Boog's Blog

Jan 31. 15:30
Wrote this but could not send it when I was in Sapa

After arriving Hanoi got picked up and taken to the
Victoria Orient Express. Trains do not, I suspect get
much better than this. I upgraded to a private cabin
and had enough space to live well. Mostly French on
the train with the Victoria staff speaking both French
and English.

The bed was a fine feather coverlet, warm enough for
the ride up North. Sa Pa is not far from the Chinese
border and is in the mountains, read cooler to colder.

Does not get much better. Plugged into the iPod,
Beethoven 4th and 9th (great Ode on the Von Karian
version) and watched small villages melt away as I
dozed off.

Coffee served in the am. Toilet spotless and about
the same size as mine at home. Modern, with even a
handheld 'douce'.

After getting off the train onto a small mini van for
the 30km ride up to Sa Pa. Up meaning climbing about
5000 feet to this mile high local. Wonderful misty am
as we embarked around 7 am. As we got up higher the
mist lifted and found a beautiful bright cool sunny
day. Passed houses much newer and bigger than in
the Mekong. Temperate trees on one side and banana on
the other. Probably about 50 degrees.

Had breakfast and then took a walk around Sa Pa. Sat
a while by the lake and just took in the beauty.
Mountains all around. Somewhat sleepy town, charming,
quiet, modern (eight years ago one small hotel, now
167 I am told but they blend in nicely) built in
colonial style with the colors of Provance.

As I walked the markets found it hard to browse. The
local H'Moung are very aggressive. "Buy from me, buy
from me" and every shop puts pressure. Cannot just
look up close. Lots of very nice and colorful fabrics
and cloths for sale. Just have no need for more
'stuff'.

The people look more like the Han Chinese or those
from Tibet. One of the locals told me that when he
goes to the South he is not taken for being
Vietnamese.

Wonderful walking or trekking area. Steep hills and
local town is like walking around San Francisco.
Something to see with each turn of the head.

Dinner with the International Yellow Camimilia Society.

Helped an 88 year old with his email and later that evening he and party invited me to join then for dinner. Betty (90 and a real grande dame immediately asked me if minded taking off my hat – it was not a question).

These folks are part of a large international society (see their web site) that meets reguluarly around the world for congresses on Yellow Cammilias. Apart from a genuine interest in the flowers they all like to travel.

John, and Englishman who lives in a covered wagon in the UK – litterally as I saw pictures – is retired and takes jobs teaching English in China. He started when he suggested it to his daughter and she scoffed. 10 years later he has lots of good stories and is a genuine character in the best way.

After a pleasant but not especially good set menu dinner and a long conversation the elders started to fade.

Morning was a ride to Lao Cai and then off to a local 'market' of the Tay and H'Moung people. To call this a road is to call a dirt road a super six lane highway. Maybe a bit of dynamite and a pass with a bulldozer when the road was wet so that the rocks would set.

The market is held weekly. Excellent photos I believe. A real local market of ethnic minorities in local dress. A few tourists but not many.

Did some purchasing of oranges and sundries just to be part of the game. Bargained them way down (Sara would have been proud of me until I then paid them more than they had originally asked and watched them discuss it among themselves. Agreed to accept my ignorance or munificance or stupidity – who knows).

To avoid the rough ride back we took a boat for 60 minutes down a tributary of the red river. Looks very similar to how the Colorado cut the Grand Canyon. Smaller but still a grand scale. The tour company will soon do kayak trips down river.

Spent an hour wandering a rural village. Very different in architecture (high rooms, two levels, wood of good quality with a full absence of tile, livestock downstairs, along with the ubiquitious TV set).

Ran into a tourist who was in my entering class at Harpur College – Summer of 1963. A class of 200 students. Neither of us remembered the other and had no persons in commen – Lois studied French. Was definitely there when I was.

Drove to the Chinese border, on the other side of the Red River in Lao Cai.

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Jan 31 11 am
Ngoc son temple bridge old quarter.

Perfect day, again.

