Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is in fact the only word that can be used to describe our journey from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (sorry, I don't even know how to pronounce these names and don't recommend trying). Our ultimate goal in all of this madness, was to reach the temples of Angkor, so it was quite literally, a religious movement. And like any religious rebellion, we faced our fare share of adversity. Just finding a bus ticket was like trying to buy a tickle-me Elmo doll around Christmas time. And apparently the tickets we did buy didn't guarantee us seats, as we were verbally accosted and nearly kicked off our second bus. Unfortunately for the crew, they were messing with the wrong Americans, and we stood strong despite the painful glares from the rest of the passengers.

Midway through our trip, we finally left Vietnam, which resulted in a collective sigh of relief from the entire bus full of people. There was also a noticeable difference in everything once we crossed the imaginary border into Cambodia. The constant honking of horns abruptly stopped, resulting in a indescribably peaceful silence. Instead of the death defying games of chicken we'd gotten used to playing on the highways; it was more like we were in the middle of a parade in which people were piled on top and hanging off of the cars and trucks to catch a ride. While we waited to get aboard the ferry across the Mekong river, we realized we were in a Cambodian traffic jam, which is essentially their version of a busy marketplace.


In every direction vendors are carrying trays atop their heads with the delicious treats piled high, such as fried cockroaches (see above), salted snails, and other equally appetizing snacks I couldn't quite make out. If you were daring enough, you could open the window of your air conditioned coach and make a transaction...but we preferred to just sit and observe. Right next to us, a young Cambodian girl skillfully snacked on a coconut, which I'm convinced is the secret to a beautiful smile (see below). In fact, after a few minutes in this country, it's easy to see why Angelina keeps coming back: the children are adorable!!!


Upon arriving in Siem Reap, we were accosted by Tuk-Tuk drivers with broken English, each desperately trying to offer us a ride. We'd come to find that it wasn't the ride into town that they wished to provide, so much as a tour around the Temples of Angkor...which will lock in an amazing $12/day for these guys. At one point we were surrounded by half a dozen drivers all yelling things like, "I saw you first" or "where you go?" I felt my fist clench and my temperature rise but amazingly we escaped and made it in to town courtesy of the wonderful Mr. Sovann:


English speaking Tuk Tuk driver, Siem Reap
Email: tuktuk_sovann@yahoo.com
Phone: (855) 12 19 47 116

In Cambodia we had the pleasure of withdrawing good ol' American dollars from the ATM...it's nice to feel the crisp green bills again, but also a bit of a reality check. Previously, it was all as good as monopoly money to us, but now that we're nearing the end of our trip our bank accounts are hurting. We've managed to shrink our budget down to $60/day (a small fortune by Cambodian standards) and we're still enjoying the finer things in life...

The Rest of Vietnam

We realize that there are many people who may have in fact had worse experiences while 'visiting' Vietnam, but most of them did not voluntarily go. And since Vietnam has opened its doors to tourism, we'd heard nothing but good things about the communist country. But while we managed to escape with our lives (and our limbs), like many before us, we will continue to relive the horror of Vietnam for the rest of our lives.


After Hanoi, we traveled via a pleasant overnight train to Hue, a historical city in central Vietnam. The central area of the city is surrounded by the unoriginal moat & gigantic wall combo. However, within that wall is yet another walled city, known as the Imperial City. Unfortunately, this once incredible city remains in shambles after enduring numerous battles during the American War (the wall & moat did nothing), and has yet to be repaired. The surprising high'light' of Hue is the light show that takes place on the Trang Tien Bridge each night (see picture above). The arches of the bridge light up in a cornucopia of colors so spectacular you begin to think that Vietnam might actually have its act together. Not the case.


