Friday, July 13, 2012
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Last Days in SEA
Nicole's birthday (August 17th) was spent traveling - via taxi, bus and boat - and we have returned to Bangkok for the last few days of our journey. We've been keeping a low profile (beach burnout), however we did attend a night of Muay Thai boxing fights at Lumphini National Stadium in downtown Bangkok. We had both hoped for more blood, but the fights were both entertaining and brutal all the same. Our only regret is that we were unable to understand - and therefore participate - in the rampant betting that was taking place (imagine the New York stock exchange but twice as loud with crazy live Thai music and smelling of cheap beer and body odor).
We leave for Canada tomorrow and are looking forward to the many conveniences of home (hot showers, toilet paper, garbage cans, non-feral animals to name a few) that we hitherto had taken for granted. We both agree that this was our greatest travel experience: the pace, food, geography, culture, history and above all, the people make this a very special part of the world. We are already planning our return to South East Asia - hopefully next time with more family and/or friends.
Hopefully you enjoyed following the accounts of our travels because we certainly enjoyed writing them for you. We will post some more pictures on the blog when we get home as, again, we are faced with stubborn South East Asian computers. We miss you all and can't wait to get home to share our stories and get caught up on all of yours.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
We leave for Canada tomorrow and are looking forward to the many conveniences of home (hot showers, toilet paper, garbage cans, non-feral animals to name a few) that we hitherto had taken for granted. We both agree that this was our greatest travel experience: the pace, food, geography, culture, history and above all, the people make this a very special part of the world. We are already planning our return to South East Asia - hopefully next time with more family and/or friends.
Hopefully you enjoyed following the accounts of our travels because we certainly enjoyed writing them for you. We will post some more pictures on the blog when we get home as, again, we are faced with stubborn South East Asian computers. We miss you all and can't wait to get home to share our stories and get caught up on all of yours.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Nicole Life Achievement Update
Many off you know of Nicole's acute - though entirely unfounded - fear of sharks. This fear boarders on paranoia as she has been known to suspect swimming pools of containing sharks.
At our current villa on Koh Tao there is insanely good snorkeling right off the beach. Within feet of the shore we have observed nearly hundreds of species of marine animals all negotiating untouched coral gardens. Also worthy of note is the proximity of our beach to Shark Island, known for the abundance of black-tip sharks that encircle its shores.
Approximately one hour into our first trip off the beach Nicole was enjoying a new found confidence in her ability to snorkel without experiencing a panic attack. This was until we were approached by a five-foot (a conservative estimate) black-tip shark. This species is docile and is not a threat to humans, however Nicole viewed it as a direct threat to her life. Within seconds I found myself alone in facing the shark as Nicole had put her back to the shore, me at her front and was thrusting me towards the 'aquatic killing machine'. As the shark approached I could feel her grip tightening and she would later tell me that her heart was beating uncontrollably. Not surprisingly the shark swam past without incident.
Nicole continued to grip my arm tightly as we returned to the shore. On subsequent snorkeling journeys (yes, she has actually returned to the water) we have encountered two more sharks, none however as large as the first.
No time for a complete post, but we will try again soon.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
At our current villa on Koh Tao there is insanely good snorkeling right off the beach. Within feet of the shore we have observed nearly hundreds of species of marine animals all negotiating untouched coral gardens. Also worthy of note is the proximity of our beach to Shark Island, known for the abundance of black-tip sharks that encircle its shores.
Approximately one hour into our first trip off the beach Nicole was enjoying a new found confidence in her ability to snorkel without experiencing a panic attack. This was until we were approached by a five-foot (a conservative estimate) black-tip shark. This species is docile and is not a threat to humans, however Nicole viewed it as a direct threat to her life. Within seconds I found myself alone in facing the shark as Nicole had put her back to the shore, me at her front and was thrusting me towards the 'aquatic killing machine'. As the shark approached I could feel her grip tightening and she would later tell me that her heart was beating uncontrollably. Not surprisingly the shark swam past without incident.
Nicole continued to grip my arm tightly as we returned to the shore. On subsequent snorkeling journeys (yes, she has actually returned to the water) we have encountered two more sharks, none however as large as the first.
