Many people know of Takeru Kobayashi, the world famous speed eater whom last year consumed 53¾ of Nathan's hot dogs in 12 minutes. We recently learned that Thit Cho, the Vietnamese translation for hot dog, is a very different thing.
If you can figure out where this is going, and you happen to have (or had) a pet dog, I recommend you stop reading.
Yes, in Northern Vietnam, it is not unusual to eat dog; we saw plenty of restaurants advertising this "food". From what we understand, back in the day, there was very little meat in the area, and people ate dog meat in order to get their protein. Some acquired a taste for it, and continue eating it (preparation styles include fried, boiled, and minced). Some (I suspect most) Vietnamese are absolutely turned off by this practice; however, the country has no "humane society" that prevents it from occuring. Also, there appears to be a clear deliniation between "pet dogs" and "dogs raised for consumption".
Having said all that, after learning what we did, Marie and I have eaten nothing but noodles and vegetables.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Au revoir Hanoi
Nous partons ce matin a destination de Hue au centre du Vietnam (vol Vietnam Airlines VN245). Cette ville devrait marquer notre etape dans ce pays. Nous pensons en effet ne pas nous arreter a Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)... Nous en avons un peu marre des grandes villes d'Asie du Sud Est et elles se ressemblent toutes un peu...
Apres cela nous pensons nous rendre a Singapour (oui, je sais, c'est aussi une grande ville d'Asie du Sud Est...). A la difference de Hanoi, Saigon, Bangkok, nous pensons trouver a Singapour un peu d'Occident (nourriture, hygiene, magasins, journaux, etc...).
Apres cela nous pensons nous rendre a Singapour (oui, je sais, c'est aussi une grande ville d'Asie du Sud Est...). A la difference de Hanoi, Saigon, Bangkok, nous pensons trouver a Singapour un peu d'Occident (nourriture, hygiene, magasins, journaux, etc...).
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Le succes de Nick au Vietnam
Cela fait quelques jours que nous n'avons pas donne de nouvelles sur le blog. Ce n'est pas faute d'avoir essaye. Durant notre periple dans le nord du Vietnam, nous sommes alles dans plusieurs cybercafes, et n'avons pu nous connecter sur le site www.blogger.com (ou notre blog est heberge). Au debut, nous avons cru que google avait un probleme (blogger appartient a google), mais au bout de quelques jours, nous avons fait des recherches et nous nous sommes apercus que certains fournisseurs d'acces a internet vietnamiens bloquaient l'acces a blogger ! Ainsi, blogger, surement percu comme un site d'opposition, est censure en Chine, au Pakistan, au Vietnam, et autres pays. Vive la liberte d'expression ! D'ailleurs, voici un article interessant de Reporters sans frontieres: The 15 enemies of the Internet and other countries to watch. Je vais m'arreter la car je ne veux pas me retrouver en prison !
Ah la, alors que j'ecris ce message, j'humme le suave parfum des aisselles d'un jeune vietnamien. Agreable ! En effet, alors que nous envoyons des emails de cybercafes, nous avons souvent une horde de jeunes fans qui lorgnent derriere notre dos pour voir ce que la blanche et le brownie sont en train d'ecrire. C'est un peu lourd parfois !
Dans les villages ou nous dormons, isoles des routes touristiques traditionelles, nous sommes souvent l'attraction de la journee. Hier soir, par exemple, alors que nous dinions, deux jeunes vietnamiens d'une vingtaine d'annees, sont venus s'installer a cote de nous pour essayer de parler anglais. Ils ont voulu qu'on les prenne en photos. Un des jeune homme a du se prendre d'amour pour Nick car alors qu'on etait a table, il lui prennait la main amoureusement, puis le tenais par le cou. Des que Nick, tres mal a l'aise, essayait de retirer sa main gentillement, le type lui la reprenait et essayait d'entrelacer ses doigts entre ceux de Nick, tout en lui caressant le bras et en lui touchant les poils des bras -- comme s'il n'en avait jamais vu avant. C'etait tres drole, surtout l'embarras de Nick ! Ensuite, la femme de "caresse bras" est venue et a voulu etre prise en photo avec Nick. Elle n'arretait pas de lui toucher le ventre et de hurler "Nicholas chocolat, baby in the belly" (bebe dans le ventre). Nick en a conclu qu'il avait peut-etre encore quelques kilos a perdre (bah, il n'est pas le seul !) Bref, on a bien rit. Apres, il nous ont offert des shots de rice wine (ce qui est en fait de l'alcool de riz tres fort avec un gout de kerosene). Nous avons du leur deplaire et abreger la soiree car je crois que nous n'aurions pu reprendre la route le lendemain.
Ah la, alors que j'ecris ce message, j'humme le suave parfum des aisselles d'un jeune vietnamien. Agreable ! En effet, alors que nous envoyons des emails de cybercafes, nous avons souvent une horde de jeunes fans qui lorgnent derriere notre dos pour voir ce que la blanche et le brownie sont en train d'ecrire. C'est un peu lourd parfois !
Dans les villages ou nous dormons, isoles des routes touristiques traditionelles, nous sommes souvent l'attraction de la journee. Hier soir, par exemple, alors que nous dinions, deux jeunes vietnamiens d'une vingtaine d'annees, sont venus s'installer a cote de nous pour essayer de parler anglais. Ils ont voulu qu'on les prenne en photos. Un des jeune homme a du se prendre d'amour pour Nick car alors qu'on etait a table, il lui prennait la main amoureusement, puis le tenais par le cou. Des que Nick, tres mal a l'aise, essayait de retirer sa main gentillement, le type lui la reprenait et essayait d'entrelacer ses doigts entre ceux de Nick, tout en lui caressant le bras et en lui touchant les poils des bras -- comme s'il n'en avait jamais vu avant. C'etait tres drole, surtout l'embarras de Nick ! Ensuite, la femme de "caresse bras" est venue et a voulu etre prise en photo avec Nick. Elle n'arretait pas de lui toucher le ventre et de hurler "Nicholas chocolat, baby in the belly" (bebe dans le ventre). Nick en a conclu qu'il avait peut-etre encore quelques kilos a perdre (bah, il n'est pas le seul !) Bref, on a bien rit. Apres, il nous ont offert des shots de rice wine (ce qui est en fait de l'alcool de riz tres fort avec un gout de kerosene). Nous avons du leur deplaire et abreger la soiree car je crois que nous n'aurions pu reprendre la route le lendemain.