The country's true charm is contained within the small town of Hoi An, located in central Vietnam. On a tour of the city you'll see beautiful buildings and quaint streets, and even a Japanese Covered Bridge (see picture above). However, most tourists spend their time in Hoi An at the tailors having shoes, shirts, suits and coats made for unreasonably low prices. I say unreasonably low because this is an instance where the saying, "you get what you pay for" seems to ring true. Of course, if you don't mind wearing a dress that makes you glisten as if you were a freshwater trout or a suit that suggests your shoulders are different sizes, this is the place for you.


It's worth noting that we were traveling in Vietnam during their holiday season, the Chinese New Year. The Vietnam version of this early-February holiday is known as "Tet", lasts for many days, and is like everyone's birthday, Christmas, and New Years, all wrapped into one. Needless to say, it's a celebration of epic proportions. Upon arriving in Nha Trang, a beachside town in southern Vietnam, we were invited to a Tet party at our hotel. We marched downstairs with the belief that we'd be exposed to a cultural celebration, it turned out to be more of a frat party-like environment. For an hour we were continually hazed by the organizers, ordered to finish our beers after every cheers - in which they recited some foreign phrase we could never quite grasp (probably a result of the alcohol consumption) - and fed exorbitant amounts of Vietnamese food. We learned a valuable lesson that day: gluttony is not just an American thing.


Lastly, I'd like to comment on the country's obsession with Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh was instrumental in unifying the country, so it completely understandable that most Vietnamese dig the guy. However, they dig this guy so much, that when he died in 1969 they wouldn't dig him a grave. Instead they embalmed him and stuck him in his very own Mausoleum in Hanoi (see picture below). From 8am-11am everyday, people literally march through (without stopping, do not stop) to see him. If you are into creepy dead guys with goatees, feel free to visit him; just make sure you don't go during the three months out of the year that he is in Russia for routine maintenance.

Good Morning (in) Vietnam

The Giants win the Superbowl!!! This makes me happy because I recall in an interview from before we left (which was in early November mind you), Brady was already being asked the question of the Patriot's potential for perfection. In reply, Brady simply responded, "The only thing that matters is winning the final game." Thankfully, we had to hear nothing about his perfect season from that point on, and I watched the computer screen with a grin on my face as Brady's season ended with an interception, (the most imperfect thing a quarterback can do), clinching the loss.

This was also good news because we had just received news from NYU, that Lauren's application has been accepted. This officially (possibly only temporarily) made our football team the New York Giants, (screw the Jets), and means that we just won the Superbowl! It's like reliving the Montana/Rice years all over again! Anyway, a big congratulations to Lauren for her first, of many, acceptance letters.

On a note completely unrelated to the Superbowl, I found out that I passed 2 out of 3 of exams for the professional engineering exam...and 2 out of 3 ain't bad, in fact, that's as well as I had hoped to do.

As if that weren't enough, we saw the sun today, which has been in hibernation for the last week. And for that twelve minute period, Vietnam began to glow, as I'm sure it's known to do. It was a beautiful moment that had the power to totally redeem our trip to Vietnam up until that point... then the sun went away, our bus driver began to honk his horn again, and I knew our perfect day had come to an end...

Southeast Asia Photos Up

Click on the "Our Photos" under "Links" in the top-right hand corner. These photos are better, bigger, and more dangerous than those which preceeded them....parental advisory, explicit content.

The Concrete Jungle

Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, is much like what one might expect from a large city in Asia: full of people, people on scooters. In fact, even the people who are not currently riding their scooter, still wear a helmet. Perhaps this is meant to be fashionable, possibly it's to alleviate the burden of carrying it in one's hands; but more than likely, it's a safety precaution.

Hanoi is indeed a jungle, not in the Vietcong hiding in the tropical trees sort of way, or the Forrest Gump running through the tall grass carrying a dying Bubba, or the "me love you long time" sort of way that movies have led us to believe. It is instead a concrete jungle, where they have given every lunatic a scooter to drive around in a city with few traffic control devices. These maniacs wander around aimlessly, with the sole purpose of honking their horn until it breaks on them, producing a dull sounding wheez...no matter though, because within hours your senses are so overloaded with the incessant noise and 'exotic scents' (as our guide book so romantically described these putrid smells), that you become numb. To add to the numbness, we just happened to arrive in Hanoi during a freak storm that dropped temperatures to 50 year lows; more unfortunately our hotel wasn't blessed with the modern convenience of "air-con" (the term that applies to both hot and cold air conditioning).