No time for a complete post, but we will try again soon.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Some Koh Tao Pictures
View of our new beach from our villa. (Note the intense coral bloom)
Nicole chillin' beach side
A dog.
Sunset at Coral View Bungalows.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
More Tree House Pictures
Barracuda fishing in the cove.
The view from our cabana.
Check this one out in full screen.
Chilling in Thai pants.
Nicole's sarong/turban.
Koh Phangan
The lengthy gap between our posts is the result of a serious case of island inertia.
The journey from Bangkok to Koh Phangan was a tremendously trying experience. First, the VIP bus we had payed for was over-booked meaning that we had to board a 'regular' bus. This bus - which chose to play the oscar calibre film "Stargate Continuum" - travelled for 8 hours before we were asked to get off at 3am and wait on the side of the road for another bus. The next bus arrived at 4am and took us another 2 hours to Chumpon, even though our ticket was supposed to take us to Surat Thani. From Chumpon we were told to sleep on the ground in a parking lot outside the pier until the first ferry departed. At 7am we boarded a ferry which took us 4 hours over very rough seas to Koh Tao. After a 45 minute passenger transfer, the ferry set off for Koh Phangan. At this point the boat was so overloaded that passengers had filled every seat above and below deck as well as all available deck space, forcing many to hang their feet over the edge of the boat. This made for a very unstable ship, made worse of course by the aforementioned choppy conditions. During this 2 hour leg of the journey, we witnessed no fewer than a six passengers below deck vomiting uncontrollably into whatever they could find. Upon arriving on Koh Phangan we had only to sit in the back of a pick-up truck as it carried us the remaining 45 minutes to Tree House over roads that a tank would have difficulty negotiating.
Tree House, however, is fantastic. It rests in the jungle nestled around a private cove which has the perfect mix of powdery white sand, turquoise water, and large cliffs. The bungalows themselves are perched on the cliffs, affording them amazing views of the ocean. The place has a similar vibe to Jungle Beach, however we were surprised to find that nearly everyone at the guesthouse is German. For the first few days we were the only two people whose first language was English but everyone was quite friendly and made efforts to include us in conversation.
Nicole spent her mornings running in the jungle while the rest of our days were spent laying in the sun getting drunk before 11am, snorkeling and participating in the highly-competitive Germany v. Austria beach soccer games. Nights were occupied with lounging in hammocks or on beds surrounding low lying tables up at the tree house. Here, we spent our time talking with fellow travellers, listening to the ambient/funk/house/jazz blend that was supplied by DJ Glyn, or watching "The Fifth Element" as it was projected onto a screen made from a stretched out bed sheet. The vibe at Tree House is very relaxed in part due to the abundance of locally grown herbal and and fungal 'medicines'.
On a side note, our stay on the island also happened to coincide with on of the legendary full-moon parties (FMP) for which Koh Phangan is known. Nicole had intended to participate in the festivities but was unfortunately afflicted with a serious stomach condition. For a detailed account of the night you will have to speak to Joe. But rest assured that he - and the couple with whom he attended the party - fully immersed themselves in the experience. Highlights include but are not limited to: questionable milkshakes, neon body paint, The Reggae House Bar, naked farang vomiting in the streets, the freak out of a Iranian/Trinidadian couple, and several hours spent on a secluded beach arranging and taking pictures of three water bottles.
Our last few days have been spent in Haad Rin (scene of the FMP) at the CoCo Hut Village enjoying some luxury. We now head to Koh Tao for some more seclusion. Again we may have difficulty updating the blog but we will try our best.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Terraced tree house at night.
Bungalows right off the beach.
Joe in his sarong on the hammock outside our cabana.
Daytime view of the tree house.
Nicole in one of her common reading positions.
