I have been shirking my blogging duties lately, partly because it becomes exactly that, a sense of duty. I have realized that I don't like to blog about timelines and day-by-day happenings. I'd rather be inspired by something, have an opinion, and write about it.
To wrap up the travel portion of this blog, I spent another couple days in Luang Prabang where we did some touristy things including visiting a beautiful waterfall, ate at some incredible restaurants, shopped at the night market, and (surprise) ate more food. We also watch the morning alms at 6am, as monks gather food from the locals along the main street. I opted to cut short my trip and fly home from Luang Prabang, but went out for a farewell morning ride with everyone. It was a rainy and very wet ride, and I turned around at about the 20km to ride back into town, as I still had to track down a bike box and disassemble my bike. The rest of the group had a very big day ahead of them, including 2000m climb and 70 km in the pouring rain. Sounds like fun. I've been informed that it has rained every day since I left...a sign if there ever was one. I definitely miss the carefree and zero-stress feel of Laos, and also 'team punishment'.
I'm back in Vancouver now, and officially declare that jet lag is the devil. I also have a renewed sense of gratitude for being born and living in such a great place. Lastly, I wonder how we are going to make a difference in the world, while large swaths of the population are concerned with other issues such as making a living, surviving, and getting by.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Surprise, we're here!
Did I mention yet that I love Laos? It really is an amazing country. I could find myself a hammock and stay for a very long time. The day before yesterday was a well-deserved rest day, which I spent almost entirely in a horizontal position on the hammock, reading, eating, and dozing. Banana pancakes with chocolate sauce, coconut shakes, and vegetables and cashews. Delicious. We were in Nong Khiaw, a town 150 km from the old capital city, Luang Prabang. B and I did get out for a little while when we went to check out some caves a few km outside of town that were used by the villages during the IndoChina war.
Yesterday we were meant to cycle about 40km, part way to Luang Prabang. However when we made it to our 'destination' before 10:30 am, we decided to push on all the way to Luang Prabang, another 110 km. We were only able to do this because the road was flat, paved, and it was slightly overcast which took some of the bite out of the sun's heat. It was still quite hot though and a few of us ended up with heat rashes all over our body. We drafted each other almost the entire way, which has its benefits and drawbacks. The upside; it's much easier. The downside; I can describe in intimate detail the look and colour of Monica and Peter's back tires. I wasn't able to look around much since I was concentrating on not running into them.
Today for breakfast I ate more banana pancakes ( I think I might actually be pancaked-out), then visited some of the many temples around the city, spent the afternoon in the shade (you sweat in the shade while doing nothing), and had a massage at the Red Cross in town. They train local students to do massages, which provides employment and also some funds for local Red Cross programs. While we were at the wat (temple) some of the monks were chanting, which is an experience like no other. I'd like to find that again before we leave.
Yesterday we were meant to cycle about 40km, part way to Luang Prabang. However when we made it to our 'destination' before 10:30 am, we decided to push on all the way to Luang Prabang, another 110 km. We were only able to do this because the road was flat, paved, and it was slightly overcast which took some of the bite out of the sun's heat. It was still quite hot though and a few of us ended up with heat rashes all over our body. We drafted each other almost the entire way, which has its benefits and drawbacks. The upside; it's much easier. The downside; I can describe in intimate detail the look and colour of Monica and Peter's back tires. I wasn't able to look around much since I was concentrating on not running into them.
Today for breakfast I ate more banana pancakes ( I think I might actually be pancaked-out), then visited some of the many temples around the city, spent the afternoon in the shade (you sweat in the shade while doing nothing), and had a massage at the Red Cross in town. They train local students to do massages, which provides employment and also some funds for local Red Cross programs. While we were at the wat (temple) some of the monks were chanting, which is an experience like no other. I'd like to find that again before we leave.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Laos
I cannot think of anything witty or insightful to say about Laos. I am still in shock at the vast differences between it and Vietnam. Immediately upon crossing the border, everything feels different. The pace of life is slower, people seem happier, and best of all, there is no incessent horn honking. It is a much needed relief for the senses.
