Xin chao! "Hello" from Vietnam!
Well, well ... they are passing on Saturday, and we are in August! This time of year in which there much more likely that our stories cause travelers envious little less (healthy:) in you, dear readers. Is not the same reading us from the office on Monday, a Monday (or any other day) summer from where I caught your vacation retreat, what not? And up here is that it shows that it is summer arrives in the West, and met with many groups of Americans and Europeans (and lots of English, of course).
Well wherever it is that you have decided to spend the summer, I wish that you should rest it deserves a few days, at first ... and then, to have fun because life is short :-)
And if you have no business looking forward, not despair; is not worrisome, as it does not become a permanent attitude. Happens in the best families. In our case, culminating Laos with the highest note, we spent 2 nights in some islands in the Mekong river, practically on the border with Cambodia. Although I have found the wellspring of tourism in the background are sites with nothing more (and no less) to make Bike ride (very little ones), while the locals say hello, or lie down in a hammock and let yourself be hypnotized by the river flow. In the second island we slept in a log cabin super cuca, hanging over the river and a large terrace from which we pass, languidly, our last hours in the quiet country. And as much icing on the cake, a sunset of colors impossible. All this, € 2.5 night. Little more could you want.
going out of Laos, something wakes you up from your slumber and then you are fully aware that you leave behind the calm: a cell phone rings. And the first time in Cambodia as you check here, as in virtually every country that we have (with few exceptions, such as Laos, where they are a step below), the phone is a "stop" widespread. In Cambodia we have been less than a week to see the fundamental (the ruins of Angkor), so we could not go too much or too get an accurate picture of the country (the resorts are never more representative). From the capital, Phnom Penh, as could not be otherwise, we returned to Cambodia and into Vietnam by boat on the Mekong. A river has been with us thousands of miles, from northern Laos to see it almost lead to his enrevesadisimo delta, southern Vietnam. And from the Mekong Delta, we walked the lanky Vietnam from south to north to fill in Hanoi, 2 months after starting the tour of Indochina.
To summarize our feelings in this circuit, we have enjoyed over the first half (I described in the previous post) that this second. How much will influence which, after a month in the area, the novelty is over and the pace of the amazing things you see is reduced? It is quite likely, in my opinion. We liked most northern Vietnam to the south, but there if I think that we have not lost their objectivity, because that feeling was reinforced in these last days that we have returned to the north (after almost 2 months in the region and behind us.) However, we certainly enjoyed the Mekong Delta but if we had so recently all previous river kilometers, much more "wild" (no exaggeration) and bucolic. And in the same way inside the center of Vietnam probably would have filled us much more if our subconscious is betraying us by comparing it to Laos. Anyway, this is one of the dangers of such a journey: you become too demanding on the level of developments with which you'll find. If you find yourself thinking more and more occasions, "this is more of the same", he plays a change of scenery, or do not do justice to the sites you visit.
Actually, this is already what we imagined before we leave, so our schedule is quite varied. In this area we found 15 days more than expected, we have been good or they would have had to run over what we like, or skip Cambodia and something else. But those 2 extra weeks had their little counterproductive, so we'll fit the changing continent.
And beyond this summary of last month, going beyond a putpurri feelings, opinions, experiences and anecdotes, listed haphazardly as is typical of the area :-)
* Vietnam has been a little shock of modernity in our Asian stage. And, among other things, note that they do better in that it is the only country we've seen chubby, mainly children. It is true that nothing has surprised us is that in these countries (with the exception of China, so we have), but especially in Vietnam, the bike is dead. For every one you see, there are a thousand bikes, and it's hard to be a cyclist in these conditions. But given the feeling that, since all my neighbors has a motillo no longer move your ass for nothing, and even across the street caught the bike ... which may influence begins to be chubby. Ah, but as the bike is not what it was funny how in some tourist sites have resurrected the tandem, with great success, pipe pass it! Of course, if a motillo is up four ... you can imagine the balancing act in tandem to make a good time =: -0
Incidentally, as I told the most common public transportation in Vietnam is a coleguilla that rises on his bike, and here called "xe om", whose translation is more or less "Hold on!" =: -0
* On the other hand, it is a pleasure to again be able to use a map and orient easily in the cities, because the streets have names and buildings number (!!!). Does not occur everywhere, but in most, and conversely in the countries leading the streets with name clearly visible had been the exception.