The journey from Bangkok to Koh Phangan was a tremendously trying experience. First, the VIP bus we had payed for was over-booked meaning that we had to board a 'regular' bus. This bus - which chose to play the oscar calibre film "Stargate Continuum" - travelled for 8 hours before we were asked to get off at 3am and wait on the side of the road for another bus. The next bus arrived at 4am and took us another 2 hours to Chumpon, even though our ticket was supposed to take us to Surat Thani. From Chumpon we were told to sleep on the ground in a parking lot outside the pier until the first ferry departed. At 7am we boarded a ferry which took us 4 hours over very rough seas to Koh Tao. After a 45 minute passenger transfer, the ferry set off for Koh Phangan. At this point the boat was so overloaded that passengers had filled every seat above and below deck as well as all available deck space, forcing many to hang their feet over the edge of the boat. This made for a very unstable ship, made worse of course by the aforementioned choppy conditions. During this 2 hour leg of the journey, we witnessed no fewer than a six passengers below deck vomiting uncontrollably into whatever they could find. Upon arriving on Koh Phangan we had only to sit in the back of a pick-up truck as it carried us the remaining 45 minutes to Tree House over roads that a tank would have difficulty negotiating.
Tree House, however, is fantastic. It rests in the jungle nestled around a private cove which has the perfect mix of powdery white sand, turquoise water, and large cliffs. The bungalows themselves are perched on the cliffs, affording them amazing views of the ocean. The place has a similar vibe to Jungle Beach, however we were surprised to find that nearly everyone at the guesthouse is German. For the first few days we were the only two people whose first language was English but everyone was quite friendly and made efforts to include us in conversation.
Nicole spent her mornings running in the jungle while the rest of our days were spent laying in the sun getting drunk before 11am, snorkeling and participating in the highly-competitive Germany v. Austria beach soccer games. Nights were occupied with lounging in hammocks or on beds surrounding low lying tables up at the tree house. Here, we spent our time talking with fellow travellers, listening to the ambient/funk/house/jazz blend that was supplied by DJ Glyn, or watching "The Fifth Element" as it was projected onto a screen made from a stretched out bed sheet. The vibe at Tree House is very relaxed in part due to the abundance of locally grown herbal and and fungal 'medicines'.
On a side note, our stay on the island also happened to coincide with on of the legendary full-moon parties (FMP) for which Koh Phangan is known. Nicole had intended to participate in the festivities but was unfortunately afflicted with a serious stomach condition. For a detailed account of the night you will have to speak to Joe. But rest assured that he - and the couple with whom he attended the party - fully immersed themselves in the experience. Highlights include but are not limited to: questionable milkshakes, neon body paint, The Reggae House Bar, naked farang vomiting in the streets, the freak out of a Iranian/Trinidadian couple, and several hours spent on a secluded beach arranging and taking pictures of three water bottles.
Our last few days have been spent in Haad Rin (scene of the FMP) at the CoCo Hut Village enjoying some luxury. We now head to Koh Tao for some more seclusion. Again we may have difficulty updating the blog but we will try our best.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Terraced tree house at night.
Bungalows right off the beach.
Joe in his sarong on the hammock outside our cabana.
Daytime view of the tree house.
Nicole in one of her common reading positions.
Friday, July 31, 2009
End of the Drought
Joe broke down and ate at Burger King, thus ending the vegetarian siege on his body.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
From Khaosan Road to Island Paradise
We've spent the last few days back in Bangkok, this time opting to stay in backpacker mecca Khaosan Road (scene of the H1N1 outbreak). Our lodging is a brand new 7-storey boutique hotel with roof-top pool and forty inch flat screen tv so we're feeling spoiled.
Since arriving we have eaten nothing but vegetarian/vegan food and Joe has never gone this long without eating a piece of meat. As boring as it sounds, we have found the best muesli ever complete with yogurt made from an in-house culture. Also we're both hooked on massaman curry and there are talks that the dish may enter Joe's top three all-time after 1)the hot dog and 2)texas style smoked ribs.
Now we head south to the beaches of Thailand. We have managed to find a place similar to Jungle Beach on Ko Phangan that rests on the less delveloped side of the island. The place is called Tree House Lodge and it appears to be another adult camp complete with DJ's, jungle movie nights, abundant lounging areas, and of course shuttle service to the full-moon party (August 6th). So we likely will be off the grid for up to a week but will update as soon as we can.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Since arriving we have eaten nothing but vegetarian/vegan food and Joe has never gone this long without eating a piece of meat. As boring as it sounds, we have found the best muesli ever complete with yogurt made from an in-house culture. Also we're both hooked on massaman curry and there are talks that the dish may enter Joe's top three all-time after 1)the hot dog and 2)texas style smoked ribs.
