Obviously more pictures to come. But this one is from last night, at our hotel in Phnom Penh. We soon went to a street stand for food, which sent me immediately to the bathroom afterwards.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Friday, June 1, 2007
Trip Phrases
I decided to end my conspicuous absence from the blog today by writing about some phrases we've come to use during our travels. Below is a brief summary of such slang.
"Rolling the Dice": To "roll the dice" is to take a chance by participating in some activity with which one is unfamiliar. This may involve ordering food or beverage at a restaurant with which you have no prior experience, often done by simply pointing at the picture of something that looks tasty. It also may involve crossing the street in the strange urban jungles of Vietnam or Cambodia, where traffic patterns follow no apparent pattern or law. Further, it may involve using some mode of public transport with operators who speak limited to no English, trusting that they, in their knowledge of the local surroundings, will guide you to your intended destination. There are numerous other examples of rolling the dice, some of which are omitted purposefully here.
"Free Smells": In Charlottesville, there is a sign posted outside of the sandwich shop Jimmy John's advertising free smells for those who enter, implying that one can enter their fine establishment and enjoy the scent of freshly baked breads. In the streets and markets of Vietnam and Cambodia, there are many free smells to be had, though a high majority of these are not nearly so pleasant as freshly baked bread. They may include dried foods and meats ( some of which can be identified and some of which cannot), fresh and not-so-fresh produce, fresh and not-so-fresh animal parts, and a host of other goods. What's most intriguing about "free smells" is that, while many prompt a gagging reflex from me and my fellow travelers, the locals seem to be impervious.
Cambodian Parallels: Cambodia is a very strange and foreign place, and many things here appear to be outside our realm of experience. However, when one compares Cambodia to life back at home by adding the word "Cambodian" to an object familiar in our own daily lives, things become a bit more familiar. For example, there are no taxis of the traditional sort here, but there are many "Cambodian taxis," which of course is a motorbike with a four person carriage attached to the back. Similarly, a "Cambodian minivan" is a four person motorbike with a flatbed trailing it, on which many individuals and goods can be hauled. A "Cambodian barbeque" apparently consists of crickets cooked and covered in barbecue sauce (of which we have yet to indulge). We discover more Cambodian parallels every hour in this strange land.
"Coles-focused": To be "Coles-focused" refers to intense concentration of the achievement of a certain task or goal. This often involves ignoring all other tasks at hand, and may result in the making of rash and harmful decisions to accomplish said task or goal. Case in point, in Hong Kong I became "Coles-focused" on calling home to let my parents and girlfriend know that I had survived the flight and was safe in the hotel. Becoming frustrated at the limited availability of calling cards, I made the rash and harmful decision of putting my credit card directly into a phone booth to make the calls necessary, whereupon I was charged ten dollars per call. One also commonly becomes "Coles-focused" on relieving oneself, often resulting in the rash and harmful decision of using the highly unsanitary restroom facilities that litter the Vietnamese and Cambodian countryside.
"Irrational Response": Whilst traveling, one can relieve stress or lighten the mood by joking with or playfully insulting their fellow travelers. Often times, though, the recipient of such banter is not in the mood to be joked with or insulted, provoking an "irrational response." This typically involves a rash comment or physical action from the recipient of inappropriate proportion to the mild abuse received. This is especially entertaining during card games that involve drinking, as an "irrational response" can lead to high consumption of alcohol.
Stay tuned for more trip slang as it develops.
"Rolling the Dice": To "roll the dice" is to take a chance by participating in some activity with which one is unfamiliar. This may involve ordering food or beverage at a restaurant with which you have no prior experience, often done by simply pointing at the picture of something that looks tasty. It also may involve crossing the street in the strange urban jungles of Vietnam or Cambodia, where traffic patterns follow no apparent pattern or law. Further, it may involve using some mode of public transport with operators who speak limited to no English, trusting that they, in their knowledge of the local surroundings, will guide you to your intended destination. There are numerous other examples of rolling the dice, some of which are omitted purposefully here.
"Free Smells": In Charlottesville, there is a sign posted outside of the sandwich shop Jimmy John's advertising free smells for those who enter, implying that one can enter their fine establishment and enjoy the scent of freshly baked breads. In the streets and markets of Vietnam and Cambodia, there are many free smells to be had, though a high majority of these are not nearly so pleasant as freshly baked bread. They may include dried foods and meats ( some of which can be identified and some of which cannot), fresh and not-so-fresh produce, fresh and not-so-fresh animal parts, and a host of other goods. What's most intriguing about "free smells" is that, while many prompt a gagging reflex from me and my fellow travelers, the locals seem to be impervious.