5 km walk to temple via old city center and teeming market.

North and South seem like two different countries. South is commerce while North seems more peaceful and certainly more historic.

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Jan 28 9 PM
On the Orient Express to Sapa.

Hanoi much more developed with modern roads and older buildings. Easy ride from airport, 40 km.

Train is French speaking. Should be a good comfortable ride. Too bad it will be dark most of way.

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Jan 27 20:00.

Writing this in advance of my trip to Sa Pa or Sapa in the North.

Not sure when I will have good connectivity for long enough so this advance posting.

Sapa is a ethic area North of Hanoi, in the mountains and not too far from China. Not so easy to reach but supposed to be spectacular. Home of many of the Vietnamese ethic minorities in their native dress. In a dozen years these may be gone but travelers I have met on the road, backpackers mostly, say it is a must see for now.

One flys to Hanoi (I will do that tomorrow my time) then one takes a train – it goes all night so I have booked a sleeper – and arrives in the am. Then the hotel booked for me in Sapa (another of the Victoria chain hotels ) will send a driver to take me up the mountain. Only 30 km up the mountain but takes about 90 minutes. Steep road.

Not much to report on today as I wandered, pleasently, around the city. A much cooler day. For now have seen enough of HCMC and am ready to move to another area. After Sapa for one or two nights I go back to Hanoi and start the bike riding again.

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Jan 26 23:45 local time

Serendipity and the Monk.

How is that for a title . How can you not continue reading?

Yesterday started with a ride south to Long Vinh, on the coastal side of the Mekong. I had asked Vietnam Tourist to put together an interesting experiance and a stay with a rural family on a orchard was planned. First the ride by car to the general area then a small boat to an island in the middle of Mother River.

We took along bikes, we being Thrang, my ever helpful and delightful guide, and myself. (As a side note Thrang is the one that invited me to both the wedding of his friend and then upon my return from the Northern trip to join his family for Tet).

Got to the island and we biked around for a while. Got to see this beautiful rural area. The island is home to about 4000 inhabitants, most having small fruit farms and wonderful gardens. A jungle swamp area with waterways and small roads everywhere.

The "road" is what we would call a sidewalk. Good concrete, not cracked and the same width as our sidewalks. Naturally two way motorbike traffic. The offshoot roads are dirt and much smaller. Some the width of my two feet. A real maze but fortunately people know their way arround.

We stopped at a pagoda, one about 250 years old. A monk was in charge, a pious one. We asked about the pagoda and talk let to an offer of tea and it turned out California Raisons sold by a Malaysian company. We discussed some details of confucianism and budhism and then he invited Thrang and I to dinner. We were both quite suprised.

After going to the homestead, a farmer and his wife, both in their sixties and looking older – much older – than we do at that age, but without any arthritus and able to squat and work on the ground, we had tea as a welcome. Fruit orchard, Longons mostly but other fruit as well. They live a self contained life with items from the farm and the mother river. When hot water was needed the wife squatted down, built a fire in a clay pot and put a pot filled with water for boiling.

Outdoor squatter plumbing, bucket over the head for showering, tiled floor or tiled platform for sleeping. The tiled platform was given to me and they put up a mosquito net. She and he slept on the floor, same tile, same .25 inch thick tatami mat. A little harder than we are used to.

After some moré tea went back to the Pagoda for dinner. It was fabulous. Enough food for 20 or so. He did not eat as he eats his one meal before noon. Was prepared by the junior monks who ate the leftovers. Pictures of the food in the main camera.

Discussion was on the importance of taking care of one's parents. More Confucian wisdom, training and placement in the karhma of Budhisim. Dinner was noodles with Thai type Tom Yum soup, cha Gio, rolltemps, Bahn something, frozen milk yogurt. All vegetarian but one would have guessed that the shrimps looking items were real shrimp; they wére not. Everything was especially well prepared. He then had me tour his kitchen and sanitary facilities. Naturally spotless, something he considered important.

As mentioned his is 81. Was a rich disco and diamond merchant but in 1993 he gave it all up and gave away all he had to move to the pagoda and pray.