* We had an anecdote of fireworks at a hotel in Vietnam, in which after just registered to no more than 5 minutes, went down to ask for change and the receptionist asked us first if we stay with them. After our face perplexing, we explained that to nothing had been fourth time introducing our data and making it the typical review (where we are, how long in Vietnam, where we will go the next day, etc.), And when half order realizes release us without thinking twice: "Sorry, is that all you seem foreign alike!" So you know, if we difficult to differentiate, to them also happens to us :-)
* We have found very original number of occupations, such as pastor of ducks, a fisherman fishing in the paddy electric, seafood portable moto-taxi driver elephants ...
* This month we have caught many, many buses. And is that Vietnam is looooong, so we spent many hours in the road. Most tourist buses were, but always were mostly local tourists. But we have also taken some other local bus, short haul, and one of those peta and the height: with the collector inside, climbed the reviewer! The balancing act goes not to traverse the bus asking for the ticket to to're world =: -0
What is unfailingly on a bus in Vietnam is bringing TV to full blast, emitting invariably one of two things: videos karaoke, comedians and Vietnamese programs. Either of those options they loved to local ... while tourists threw us the hair with any of them =: -0
* It's funny how in Cambodia on sex tourism and child prostitution are an obvious problem, and there are campaigns by the government and NGOs to educate the tourists. But then cost me god and find someone to help me rapase, because in almost all the hairdressers were just girls and they were offended just thinking about a haircut to a man ;-)
* Do you remember that I told you the peculiar way to say "yes" or "no" to the head that are in India and Nepal? It has caused a good number of anecdotes, until he caught the hang. Well, in Vietnam also is funny as they say "no" by moving the head, which weighs, I better make the same motion but with the hand and half :-) Total expenditure, which does not sing here " 5 wolves "because it would be very negative song, all the while saying no, no, and no hands: - /
* Up to date, and I play a lot of wood, we have been very lucky in that we have not had any mishap worthy of mention. And the truth is that it remains so, but there was one day in Vietnam was almost completely jinxed day: Early morning ride we stick to the train station around to tell us that there were no tickets, we played back to the hotel (the 5 km bike, and in stifling heat), we packed in a hurry because the change in plans we were going that afternoon, then we took the bikes again to cycle through tombs far from the city and we had all kinds of troubles with the bike of Eve (a pedal that came out every now and not a prick ... But two !)... and, to finish, returning to the hotel had forgotten us and we had hired the bus had gone without us: - / Anyway, eventually it all arrangement, but for that we had ourselves a final race, with both mochilones back of a motillo with a kamikaze driving, to catch the bus at the last stop before catching road. Well, at least we finally got on the bus, an overnight sleeper bus which, of course, reaching the last we played the worst sleeper seats in the back, and having a neighbor (Codito with Codito) possibly the only Vietnamese 1.80 goes high. The poor do not spend so apretao good night ... and of course, he moved both nor let us sleep too. And is that such a day could not end well: - /
happens to us over the head
Interestingly
travel to countries that are thee most others, which often have little impact on news from home, for contrast with the fact the particular movie you've done for whatever reason. For me, Cambodia is the best example, as the imagined mired in underdevelopment "few" years after the cruel dictatorship of Pol Pot and his notorious death camps (for the movie "The Killing Fields"). Of course, for my over 25 years of my life have been like a breath does not mean the rest of the world has been frozen meanwhile, and Cambodia is now a vibrant and dynamic country, much more behind the dragons of the region (Thailand and Vietnam) than I imagined. Rather equated it to living in Laos and Myanmar (formerly Burma, for viejales like me), but nothing to see. Although said all that, if Vietnam and Laos amazed us all families of 4 in motillo in Cambodia are 4 adults together and without apparent narrowness =: -0
But back to serious reflection, this again demonstrates, once again, that only bad news is news, and that while "no news, good news" (as the Anglo-Saxon), unconsciously pessimistic bombardment of television news influence you, and are unable to fill information gaps until something (eg a trip) does not force you to upgrade. In this same vein, the interaction we are having with other travelers awaken our interest in countries that, to date, did not (such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines). Just like your day we happened to Laos, and for us it was the pearl of Indochina.