Cambodian Parallels: Cambodia is a very strange and foreign place, and many things here appear to be outside our realm of experience. However, when one compares Cambodia to life back at home by adding the word "Cambodian" to an object familiar in our own daily lives, things become a bit more familiar. For example, there are no taxis of the traditional sort here, but there are many "Cambodian taxis," which of course is a motorbike with a four person carriage attached to the back. Similarly, a "Cambodian minivan" is a four person motorbike with a flatbed trailing it, on which many individuals and goods can be hauled. A "Cambodian barbeque" apparently consists of crickets cooked and covered in barbecue sauce (of which we have yet to indulge). We discover more Cambodian parallels every hour in this strange land.
"Coles-focused": To be "Coles-focused" refers to intense concentration of the achievement of a certain task or goal. This often involves ignoring all other tasks at hand, and may result in the making of rash and harmful decisions to accomplish said task or goal. Case in point, in Hong Kong I became "Coles-focused" on calling home to let my parents and girlfriend know that I had survived the flight and was safe in the hotel. Becoming frustrated at the limited availability of calling cards, I made the rash and harmful decision of putting my credit card directly into a phone booth to make the calls necessary, whereupon I was charged ten dollars per call. One also commonly becomes "Coles-focused" on relieving oneself, often resulting in the rash and harmful decision of using the highly unsanitary restroom facilities that litter the Vietnamese and Cambodian countryside.
"Irrational Response": Whilst traveling, one can relieve stress or lighten the mood by joking with or playfully insulting their fellow travelers. Often times, though, the recipient of such banter is not in the mood to be joked with or insulted, provoking an "irrational response." This typically involves a rash comment or physical action from the recipient of inappropriate proportion to the mild abuse received. This is especially entertaining during card games that involve drinking, as an "irrational response" can lead to high consumption of alcohol.
Stay tuned for more trip slang as it develops.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
An Essay on Hawking
Hawking is a traditional Asian sport where individuals, usually men, spend their lives training hawks, the ultimate birds of prey, to obey their commands.
As we walked through an overpass in Hong Kong we saw "No Hawking" signs, so we did not set our birds on small prey.
It was not until we had to deal with the streets of Hong Kong that we understood what "Hawking" truly meant: men, women, and children on every corner trying to sell their various goods.
We were most often offered watches, "copy watches," to be exact. "You want Rolex, copy watch? Rolex? Rolex? Breightling? Rolex? Copy Watch?" Our days were also filled with offers of "massages," suits - tailored suits - healthy young girls, and food. The offers we received were increasingly less family friendly as the day progressed into night.
Our last experience in Hong Kong was spent on the street waiting for a bus to the airport and being hawked at; we hated every scorchingly hot minute of it.
Singapore was a haven from hawkers, we were safe.
From the first minute in Vietnam, hawkers attacked us. From streets, buildings, while on buses, in taxis, eating meals: everywhere. As we sat at lunch the first day, devouring plates and plates and plates of food for a total of 250,000 Dong - about $3.20 per person - a constant stream of vendors came into the restaurant. Never have I seen such aggressive peddlers. They entered, heard our polite rejections, and still presented goods. Sunglasses which bent, Zippo lighters, magazines, trashy novels; the junk we import from these countries over here that white trash families buy at Wal-mart en gross. Getting them away from the table took multiple "No, thank you's" and eventually just ignoring them while they stood there. It didn't help that Gideon enjoyed diddling them, feigning interest in their trinkets.
An amendment to my original essay:
I admit it, I write my blogs in advance, I have a fear about posting before multiple revisions. So an experience in the meantime had to be added. While enjoying our final dinner in Vietnam a throng of incredibly young girls came by, trying to sell their items. No joke, a 7 year old girl came over and opened a case of cigarettes for us to buy and turned around angrily when we said we didn't smoke. I would not have been surprised if an infant had crawled up to our table and offered us an eighth.
As we walked through an overpass in Hong Kong we saw "No Hawking" signs, so we did not set our birds on small prey.
It was not until we had to deal with the streets of Hong Kong that we understood what "Hawking" truly meant: men, women, and children on every corner trying to sell their various goods.
