Southeast Asia in a Nutshell

The senior woman in a small community along the Mekong River in Laos

This post is very long, but during our time in Southeast Asia we recorded a lot of our thoughts and wanted to capture them in one general "In a Nutshell" post.  The first bit is about Southeast Asia in general.  After the jump we divide it out by country.

Sara and David's Top Picks (they turned out to be the same):
Luang Prabang, Laos
Hoi An, Vietnam
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Slow Boat in Laos

In general:  We loved Southeast Asia!  Great people, beautiful countries, and fabulous food!  Very easy to get around.  English was spoken almost everywhere, even in coutnries where we expected that we might have trouble.  There is virtually no language barrier.

Food: Fantastic!  Taking cooking classes was an excellent way to learn more about the food, the Hoi An Foodie Tour was great, and our home dinners were really memorable.  Eating the local food was absolutely the way to go for us and truly turned out to be one of the highlights of our visit!  We had no stomach problems even though we ate plenty of clean-looking street food in addition to hawker stalls and restaurants.  Trip Advisor often pointed us in the right direction of great places to eat.

Money:  For the most part things were very inexpensive.  However, we were reminded by a tour guide that the restaurants are created for tourists (especially in some of the smaller areas) and so it isn't always as cheap as you might expect.  But, in our opinion, still a great deal.  Especially after New Zealand and Australia!

People: The people were great in Southeast Asia - friendly, helpful, and very welcoming for the most part.

Accommodation:  We stayed mainly at hotels in Southeast Asia.  The majority of these were booked through G Adventures and were comfortable, clean, and well-located, which is how we judge a good hotel.  There seem to be places thrughout Souteast Asia to fit any budget and any preference.  From hostels to homestays to five-star hotels (except in the small towns).  Something for everyone!    

Shopping/Bargaining: There is great shopping to be done and good deals to be had.  In most places bargaining is acceptable and even expected, especially in local markets.  We purchased very few things that we didn't bargain for.  The haggling became a bit of a game sometimes and we just had fun with it!

Internet: Everywhere and fast enough for chats on Skype (which is important for us)!  We had wi-fi in our hotels in most places we stayed, but anywhere that we didn't have internet we could find it very close by.

Laundry:  Very easy to get done for a reasonable price.   Often offered at the places we stayed, but we typically tried to find a shop close by, which was usually half the price.  Either way, for a bag full of clothes it was usually only $3 or $4.

G Adventures/Group Tours:  There were really good things about taking a group tour in Southeast Asia and other things that weren't as good.  The good outweighed the bad, so we'd definitely do it again.  We saw so many things without having to do all of the planning, which would have been very difficult  and time-consuming while traveling in other countries.  We also traveled with fun and interesting people and made friends that we hope to stay in touch with in the future.  The downside of the group tour that we were less able to get lost, explore, and just discover things on our own.  That is a highlight of travel in our eyes, so we certainly missed that for the month.

Flying in Asia

A view of Calcutta from the plane

Flying in Asia has been unexpectedly wonderful!  So far we have taken 13 flights in Asia.  Not a single one has been delayed more than ten minutes.  Most leave and arrive early.  Many of the airports have been beautiful - Singapore, Bangkok, and Delhi in particular.  Other than having to work hard to make our way off the plane amidst some aggressive jostling by other passengers, it has been a really pleasant experience.

Last week flying from Sri Lanka to Guwahati airport in Assam, India we had a pretty exceptional experience.  We had booked what we feared was an impossible connection (but it was the only way to get from Sri Lanka to Guwahati in one day).

Flight 1: Sri Lanka to Chennai, India (departing at 3:50 a.m.) - 1 hour, 25 minute layover
   - No problem, even needing to clear customs, retrieve our bags, and recheck them.

Flight 2: Chennai to Calcutta- 25 minute layover
   - We expected that we wouldn't even make this connection and definitely not our bags, so we packed our carry-ons with everything we would need for the weekend. To our surprise, when we landed in Calcutta and stepped onto the jetway we were met by a bus and taken directly to the Guwahati flight.  But what about our bags?  They had us stand beside the plane for a minute or two until a tractor arrived with our connecting bags.  We identified our bags and then hopped on the plane.  Amazing!!! 

Flight 3 - Calcutta to Guwahati: We landed a few minutes early!