Now it was dark and we took a boat back to the other part of the island. Pitch black a guide met us at the quay and then, with a flashlight, walked us through the maze of the jungle.

To sleep around 9 PM after some tea and talk with the homeowners. Roosters started first round at 03:30 and second and final round at 05:30 so up by 6 am. Fortunately the night was cool and though a bit hard I got a good night's sleep.

Took an early morning walk, see picture of road outside the home.

Breakfast of fresh eggs, a longer walk, a nap on a hammack (quite comfortable if hard to get in and out of) and then a special lunch made for us. Included fish and banana fritters and some special snack of rice powder and coconut paste steamed on banana leaves. Pictures in the camera.

Back to the boat for an hour ride around the island and then towards Saigon. Driver met us and picked us and the bikes up. Back just in time for the wedding.

Large Asian style affair. Combination business responsibilty for all in both companies and related businesses and maybe a few friends. 500 or so guests. The quality of the food and service was first class plus some. Not a rubber chicken at all. One pic of one dish -there were maybe 7 rounds of dishes like the one pictured each different and interesting. Then a few grapes and everyone got up an left. Took pictures with the couple on the way out. Very friendly and welcoming and gratious.

The wedding was at a dedicated wedding place with hostesses, moving walkways, children dancers (children of the staff), father speeches. Very similar to Tom's in Japan without the rice ceremony.

Finished the evening with a visit to a Jazz club.

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Jan 24 22:30 local time

Just back from dinner at a fabulous seafood restaurant.

Prawns, clams in spicy brown sauce, oysters (cooked and spiced differently), seafood noodle dish, Thai Tom Yum soup.

Picture is of part of dinner.

The table next to us had a birthday party. Cake included with the Happy B'Day song. Got up to take a picture, with their permission, and they gave me a glass of the celebratory drink (not Champagne but a fruit juice packaged as Champagne). Very hospitable.

Turns out that they started singing Happy B'Day about 10-15 years ago when the economy got better. In earlier years they were scrambling for food and cloths and birthdays were not celebrated.

Thrang, my guide from the first trip, very gratiously invited me to both a wedding of a friend and best of all to have Tet with his family. He cleared it with his grandmother. Talk about welcoming and friendly! Will report on the wedding on Friday – I think that is when it is.

Off in the morning to a 'home visit'. Just me and Thrang and a driver .

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Jan 21 15:00. Previous one was at 14:00 -forgot to timestamp and forgot to cover another topic – the people.

First, the children. Havé seen very few in HCMC. They are ubiquitious in the countryside.

The children are always smiling and laughing and happy to say hello and hold your hand and jump around you. They are a joy to see. By US standards they have nothing, not even anything resembling clean drinking water. Hot humid in this the dry season and somewhat locked up in the wet season. Apparently few can swim so many are lost when the Mekong floods. The markers on the houses showed floods vary from 2 feet to 7 feet depending upon the year.

As the countryside is farming and the government allows them (crop rotation) a maximum of three crops they often have 3 months of no work. The young boys and girls as well as the oldér adults walk around trying to get you to buy lottery tickets. One of the few sources of income. Not a good job as you can imagine and at times quite intrusive.

Near the ferries noticed considerable begging and tugging at my shorts. In the city I am stopped or I should say approached at least one time per minute. Massage? Motor bike? Cyclo? Hello, where are you from ( they want me to use them as a guide or go on a ride around the city with them and have no concept or too much need to accept that I just want to wander).

I discussed the commerce earlier. As I wander many or maybe most shopkeepers intrude. They seem to have little undérstanding of 'just looking'. I do not think they have as yet learned that they might sell a bit better if they were not so insistant on showing and pushing a sale.

The hotel staffs have been uniformly nice and professional. Might be the class hotel we have stayed at but all try to please. Minibars are at US retail prices. Coke about $2.50 from the minibar.

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Jan 24
Of food and costs.