We were most often offered watches, "copy watches," to be exact. "You want Rolex, copy watch? Rolex? Rolex? Breightling? Rolex? Copy Watch?" Our days were also filled with offers of "massages," suits - tailored suits - healthy young girls, and food. The offers we received were increasingly less family friendly as the day progressed into night.
Our last experience in Hong Kong was spent on the street waiting for a bus to the airport and being hawked at; we hated every scorchingly hot minute of it.
Singapore was a haven from hawkers, we were safe.
From the first minute in Vietnam, hawkers attacked us. From streets, buildings, while on buses, in taxis, eating meals: everywhere. As we sat at lunch the first day, devouring plates and plates and plates of food for a total of 250,000 Dong - about $3.20 per person - a constant stream of vendors came into the restaurant. Never have I seen such aggressive peddlers. They entered, heard our polite rejections, and still presented goods. Sunglasses which bent, Zippo lighters, magazines, trashy novels; the junk we import from these countries over here that white trash families buy at Wal-mart en gross. Getting them away from the table took multiple "No, thank you's" and eventually just ignoring them while they stood there. It didn't help that Gideon enjoyed diddling them, feigning interest in their trinkets.
An amendment to my original essay:
I admit it, I write my blogs in advance, I have a fear about posting before multiple revisions. So an experience in the meantime had to be added. While enjoying our final dinner in Vietnam a throng of incredibly young girls came by, trying to sell their items. No joke, a 7 year old girl came over and opened a case of cigarettes for us to buy and turned around angrily when we said we didn't smoke. I would not have been surprised if an infant had crawled up to our table and offered us an eighth.
Cambodia...
Well, we made it to Cambodia. I'm sitting at a computer in Phnom Penh right now, sweating like crazy, after some wild travels over the last few days.
We took off from Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City early two days ago, and made our way through the Delta over the course of the last two days, before crossing into Cambodia at about noon today. Most of our traveling has been by boat, though we have had a few random buses here and there.
Over the last two days, these boat rides, various excursions, bus rides, meals, and a hotel last night have cost us 26 USD as part of an excursion that our last hotel offered. Unbelievable.
Today, we were on the Mekong for about three hours in the smallest, gassiest boat of all time, then rode about two hours in a small van via a variety of dirt/mud/bumpy roads.
Then tonight, we got to Phnom Penh, checked into a hotel (with air conditioning) and ate dinner for $1/apiece at a small restaurant down the road. Coles and Evan had fried rice and beef, while Gideon and I had fried noodles with beef and an egg pancake. I'm not sure Westerners come here very often; we're getting some interesting looks.
All in all, everyone has been unbelievably nice. And Vietnam is truly a remarkable place. As we've traveled, every child we've seen has screamed "Hello!" and started waving, many of them as they bathed in the Mekong. We played with several of them this afternoon while we waited for our visas.
Three days ago, we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, just about 50km outside of Saigon. Our tour guide was a native of Saigon who fought for the Americans/South Vietnamese during the war. At one point he was stationed with John Kerry, and is apparently the man in that famous picture at the Saigon base taking down the American flag as U.S. GIs left in 1973.
This man and many others have outwardly reassured us -- without us even asking -- that we "should not be afraid" and that the Vietnamese do not have anything against Americans. A man who drives a rickshaw approached Coles the other day, and upon finding out where we were from, exclaimed: "I love America!" We also had a waiter the other night with whom we exchanged email addresses, because he is studying American culture and customs at a university in Saigon.
Yesterday, one of our tour guides came to us and said "I fought with the Americans as a communications officer in the war, so I am very happy to see you." Another asked us to return to the U.S. and tell people that the Vietnamese are very friendly and that Vietnam is a great place.
So, I am doing so. I'm not sure if these reactions would be replicated in northern Vietnam, but those were our experiences in the South. As we learn anytime we travel, it's the people that really matter, that you really have a natural connection with, regardless of history or government.
It's reassuring. And, in a way, very inspiring as well.
More to come once I stop sweating.
We took off from Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City early two days ago, and made our way through the Delta over the course of the last two days, before crossing into Cambodia at about noon today. Most of our traveling has been by boat, though we have had a few random buses here and there.
Over the last two days, these boat rides, various excursions, bus rides, meals, and a hotel last night have cost us 26 USD as part of an excursion that our last hotel offered. Unbelievable.