Ground transportation in Vietnam: How to not die
Marie and I have been to a LOT of different places, and seen a lot of craziness. But nothing can prepare you for the ground transportation in Vietnam.
Crossing the street: The onslaught on scooters/motorbikes never stops. We waited for a break in the traffic for about 5 minutes before realizing it doesn't stop!!! You actually need to cross the street while hundreds of scooters/motorbikes, cars and trucks are coming right at you. The key is to walk slowly, and look the driver in the eye, so they can swerve around you. Another way is to wait for a local to cross, and follow them/use them as a blocker. Absurd.
Scooter/motorbike taxi: If Toyota is the world's largest car manufacturer, then Honda must have the most vehicles in the driveway. The Honda NF (Wave) scooter is EVERYWHERE. It also serves as a primary taxi in Hanoi (and yes, there is a driver and 2 passengers on it). While scary at first, it wasn't that bad, as they don't go more than 15-20 mph.
Mountain roads: Those of you that have been to Italy know that the drivers are crazy and the mountain "highways" are basically paved versions of goat paths. Not much different here, except the roads aren't necesarilly paved, falling rocks are common, rarely will you find guardrails, there are no rules, and children and farm animals in the middle of the road are common. We had at least 3 "We're gonna die" moments on a 2 day trip. The key to survival is having a rock solid vehicle (nothing less than Toyota Land Cruiser, Jeep Wrangler or Rang Rover will do), and a guide that has driven on the roads for 10 years.
Be cognizant, even if you're not on the road: Traffic does not slow down for anyone. In a 150km strech (about 100 miles), we saw 2 people thrown off motorbikes, an overturned tractor trailer, 2 "normal" auto accidents and a dead cow. At one point, Marie was standing on the side of the road taking pictures. Apparently this Hyundai dump truck going 35-40mph didn't care -- I had to literally push her out of the way (actually throw her into the rice fields) so she wasn't smacked by truck. Very scary.
Crossing the street: The onslaught on scooters/motorbikes never stops. We waited for a break in the traffic for about 5 minutes before realizing it doesn't stop!!! You actually need to cross the street while hundreds of scooters/motorbikes, cars and trucks are coming right at you. The key is to walk slowly, and look the driver in the eye, so they can swerve around you. Another way is to wait for a local to cross, and follow them/use them as a blocker. Absurd.
Scooter/motorbike taxi: If Toyota is the world's largest car manufacturer, then Honda must have the most vehicles in the driveway. The Honda NF (Wave) scooter is EVERYWHERE. It also serves as a primary taxi in Hanoi (and yes, there is a driver and 2 passengers on it). While scary at first, it wasn't that bad, as they don't go more than 15-20 mph.
Mountain roads: Those of you that have been to Italy know that the drivers are crazy and the mountain "highways" are basically paved versions of goat paths. Not much different here, except the roads aren't necesarilly paved, falling rocks are common, rarely will you find guardrails, there are no rules, and children and farm animals in the middle of the road are common. We had at least 3 "We're gonna die" moments on a 2 day trip. The key to survival is having a rock solid vehicle (nothing less than Toyota Land Cruiser, Jeep Wrangler or Rang Rover will do), and a guide that has driven on the roads for 10 years.
Be cognizant, even if you're not on the road: Traffic does not slow down for anyone. In a 150km strech (about 100 miles), we saw 2 people thrown off motorbikes, an overturned tractor trailer, 2 "normal" auto accidents and a dead cow. At one point, Marie was standing on the side of the road taking pictures. Apparently this Hyundai dump truck going 35-40mph didn't care -- I had to literally push her out of the way (actually throw her into the rice fields) so she wasn't smacked by truck. Very scary.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
New photos online: Hanoi and Halong Bay
Nous avons mis nos dernieres photos du Vietnam en ligne: Hanoi et la Baie d'Halong.
Disney Halong
Al Qaeda number 3 spotted in HanoiNous voici de retour a Hanoi apres avoir passe 3 jours et 2 nuits dans la baie d'Halong. Nous avons dormi sur un "junk" (vieux bateau chinois). Le site vaut le detour. Le 1er jour nous avons eu tres peur car tous les bateaux se suivaient pour faire les visites, ce qui gache un peu l'atmosphere (nous avions l'impression d'etre a Disney World !) et la baie grouillait de touristes (beaucoup d'australiens). Les vietnamiens ont meme cree des sortes de plages artificielles, pensant peut-etre plaire aux touristes ?... Ce n'etait en tous cas, pas de notre gout !
Le 2eme jour fut beaucoup plus sympa, car nous nous sommes eloignes des lieux touristiques et avons pu kayaker autours des ilots, dans les caves, et nager autours du bateau. Le fait de se retrouver seuls (ou presque) entre les rochers rend l'experience beaucoup plus agreable ! On avait l'impression d'etre dans le cratere de volcans. C'etait vraiment magnifique.
Demain nous partons pour 5 jours dans le Nord Ouest du pays: (dans le desordre) Lai Chau, Dien Bien Phu, Son La, Sapa and Lai Chau. Nous avons loue une voiture avec chauffeur, car ce n'est pas tres cher et on ne s'imagine pas du tout conduire ici !! Les vietnamiens roulent comme des malades ! Je ne sais pas s'il existe un code de la route, mais si c'est le cas, personne ne le respecte. Le premier jour il nous a fallu au moins 10 minutes pour traverser une avenue remplie de scooters, velos, voitures, avant de se decider a suivre une vieille dame pas a pas. Depuis nous avons pris l'habitude, il faut juste se lancer au milieu de la circulation sans trop reflechir, et aller doucement, etape par etape.
Une des options pour se deplacer dans Hanoi est de prendre un taxi scooter. A 3 dessus (le chauffeur + les 2 passagers), et a fond la caisse entre les voitures, et les autres scooters. C'est assez folklorique, mais il faut avoir le coeur bien accroche. J'etais assise entre Nick et le chauffeur de "taxi" que je serrais de toutes mes forces...
Avec sa nouvelle coupe de cheveux, Nick change de look... A vous de juger :-)
Monday, May 21, 2007
En route vers la Baie d'Halong
Quelle chaleur a Hanoi ! Nous avons encore beaucoup marche. Hier nous nous sommes balades dans les vieux quartiers, ou se trouve notre hotel, the Heart Hotel (tres touristique) ainsi que dans les rues autours du Lake Hoan Kiem, ou Nick s'est fait couper les cheveux (photo a l'appui). Nous avons egalement visite le Hanoi Hotel -- attention, il ne fait pas partie de la chaine hoteliere americaine! Pour en savoir plus, lisez le lien. C'etait assez enrichissant de lire le point de vue vietnamien... objectif ? Je ne suis pas sure...