Now we head south to the beaches of Thailand. We have managed to find a place similar to Jungle Beach on Ko Phangan that rests on the less delveloped side of the island. The place is called Tree House Lodge and it appears to be another adult camp complete with DJ's, jungle movie nights, abundant lounging areas, and of course shuttle service to the full-moon party (August 6th). So we likely will be off the grid for up to a week but will update as soon as we can.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
More Siem Reap Pictures
Nicole at Angkor Wat
Relaxing at the feet of Buddha
Nicole: drunk from two sips of this drink
"The Beard"
Joe pre foot massage. Also received a manicure/pedicure combo complete with one nail polished big toe. (Note: somehow nicole manages to disable the auto-focus on the camera - that only has auto-focus - hence the poor picture quality.)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Siem Reap
Arrived in Siem Reap and checked in to a great guesthouse called the 'Babel'. Nice quiet and well-manicured garden with palm trees and hammocks as well as a huge bed-like couch. Headed immediately to the town centre to find that Siem Reap is a posh tourist town. Streets are lined with sleek restaurants, hotels and boutique shops but all at reasonable prices (eg. bucket [2L] of red bull vodka goes for $3 CAN). We chose a local Khmer eatery that served amazing curries as well as pumpkin coconut soup. Also, we enjoyed amazing Indian food in a beautiful restaurant that belied the low prices.
Next two days we woke up at 4am to have our tuk-tuk driver take us to the Temples of Angkor to watch the sunrise. These temples are straight out of the Jungle Book or Raiders of the Lost Ark and need to be seen. Ta Prohm in particular is incredible as the jungle has been allowed to grow free and has enveloped the temple in roots and vines.
Our afternoons were spent in the city napping, eating, drinking and receiving various inexpensive spa treatments. We averaged $50 CAN an afternoon on these activities which is difficult to do in Cambodia given the cheap prices. Also, every evening was marked by torrential rain and wind that made the roads impassable and the patios dangerous. However, hunkering down inside a bar with two litres of booze was the perfect antidote to these storms.
Our stay in Cambodia has left us battle hardened beg-proof travellers. This country is particularly bad for begging due to both poverty and the high number of land mine victims. However, after over a week of enduring calls of "buy something!", "same same, but different", "where you from? buy something!", "you have? you need one more" etc we had become immune. Also, the children have memorized the Capitol, Prime Minister and number of provinces in Canada to be used as a begging tactic. Joe began telling the children that he was from Kazakhstan and that the capitol was Abu-Ghraib just to throw them off course. They had no response to this.
Cambodia was beautiful and the people are incredible especially considering what they have endured in the recent history of the country. We're glad we snuck this leg into the trip but now it's on to the beaches of Southern Thailand for the dog-fuck leg of our journey.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Nicole in the back of a tuk-tuk during a monsoon.
Ta Prohm: where Tomb Raider was filmed.
Ditto
Nicole assuming 'the position'.
Next two days we woke up at 4am to have our tuk-tuk driver take us to the Temples of Angkor to watch the sunrise. These temples are straight out of the Jungle Book or Raiders of the Lost Ark and need to be seen. Ta Prohm in particular is incredible as the jungle has been allowed to grow free and has enveloped the temple in roots and vines.
Our afternoons were spent in the city napping, eating, drinking and receiving various inexpensive spa treatments. We averaged $50 CAN an afternoon on these activities which is difficult to do in Cambodia given the cheap prices. Also, every evening was marked by torrential rain and wind that made the roads impassable and the patios dangerous. However, hunkering down inside a bar with two litres of booze was the perfect antidote to these storms.