Today, we were on the Mekong for about three hours in the smallest, gassiest boat of all time, then rode about two hours in a small van via a variety of dirt/mud/bumpy roads.
Then tonight, we got to Phnom Penh, checked into a hotel (with air conditioning) and ate dinner for $1/apiece at a small restaurant down the road. Coles and Evan had fried rice and beef, while Gideon and I had fried noodles with beef and an egg pancake. I'm not sure Westerners come here very often; we're getting some interesting looks.
All in all, everyone has been unbelievably nice. And Vietnam is truly a remarkable place. As we've traveled, every child we've seen has screamed "Hello!" and started waving, many of them as they bathed in the Mekong. We played with several of them this afternoon while we waited for our visas.
Three days ago, we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, just about 50km outside of Saigon. Our tour guide was a native of Saigon who fought for the Americans/South Vietnamese during the war. At one point he was stationed with John Kerry, and is apparently the man in that famous picture at the Saigon base taking down the American flag as U.S. GIs left in 1973.
This man and many others have outwardly reassured us -- without us even asking -- that we "should not be afraid" and that the Vietnamese do not have anything against Americans. A man who drives a rickshaw approached Coles the other day, and upon finding out where we were from, exclaimed: "I love America!" We also had a waiter the other night with whom we exchanged email addresses, because he is studying American culture and customs at a university in Saigon.
Yesterday, one of our tour guides came to us and said "I fought with the Americans as a communications officer in the war, so I am very happy to see you." Another asked us to return to the U.S. and tell people that the Vietnamese are very friendly and that Vietnam is a great place.
So, I am doing so. I'm not sure if these reactions would be replicated in northern Vietnam, but those were our experiences in the South. As we learn anytime we travel, it's the people that really matter, that you really have a natural connection with, regardless of history or government.
It's reassuring. And, in a way, very inspiring as well.
More to come once I stop sweating.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A new phrase
"4 Way Go"
In Saigon, it is customary when you come to a major intersection to never stop driving nor look in any direction before entering said intersection, mindless of all other cars, buses, motorbikes, and pedestrians.
In Saigon, it is customary when you come to a major intersection to never stop driving nor look in any direction before entering said intersection, mindless of all other cars, buses, motorbikes, and pedestrians.
Some thoughts on Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
To my family: I tried to call a couple of times and couldn't get through. I didn't leave messages because it was a little difficult because I was calling via computer. Happy Memorial Day.
It's 1:38am in HCMC and we're posting in the blog. Well, Gideon and I are. Evan and Coles went back to the hotel to play cards and drink a few beers.
A few thoughts on HCMC:
1) The traffic is unbelievable. No rules, whatsoever. When you want to cross, you just go, and "sidle" your way through cars and motos. When you are driving, you just go and "sidle" your way through cars and motos. We took videos and pictures to show everyone soon.
2) Everything is cheap. Hotel: $5. Lunch: $2. Dinner: $4. A day on $10? Priceless.
3) The food is great, but you have to be careful what you choose. We are in a backpackers' area, so we had to fight to find a place where the locals eat. I had some kind of noodles/spring roll combo for dinner.
4) A 1.5 liter water is just 60 cents USD. Unbelievable when you are sweating like you never have before.
5) A beer is just 20 cents USD. Unbelievable when you are tired at the end of a day.
It's pretty crazy to be here on Memorial Day, just 35-40 years after so many Americans fought and lost their lives here. We went to the War Museum this afternoon and were interested to see the Vietnamese view on the conflict of the late '60s and early '70s. Their view is pretty negative, though we have seen no ramifications at all from anyone we have met. It's rare to not meet someone who responds to a smile or is ready to help you, whether you appear American or not.
We hope everyone enjoys a nice three-day weekend. For us, it's about time for bed. As you go about the day, as we have tried to do, please remember the sacrifice and service of our troops around the world.
Love to all.
It's 1:38am in HCMC and we're posting in the blog. Well, Gideon and I are. Evan and Coles went back to the hotel to play cards and drink a few beers.
A few thoughts on HCMC:
1) The traffic is unbelievable. No rules, whatsoever. When you want to cross, you just go, and "sidle" your way through cars and motos. When you are driving, you just go and "sidle" your way through cars and motos. We took videos and pictures to show everyone soon.
2) Everything is cheap. Hotel: $5. Lunch: $2. Dinner: $4. A day on $10? Priceless.