In Hanoi, just crossing the street is a complicated process. First, you must make a list of pros and cons to evaluate how badly you need to get to the other side of the street...there are four blocks that you can explore safely without ever having to plunge yourself into the street. But if you do decide to take the plunge, it's as if you've entered a real life game of frogger. You'll find yourself stepping forward a few steps, then jumping back, and at some point when you realize you've passed the point of no return, you take a leap of faith to the other side. At the same time you breathe a sigh of relief for having made it through the battleground known as the street, you realize you've entered an even more chaotic zone commonly referred to as the sidewalk. Here you'll dodge open flames, parked scooters (you can really never get away from them, not even inside), and worst of all: the pushy Vietnamese. These are a people who will push you shamelessly if you are in their way, literally hit you to get your attention, and tickle you if they want you to buy something. There's really nothing more annoying.

(The Murky Hoan Kiem Lake)

Ater a few hours in Hanoi, we were already craving some relief, so we begun our search for a sanctuary...which, according to our guide book, was at the nucleus of it all: Hoan Kiem Lake. This small lake is right in the center of town, colored green from algae, and is the fabled home of giant tortoises. Crossing a short red bridge to a tiny island provided some relief as the sound from horns seemed to fade (although never completely). On the island is a strategically located Pagoda, the holy home of Vietnamese Buddhist monks. Yet, in this Pagoda exists the ultimate paradox: a souvenir shop. Instead of monks taking the "middle path" to an enlightened state of mind, free of wants and desires, and chanting melodically to pass the time; people (even monks), are shopping.

Try and look beyond the laundry list of complaints from a traveller who has been on the road now for over 3 months to see the moral, Hanoi stinks. I'm sorry, but it had to be said so that future travelers don't make the same mistake we did. On to greener pastures.

A Day in the Life...

In an attempt to see the real Laos, we set out to Muang Ngoi. For most of the people in Laos, life is more about surviving than it is about cell phone ring tones. In fact, the majority of the population of Laos lives along the shores of the Mekong river, and this river is their life. It provides fish for them to eat, water for them to drink, cook with, or bathe in, and the only means by which to travel.

From Luang Prabang we set out north by bus for three hours. In Nong Kiew, we boarded a time machine in the form of yet another speed boat, and in one hours time we were transformed from modern civilization to life in it's simplest form. Along the way we noticed women cleverly bathing in the water so as not to reveal too much skin. Animals bravely roamed the steep hills which remained bare. And children populated the row boats, sometimes fishing but mostly just messing around.


Muang Ngoi is a village that has seen a recent invasion of backpackers. This has changed the dynamic of the place noticeably, as there are signs in English welcoming travelers to restaurants and guest houses. A couple of bucks a night can sustain life, and so tourists are welcomed with open arms, great big smiles, and a limited-but impressive English vocabulary.


In the morning we set out to explore the surrounding villages, which of course are within walking distance of each other. At 12:30pm we arrived in a small village called Banna. As usual, chickens roamed freely and the high puppy to adult dog ratio made us wonder...? A quick stroll through town revealed a party taking place on main street. As we cautiously approached the festivities, the music grew louder and a vaguely familiar aroma was detected. It smelled, sounded, and looked like any keg party that I've ever been to. The women danced (and I use this term loosely as they mostly just staggered around with their hands in the air) and the men knocked over tables which sent bottles crashing into the mud below. They all grinned at each other and were oblivious to our existence. These people were wasted, and why shouldn't they be, it was a Saturday!


