CatHai, 2,000d. Sunset over HaLong. The third ferry to HaiPhong, 2,500d.

Driving Vietnam can be dangerous, but in the dark it is absurd. Thousands of invisible teenaged bicycles wobble and cross in all directions. Side by side scooters head straight on flashing their high beams. Swarms of insects invade. Where is everyone going?

HaiPhong - Big and burly and not the place for me after dark. Easy to find cheap internet but hard to find cheap room. I carry myself just far enough away to find one. The outskirts of HaiPhong.

'Giai Khat' - A guesthouse for locals. Brushed off by one and eagerly brushed on by another. An overly amped teen proud to grab my business by pumping my ears full of robo-english. Room service dinner, a hot shower, and a clean bed for $3. Not bad, considering.

November 9, 2002

Moto > HaiPhong, Vietnam  10:30 / 30m

A bit of internet, the closest thing I have to the morning paper. The UN unanimously approved a resolution to disarm Iraq. Bush is in heaven, Saddam is starting to fidgit. Things are heating up.

One fine boy that speaks decent english offers solid directions to CatBa. A bit of island hoping by local ferry is the answer. Wiggles his finger off in space and off I go.

Ferry > CatHai Island, Vietnam  11:00 / 45m / 7k / 5,000d

Moto > Across the island  15m

Ferry > CatBa Island, Vietnam  12:15 / 30m / 3k / 3,000d

Moto > CatBa City, Vietnam  8:30 / 15m / 8k
Gas 7l @ 38,000d

CatBa Island - The most touristed island in Vietnam. CatBa City - The only significant city on said island. A single bay front road of hotels and travel agents pushing boat and wildlife tours. Everyone taking a piss. Persuaded a map out of one hotel grubbing for business and took off on my own tour.

30 minutes moto to the CatBa National Park. A well preserved Karst limestone ecosystem. 15,000d and 30 minutes hike up to the main attraction, a watch tower. Just in time for sunset. Beautiful.

On to GiaLuan, a nothing little fishing town near the North shore. Void of tourists but eagerly awaiting the opening of a new road with promise. Through town and right to the end of the rubble where it drops into the bay. An amazing dusk profile out on the bay. A team of road workers busy dredging up muck. In anticipation of a beautiful sunrise I invite myself into their road side shack for the night. No cushions or covers. Nobody seems to mind.

Kevin's Smugglers Inn

November 10, 2002

Boat > HaLong Bay, Vietnam  ?150m-10m?  10:00 / 10h / 120,000d
Turned off altimeter adjustment, 150m now reads 10m

Up early for sunrise and obscured by fog. Hitched an old lady and her nights catch back to town. Grabbed some 'Chow', this time not so bad, and returned to CatBa with hopes of a boat tour of the bay for the day.

An agreement with a bitter hotel owner disturbed at me for not having spent the night casts me off. 'No boat today... You go tomorrow.' hoping I will stay the night. Lucked into a couple older Aussies on their way to the National Park and interested in a moto. Rented mine off for 50,000d for the day and found my own boat along with 2 Swedes.

A wonderful and relaxing day spent talking and lounging our way through the beautiful HaLong Bay. Caveing, swimming, mountain climbing, sunset. Dropped at a floating restaurant for dinner. Delicious selections from the live well.

Back to the hotel, where thankfully my moto happily waits in one piece. Checked in, showered up, and back out for a few Tiger Beers with my new friends. Loads of talk on travels and life as travelers tend to do.

November 11, 2002

Moto > CatBa Port  8:30 / 15m / 8k

Ferry > CatHai Island, Vietnam  9:00 / 15m / 3k / 3,000d

Moto > Across the island  15m

Ferry > HaiPhong, Vietnam  10:00 / 45m / 7k / 5,000d

The string of motos and ferries back to HaiPhong. Lunch and a bit of internet. Saddam has demanded Parliament to meet on the UN resolution.

Moto > Hanoi, Vietnam  13:30 / 2h / 107k / 1,000d toll

The 5 to Hanoi - 4 lanes of the best and least busy (toll) road in Vietnam. Back to the jungle. This time I am one of the monkeys.

Dropped off my passport for my Cambodia visa. What is to be a 30 days SE for $20 and processed in 3 days has been greatly accelerated by a crooked lady quite happy to do it in 1 for $25. 'You can pick it up tomorrow' She has nice shoes.

Vietnam (North By Minsk)

(130 exhibits)

Found the hotel I left my pack with and returned the Minsk. A sad goodbye, negotiated down to 1,100,000d for 18 days. Less the 50,000d from the two men I pawned it off to, brings the cost under $4 per day.

Ladies on the street corners selling 1,500d Bia Hoi out of a keg while keeping an eye out for the cops. Sat down with Sam of England for a few. Ready for a career in teaching english but a bit too pissed to actually find the job he claims will bring in $18/h. He has his TOEFL certificate. Got it in a few days somewhere in Spain. He really likes Bia Hoi.

We talk on and on about the usual travel stuff and nip into philosophy over the topic of being a bum. The story of my friend Bruce, the Isla Vista neighborhood whino comes out, and how I offered him an unused room in my apartment in hopes of inspiring reform. A man of the streets by choice and an intellect under the influence. 'There's something wonderfully uncomplicated about that'.

I never forget the day he burst through the front door in a drunken slumber, breaking right into... 'My family was from stonehenge...' The first words of what was to become an epic self narrative story of his life. A story that had I a cassette recorder would have easily made a best seller.

Anyways, as the beers went down others joined in...

First, Daniel of Stockton, CA. After spending 6 months in Saigon she is now also looking for work in Hanoi. Not as an English teacher; she despises such meaningless work, but as an agricultural developer. She used to live in Iowa. Big into organics, co-ops, and other granola things. She really misses California and its assorted kooks. She recommends to read 'Catfish & Mandela' and anything by Karoak. Energizing talk brings us both home.

Second, Bow of Belgium. A ragged Ho Chi Minh looking character with a teaching position in Hanoi. Provides Sam a bit of inspiration and a lead on an apartment.

Beer after beer others join in and before long the whole foreign english teacher legion is involved. A bunch of philosophic stoners more or less.

Ms. Bia Hoi pours the last and scurries off. The crowd migrates to an all night watering hole down the road. I wander my way back to the hotel and check in. 2am.

Kerensa's Back

November 12, 2002

Hanoi, Vietnam  40m  34c

Other then booking my open bus ticket to Saigon for tonight, not much of anything happened today. Ofcourse I woke up late; 30 minutes after checkout, and ofcourse arguements over the room rate arose. That, compounded with the manager discovering my wet laundry (regulations say 'no laundry') caused a scene that consumed a good bit of the day.

Picked up my Cambodian visa. Strolled the recommended sites: Temple of Literature (something about Confucious), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (away to Russia for a face lift and refresh), West Lake (courting couples during sunset), and a few pagodas. Nothing terribly special but still a nice afternoon around.

A bit of internet cafe while waiting for my bus. Iraq's assembly has unanimously rejected weapons inspections. About the dumbest decision I could ever imagine. 'Putting their head on a platter' remarks the enlightened American next to me. Surely Saddam will overrule their decision.

Open Ticket to Saigon $25
Bus > Hue, Vietnam  20:00 / 14h 1.5h

On the bus to Saigon (aka. Ho Chi Minh City). An open ticket letting me stop anywhere I like along the way. The first official stop, Hue (pronounced Hwey) is to be nice.

Packed to capacity plus. The usual broken air-conditioner and plastic seats that don't recline. My neighbor, a Swedish 20something rambling talker on his first real tour. 'Uh huh... Uh huh...' A longer trip then I had hoped for.

45 minutes out of Hanoi and we stop for dinner.

November 13, 2002

Hue, Vietnam  50m  42c

Neither the best of nights nor the worst. A bit of sleep and quite a bit more discomfort. Awoken by significant horn jockeying.

A strickly flat landscape of marsh rice paddies. A buffalo tows a plow riding farmer through the muck.

The DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone) - The 7th parallel - Once the dividing line between the Chinese inspired communist North and the American inspired capitalist South. Today fields of landmine craters, schrapnel, unexploded ordinance, and graveyards. One unfortunate man motors by with only one leg.

45 minutes from Hue and we stop again for breakfast.

Hue - One of the great centers of Vietnamese history and heritage. A relaxed atmosphere mid-sized city with an open touristy feel. Determined not to settle in behind all the others, I off in search of anything else. A tough town for negotiations. Eventually I find an almost reasonable dingy single in a 'populated home'.

The Citadel - My 1st encounter with government sanctioned dual pricing. 5,000d for the local and 55,000d for the tourist. There isn't much arguing when the government is involved, and being the biggest site in the city I figured I outta see it.

Representing the imperial government center during the Nguyen (pronounced Win) Dynasty, the 'Forbidden Purple City' is hardly a site compared to the real one in China. Most of the buildings have been destroyed during the war in 1947, and the rest of it by the Vietnamese who seem more interested in profit then preservation. Card games on the royal throne. Pretty much a mess of bricks and cement. Definately not worth the fee which appears can be avoided if you enter from the side or back.

November 14, 2002

DMZ Tour  6:00 / 12h / $8

Early in the morning I jump on the DMZ bus tour, because it is the other 'thing to do'. Hours of sitting in a hot and sticky bus to quickly visit a half dozen not so impressive stops. The BenHai River representing the unofficial 7th parallel dividing line (lots of talk about swimming across). The caves in the North used to hide from the American extreme bombing (actually somewhat interesting). The bases in the South used by the American forces to organize extreme bombing (Khe Sanh, The Rockpile, Hamburger Hill). The Ho Chi Minh Trail built to supply the VietCong in the South. Lots of interesting and thought provoking history you are better off getting from a book.

If you really gotta do it, you should start from DongHa and stay on the bus to get to Hue. This will save you 3 hours of bussing about and 1 full day. When you get to Hue, rent a moto for the day, skip the Citadel and yer done.

Met a girl from the Bay Area keeping a really fascinating online diary.

Angel's Online Diary

November 15, 2002

Moto Tour  10:00 / 9h / $3

A beautiful day to rent a moto (Honda Dream) and tour the countryside on my own. 2 pagodas - Thien Mu and Tu Hien, 2 tombs - Tu Duc and Khai Dinh, the Ho Chi Minh museum, and the beach. As in china, always look for the back door.

November 16, 2002

Bus > HoiAn, Vietnam  8:30 / 4.5h 1.5h

The bus to HoiAn. Fairly uneventful, including a half hour stop at the Marble Mountains which I climbed for good luck.

HoiAn - The Dali of Vietnam. A historic city center full of shopping opportunity. Famous for on the spot tailoring and swarming with tourist girls on a spree. Fake silk dresses.

Difficult to find a cheap room on my own, I find myself dorming it with 2 Canadian girls who finally explained why Canadians plaster their packs with Canadian flags 'So as not to be confused with Americans... no offense', and one older quite talkative man of Northern Germany 'Bavarians aren't Germans'. Ruppert, a retired English teacher turned fossil collector who proudly boasts the world's oldest fish bones on display in a museum in Berlin. A carefully metered and articulative tone that would put him in line with the Discovery Channel commentator. A bit too careful and peculiar for the girls who offed in a flash for a bit of shopping.

Together we spend the day strolling town and deep in discussions of culture and bones. 'It's all about the teeth'. And together we rent ourselves a moto for a trip to the famed ruins of MySon tomorrow. Ruppert is excited.

November 17, 2002

Myson Tour  8:00 / 4h / 110k / $3/2

Rain in the morning spoiled our early departure plans to get to MySon for sunrise. By 8 the rains tapered off leaving overcast skies. 'Slowly... Surely...' we go, discussing language and why might his Canon camera have the same broken shutter as mine. This trip kind of reminds me of my cave painting trip with the old lady in Baja.

MySon - Centuries old brick temples, again mostly destroyed during the war. Piles of rocks overgrown in weeds. Nothing special. Light rains.

Back to town and straight to the beach. Ladies selling mangoes and seafood. We sit down to some fresh shrimp and cuttlefish.

A few beers go down and the rigidly structured talks slacken and diverge. Awaiting divorce, Ruppert lets me in on his 'little hooker story'. Ah, the dirty old man. Eventually the talks turn to the typical Euro-Ameri bashing as expected. Bush vs. Bin Laden and just who will or should be killed first? This reminds him of a Bin Laden of his own, wanted dead or alive. Quickly his face grows scorn as he dives deep into a story of personal debt and despare.

Down to the chemist to load up on valium before another hard night on the road. Instantly to the back room she scurries and instantly back with 5 pills from a jar without label. Asking 10,000d I give her the 'your crazy' look that I have perfected and hand over 5. She faigns disgruntled, reluctantly accepts, cups them into my hand and hushes me off. 'Police'. They aren't even illegal here. I pop a pill.

Bus > NhaTrang, Vietnam  18:00 / 15.5h 3h
Wheels Rotated, 2x(Brakes & Wheel Bearings)

An hour from hotel to hotel picking everyone up. 3 hours enroute and our first maintenance stop. Nothing is obviously wrong, but anyway it is time to rotate the tires and so they do. Everyone is out and waiting. And while they are at it they decide on new wheel bearings and brakes. Should we be happy? For an hour the crowd argues the merits and off we go.

A rough road onwards. The valium seems to have no effect, I suspect placebo. With the ratcheting about, the constant horn honking, and the lights on I have no chance at sleep.

3am and we stop to rebuild another wheel.

November 18, 2002

NhaTrang, Vietnam

Nearly 16h later we finally arrive. Too tired to care, I take the 1st room that my German friend is satisfied with and hit the bed. For the next hour I remained unconscious.

Down to the beach, the only thing to do in town. Nice but nothing special. Santa Barbara got better.

Plans to hire a fishing boat for tomorrow found us in misunderstood negotiations with a few drunken fishermen. Tomorrow at 7am we meet to work out the details, I think.

A watered down Bia Hoi, a real Bia Saigon, rabbit, eel, and an early night.

November 19, 2002

Fishing Tour (Kinda)  8:00 / 6h / 150,000d/2

Back to the fishermen, this morning a bit more sober. Present a 'contract' handwritten by our hotel laying down the terms. 2 people, 9h fishing and swimming, 150,000d total. Price squabbles and Ruppert offers a few gifts to settle the deal.

A full day aboard that was really only a half. 4 hours around and 2 back, a lunch of bait and coral fish, and a sunburn. Actually it was fun but a bit of a let down in the end.

In touch with Chi Hanh, family of fraternal brother and friend Steve Robinson from my days at RPI. Living in Saigon, my next stop, and for the past month preparing for my arrival. They are ready.

Bus > Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam  20:00 / 10h 1.5h

The standard hour around town before leaving. 6 people and 60 seats. Spread out over 4. For once complete luxury. Smooth and fast. Stopping only once to change buses.

November 20, 2002

Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam

Saigon (renamed Ho Chi Minh City) - The biggest city and capital of Vietnam. A bit less organized version of Hanoi less the attractions. Not a problem as I have friends to visit.

Dropped off in the early morning. 'Welcome Daryl' reads a sign and I know the wondering man seated on the scooter is Mr. Loc. 'You Daryl? I Mister Loc.' Smiles exchange and off we go... Working up his courage to speak English. 'I hear you coming, so I take bus 80k to see.' A good command of English. I couldn't feel more welcome.

Weaving through the streets, back to the homestead. A quaint little hollow nestled deep within in a catacomb of back alleyways. Into the living room. 10'x25' cement walls, tile floor, oscillating fans, computer, stereo, TV, wooden furniture.

Papa Nam, 80 greets me first with an overwhelming smile. The proud father of 14. Mr. Loc claims position #6. To help me feel at home the photos come out. As I enjoy the snapshots from Steven's wedding the others filter in. Brother Phouc, 49 and #4 arrives by scooter to greet me. Sister Chi Hanh, 42 and #9 who I have been in touch with wastes no time, scurrying off with my passport to work on my visa extension. Brother Hue, 43 and #8 retreats to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Together Loc and I sit down to practice English by reading my website.

Lunch is served. An amazing array of stuffed snails, lobsters, crabs, snake. All perfectly prepared by an expert chef and extremely delicious. For sure the best meal I have had in all of Asia. Tired from the journey, I take a nap. A tremendous family effort. I am ever grateful for their hospitality.

A few hours rest and out again on scooter to see the city and meet more relatives and friends. Another brother, another sister, dinner at their house. Some small and tasty bird and beer after beer. Too much food.

Curious daughters wear me down with questions. 'Why you not married?'

Back home and I am invited in to stay.

Tim's Bla Bla Bla

November 21, 2002

Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam

A restful night, but for some reason I feel like a brick in the morning.

A typically hot day with sudden and short down-pours. Rainy season in the South.

The day spent in an endless wrestle of visa extension red tape and paperwork. The 'yellow paper' I am supposed to have and don't. That and meeting more friends and family. Embarrassingly hard to remember them all. 14 kids and their kids and their friends can all be a bit overwhelming.

The day spent just hanging out with the family. Also overwhelming in their determination of assuring my happiness. A sniffle turns into signs of sickly, 'medicine?'. A yawn turns into signs of sleepy, 'bed?'. Most other gestures turn into hunger, tray after tray of food. Unstoppable.

Another stellar lunch. A half dozen courses of ribs, fish, shrimp... all unforgettable.

I try to make myself useful by installing Yahoo Messenger on their computer so they can talk to Steve. A constant fight with a broken internet connection in attempting to fix a broken age old PC. No luck. Take a shower, do my laundry, haircut, strum guitar. The usual.

Mr. Loc, my resident translator, after 2 days of strenuous duty heads back to work. I can't thank him enough. Chi Hanh quickly fills the role.

What to do in the evening? Karaoke in the room next door. Classics and American love songs sung by yours truely, and providing everyone entertainment for the night. Volume 10 - Killing me softly, Imagine, Yesterday, Close to You, San Francisco, and my favorite Songs Sung Blue.

The scooters roll out. Three per, we swerve our way through throngs of traffic in a hells angels wedding procession meets school of fish fashion. All ages men and women, all machines trucks and cars and scooters and bicycles, all directions. At the same time chaotic and orderly. Contrary to how it all appears, as drivers they are far more skilled and aware here. They have to be. Not quite sure where we are going or why but I guess it has something to do with dinner.

Sure enough BANG - POP fresh white towels to wipe the face and hands. Rao Sum - A garden arrives. Heaps of carefully selected mixed greens. Sliced pork and pickled vegetables. Brought together in exact proportions, rolled up in a rice pancake, and dipped in a sweet and spicy sauce. A delicate mixture orchestrated by Duyeng seated across from me and 'on duty' as my resident mother. Serving me, feeding me, the helpless visitor. Such service isn't necessary but it makes them happy and so.

'YO!' a cheer is made. Raised glasses of Tiger Beer and ice met by my bottle. 6 rolls later I am full. They push for number 7.

Just when I thought it was over we're off again in a stir to another restaurant. Thien Tan, table #94. Chicken wings, shrimp rice, seafood noodle, orangina. Completely stuffed but the only accepted answer is 'OK', and so it is. I feel like a turkey being fattened up for Thanksgiving. They stop nothing short of injecting the food intravenously. Finally the toothpicks.

A fun loving gang. Giggling and carrying on like I used to with my Vietnamese friends as a kid. Memories return. Steven, you sure have tremendous family here.

November 22, 2002

Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam

Well, today I am officially illegal. An expired visa and still awaiting the extension. Hopefully today.

Weighed in at 65kg (140lbs) on the family scale. I gotta get moving again.

Good news, and the visa extension is a success! Giving me an extra 8 days, and having taken 2 to process. Allowing time for me to visit the Mekong Delta before entering Cambodia. Plans to head out tomorrow.

Fixed the PC.

Lunch time and learning to cook. I watch a master chef in action. Amazing skill.

Sit down to the days Vietnamese lessons around the table. The girls give a word and I repeat. Everytime I do, everyone breaks into hysterics. Apparently the same sounds to my ear mean quite different things. For instance fish, chicken, tomato, and a dozen or so other words are all pronounced 'Ga' in one way or another. Important words to learn are 'Gam Un' - 'Thankyou' and 'Nah' - 'I'm full'.

Final supper - Duck - Steve's favorite. It's incredible! I mention this purely to make Steve jealous ;)

Vietnam (Hanoi to Saigon)

(77 exhibits)

November 23, 2002

Bus > MyTho (Mekong Delta), Vietnam    12:00 / 1.5h / 70k / 11,000d

Back on the streets after a morning of goodbyes and a final plate of noodles. Packed me with a couple Tigers and scooted me off to backpacker central. A good place for me to gather info. on touring the Mekong Delta.

Once again, on my own. The harassing and heckling instantly returns as every agency jumps for the chance to book me a tour or a room. The going rate is $25 for 2 days and 1 night to the border of Cambodia, add $10 for the speedboat on to Phnom Penh. With my new visa extension I got time and so plan to do it on my own.

Taking advantage of the touts ambition, I gather the relevent 'datasheets' and find my way to the bus station in Chinatown. Pop a Tiger and sit down to an excellent, fast and comfortable ride with the locals.

MyTho - My 1st stop and gateway to the delta. Dropped off on the outskirts of town I meander my way in slowly, delaying here and there for fanciful fruits and to watch fence welders and fuel injector testers about their work. Like sitting around a camp fire, I am always mesmerized by that sort of handiwork thing.

The lonely tourist boat pier, empty at this time of day. I could very well be the only tourist to actually come to this town not on organized tour from Saigon which ofcourse would arrive at some ungodly hour to start fussing about. It is peaceful. A desperate fisherman is eager to take me about tomorrow for $7 the day, boat all to myself. Not bad, but to find a few to share it with would be nice. It starts to drizzle and I reckon it best to find a hotel.