Demain nous partons pour la Baie d'Halong pour 3 jours.
J'ai un peu la flemme d'ecrire ce soir mais voulais juste donner quelques nouvelles.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam
By complete coincidence, we arrived in Hanoi on what would have been Ho Chi Minh's 117th birthday, and the day before government "elections".
Ho Chi Minh: The guy is a legend here; posters, pictures, shirts, a city named after him. Once again, having not listened in high school history class, a lot of this is new to me. Please let me know if there are errors in my one-day of study:
Vietnam had been a French colony since the late 1700s/early 1800s, and Ho Chi Minh was the fellow who led the Vietnamese struggle to gain independence. According to what we've read/seen here, Ho's ultimate vision was for an independent Vietnam, free of foreign control. And he actually received US assistance between 1941-1945 when the Japanese invaded Vietnam. However, the US stance changed when:
- the perception was that he was aligned/controlled by communist Russia; and
- the US needed France's help with NATO to ensure communism didn't spread in Europe (and France didn't want to give up control of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia).
We'll never know if Ho Chi Minh was "controlled" by Russia or not -- its a fact that he had believed in communism since the 1920s and the Russians supported his nationalistic and/or communism causes in the 1950s. In any case, France relinquished control of Vietnam in 1954, and the country was divided into the Communist North (led by Ho Chi Minh) and South (led by Ngo Dinh Diem, selected by and aligned with the US). This was supposed to be a temporary solution (with the expectation that proper elections for a united country held in 1956), but that never happened because everyone knew Ho Chi Minh (and the communists) would win. In any case, Ho wanted a united Vietnam, encouraged guerrilla attacks the south, and the rest is history. In 1975, the city of Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Government elections have an interesting twist: All candidates must be affiliated with or endorsed by the controlling Communist Party. Apparently the theory is within the party, there may be candidates that are more qualified for a given role than others, and the people should make the decision of who to select. There's a funny poster where two people are placing their ballots in the box, with two military folks standing right behind them!!!! Clearly these elections aren't at the same level as typical western multi-party systems, but it is a small step.
Again, all this is new to me, so please let me know of any corrections.
Ho Chi Minh: The guy is a legend here; posters, pictures, shirts, a city named after him. Once again, having not listened in high school history class, a lot of this is new to me. Please let me know if there are errors in my one-day of study:
Vietnam had been a French colony since the late 1700s/early 1800s, and Ho Chi Minh was the fellow who led the Vietnamese struggle to gain independence. According to what we've read/seen here, Ho's ultimate vision was for an independent Vietnam, free of foreign control. And he actually received US assistance between 1941-1945 when the Japanese invaded Vietnam. However, the US stance changed when:
- the perception was that he was aligned/controlled by communist Russia; and
- the US needed France's help with NATO to ensure communism didn't spread in Europe (and France didn't want to give up control of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia).
We'll never know if Ho Chi Minh was "controlled" by Russia or not -- its a fact that he had believed in communism since the 1920s and the Russians supported his nationalistic and/or communism causes in the 1950s. In any case, France relinquished control of Vietnam in 1954, and the country was divided into the Communist North (led by Ho Chi Minh) and South (led by Ngo Dinh Diem, selected by and aligned with the US). This was supposed to be a temporary solution (with the expectation that proper elections for a united country held in 1956), but that never happened because everyone knew Ho Chi Minh (and the communists) would win. In any case, Ho wanted a united Vietnam, encouraged guerrilla attacks the south, and the rest is history. In 1975, the city of Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Government elections have an interesting twist: All candidates must be affiliated with or endorsed by the controlling Communist Party. Apparently the theory is within the party, there may be candidates that are more qualified for a given role than others, and the people should make the decision of who to select. There's a funny poster where two people are placing their ballots in the box, with two military folks standing right behind them!!!! Clearly these elections aren't at the same level as typical western multi-party systems, but it is a small step.
Again, all this is new to me, so please let me know of any corrections.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
New photos online: Luang Prabang in Laos
Just arrived in Hanoi
We've just arrived in Hanoi and just checked into our hotel. We were supposed to stay at the Golden Sun Hotel, as mentioned in my previous post, but when we arrived the owner of the place, Mrs Moon, welcomed us at our taxi to tell her that she was going to give us a room at another of her hotel, the Heart Hotel: "It is much better... Just for you... You will see...". Well I don't know if you agree but for me when a stranger says "just for you" it is never a good sign...
We've just arrived in our room and it is not so bad actually. It seems pretty clean and it has FREE INTERNET and cable TV! Wowowow! We were supposed to have a view but I don't see anything through the window... just a wall... Well for $30 with breakfast included, it is not a bad deal.
Oh by the way, have you heard that there has been an earthquake in northern Vietnam and Laos on Wednesday, with a magnitude of 6.1? Check out this article from BBC News. We've just heard about it today after arriving in Hanoi, as we didn't have access to the news in Laos. Well, we are sound and safe... and actually didn't hear / feel a thing (maybe we were too intoxicated with Beer Lao?)
Time for me to take a shower before heading to the streets of Hanoi for dinner... First, I will have to fight with Nick so he'll turn off the TV (he is like hypnotized right now)...
We've just arrived in our room and it is not so bad actually. It seems pretty clean and it has FREE INTERNET and cable TV! Wowowow! We were supposed to have a view but I don't see anything through the window... just a wall... Well for $30 with breakfast included, it is not a bad deal.
Oh by the way, have you heard that there has been an earthquake in northern Vietnam and Laos on Wednesday, with a magnitude of 6.1? Check out this article from BBC News. We've just heard about it today after arriving in Hanoi, as we didn't have access to the news in Laos. Well, we are sound and safe... and actually didn't hear / feel a thing (maybe we were too intoxicated with Beer Lao?)
Time for me to take a shower before heading to the streets of Hanoi for dinner... First, I will have to fight with Nick so he'll turn off the TV (he is like hypnotized right now)...
Friday, May 18, 2007
Dernier jour a Luang Prabang
Aujourd'hui est notre derniere journee au Laos, ou du moins pour le moment (nous comptons peut-etre y revenir vers la fin de notre sejour pour visiter les "4000 islands"). Nous partons donc demain a 17h pour Hanoi au Vietnam (vol VN864)
Nous avons reserve un hotel pour 3 nuits dans le vieux quartier de la ville. La torture se termine pour Nick: il y a la tele ! Nous suivons depuis le debut de notre voyage les conseils du site trip advisor, et pour le moment, pas de mauvaises surprises (croisons les doigts !). Nous pensons passer 2 / 3 jours a Hanoi et ensuite faire une boucle dans le nord du Vietnam, mais rien n'est sur... les choses changent tres vite.