is also very instructive experience first-hand that communism is reflected in these parts. And, predictably, it is clear that here too communism is dead. All these countries (like China) are "dictatorships" one-party propaganda dyed red ... but the politics and the streets are already CAPITALIST with capital letters. All had, throughout its history, any attempt to more or less pure communism, always with disastrous results fairly, but it seems that among the few remnants that are left is a kind of "worship" their revolutionary leader, so his pictures are by everywhere. At least in regard to Vietnam, Uncle Ho Chi Minh
cutie :-) Who know (worth mentioning)
At this end of Indochina tour we shared a couple of stages with Vicky and Peter, both school teachers in Belgium, who are dedicated to make the most of these wonderful vacation they enjoy in their profession. Although ten years more boys (starts to be of concern found so few grandpas like us carrying backpacks in the world), we found it quite easy to make joint decisions on where to stay or how to reach the next destination, and we completed several days of intense tourism with a well regaditas entertaining dinner with local beer (no who does not love a good Belgian beer).
But if someone have to mention is to Yola.
Before I say it's comforting to think that, at our age, can still be many new things to experience. Some, a few, those are off the list on this trip. For example, we had our first experience as a biker, and for two days we rented in Laos a 125cc scooter, with its gears and everything. Juas, as we had! And yet these countries, with their traffic "anything goes" are not exactly the most appropriate site for a motorcycle desvirgarte ... but fitted with the freedom that we wanted to have those two days (compared to offers scheduled tours), and got back without the "brand war" that look around here a good number of tourists (ie, the burning of the tube twin exhaust product of a fall).
Well, Yola is our first cyber-relationship. I already speak some of it because we got in touch before leaving because I found your blog ( http://www.dondeestayola.com/ ) seeking information logistics ... and ends up helping to put on our blog this back as much as "original." Since then, we are in contact cyberspace, because she is also the sabbatical year and both our travel dates as our schedules coincide in bold. But until our last day in Vietnam we failed to realize the physical encounter. It was a typical meeting "English", ie leave their luggage at the hotel, meet ... and not stop until we crack the gambling dens closed in Hanoi. And, as I say, it was not any match, after so many weeks to share our similar but different (or, as they say around here, "same same ... but different") experiences of travelers through the Internet, and In order to dwell on Live. Finally, a brief but intense, keep in touch and following each other's trip to the corner of my eye (and mouse on your computer, of course).
-------- Well, after our Asian stage, the stage begins possibly more "hard" of our trip: two mesecitos relaxing by the South Pacific. From the outset we anticipated that at this stage of Saturday we could use an area of \u200b\u200bless tourism and more relaxed, contemplative days and little else, and actually so is. Therefore, our next destination as water coming in May: two short week in Fiji, a week in northeastern Australia, three weeks in New Zealand (with possible jump to another nearby island still unspecified), and finally 3 weeks in French Polynesia (Tahiti and so on). Finally we have ruled Papua New Guinea, for several reasons, but other because as I told you we're in this region of the world with the certainty that we apetecera time to go back to Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, etc ... and Papua fit into that journey, with more time than we would have now.
So nothing, not suffer for us if we do not update the blog too often ... of truth that we are well :-)
to the next chapter! Juan & Eva
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