The Long Doan Hotel - the absolute limit. A bare cement block cell with an army cot under a broken fan. Bargained hard down to $2 with a song and a smile. The cheapest deal in town.

Whoas me... Back to the food of the mortals. Found a shabby little Com Binh Dan for a 5,000d plate of white rice, a hard boiled egg, and some cold tofu. Shouldn't be long before the extra pounds dissappear.

Down to the park for a bit of strumming to the crowd. 100 people and not a Dong. One drunk and pestering man offers a beer. Kids kick the can around, pausing only to whack me on the back and sing songs of their own. Apparently western music hasn't hit it big here yet. Broke a string.

November 24, 2002

Boat > Mekong Delta Tour  8:00 / 3h / FREE!

Back to the pier to wrangle up a gang. Better, a gang of locals wrangled me up, inviting me along with them. A free tour around the Mekong Delta. Ofcourse the guide speaks Vietnamese but anyways I could do without the commentary. 4 islands living on tourism, there really isn't much to say and my make-believe story is always better. Fertile grounds, the sweetest most delicious tropical fruits and homemade honey for breakfast. Fixed up with the right boat, interested more in eating then sights. One food stall after another, all morning. Coconut and banana candies, iced lim (lemon sized oranges) and honey tea.

Bus > MyThien, Vietnam  13:45 / 1.25h / 60k / 10,000d

A crowded and uncomfortable local bus. Hot and sticky.

Bus > CanTho, Vietnam  15:30 / 2h 1h / 40k / 10,000d
Unknown Engine Failure

Switch buses street side in MyThien. 23 packed into a 4 bench minivan. Hotter and stickier. 5 minutes and the driver stops for lunch. Everyone else waits in the van as he slops over a plate of BBQ fish for a half hour. I join. It's good.

Two police pile in and off we go, that makes 25. Mr. Faretaker begins his childish heckling, one at a time pairing me up with every girl aboard. In turn they blush, smile, introduce themselves, and offer fruit. Another half hour to argue with an old black toothed lady over the fare. A third stop to fix the engine.

Ferry > CanTho  17:30 / .5h / 600d

Followed the prettiest girl of the bunch to the ferry to CanTho. She had fake teeth. A tout pretending friend found me a room. Snake for dinner.

November 25, 2002

Boat > Floating Market Tour  6:00 / 7h / 100,000d

A connection made last night to join a group coming from Saigon for a boat tour of the floating markets failed to follow through and so I jumped on a boat alone. A market man looking to make a quick buck on a trip he would make anyway. Hundreds of boats waving flagpoles of produce for sale. Women in pointed hats bearing baskets of everything green. Absolutely amazing.

Lost in the mangroves and asking directions. Dissassembling the boat to clear foot bridges. A 'guide' with loads of experience. After denying a token stop at an overpriced tourist restaurant (a 60,000d sticker over an original 10,000d menu) we eventually found our way home. Despite what I was told it could have easily been done in 6h.

An enjoyable however tiring day in the sun.

Bus > LongXuyen, Vietnam  15:00 / 1.5h / 62k / 12,000d

Another minivan, another horn jockey. LongXuyen - Big city, nothing special.

Bus > ChauDoc, Vietnam  16:45 / 2.5h .5h / 50k / 10,000d
Some Electrical Short

Picked up on the drive by by a bus servicing every village enroute. A mind numbing average of 25k/h on a good road.

November 26, 2002

Boat > Another Tour  10:30 / 3h / 60,000d

Another boat tour. The floating villages - Houses atop fish farms turning the live well into a feeding frenzy with ChauGah (a smelly concoction of rice husk and bait fish). An Islamic Cham village - Greeted by children swimming 'school pen... chewing gum... shampoo...' and busy selling machine made shawls under the guise of handmade. A Mosque - Midday prayer 'Allah Akbar' during Ramadan and everyone stares as I take a long drink of cold water. Talk of relatives moving to NY and Washington and jokes of Bin Laden.

The boat tour is over and I stroll the market, one of the most lively markets I have been. Mandarins are out, mangoes and leechis are in ;) Through the streets the kids are in a heated marbles competition. They stop long enough to grab for my leechis.

Hike 6k to Sam Mountain and climb it for a spectacular sunset over Cambodia.

November 27, 2002

Bus > BaChuc, Vietnam  9:15 / 1h / 47k / 10,000d

A bus drops me off at the turnoff to BaChuc. In an attempt to avoid the moto taxi hawks I wander off and into a nearby monestary. Cambodian in style, and very similar to that in Laos. Friendly quiet and peaceful. I watch them meticulously sculpt a cement archway, play a tune to welcome ears, and am invited in for lunch. A quick prayer followed by Laos-like assorted minimal and strange dishes and sticky rice.

A kind old man offers to take me on his moto to tour BaChuc, where the bones of 5,000 raped and pillaged by the Khmer Rouge in 1978 remain. A tiring round about, we return and I take a nap. On to HaTien.

Bus > HaTien, Vietnam  14:55 / 2h / 65k / 20,000d

The bus rumbles over a dusty rocky road under construction. It seems to take forever.

HaTien - I was hoping for a quaint little beach town and what I found instead was a good sized bustling and ugly port town. Determined to find my paradise, I wander to the outskirts and hitch a ride to a nearby beach. Dropped off at a small restaurant and welcomed in by the Tiger Beer distribution team for an amazing seafood dinner, complete with Heinekin. I pass the guitar around and everyone can play. The festive crowd swells and eventually disperses. I find my way down the beach and into a pocket of palms to setup my tent.

Sent from heaven, a picture perfect piece of camping real estate. No need for the rain fly tonight nor the sleeping bag. Coaxed asleep under the stars by the sound of the waves and a cool sea breeze.

November 28, 2002

HaTien, Vietnam

Up early and busy packing out for fear of hostile detection. To the contrary I am invited in to my neighbors palm thatch hut for a tall glass of ice coffee. Sharing my banana nut candies from MyTho to the kids in squeeky sandals. More sing song. A beautiful morning.

Paradise found. A deserted black sand beach with clear bathtub waters and a few fishing boats waving colorful flags perched offshore. To grab a beer and relax on the beach is today's plan, in pre-season preparation for Thailand. The first layer of skin peels away.

After some time I wander a bit and happen across a group of locals on picnic. Shared some songs with a local musician, a wizard of a string picker. Pretty girls approach with 'I love you... every', giggle and shyly retreat. More drinks are forced upon me.

In search of a change in scenery I stomp through the water and around the bluff to find myself beach number two. A cabana of gays in celebration. Slap happy and silly. Together we share squid and spirits. I have reached sloppy drunk.

They dangle their wrists goodbye and in search of adventure I plow through the thickets to beach number 3. Locals digging into soft shell crabs and whisky. Lots of fun and I fall deeper into the abyss.

In search of Campuchia, I make a run for the border. Hitchhiking to Cambodia, I am picked up by a scooter and taken for more drinks. Sat down and served a plate of fruit with 3 ladies around a table. Strange. I pick up on the setup and excuse myself before the trouble kicks off.

To the border, however, not an international border. For kicks I try to fenegle my way through. On my way out of Vietnam, nobody... nothing. Stopped on my way into Cambodia.

Lots of questions follow. I tell them I know Ho Chi Minh. 'Speak Vietnamese' they counter. That doesn't work.

While waiting for them to sort through my passport I get the bone headed idea that one of the officers hats would make a good souvenir. Caught red-handed they rough me up hard. A beefy fellow shows no delay in punching me in the stomach and choking me. Four others surround and start taking turns beating me. The more I scream in pain the harder they hit.

Feeling the situation out of hand and one-sided I demand to see Id. The only thing I get is more beating. I threaten to take photos. They rummage through my bag taking what they wish and breaking the rest.

Pinned down in the back of an ox cart and pounded the whole way back to Vietnam. I got a photo over the fence from Vietnam, as they can't touch me over the line. Instead, they prompt the Vietnamese guards to join in.

A bunch of 20something kids on patrol and way out of hand. They lead me in the dark into the countryside rice fields and off with my flashlight and money and camera. I find a villager to borrow a candle from to find my way back. When the police are corrupt what can you do?

Finally one 'responsible' officer steps in. I demand my belongings back. He slowly recovers my flashlight. And eventually the camera, lens broken. The money is promised for tomorrow. 'What room would you like?' as read straight from an english phrase book as he opens the door of a dusty dank windowless cell with two wood slate cots. I reluctantly settle in.

I admit I was being stupid, however obviously drunk, but they took advantage of it. Animals. With bruises and cuts on my arms and legs as my only evidence. That and the photo.

November 29, 2002

Hitched > HaTien, Vietnam

A long uncomfortable night in the company of two officers, a bit more respectable then the others.

Morning arrives and so does the trade. My money (not all of it ofcourse) for the photo. A miserable compromise. I should have ditched out during the night. Set free with 300,000d hitching and cursing my way back to HaTien. A final fish and rice with my beach buddies.

Bus > ChauDoc, Vietnam  12:40 / 4.5h 1h / 25,000d

A long rough ride back to ChauDoc, uneventful and uninspiring. Check into the same hotel as before, with plans to spend the night before continuing on to the real border tomorrow.

Rains in the evening. A bit of internet to pass the time and I happen across a couple travellers looking for a place. I lead them to mine and negotiate a good deal for them. They are ever grateful.

An evening of drinking beer and talking travel, as travellers tend to do.

French's Crappy CatBa

Kevin's Tibet

November 30, 2002

MotoTaxi & Ferry > Ving Xuong (Cambodia Border), Vietnam  9:00 / 1h / 40k / 20,000d

A couple moto taxis and ferries through the rain to VingXuong, the backwoods border with Cambodia. This time an official international border. No questions, no troubles.

Vietnam (Mekong Delta)

(50 exhibits)

Cambodia

VISA
$20 = 30 Days SE
3 Days Application
(or $25 in 1 from Hanoi)
(or $20 at the border as of 9/02!)
ECONOMY
4,000 Riel = $1 (Dollars are used, Riels as change)
Diem = $10 Food = 2,000r-$2 Room = $2-4
Ride = Cheap Moto = $5/day Gas = 2,000-2,500r/l
Web = 2,000-8,000r/h
ESSENTIAL CAMBODIAN
1 = Moi 2 = Bee 3 = Bye 4 = Mun 5 = Pram
6 = Pram Moi 7 = Pram Bee 8 = Pram Bye 9 = Pram Mun 10 = Dap
'Roi' = Hundred
'Pawn' = Thousand
'Sua Saday' = Hello
'How Kun' = Thankyou
'Lah Aw' = Good
'Mun Aw' = Bad
NOTES
Little India - Indians lost in Asia. The similarities are astounding, the differences thankful.
The things to do are touring Angkor Wat and critisizing the Khmer Rouge.
So if your not into old temples or recent political monsters you could just as well skip this country.
The Khmer Rouge exterminated all literates just a few years back so don't expect to meet any rocket scientists or anyone else with a clue.
The people are generally curious and friendly but there are some shiesters, mostly the police and government officials.
There is a 2 price policy which is tough to avoid.
It can be cheap if you dig in like the locals or expensive if you lunge out like the ex-pats.
The food isn't so good, resembling a mix between bad Vietnamese and Laos.
3 Day old cold soups of sour vegetables and 'parts', virtually guaranteed to make you sick.
A great place if you like ice in your drinks.
Public transportation is limited to expensive cruises along the rivers or bumpy pickup trucks on the horrid roads.
If you have the money take flights, the time take the boats, otherwise you are better off renting a 250 dirt bike.
The Khmer drive less crazy then the Vietnamese but also less skilled. Your chances of survival are about the same.
Motoring through Cambodia can really beat your ass.
Mentally prepare yourself for the worst, saddling up with a compass, solid shoes, a first aid kit, and a full array of 'environmental protection'.
Pray often and keep a keen eye out for missing bridges, moon craters, tree stumps, and land mines.
They seem to be pretty hard at work fixing the roads, some of them.
For the most the people are very photo friendly.
Cold showers are the norm.

Boat > Neak Loeang, Cambodia  13:00 / 1.25h / $3

Another white face following the same course. Bruno, a Swiss travel agent on vacation himself for a couple months through Nam and Cambodia. Apparently the travel business is slow this year and he's some holiday to work off.

Together we explored the options to Phnom Penh. A bunch of rough haggling which eventually lead us back to the border where the speed boats leave from. Waiting for the boat to fill I pick up my guitar. Bruno joins in on harmonica. An excellent player. He likes the blues.

Eventually the 14' fiberglass boat fills to capacity (10 plus luggage) and off we go. A quick, scenic, and painless ride which ended up being a nice option.

Taxi > Phnom Penh, Cambodia  14:45 / 1.25h / $1

I think 4,000 riel is $1, atleast the locals are treating it as such. Picked up a dirt cheap taxi the final leg to Phnom Penh. Dropped off outside of town and together found our way to the city center and a room.

An evening of interesting political talk. Aka - What exactly is the Kyoto Protocol? -and- Who is Bush going after next?

December 1, 2002

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A day spent walking around the city taking in 'the sites'. Phnom Penh - Like a blend of Vientiene and Hanoi but with less scooters. The Royal Palace - An Indian price split (1,000r / $3). An inspiring opulent architecture of pointed boat-like roofs. Quite a bit more interesting talk. Guitar and harmonica.

Kevin's Finished

December 2, 2002

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Another day around.

A couple wats and the day's highlight, the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. S21 - A school ground that the Khmer Rouge turned into a slaughterhouse for thousands of dissident Cambodians. The most amazing thing is it all happened just years ago. Today the government has turned it into a museum which has done a great job documenting and preserving the evidence. A very thought provoking place with loads of dark information. Quite depressing actually, but I am glad I went.

Bruno plans to head South to the beaches tomorrow. I plan to rent a motorbike and head North.

December 3, 2002

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

An active day on my own kicking around on the back of a moto taxi 'finalizing things' before heading out. Money, Internet, Maps, etc. Found a shop to rent me a Honda Degree 250 dirt bike for a couple weeks and bargained hard down to $5/day. According to all the talk, a Honda Dream for $3 just won't cut it here.

Ready for more adventure.

Cambodia (Phnom Penh)

(24 exhibits)

December 4, 2002

8 Day North-West Loop by Moto
Moto > Kampong Thom, Cambodia  11:00 / 6h 2.5h / odo. start 27837k
Older Honda 250 Degree $5/day, Gas 8.5l @ $4.75 (FULL)  27975k Broken Odometer

Pulled out of the shop at 9:30 with my new friend Degree. A bit of a hog at 30k/l but finally a proper dirt bike with plenty of suspension and power. Down to the central market for a hat and a hammock to complete my ultralight pack list.

Ultralight Pack List

Shoulder bag with watch, digicam, charger, 4 batteries, inflatable pillow, Silk Sac, notepad and pen, maps, LED light, bathroom bag, detergent, and a rain jacket which is unnecessary. Silk Sac with money, cards, copies. Wearing baseball hat, pants, shirt, and sandals. Strapped to the bike is a hammock and mosquito net and a couple extra tire tubes and a clutch cable. That's it.

Off I go. The 6 North out of the ruckus of Phnom Penh and into the countryside. A quality 2 lanes wide divided asphalt road with a small pothole every so often which I aim for now instead of avoiding. Floating over without notice.

A blazing sun hot day. I cruise along at 80k over dry Indian-esk flatland and marsh green rice patties with palm outcroppings Passing through the shadow of small clouds I shift into a higher gear. It is nice to be on something with true power for once, making the trip alot less stressful. Small single road villages enroute bring back memories of India, less the constant cursing. Cambodia is like a Little India, the similarities striking and the differences thankful.

Roadside stands, I stop for some lunch. Watermelon for dessert, priced at 500r it is tough competition for bottled water. It is where pickup trucks of locals stop to refresh, and so do I.

30k to Kompong Thom and the road narrows to 1 lane of craters. The government promises the road finished by April. Still, no problem for the Degree. I take a detour straight up the side of a mountain to Phnom Suntonk for sunset. Again, a breeze. I really like this bike.

Looking out across a flatland that stretches in all directions to the horizon. Monkeys in the trees. Think to setup camp but end up tearing my mosquito net in half and the swarms attack. I change plans and jump back on the bike. An hour through the dark and I arrive in Khompong Thom. Check in and take dinner.

RakShey, a local pharmaceutical representative on business. Together we do dinner and he drags me along to the grand opening of the neighboring night club. Flashing xmas lights and a stage of vogue song and dance. A place where $2 will buy you a beer or a girl. Rak gets excited. I drink my beer.

December 5, 2002

Moto > Sambar Prekuk Temple  10:15 / .5h / 22k

With Raks help I manage to reload my medicine cabinet. Panadol (his company sells), Flagentyl (just incase), Choroquine (starting today), and Malarone (just incase). With a new stash of drugs and a dust mask for driving I said my goodbyes.

An attempt to use $4/h cellphone technology to access my email, failed.

North to Sambar Prekuk Temple along 2 lanes of compacted and ready to pave dirt. Prekuk - 100's of pre-Angkor temples scattered throughout the forest. Empty, peaceful, pleasent. Followed around a Belgian tour agency director and guide.

Moto > Tbeng Meanchey, Cambodia  13:45 / 3.75h .75h / 128k
Gas 2l @ $1

The same compacted dirt onward, progressively becoming more and more unpredictable as I start into the Dangkrek Mountains. Bungie broke somewhere along the way. Backtracked a half hour to recover the bike repair goods, hammock lost forever. Continuing on, the site of heavy fighting as recently as '98, and road signs warn of mine fields. The countryside is cratered. Lots of people missing a leg. Out of gas. A friendly local gives me a lift to a street side stand. By the time I reach Tbeng Meanchey the road is a heap.

Tbeng Menchey - The smallest provincial capital I have ever seen. All of a dozen shacks and a couple guesthouses. Checked into the Diamond as recommended by an expat in Phnom Penh and showered layers of dirt away. Out on the dark streets to find a lonely snack shack. For over an hour since I arrived a man has been wailing over the town PA. Strange, almost sounds like a prayer.

December 6, 2002

Moto > Pasat Prea Vihear Temple  8:30 / 3.5h 1h / 117k
Gas 8l @ 14,400r

5am and an hour before sunrise and the screaming begins. Chanting to a weak melody. This breaks into a sermon followed by what sounds to be a terribly important news broadcast and back to song. Absolutely ridiculous. This continues to repeat itself until 8 when I finally get fed up and leave. What I don't understand is why the local residents haven't kicked this guys ass yet. Must be a government campaign of brainwashing that they are forced to endure. You can be sure whatever is being said the people believe.

Outside the tourist areas the people couldn't be more honest or nicer. The first time I have had a hassle free exchange in a long time, filling the gas tank. Stop in a roadside stand for breakfast. NumPahawk, a cold noodle dense soup with ginger and shaved bamboo and SamAng, a midget banana rolled in rice and wrapped in a banana leaf grilled crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Pretty good.

2 for the road and on to Pasat Prea Vihear. 15 minutes of circles asking directions. Nobody really knows but just as well they are happy to point off into the distance with a dreamy expression.

Once again, what stars as a nice road quickly deteriorates and an hour later I am surfing across dunes of sand. Stop a half hour to shake hands with an Australian headed the other way. Wide eyed and spooked, hands still shaking from the apparent spill he's had up ahead. The first foreigner I have seen. He offers some vital info about the goings. However, noting that he is carrying a full pack and is a bit overweight, I reckon his schedule is a bit pessamistic.

Skiing the moguls on a black diamond. 100% concentration to keep myself and the bike upright. Pickup trucks fall behind as I kick past locals on scooter. Amazing how they do it. A feat equal only to trekking Annapurna barefoot. Ofcourse they are going half the speed and half as far with double the discomfort, but it is still something impressive that must be seen to be believed.

Hike > Pasat Prea Vihear Temple  13:00 / 45m 
A tough and scenic climb from 150m to 650m

An hour searching for the trail head up the mountain up to the temple. And what according to my Aussie friend was to be a 2 hour hike with 5 liters water took me only 45 minutes with 1 liter wearing nothing but Groovy Convertables, converted.

On one side of the mountain an amazing view over Cambodia highlighted by the single long and arduous dirt road here. On the other side of the mountain the Thai flag waves proudly over a well paved luxury road for tour buses. Scattered about the peak, 4 nice temples surrounded by mine fields and a crashed military plane. A very welcome mild cool breeze.

Would make an excellent place to pitch a tent and spend the night. Instead; having left my tent in Phnom Penh, I take a quick refreshing dip in the pool, chit-chat with the de-miners scouting the area, and turn back down in a hurry to beat the sun on my way to Anlong Veng.

Moto > Anlong Veng, Cambodia  15:45 / 2h / 70k
Gas 9l @ 21,000r

An excellent 2 lanes awaiting tarmac, beware of missing bridges. Made it to Anlong Veng just in time for sunset. A 2 hour trip at top speed. I recommend one of two option for this trip. Either get up 2 hours earlier and do it relaxed in one day or better to get up 2 hours later and do it in two, camping at the top.

Check into MetaPhePeap Guesthouse. A wooden slat bed with 3 comforters to make it suit. Washed up and dinner. Seated around a bubbling earthenware hotpot with 5 sweaty and shirtless Cambodians picking at Sup Chenang Doi, eel and rice noodle and spinach soup and nipping at Sra So, a potent homemade rice wine. They save the head and tail for me.

The crowd swells as I learn to speak Khmer. Quickly we dust a basket of eel. I just realize everyone is drunk. We are singing songs and I couldn't be enjoying myself more.

In rolls an older lady of Holland and her Cambodian business partner. They join our commotion and instantly add to it.

Together they own the MASH - Melting Pot Guesthouse in Sihanoukville and needed to get away for a week to 'unload' by either researching PolPot's grave, buying cheap gems, joining a de-mining team, or writing a story. I can't really tell which it is.