Meanwhile, 45 minutes down the road it's business as usual. Actually, it seems more like this village had their party yesterday, and today is more of a recovery day. We once again approach cautiously, passing a family of free roaming pigs this time as we make our way through town. Our arrival is met with mixed reviews from the locals. Children excitedly scream, "Saibaidee" and gaze at us with interest at us, the exciting visitors. The adults do their best to ignore our presence, and we smile to try and communicate that we mean no harm.


As we exit town, the pre-teens that we just passed gave us the farewell I was expecting by throwing rocks at us. We walk along in silent amazement at what we just saw. The path has been widened here, quite obviously to make room for a new road which will connect this village to the outside world. It's pretty clear from the reception we received that there are mixed reviews about this road, but it seems the younger crowd won the vote.

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang has got it all. Not one, but two glorious rivers. There are monks running around between the numerous Wats, and travelers enjoying international cuisine at it's finest. Look in any direction and you'll see some of the best preserved French architecture in the world (and that includes France). And if that wasn't enough, there is a mountain of Phousi right in the middle of town! It is truly a magical place, and according to UNESCO, the "best preserved city in Southeast Asia." And UNESCO doesn't mess around.


(The best of the many Wats we've seen)

We spent our days enjoying the numerous sights that lie within the city or just a quick tuk-tuk ride (see picture above) outside. We ate and drank to our hearts content and were always pleasantly surprised when the tab arrived. We treated ourselves to massages that we didn't need because they were too cheap to resist. We met new friends that we'll not quickly forget, including Caroline, Yefim, and Seymour...as well as Mister Ben, who gave us an insiders perspective on Laos.


(Coffee done right in Luang Prabang)

Ironically, UNESCO declaring Luang Prabang a world heritage site was like an announcement to the world to come and spoil it. The jewel of the Mekong is in decline, so see it while you can.


(View from the top of Mt. Phousi)

Uncomfortably Numb

The Mekong river serves as a natural border between Laos and Thailand. And in Laos, it is also the best highway (when there is water in it). And because our next destination, Luang Prabang, was just a couple of miles downstream, it was time to buy some boat tickets. Of course, we decided to skip the slow boat down the river g which took two full days, instead opting for the quickest form of transportation: the speed boat. It wasn't until after I purchased the tickets for the speed boat that I decided to read the chapter in our guide book which strongly discouraged this mode of travel, "simply put, it's unsafe." This warning began to ring true as we sat down in the speed boat and our driver tossed us life jackets (expected) and flimsy plastic helmets.

After the first three hour leg of our journey, we stopped for lunch. Getting out of the unstable boat proved especially difficult as our extremities (specifically our legs) had gone numb from the lack of leg room. Meanwhile, a short Laos man jumped up from his ample seat which allowed him to nearly lie down. And of course, when we finished lunch we noticed the man had returned to his seat where he was presently digesting. At that point I wished desperately for a crash in which he would be sent flying but leave us safely intact because we were quite literally packed like sardines.

So we spent the whole day flying through the Mekong at speeds nearing 30 MPH, seemingly fast forwarding the scenery of the tiny Laos villages along its banks. The combined discomfort of our numb legs and chill from the wind was enough to distract us from the fact that our lives were in jeopardy. The boat would noticeably shift whenever we encountered a small current in the water. The tiniest wave would send us flying and for a brief moment we would ask ourselves whether we would return to the water?...the answer was always painfully relieving as the boat crashed back down. We also realized that the bottles curiously floating in the water were tied to underwater hazards to provide some warning to the drivers...and peace of mind to the passengers?




(Press Play to see what I'm talking about)

At some point during the long afternoon we stopped to converse with some ladies along the shores near one of the tiny villages. After five minutes, one lady appeared holding a dear carcass, which brought a huge smile to everyone's face (except of course for ours). Our driver quickly wrapped the deer in a tarp and placed it directly on top of our backpacks. As I was pondering whether or not deer blood could seep through canvas, I realized that this would go down as one of the most memorable experiences of our trip...if we survived.