3) The food is great, but you have to be careful what you choose. We are in a backpackers' area, so we had to fight to find a place where the locals eat. I had some kind of noodles/spring roll combo for dinner.
4) A 1.5 liter water is just 60 cents USD. Unbelievable when you are sweating like you never have before.
5) A beer is just 20 cents USD. Unbelievable when you are tired at the end of a day.
It's pretty crazy to be here on Memorial Day, just 35-40 years after so many Americans fought and lost their lives here. We went to the War Museum this afternoon and were interested to see the Vietnamese view on the conflict of the late '60s and early '70s. Their view is pretty negative, though we have seen no ramifications at all from anyone we have met. It's rare to not meet someone who responds to a smile or is ready to help you, whether you appear American or not.
We hope everyone enjoys a nice three-day weekend. For us, it's about time for bed. As you go about the day, as we have tried to do, please remember the sacrifice and service of our troops around the world.
Love to all.
My first blog ever
So it may come as a surprise to some of you, but I managed to catch a movie last night while on a once in a lifetime trip to SE Asia, I never forget my priorities. Maybe it was the 4 years of film classes and a failed minor which makes it impossible for me not to use the movie to draw parallels to the trip, but here goes...
Coles, Joey, and I saw Pirates 3 last night, Gideon stayed strong and is waiting for his lady friend. W/O spoiling the film, it partially takes place in Singapore, coincidentally where we saw it. Bruckheimer and Disney managed to include every Asian Stereotype I can think of, portraying them as small, Kung-Fu proficient, accented-English speaking, sneaky, oh, and did I say small? minor characters. Sitting in a theater with 250 Asians and us, three white kids from the U.S., this should have been an awkward 2h 55min. To my surprise, however, the crowd cheered, laughed, and seemed to take no offense to the way they were depicted by the American filmmakers.
This has generally been the case for the past week or so, genuinely nice people everywhere we go. Men and women have more often than not approached us when we looked lost and given us directions and advice with nothing expected in return. While we are often "those guys," sticking out and attracting due attention, everyone is tolerant and patient. The always efficient and friendly manner in which we are served food, accomodated at hostels, and helped in our transport endeavors has been a pleasant surprise.
In buying tickets to the movie last night we were able to choose our seats via a monitor before going in, amazing. This system, as Gideon pointed out, puts people first over money. We turned down a showing in which there were only front row seats available for a later show which had better seats, leaving seats to the earlier show unsold. Back home, they would sell seats until they were all gone, regardless if it forced you to sit alone in the front right corner, away from your fellow patrons. Furthermore, soda and popcorn (large) was a manageable 5 or 6 Singapore dollars; equal purchases back in the States would have easily been double or more: again an example of human comfort and convenience over bottom line profit.
Lastly in this overly long first blog of mine is the theater urinals. Uncomfortable was an understatetement as they were aligned facing each other and crammed together so you had to sidle your way in just to stare face to face with someone else a foot in front of you. I couldn't help but think of the millions of apartments we had left behind in Hong Kong. People are stacked there as far as the eye can see, building after building of one room, squallored, dwellings. The inhabitants spend their days serving those more fortunate, less than one percent of the approximately 7 million strong population. Scenes from the Matrix, with endless immobile people being sucked dry for sustenance by a superior entity come to mind, the busses and subways serving as the conduits for their labor, which makes possible all of the spotless restrooms, polished floors, gleaming windows, and our always smiling faces throughout the trip.
My thoughts on HK and Singapore as I sit in our hotel in Vietnam, hopefully more to come.
Coles, Joey, and I saw Pirates 3 last night, Gideon stayed strong and is waiting for his lady friend. W/O spoiling the film, it partially takes place in Singapore, coincidentally where we saw it. Bruckheimer and Disney managed to include every Asian Stereotype I can think of, portraying them as small, Kung-Fu proficient, accented-English speaking, sneaky, oh, and did I say small? minor characters. Sitting in a theater with 250 Asians and us, three white kids from the U.S., this should have been an awkward 2h 55min. To my surprise, however, the crowd cheered, laughed, and seemed to take no offense to the way they were depicted by the American filmmakers.