Our stay in Cambodia has left us battle hardened beg-proof travellers. This country is particularly bad for begging due to both poverty and the high number of land mine victims. However, after over a week of enduring calls of "buy something!", "same same, but different", "where you from? buy something!", "you have? you need one more" etc we had become immune. Also, the children have memorized the Capitol, Prime Minister and number of provinces in Canada to be used as a begging tactic. Joe began telling the children that he was from Kazakhstan and that the capitol was Abu-Ghraib just to throw them off course. They had no response to this.
Cambodia was beautiful and the people are incredible especially considering what they have endured in the recent history of the country. We're glad we snuck this leg into the trip but now it's on to the beaches of Southern Thailand for the dog-fuck leg of our journey.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Nicole in the back of a tuk-tuk during a monsoon.
Ta Prohm: where Tomb Raider was filmed.
Ditto
Nicole assuming 'the position'.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
More Phnom Penh Pictures
Khmer green curry.
David in his Tuk Tuk.
Joe and David before their night on the town (read: whore house)
Phnom Penh Pictures
Happy Herb Pizza. Note the VERY relaxed man in the background.
The back of David's dome piece.
Churned earth at the killing fields.
Exumed and grown in graves.
Bed in a classroom at S-21.
More Bangkok Pictures
These girls were pushing Vietnamese cigarettes on the street and Joe tried to convince them that this picture could be used for their advertising campaign.
Swilling margueritas and mojitos on the patio of GO2 bar.
Joe played rock, paper, scissors against this little girl to determine if he would have to buy a pack of gum. He did.
Nicole taking the first bite of 'the big cheese' at a restaurant called Black Cat. This burger contains 750g of Australian ground beef, eight pieces of bacon, four pickles, three whole tomatoes, onions, wasabi mayonaise, one head of lettuce all on a homemade bun. It only took us twenty or so minutes to can the entire thing. We both agree that it is one of the best burgers we have ever had.
Margueritas and Mexican again.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Phnom Penh
We departed HCMC for Phnom Penh (PP) aboard a luxury bus. This was much more pleasant than previous bus rides as there were only 3 seats across and large arm rests. And apart from two pairs of annoying Chinese and Argentinian tourists as well as a scetchy border crossing the trip was very comforatable.
Arriving in PP we immediately noticed how much dirtier and poorer it was than its large Vietnamese counterpart. We were forwarned but still unprepared for the throngs of children/war vets/ landmine victims who swarmed us upon stepping off the bus. A short tuk-tuk ride swept us to our hotel which had the most amazing salt water pool.
Our first day was spent exploring the city on foot an expedition that included: the mall rooftop roller rink (somebody skated off the roof only a few months ago), the Russian Market (cheap shit abounds), and one of the many disabled persons craft shops (Joe's bracketed comment withheld).
Following a traditional Cambodian meal we decided to go for dessert at Happy Herbs Pizza (you can imagine what 'Herbs' refers to). We ordered our pizza 'happy HAPPY' to ensure we would get the most out of the experience. Results were mixed, although we both sat without talking while staring off into oblivion for the better part of an hour.
While enjoying the after glow of our meal we were approached by a tuk-tuk driver named David (likely not his real name) and we arranged for him to tour us around the city the next day for $20 CAN: probably too much).
The following day we first visited the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and we were lucky to arrive early enough that we had the site to ourselves. Hearing children's laughter from a nearby school and watching butterflies float above the ground while viewing bone and clothing poking out of the earth was much to take in.
We followed this with a visit to Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21), a former high school that was used as a torture camp during the rule of the Khmer Rouge during the 1970's. This offered disturbing insight into what human beings are capable of. Most of the former classrooms have been left as they were when they were discovered housing only a rusty bed, chains and blood stains on the floor.
After a lengthy poolside respite we headed back to Happy Herbs for the second consecutive night. Again we saw David and we invited him to join us for a drink. David talked candidly about Cambodia and his perception of the country which was very interesting b/c it allied closely to our views. After one drink turned into several and following persistent harassment from the begging community we decided to call it a night.