We were up very early the other morning to catch our truck to cross into Laos. The truck driver dropped us and our bikes off on the Vietnamese side of the border, a 35km climb up to the top of a mountain pass. It was without a doubt the best decision we made. The road is heavily used by construction trucks and trucks carrying rocks from the quarry. Navigating the trucks and a long uphill would have been less than ideal. Okay, it would have sucked. We crossed into Laos without much excitment, and immediately the terrain changed. The road was dirt, sometimes loose dust, for an entire 70 km of climbing and descending. We arrived to our first town, Muang Khoa, completely covered in red/brown dust. Laos has a significantly smaller population (8 M vs 85 M) so we see far fewer people and towns, and often went an hour or more without being pased by a scooter or truck (such a treat). My favourite moment on our first day in Laos was stopping for a break on a rather large hill, finding some shelter to hang out under, and was greeted by two boys on their way to go fishing. We shared some cookies and they showed me how to work their fishing spears.
While in Muang Khoa, we ran into some other bikers who are from, of all places, Vancouver, and went out for dinner with them to exchange knowledge. They told us of some hot springs we will bike by, so we'll be sure to check those out. The road from here is also paved the entire way, so it sounds like our 'adventure' portion of the trip is done. Civilived pavement from here on out.
Yesterday we took a boat along with some other tourists and locals down the Nam Ou river to the next town, Nong Khiaw. The ride is quite cramped, and seats consist of planks of wood, but it was a lot of fun and gives you lots of time to bond with everyone (5 hours to be exact). It's fairly touristy, but the peace, quiet, and simplicity of life more than make up for the fact every restaurant is comprised almost entirely of westerners. Oh yes, and the food is utterly outstanding. We are staying in a bamboo hut, complete with a squat toilet and a tap for a shower. Very primitive but it turns out you don't need much to live here. Just a book, a hammoc, and some free time.
We were up very early the other morning to catch our truck to cross into Laos. The truck driver dropped us and our bikes off on the Vietnamese side of the border, a 35km climb up to the top of a mountain pass. It was without a doubt the best decision we made. The road is heavily used by construction trucks and trucks carrying rocks from the quarry. Navigating the trucks and a long uphill would have been less than ideal. Okay, it would have sucked. We crossed into Laos without much excitment, and immediately the terrain changed. The road was dirt, sometimes loose dust, for an entire 70 km of climbing and descending. We arrived to our first town, Muang Khoa, completely covered in red/brown dust. Laos has a significantly smaller population (8 M vs 85 M) so we see far fewer people and towns, and often went an hour or more without being pased by a scooter or truck (such a treat). My favourite moment on our first day in Laos was stopping for a break on a rather large hill, finding some shelter to hang out under, and was greeted by two boys on their way to go fishing. We shared some cookies and they showed me how to work their fishing spears.
While in Muang Khoa, we ran into some other bikers who are from, of all places, Vancouver, and went out for dinner with them to exchange knowledge. They told us of some hot springs we will bike by, so we'll be sure to check those out. The road from here is also paved the entire way, so it sounds like our 'adventure' portion of the trip is done. Civilived pavement from here on out.
Yesterday we took a boat along with some other tourists and locals down the Nam Ou river to the next town, Nong Khiaw. The ride is quite cramped, and seats consist of planks of wood, but it was a lot of fun and gives you lots of time to bond with everyone (5 hours to be exact). It's fairly touristy, but the peace, quiet, and simplicity of life more than make up for the fact every restaurant is comprised almost entirely of westerners. Oh yes, and the food is utterly outstanding. We are staying in a bamboo hut, complete with a squat toilet and a tap for a shower. Very primitive but it turns out you don't need much to live here. Just a book, a hammoc, and some free time.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
'Two words...first word...sounds like'
Traveling in a country where few people speak English requires patience and a sense of humor. Our interaction with locals looks very much like a game of charrades; lots of pointing, drawing, and hand symbols. Yesterday I managed to communicate with the woman at our guest house (fancy name for a room with a bed and a shower in someone's house) that a) it was just me in the room, b) I did not need a towel since I had brought my own, and c) I could hang my laundry out to dry downstairs out back. All that without speaking a word of each other's language. It is a lot of fun when you both have that 'ah ha' moment of understanding. A few days ago we played the 'what is this kind of meat' game with a woman in a very small town between Sa Pa and Lai Chau. While we were never certain what type of meat it was, we were able to determine that it had horns and it was not a dog, on account of the fact that there was a dog right beside us and she did not point to it (process of elimination). I am getting a bit sick of pho and fried rice though, which is the only thing we are able to order in restaurants that don't have a menu (most don't).