This has generally been the case for the past week or so, genuinely nice people everywhere we go. Men and women have more often than not approached us when we looked lost and given us directions and advice with nothing expected in return. While we are often "those guys," sticking out and attracting due attention, everyone is tolerant and patient. The always efficient and friendly manner in which we are served food, accomodated at hostels, and helped in our transport endeavors has been a pleasant surprise.
In buying tickets to the movie last night we were able to choose our seats via a monitor before going in, amazing. This system, as Gideon pointed out, puts people first over money. We turned down a showing in which there were only front row seats available for a later show which had better seats, leaving seats to the earlier show unsold. Back home, they would sell seats until they were all gone, regardless if it forced you to sit alone in the front right corner, away from your fellow patrons. Furthermore, soda and popcorn (large) was a manageable 5 or 6 Singapore dollars; equal purchases back in the States would have easily been double or more: again an example of human comfort and convenience over bottom line profit.
Lastly in this overly long first blog of mine is the theater urinals. Uncomfortable was an understatetement as they were aligned facing each other and crammed together so you had to sidle your way in just to stare face to face with someone else a foot in front of you. I couldn't help but think of the millions of apartments we had left behind in Hong Kong. People are stacked there as far as the eye can see, building after building of one room, squallored, dwellings. The inhabitants spend their days serving those more fortunate, less than one percent of the approximately 7 million strong population. Scenes from the Matrix, with endless immobile people being sucked dry for sustenance by a superior entity come to mind, the busses and subways serving as the conduits for their labor, which makes possible all of the spotless restrooms, polished floors, gleaming windows, and our always smiling faces throughout the trip.
My thoughts on HK and Singapore as I sit in our hotel in Vietnam, hopefully more to come.
Straight mess
We have entered the mess that s known as Ho Chih Minh City, and to no surprise it did not disappoint. Following a surprisingly uneventful immigration/customs experience we found our way to the bus, which brought us to our "hotel". Though the nicest of the places we have stayed, by no means luxury. For $5.50 a night we each get our own bed in our own room, a/c, breakfast, and free internet(s) - as they call it, quite a deal. We visited many of the historic sites, the war remnants museum (it seems they remember the war slightly different than we do, apparently didn't appreciate the use of agent orange), reunification palace, and 1700s Pagoda, with Buddhist monks chanting harmonious tunes. There was some serious flooding in the city tody - which bothered nobody, and we have finished the night with a number of Saigon beers. Tomorrow we are heading to over 2000 km of caves, that were used during the war to move Vietnamese soldiers. The following day (Wednesdat) we head to the Mekong River for a two day stroll up the river ito Cambodia. I wanted to post incase we don't find internet access before then.
Today's editorial blog concerns:
THE FOOD SITUATION, THE DAILY HO CHIH MINH MARKET, AND, BOWEL MOVEMENTS:
Let me start by saying the food here is unbelievable. Day after day of sucueltn beefs, chickens, and muttons, grilled to your hearts desire. Combine that with grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms, and crazy green local tree like vegetable (affectionatly called trees by my family). Unlike Joey and my trip to Europe, we have been feasting here. We eat/live like kings. (for reference our hotel costs $5.50 a night, our meal today cost $2 each). While slightly grimy and a little hectic - we are living the dream.
Back to the focus of this blog: food. Today we stumbled upon the Ho Chih Minh Daily Market, which in addition to selling a variety of unneeded wears, knock off designer purses and other garb, and more stinky, filthy fish than one ever desires. The stench was unbelivable, the sites less than desireable and the general scene not completely hygenic. The confusion lies in the fact that somehow the food moves from the market to our restaurants and we do not get sick. We are have been slightly in picking and choosing what we eat, but up til this point no one has had a serious case of the shits (pardon the fould language - I apoplogize - par for the course). Tums, pepto, z-pack, have been yet to be used which is quite impressive - and speaks toe the quality of the food and cooking ways of Southeast Asia. Needless to say, we have been impressed and content with this turn of events. More to come on this subject as we head into the wilds of vietnam and cambodia - we are ready with immodium...
Finally, the shaving situation must be discussed:
Joey takes the dissapointing claim of first to shave. Though it must be noted that Joey grows the fastes of the fellas on this trip his early exit was premature and unwarrented. He could have atleast shaved a goatee or mustache for a few days of hilariousness - c'mon we are in asia.