Upon returning to the hotel, Joe and David decided that they were keen for more action. Nicole wisely decided to let the boys go out and play. After leaving the hotel David stopped outside a local bar (and I mean LOCAL). He told me to go in and order a drink and he would return shortly with 'adult refreshments'. Upon taking a seat on the patio I took in my surroundings. I noticed that there were only five patrons - one of which was me and all of whom were male - and thirty or so servers - all of whom were female and most of whom were eighteen. My drink order was taken by three servers, who all joined me at my table when my drink arrived. Many awkward minutes ensued as I waited for David and attempted to delay any discussion of prices/services that may/may not have been available. Thankfully David returned and proceeded to thrash me at pool (although I speculate my poor play was due in part to the many 'whore hands' that were constantly rubbing my chest and beard). When David was completely drunk we decided it was probably time for him to drive me home. We shared a hug and he drove across the street to set up his hammock to sleep it off.
Next stop Siem Reap.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Arriving in PP we immediately noticed how much dirtier and poorer it was than its large Vietnamese counterpart. We were forwarned but still unprepared for the throngs of children/war vets/ landmine victims who swarmed us upon stepping off the bus. A short tuk-tuk ride swept us to our hotel which had the most amazing salt water pool.
Our first day was spent exploring the city on foot an expedition that included: the mall rooftop roller rink (somebody skated off the roof only a few months ago), the Russian Market (cheap shit abounds), and one of the many disabled persons craft shops (Joe's bracketed comment withheld).
Following a traditional Cambodian meal we decided to go for dessert at Happy Herbs Pizza (you can imagine what 'Herbs' refers to). We ordered our pizza 'happy HAPPY' to ensure we would get the most out of the experience. Results were mixed, although we both sat without talking while staring off into oblivion for the better part of an hour.
While enjoying the after glow of our meal we were approached by a tuk-tuk driver named David (likely not his real name) and we arranged for him to tour us around the city the next day for $20 CAN: probably too much).
The following day we first visited the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and we were lucky to arrive early enough that we had the site to ourselves. Hearing children's laughter from a nearby school and watching butterflies float above the ground while viewing bone and clothing poking out of the earth was much to take in.
We followed this with a visit to Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21), a former high school that was used as a torture camp during the rule of the Khmer Rouge during the 1970's. This offered disturbing insight into what human beings are capable of. Most of the former classrooms have been left as they were when they were discovered housing only a rusty bed, chains and blood stains on the floor.
After a lengthy poolside respite we headed back to Happy Herbs for the second consecutive night. Again we saw David and we invited him to join us for a drink. David talked candidly about Cambodia and his perception of the country which was very interesting b/c it allied closely to our views. After one drink turned into several and following persistent harassment from the begging community we decided to call it a night.
Upon returning to the hotel, Joe and David decided that they were keen for more action. Nicole wisely decided to let the boys go out and play. After leaving the hotel David stopped outside a local bar (and I mean LOCAL). He told me to go in and order a drink and he would return shortly with 'adult refreshments'. Upon taking a seat on the patio I took in my surroundings. I noticed that there were only five patrons - one of which was me and all of whom were male - and thirty or so servers - all of whom were female and most of whom were eighteen. My drink order was taken by three servers, who all joined me at my table when my drink arrived. Many awkward minutes ensued as I waited for David and attempted to delay any discussion of prices/services that may/may not have been available. Thankfully David returned and proceeded to thrash me at pool (although I speculate my poor play was due in part to the many 'whore hands' that were constantly rubbing my chest and beard). When David was completely drunk we decided it was probably time for him to drive me home. We shared a hug and he drove across the street to set up his hammock to sleep it off.
Next stop Siem Reap.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Footnote to Previous Post - Channelling Jane Fonda
Amusing Anecdote:
Enroute to the museum Joe was called aside by a local who was resting on his motorbike in the park. After commenting on the fullness of Joe's beard and attempting to speak some rudimentary French, this man turned his attention to Nicole. He commented on how lucky Joe was to have such a beautiful girlfriend, which was nice. He reffered again to Joe's luck in having a "nicely round" partner. Nicole, obviously, was shaken. And the impact of this comment clearly bubbled under the surface for the duration of the day, although she didn't let it show.
Later that evening, while strolling through a park, Joe and Nicole observed several hundred Vietnamese woman participating in their daily group fitness class. In place of an instructor stands a stereo with several large speakers that project a recorded class out into the park. The women - of all ages - have perfectly organized themselves into rows and are all moving in unison to the vocal cues eminating from the stereo. Although the women are demonstrating various degrees of pelvic gyration.