It' s been a few days without internet, so I will give a condensed version of what we have been up to. We left Sa Pa a few days ago on the 76 km trip to Lai Chau, where we went from 12 degrees and dense fog, to 26, hot and humid. On the way we climbed up and over tram ton pass, Vietnam's highest alpine pass. The ride down the other side was tons of fun, and reminded me that I love going downhill at high speeds...what a rush! The next day we did a 105 km ride from Lai Chau to Muong Lay, one of the most difficult rides any of us has ever done. The road was meant to be paved, but it turns out that 'paved' is a euphimism for 'might have some pavement on it'. We rode over gravel, dust, and pot holes while dodging huge trucks in sweltering heat for much of the day; the entire road is under construction as the Vietnamese government is installing a series of dams along the river. We arrived after dark in Muong Lay to see the sign for our hotel on the other side of the newly formed lake. We then had to bike down the hill, cross the lake on a land bridge, and then hike-a-bike up a steep gravel road to our hotel. Needless to say, we were all exhausted and covered in dirt. The story of how people's lives are changing because of this dam is another blog post entirely, but it reminds me of what is happening in northen BC with site c dam. Here in Vietnam, they are flooding the valley, relocating entire towns, and abandoning farm land. It is probably for the best, since it will provide the country with large-scale hydro electricity, but has been very interesting to see it first-hand. One thing the vietnamese are not good at...erosion countrol. Entire sides of mountains have slid as they created roads above the new water line.
Yesterday was meant to be another 90 km day, but after the 105km day from hell, we decided to forgo a rest day and split the 90km into two days. In hindsight we may have been able to pull it off; the road was in pristine condition the entire way and it was much cooler. We covered 55 km today and arrived in Dien Bien Phu before noon. We stayed last night in a guest house and had the great fortune of meeting a Vietnamese woman who spoke English. We went out to a restaurant with her and had pig's intestine. In case you're wondering, it's very chewy. Tomorrow we have opted to cover some of our 95km day by truck. Peter has arranged for two trucks to carry us and our bikes to the Laos border, saving us 35 km and a grueling 1000m climb. We still have another 60 km and 600 m climb to get us to our destination.
A few fun facts about the Vietnamese: it turns out that curly hair and a voluptuous behind are a rarity here. Women, particularly in smaller towns, like to touch (or spank) both. John is also a hot commodity with his huge flowing red beard; people stare or laugh at him, some even take photos. It makes for a great conversation starter. People hand us things (money, food, etc) with two hands, though I'm not sure of the significance and I keep forgetting to reciprocate.
Next stop, Laos.
It' s been a few days without internet, so I will give a condensed version of what we have been up to. We left Sa Pa a few days ago on the 76 km trip to Lai Chau, where we went from 12 degrees and dense fog, to 26, hot and humid. On the way we climbed up and over tram ton pass, Vietnam's highest alpine pass. The ride down the other side was tons of fun, and reminded me that I love going downhill at high speeds...what a rush! The next day we did a 105 km ride from Lai Chau to Muong Lay, one of the most difficult rides any of us has ever done. The road was meant to be paved, but it turns out that 'paved' is a euphimism for 'might have some pavement on it'. We rode over gravel, dust, and pot holes while dodging huge trucks in sweltering heat for much of the day; the entire road is under construction as the Vietnamese government is installing a series of dams along the river. We arrived after dark in Muong Lay to see the sign for our hotel on the other side of the newly formed lake. We then had to bike down the hill, cross the lake on a land bridge, and then hike-a-bike up a steep gravel road to our hotel. Needless to say, we were all exhausted and covered in dirt. The story of how people's lives are changing because of this dam is another blog post entirely, but it reminds me of what is happening in northen BC with site c dam. Here in Vietnam, they are flooding the valley, relocating entire towns, and abandoning farm land. It is probably for the best, since it will provide the country with large-scale hydro electricity, but has been very interesting to see it first-hand. One thing the vietnamese are not good at...erosion countrol. Entire sides of mountains have slid as they created roads above the new water line.