Evan and I are in the next pack - those that have decent facial growth and are yet to shave. The itchiness at some points have got to both of us, but we ave held strong. Weirdly enough, my growth comes naturally in the form of a goatee - one moto driver gave me the thumbs up for the goatee, we'll see how it works out. Evan have some patchy growth, but seems to be ahead of me in the growth comeptition.
Fianlly Coles hassome less growth, but weirdly enough was the only one to bing a razer. Should either Evan or I faulter, we will be forced to turn to Coles razer...This could be his key to winning - slow growth and the temptation of his razor...again more updates to follow..
As we head out to jungle, this could be last post for a few days...hope all have enjoyed..move to follow.
Gideon
Today's editorial blog concerns:
THE FOOD SITUATION, THE DAILY HO CHIH MINH MARKET, AND, BOWEL MOVEMENTS:
Let me start by saying the food here is unbelievable. Day after day of sucueltn beefs, chickens, and muttons, grilled to your hearts desire. Combine that with grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms, and crazy green local tree like vegetable (affectionatly called trees by my family). Unlike Joey and my trip to Europe, we have been feasting here. We eat/live like kings. (for reference our hotel costs $5.50 a night, our meal today cost $2 each). While slightly grimy and a little hectic - we are living the dream.
Back to the focus of this blog: food. Today we stumbled upon the Ho Chih Minh Daily Market, which in addition to selling a variety of unneeded wears, knock off designer purses and other garb, and more stinky, filthy fish than one ever desires. The stench was unbelivable, the sites less than desireable and the general scene not completely hygenic. The confusion lies in the fact that somehow the food moves from the market to our restaurants and we do not get sick. We are have been slightly in picking and choosing what we eat, but up til this point no one has had a serious case of the shits (pardon the fould language - I apoplogize - par for the course). Tums, pepto, z-pack, have been yet to be used which is quite impressive - and speaks toe the quality of the food and cooking ways of Southeast Asia. Needless to say, we have been impressed and content with this turn of events. More to come on this subject as we head into the wilds of vietnam and cambodia - we are ready with immodium...
Finally, the shaving situation must be discussed:
Joey takes the dissapointing claim of first to shave. Though it must be noted that Joey grows the fastes of the fellas on this trip his early exit was premature and unwarrented. He could have atleast shaved a goatee or mustache for a few days of hilariousness - c'mon we are in asia.
Evan and I are in the next pack - those that have decent facial growth and are yet to shave. The itchiness at some points have got to both of us, but we ave held strong. Weirdly enough, my growth comes naturally in the form of a goatee - one moto driver gave me the thumbs up for the goatee, we'll see how it works out. Evan have some patchy growth, but seems to be ahead of me in the growth comeptition.
Fianlly Coles hassome less growth, but weirdly enough was the only one to bing a razer. Should either Evan or I faulter, we will be forced to turn to Coles razer...This could be his key to winning - slow growth and the temptation of his razor...again more updates to follow..
As we head out to jungle, this could be last post for a few days...hope all have enjoyed..move to follow.
Gideon
Monday, May 28, 2007
About to leave for the mess
One last blog before we board our flight to Saigon (what we call Ho Chi Minh City). I am currently utilizing the free internet conveniently provided at the gate. We are yet to pay for internet on the trip - quite an accomplishment. Coles is enjoying a Singaporian cheesew muffin, while others relax. The plan for today in Vietnam is to visit the War remenants museum, re-unification palace, tunnels outside of city, and stop in at travel agnecy to pursue crazy trips to the delta.
For those keeping track at home - all of our intestinal activities are still functioning correctly. Time will tell if that continues...
Gideon
For those keeping track at home - all of our intestinal activities are still functioning correctly. Time will tell if that continues...
Gideon
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Checking in Again - Onwards towards the Jungle
Gideon here, checking in again as we prepare to head straight into the mess. Our first two stops, Hong Kong and Singapore, have been relatively tame - but now we head straight into the mess. As Joey has mentioned, it is beyond hot, sweaty, and humid. I have personally gone with the wear a shirt/short/underwear combo until they positively cannot be worn anymore, then retiring them until we find some laundry opportunities...working out so far, more updates in due time.
The tentative plan is to spend 4 days in Vietnam, followed by 4 days in Cambodia, until we finally reach the promised land (great beaches, adventures, relatively clean, and moden) - otherwise known as Thailand, where we plan to spend 12 days. We will finish up the trip with 4 days in Malaysia before flying returning to the states.
Quite a bit of a queue here for the Internet at the hostel so I need to sign off - but hopefully more to come soon.