Brash and to the point. Everything you say she adds to or contradicts. What she recommends, what she doesn't, right from wrong, good from bad. She knows everything and what she doesn't she makes up.

On and on she goes about this and that. Malaria, 'big fucking deal' and land mines, 'big fucking deal' and the Khmer Rouge 'that fucking bastard killed my best friend'. Something about a 'BushFuji', a brand name she's given to all American's who 'won't stand to live in America no longer cause it's all fucked up'. 'Why?' 'Because they got brains... a very un-American thing'. She hates America.

Some sort of renegade spider women, about as twisted as they come. I wish I had a tape recorder.

December 7, 2002

Moto > Kobal Spien Park  9:00 / 2.5h .5h / 117k
Gas 2l @ 4,000r

Missed the spider woman on my way out.

A massively moon cratered road all the way to Kobal Spien Park, enroute to Siem Reap.

Most 'world travellers' and 'backpackers' aren't so adventurous at all. This I judged by the fact that I found them all on day trip from Siem Reap at Kobal Spien, because 'the book' says it is a 'good place'. Less the lone Aussie these are the first tourists I have seen since Phnom Penh. One by one in a caravan, wearing their finest designer travel wear and pissing and moaning during the 15 minutes ascent to the waterfall.

A small falls, but pleasent and certainly good for a shower. Local and foreign tourists in picnic lounge mode. Colourful butterflies flutter about. The infamous 'E18' rears its head and silently retreats.

The 'River of a Thousand Lingas'. Not sure exactly what a 'Linga' is but I don't think I saw one.

Onward...

Moto > Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap - The home of Angkor Wat, one of the Seven ancient wonders of the world. Supposedly a 'must see' for anyone touring South East Asia. We'll see.

Banta Srea - The furthest removed of the Angkor temples. Determined not to make the return trip tomorrow with the ticket I spent an hour haggling with the guard to let me in and another 2 hours waiting for 'the signal'. Incredible and intricate stone carvings.

December 8, 2002

Siem Reap, Cambodia
1-Day Angkor Wat Temples / $20
Gas 6.6l @ $3.50

Angkor Wat - One's first impression is supposed to be of 'unsurpassed awe'. Mine was of 1,000 Japanese, American, and German package tourists all trying to get a sunrise photo of the Wat with no one else in it and using flash from over 300m away. Pity me that I left my broken SLR behind.

During travel everyone becomes a photographer. To capture memories, but are they really? To see the world from behind a lens? More likely it is a substitute for memory. 20,000 photos later it all kind of feels meaningless to me and I am starting to tire of it.

Not interested in seeing every stone, as I am well jaded on temples and such, and equally not interested in giving Cambodia all my money I opted for the $20 1-day pass; figuring at most it would take me 2 days to see and even still it would be cheaper then the 'discounted' $40 3-day pass. Turns out 1 day was more then enough. I much prefer motorcycling through the countryside with no pretense of purpose.

Anyways, it was a nice sunrise but nothing spectacular. On to the second site in the circuit, the Bayon. Again, nice but nothing spectacular. One by one I work my way around the site only with a sense of obligation to see what I came here to see and paid so much for but not terribly interested in actually what it is. And if I haven't already defeated myself, I leave it to the annoying souvenir touts to finalize the experience. Any chance of make-believe is lost. 'Mister... Would you like something cold drink?'

Agro spider lady appears! Her and her partner a bit sobered up however obviously hung over. She fidgets about with her digicam trying to figure out how to recharge the batteries, having lost 'the fucking Sony adapter'. Unable to capture the pictures she 'needs' for her book and in obvious despair. I sit for a break, a chat, and a coconut. Ideas are offered about visiting around some of the other local attractions. Sounds good to me and so I off.

The Silk Farm - A local co-op envisioned to bring work to the uneducated by producing and selling handmade silks to the tourists. A free and actually interesting tour of the farm and the traditional process of making silk. A pricey 'shop' with some really nice goods which ofcourse I neglected.

The Mining Museum - An extremely thought provoking display of ordinance and stories collected by an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier also intended through donation to help the homeless. Reluctantly my tight ass loosened up and made a donation.

Back to Angkor Wat for sunset. A short hike up the hill to Phrong Bakhong temple with 10,000 others and their digicams. A dissappointing 'no show'. Clouds.

December 9, 2002

Moto > Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia

Out at a comfortable time and down to Tonle Sap Lake for a look around. On my way up to a lookout I happen into a French film crew busy making props for 'Two Brothers', a film about two circus tigers. An old Khmer man excitedly leads me around and tries explaining that what the film is really about is the French colonialization of Cambodia in the 20's but that I couldn't quite understand, as his over the buzz saw commentary was obscured by his wild hand and facial animations.

Nice views of the lake from the lookout.

On the way back down I run into a group of French tourists, and join them in their organized boat tour of the lake and the Vietnamese floating village. Also nice.

Moto > Sisophan, Cambodia  14:30 / 2.25h
Gas 4l @ $2 (I suspect a pilfer)

Rt6 to Sisophan. 40k along and the road turns from adequate asphalt to monster-truck dirt and land mine craters. An unbelievable condition for what is possibly the most important road in the country. Keeping in mind this is the main road linking Thailand (a rich country), Angkor Wat (seeing 10,000 people per day at $20 a hit), and Phnom Penh (the capital). Also keeping in mind that it cuts through what is otherwise an absolute flatland of gravel rich clay, land which couldn't be easier to maintain a road over. Regardless there are no signs of progress. None of this adds up.

Moto > Battambang, Cambodia  17:00 / 1.75h
Gas 4.5l @ 7,650r

More shit road all the way to Kouk Kdouch. The chain guard rattles its way right off. The rear monoshock suspension gives up and starts to piss oil and bounce me around the moguls like a pogo stick. Keep in mind, this is a dirt bike.

Night falls. People dressed in black stroll the middle of the road. Bicycles without reflectors do the Indian wobble. Cars and trucks ride the wrong lane, highbeam me and pass in a cloud of dust. A real thrill.

Battambong - Quite small for the 2nd largest city in Cambodia (I would have suspected Siem Reap). Not particularly attractive, nor touristy. A grid of about 3 x 6 streets of locals only type shops and a decent market. Checked into the Golden Parrot, offering an equally cheap and dingy room. Took my cold shower and out to dinner.

After roughing it for quite some time I decided to treat myself to 'the best restaurant in Cambodia'. Not used to using utensils, I have found that I actually prefer chopsticks. Cuttlefish curry. Chinese fare leaning toward Thai, and really very good. A place to return.

Burstingly full, I dust the 3 dreamers off my bike and return to my grungy hole. A half hour of exterminating mosquitoes while talking to a crazy German hippie of a neighbor. A good night sleep.

December 10, 2002

Battambang, Cambodia
Fixed Rear Shock $6, Tightened Steering, Removed Signals

Got the 'OK' on fixing the rear shock. A couple Indians on the corner with a hammer type shop. Opened up to find a wrangle of broken rubber seals and bumpers. One of those jobs where they 'clean' everything and put it back together, still broken. Should last a day or two. Hopefully enough to get back to Phnom Penh and trade the bike in for one that works.

An afternoon through the countryside where I witnessed the making of karaoke video at a hilltop temple and a few Khmer Rouge killing fields. A small nap. A big dam. No thrills.

Got the shits.

Back at the hotel, more patio talk with the nutty German and an ex-pat British bloak. Topic of the night, world politics of course. The German - outlandish, never listening only talking, 'bastard Americans'. The Brit - calm, reserved, 'lucky Americans'. Both on and on about whores and drugs. Sex tourists.

December 11, 2002

Moto > Pursat, Cambodia  8:30 / 3h .5h / 125k
Gas 5.4l @ $3

A half decent 4 lanes undivided, half moon craters with devistating clouds of dust to Pursat. Stopped at a temple enroute. Some wacked out cookie cutter cement and circus paint temple of typical Indian fashion. Monks spending loads of money to build a new entry arch. I woulda thought a real monk wouldn't care for such nonsense.

Lunch and a bit of shopping for some much needed 'environmental protection': safety goggles, a surgeon's mask, ear plugs, baseball cap. Try as they might the dust busters are foiled. Why I hadn't gotten this stuff earlier?

Moto > Kumpong Luang, Cambodia  13:00 / .5h / 25k
Gas 5l @ 10,500r

I reach the end of the road in Kumpong Luang and am tackled by a dozen Vietnamese teenaged boys in intense competition to steal my business for a boat tour of their floating village. 'You go my boat... 1 hour 10 dollar' 'No... My boat... 5 dollar' And before long and without uttering a word they had bargained each other down to 2000r. 'Ok', and so in the boat and off I go. A complete city with everything you could need floats just offshore. The 'real Venice'. Nice.

30 minutes out and the engine stops. 'Oh... broken...' emphasized in distress at me as the boy breaks into a sweat yanking on the cord with no success. Eagerly they wave over their friend's boat which just happens to be 100m away and waiting. 'Broken...' again they plea. '$5 this boat back' they offer. Little India. Unfortunately for them I wasn't born yesterday and so I get up walk over to the engine, flip the switch to 'ON' yank the cord and 'VROOOM!' whaddaya know it works! The try to hide their defeat and act suprised.

Again they try their trick. Again no luck. Foiled, he resigns his defeat and putters me back. I hand over the 2000r and the other kids laugh at him hysterically as I continue on to Phnom Penh.

Moto > Phnom Penh, Cambodia  18:15 / 3h

The most important job being a South East Asian waiter is to assure your drink is as watered down with ice as is physically possible. Regardless of what you say, regardless of the drink. Even beer. 10 cubes added to my glass in 10 minutes. It is no wonder I have had the shits lately.

December 12, 2002

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Chloroquine

Returned the bike to the shop and decided to spend the day around town updating my website and preparing to take a new bike tomorrow on a week long loop of the North East, Mondulkiri to Ratnakiri and back. Relaxed, ate some decent food, and repacked even lighter.

Ultralight Pack List

Shoulder bag with watch, digicam, charger, 3 batteries, inflatable pillow, Silk Sac, notepad and pen, maps, LED light, bathroom bag, detergent. Silk Sac with money, cards, copies. Wearing baseball hat, pants, shirt, and sandals. Strapped to the bike is a couple extra tire tubes and a clutch cable. That's it.

Decided to start taking Chloroquine today, as I will be headed into some pretty thick jungle.

December 13, 2002

7 Day North-East Loop by Moto
Moto > Kompong Cham, Cambodia  12:30 / 3h 1h / 126k
Newer Honda 250 Degree $5/day, Gas 4.5l @ $2.50 (FULL) 30k/l, Broken Odometer
Gas 4l @ $1.90

Perfect road the whole way to Kampong Cham.

After a couple hours of dissagreement involving which is the better route to Mondulkiri, North through Chlong or South through Memot everyone points in different directions, some holding out 5 fingers and some 10, I am forced to stay the night and decide tomorrow. Check into the average bottom of the bin room (brothel?) for 5,000r.

Down to the market stall for an average bottom of the bin entree and rice for 3,000r. Nothing to do here after dark and so I take an early night. Hotel staff wakes me out of bed to deliver a bible. Interesting, but hardly the most exciting read.

December 14, 2002

Moto > Stung Trang, Cambodia  8:15 / .75h / 30k

After a final 15 minutes of locals only arguements over which is the better route I decided on Chlong. That's when the arguements over the best way to get to Chlong began and I, having had enough, just went for it on the river side road. A nice dirt road, better then most of the nation's highways.

Ferry > Cross River  9:45 / .25h / 1500r (Free!)

Ofcourse I arrive at the river crossing just after the last ferry left and so I wait and eventually another arrives, fills, and pushes off across the river.

Moto > Chlong, Cambodia  10:00 / 2h .5h

A relaxed cruise under palms from one river side village to another, stopping for fruits and a head towel. Just before Chlong a grand turnoff offers itself and I suspect this is the road to Snuol and so I take it. An excellent dirt road laid by the logging industry.

Moto > Snuol (Memot?!), Cambodia  12:00 / 1.75h / 80k
Gas 7l @ $3.80

How the hell did I end up in Memot?!?! And what was to be an hour to Snuol turned into 3 on the very road I was trying to avoid. The 'road from hell' which turns out wasn't all that bad. Passed a man with what appeared to be a king sized futon frame strapped upright to the back of his scooter. The wonders never cease.

Moto > Snuol, Cambodia  13:45 / .75h / 40k

And finally Snuol where I inherited some unwanted baggage. A crazy old lady and her two sacs of scarves jumps on. A dirt bike without footpegs. What is she thinking?

Moto > Sen Monorum, Cambodia  680m  15:00 / 2.75h .5h / 130k

Anyways, I head off even faster too see just how crazy she is and just how long it takes her to change her mind. Not long. 20 minutes and a couple close calls and she's whacking me on the back and screaming in Khmer. To get off. Not sure what contributed more to her decision, the shits or burning her ass on my tailpipe. She caught me at a bad time, disturbed and on a mission.

Mostly a decent and wide dirt road. Exactly how far is it to Sen Monorum? I am not exactly sure but one man sounded pretty confident with 73k. Ofcourse another one did too with 206k.

A man with a ditched bike loaded with over 100 kg of Sanford & Sons junk. Bleeding from his head. I ask if he needs help. No thanks. A broken chain, footpegs, steering, everything. Ofcourse he just happened to have enough spare parts on him to fix the entire bike over. Crazy.

300m and climbing. Rubber trees and rolling hills. A refreshing change of scenery from the flat nothingness I have come to expect of Cambodia. A cool breeze, also a lift after a long hot and dirty day on the road. I am not so disturbed anymore.

In my desperate attempt to do the ultralight thing, I left behind my wind breaker jacket. With an average temperature of 35c during the past week it was something I hadn't used. And ofcourse things here are different. 22c and freezing by the time I arrive just after sunset.

A cold bucket shower.

December 15, 2002

Sen Monorum, Cambodia
Gas 7l @ 12,600 (Cheater Bottle)

Sen Monorum - The smallest, most meager and desolate 'provincial capital' I could ever imagine. You get the feeling like your in Tibet, less the exotics. Nothing in the middle of nowhere. Not a terribly interesting visit.

Met Long Vibol, the guidebook local hero for information about the area. A really nice and knowledgeable man. He informed me that the ride direct to Ratanakiri is no problem. Doable in 10 hours, he drew me a crewd map. Thankful for the information I moved over to his new guesthouse, clean and comfortable.

A day about the local sites. Sihanouk Falls - Not even inspiring enough for a photo. Bou Sraa Falls - 37k and an hour and a half of very bad road, weaving along a scooter track of dirt with deathly drop offs to either side. Took a spill when a loose rock gave way and my bald tires caught nothing on the way down, a tire I had unsuccessfully requested be changed. Minor scatches, a bent rear brake pedal, and a broken front brake lever, fixed by a helpful boy along the way. A nice an fairly impressive waterfall which you shouldn't attempt bring the bike down to. An hour spent lifting it back up a steep and rocky river bed. More bald tire issues.

My recommendation, skip Modulkiri.

Back just in time for a special Vietnamese feast with Long and friends. A typical force feeding of way too much food. Beer after beer with 4 jovial and drunken locals interested in sinking me. ABC Extra Stoudt of Singapore. Beer concentrate, 8% alcohol and much heavier then Guiness. One sip and you feel it. Mixed with Tiger to keep it acceptable and suprisingly served without ice.

December 16, 2002

Moto > Somewhere in the jungle...  6:30 / 10.5h 3h (mostly spent on the ground or lost)
Gas 4.5l @ 8,000r

When you are sick in countries like this where everything you see and eat is substandard, it is difficult to get better playing the waiting game. After a week of bad feelings and the shits I finally broke down and reached for the big guns, Flagentyl. A single dose of 2g to knock anything out. No messy schedules, my drug of choice.

Up with the sun ridiculously early to attempt the unheard of, motoring direct from Modulkiri to Ratanakiri. Covering a good part of the country from South to North off road. An act slightly crazier then my adventure through the Baja desert.

Another bald tire mishap on a banking mangles my steering and shifter. Luckily only 1k from the first of five supposed villages enroute. Somewhat bent back into shape. Torn knuckles and ankles from the trailside thicket and thorny bamboo.

After 5 hours the 'trail' ends. Lost in the Cambodian jungle, working from tree to tree and doing my best to maintain North as my heading. Midday and the temperature hits 36c in the shade. It would have been nice had I brought some water. A few huts in a clearing. I plead with them for a drink. They reluctantly hand me over a cup of dirt water. I thank god for the antibiotics. It makes me even more thirsty.

I am completely lost in head high grass, no path, nothing. I am starting to feel dizzy with exhaustion. Just as I start losing hope, a clearing, a hut and an old man savior.

Moto > Old Man Savior  13:30 / .75h

I collapse on his floor and he offers a couple tall glasses of real tea, or close enough. Every part of me is aching. Up to now I have spent over 2 hours on spills and directions alone. He offers hope suggesting by finger that I am only 8k from Lumphat. I have very little gas.

Pop some Panadol and offer the rest as a gift. He has a bad back and his face lights up and so I open my bag to offer a bit of everything else. Mosquito coils, shampoo, matches. He is thankful and surely so am I. I remain passed out on his floor for a half hour.

Eventually I come to, put myself back on the bastard and into the bush I go.

Moto > Somewhere in the jungle...  14:15 / 3h / 8k? (lost again)
Gas 3l @ 7,000r

An hour and an awful long 8k later and I am still hopefully looking. What I thought was it was just a small village of clueless, pointing in every direction. Lumphat is supposedly only 4k away, but where? Atleast an old lady was kind enough to extort me on a few liters of gas.

Otherwise no one is really interested in helping me and so I off in their willy nilly ways and before long am completely lost. Through the heavy, bouncing off rocks and trees.

WHAM! My left foot strikes a stump. AHHH! The pain rips through and I look down to find my big toe bleeding something significant. To my best ability I back track to the village moaning and in tears the whole way.

And finally they show some sympathy and I am offered a place to sit and a bit of water to clean up. One shop owner teenaged boy is especially friendly , helping me and offering some food and a place to sleep. The others keep an unsure distance. He will join me tomorrow. I must be here for the night. A plastic mat is rolled out on the bamboo slate.

Today has been 11 hours on the bike, atleast 3 of which were spent on the ground or lost. I reckon I made a wrong turn at a fork in the trail in a village where an old man pointed me wrong. I can't recommend this torturous trip to anyone, but I wouldn't have done it any other way.

December 17, 2002

Moto & Ferry > Lumphat, Cambodia  6:30 / 1h / 45m / 5,000r

A suprisingly strong night of sleep, trouble free.

A dozen roosters up at 5 and my friend nudging to go at 6. Apparently he isn't used to ass draggers like me. Drag myself out of bed and off we go in a totally different direction then anyone had pointed. The secrets they keep.

Not long before we reach the river. Wait for a boat to cross. I pay the fare and my new friend leaves. A rip off. Atleast I made it to Lumphat.

Lumphat - A roundabout of trails into the jungle and a decent dirt road to Ban Lung. A road! A truck! Never thought I would be so happy to get dusted.

Moto > Ban Lung, Cambodia  7:30 / .75h / 31k
Gas 6l @ 12,000r

Alas, Ban Lung. A 12 hour trip I would never do again. Much worse then my Baja desert story for sure. Don't do this trip unless you are certifiably crazy is my recommendation. If you are and you do, I highly recommend good tires, solid boots, water, a GPS, and a better map. With that and a lot of luck I reckon you could make it in 8h with half the injury.

Sat down to a quality breakfast alongside the irst tourist I have seen since Phnom Penh. A beach blonde and sunburned red faced man from Holland. He flew in and he's flying out. Been here 3 days in relax and avoid the circuit mode and recommends a hotel with hot shower. Enough said.

Stand under the electric on demand drizzle for an hour in total euphoria and hit the bed for another. Out for a look see.

Boeng Yeak Lake - The most beautiful and peaceful place Cambodia has to offer. A handful of tourists, both local and foreign. Clear cool waters with a small wooden dock, perfect for jumping in. A very nice place for a bit more rest and unwinding.

Dinner and across the street from the restaurant a band strikes up. The weekly town wedding party. Couples fashioning as king and queen. I join in with the band on 'Black Magic Woman', good fun.

December 18, 2002

Ban Lung, Cambodia

Took the morning around the various waterfalls nearby and not so nearby. Nice but not enough to keep me the day, and besides I've seen enough jungle already.

Moto > Stung Treng, Cambodia  13:45 / 3.25h .25h / 144k
Gas 4l @ 8,000r

One of the better roads Cambodia has to offer less the hidden tree stump that whacked my right foot pretty bad to match my left.

In to the grubby small town of Stung Treng to argue over the price of a ferry back to Kampong Cham. I would give $15, even though it appears to be only 7 hours and $5 in gas back because I am tired. They want $24 for me and the bike. I am not that tired.

I check into what I can almost assurendly state is a brothel. Hourly clients to my left and right all night. A bit seedy.

December 19, 2002

Moto > Kratie, Cambodia  7:45 / 4.75h 1.5h / 171k
Gas 5l @ 10,500r

Well, as expected an agreement can't be made, coming as close as $8 to Kratie or $20 to Kampong Cham, and broken by them wanting another $3 just to load my bike and so off I go down the dusty road known for 'golfcourse bunkers and frequent bandit attacks'. Every road in Cambodia has its own uniquely bad personality. This one is best described as a stone quarry on the moon. Stopped halfway for a long chat with a Slovenian heading the other way. Interesting.

Moto & Ferry > Chlong, Cambodia  13:15 / 1.25h

Kratie seems a pleasent enough town. Infact if I did it again, I would get up early from Ban Lung and spend the night here, skipping Stung Treng all together. Anyway, tired and determined to get the bike back I carry on.