Nous avons reserve un hotel pour 3 nuits dans le vieux quartier de la ville. La torture se termine pour Nick: il y a la tele ! Nous suivons depuis le debut de notre voyage les conseils du site trip advisor, et pour le moment, pas de mauvaises surprises (croisons les doigts !). Nous pensons passer 2 / 3 jours a Hanoi et ensuite faire une boucle dans le nord du Vietnam, mais rien n'est sur... les choses changent tres vite.
New photos online: Chiang Rai and Mekong
Nous avons poste de nouvelles photos sur notre site. Cliquez sur les liens a droite de l'ecran pour y acceder.
We posted 2 new albums.
- Chiang Rai
- Mekong River
We posted 2 new albums.
- Chiang Rai
- Mekong River
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The People and the Culture
- As discussed previously, religion (and Buddhism in particular) is an integral part of the environment here in Laos. 82% of all Lao people live in self-sustaining farming villages. For food, people in the community go fishing in the Mekong, raise chickens and cows, and farm rice and other vegetables. The majority of villages do not have electricity, and good luck finding any "consumer products".
- The most popular way to "move out of the village" is to become a Buddhist Novice (somewhat analogous to an altar boy). Essentially, around the age of 10, boys/young men begin training to become monks. They start in the local village, then move out, and the monkhood helps provide their education (most villages do not have schools). I suspect only a small number of novices go onto become proper monks, but its clear if you want to learn, its the only game in town, err, the village.
- Getting into work mode for a moment, there is ONE bank in Luang Prabang, the 2nd largest city in the country!!! Villagers have ZERO access to financial services and more importantly, the philanthropic and capital markets industry that would be more than willing to assist. In the US, if the town needs to build a new school, the municipality will simply put out a bond to raise the money. These folks don't have access to any of those services. Presumably, that's one of the roles of the Asian Development Bank, but I suspect that's not enough. Ideally, someone (obviously smarter than me) will figure out how to provide the villages themselves with access to the capital they need.
- People don't get angry. Here, the old "patience is a virtue" is in full force. Expanding on the previous point, people act very calmly no matter how frustrating the situation. And the considering the horrible state of roads, the extreme poverty, crazy heat, and UXOs that continue to impact growth/development, the people have a lot of frustrating things to deal with!!!! Khan from King of the Hill does not demonstrate these qualities.
- The most popular way to "move out of the village" is to become a Buddhist Novice (somewhat analogous to an altar boy). Essentially, around the age of 10, boys/young men begin training to become monks. They start in the local village, then move out, and the monkhood helps provide their education (most villages do not have schools). I suspect only a small number of novices go onto become proper monks, but its clear if you want to learn, its the only game in town, err, the village.
- Getting into work mode for a moment, there is ONE bank in Luang Prabang, the 2nd largest city in the country!!! Villagers have ZERO access to financial services and more importantly, the philanthropic and capital markets industry that would be more than willing to assist. In the US, if the town needs to build a new school, the municipality will simply put out a bond to raise the money. These folks don't have access to any of those services. Presumably, that's one of the roles of the Asian Development Bank, but I suspect that's not enough. Ideally, someone (obviously smarter than me) will figure out how to provide the villages themselves with access to the capital they need.
- People don't get angry. Here, the old "patience is a virtue" is in full force. Expanding on the previous point, people act very calmly no matter how frustrating the situation. And the considering the horrible state of roads, the extreme poverty, crazy heat, and UXOs that continue to impact growth/development, the people have a lot of frustrating things to deal with!!!! Khan from King of the Hill does not demonstrate these qualities.
Just can't leave Luang Prabang
So here we are... Still in Luang Prabang. Not easy to leave this city, and this, for different reasons. First, we don't want to take Lao Airlines (at least I don't... Apparently Nick doesn't really mind risking his life in chinese planes...) and travelling by bus in this country doesn't seem like the most comfortable thing (unless you enjoy vomiting or traveling with chicken and pigs -- personally I am used to traveling with a pig, but chicken I don't know :-). The second reason is that Luang Prabang is probably one of the greatest city we have ever been to. It is a bit difficult to explain... There is nothing special to see here, but the overall atmosphere of the city is very unique: not crowded, clean, laid back, with a mix of French and Laos influences. As I mentioned in my previous post (in french), it seems that the city has been stucked in time... You'll see on the pictures soon, even though I am sure they won't do it justice.
During our boat trip in the Mekong, we met an Irish couple, John and Nessa, with whom we spent some time. Today we went to the Kuang Si Waterfalls, about 30 kilometers away from Luang Prabang. What surprised us the most was that we didn't see one single car during the two hours drive (1 hour each way at 30 km/h) -- only bicycles, songthaews, tuk tuks, and scooters.
We are still debating about where we are heading next. We should be in Luang Prabang until Saturday morning and then leave to either Hanoi (Vietnam), the Plain of Jars (Laos) or Vientiane.
During our boat trip in the Mekong, we met an Irish couple, John and Nessa, with whom we spent some time. Today we went to the Kuang Si Waterfalls, about 30 kilometers away from Luang Prabang. What surprised us the most was that we didn't see one single car during the two hours drive (1 hour each way at 30 km/h) -- only bicycles, songthaews, tuk tuks, and scooters.
We are still debating about where we are heading next. We should be in Luang Prabang until Saturday morning and then leave to either Hanoi (Vietnam), the Plain of Jars (Laos) or Vientiane.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Laos: Are you Chinese or Japanese?
Bonus points to anyone that can name that reference...
In all seriousness, this is an absolutely fascinating place. Perhaps the average person that listened in history class knows (not me), but apparently the US military saturated northern Laos with bombs during the Vietnam war (their way of ensuring communism doesn't spread throughout the region). In fact, Northern Laos has the highest number of UXOs (unexploded bombs) in the world (more than Afghanistan and Iraq).
Having said that, words can't describe how beautiful and peaceful it is. We took a 2 day cruise down the Mekong River from a small border town called Houeisay to Luang Prabang (the 2nd largest town in Laos). We'll post pictures shortly, but suffice to say, it feels like you're in a movie. The landscape is completely undeveloped and unspoiled, and the people dirt poor but incredibly happy and friendly.