Yesterday was meant to be another 90 km day, but after the 105km day from hell, we decided to forgo a rest day and split the 90km into two days. In hindsight we may have been able to pull it off; the road was in pristine condition the entire way and it was much cooler. We covered 55 km today and arrived in Dien Bien Phu before noon. We stayed last night in a guest house and had the great fortune of meeting a Vietnamese woman who spoke English. We went out to a restaurant with her and had pig's intestine. In case you're wondering, it's very chewy. Tomorrow we have opted to cover some of our 95km day by truck. Peter has arranged for two trucks to carry us and our bikes to the Laos border, saving us 35 km and a grueling 1000m climb. We still have another 60 km and 600 m climb to get us to our destination.
A few fun facts about the Vietnamese: it turns out that curly hair and a voluptuous behind are a rarity here. Women, particularly in smaller towns, like to touch (or spank) both. John is also a hot commodity with his huge flowing red beard; people stare or laugh at him, some even take photos. It makes for a great conversation starter. People hand us things (money, food, etc) with two hands, though I'm not sure of the significance and I keep forgetting to reciprocate.
Next stop, Laos.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Finally some photos...
The steed, taking a break against someone's house. No one was
home.
Peter being over taken by a very large truck on the way up to Sa Pa.
Our lunch stop; really just the living room of someone's house. It was a delicious meal.
Group shot. Opps, missed Bridget.
A very common view.
Local bike, complete with suspension.
Fog.
Taking in the breathtaking view. Imagine a huge mountain...
home.
Peter being over taken by a very large truck on the way up to Sa Pa.
Our lunch stop; really just the living room of someone's house. It was a delicious meal.
Group shot. Opps, missed Bridget.
A very common view.
Local bike, complete with suspension.
Fog.
Taking in the breathtaking view. Imagine a huge mountain...
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The guide book says it's beautiful here...
...but the fog is so dense you cannot even see 1oo meters down the street. We are in Sa Pa today, taking a rest day after a long 34km slog uphill from Lao Cai. The fog is truly lovely, with a distinct 'lord of the rings' feeling. The locals think we are pretty fascinating. While they have seen tourists before, not many are silly enough to make the trek up the mountain on bikes. For a few km we had a large following of kids, who got a real kick out of walking along side us. By this stage we were not moving very fast. They laughed a lot, and I'm certain we were the butt of some very funny jokes. We stopped off in a very small town for lunch - Tak Co, pop. 12 - where we ate, you guessed it, more pho. We opted for the pho with egg option, since our phrase book does not include the question 'what kind of meat is that?'; a key question in a country that eats dog and horse. The people we meet along the way love to practice their english. We are greeted with lots of 'hello' and 'good morning!'.
Sa Pa is in north west Vietnam, and is famous for the hill trips people, particularly the H'Moung. The 'thing' to do here is to go hiking into the mountains and stay overnight at their house, where they feed you, drink rice wine with you, and generally show you a good time. Our group is torn between going on a trek to see the villages or not. A a tourist, whenever you visit a place, you inevitably change the course of their lives. Not at an individual level, but the aggregation of visitors over time alters their course. Many of these places now rely on tourism as a source of income, so the flipside is that we would be supporting their economy. We are also uneasy with the idea of going to their village and 'gawking' at them or taking photos.
Our trip out of Hanoi was definitely a highlight. We got the opportunity to navigate Hanoi traffic on our bikes, which should be a new Olympic event. The thrill of joining the chaos of traffic and surviving to tell the story was quite the rush. We all arrived at the trainstation with huge grins. Our overnight train left Hanoi around 9pm, and there were a few nervous moments when we loaded our bikes onto the cargo train and were told we could not lock them. A VERY common question asked by locals here is 'how much are those bikes?', or 'those bikes look really expensive'. I spent a few sleepless moments worrying whether our bikes would still be on the train in the morning.
Tomorrow we have a 76 km bike along what is supposed to be the most beautiful area of Vietnam, including summiting the highest mountain pass in the country. The other side of the pass is supposed to be much warmer and sunnier. Looking forward to it.
Sa Pa is in north west Vietnam, and is famous for the hill trips people, particularly the H'Moung. The 'thing' to do here is to go hiking into the mountains and stay overnight at their house, where they feed you, drink rice wine with you, and generally show you a good time. Our group is torn between going on a trek to see the villages or not. A a tourist, whenever you visit a place, you inevitably change the course of their lives. Not at an individual level, but the aggregation of visitors over time alters their course. Many of these places now rely on tourism as a source of income, so the flipside is that we would be supporting their economy. We are also uneasy with the idea of going to their village and 'gawking' at them or taking photos.