Gideon
The tentative plan is to spend 4 days in Vietnam, followed by 4 days in Cambodia, until we finally reach the promised land (great beaches, adventures, relatively clean, and moden) - otherwise known as Thailand, where we plan to spend 12 days. We will finish up the trip with 4 days in Malaysia before flying returning to the states.
Quite a bit of a queue here for the Internet at the hostel so I need to sign off - but hopefully more to come soon.
Gideon
Conclusion - Singapore
It's 8:20pm out here and still near to 90 degrees F... Sitting at a computer at our hostel.
Last night we got into Singapore at about 5pm, checked into our hostel, then wandered toward Little India. We were exhausted, so it took a little bit of effort. The hostel is fine, but not exactly as advertised -- the AC runs off and on, and the "rooftop bar" has been turned into a series of bunk beds. We shared a room with two guys from Japan, one of whom spoke good English and was a cool person to talk to. He was in month 5 of travel, returning to Tokyo in August. I wish we had that kind of time.
We ended up eating in a random, hole-in-the-wall restaurant where we were the only non-Indians. Everybody was local. We looked at the menu, couldn't read it, then just rolled the dice and pointed at a few things. It ended up being very good, and certainly wild to be four white American kids in the middle of a packed restaurant of local Singaporeans of Indian descent.
The room was hot last night. I slept pretty well, but woke up in the morning sweating. Coles couldn't sleep because of sounds from the fan, so he turned it off; Evan wanted to kill him. I was close behind. Kidding, kidding.
Today we took an old oil rig out to an island nearby and mountain biked for about 3 hours in the morning. The island is largely deserted, with one main village near the "port." I've never sweated so much in my life.
After that, we went to the Zoo and watched them feed the Komodo dragons (last Sunday of every month). They had a wide variety of animals, and the Zoo was laid out in such a way that you were very close, which was awesome.
Then, we came back into town (after some bus/subway confusion) and walked old Singapore for a while, including the Raffles Hotel. Our dinner was a 6-course meal at a Chinese restaurant for $5/person. Again, not quite sure what we ate, but it was good.
And tonight, before we fly to Vietnam and the wild, we are seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 3. It was filmed in Singapore, so we figure it is appropriate.
A taxi picks us up at 5am tomorrow and we fly at 7:25 to Ho Chi Minh City. Then, who knows. We don't have a place to stay yet.
Hope everybody is well. At some point one of these other jokers will leave their thoughts as well.
Last night we got into Singapore at about 5pm, checked into our hostel, then wandered toward Little India. We were exhausted, so it took a little bit of effort. The hostel is fine, but not exactly as advertised -- the AC runs off and on, and the "rooftop bar" has been turned into a series of bunk beds. We shared a room with two guys from Japan, one of whom spoke good English and was a cool person to talk to. He was in month 5 of travel, returning to Tokyo in August. I wish we had that kind of time.
We ended up eating in a random, hole-in-the-wall restaurant where we were the only non-Indians. Everybody was local. We looked at the menu, couldn't read it, then just rolled the dice and pointed at a few things. It ended up being very good, and certainly wild to be four white American kids in the middle of a packed restaurant of local Singaporeans of Indian descent.
The room was hot last night. I slept pretty well, but woke up in the morning sweating. Coles couldn't sleep because of sounds from the fan, so he turned it off; Evan wanted to kill him. I was close behind. Kidding, kidding.
Today we took an old oil rig out to an island nearby and mountain biked for about 3 hours in the morning. The island is largely deserted, with one main village near the "port." I've never sweated so much in my life.
After that, we went to the Zoo and watched them feed the Komodo dragons (last Sunday of every month). They had a wide variety of animals, and the Zoo was laid out in such a way that you were very close, which was awesome.
Then, we came back into town (after some bus/subway confusion) and walked old Singapore for a while, including the Raffles Hotel. Our dinner was a 6-course meal at a Chinese restaurant for $5/person. Again, not quite sure what we ate, but it was good.
And tonight, before we fly to Vietnam and the wild, we are seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 3. It was filmed in Singapore, so we figure it is appropriate.
A taxi picks us up at 5am tomorrow and we fly at 7:25 to Ho Chi Minh City. Then, who knows. We don't have a place to stay yet.
Hope everybody is well. At some point one of these other jokers will leave their thoughts as well.
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