Luang Prabang is the town that time forgot. Worldwide economic sanctions from the 1970s through 2004 severely limited socioeconomic development in the country (in fact, its on the UN's least developed nation list). What it lacks in economy, it more than makes up for in old world charm. Laos was a former French colony (became independent in the mid-1950s), and it really blends both French and Lao cultures. Everything from the cuisine, to the language, to the buildings to the sports, are all clearly have both influences. The very cool part is the town in officially a UNESCO World Heritage site, which means it'll retain its charm for many years to come.
In all seriousness, this is an absolutely fascinating place. Perhaps the average person that listened in history class knows (not me), but apparently the US military saturated northern Laos with bombs during the Vietnam war (their way of ensuring communism doesn't spread throughout the region). In fact, Northern Laos has the highest number of UXOs (unexploded bombs) in the world (more than Afghanistan and Iraq).
Having said that, words can't describe how beautiful and peaceful it is. We took a 2 day cruise down the Mekong River from a small border town called Houeisay to Luang Prabang (the 2nd largest town in Laos). We'll post pictures shortly, but suffice to say, it feels like you're in a movie. The landscape is completely undeveloped and unspoiled, and the people dirt poor but incredibly happy and friendly.
Luang Prabang is the town that time forgot. Worldwide economic sanctions from the 1970s through 2004 severely limited socioeconomic development in the country (in fact, its on the UN's least developed nation list). What it lacks in economy, it more than makes up for in old world charm. Laos was a former French colony (became independent in the mid-1950s), and it really blends both French and Lao cultures. Everything from the cuisine, to the language, to the buildings to the sports, are all clearly have both influences. The very cool part is the town in officially a UNESCO World Heritage site, which means it'll retain its charm for many years to come.
Laos... Magnifique
Nous sommes arrives hier soir a Luang Prabang, au Laos, apres deux jours en bateau. C'est magnifique.
Nous sommes partis Lundi matin de Chiang Khong en Thailande pour rejoindre Houeisay, du cote laotien du fleuve ( 5 minutes de traversee). La, apres avoir passe "l'immigration", nous avons embarque sur le Luang Say. Nous avions le choix entre trois types de bateaux:
- Slow boat: traversee de 2 jours entasses dans un petit bateau, dans des conditions assez inconfortables.
- Speed boat: traversee de 9 heures dans un bateau a moteur rapide ou il et recommande de porter un casque et des boules quies... Apparement ce type de bateau, en plus d'etre inconfortable, est tres dangereux (il y a des morts chaque annee...)
- Le Luang Say boat
Autant dire que pour des routards comme nous, le choix n'a pas ete tres difficile... ;-)
Le voyage sur le Mekong est fabuleux... Les paysages sont intacts. On rencontre de temps en temps des petits pecheurs en barques qui pechent le poisson chat, ou des gens qui lavent leur linge dans le fleuve. C'est tres montagneux, mais aussi tres verdoyant. Les enfants dans les villages sont adorables (Nick m'a fait remarque que je devais probablement avoir plus de photos d'enfants que de photos de paysages !)
Lundi soir, nous avons dormi dans un lodge au bord du fleuve. C'etait tres bien, mais il y avait beaucoup d'insectes. Durant le diner, un insecte d'une quinzaine de centimetres (!!) a atterri dans notre sauce pimentes. Ca fait un drole d'effet.
Nous sommes arrives hier soir a Luang Prabang, deuxieme ville du Laos. Cette ville donne en fait plutot l'impression d'etre un village. Elle fait partie du patrimoine Mondial de l'Unesco depuis 1995 car c'est une des villes coloniales d'Asie les mieux conservees. On y ressent vraiment l'impact de la colonisation francaise. Sur les bords du fleuve des civils et militaires laotiens jouent a la petanque, il y beaucoup de restaurants francais et l'architecture des maisons est clairement francaise. Dans la rue on voit aussi pas mal de vieilles voitures europeennes (Mercedes des annees 50).
On a vraiment l'impression que le Laos est reste fige dans le temps... Bref, c'est assez difficile d'expliquer dans un email l'impression que donne ce pays (surtout quand on a aucun talent d'ecriture, comme moi), mais ce pays vaut vraiment la peine d'etre visite.
Nous sommes partis Lundi matin de Chiang Khong en Thailande pour rejoindre Houeisay, du cote laotien du fleuve ( 5 minutes de traversee). La, apres avoir passe "l'immigration", nous avons embarque sur le Luang Say. Nous avions le choix entre trois types de bateaux:
- Slow boat: traversee de 2 jours entasses dans un petit bateau, dans des conditions assez inconfortables.
- Speed boat: traversee de 9 heures dans un bateau a moteur rapide ou il et recommande de porter un casque et des boules quies... Apparement ce type de bateau, en plus d'etre inconfortable, est tres dangereux (il y a des morts chaque annee...)
- Le Luang Say boat
Autant dire que pour des routards comme nous, le choix n'a pas ete tres difficile... ;-)
Le voyage sur le Mekong est fabuleux... Les paysages sont intacts. On rencontre de temps en temps des petits pecheurs en barques qui pechent le poisson chat, ou des gens qui lavent leur linge dans le fleuve. C'est tres montagneux, mais aussi tres verdoyant. Les enfants dans les villages sont adorables (Nick m'a fait remarque que je devais probablement avoir plus de photos d'enfants que de photos de paysages !)
Lundi soir, nous avons dormi dans un lodge au bord du fleuve. C'etait tres bien, mais il y avait beaucoup d'insectes. Durant le diner, un insecte d'une quinzaine de centimetres (!!) a atterri dans notre sauce pimentes. Ca fait un drole d'effet.
Nous sommes arrives hier soir a Luang Prabang, deuxieme ville du Laos. Cette ville donne en fait plutot l'impression d'etre un village. Elle fait partie du patrimoine Mondial de l'Unesco depuis 1995 car c'est une des villes coloniales d'Asie les mieux conservees. On y ressent vraiment l'impact de la colonisation francaise. Sur les bords du fleuve des civils et militaires laotiens jouent a la petanque, il y beaucoup de restaurants francais et l'architecture des maisons est clairement francaise. Dans la rue on voit aussi pas mal de vieilles voitures europeennes (Mercedes des annees 50).