A decent dirt road along the river broken every now and again by a short ferry ride. They are hard at work on a proper road and bridges here and so I would expect it to be tops in a year.

Ferry > Stung Trang, Cambodia  14:30 / 2h .25h (once again missed)

Once again I just missed the ferry, and this time had to wait quite awhile. A beautiful sun sets over the Mekong to the West as a full moon rises to the East.

Moto > Kompong Cham, Cambodia  1h

Back to Kampong Cham and the Bible, because some things you have to read twice to appreciate.

Today's moment of hygiene - The fruit shake maker lady tries to shave a block of ice. In her fury she drops it to the ground, picks it up and keeps shaving. This happens 4 times. I choose bottled water instead. The cook is picking his nose and flicking it indiscriminatly. I look down to find a big fat hair in my stirfry.

December 20, 2002

Moto > Phnom Penh, Cambodia  6:30 / 3.75h 1h / 120k
Crashed into a senile lady!
Chloroquine, Doxycycline

An old lady pushes her scooter across the highway, sees me coming, hears me honking, and keeps going anyways. I slam on the brakes, but it is too late. WHAM! Over the bike I go, miraculously landing on the road uncut. The old lady falls over and get right back up, also uncut. 'Hello?' 'Is this not a highway?' Possibly the only real highway the country has got. Obviously a rocket scientist.

My handbars are bent in half. After repeated abuse they have finally given up. An hour of shoestring repairs with nobody giving the slightest damn to help. The people here aren't as welcoming and friendly as some say.

Don't rent from 'Angkor Moto'. They will give you a piece of shit bike and when it breaks, because certainly it will they will try to charge you double. Instead, I replaced the cheap aftermarket aluminum street racer handlebars with an original steel dirt bike set myself, payed my $5 per day and pissed off. Had they given me a bike with proper tires and handlebars, none of this would have happened. For once happy to see a bike go.

After a trip like that I figured I outa account for my scratches and cuts. 33 on my feet, legs, knuckles, and palms. Treated everything with Neosporin and picked up a dose of Amoxycillin, just incase.

A reunion with Blue. A bit of internet catchup.

Plans to take a pickup South to Kampot along the coast tomorrow.

December 21, 2002

MiniVan > Kampot, Cambodia  12:00 / 3h / 5,000r

A relaxing morning out of bed and down to the bus farm to round up a minivan to Kampot. 4 make shift benches, seated 6 per and 4 up front to total 28. Everyone on their way in and out jumping at the opportunity to step on my war torn toes. Hot sticky and cramped, thank god the skies are overcast. They turn to heavy rain. The first rain in quite some time. Glad I didn't take a pickup.

15 minutes and the first stop. Smashed banana on a stick and mystery loaf sandwiches.

Kampot - A small and not terribly interesting town with a heap of guesthouses and touts. Spent about an hour walking around looking before realizing this isn't the place for me.

3 Day Along Coast by Moto
Moto > Kep, Cambodia  17:30 / .5h / 25k
Honda Dream $2/day, Gas  4l @ 6,500r (FULL), Broken Odometer

Already starting to feel depressingly helpless without a moto I sign up for another and head off to nearby Kep and do the beach camping thing. This time a Honda Dream 110, quite a toy compared to the 250, but quite a deal at $2/day and besides I am on the coast. Found myself a small trail carefully negotiated to a hidden plot perfect for a tent. A night of Blue by the sea.

December 22, 2002

Moto > Almost Bokor Natl Park

A pleasent night only distracted by the sea slowly closing in on me and thankfully stopping just a few feet short. The tide is something to consider when camping seaside.

An afternoon of seafood, 3kg of crabs for $4 and 25 cents calamari, and relaxing on the small patch of sand they call a beach alongside a good number of local tourists and a handful of foreigners. Nothing spectacular but nice. On to a few caves nearby where I followed around 5 kids busy arguing between themselves who gets my 'Prom Roi' or driving their matchbox cars and tonka trucks all over the stalagmites. The gang expands to 12 and when they aren't looking I give it to the quiet slow one that lags behind. The pecking order is infuriated.

On to Bokor National Park where $5 at the gate had me refuse to enter, choosing instead to sit by the gate and play guitar to see what develops. They invite me in for dinner and before long everyone is having fun and clapping along. That is until one dipstick of a junior official jumps in with piss poor English determined to stir up trouble. 'What's about the price?' 'It's crazy' And progressing from there on his own crusade against me as I unsuccessfully try to ignore him. He works himself into a tizzy, verbally criticising me and tries to force me away. Instead I setup my tent.

This is the second time I have met up against Khmer Rouge 'push around my position' attitude driven jackasses like this guy. Infact only a small handful of the Khmer's I have met have been terribly compassionate. In general they assume trouble, stir support, and turn every move you make into a problem. The interesting contradiction is that all of the travelers I have met have been keen to consider Khmer's kind. But then again none of them have left 'the circuit'. They converse with the superficial guest house clerks and pay the money. Once you stop paying the money and take a different path, the illusion is lost. I am not convinced Cambodia is all that.

December 23, 2002

Moto > Preak Ampeel 'Resort'

Spent the morning testing my theories on compassion. Hours of sitting at the gate just strumming on the guitar, just to see. Not long before the tourist police showed up, each eager to 'help me'. 'What's the problem?' 'I would like to see this park but the price is just too much' And with that everything I said and did was scrutinized. Taking my polaroid and eagerly jotted down everything in their journals. Not once did they actually 'help me', because there was nothing in it for them. I hope they cross reference me with that drunk that they beat to hell at the border.

After avoiding their attempts to drag me down to 'the office' I decided it not worth the effort and left. 10k further down the coast to Preak Ampeel 'Resort'. Not much of a resort at all. A very pleasing and laid back local fishermans beach. Spent the noon eating fresh seafood, interacting with the friendly people and lounging in a hammock. 2kg of fish prepared to perfection, coconut after coconut, and a place to sleep for under 20,000r. And to think I almost wasted that on a National Park and its poacher rangers. One site in Cambodia that I would recommend.

December 24, 2002

Train > Sihanoukville, Cambodia  16:15 / 5h / Free!
500mg Amoxycillin 3/day for 3 days

Light showers in the morning and an easy breeze.

No headache but my right foot is stubborn to heal and judging by the soreness in my glands is infected. I decide to take the amoxy, and just in time. No longer then one hour after taking the first pill a rapid onset headache develops. Soreness and tiredness all over.

Slowly I pack my way out and back to Kampot to catch the train to Sihanoukville to celebrate Christmas with my friend spider lady. 4:15 and the 3pm train to Sihanoukville departs. Two choices for seating, on the roof or in a box car. I had my heart set on the rof, but too sick I settle for a box car. My illness gets much worse and I feel terrible, feverish and freezing. I dawn everything in my pack to keep warm. Most of the people think I am crazy. One kind man sees my condition and lends his hammock. The trip is miserable.

I check into the first dorm room of the first guesthouse I see and accept a handful of Panadol as Christmas Eve dinner before crashing.

!!!Merry Christmas!!!

December 25, 2002

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

I awaken feeling much better and eagerly peek under the bed to see what Santa has left me... A new bag of detergent powder! How special. Just what I needed.

Sihanoukville - Street after street and beach after beach of tourist all on hangover and trying to muster up the strength to do it again. Celebrations I sadly missed. All alone and sick on Christmas. Sad for that and sad for the fact that I miss my home and my family.

Down to the MASH Melting Pot to find my friend. First she only marginally remembers me, and second she is too hung over and busy to care. A nice way to make someone feel welcome.

On to Victory Beach where the expats are all on picnic with their 20' fiberglass ski boats and ridiculously young Khmer girl friends. I dare ask for a pull but they seem way too into themselves. White sands and warm crystal clear waters. Walk the rocks to Independence beach, a bit more popular with the locals but otherwise nothing much. Swim the reef and hitch a boat to Ochheuteal Beach, the commercial tourist mecca. Splashed out on Christmas dinner at the Sea Dragon. A ritzy and expensive place serving an expensive fish steak and chips that tastes frozen. Internet greetings at $2/hour.

Back at the dorm I am greeted by a depressed and drinking Japanese roomate. Shoe, a student in economics who would rather psychology but won't make the change. His first time away on a 3 month tour of South East Asia and obviously lonely too. I try to cheer him up with some song as he swigs from a bottle of whiskey. It works. I have pretty much hashed through all the songs I know, time for some new ones.

December 26, 2002

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Woke in the morning to 'The Killing Fields'. A movie about a NY Times reporter's coverage of the Khmer Rouge. Couldn't hear a word and corrupted by a broken DVD missed most of the scenes. A movie I must see again.

Reserved my bus to the Thai border for tomorrow morning at 7am.

Another day on the beach, this time just lounging alongside all the other pasty whites devouring pineapples and every now and again in for a dip when it is time to pee. My cuts have about half healed except for a stubborn one on my toe that keeps finding new ways to open. Kids walk by with baskets of potato chips on their heads. The lazy sun slowly arcs its way across the sky. I sit on the rocks and play Blue to curious locals that gather. One of them takes a try. They know notes but not chords.

Back to the MASH Melting Pot for dinner and a look at the Bangkok Post, aka. 'What's Bush up to now?' Well, Iraq has progressed as scheduled. Inspectors have been kicking all over and haven't found a thing. Saddam is borderline giddy, calling Bush a wicked liar. Bush thinks they moved their stash to Syria and is still talking war. They say it should be underway by Early February.

North Korea has joined the game by restarting a nuclear reactor they agreed to shut down though an accord with the US in 1994. PyongYang says that if Bush refuses to negotiate he might start a nuclear war. Ofcourse Bush refuses to negotiate. They are calling it a nuclear crisis.

Anyways, the dinner is excelent, really very good. Wish I had found this place earlier.

December 27, 2002

MiniVan > Koh Kong (Thai Border)  7:00 / 6h / $10

A pleasent and painless ride to the border and crossing into Thailand. Welcome to the free world. Thailand, the economic powerhouse of South East Asia.

Cambodia (more)

(117 exhibits)

Thailand

VISA
FREE 30 Days SE on Arrival! 
ECONOMY
42 Baht = $1
Diem = 10,000b / 30 days
Food = 20b-150b  Room = 60-150b
Ride = 30b/h  Moto = 100b/day  Gas = 17b/l 
Web = 10-60b/h
ESSENTIAL THAI
1 = Moi  2 = Bee  3 = Bye  4 = Mun  5 = Pram
6 = Pram Moi  7 = Pram Bee  8 = Pram Bye  9 = Pram Mun  10 = Dap
'' = Hello
'' = Thankyou
'Farang' = Foreigner
'' = Good
'' = Bad
NOTES
Welcome back to the Free World!
My website is once again directly accessible by www.groovydomain.com!
The Costa Rica of South East Asia.
Amazing in contrast to the rest of South East Asia, 'same same only different'.
In the North the thing to do is smoking opium and wasting away under the guise of hilltribe trekking.
In the South the thing to do is smoking opium and wasting away under the guise of lounging on white sand beaches.
Best to bring a mask and snorkel, some token hippie jewelry, a beer coaster, and your favorite pipe.
Grab a girl or a 'friend' and join the party or settle down and stay, popping out once a month to renew your visa.
The people are extremely friendly and easy going, except KhaoSan Road in Bangkok.
It is vacation more then travel, good sites and good food for next to nothing with all the comfort and convenience of home.
However; don't expect the unexpected, it can get dull for the more adventurous.
Contrary to popular belief electronics are no great deal in Bangkok, averaging 20% more then the states.
The food is world famous, what else is there to say?

MiniVan > Trat, Thailand  13:30 / 1.5h / 100b

A luxury minivan to Trat, the launching off point to Koh Chang, a supposedly nice island.

Pickup > Koh Chang Port  .5h / 30b

Ferry > Koh Chang, Thailand  17:15 / .75h / 70b (really 30b)

Dirty rat bastards took us to the fake port to first purchase the tickets at 70b instead of the true price of 30b. And after getting ripped off within the first 10 mintes in Thailand, off the 'falang' go to party together for New Years. 100% tourism. I am prepared to spend this month playing the stupid tourist. A vacation from my travels.

Unable to let go, I buckle down to save money and hitch a ride for free to White Sand Beach, the first main drag. Every bungalow ridiculously overpriced (800b) and booked solid. This place is a complete rip off, no where near as cheap as some make it sound, but it is near New Years and there is certainly no shortage of 'festive' in the air.

Lost for a place to stay, I happen my way into Tantawan Bar proudly announcing 'Open Mic Night'. Excited to see a guitar bearing patron they offer the attic above the bar. I climb up, stash my gear, and back down to 'chill'. Mc Jagger and the Stones on TV. An evening of quality live rock and blues.

Realizing how silly it was to be sleeping in a noisy bar attic when the beach is peaceful and free I move out. Setup tent under a coconut tree. Cool sea breeze.

December 28, 2002

Koh Chang, Thailand

A nice night undisturbed.

Koh Chang - A tourist beach scene, not much to say. Vacationers from all over the world. Groups taking boats to 'the islands'. I am not quite sure what they are looking for as this is an island. French explorers I guess.

Rented a bicycle for 50b the day and off to a nearby waterfall. 200b with ticket and 100b without, or 10b if your a local. I reckon you could easily walk aorund the booth and save it all. A 30m falls nice with peaceful lounging around the rocks. On to Lonely Beach, a less touristed part of the island. Some bad and overpriced seafood for dinner. Another night camped out.

December 29, 2002

Koh Chang, Thailand

Another lazy day, joining the explorers on a snorkel trip at an island. 20' visibility but nothing much to see, not impressed. More bad and overpriced seafood. Not much going on fo me here, and so I plan to go to Bangkok for New Years. Hassled by a nearby bungalow owner for setting up my tent and avoiding her grip. It is a public beach and so I have no intention of moving. She makes trouble and I am determined to stay. In steps a generous foreigner willing to pay her just to shut up. He's got kids trying to sleep. She shuts up.

December 30, 2002

Ferry > Koh Chang Port  8:15 / .5h / 30b

Hit by the advancing tide in the early morning. Hung everything to dry, played my friend some songs in thanks and packed out. Hitched in the back of a pickup to the ferry with a local family on vacation. Got the real price on the ticket which nobody even cared to check.

Pickup > Trat, Thailand  .5h / 30b

Back to Trat.

Bus > Bangkok, Thailand  10:30 / 5h / 147b (2nd class)

A second class bus to Bangkok. Travel is really too easy here. Buses go everywhere all the time, and the schedles are posted. A bit expensive but clean, well maintained, and comfortable. Reminds me of Turkey.

Exactly on time, 80 k/h, and floating on air, the best bus on this world tour. Fully reclining, double-wide seats, not bad for second class. On top of it all it isn't packed to capacity. I stretch out sip a Coke with a smile and play guitar. I've learned a few new songs on the beach. 'Hey! You've got to hide your love away...'

Stopped at a 7Eleven for a break. Isle after isle opens my eyes. Sift through row after row of cooler drinks, potato chips, Dunkin Donuts, and even a mini sushi bar. Shocked by the vast choices and the Western brands. Feels like home, only cheaper.

Met a couple of french Reni and Stephanie. A friedly couple just as lost as me, without a map or guide. Together we managed to find Khao San Road, the heart of the backpacker scene in Bangkok. The Pahar Gang of Delhi. A sea of people, both tourist and local, and stall after stall of cheap designer knockoffs. Tevas for $2.

December 31, 2002

Bangkok, Thailand

Strolling the city. The Grand Palace - Opulent temples pasted in colored glass with pointed roofs similar to that in Phnom Penh. Nice. Down to China Town in search of some legendary cheap electronics, failed.

New Years in Bangkok at the fairgrounds of Sanam Luang. 5 hours of falang jokes in Tahi and corny 'traditional' dancers, similar to the festival in Vientiene. Overamplified noise, junk stalls, flashing lights. Graceless figures on stage chase around a mirrored ball, tripping their way up and down stairs. Everyone quietly sitting, watching, and waiting, munching on petrified sea creatures. So exciting I fell asleep on my 'American Style Vanilla Milk Flavoured Bigga Corn Snack' wrapper ground sheet. Perhaps the island was a better place.

1.5 hours left in the countdown and I really can't wait until this year and this ridiculous ceremony is over. 30 minutes and a man walks around handing out mini sparklers. 5 minutes and some important man gives a sermon. 15 seconds and everyone calmly stands, counts down, gives a quiet unenthusiastic cheer, and lights their sparklers. 3 minutes of really poor fireworks. Everyone leaves.

Amazingly anticlimatic to say the least. The year 2003 begins and not a single emotion was involved. Back to Khao San Road where everyone is in full party mode, more then making up for the lack of enthusiasm at the festival.

!!!Happy New Years!!!

Anyways, this year has been quite a mixup.

As far as the world is concerned, politically things are getting out of hand. The war on Terror. Whatever it really means it is mixing up the muslim radicals with the economic mite of the West. Every day Bush is faced with another challenge, and every day he is looking more and more like an idiot in the eyes of the international community. They still haven't caught Bin Laden yet and they are already waging war against Iraq and North Korea. He has UN support but there are protests and nobody is really sure what they are doing is right.

As far as my travels go, I am slowing down. I am looking at one more year, I think...

January 1, 2003

Bangkok, Thailand

More McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, KFCs, and 7Elevens per block then any other city in the world, including America. Heaps of traffic, pollution, stink, and disfigured street bums. Sky trains running over flyovers over walkovers over 8 lanes of chaotic traffic. Part Chengdu, part Delhi, part New York, and 100% expensive.

An afternoon spent unsuccessfully trying to get some chores done. Found the Burma embassy and the Canon repair center, both closed. More electronics research and more overpriced gear.

Decided to start the year off right and treated myself to a proper salon haircut. Hair that is starting to get disgracefully thin, but only on the top. The sides seem to be getting thicker and after a month or so I am starting to look like the Nutty Professor.

Stomach pains feel like a mild case of food poisoning.

January 2, 2003

Bangkok, Thailand

Definately a first world country. 10am and half of the shops in town are just starting to open. Life is easy for shop owners around here, especially those on KhaoSan Road. Dropped off a dozen rolls of slide film for processing.

Met an expat from Florida at a local eatery during breakfast, the first good and cheap meal I have had in Thailand. Lonely for someone to talk to and with loads of travel experience, he works his way from one tale to another. Suggests the day touring 'off the beaten path' by taking a Chao Praya river taxi to Wat Soi Thong, strolling the market slowly working my way back to Patpong, the heart of the cities sex industry, after night fall.

Wat Soi Thong - A colourful peaceful place where locals take a quick break during lunch to join in Buddist prayer with offerings of turtles, birds, and snakes. Quite a way up stream. A nice break from the downtown area, wandering through the life as normal back alley neighborhoods.

The boat back down the river, empty at first and instantly filling to capacity during the stretch from KhaoSan to Chinatown. Back to the Burma embassy only to find out they are on vacation and won't be processing visas until Monday. And the Canon shop to drop off my broken 50mm SLR lens for repair. A bit of a wonder and on to Patpong to witness the 'night life'.

Patpong - Crowded streets of tourists navigating junk stalls popping in and out of the 'clubs' for 'the shows'. Witnessed a few exotic acts myself over a required beer and avoided the inevitable come on and hard sell. Sex tourism just isn't my thing. Having dissappointed the girl after not following her to 'the back' I stumble out on toes trampled by high heel. OUCH! BITCH! And right where my cut was finally starting to heal. An ugly scene but none the less interesting.

January 3, 2003

Bangkok, Thailand

Picked up my slides. Not terrible, neither great. A slight bluish cast and loss of color saturation due to old chemical. Some really nice shots potentially damaged.

Run into my Florida friend lingering around the eatery and waiting for me to talk to. 4 hours of sympathising with each other over the anti-American sentiments of the Euro he suggests a traditional Thai massage. A local hole that he knows (and I am not to disclose) performing a legitamate massage, not one of those 'cover operations'. An hour in pain as the man forcefully grunts his way around my body showing little sympathy for the sensitive spots, like my injured shoulder. Something I never want to experience again. My faith in the Thai tradition is waining.

At 3b the buses are a far better deal around town then the taxis tricking tourists for 80b. However, you can just about walk as fast and so that is what I have spend my days doing. Back to Patpong where I noticed an advert for Chess Night at O'Reillys. How it feels to be beaten by every player in the Bangkok Chess Club... and a few bystanders... except 1. Quite rusty as I haven't really played since leaving my board on camel safari in India.

January 4, 2003

Bangkok, Thailand

Waiting for Burma. A bit of internet, research on a plane ticket to Yangon, otherwise nothing much.

January 5, 2003

Bangkok, Thailand

A bit more internet finishes an update.

Thai Boxing night. An arena in the back yard of a street side eatery, old school in its atmosphere. 3 bouts, beginners through professionals actually kicking the shit out of each other. No mirrors, no tricks. An interesting event with some class acts. An 'entry fee' attempted to be levied on exit, no way.

The Florida man leaves tomorrow, back to his home in Indonesia, and so with the additional company of two Brits picked up at the fights he talks and talks all night. They are dazzled by his stories of mingling with drug smugglers and high officers in South India, being offered permanent citizenship and marriage, ofcourse turned down. I am dead tired and retreat.

January 6, 2003

Bangkok, Thailand

Tired of walking everywhere everyday I give the bus another shot. 1.5 hours the 3k downtown to the Burma embassy, finally to submit my visa application. 5 in line in front of me and I wait for 2 hours until it is my turn at the window and ofcourse handing over the papers takes 2 minutes. By now I am in no hurry, opting for next day delivery.

My lens has been super glued back together but they won't accept my claims to international warrantee without seeing it. And so I will have it faxed to me and return tomorrow.