Our trip out of Hanoi was definitely a highlight. We got the opportunity to navigate Hanoi traffic on our bikes, which should be a new Olympic event. The thrill of joining the chaos of traffic and surviving to tell the story was quite the rush. We all arrived at the trainstation with huge grins. Our overnight train left Hanoi around 9pm, and there were a few nervous moments when we loaded our bikes onto the cargo train and were told we could not lock them. A VERY common question asked by locals here is 'how much are those bikes?', or 'those bikes look really expensive'. I spent a few sleepless moments worrying whether our bikes would still be on the train in the morning.
Tomorrow we have a 76 km bike along what is supposed to be the most beautiful area of Vietnam, including summiting the highest mountain pass in the country. The other side of the pass is supposed to be much warmer and sunnier. Looking forward to it.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Pinch me, I'm in Vietnam
If you are looking for some sensory overload, come to Vietnam. People, noises, smells, foods, they have it all. Crossing the street here is like cheating death, repeatedly. There are very very few traffic signals, most intersections have nothing at all, and it is a free-for-all of motor bikes and cars weaving around each other. Lanes on the road are merely suggestions, not often followed. The trick to crossing the street is to step out, don't make any sudden moves, and walk slowly to the other side. It is surprisingly exhilarating, and so far no one has been hit.
The food is incredible, and eating has been our main activity for the last 24 hours. We are all looking forward to getting some exercise soon. The many street-side vendors look amazing, but we are still a bit worried about getting sick, so we have only eaten at restaurants that cater mostly to tourists. Today I think we will take the plunge.
A few quick lessons on travelling.
Lesson one: never order the 'vegetarian Raw' food option while flying. I had dreams that it would be some delicious raw salad or something with at least a hint of creativity. All I got was some cut up broccoli, celery, and carrot sticks. While healthy and nutritious, it left me wanting. Luckily I had some cliff bars in my carry on.
Lesson two: Really, really check your itinerary before you book it. Getting to the Vancouver airport, and then having the woman at the check in counter ask 'What would you like us to do with your luggage during the stop over?' is a shock. Um, what stop over? Turns out I had a 14 hour layover in Hong Kong. Luckily, the couple I am travelling with had some friends in HK, so they picked us up and took us to their favourite vegetarian restaurant. It was delicous! Then we a good night's sleep at their place before returning to th airport for our flight to Hanoi.
Tonight we leave on an overnight train to Sa pa, and then begin the actual bike trip with a hellish 34km ride covering 1500m of vertical. Not exactly a warm up ride. When we told our waiter last night where we were planning to go with our bikes tomorrow, he laughed. Really, really hard.
I'm excited.
P.S. Fun fact #1: The govt here has blocked networking sites like Facebook and twitter.
The food is incredible, and eating has been our main activity for the last 24 hours. We are all looking forward to getting some exercise soon. The many street-side vendors look amazing, but we are still a bit worried about getting sick, so we have only eaten at restaurants that cater mostly to tourists. Today I think we will take the plunge.
A few quick lessons on travelling.
Lesson one: never order the 'vegetarian Raw' food option while flying. I had dreams that it would be some delicious raw salad or something with at least a hint of creativity. All I got was some cut up broccoli, celery, and carrot sticks. While healthy and nutritious, it left me wanting. Luckily I had some cliff bars in my carry on.
Lesson two: Really, really check your itinerary before you book it. Getting to the Vancouver airport, and then having the woman at the check in counter ask 'What would you like us to do with your luggage during the stop over?' is a shock. Um, what stop over? Turns out I had a 14 hour layover in Hong Kong. Luckily, the couple I am travelling with had some friends in HK, so they picked us up and took us to their favourite vegetarian restaurant. It was delicous! Then we a good night's sleep at their place before returning to th airport for our flight to Hanoi.
Tonight we leave on an overnight train to Sa pa, and then begin the actual bike trip with a hellish 34km ride covering 1500m of vertical. Not exactly a warm up ride. When we told our waiter last night where we were planning to go with our bikes tomorrow, he laughed. Really, really hard.
I'm excited.
P.S. Fun fact #1: The govt here has blocked networking sites like Facebook and twitter.
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