On a vraiment l'impression que le Laos est reste fige dans le temps... Bref, c'est assez difficile d'expliquer dans un email l'impression que donne ce pays (surtout quand on a aucun talent d'ecriture, comme moi), mais ce pays vaut vraiment la peine d'etre visite.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
En route pour Chiang Khong
Apres avoir passe deux nuits dans un hotel tres sympa, nous partons aujourd'hui pour Chiang Khong, ville frontaliere avec le Laos. Nous pensons passer la nuit au Namkhong Riverside Hotel avant de partir demain matin en bateau sur le Mekong pour rejoindre Luang Prabang au Laos. Le voyage dure deux jours et nous allons passer une nuit dans un lodge au pied du fleuve entre les deux villes.
Nous avons pu nous reposer a Chiang Rai car il n'y a pas grand chose a faire dans le coin. Nos batteries sont donc rechargees pour commencer notre petit periple. La premiere partie du voyage en bus jusqu'a Chiang Khong promet deja d'etre interessante: pas de clim, des sieges en bois, et tous entasses pendant 3 heures... De vrais routards ! ;-)
Nous avons pu nous reposer a Chiang Rai car il n'y a pas grand chose a faire dans le coin. Nos batteries sont donc rechargees pour commencer notre petit periple. La premiere partie du voyage en bus jusqu'a Chiang Khong promet deja d'etre interessante: pas de clim, des sieges en bois, et tous entasses pendant 3 heures... De vrais routards ! ;-)
Chiang Mai photos online!
Nous venons de mettre en ligne nos photos de Chiang Mai. Cliquez sur le lien a droite de l'ecran.
We've just posted our photos from Chiang Mai. Just click on the link on the right nav bar.
We've just posted our photos from Chiang Mai. Just click on the link on the right nav bar.
Pimp My Scooter: Transportation in Northern Thailand
Who needs "history" and "culture"? Lets talk about the rides of Northern Thailand.
Night Market is to Scooter as Mall is to Car: Funny how all young people all over the world seem to share the same basic interests. The guidebooks stress how cool the "Night Markets" are. And indeed they are pretty cool. Essentially, they are open markets with over 100 different independent booths that sell everything and anything you could imagine, such as electronics, cell phones/accessories, silks, books, food, drink, clothes, touristy crap, etc. While there are a good number of tourists looking around, there are even more local teens/young people.
When it was time to leave, we noticed packs of young people on scooters, which is the primary means of transportation for most folks. Once again, its really analogous to the US in that many guys were driving (trying to look all tough), and their girlfriends riding on the back. Also, many of the scooters were "pimped out" in that they have aftermarket stickers, upgraded wheels and exhausts. In some instances we saw 3 or 4 people on a scooter!!!
Cars: The upper-middle class either have extended cab compact pickups or a small car. The new generation Toyota Tacoma (here referred to as the HI-LUX) is the really fancy ride, followed by Isuzu's version of the Chevy Colorado pickup, Honda Jazz (known as the Fit in the US), Civic and Toyota Camry. Ford and Chrysler have practically zero presence here, which may help explain why they're so dependent on the North American market and losing money left and right.
Tuk-Tuk - As previously discussed, take a basic 125cc motorcycle frame, modify the rear-end to have 2 wheels, and add an open air cab with a bench seat, and you have Thailand's primary short-haul inter-city taxi. Marie adores riding in tuk-tuks.
Bus: There are many different types of buses for inter-city travel. In order:
- VIP - has plush reclining seats, audio/video, and an "attendant" that serves drinks/snacks;
- Air-Conditioned with reclining seats and an "attendant" that serves simple snacks/water - we took this from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai;
- Air-Conditioned with bench seats; and
- Non-air-conditioned with bench seats - we will be taking this from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong.
Songthaew: This literally translates to "2 row". In a nutshell, take a maroon red compact standard-cab pickup (e.g., Isuzu PUP, Mazda B-series, previous generation Toyota Tacoma) with the bed door removed, throw 2 bench seats in the bed, and add a tall bed cap. Voila, you have the high-end taxi system in Thailand's 2nd largest town, Chiang Mai. Swap the standard-cab pickup for a blue pickup about 3/4 of the size, and you have Chiang Rai's high-end taxi. Funny how riding in the bed of a truck in the US is illegal in most states (not to mention really scary), but this seems perfectly fine and safe in Thailand. And words can't describe how much fun it is to ride in these things.
Night Market is to Scooter as Mall is to Car: Funny how all young people all over the world seem to share the same basic interests. The guidebooks stress how cool the "Night Markets" are. And indeed they are pretty cool. Essentially, they are open markets with over 100 different independent booths that sell everything and anything you could imagine, such as electronics, cell phones/accessories, silks, books, food, drink, clothes, touristy crap, etc. While there are a good number of tourists looking around, there are even more local teens/young people.
When it was time to leave, we noticed packs of young people on scooters, which is the primary means of transportation for most folks. Once again, its really analogous to the US in that many guys were driving (trying to look all tough), and their girlfriends riding on the back. Also, many of the scooters were "pimped out" in that they have aftermarket stickers, upgraded wheels and exhausts. In some instances we saw 3 or 4 people on a scooter!!!
Cars: The upper-middle class either have extended cab compact pickups or a small car. The new generation Toyota Tacoma (here referred to as the HI-LUX) is the really fancy ride, followed by Isuzu's version of the Chevy Colorado pickup, Honda Jazz (known as the Fit in the US), Civic and Toyota Camry. Ford and Chrysler have practically zero presence here, which may help explain why they're so dependent on the North American market and losing money left and right.
Tuk-Tuk - As previously discussed, take a basic 125cc motorcycle frame, modify the rear-end to have 2 wheels, and add an open air cab with a bench seat, and you have Thailand's primary short-haul inter-city taxi. Marie adores riding in tuk-tuks.
Bus: There are many different types of buses for inter-city travel. In order:
- VIP - has plush reclining seats, audio/video, and an "attendant" that serves drinks/snacks;
- Air-Conditioned with reclining seats and an "attendant" that serves simple snacks/water - we took this from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai;
- Air-Conditioned with bench seats; and
- Non-air-conditioned with bench seats - we will be taking this from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong.
Songthaew: This literally translates to "2 row". In a nutshell, take a maroon red compact standard-cab pickup (e.g., Isuzu PUP, Mazda B-series, previous generation Toyota Tacoma) with the bed door removed, throw 2 bench seats in the bed, and add a tall bed cap. Voila, you have the high-end taxi system in Thailand's 2nd largest town, Chiang Mai. Swap the standard-cab pickup for a blue pickup about 3/4 of the size, and you have Chiang Rai's high-end taxi. Funny how riding in the bed of a truck in the US is illegal in most states (not to mention really scary), but this seems perfectly fine and safe in Thailand. And words can't describe how much fun it is to ride in these things.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Our first photos are online / nos premieres photos sont en ligne
To see our photos from Bangkok, click on the Photos of Bangkok link on the right navigation.