January 7, 2003

Bangkok, Thailand

Saviour mom emails a copy of the warrantee and in a rush I print it out and jump the river taxi this time to cut an hour off the trip. Sprinting from the dock to the embassy just as they are locking the gates and plead with them to hand over my visa, finally. Back to Canon where a final hour long arguement over not having the sales receipt secured my lens back, finally. Burma doesn't take Baht and so I hit up the bank for a cash advance in dollars.

Elated to finally have things under control I downed to the MBK shopping square for some self rewards. A new used Canon 28-105 lens just incase the repair breaks and the best $3 sushi I have ever had. A highly recommended Nigiri Combo at the Zen Japanese Restaurant on the top floor.

Purchased my flight to Myanmar (Burma), one way to Yangon for 3680b. Plan to try and over land it out somewhere in the North, but I have mixed reports.

An expensive day but nothing wasted.

January 8, 2003

Bangkok, Thailand

Nothing but getting ready to go (picked up my airplane ticket) and going...

Minivan > Airport  17:30 / 1.5h / 60b

A tame check in, no problems. Enter John, a 22 year old Canadian from Alberta, wet out of school and on a 6 month tour. Together we board the plane excited for the adventure that awaits.

Thailand

(71 exhibits)

Myanmar (Burma)

VISA
28 Days SE (Must fly in and out - $150 return from BKK)
2 photos +
810 Baht for next day
1260 Baht for same day 
ECONOMY
1 FEC = $1 (required to change $200 on entry, but 'presents' help)
1100 kyat 'chet' = $1
Diem = $200 (100FEC & 1100,000k) for 28 days + $200 for airfair, visa, taxes ... 
Food = 200k-1500k  Room = $2-3
Ride = 250k/h  Web = NO!
ESSENTIAL MYANMAR
1 = Tit   2 = Nit  3 = Doan   4 =  Leh  5 = Ngah
6 = Chau  7 = KuNit  8 = Shit  9 = Goo  10 = DaSay
20 = NahSay  30 = DoanSay  40 = LehSay ...
100 = DiYa  200 = NaYa  300 = DoanYa ...
'Mengalaba' = Hello
'JeyZooDinBaDay' = Thankyou
NOTES
One of my favorite countries in many ways.
But definately not the 'free world'. (no TV, no internet, nothing...)
An exotic and energizing blend of India (w/o the aggrivators) and Asia (w/o the horns).
The food is also an excellent blend inspired by India and Asia and it is unbelievably cheap.
Dirt cheap aside from the government encouraged dual pricing policy.
The landscape is alright but come here for the people, the most friendly, helpful, and honest I have met.
A friend in every town.
Bring 'presents' of anything western and small to hand out along the way.
They love photos and there are some real 'classics' so bring lots of film.
If you miss Burma, I feel sorry for you.

Flight > Yangon, Myanmar  19:30 / 1h / 3680b (ow)

In the dark over Yangon, the capital city and suprisingly only a handful of lights shows our way.

Out of the plane and into a bus for nothing more then a u-turn before dropping us off at the terminal. Into a cold and musty immigration greeting room smelling strongly of a public urinal. Infront of us the squadron waits eagerly for a chance to scour our visas and take our dollars in exchange for FECs, the governments way of assuring profit on this visit. '1 FEC equals $1' or so the monopoly money printed in China says. The requirement is to exchange $200 but a simple 'present' is quickly suggested. Together John and I offer $5 to change $100, she accepts, smiles and passes us through. Victory! We rival in our cunning snakery until we step outside and meet three better snakes that got by offering only couple sticks of Revlon. Dammit!

Taxi > Yangon, Myanmar  20:00 / .5h / $1 each (4 snakes)

Join forces and adopt a taxi to the Sule Pagoda, the center of the city proper. Check in to the Mahabandoola Guesthouse, a dingy rat hole of a place. The only place with a room for under $5 and not pretending to be more then it really is. The friendly drunken old owner favors us by putting us onto the streets with a few Kyets (pronounced 'chets') of local currency, in search of dinner.

8 o'clock and all is quiet. Streets empty, lights out, and everyone is asleep. Only an hour away and a world apart. A pleasent change of atmosphere.

Find a lonely street vendor closing up and convince him to serve up one last dish; and old, cold, and tough fried chicken. Before long a curious and friendly school chap keen on practicing his english finds us. Enthusiastically we prod him for information. In a hush we are informed of what can and cannot be said. Talk of the wretched government is taboo. Living under political oppression.

January 9, 2003

Yangon, Myanmar

Awake to a hussle bustle city on the go. Quite a different impression then that of last night. The middle of Little India, breakfast is a nice fresh pot of pea vegetable curry soup, costing only 100k. Out of the corner of our eye we silently witness a man handcuffed and taken away by a swarm of undercover 'police'. All the while not a single person uttered a word or even appeared to change expression.

Back at the guesthouse the kind old man arranges our necessary black market exchange of dollars to kyets. I convert $100 which should be enough for the month at a favorable rate of 1,100 to 1. The official rate is 6.5 to 1. A twisted government for sure.

Yangon - A colonial copy of India less the aggrivators, and China less the don't give a damn about you. A melting pot of Asian and Indian culture and religeon. Men and women wearing lungis. Some buddist, some hindu, some muslim. Curries everywhere and quite a bit of street commotion.

Together John and I walk the town and buzz on the energy. The smells. Colorful and spirited. Curious and friendly.

By days end we find ourselves at the Diadone Monestary with Wai Sei Na, an exstatic to meet us monk. He schools us in buddism.

Eight Precepts
Not to kill any being
Not to steal the ungiven things
Not to tell lies
Not to indulge in unnoble sexual enjoyments (adultery)
Not to take alcohol or abuse narcotics
Not to have food in afternoon
Not to enjoy music or beautify oneself with ornaments, cosmetics, perfumes, flowers
Not to sit on high and luxurious seats

Four Woes
Rebirth in hell
Rebirth as an animal
Rebirth as a ghost
Rebirth as a demon

Five Misfortunes
Loss of relatives
Loss of wealth
Loss of health
Loss of morality
Loss of ideology

Excited for the chance to practice his already good english, he invites us for the day tomorrow to tour some stupas.

A walk toward Swedagon Pagoda stops us in a mosque full of religeous activity. Quickly we are suspect and surrounded by 200 very carefully inquisitive followers. In order to avoid the encrouching eyebrows I crack a smile, break a 'Salam Alekom', and feign Islamic belief. An approach that I have learned best during my travels through the middle east.

The mood shifts favorably and we are accepted. The 'headquarters' or so they call it. Where 'the movement' holds weekly meetings to 'educate and distribute their people around the world'. 'Malaysia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, America...' I hear utterings of 'bin Laden' in the background. The leader tries to assure us that not all muslims are terrorists. We break the building tension by laughing it off as a preposterous idea. The whole interaction has an eery feel to it. A bit over the top. We excuse ourselves.

Swedagon Pagoda - A spectacular 30m golden stupa radiantly floodlit at night. Ominous, mysterious, enchanting, pricy - costing 5FEC each once the guards noticed us.

January 10, 2003

Yangon, Myanmar

With tickets in hand we reckoned it best to return to Swedagon in the early morning for a sunrise setting. Nice, but it was better at night.

Wai, excited and waiting for us in his best saffron robe. Quickly he scurries us off for the day around.

Pickup <> YaLai Pagoda  1h / 50km / 200k (ow) + 500k 'Special Ferry' (50k local) + 1FEC 'donation'

Public transportation - 27 packed into the back of a small pickup for the hour long trip to YeLai Pagoda. A nice little temple in the middle of the ProChang River, but not really worth it.

Back in Yangon, John offs to research a bus to Mandalay and Wai and I off to nearby Inya Lake. Again, nothing thrilling.

January 11, 2003

Yangon, Myanmar
Doxycyclene

Another day around with Wai. This time ChowTauJi Pagoda with some of his friends. Once you've seen one, you've seen em all.

Popped a Doxy at breakfast after hearing all the talk about Malaria and as expected felt like shit by noon. John takes his bus to Mandalay and I stay behind.

Wai offers me a present lungi and shows me how to wrap it.

Normal Method
Step inside
Pull excess equally to each side of waist
Fold excess toward center
Twist the ends with each other and tuck into the waist

Monk Method
Step inside
Pull excess to one side of waist
Fold excess across to other side and back half way
Roll the top down to the desired length

I prefer the monk method as it stays more secure. In exchange I offer him a present shaver for his weekly 'hair change'. Excited to give it a try and on its first use it breaks, damn Chinese crap. How embarrased I feel.

Back at the guesthouse the evening is spent entertaining the Rum drunken gang with 'Country Roads', which I only know the chorus too, but it was more then enough.

January 12, 2003

Yangon, Myanmar

Today Wai invited me to a monk ordination ceremony for his friend. Another round of pickups and overloaded buses an hour outside the city in a small village.

The head monk gives an enlightened smile as we enter the room. The only person to ever successfully guess my age, exactly.

The ceremony, a half hour of group seanse, a half hour of readings by the head monk, a prayer repeated by the novice. The presenting of the maroon robe and various accessories, a display of shrouding oneself in the new throw, followed by a 'thanks for everything mom', and walking the line of alms as relatives drop offerings of detergent soap and money into his new pot on the way out the door.

Into the tree house with 'the boys' for some spicy noodles, bananas, and tea. Curious kids surround and I catch a few photos. Back to Yangon.

Invited along with Wai to his Spoken English Class. Students with a decidedly Indian slant on English, replacing 'friend' with 'brother' at the beginning of every statement. Together we hit the streets for some Shan noodles and convinced they had to show me around, took me down to the rivers edge to witness the possesed Spirit of Water Festival dancers frolicking about. Bodatan, another pagoda, this time a little bit like a fun house and featuring a maze of mirrors inside. Strange religeon.

After some time, the English peculiarities and the over attentiveness and the men excited to hold my hand drives me eggy. I am happy to see that they must return home.

Another night on the town. Overamplified karaoke and another shot at 'Country Roads', this time with the lyrics.

January 14, 2003

Bus > Pathein, Myanmar  12:30 / 5h .5h / 1600k (900k local)

Decided to make my break today with sights set on ChaungTha (pronounced 'ChauDa') Beach. I say my goodbyes to Wai, my constant Yangon companion and board the bus to Pathein (pronounced 'Patain') enroute.

An hour after the scheduled departure we start circling the bus park in search of the last few. Flatlands. Slaves at work building the roads one rock at a time. Shuttled into a pickup for the last 2 miles into the city.

Attracted into a guesthouse where the locals where busy in a heated game of chess. Checked in and schooled them on the game.

Out for dinner. A traditional Myanmar spread, 10 side dishes one of which being a meat curry, a bowl of rice and a Star Cola. Down to the riverside for a lively night market. There are no street lights at night. Candles and flourescents powered by batteries and generators.

January 15, 2003

Pathein, Myanmar

Walking around town. An amazing country to say the least. Colorful and friendly faces surround. Regardless of their obvious poverty there are no pests. Regardless of their oppression everyone is smiling and enjoying. Street festivals of dancing in traditional costumes, elephants and monkeys and bulls. I am really enjoying this country and am glad I came. A real travel treat.

Another episode at a mosque. This time the tensions turned friendly without me having to feign belief. Ofcourse first things first, insisting on assuring me that 'not all muslims are terrorists'; however fiercely proud of Bin Laden they are and how much they hate Bush. After clearing the air with a few Bin Laden jokes, instantly they set to work trying to convert me by offering a few references of interest. 'The Bible, The Quran, & Science', 'Intro to Islam, The 1st & Final Religeon', and 'What The Bible Says About Muhammed'. Together with a lunch snack of Indian chai and Myanmar cakes, sugar sweetened triangles of sticky rice, it all makes for interesting conversation. Eventually they dismiss for prayer and I dismiss myself.

A city predominantly of pakistani and Punjabi descent. An excellent chicken biryani. A late night of 'isn't this a great country' traveller talk back at the guesthouse.

You never realize just how peaceful and dark a city is in the middle of the night until the power goes out.

January 16, 2003

Bus > ChaungTha Beach, Myanmar  7:10 / 3.5h .5h / 60k / 1500k + 5FEC ferry (700k local)
1 Flat Tire

A four star complimentary breakfast with 3 other travellers; Argentina the heavy minded, England the open minded, and Germany a jolly old social wartime man who spins enchanting stories of times past.

The bus to ChaungTha. Paid my double price ticket and assumed my center aisle bench between locals enjoying their seats, spring loaded and not attached to the floor. Wouldn't have been such a bad ride were it not for the tin can of a bus shaking and bouncing over each small stone in the road. A road which a moto could have comfortably done in an hour. Regardless of the fact that every car bears the required 'Drive Safely' sticker, no one does.

While scouting the beach for a place to stay I come across a gang of locals of Yangon on vacation. Joined their party and added a bit on Blue, livening up the attitude to crazy silly with singing and dancing. Skilled in drinking copious amounts of rum and eating boat loads of fresh seafood. Surrounded by an army of servants jumping on their every wish. I suspect they are government. Anyway we had fun.

Invited in to take a siesta and out for a late afternoon of group photos on the beach. Back for more song, dance, dinner, and beach karaoke after sunset. Great fun.

No sooner had I setup my tent on the beach and out of nowhere a mofia of 'police' surround, and exercising atypical restraint suggest a guesthouse would be better then jail for the night. Just so happens the man suggesting this also owns a guesthouse. As usual 'worried for my safety' is the excuse given. As though they really give a shit for my safety. A typical setting where realistically the only thing I have to worry about is them. Rat bastards.

Anyway, I agree and check in. Railroaded into a musty stinky $2 dorm.

January 17, 2003

ChaungTha Beach, Myanmar
Deep Sea Fishing  4h / 10,000k

Set my mind for a fishing trip today. 4 hours of deep sea organized with a couple local fishermen. Found us 'the spot' for a catch of 2 small (3/4k) snappers and one biggun (3.5k) grouper. I turn it into a beach party with some locals that hitched me back to the hotel. It feeds a dozen.

January 18, 2003

Bus > Pathein, Myanmar  10:45 / 3h 1h / 2000k

A much faster bus back to Pathein, held up only waiting for the ferry. Back to the chess house for an afternoon of game and an evening of song.

Tomorrow the early morning truck to Pyay (pronounced 'Pee') enroute to Bagan.

January 19, 2003

Rickshaw > Truck Stop  3:00 / .5h / 500k

3am and somehow I pull myself out of bed. A rickedy rickshaw to a dark and lonely truck stop to Pyay. Almost lonely, less three well trained karaoke singers. I scruffle through my lunchbox breakfast as they work their way through the classics on a broken VCD. A cold morning, enough to break out the long underwear, waiting for the truck.

Truck > Pyay, Myanmar  4:30 / 19h 9h / 1500k
4 Flat Tires changed 6 times, various other 'issues'

The bed of an industrial sized Chinese pickup. Atop 400 bags of rice (around 20 tons) along with a dozen locals wrapped tight in lungis, towels, anything to keep warm. To their amusement I roll out my Thermarest and sleeping bag and catch some Z's. A relatively smooth ride, much more comfortable then the busses.

Daybreak. Breakfast stop and a dozen more pile on. The 1st flat. an hour change followed by an hour repair ten minutes further along. Lunch stop and a few more cramp in. The 2nd flat, ofcourse the ratty tire that they had replaced the first with. A few kilometers along. The 3rd flat, same as the 1st, absolutely ridiculous on a road that couldn't be smoother, flatter, straighter. It is noon and the driver makes the 3rd meal stop. Every kilometer along it seems we are indefinately stopped for one reason or another. One of the most senselessly sluggish journeys I have ever been on.

Grandma calmly puffs down a stoogie. Grandpa stuffs in another knot of BeetleNut to chew on. The rest keep themselves content by either sleeping or breaking into their 2nd stacked tin of curry. As far as I can tell it is all perfectly normal to them. Nobody seems to mind.

The driver finishes up his meal. gets back in and pushes on another 100 meters before getting out to work on the tire a bit more. It is 3'oclock and so far we have spent 5 hours standing still. Back on the road and 30 minutes later, guess what? The 4th flat, perhaps a world record.

Half way and the road is paved, we finally start making real distance. Strangely enough; however, the better the condition of the road, the slower we go. Good scenery? Not really, fairly ordinary flatlands with scattered dried brush. The sun sets and they decide to change the tire once again if for no other reason then it has been working fine.

Grandma lights up number 5. A pool is starting to form around Grandpa. The rest are breaking into their emergency reserve tins of curry and claiming their sleep space. Amazingly, these people really don't care. Perhaps the most easy going and accepting gang in the world. The truck stops two more times for dinner.

11:30 and we finally arrive. 19 arduous hours, atleast 14 hours more then it realistically should have taken and only a few hours more then it would have taken by bicycle. All of that and I am still only half way to my destination of Bagan.

Border towns and bus stations, I hate them both. Endlessly hassled by rickshaws drives me right out of town, walking and hiding in any way it takes to shake them. Happened across some sort of strange military airport slash farm slash nature reserve. I setup camp. A chilly night, 10c.

January 20, 2003

Pyay, Myanmar

Up early and into town to research the bus to Bagan. Hard to get a straight answer and none of the options I am given look good, the best being the possibility of flagging down a passing bus from Yangon at night. And so I spend the day in a still sleepy daze around town.

Pyay - A nice manageably small town. Lots of pagodas, some new and some old, a river front, a busy market. Met the 'midnight rider'. Hiding away in a secret room under the guise of a drinking water processing plant with a handful of open cased computers and piles of pirated CDs. A hacker who claims to be able to thwart the government internet firewall, but only at night 'when the gatekeeper is asleep'. After a quick glance from side to side he offers me the name of his friend in Bagan who can 'help me' access my email.

Bus > Bagan, Myanmar  8:30 / 10h 1h / 3500k + 10FEC Bagan Fee

'Summer of '69', sitting at the Yangon Bagan intersection waiting for the bus to pass. Wave my arms frantically and it stops. One seat left, I negotiate a deal and jump on.

Cozy into the plush reclining back seat, pull my fleece hat over my eyes and attempt to tune out the Burmese sitcom keeping the crowd entertained. Would have been a great ride had the man beside me stopped thinking he still owned both seats and had everyone on board not felt the need to wake me on their way in and out at the half dozen rest stops enroute.

Enter Joackim, a like-aged German backpacker on holiday from his work as an internet advertiser, the king of spam. 'Country Roads' he recalls, pulling me from the rum drunken gang of Yangon, and so we meet again. 'Call me Joe', and so a travel relationship is formed.

Railroaded into the 'Bagan ticket office' to cough up our 10FEC admission and in the back of a horse drawn taxi to a guesthouse. Wake the clerk and check in. A hot water shower and a nap goes a long way. A couple bicycles for some exploring.

Bagan - Hundreds of thousand year old stupas scattered about an area of a few square kilometers of flatland and low brush. In my opinion more interesting the Angkor and spectacular with great countryside views from the tops. Refreshingly, almost void of tourists and the nagging souvenir shop cold drink types. Beautiful sunset from up high.

January 21, 2003

Bagan, Myanmar  130m

Another relaxing day around. A bit of good chat. Some nice photos. A beautiful sunset from atop one of the more remote stupas. Back at the guesthouse a rooftop BBQ awaits.

Brian's Married

January 22, 2003

Bagan, Myanmar
Pickup <> Mt. Popa  750m  2h / 50k / 1000k (ow)

Daytrip to Mt. Popa, a temple strickingly perched atop a ragged peak, most impressive from the approach. Up the endless maze of cement stairs I sweat to finally reach a magnificent view over nothing. That, and an Indian-esk cement and circus paint temple with a few less then average golden stupas. My advice, skip it.

Back to Bagan. A bit of riverboat to Mandalay research finds us floundering over stories, each person with their own. The most believable being a government owned slow boat scheduled to leave or arrive either tonight or tomorrow at 5am and certainly costing 5 times what it should. With Joe bringing on a cold, we decide to believe in the tomorrow morning version rather then spending the night in hopeful castaway.

The 'midnight rider' - There's only one guy in the country that can do it. Cracks the code and hacks around the government firewall using a stolen government official password and some crafty use of port 8080 and www.safeproxy.org to cover the tracks. An act almost certainly punishable by death. The riders big bright beetle juice stained teeth shine. Surfing a wave and defying the oppression.

He turns the keyboard over to me and I read my email in a secretive setting for only $4 the hour, quite a deal considering I may as well have been the only tourist to ever do such. It feels sneaky and special.

January 23, 2003

Boat > Pakokku, Myanmar  9:30 / 3h 1h / 300k
Hit a sand bar!

4am and down to the port to meet up with a dark and apparently empty barge. Slowly an old man awakens, interrupting the silence with a sickly hocking. The boat captain or so it appears. In a dazzling display of mime he motions to us that the boat is broken and so we settle into an empty cabin with bunks and take rest to see how things develop.

Things don't, and the plans quickly change to taking a short locals ferry upriver to Pakokku and catching a bus from there to Mandalay instead. Not a full on river tour, but good enough for me and more importantly good enough to satisfy Joe's insatiable interest in riding atleast one boat in this country. A kind local lady helps us around.

A lazy ride amongst a classic gang of locals ripe for some photos. A bit of the Blues on deck fullfills the scene. Drifting across a flat and desolate sandy countryside. And into a sand bar. Switch boats and finish the journey, too late for the connecting bus. A good excuse to stay the night.

Pakokku - A wonderful, untouristed mistake of a small town to stay. Welcome U Soe Myint, the local Spoken English teacher cycles by and introduces himself. Helps us sort out tickets for tomorrow and invites us to his classroom to teach english. I accept, and Joe having hit it off with the boat lady 'goes his own way'.