Joe casually suggests that Nicole join, so that he may take a picture. Nicole -against her better judgement - agrees; likely due in part to the comment from earlier in the day. Unbeknownst to Nicole, the cameras were rolling and this short film was collected for your viewing pleasure.
Enroute to the museum Joe was called aside by a local who was resting on his motorbike in the park. After commenting on the fullness of Joe's beard and attempting to speak some rudimentary French, this man turned his attention to Nicole. He commented on how lucky Joe was to have such a beautiful girlfriend, which was nice. He reffered again to Joe's luck in having a "nicely round" partner. Nicole, obviously, was shaken. And the impact of this comment clearly bubbled under the surface for the duration of the day, although she didn't let it show.
Later that evening, while strolling through a park, Joe and Nicole observed several hundred Vietnamese woman participating in their daily group fitness class. In place of an instructor stands a stereo with several large speakers that project a recorded class out into the park. The women - of all ages - have perfectly organized themselves into rows and are all moving in unison to the vocal cues eminating from the stereo. Although the women are demonstrating various degrees of pelvic gyration.
Joe casually suggests that Nicole join, so that he may take a picture. Nicole -against her better judgement - agrees; likely due in part to the comment from earlier in the day. Unbeknownst to Nicole, the cameras were rolling and this short film was collected for your viewing pleasure.
HCMC - Day 1: Monsoon Season
It was raining as we left Da Lat and continued to do so for the entire duration of the 11 hour bus ride to Saigon (HCMC). Upon our arrival we found the streets quite flooded and thousands of Vietnamese commuters pushing their motorbikes (of which there are over one million in Saigon alone) through knee deep water. Luckily we avoided the deluge as the bus happened to drop us off very close to our hotel. We then watched from the hotel as the other Farang (read: white devils) slogged around in the streets.
Joe opted to check out another nearby hotel to ensure we were making the most educated (read: exhaustively researched) choice. Upon returning from his journey - beaming, soaked, and covered in mud - he was thrilled to report that he had participated in a "rat stomping". Apparently the flooding was causing the rats to pour out into the streets and he was asked to join-in as the locals removed their sandles to beat the rodents to death. Nice.
For our first meal in the city we chose a nearby Mexican restaurant. While the food was average, the Margerita's (buy two get one free) were extremely potent. Joe was soon half-drunk and poured into the streets to peruse the opium/marijuana selection of the many taxi driver/drug dealers. He determined that it was "of poor quality" and chose to forgo their invitations to the alleys.
For our first full day in Saigon we decided on the War Remnants Museum. This turned out to be a visceral and disturbing museum experience. Out of respect, we won't post any of the pictures here. However, we do have some nightmare inducing photos of fetuses that were deformed by Agent Orange.
Following this we were hungry and managed to meet of with a Canadian friend we met earlier: Wolfgang. He took us to a local spot that specialized in soft-shell crab. Between the three of us we sampled five different preparations of this particular species and were particularly impressed by the tamarind glazed whole crab.
More HCMC posts to follow.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
View from the bus upon arriving in Saigon.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon
The soft-shelled crabs, pre-in our bellies.
Nicole and Wolfgang seeking shelter.
Joe opted to check out another nearby hotel to ensure we were making the most educated (read: exhaustively researched) choice. Upon returning from his journey - beaming, soaked, and covered in mud - he was thrilled to report that he had participated in a "rat stomping". Apparently the flooding was causing the rats to pour out into the streets and he was asked to join-in as the locals removed their sandles to beat the rodents to death. Nice.
For our first meal in the city we chose a nearby Mexican restaurant. While the food was average, the Margerita's (buy two get one free) were extremely potent. Joe was soon half-drunk and poured into the streets to peruse the opium/marijuana selection of the many taxi driver/drug dealers. He determined that it was "of poor quality" and chose to forgo their invitations to the alleys.