Pour voir nos photos, cliquez sur Photos of Bangkok a droite de l'ecran, puis sur View Pictures and View as a slideshow pour les voir se derouler.
Pour voir nos photos, cliquez sur Photos of Bangkok a droite de l'ecran, puis sur View Pictures and View as a slideshow pour les voir se derouler.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Chiang Mai
Greetings from Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. What a nice break from Bangkok! Even though it is the 2nd biggest city of Thailand, it is much more laid back and quiet and people are nicer (we don't get harrassed every 2 minutes by tuk tuk driver "Where you from?... Wanna see big buddha?").
Last night we took a thai cooking class at Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, which was really nice. We were 5 people in the class and got to cook 5 different dishes each: pad thai, curry chicken, sweet and sour soup, spring rolls and stir fried chicken. It was not as hard as we thought and believe it or not, our food was pretty good. For those of you who always dreamt to see Nick wearing a purple apron and doing grocery shopping with a little wicker basket, I am going to post some pictures soon!
Today we went to Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain (2565 meters above sea level). It is located in Doi Inthanon National Park, about 1 hour away from Chiang Mai. Very nice waterfall, and we really appreciated getting some cooler mountain air.
Tomorrow we are heading by bus to Chiang Rai, a little more up north, not far from the borders with Laos and Myanmar.
Last night we took a thai cooking class at Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, which was really nice. We were 5 people in the class and got to cook 5 different dishes each: pad thai, curry chicken, sweet and sour soup, spring rolls and stir fried chicken. It was not as hard as we thought and believe it or not, our food was pretty good. For those of you who always dreamt to see Nick wearing a purple apron and doing grocery shopping with a little wicker basket, I am going to post some pictures soon!
Today we went to Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain (2565 meters above sea level). It is located in Doi Inthanon National Park, about 1 hour away from Chiang Mai. Very nice waterfall, and we really appreciated getting some cooler mountain air.
Tomorrow we are heading by bus to Chiang Rai, a little more up north, not far from the borders with Laos and Myanmar.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Backpackers in name only
Today is our last day in Bangkok, and we're now headed to Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. If there's one thing that has become blatantly obvious, its that we're backpackers in name only.
Examples:
Examples:
- We have rather functional Swiss Army backpacks (then again, anything by Swiss Army is functional). Lots of compartments, a very comfortable handle / roller wheels for rolling through the airport/sidewalk, hard-core backpack straps (both shoulder and around the waist), and its only a couple of inches larger than a typical carry on. Most of the hippies have these huge bags that go over their heads and seemingly require Nepalese shirpas to haul.
- Hardcore backpackers travel between the Bangkok and Chiang Mai via bus, which costs about $10 per person, and takes 12-15 hours. We are flying via Thai Airways in Business Class for about $100. Let the record show: Business was only $25 more than coach; Is on an Airbus A330 (international plane with the really cool seats, even if its only for an hour), and has airport lounge access (and the lounge has food).
- We wash our feet.
- We stayed in hotels/guest houses that are clean, have air-conditioning, a private bathroom/shower, and generally lack insects/rodents. Hardcore backpackers view these features as a bonus, and not worth an extra $5/night.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Bangkok, encore et toujours...
Cela fait pres de 4 jours que nous sommes a Bangkok, et bien que la ville ait beaucoup a offrir, nous avons hate de commencer notre petit periple vers le Nord de la Thailande. Nous avons reserve nos billets d'avion sur Thai Airways a destination de Chiang Mai et prenons vol Mercredi matin (vol TG102).
Pas evident d'organiser notre voyage au Laos. Il semblerait que les infrastructures touristiques soient assez rudimentaires:
Pas evident d'organiser notre voyage au Laos. Il semblerait que les infrastructures touristiques soient assez rudimentaires:
- Lao Airlines, la seule complagnie a offrir des vols interieurs, possede des avions chinois et n'opere pas aux normes occidentales sur certaines de ses lignes. Apparement, tous les crashes d'avion ne sont pas communiques.
- La seule et unique route (route 13) qui relie Lang Prabang (nord du Laos) a Vientiane a ete le lieu de violences recemment. Les autorites Francaises et Americaines decouragent les touristes de s'y aventurer.
J'imagine qu'en lisant ca mes parents vont faire des bonds: "pas d'imprudence !". Je tiens juste a les rassurer -- Nick n'est pas pret de reussir a me convaincre de monter dans un avion chinois ! Nous allons devoir faire preuve de creativite (peut-etre passer par le Cambodge ou le Vietnam avant de se rendre dans le sud du Laos ?)
Affaire a suivre...
Sunday, May 6, 2007
"Wat" u talkin' 'bout Willis?
We've spent the past couple of days in Bangkok, while waiting for our visas for Laos and Vietnam to be processed, which has given us ample opportunity to check out the town at a leisurly pace. Some highlights of the past couple of days:
Wats: So far, we've been to numerous temples, such as Golden Mountain, Wat Phra Kaew, and Wat Arun. Its quite evident that Buddhism is part of the fabric of the culture - no separation of church and state here. Regardless, the architecture here is phenominal.
Th Khao San: aka Backpacker Central. If there's one thing we've learned about ourselves, its that we aren't 22 years old anymore. There are numerous hippies (or, to steal a quote my friend Pete, kids of former hippies that drive their parent's Saab) that hang out on this road. Home to tons of bars, drunk (and really drunk) backpackers fill the street. While it was cool to check the area out, for us it got played out in a hurry.
Tuk-Tuk: Basically Thailand's version of a motorized rickshaw, except the drivers will harass you to death. They simply don't take no for an answer. But, you can take a 30 minute ride for less than a buck.
Siam Place: Southeast Asia's newest and biggest mall is home to absurdly high end stores such as Hermes, Gucci, Armani, Ferragamo, etc. The second floor has car dealerships for Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Lotus. Its really a great layout. 1st floor is for super rich women, 2nd floor for super rich guys, 3rd floor for "normal people", and 4th floor for conventions/training/education. There was also a bizarre scene where dozens of kids were dressed up like Japanese cartoon characters. Take a look at Marie's post for a sample.
Tonight is the French political election, so as you can imagine, we are both interested in the outcome, although one just slightly more than the other. Can you guess who?