An excellent evening playing teacher. Introducing myself and fielding the questions of 30 extremely curious and friendly students. Mostly about America and travel, and wondering just where does Myanmar fit into it all. A request for 'Hotel California' leads to an exchange of song and dance, and I am introduced to local customs. Afterwards the invitation is extended to drinks at a bar, and before the nights end U Soe, quick to hit the whiskey, is sloppy silly drunk and can't get enough 'Country Roads'. A really good time.

January 24, 2003

Bus > Mandalay, Myanmar  10:30 / 6.5h 1h / 600k

A screaming maniac on the town bullhorn at 5, a couple loud as can be neighbors at 6, and up by 7 to satisfy U Soe meeting at the hotel bright and early to invite me along for breakfast before heading off. 'If you haven't had Mohinga, then you haven't been to Myanmar', and so with that off we went. Mohinga - A hot and tasty soup of rice noodles, peas, fishgravy, spices, and crispy chickpea tortillas. And afterwards on to a families home for more... Myanmar Cake - Glutinous rice, sugar, coconut oil, peanuts and sesame.

The bus to Mandalay. Bench seat in an empty old beater. A light weight journey across a scenic landscape of temples and Rajasthan brush. Over a single lane of tarmac void of traffic. Stopped 3 times to eat.

Welcome to Mandalay, a big, busy, and rather trashy ordinary city. Scouted out the AD1 Hotel, tourist central. Joe checks in as 'Mr. German' and the name sticks. Out for an Indian Thali at the excellent PanCherry. Back at the hotel a late night of travel talk on the roof. Mosquitoes all night.

January 25, 2003

Mandalay, Myanmar

5am and more ungodly noise over the city PA, this time being echoed by a schoolground of children. Would love to know what is being brainwashed in. In time the teachings switch over to a 33 played at 45 and for the rest of the day that's how it stays. That and my room thoughtfully situated adjacent to some jazzercise studio for women had me out by 8.

Walking around the city and touring the sites. Mandalay - A dull city, no where near as enchanting as the name suggests. Nothing really worth a photo.

The Zoo - About the poorest conditions of any zoo I have seen, understandably considering the admission is only 20k.

Mandalay Hill - A long set of stairs up to a temple and a place where locals and monks come to practice their English and socialize with the German sunset tourist crowd. My buddist for goodluck symbol hat which strickingly resembles the german swastika creates excellent anxiety. A controversy which I enjoy stirring just for the fun of it, controversy Joe is surely twisted over. A nice sunset across the Mandalay valley.

January 26, 2003

Mandalay, Myanmar
Boat <>  Mingun  1h / 500k (ow)
3g Vitamin C 3 times per day

More sites. Upriver to Mingun, one of 4 'ancient cities'. A crumbling stupa of brick from some crazy ruler and the biggest bell in the world without a crack in it. Loads of annoying India grade scabs. You can safely skip this day trip.

I develop significant signs of a cold, appropriately in line with the rest of the population. Joe is feeling better.

January 27, 2003

Mandalay, Myanmar
Pickup <> Sagaing  .5h / 100k (ow)

Purchased my flight out of Myanmar and back to Thailand for Feb. 6th, one day past my visa. Mandalay through Yangon to ChiangMai for only $89, a special rate.

Same shit different day. Local pickup truck to Sagaing, another of the 'ancient cities'. A hilly and relatively recent version of Bagan. This time somewhat relaxing and enjoyable with none of the scabs of Mingun. Recommended.

Actually, I would say you could safely skip Mandalay.

Bus > Kalaw, Myanmar  19:00 / 8.5h .5h / 3000k (2250k local)

Backseat BULLSHIT!

Getting screwed on the price and stiffed into the worst seat. I raise hell just for the fun of it, and just to show I care.

January 28, 2003

Kalaw, Myanmar  1350m  0c at night
Trek <> Manolah Hill  1650m  1h (ow)

Dropped off at 4am in the tail end of an otherwise sleepy town. Mr. German took a room and I unpacked the tent for a night out. A chilly 0c under the stars, acceptably wrapped up in everything.

Kalaw - A pleasent, quiet, relaxed, friendly little village in the hills. Spent the morning realizing the 3 day trek to Inle Lake that I had in mind cost too much and ain't all that. Spent the afternoon trekking up nearby Manolah Hill to a lonely monestary. An exceptional view over the Kalaw valley and a peaceful steady breeze blows quietly, providing a nice place to rest. A kind old monk offers a drink and some fruit and shows me around. Proudly he points out a skin and bones statue of a meditating monk who upon this mountain turned 'master buddha' after 6 years without food or drink.

On the way back down this provides Mr. German and I good material for an extended arguement over what is and what isn't possible. And somewhere in the rage, 'God's own country' leaks out of the quietly contemptful Mr. German's mouth, inevitably spawning the great Euro/Ameri debates. Luckily, a couple from England stepped in just in time to save the rest of the night and divert us to dinner. Some overpriced but tasty Chinese.

January 29, 2003

Kalaw, Myanmar
1 Day Trek  $5
'Top Trekking'  guide SaiSai
Trek <> ShwaThit & TaYo  8:00 / 6h 2h / 20km

Out early and off on a day trek to some nearby villages. A brisk walk to some nice views and a bit of good informative talk about local education. A 'make or break' system placing high stress on students to acheive marks sufficient to assure a 'good future' at the Military university.

Back in town I see Mr. German off, finally ;) In a hurry to see Inlay Lake for a day or two before returning to his life of leisure in sunny Germany. And as soon as one goes, another comes. Enter Peter, aka. Mr. German II, on short retreat from his job as a chef for a posh hotel in BadenBaden, near Strausborg. Interested in joining me on a 2 day trek to begin tomorrow.

A late lunch, the typical 8 side dish spread including soup, rice, chicken curry. A tasty variation of India meets China, and at 500k a great deal.

January 30, 2003

Kalaw, Myanmar
2 Day 1 Night Trek  $10
'Top Trekking' guide Chee
Trek > Some small village  8:00 / 9h 4h / 20km

Out early and on trek. A beautiful day 'Over the hills and far away'.

The town water resevour, a nice place for a pee and a break.

Classics at the train station. Old man guitar, Bo Diddly himself knocks out a beautiful Burmese love song on his well worn mandalin. Curiously he switches to my guitar, pops a string and immediately ties it back together with 40 years of patchwork skill all without missing a beat. Old man Oxford, the town's postmaster and his two collegues draw me into a heated game of Scrabble. Challenging me on every word that doesn't appear in their 4 word Indian dictionary, and in the end beating my ass. I promise to send a proper dictionary.

Classics on the trail. Davey Crocket sharp shooter, a sling shot hunter that can knock off a rabbit from 100m, sending his dog in to recover. Speed Racer kids bobsledding the slopes on homemade go carts of sticks.

By sunset we find ourselves a small village and an old wooden shack willing to take us in for the night. Served up dish after dish as we chat to candle light under a sky infinite in stars, sip green tea laced with local rice wine, and puff on handrolled stogies. Join the family around the kitchen fire for a late night exchange of song. Really wish I had a recorder.

An unforgettable day.

January 31, 2003

Trek > More villages  10:00 / 7h 3h / 20km

More villages of papaya and a cave of buddas and some gambling and hitching a ride back from wherever we ended up. The trek is over. A great success.

Chee, our guide. Part chef, part monkey, part entertainer. A true friend. Recommends '6 Elephant' sandals. Invites me back to his home to teach me first hand the making of Myanmar Cake to sell at his market stand tomorrow.

A large wooden shed with a tin roof, housing his grandma, wife, and their 3 year old kid. Living in the dark, without electricity. A candle in the kitchen where they set to work over a coal pot glowing red.

Chee's Myanmar Cake
1lb Whole Cracked Wheat
1.25lb Raw Sugar
8C Water
Tea Cup Sesame or Coconut Oil
Butter, Salt

Dry roast the cracked wheat for 10 minutes over high heat and remove.
Mix the water, sugar, and a little salt and boil.
Add the cracked wheat, stirring constantly and vigorously 20 minutes or until no water remains.
If the wheat has a small white dots in the center, add more water.
Add oil and butter and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Put the mixture to an oiled tray and let cool.
Sprinkle with poppy, coconut, etc...
Cut and serve.

Returned to the hotel and rounded up a gang for dinner down at the Everest Nepali Restaurant. A decent Dal Bhat served with a less then decent lassi, completely overpriced for the unconcerned tourist.

February 1, 2003

!!! Happy Chinese New Year !!!

Train > ShweNyaung, Myanmar  11:15 / 3.25h / 80k / 1FEC (down from 4)

The morning market is immense today. Colorful with excellent opportunity for photos.

Chee helps me to the train and secures my ticket to ShweNyaung for only 1FEC down from the 4FEC foreigner price. 1FEC that I must purchase using Kyets on the black market.

I say a sad goodbye to 'my brother' with a bright smile from the window. The car pushes forward reaching it's max speed of 10k/h and starts to rock deep and slow from side to side on its undamped spring suspension. Rolling hills of terraced fields, scattered firs, grazing cattle, bamboo huts with tins roofs. I am lulled to sleep as a few spirited teens work their licks on Blue.

Pickup > NyaungShwe, Myanmar  15:15 / .5h / 11km / 100k

Off the train and a short hike down the road to the turnoff to NyaungShwe, the budget traveller and tourist town along a small canal leading to Inle Lake. Jumped in the back of a local pickup and slowly made our way down the crippled dirt road. Checked into the Joy Hotel as recommended by a couple Swiss in Kalaw. A bit dingy and nothing special, not really sure exactly where Joy fits in.

Scouted town, small and pleasent, however not as much as others, and existing purely on tourism. Decided to join the game and treated myself to 'Fresh Italian Pasta' for dinner. It was ok. Plans to rent a bicycle for the day tomorrow.

February 2, 2003

NyaungShwe, Myanmar  850m
Bicycle Tour  500k/day

Slow and easy along a poor dirt road around the East side of the 'lake', what appears more like a swamp. Past fields of sugar cane being converted to 'wine' and through a forest with leaves of changing colors. Winter is near.

Take rest at a monestary, busy in prayer, and continue on to a long pier stretching out to a floating village. Stop for a look and instantly am flocked by canoe drivers prodding to take me on a tour. I reckon 'why not?', and so I take the tourist diversion.

Pick my lucky guide and hop into his barely stable dart shaped canoe. In pure 'impress the tourist' form he stands up on one foot, wraps the other around the oar, gives an awkward wobble and off we go. The traditional technique for navigating the maze of weedy canals around the village. Nothing much really to see, but a pleasent ride ending at his hut to share lunch with his family. A pleasent exchange, but more grub then guide, pressing for money at every chance.

A bit more bicycling along. Nothing really thrilling.

Had to give 'The Pancake Kingdom' a try for dinner. Most excellent, especially the strawberry banana.

Hakam's Back Home

February 3, 2003

NyaungShwe, Myanmar  850m
Boat Tour  <>  Inle Lake  9:00 / 9h / 6000k/boat + 3FEC permit

To avoid the 3FEC 'lake entry fee' you have 3 options. Get up and out before 7, walk past the MTT office along the canal and then take a boat, or best to borrow the 'ticket' from another traveller. Shared a boat with 3 older French package tourists and their guide.

100% tourism. From one shop to the next all day, something the French rather enjoyed. A daily market, not bad once you get past the junk stalls at the dock. A silversmith, two men pretending to work while a third pushes you on tea and makes the hard sell. A weaving center, a dozen imprisoned ladies working the looms in a sweat shop like fashion. A pagoda, filled with more donation boxes and tourists then buddist pilgrims. An umbrella shop, where the ladies set right to work when the boat arrived and settled back to their stogies once it left. Another weaving center. Skipped the monestary and hurried past photo opportunities during sun down in a rush home. Perhaps the best part was sharing a beer with the kind old man from Nice, as his wife was on spree. Can't believe I paid to go shopping. Actually there were a few interesting visuals along the way, but I would have to say it wasn't worth it.

A bit of effort to find some overpriced and poor tasting 'Shan food' at the 'Big Drum'. Stick with pancakes and pasta.

! NEWS FLASH !

The Space Shuttle Columbia exploded just before landing, killing all aboard, including the 1st Israeli astronaut.

February 4, 2003

Bus > Mandalay, Myanmar  17:45 / 10.25h 1h / 3500k
4 buses make the trip so just hitch it at the intersection for 2500k

A lazy day around town. The local branch of the National League For Democracy. An empty room with flyers of 'what's her name' on the walls and 2 old men duking it out over a game of chess. Sat down for a few games and shared some enlightening conversation on the current political situation.

The night bus to Mandalay. The usual half dozen rest/food stops after midnight, a spuradic radio playing Myanmar country, and a police checkpost where a fat man smelling heavily of whisky stumbled his way through frisking every piece of luggage to assure the democratic movement stands no chance.

February 5, 2003

Mandalay, Myanmar

A day of rest and night bus recovery before returning to Thailand. A bit of last minute souvenir shopping for the infamous '6 Elephant Sandals' as recommended by Chee. Booking a discounted taxi ticket to the airport for tomorrow.

February 6, 2003

Taxi > Airport  6:15 / 1h / 40km / 4000k

Rocking along with a friendly cab driver and his tape of classic western love songs, including the best of Rod Stewart.

Flight > Yangon, Myanmar  8:35 / 1.5h / $89 (ow) + $10 dep tax

The connection.

Flight > Chiang Mai, Thailand  12:10 / 1h

A nice problem free flight to Chiang Mai.

Myanmar

(145 exhibits)

Thailand Continued...

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Welcome back to Thailand.

Chiang Mai - Fancy and economic. Big roads and fast cars. Traffic everywhere and everybody on a mission. A real shocker, almost making me sick coming from the warm hearted personal atmosphere of Myanmar.

Perhaps closer to Disneyland. The epicenter of North Thailand tourism, a complete zoo. Street after street of tourist crap. Accidently in the middle of tourist season and awaiting the coming 'Annual Flower Festival'. All hotels are booked solid and I scour the streets for hours before finding a hotel with a single room.

My mind immediately begins considering how long I could stand it all and still put in an effort to dig in and find something deeper and more rewarding. I am quite sure the standard tourist visa of one month is more then enough. I doubt I will find much.

An afternoon of internet and news update, much welcomed time after a month of isolation. Welcomed until the internet lady instantly turned child psycho on me over a 13b disagreement. What I thought was an unfair charge for the final part of an hour which I was unable to use after she decided to shut it all down and go home. A stampering inferno of insults and out of place accusations both immature and unreasonable. All the while clutching a steel rod in her hand and pretentiously tapping it around and threatening me like a Nazi. Don't think I have ever seen such a senseless and wild mood swing. Required the tourist police to step in and settle it.

Anyways, the news...

Colin Powell has presented the UN with 'significant evidence' of Saddam's 'evasion and deception'. Heads are turning.

Cambodia has had some violent outbreaks in Phnom Penh over a squabble with the Thais over the origin of Angkor Wat., burning their embassy and shutting their borders. Looks like I crossed at the right time. Who woulda guessed the Khmer still had it in them?

Back to the hotel a pissed drunk Danish older fat sex tourist type man ons and ons about the twisted Euro politics around Israel and America and Iraq and whatever. Perhaps I didn't need to read the newspaper after all. God help us.

Neighboring bar room rock seaps through the cracks and radiates through my room till 3am.

February 7, 2003

Chiang Mai, Thailand 330m
Cloxicillin 100mg 4/day x 4 days

Started taking Cloxicillin for an insect bite on my arm that is getting carried away.

Actually, after getting over the initial shock and tourist presence, it ain't all that bad. The endless supply of good food and the modern conveniences help to gloss me over. Luxuries that I spent the day taking advantage of.

Restrung Blue, taking the opportunity to adjust the neck and lower the bridge. Burned a CD with my photos from Cambodia and Myanmar, finally freeing up my memory to start all over. I could really use more memory.

The thing I can't get is how every 'farang' has got a Thai girl hanging from their side. True love I guess.

February 8, 2003

Chiang Mai, Thailand
The 27th Annual Flower Festival

A colorful celebration of flowers and regional beauty queens, quite beautiful. A street parade and vendors at the park. Some nice photos, a nice day.

Tomorrow I reckon to rent a moto for a look around.

February 9, 2003

Moto Tour Nearby Temples
Honda Dream 110 @ 100b/day  Gas 2l@35b 
Moto > Doi Suthep Temple  1030m  11:30 / .5h / 15k

Rented a moto for the day. Doi Suthep Temple - A nice stupa on top of a mountain of dense fresh forest with a hazy view over Chiang Mai. Similar in golden style to those in Myanmar but quite a bit smaller; however, much more exquisitely detailed and maintained. Opulent wooden carvings with golden leaf and colored mirror ornamentation. Grounds of horticultural significance, immaculately kept.

Moto > Phu Ping Palace 1400m  13:15 / .25h / 5k

Phu Ping Palace - Closed the past 3 months as the king himself who's cornball portrait (bottle glasses hiding a lazy eye, 35mm camera strapped around the neck) at the gate declares he is in residence.

Coasted my way down the backside of the mountain to a Hmung hilltribe village. A village that you can tell was one day for real and today looks more like an Epcot Center attraction. Thailand can be a great place to buy souvenirs if you know what you are looking at. Otherwise, you'll end up with a fake Tibetan thanka painted by a kid, advertised as real, and costing 10 times the price of a real one. Stall after stall of fake silk, silver, gems...

A mildly interesting opium museum where I learned more about the infamous 'Long Neck Karen' then opium, but they had a nice garden.

Moto > Chang Kian 1350m  16c-24c .5h / 10k

Another village a bit further along, coffee growers and ofcourse sellers. Cold through the trees, the leaves are falling.

Moto > Monthathan Falls

Monthanthan Falls - Nice but unless you wait till 4:30 to scoot round the gate you'll be paying a steep 200b. Double up on your advantage by bringing some camp gear and stay the night.

February 10, 2003

Bus > Pai, Thailand  500m  12:30 / 4h .5h / 140k / 60b

The bus to Pai, comfortable, efficient, and on time as expected. Beautiful mountain scenery and National Parks surround. Like a blend of Turkey for the transport and Costa Rica for the ecology.

Stopped for a quick snack. Papaya Salad '...oh that sounds nice...' Wrong! A horrible mismatch of unbalanced and extreme flavors. Dried shrimps, jalapenos, sugar, lemon, salt, msg, and what appears to be the rind of the papaya, not the fruit. A treat I had to force down. Never again.

Pai - A small 2 road town best described in an email from Joachim '...shitloads of western teenage opium pipe sucking fuckers in the hills around chang mei'. Quite right, with more tourists then Thai it gets so bad that when I am ready to pay the bill in a restaurant, I wave over the 1st Thai I see. It is like living in a Epcot Center for cheap asses, hippie drop outs wasting away in every direction hopping the border every month to refresh their visa. To keep it pleasent, I have to keep reminding myself that this is a vacation from travels as usual. A place to not expect anything unexpected to happen. Just relax and enjoy the food. It is good food.

Checked into one of a row house of 'bamboo bungalows' for 80b and hit the streets for a luxurious dinner. Slept to the sound of obnoxious Israeli commotion in the hut next door.

February 11, 2003

4 Days Moto Tour
Honda Wave 110 @ 100b/day  (Start odo. 19727k)
Moto > Sappong, Thailand  660m  16:00 / 2h 1h / 41k

Thriving for adventure I packed my sleep gear into a burlap sack and strapped it to the back of a Honda Wave for a few days round.

Past the elephant ride camps and into the countryside. Beautiful with its rolling hills of tropical jungle, reminding me of Northern Vietnam only with much nicer roads. Passed on the hot springand canyons in the heat of the day and hit up the nearby waterfalls instead. Nice, but nothing special.

Over the pass at 1430m and on to Sappong, taking a break to take off my buddhist good luck hat to teach a few Germans some chess while snacking on some banana crepes enroute. 6pm and just in time to Lod Cave to watch 2,643,613 swallows (my rainman count) swooping into the cave and bats screetching out for the night. Spectacular.

Followed a gang back to the Cave Lodge for an excellent dinner and a night socializing around the fire. Pitched my 'bamboo bungalow' in the park under the stars and far away from any Israelis.

February 12, 2003

Sappong, Thailand
Lod Cave Tour  100b guide+light  100b boat

You could easily tour the cave without a guide if you have a decent light; however, you could just as easy skip it. Back at the lodge met up with a gang restless to move, Dirk of Switzerland, Ingrid of Holland, and Jennifer of NY. 'Ok, so how about a 2 hour trek?' What was to be the beginning of a 6 hour lost push through hills and rivers.

Another social night with my new friends. The Cave Lodge has excellent food and atmosphere.

February 13, 2003

Moto > Wilderness Lodge  11:30 / 1.5h .5h / 33k

Weaving through more pristine landscape of karst limestone peaks amid lush tropical wilderness. A beautiful ride. A beautiful country. A beautiful day.

Took rest at the Wilderness Lodge taking time to observe the excentricities of the long term hippie type residents.

Moto > Mae Hong Son, Thailand  14:00 / 3h 2h
Gas 3.2l @ 55b

A few attractions on my way to Mae Hong Son, fish cave, Pha Sua falls. Mae Hong Son - A real locals town, with alot less tourists then Pai and oherwise reasonably unimpressive. Just in time for sunset over Myanmar from the radio tower and temple hill.

Decided to skip staying in town, choosing instead to hit up the nearby hotsprings after dark and find a place to setup camp. Splashing on the scalding waters in secret with the locals and finding the unlocked bathroom. A remote plot perfect for the night.

February 14, 2003

Moto > Mae Kut Long, Thailand  10:15 / 3h / 33k
The Long Neck Karen Zoo

Heavy moisture in the morning air had my bag saturated through my tent and me shivering. Turning warm and dry quickly after the sun cleared the tree line.