Today is a wandering and shopping day. Nothing wanted except personal odds and ends; toiletres.

First the pastries. They are not good. Have tried them in several hotels and all are greasy without the goodness of butter. Found a high end French shop but there too no taste. Looks like the French legacy did not include pastries or bread.

Now the Pho is a different matter. It is available in HCMC at several levels. All excellent. Cha Gio – their spring rolls – are very special.

Went for lunch to Pho 24 a high end chain clean enough for Castro Street. Off the major hotel row. Paid less than $2 for the Pho a bit less for the Cha Gio and $.70 for the beer. Room service in the hotel is about twice the cost. On the street about half the cost.

My 90 minute masage cost $16. That was at the hotel. Available on the street for a lot less if one passes on 'special service'.

Randy: soups fruit and lower costs than Lee's. Your kind of place.

Sitting in a coffee shop writing this. US prices for expresso.

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Jan 23. 19:30 local time

Today started with a speedboat ride from Chau Doc to Can Tho and then the rest of the way by coach. Now a day in HCMC and then off to the "home" visit South of here.

The speedboat is pictured. Nice cool breeze as we motored along at 45 kmhour
Excellent views of the Mekong from the river. Many brick factories – each fueled by rice hulls that also move along the river in their own sampans.

Corn fields as well as long beans. This is very much an agricultural area and much of it is more visible from riverside.

After a ferry exit we stopped for coconut snack, see pic. Typical local resting, coffee, snack place especially near the ferries. There are a lot of ferries as bridge building is still in its infancy.

High level of service continues, belive that they "treat me like their father" meaning a lot of respect, not necessarily earned.

Lunch included very large prawns sardines eel fish soup and of course rice. Pics are in the camera. Included is picture of Bond (closest spelling) at lunch.

The fish, prawns sardines and eel were fresh moments béfore they were served to us.

Dinner after a enjoyable massage at the hotel.

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Jan 22. 16:30 hours

Great riding day, best so far. Usual heat but the roads were mostly rural (until the end of the day). Another 50 mile plus day as a loop out of Chou Doc to the Cambodian border area and return. Some hills, not too high, nice break from the flats.

Today is the story of butts, smells, service and rural roads.

Yesterday went to the pharmacy and got large, mentholated antibiotic bandages (bandaid type but stickier). Felt very cool on my butt. The wore two pair of bike shorts – both padded. Then sat on my newly padded bike seat (see section on Service) and found that I could ride most of the day focused on the road and scenery and not the pain in the butt. Welcome change.

I will try and bring some of these bandages home, quite interesting and good.

Service:
The service level of the three staff has been outstanding, and then even better. I suggested finding a mattress store to look for some extra padding to stuff into my shorts. They said wait. Last evening they showed me my bike. Thought that they had purchased a new bike seat. Nope. The went to a Honda shop (all motor bikes are called Hondas) had then put on two layers of foam and then hand sew a cover over the foam to make what looks like a new seat. Mine is, of course, located below.

The two layers foam plus the two layers of bike shorts and the bandages did the trick, or at least a long way towards the full trick.

The service was done not only well and without fuss but with respect for my age.

Oh… The total cost was 30000 dong, about $1.80

The ride today was mostly along the water. Reminded me of the ride along the big muddy (Missouri River). Calm, nice people, more rural with much larger homes.

The variety of smells. Yes, and most are not readlily know by me. Sweet, sour, fire, cooking, food, animals, river, decay and on and on. As people live on and in the river they cook and clean and use both the banks and the house fronts and of course the river.

Lunch shops goodies as picture.

Had eel yesterday and naturally they remembered how much I like it with chillis and lemmon grass; it was added to the menu today.

Tomorrow morning my time I take a boat to Can Tho and then a ride back to Saigon. One day intermettzo before my 'home vist'

I suspect that the ride we did today and earlier days could not be done in a few years. Already too many motor bikes for the 1.5 lane wide roads. As cars become more prevalent it will not be possible to have space, breath the air or navigate safely – barely safe now but generally ok if one stays alert.

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