For our first full day in Saigon we decided on the War Remnants Museum. This turned out to be a visceral and disturbing museum experience. Out of respect, we won't post any of the pictures here. However, we do have some nightmare inducing photos of fetuses that were deformed by Agent Orange.
Following this we were hungry and managed to meet of with a Canadian friend we met earlier: Wolfgang. He took us to a local spot that specialized in soft-shell crab. Between the three of us we sampled five different preparations of this particular species and were particularly impressed by the tamarind glazed whole crab.
More HCMC posts to follow.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
View from the bus upon arriving in Saigon.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon
The soft-shelled crabs, pre-in our bellies.
Nicole and Wolfgang seeking shelter.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Da Lat
After leaving Jungle Beach we boarded a dreaded mini-bus to travel to the Central Highlands and the city of Da Lat. The scenery from the coast up into the mountains was amazing: dense jungle, fog covered mountains, local Vietnamese in traditional clothing and pagodas nestled into the hillsides. However the condition of the road (poor), and the incessant photo-taking of a German couple (in poor taste) made the ride less than comforatable.
Da Lat gives off a distinct Paris vibe, from the plentiful cafes to the eiffel tower that rests in the centre of the city. We spent the better part of our two days in the city sitting in cafes overcaffeinating ourselves and people watching.
We were underwhelmed by the city due in part to the constant drizzling and in part to our Jungle Beach hangovers that had us both desperate to get back to the coast. Joe however, was impressed by the food and we managed to work our way into a local eatery (ignoring the looks of disgust from the local patrons). We were given a tutorial (again) on how to properly eat the soup. And despite being charged twice the amount we observed the locals paying, we managed to get dinner for $2.33 Canadian (goddamn shakedown).
Feeling adventurous Joe dragged us to the night market to enjoy some "street meat". By way of intense haggling with multiple vendors, Joe managed to obtain a cob of corn, two chicken skewers, three grape leaf pork skewers, one banh beo (steamed seafood bun), and two chicken feet for $1.66.
Other noteworthy gastronomic discoveries were the Da Lat strawberry jam (apparently famous in South East Asia) as well as the superb Central Highlands coffee which is much like espresso if you doubled its' intensity.
Now we're off to HCMC (Saigon) for a few days before we leave Vietnam behind and head West to Cambodia.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
View of the jungle from the bus.
Nicole negotiating the price of strawberry
jam with a vendor at the night market.
Da Lat variation of Pho Bo.
Grilled corn from the street.
Main square/market in central Da Lat
Da Lat gives off a distinct Paris vibe, from the plentiful cafes to the eiffel tower that rests in the centre of the city. We spent the better part of our two days in the city sitting in cafes overcaffeinating ourselves and people watching.
We were underwhelmed by the city due in part to the constant drizzling and in part to our Jungle Beach hangovers that had us both desperate to get back to the coast. Joe however, was impressed by the food and we managed to work our way into a local eatery (ignoring the looks of disgust from the local patrons). We were given a tutorial (again) on how to properly eat the soup. And despite being charged twice the amount we observed the locals paying, we managed to get dinner for $2.33 Canadian (goddamn shakedown).
Feeling adventurous Joe dragged us to the night market to enjoy some "street meat". By way of intense haggling with multiple vendors, Joe managed to obtain a cob of corn, two chicken skewers, three grape leaf pork skewers, one banh beo (steamed seafood bun), and two chicken feet for $1.66.
Other noteworthy gastronomic discoveries were the Da Lat strawberry jam (apparently famous in South East Asia) as well as the superb Central Highlands coffee which is much like espresso if you doubled its' intensity.
Now we're off to HCMC (Saigon) for a few days before we leave Vietnam behind and head West to Cambodia.
Bye for Now,
Joe and Nicole
View of the jungle from the bus.
Nicole negotiating the price of strawberry
jam with a vendor at the night market.
Da Lat variation of Pho Bo.
Grilled corn from the street.
Main square/market in central Da Lat
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Even More Jungle Beach Pictures
Joe "cannon-balling" into the waterfall pool
Some friends at the communal table. (Note the
overly enthusiastic German: Toby)
The view of Jungle Beach from a hike to the
waterfall.
Warming up for some volleyball
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