An unimpressive waterfall. Skirted the 250b entry fee (continue past the office to the end of the road, park your bike and sneak in along the river) to the BanHuaiTau Zoo to witness the rare Long Neck Karen human girraffe hilltribe. A depressing tourist exhibit of tribal ladies wearing the brass rings around their necks and selling their lives to the photographic observation of curious robots like myself.

Standard fare for lunch. KaMunKai & KowKahMu - Shredded roast duck and pork atop white rice and a side of broth soup and sweet and sour dip for 20b.

Moto > Wilderness Lodge  14:30 / 1h / 43k

Having satisfied my need for adventure and exhausted my options, I turned the bike back toward Pai.

Moto > Pai, Thailand  16:15 / 1.5h / 65k (End Odo. 20109k)
Gas 2.7l @ 45b,  Watch Battery @ 160b

Back to Pai and straight to the hot spring at dusk. A proper natural spring where exact temperature of the water can be acheived by manipulating rocks around the various sources. An hour in heaven.

Ran into Jennifer back in town and took a night out doing the lounge lizard thing. Working our way from one cafe to another, and avoiding the ones looking like potential targets for a terrorist attact.

February 15, 2003

Pai, Thailand

Setup my tent at the Pai Hill River, relaxed and friendly, next to a hippie type from Washington who's been living here with his French girlfriend for 3 months. They met as English teachers in Chengdu, despite the fact that she can hardly speak English and he can't speak a word of French. Him, a pragmatic, quiet, and thoughtful ex-Microsoft type developer who keeps himself busy threading a pair of pants out of scraps of leather. Her, an India dreamer who has been there 3 times and certainly looks it. I sit down and strum on Blue as they grumble about the governments new 'Zero Tolerance Policy' on drugs. Thai authorities have killed over 150 since the campaign to free the country of drugs began on Feb. 1st. This could be a turning point in vagrant tourism.

Nothing to do today, and so I decided to make like everyone else and eat, hob knob around, and 'chill'. A pool party at night.

February 16, 2003

Pai, Thailand

Struggled with a sickly stomach all night. Feelings of fullness similar to those I had in Central America. Today to take it easy.

February 17, 2003

Bus > Chiang Mai, Thailand  12:00 / 3.5h .5h / 60b

The Swiss boy into psychadelic drugs putting down the 'sex tourists'. The Canadian who 3 months ago, quit his job and 'let her go' to set out on a certainly endless journey. A journey he has resigned on ever since coming to Pai to prefer an opium pipe and a lost bald headed German hippie chick with family problems. She also loves India. A few new friends that I met on my way to the bus station failed to convince me to stay any longer.

Back to Chiang Mai in an effort to get moving on seeing what else Thailand has to offer. Speed Racer trims an hour off the return trip.

Check into the cheapest room in town, what appears to be a prison cell and headed out to finish a travel update, 6h @ 15b/h.

February 18, 2003

Bus > Sukothai, Thailand 90m  35c  13:45 / 5h / 171b
Haircut @ 40b

A long bus ride South to Sukothai. Shared a dorm room at the friendly Yupa Guesthouse with Mary of Barcelona. Together we out to the night market for some tourist grade food at a tourist grade price. A friend of Mary's from England joins in and together we argue the merits of the typically British 'well we do have more money' travel attitude. Because '...at the end of the day, it's only a pound fifty...' I couldn't disagree more.

February 19, 2003

Sukothai, Thailand
Bicycle Tour Old City

A pleasent bike through the historic 'old city', Bagan style brick stupas in an Ankor Wat style setting. Free through the side gate. Nice in that there are not so many tourists or vendor scabs, but nothing special.

February 20, 2003 (Thai Year 2546)

Bus > Phitsanulok, Thailand  10:30 / 1h / 23b

Regardless of how friendly they are at the Yupa, you best not stay there if you value your sleep. Every morning at 4am and the neighbors dogs begin. In an otherwise peacefully silent town, a non-stop chain of aggrivated barking for hours on end. Enough to drive my new roomate Ben, a 2 year world traveller also from England, out before dawn. Why no one has put an end to this is beyond me.

Take the bus East Phitsanulok to see Thai's most revered golden buddha. Nice.

Phitsanulok - A medium sized fairly active city with a handful of main boulevards next to a muddy river. With a large population of chinese and very few 'farang', it is a pleasent stay and ofcourse they have good food. I spend the day in a walk about. During the midday heat a siesta seems to prevail. Do a little work on the 'Groovy Sensor', the world's lightest travel shaver, an epic product to be released soon.

Down to the night market to watch the flying vegetables. A special preparation of morning glory where the chef tosses it 30' through the air to an acrobat with a dish. Entertaining. Interesting.

Mr. German's Captain America

February 21, 2003

Bus > Koeng Sopha Waterfall  11:30 / 1.5h / 70k / 28b  200b(tourist) 100b(student) 10b(local)

Bus to Kaeng Sopha falls, Phitsanulok's largest. An impressive site but not so during this dry season. Regardless it was a nice day in the nature.

Hitch > Lomsak, Thailand  175m  16:00 / 1h / 60k

Hitching is as easy as appearing interested. Camping is as easy as carrying a sac. In a town void of cheap accomodation, I wander to the outskirts and setup camp in a welcoming monestary grounds. A night sitting around candle light with the monks talking WWF and Limp Bizkit.

The town dog pound - Howls through the distance all night. One dog particularly proficient in keeping this weary camper awake by sitting 5' from my tent and letting out a sharp howl every 5 minutes.

February 22, 2003

Man's best friend, found busy chewing away on my sandals in the morning.

A rip roaring pork with green curry, the Thai way to start the day.

Bus > Loei, Thailand   9:15 / 3.75h .5h / 145k / 60b

Bus > Khon Kaen, Thailand   13:45 / 4h .5h / 200k / 29b

Mistakenly to the 'wrong place' and right back onto another bus to go to the 'right place' before realizing that I don't really feel like climbing a mountain today after all and just staying on until the end, Khon Kaen. A big and busy city.

Bus > Korat, Thailand   19:00 / 2.5h / 190k / 95b

And again realizing I don't want to be here either and on another bus to Korat, lightning fast and air conditioned comfort. The first rain I have seen in months.

Korat - At night, what appears to be a bus and truck stop grown wild between Bangkok and the North. I am starting to lose faith in my idea to explore the North East, realizing it best to just suck it up and head South with the rest of the tourists. There are reasons this part of the country isn't heavily travelled. To make things worst it cost as much to get around these cities as too them. TukTuk drivers that think they have the upper hand (and they do because most Thai are lazy ass and will pay the price) and won't even look at you for under 50b.

Too late to jump another bus I foot it into town and take refuge behind a fire ravenged and abandoned old office complex on the 10 lane main drag, loud and busy. Setup my tent in the wasteland of broken cement and trash. Unpleasently hot and sticky.

A bad mood after a long wasteful day on the road.

February 23, 2003

Bus > Phanom Rung Temple   8:30 / 2.5h / 112k / 60b

Feeling in a much better mood in the morning, following an amazingly decent night of sleep, I decide to give another chance to the North East and hit up some of the Angkor period ruins nearby.

Phanum Rung - The finest of the Angkor period temples in Thailand. Stunningly perched atop an inactive volcano near the border of Cambodia. Hitched up to the top with a couple locals. Beautifully intact with exquisitly detailed sandstone carvings. Brings back the feeling of Cambodia. A temple with all the spendor of Angkor, but at 10b a bit more manageable. My new friends hitched me back to Nang Rong

When choosing a restaurant, look for the overweight lady that walks with a wobble and is constantly trying to get that last shred of food from between her teeth. Make sure there is no sign of farang life. Infact, people should be staring at you as you walk in. Sit down at the table near the fan, where the flies can't. Then check the forks closely. The cheaper and easier they are to bend, the better. Take a walk about the other customers and find out what looks good. 'Same Same' An amazing fat noodle pad thai with chicken and a tom yum soup chock full of prawns,fresh ginger and lemon grass with whole chili peppers and garlic cloves floating on top, 70b.

Bus > Korat, Thailand   14:00 / 2h / 100k / 50b
Broken Air Conditioner

Bus > Phimai, Thailand   200m  30-36c  16:15 / 1.25h / 35b

Another series of buses to Phimai, a pleasently small and homey single road town and the site of more Angkor relics. Checked into the Phimai Youth Hostel and socialized the night away. A really nice place to relax.

The night market. Behold, it is once again mango season!

Loads of mosquitoes.

February 24, 2003

Phimai, Thailand
Weight 140lb (63kg)

Awoke to one kilo of perfect mangos, 30b. And ended up in the midst of an in depth discussion on Central American mango eating style with Raul and Alejandra of Mexico. The first Mexican travellers I can remember meeting. A relapse on Mana.

Together we fend off an encrouching old German's complete distaste for the lax latin 'manana' lifestyle and lolly our way to the biggest banyan tree in the world. A stunning web of roots and vines covering an area of a few hundred square meters. Relaxing beneath the shade. More energetic talk on Mexico and travel.

Raul, an animator working in Bangkok and also an accomplished wanderer, has a great sense of humor and paints brilliant mental pictures of classic episodes. Alejandra, is off to India tomorrow and braces herself against the tales.

An afternoon down at the local swimming pool.

An evening in Euro/Ameri debate back at the hostel, breaking the circular arguement by joining an Irish bloak for a game of snooker. An enjoyable however difficult and confusing game. Open mike night at a local version of an old Harley redneck country western bar. I've really gotta sit down and learn 'The Scorpions' one of these days.

Jim's Advice

February 25, 2003

Phimai, Thailand

Awoke to a kilo of perfect mangos. And ended up in the midst of an in depth discussion of travel sneakery and IT hedgemony with Matt Donath of Chicago, an ex sysadmin turned aimless wanderer who keeps an excellent online travelogue.

Matt Donath's Round The World Journal

An interesting discussion that flows easily as we have similar interests and makes for some excellent tangents.

A cool 36c with minor overcast. To explore the ruins on a day like today is nice. Hate to beat a dead horse, but again a more manageable and pleasent experience then Angkor Wat.

February 27, 2003

Bus > Korat, Thailand  10:30 / 1.25h / 35b

Korat - Seemingly just a big city which I don't plan to stay. On to Lopburi.

Bus > Lopburi, Thailand  12:30 / 4h / 70b

Lopburi - Another seemingly interestless city. Sat down to an exquisite meal before continuing on. Missed the last bus and just caught the last 'rapid train' only because it was running 2 hours late.

Train > Ayutthaya, Thailand  20:00 / 1.25h / 16b

Checked into the 1st guesthouse out of the station and took an early night. A long day of travel.

February 28, 2003

Ayutthaya, Thailand

The royal tour with Gary on a whim. Don't know if I ever met a more interesting man in my life.

Born in Germany (his real name is Helmut), moved to USA at 19 and joined the army to get his papers. Took part in the Tet Offensive 1967 as a member of the 101 Airborne. Has lived damn near everywhere including Thailand where for the past 20 years he has done everything from running a whore house to being a professor in biology in a convent which the royal family daughter attended. Great political thoughts, everything strongly worded and cynical. A libertarian vehemently opposed to blacks and illegal Mexicans in America. Mark his words in 20 years there will be no more America. A classic comment about just about everything. Once again, wish I had a recorder. Absolutely the most entertaining use of my morning.

Train > Bangkok, Thailand  15:00 / 2h / 15b

On the train to Bangkok... Aboard the Thailand Express.

Back to Bangkok, the dirty crowded mess that it is, enroute to a connection further South. Hopped bus 29 to MBK for a quick Nigiri Combo relapse at the Zen, something I been dreaming about lately. Back to the station, a bag of Dunkin Donuts and off I go.

Train > Surat Thani, Thailand  19:15 / 14h / 408b
2nd Class Upper Bunk

March 1, 2003

Late Train
Out the window a ball of tangerine burns through a blanket of fog, lifting
Over a landscape of dense jungle, cultivated coconut palm and rubber trees, papaya, bamboo
Irrigated by marsh canals where water buffalo take their morning bath
Against a backdrop of cragged limestone peaks
White cranes float effortlessly by
Absolute beauty

An unforgettable scene that would have been missed had the train been on time. A fortunate 2 hour delay.

Mingle with a few of the hundred farang onboard deep in study over their Lonely Planet guidebooks in determining where to go. Diving, raving, camping, Koh this and that. Off the train a mob of touts vacuum them up whisking them efficiently away to wherever they have decided to go.

Having not a real plan myself, and surely not to pay them something absurd to cattle along I break pac. A hitching adventure first to find the road to Krabi, and second to find a lady willing to draw me a sign. Hitch-hiking is like fishing. Snagged a grouper on the first bite.

At 140k/h a Isuzu pickup (the national vehicle of choice) slams on the breaks, and locks it up to lay down a ribbon of rubber 50m long, to let me in.

Hitch > almost Krabi, Thailand  13:45 / 1h / 110k
Insane!

Not sure it is such a good idea but I get in anyway. Besides, the 20 year old behind the wheel has made it this far. Off we go in a streak of lightening against trucks going the wrong direction in the fast lane. Police too busy killing drug suspects I guess.

As we approach, amazing karst scenery builds, quickly. Dimensions and vectors I have never experienced before. Around the corners we lean hard, in a motion symbolic of keeping the truck on ground. I have concluded that the tires are of a special space aged polymer, its the only way. The pilot grins mad and pushes even harder. I close my eyes.

Thankfully dropped off early.

Hitch > almost Krabi, Thailand  15:00 / 45m / 36k

Jump into a significantly less aggressive commercial flatbed hauling what appears to be a wind tunnel. Mosjid - A mosque, signs of Arabic creep in. Again, dropped off with just a hair to go.

Hitch > Krabi, Thailand 15m / 4k

A short hop into Krabi.

Krabi - A 'lively town, lovely people' as the sign says, atleast good enough for the night I reckon. A hour scouting around town for the cheapest place ended me right next door to where I started. The Jungle Book, the only 50b room in town, bringing todays budget up to 100r including an hour of internet, lunch and a coke. Having turned in way under budget so far I decided to treat myself to a sampler of the local seafood at the night market. This brings me up to 200b for the day.

March 2, 2003

3 Day Moto Krabi to Phuket
Honda Wave 125 @ 150b / day
Moto > Laem Sak, Thailand  9:50 / 19440k (START)
Gas 1.2l @ 20b

Reckon another moto tour is what I need and so I rent a Wave, pack ultralight, and set off.

Ultralight Packlist
The clothes on my back
Shoulder Bag - Cameras, Batteries, Film, Money, Map
Burlap Sack - Tent, Mylar, ThermaRest, SilkSac, Fleece, Hat

Along the coast toward Phuket, with no definate plans. Through an absolutely beautiful countryside of mangroves to the end of the road. A small village, welcomed in by posters of Bin Laden and a family of muslim radicals. Aren't they all?

A bit of tension over where I come from and exactly what is my religeon. The standard trouble avoidance is carefully negotiated and accepted. Hats off to muslims for being so dedicated but a touch of acceptance would sure help to set infidels like me at ease. Social grace is not their strength.

Invited along on a longtail ride through the mangroves. In and out a maze of canals through dense jungle where massive karst faces jet skyward out of the water. Reminders of Catba, only nicer without the tourists. To an isolated remote white sand beach where I toss a bottle to sea, an SOS.

Returned and set off to Laem Sak for some hopeful seafood, according to my 'tourist map'. The icon of a lobster and a fork was a dead giveaway.

Laem Sak - Low tide leaves a coast of fiddler crabs and mud skippers, fish with legs. Strong evidence of evolution. Millions in all directions as far as the eye can see. Dinner is overpriced crap ofcourse.

Find a secluded spot in the jungle to setup camp. 28c. Perfect.

March 3, 2003

Moto > Phuket, Thailand  8:00 / 19531k
Broken Gas Gauge, Gas 3.7l @ 60b

Mothing gets you going faster then a half hour kick box training at the local ring.

Enroute to Phuket through more plantations of coconut, palm, and rubber. Sidetrack to a waterfall for a shower, nice. Sidetrack to AoPhangNga Park to walk the mangroves, nice. Sidetrack with a group of french on a longtail boat tour of PhangNga Bay, 100% tourism.

Following boat loads of pastey whites out to 'James Bond Island' to thankfully decide collectively against the 200b to step on the island option. Stopping at souvenir shops of sea shells, pearls, indonesian scarves, and dried squid. Railroaded into an overpriced lunch. Thankyou and goodbye.

Welcome to beautiful Phuket, or so the sign says. Maybe, if trash dumps and strip malls are your idea of beauty. A little Bangkok surrounded by a thin strip of nature and an ocean. I dare go so far as to say it is the least beautiful place in all Thailand.

Out of gas. A gauge that doesn't work has me pushing. Within moments a few more then friendly girl boy types whisk me away sandwiched on the back of their scooter to get a fill.

A desperate search to find a reasonable and decent seafood dinner has me laughing at one smug matter of factly small old crab for 50b lady. After a bit more searching I resign and take my seat next to the rest of the retired patrons. A 200b TamYum that is even shittier then predicted. Price x 4 & Quality / 2.

Coupled with overpriced tourist grade food, all the more reason that it is such a popular spot. A self fullfilled prophecy, a Florida for the spunqier jiggier grade of senior citizen. Somewhere my grandpa would go if he was on vacation away from grandma.

Setup camp at an abandoned soccer field atop windmill hill. Like it was put here just for me.

March 4, 2003

Moto > AoNang, Thailand  7:30 / 19732k
Gas 2.8l @ 50b

A traveller in a vacationers land. Rather silly of me, but for some reason I felt I just had to see it. Last night was the East, today the West.

White sand fully commercialized and capitalized beaches. Pastey, unhealthy, and unfit full on tourists in full on lounge mode. The type that resign travel until after they have become a success. A thoroughly disgusting crowd in both sight and action. What caps it all off are the Euro grannies going topless. I've never seen so many beer bellies.

And then came Patong Beach. The highlight of Phuket. Bungalow rental by the hour. The Patpong of Bangkok plus sand.

After 2 hours gathering the experience I grabbed breakfast appropriately at a McD's (double cheese, biggie fries, and a coke costing more then my moto rental for the day) and turned the bike around. A night camped out in the back brush of AoNang.

Well my visa is expiring and I am at a crossroads as to what to do. Extend it and hit up another island or two or spend the extra week or two in Malaysia enroute to Singapore to catch a flight to Oz. Mom is meeting me there for a few weeks vacation around my birthday on April 10th.

So why would I stay? If I where enjoying myself, something that I realize is based on first the cultural extravaganza, second the people, and third the place. Culturally there isn't anything extravagant happening here. So what about the people? The Thai, sure they are friendly enough; however, tourism is the norm here and the only real interest in you is for your money. Not so inspiring. The farang, mostly vacationers with different ideals and well considered plans. Not so interesting. This leaves me with only the sand and the sea. Do I really care about bathtub waters and aquarium fish? Overpriced dive trips less interesting then a free beach dive off the Santa Barbara coast?

March 5, 2003

Moto > Krabi, Thailand  8:00 / 20038k (END)

The moto tour is over and I reckon on Malaysia.

Well somehow I managed to pass through Thailand without learning to cook, give a massage, or ride an elephant. No treks to hilltribes, scuba diving, snorkeling, raving, smoking opium, or sleeping with a stranger. Infact, some may say I haven't even been there. Perhaps...

Bus > Trang, Thailand  9:20 / 2h / 70b (AC)

Bus > Satun, Thailand  11:30 / 3h / 44b (No AC)

Met a man on the bus to Trang who diverted me to a quick crossing by speed ferry from Satun to LangKawi, Malaysia.

Thailand (more)

(159 exhibits)

Malaysia

VISA
3 Months SE free on arrival
ECONOMY
3.8 Ringgit = $1
100 Sens = 1 Ringgit
Diem = 1576r for 30 days + 350r for 7 dives 
Food = 3r-15r  Room = 3r-15r
Ride = 3.5r/h  Web = 2r-4r/h Normal
ESSENTIAL MALAY
Nothing, everyone understands English
'Selamat Datang' - Welcome
'Di Tegah Meludah' - Please don't spit
NOTES
It ain't at all what I expected
Well civilized and westernized with none of the filth and noise common throughout Asia
Best described by Jim 'very western, kinda dull'
Like Thailand, it ain't really adventure travel
A 2 part culture of Indians and Chinese mantaining their space and culture
People are friendly (not as much as Thai) however malaise and must be prompted into discussion
The food is tops (dare I say better then Thai) and is of high quality and great diversity (India/China)
The prices are more dear but then again there aren't any Israelis less package tourists and stoners
Alcohol is damn expensive, like $2 a beer
Hitching is not a problem but isn't as easy as Thai
Photos are fine, but there isn't alot to inspire a shot
Electronics are the same price as in USA but you won't get international warrantee

Ferry > LangKawi, Malaysia  16:20 / 1h / 200b

To give you an idea of where I am, I stepped off the boat and into a KFC to find out how many Ringgits were in a Dollar. 3.8 to 1, and so I inserted my ATM into the machine and withdrew 600r to get me started. A colorful money with writing in Arabic. Ah... Salam! Sat down to a chicken sandwich as I began to realize the mistake I had made.

Going all this way to escape one 'scene' for another, perhaps even more sterilized. Admitting that my assumptions of Malaysia being a more culturally extravagant place then Thailand were wrong. Realizing that had I just done any basic research on where I was going I wouldn't feel like such a fool. And what a fool am I? Anyway I am here now and so to make the most of it.

Beside me sits a German. After 8 months in Thailand he needs a break, and ofcourse an extension. Up against the wall over taxi touts asking a fortune to take him to the nearest beach scene, he is looking for a partner to share costs. Feeling sorry for his apparent helplessness, I accept on the condition that we foot it into town and save taxis for tomorrow.

Together we split the cheapest shit hole of a double room possible at an outrageous 30r. A real hole and at 4 times the price I have paid for any room over the past 6 months. Had I not agreed to help I would have surely setup my tent. I sink deeper.