Wats: So far, we've been to numerous temples, such as Golden Mountain, Wat Phra Kaew, and Wat Arun. Its quite evident that Buddhism is part of the fabric of the culture - no separation of church and state here. Regardless, the architecture here is phenominal.
Th Khao San: aka Backpacker Central. If there's one thing we've learned about ourselves, its that we aren't 22 years old anymore. There are numerous hippies (or, to steal a quote my friend Pete, kids of former hippies that drive their parent's Saab) that hang out on this road. Home to tons of bars, drunk (and really drunk) backpackers fill the street. While it was cool to check the area out, for us it got played out in a hurry.
Tuk-Tuk: Basically Thailand's version of a motorized rickshaw, except the drivers will harass you to death. They simply don't take no for an answer. But, you can take a 30 minute ride for less than a buck.
Siam Place: Southeast Asia's newest and biggest mall is home to absurdly high end stores such as Hermes, Gucci, Armani, Ferragamo, etc. The second floor has car dealerships for Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Lotus. Its really a great layout. 1st floor is for super rich women, 2nd floor for super rich guys, 3rd floor for "normal people", and 4th floor for conventions/training/education. There was also a bizarre scene where dozens of kids were dressed up like Japanese cartoon characters. Take a look at Marie's post for a sample.
Tonight is the French political election, so as you can imagine, we are both interested in the outcome, although one just slightly more than the other. Can you guess who?
Wanna see Ping Pong show?...
Dans un mall de Bangkok, des types deguises.....
Wat Phra Kaew -- Temple of Emerald BuddhaNous sommes toujours a Bangkok, ou nous attendons nos visas pour le Laos et le Vietnam qui devraient etre prets Mardi. Cette attente nous permet en fait de prendre le rythme des vacances. Cela fait vraiment bizarre de ne pas avoir de contraintes de temps.
Nous marchons beaucoup malgre la chaleur etouffante. En plus de visiter les lieux touristiques de Bangkok, cela nous permet de gouter un peu plus a l'atmosphere de la ville. Si Nick pense qu'il y a beaucoup de similarites avec l'Inde, j'apprecie le fait qu'il y ait beaucoup moins de mendiants et moins de harcelement dans les rues !
Pour en revenir a la partie de ping pong, on ne cesse de nous demander dans la rue si l'on veut aller voir un "ping-pong show"... Je me demande ce que c'est ;-) A ce sujet, je suis vraiment impressionee par le nombre de prostituees. Il y en a partout et pas seulement dans les "quartiers chauds", mais dans tous les lieux ou il y a des touristes. Difficile de donner un age a ces filles (et garcons), mais c'est assez choquant de les voir aux bras de ces vieux types. Nous ne sommes pas alles a Patpong, mais je dois dire que je suis assez intriguee (curiosite malsaine !)
Quelques lieux visites:
- Temple of Emerald Buddha
- Sky train -- assez sympa de voir la ville de cette facon. Il n'y a que des jeunes ou des expats dans ce metro
- Golden Mount
- La maison de Jim Thompson -- Tres belle architecture et tres calme...
Friday, May 4, 2007
First Day in Bangkok
As you can see from the pictures in Marie's earlier post, we arrived in Bangkok last night. Thai Airways has a 17 hour nonstop flight from NYC. They have 3 classes of service -- Lie-flat business class, good ol' Economy and Premium Economy (which has exactly the same meals/service as coach, but 10 inches more legroom). Should any of you choose to take a flight this absurdly long, lets just say the $150 ($9/hr) for Premium Economy over regular coach was WELL worth it. Thai Airways service is great (3 full meals, free booze, on-demand sandwiches, on-demand audio/video/games, etc.), but the legroom was a godsend.
In Bangkok, we are staying at the New Siam II hotel, which was recommended by some friends. At $13/night, its meets the criteria of clean, and low cost!!!! Very similar to a Red Roof Inn/Days Inn in that its clean, has international TV and air-conditioning.
Initial thoughts of Bangkok:
In Bangkok, we are staying at the New Siam II hotel, which was recommended by some friends. At $13/night, its meets the criteria of clean, and low cost!!!! Very similar to a Red Roof Inn/Days Inn in that its clean, has international TV and air-conditioning.
Initial thoughts of Bangkok:
- Its somewhat similar to New Delhi in that its truly at the crossroads of old school eastern and new school western culture and economy. Lots of modern skyscrapers, traditional homes, and beggars in the streets.
- Religion (buddhism) plays a large role in the culture. Lots of "wats" (temple) all over the place.
- Thailand is a Kingdom. There are signs/pictures of "The King", "The Queen", "Long live the King" and people in official "King" yellow shirts everywhere.
- 90% of the tourists fall into 4 basic groups:
- American/European/Australian ex-pats;
- Backpackers from the ages of 18 to 60;
- Young families; and
- Creepy old dudes looking for prostitutes.
Our hotel has patrons of the first 3 categories. There are no less than 5 signs that read "Prostitutes are not allowed in the guest rooms", to discourage the last group, which is a very good thing.
We're still quite a bit jet lagged (hence, this posting at 3.13am), but all in all, so far so good. We'll be in Bangkok until Wednesday, while our visas for Laos and Vietnam are processed.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Arrivee a Bangkok
JFK - Notre avion
Depart de l'appartement. On voyage leger. Nous sommes arrives a Bangkok hier soir apres 18 heures de vol. Assez long... surtout apres avoir pris de mauvaises habitudes de voyage ces dernieres annees... Nous n'etions plus habitues a passer autant de temps en avion sans pouvoir s'allonger. Neanmoins, le service sur Thai Airways est plutot bien: bonne nourriture, plein de films, etc... Personellement, j'ai regarde, The Freedom Writers, Desaccord Parfait (un film francais avec Charlotte Rampling et Jean Rochefort), The Holiday et le debut de The Puirsuit of Happyness.
Nous sommes arrives a la New Siam II Guesthouse vers 18h30. C'est tres bien. Certes, ce n'est pas l'Oriental, mais c'est propre, il y a la clim, c'est bien situe, etc... Par contre, il y a des panneaux partout dans l'hotel (dans les escaliers, dans les chambres...) pour dire qu'il est interdit de faire monter des prostituees dans sa chambre. Ce n'est pas une blague... Nick a quand meme reussi a faire monter la sienne! ;-)
Au programme aujourd'hui: ambassade du Vietnam pour faire une demande de visa, puis balade dans le quartier historique.
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