Shower, laundry, and out for some eats. A small, quiet, and orderly muslim town. Economically more advanced then any other muslim towns I have been in the past, and religeously quite a bit more liberal. For example, women can be seen on the streets, their heads only partially covered. An interesting blend of economics and religeon I have not seen before.

The night market, similar in style to the night markets of Thailand but more relaxed with less tourist buzz. Cheap decent eats, mixing the curries of India and the stir fries of China with a sweetened up middle eastern twist. Raises my spirits and I decide to give it another shot.

March 6, 2003

Shared Taxi > LangKawi Beach, Malaysia  30m / 12r

The hope for carrying on the fine tradition of moto touring quickly came to an end when I was told that scooters rent for 30r the day. Unfortunately it looks like shared taxis are the only real option here. And so together we share a taxi to 'the beach'.

More overpriced accomodation pushes me to abandoning the share idea for the tent idea. I can't carry on like this. Today I play tourist, tomorrow I move on, alone. Lounging on the white sands, drinking Tiger beers, camped on the beach.

March 7, 2003

Hitched my way back to the pier, booked my ticket to Penang, and headed back into town. A town that feels like a massive duty free shop. Quiet on Fridays, apparently a muslim holiday.

The local mosque, some peaceful quiet time alone trying my best to understand a translation of the Quran. Try as I do, none of it makes any sense to me. A tangle of seemingly unconnected ideas and claims. Definately not an easy read.

The Cake Shop, a nice selection of fresh donuts and other tasties. As I sit here in the shade perusing the Star Post (the king is dissappointed in the malaise of society, claiming the country a 1st world infrastructure with a 3rd world mentality - easy going and going nowhere - interesting) I work my way through one after another. It is far too easy to spend money here, especially mislead by the value of the Ringgit. For the first time in months the exchange isn't in the thousands and it catches me off guard. One here... One there...

Ferry > Penang, Malaysia  14:30 / 2.5h / 35r

High speed all the way to Penang.

Penang - Pleasent ans seemingly smaller then it really is. An older section of town composed of two stories of classic architecture and a newer high rise section. Divided in two between the Chinese and the Indians. My hostel is in Little India, while the main strip is in Little China. All the expected sights and smells.

A few of the dorm mates form for dinner, Chinese. Some good politics and rounds of beer at the Blue Diamond. Open mic. finds me replacing a space cowboy's regular routine for a few well received songs.

March 8, 2003

Penang, Malaysia

Two dorm mates Adam and Gareth of England, green on their 1st week of their 10 month round-the-world ticket.

Spend the day together around town. A malaisely lazy hot and humidly sweaty day at the big tower, where they let you off the lift at 58 and hope you don't climb the stairs to 59, thus avoiding the 5r fee for a spectacular view over Penang from the dirty windows of the Chinese restaurant. Back for a nap until the recent norm of evening overcast moves in to cool things off.

Out for dinner, Indian. Back at the hotel the evening is spent on the roof with Blue.

March 9, 2003

Penang, Malaysia

Today is Sunday. And like Friday for muslims, and Saturday for everyone, and seemingly a good bit of every other day everything is closed and the streets are empty. I am starting to understand what the king was hinting at. Work doesn't appear too high a priority around here. Still not sure how they have achieved their economic status.

Hungry, I wander the wharf area and finally find a place open, Kapi Nai Fatt chinese. No food, the chef hasn't showed. I take an ice coffee while I wait.

Coffee, something I never fancied in the past is starting to take hold of me. A few locals shift lazy on in. Together they socialize easy over a refreshing fresh squeezed sour apple juice, lime green. It appeals to me and I order the same, very nice. Before long plates fill their table and they start eating. Eating? I guess the chef has arrived... why no one cared to inform me? Things move quite slowly here.

Again to make the process easy I order the same. A plate of plum chicken and a bowl of fish curry soup, both amazing. Finish off with a star fruit juice, almost cherry tasting. In total, 3 drinks and 2 dishes splashed out at 19r but well worth it.

I carry on through the hutongs of Chinese shacks lining the channel. See off a local fisherman, his son graduated from the American University of Iowa. I reckon I know exactly where the economics are coming from.

A bit further along I pass a window hanging of freshly glazed and steamed duck, something I cannot pass up. Forced into an early lunch. A heaping plate perhaps better then Peking, 4r. Starting to miss China.

Catch a bus to Snake Temple to witness the legendary 'snake pool'. One scared green snake in a tree surrounded by chinese probing it with a stick and me for 'donations'. Not at all what I had imagined. Better to skip it.

More city walk. Georgetown - A fascinating modern day city steeped in history and tradition.

Up Penang Hill for sunset. Heavy showers at the top clearing just in time to give a taste for the spectacular view. Must return tomorrow.

March 10, 2003

Bus > Jarteh, Malaysia  21:00 / 8h / 27r
Permethrin 50r

Excited to pick up my custom designed www.GroovyDomain.com name stamp.

Spent the day with my English friends back up to Penang Hill. A nice relaxed days walk around the top, this time with clear sky until the hike down turned torrential downpour. Soaked and smiling, we were looking for adventure.

Stuffed myself on duck once again before catching the night bus to Jarteh enroute to the Perhentian Islands. A luxury 1st class ride in 'Comfy Seats'.

March 11, 2003

Shared Taxi > Port  15m / 5r / 15k

Arrive in the rain at a dirty bus terminal 15k from the ferry port. A shared taxi ofcourse. Sleeping on the couch waiting for the ferry.

Ferry > Perhentian Kecil  10:00 / 2h 30m / 40r (return)

All aboard the $10 shrimp boat for the perfect storm, waiting until we clear the breakers to strike. Rollers higher then the ship toss up around washing waves upon the deck, soaking us and our gear. Unfortunately my digicam decided a little was too much.

S200 Digicam Waterlogged

Dark skies and heavy rains. The ship turns back and by the time we return it is starting to clear.

Reload onto a bigger shrimp boat and make the trip dodging twisters enroute.

Perhentian - Gilligan's Island - Unspoilt and without vehicles. Loads of wildlife including gigantic iguanas. Small boat taxis from one white sand beach to another. Really very very beautiful and not a complete scene. Famous for Scuba and snorkeling. Unfortunately it isn't quite the season. Waters still tossed up.

Spent the day with Blue crashed on the first hammock that caught my fall. The Shake Shack, Long Beach. Chess with the locals.

More rains at dusk. Bungalow, 10r. King Fish BBQ, 10r. Festivities after dark.

March 12, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

The digicam is back.

S200 Digicam Recovered

Breakfast, a banana and chocolate pancake, 3r.

An afternoon snorkeling about with 3 snappy Brits. from last nights' festivities. Not bad, but the water conditions are far from ideal. Lunch, a Snickers shake, 4r.

Siesta

More heavy rains at dusk. Another brilliant BBQ with the gang.

March 13, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

Same as yesterday with the addition of an early morning jungle trek up the hill to the Banana Plantation for a nice view over the island and mid afternoon body surfing taking the place of snorkeling.

My 3rd day and I still haven't moved much from hammock #1.

March 14, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

The first wind and rain free day. The sea is starting to settle.

March 16, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

Snorkel trip in the morning to 5 sites, 25r. Saw black tip sharks and illegally rode the backs of huge turtles. 10m visibility with beautifully colorful coral and tropical fish, nice.

Diving in the afternoon. Goat Cave to see not much of anything with the visibility dropping to 3m at 15m, better to stay shallow.

Some new friends at the nightly BBQ. Blue is down to only 2 strings after repeated beatings by the Shake Shacks' Pink Floyd himself. My tuner has mysteriously dissappeared with some locals. I keep telling myself 'tomorrow I go'. Full moon party 'tomorrow I stay'.

March 17, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

More dives. Shit visibility but it is fun anyways. Full moon party, my first. Clicky groups of N. Euros and Scandinavians around a bonfire turning to brawl, nothing special.

Bush gives Saddam a 48 hour ultimatum.

Adam's in Sydney

March 18, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

Can't get myself to leave. To leave would actually require a plan, and right now I just can't be arsed. More diving, a bit better today.

Saddam rejects the ultimatum, looks like war.

March 19, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

The war began today. People here are uneasy. Nobody likes Americans. Thanks Bush.

March 20 - 21, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

Still lingering, met a couple Danish chicks I been hanging out with, an older couple from the Czech Republic, and heaps of Brits and Scandinvians. Still rains in the evenings, April is a better month I would say.

March 22, 2003

Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

Finally after 11 days I get the real ambition to leave, and then after my final dive is cancelled by capsized boat I decide to stay another.

Final supper at the Shake Shack. After 7 years of service the government has decided to come in and reclaim their land, burning down the shacks clearing the way for a high rise resort. Turning to Phuket. Lucky on my timing I guess. Beat the saddened owner Joe in a final game of chess and said my goodbyes.

March 23, 2003

Ferry > Port  12:30 / 3h

Final dive, Sugar Wreck. A sad goodbye. 12 days, the longest I have spent in one place during my whole tour.

Shared Taxi > Kota Baru, Malaysia  15:30 / 45m / 8r
My Weight 65kg

Kota Baru - A small, clean, quiet, orderly city marred only by its open sewers and its general unremarkableness which seems to be a Malaysian standard. Heavy rains after dark. Dinner at the night market, again an odd but tasty assortment of food.

March 24, 2003

Shared Taxi > Train Station  5:00 / 5m / 5r
Crazy race car driver through the rain

A ridiculously expensive and ultimately terrifying shared taxi to the train station.

The Jungle Train
Train > Jarantut, Malaysia  5:50 / 10h / 12.60r
An incredible deal!

The 'jungle train' to Taman Negara, at 12 ringgit for 10 hours of quality travel an unbeliveably good deal. Airconditioned and smooth comfort.

Jerantut - A small and dull town you can safely skip by getting off the train a stop early with the 4pm shortcut boat to Taman Negara tout that will surely hunt you down. Having ignored the tout out of distrust, I arrive in Jerantut after the last boat and resign myself to spending the night. To give you an idea of just how dull it is, the hotel still displays a poster advertising the Formula 1 race from 1999.

There really isn't anything remarkable about Malay lifestyle. A bunch of westernized rich and liberal muslims. Taking a walk around leaves you wondering what there is to do. A street scene without any 'buzz'. Both men and women on the streets, with the women sporting a scaled back spiced up version of the traditional bed sheet over the head, colorful and allowing the face to show. Quite a bit less oppresive then in the middle east.

An hour long debriefing on Taman Negara sponsored by the hotel. Question and answer session that had me feeling like I was back in school. Strange.

March 25, 2003

Shared Taxi > Port  8:55 / 20m / 4r

Boat > Kuala Tahan 'Taman Negara', Malaysia  8:55 / 20m / 19r

A 3 hour tour by boat up the Tembeling River to Taman Negara. 8 rows of 2 in a relaxed version of a vietnamese 'dart boat'. Nice jungle scenery, light showers enroute.

Docked at the JBK, railroaded right into the boating agents 'floating restaurant'. The 'full package' and I am starting to become too lazy to resist. As expected high prices and low taste.

Kuala Tahan - Another small and dull town, a stones throw across the river from the entry of the park and solely dependent on the tourist industry. In a light drizzle and too late to do anything adventurous I check into a dorm.

A walkabout at dusk. A distant chanting fills the air with a call to prayer. I follow the sound to the local mosque and join the muslims in a prayer for the peace of the world and innocent lives lost.

Mistakes are being made. The world is in rage. A 'high precision' campaign resulting in significant civilian and friendly fire casualties. Malaysia strongly disagrees with the war.

Forced down a rancid hamburger. Even the street food here is horse shit.

My roomate returns from a package tour 'night safari'. They didn't go to the jungle and she didn't see anything, dissappointed. Tomorrow I plan to head out on a 3-day solo trek through the jungle.

March 26, 2003

3 Days Taman Negara Trek
Trek > Kuala Trenggan  11:30 / 3.5h .5h / 11k
Moderate up and down along a barely decent trail
Leeches, Rain, Nothing to see

Packed up ultralight and headed out.

Ultralight Pack List
The clothes on my back
Shoulder bag: Cameras, Toiletpaper, Soap, Map
Plastic bag: Tent, Thermarest, Silk Sac, Mylar
Chicken Rice, 7 Hard Eggs, 2 Cans Tuna
1 Can Rambutan, Butter Cake, Cookies
1L Water, Salt

Trekking to Kuala Trenggan. Skipped the 'canopy walk' as word has it that it sucks. A muddy barely visible trail up and down through the rain. Nothing to see but a dozen leeches leaving my feet in blood.

An hour into the trek and my shoulder bag strap finally gives way. Shortly after my Tevas follow suit. Time to start replacing and stop fixing.

Kuala Trenggan - A deep jungle lodge closed down for repairs. Thankful for running water, I cleaned up, rationed off some food, fixed my shoulder bag with some electrical wire, and setup my tent on the office deck. A few trekkers from the Czech Republic show. Heavy rain all night.

March 27, 2003

Trek > Lata Berkoh  10:00 / 4.5h 1h / 13k
Easy but lost for a good hour and with 2 river crossings
More Leeches

After a breakfast of rambutan and cookies I head off toward Lata Berkoh. An hour spent lost for the trail and using salt to drive the leeches off my feet. Upon a river crossing looking quite a bit more intimidating then it actually was.

A long and dull hike on a poor trail through thick jungle. Eventually the trail diminishes and I am completely lost. Take a compass heading on the sound of a motorboat and work my way through the mangroves knee deep in mud to a second river crossing. Without a trail to go by I flag down a passing boat and take a lift across. Finally Lata Berkoh lodge.

Lata Berkoh - A deserted wooden shack of 8 urine scented cots. Once again thankful for running water. Cleaned up and headed back out to the 'main attraction', Lata Berkoh Falls. Falls? Maybe a bit closer to class 3 rapids of shit brown water with Malaysian tourists frolicking about. Was it worth it? Not even worth a photo to show how not worth it that it was.

March 28, 2003

Trek > Kuala Tahan  7:45 / 2.5h .5h / 8k
Easy but lost again
One scared animal, Many More Leeches

An uninspiring walk back to Kuala Tahan. Lost again.

3 days through the deep jungle and the only sighting of significance was 2 other groups of equally lost and dishearted trekkers. That and no less then 36 dripping abrasions from no less then 80 leeches were my prize. Glad to see the end of the trail.

Taman Negara, skip it.

Boat > Port  14:30 / 2h / 19r

The boat back.

Shared Taxi > Jerantut  16:45 / 20m / 4r

Retired my Tevas. Without a direct connection to Kuala Lumpur I spend another uneventful night.

March 29, 2003

Bus > Temerloh, Malaysia  8:15 / 1.5h / 4.20r

The direct bus is broken.

Bus > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  10:00 / 2h / 7.30r

Kuala Lumpur - A much smaller, cleaner, and more manageable version of Bangkok on heavy tranquilizers and culturally a bit closer to a Chinese city like Kunming. The Petronas Twin Towers and a massive mineret provide an inspiring cityscape and an easy landmark to reference. A nice street 'buzz' keeps a walkabout interesting. The most remarkeable and lively of cities in Malaysia.

Plans to take a flight from here to Sydney where my mom has put together a vacation for a couple weeks to visit me and celebrate my birthday on the 10th. Airline offices closed today, ofcourse.

Checked into a crowded dorm of the Backpackers Travellers Guesthouse and spent the afternoon on the streets researching electronics, have had my eye on upgrading my digicam. No cheaper then America, but cheaper then the rest of Asia. Definately not the deal I have been led to believe.

March 30, 2003

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Replaced my shoulder bag.

An afternoon spent around the outskirts. The butterfly park, no discount, no go. The world's largest covered bird park, skirted the entry gate, nice. The orchid and hibiscus park, what can I say about flowers?

More digicam research led me to discover the latest model Canon IXUS 400, what just came out a few days ago. The latest upgrade to the Canon S230 I was planning to get. Quite a pack more features.

March 31, 2003

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Researched airtickets. Return ticket to Sydney for 2650r (they won't sell me one way). Quite a bit pricier then I had expected. Considering heading down to Singapore in hopes of a better deal.

More walking about. Broke down and impulse bought the IXUS 400 for 1730r, couldn't wait. Playing with the camera, very nice.

A failed attempt at a web update, cause a slow computer with a virus, followed by a success at another cafe with an all night rate.

April 1, 2003

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Had to tour the Petronas Twin Towers before heading off toward Singapore. Claimed to be the tallest buildings in the world. I don't think they are as tall as the Sears tower, but they are fairly awe inspiring. Opened in 1999, 452m, 88 floors, elevator 170m up to the skybridge in 41 seconds. Nice view, free.

More internet. Baghdad is getting thoroughly ripped. Stern warnings go out to Syria and Iran not to provide assistance to Iraq. When I travelled there the overwhelming public desire was to live in America. Looks like their prayers are being answered, and better they won't even need to apply for a visa.

April 2, 2003

Bus > Melaka, Malaysia  13:00 / 2.5h .25h / 7.90r

Another 'ComfySeat' to Melaka enroute to Singapore. Off the bus I run into the cowboy from Houston who diverted me to Malaysia early. Just finished a couple weeks in New Zealand (not impressed) and a couple more in Cambodia (enjoyed, but 10 days was enough). His Round The World ticket is over and he is heading back to 'the real world'. A timely coincidence.

Malaka - 'Where it all began'. A city of great history in which the 'historic center' (like all Malaysian cities easily found by looking for the huge microwave tower) has been repainted red and thoroughly modernized and capitalized into a tourist core. Doesn't really feel historical at all.

Took a walk around chinatown, quite a bit more historic it seems, and settled into an internet cafe. A bad and costly habit I have picked up whenever I am bored and have no better ideas. A condition which originated in Thailand and has been made worse in Malaysia. I must admit that reading my email and digging into the war propaganda are the two of the things I look forward to each day. Ashamed.

April 3, 2003

Bus > Singapore  13:00 / 5h .5h / 13.75r

Off I go to Singapore in search of a cheaper air ticket to Sydney. A bit worried with the recent outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respitory Syndrome). Information pamphlets are handed out on the bus. The girl seated infront of me begins coughing violently and continuously.

The most painless and perhaps senseless crossing of my tour. 10 minutes out and in. Nothing checked.

Malaysia

(90 exhibits)

Singapore

VISA
3 Months SE free on arrival
ECONOMY
1.75 Singapore Dollars = $1
Diem = 50s for 1 day + 640s for Sydney air ticket 
Food = 5s-15s  Room = 12s
Ride = 3.5r/h  Web = 4s/h
ESSENTIAL SING
Nothing, everyone understands English
NOTES
Sterile and cold
The only adventure here is running from the police if you spit your gum
Very Chinese, friendly but image is everything
Damn expensive, 2x Malay prices, 4x Asia prices
Electronics are the same price as in USA but the salesmen are assholes
Airplane tickets are the same price in Kuala Lumpur
I don't see any reason to come here

Welcome to Singapore. The most anally sterilized country/city in the world. Ultimately clean and orderly with reams of laws to back it up. Chewing gum? Don't spit or they may kill you.

Viewed through the blue tint of the bus window it is almost eerie. Out on the street it isn't forgiving to those without a guide or map, which took me an hour wander to wrestle up. Neither is it forgiving on the wallet. Prices for a cheap dorm quoted at 20s-30s. A basic dinner for 8s.

Heavy Thunderstorms.

Another hour and I decide to bit the bullet. The Hawaii Hotel, where a shit hole of a dorm goes for 12s, the best deal in town. Cold showers and an infested matress stuffed into a closet where 4 others sleep with their SARS masks on. Plans to look for cheaper tomorrow.

Out to SimLim Department store to check on the famed electronics market. Same prices as in the States; however, with the international warrantee replaced by a sales staff of complete asses. Don't waste your time.

A bit more walking around has me ready to leave. Strangely enough the return bus from here to KL is $30, 3 times the price of the ride here. Keeping in mind Malaysia is about 2 times the price of the rest of Asia, the economic arena has quickly changed.

5am and a drunken couple wrangle on in and wrestle their way up the rickedy bunk above me. The boy tries to convince the girl 'its ok'. Chatting and creaking about. A dozen times in and out of the room. Loads of respect.

April 4, 2003

Singapore

Sneeze once and the man across the room dawns his mask. Plans to spend a day hacking and coughing just to scare him.

The government has shut down all budget guesthouses except the Hawaii. With a determination not to spend another night, the plans change. Some fast and furious airplane research turns up a ticket to Sydney, for tonight. One way for 640s (no better then KL) and with the hope that I don't get turned back at immigration for not having an onward ticket.

Singapore - No deal on electronics and no deal on plane tickets. In the end, a completely wasted effort. Perhaps the best part being the clean and fast subway to the airport, and the one kind man who guided me there; not letting me pay for my own ticket, in true Asian spirit. Thanks, but no thanks.

Train > Airport  15:45 / 25m / 1.40s (free)

More heavy thunder and rain.

Flight > Bali, Indonesia  18:35 / 2.25h / 640s (one way)

An odd airport scene with more cleaning staff then passengers. Ultra modern and ofcourse ultra clean. Everyone wearing a surgical mask (kind of eerie) except for me.

Travelling from Singapore during SARS and through Bali during the war on Iraq and after a terrorist bombing, perhaps crazy.

An uneventful, typically chilly 20c flight to Bali. The usual babies screaming. You gotta take your mask off to eat the food. I can tell the man seated across from me was dissappointed, but he eventually did.

Passing through the Bali airport, 20,000r for a scoop of ice cream, whoa! Coke machines valuing the Euro at half a dollar, strange.

Sit down to a local sitcom and wait for my connection. Indonesian sounds like spanish and the format is very latin. _ _ ______________________________________________________ _ _

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