Sara identifying our bags at Calcutta International Airport

Impressions of Saigon

The lights of Ho Chi Minh City

We could not help but compare Ho Chi Minh City (a/k/a Saigon) with Hanoi.  The first thing we noticed was the heat!  It regularly hit the high 90s in Saigon, whereas we were in long sleeves and jackets in Hanoi.  But more interesting was the feel of the two cities.  Saigon is a big commercial city with wide avenues, flagship stores for Western brands, and skyscrapers housing big international companies.  Hanoi felt small in comparison.  It has narrower, crowded streets with an outdoor-market feel and much more government/Communist Party influence.  Most of the stately buildings house government functions.  Its infrastructure does not compare with that of Saigon.  Hanoi seems stuck in the past, whereas we could envision Saigon growing to become a Singapore if the government to the north stays out of the way.

-David

The Mekong Delta

We spent a nice lazy day on the Mekong Delta.

Wearing conical hats on a short rowboat ride.  Excellent for keeping sun off the face and shoulders.  Good news - we are sending one home as a souvenir!

The floating markets.  The Mekong is the lifeline for everyone who lives in the area. 

Coconut milk is hands down one of the most refreshing drinks!

We learned to make 100% natural coconut candy.  Bought some but don't think it will make it home!

 

The Mekong Delta is one of the most lush and fertile areas of Vietnam.  Everything grows here!

Saigon Then and Now

We have continued to retrace some of my dad's steps through Vietnam by visiting Ho Chi Minh City (a/k/a Saigon).

Tran Nguyen Han statue

Tran Nguyen Han statue 1971

Tran Nguyen Han statue 2012

  Cathedral Notre-Dame

Cathedral Notre-Dame 1971

Cathedral Notre-Dame 2012

~David

The Cu Chi Tunnels

Good Morning Vietnam!  We got up early yesterday to drive outside of Ho Chi Minh City to visit the Cu Chi tunnels.  Viet Cong guerillas dug this huge network of tunnels to wage war against the South Vietnamese and American soldiers.  Nearby is a firing range where visitors can shoot M16 and AK-47 rifles for about $1 a bullet.  The shooting was really popular, so gunfire echoed through the jungle the whole time we were there.  It helped give some sense of what things may have been like during the war.

There is about a 100-yard section of tunnels that visitors are allowed to crawl through.  Our guide told us that the tunnels for the visitors have been widened to double their original width and the ceilings raised a bit.  Even so, he warned us that the tunnels are extremely claustrophobic.  That was an understatement.  Sara crawled down and took one look past the first turn before backing out.  I was pretty happy with that decision because I didn't want to be trapped 10 feet underground, 50 yards from the nearest entrance, with Sara freaking out on me.  I already experienced her mild claustrophobia once inside a Zorb in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

After Sara backed out, it was my turn.  I turned on my headlamp and crawled past the first turn.  Immediately, I had to lower myself through a hole into a lower tunnel.  The lower tunnel continued for a good distance before I reached a third hole into an even lower tunnel.  The tunnel also began to narrow significantly from its already-small size at the beginning.  I was crawling the entire way.  Finally, the tunnel got so narrow that I barely could squeeze my shoulders through as I lay on my stomach.  The sweat was dripping down my face, and I had to force myself to slow down long enough for one picture of a fork in the road.  I was very relieved to see daylight as I reached the other end and promptly reported to Sara that, even though she was disappointed in herself, she made a very wise decision.

Sara dipping into an original tunnel entrance

David as he begins the crawl through the Cu Chi tunnels

A fork in the road in the Cu Chi tunnels

~David

A few favorites from Hoi An

Sunset in Hoi An

At a riverside restaurant

Hoi An's old quarter

An old woman with black lacquered teeth

Palm trees lining the beach

Tailor Made

With the woman who made my dress

Back in New Zealand, after hiking the Routeburn track in the snow, we were huddled around a fire trying to get warm, and a fellow hiker told us about Hoi An.  She said it is the most fabulous city, charming, warm, with beautiful beaches.  She also told us that it is filled with tailors that can make any type of clothing you can imagine overnight.  At the particular moment when she told me this, it sounded like a little piece of heaven!

Every word she told us was true.  Hoi An is a quaint little town, and there are hundreds of tailors at every corner who can make suits, jackets, dresses, skirts, and shorts.  There also are lots of cobblers making shoes and purses.  But it wasn't long before I became a bit overwhelmed by all of this.  Between choosing a design, a fabric, and working out of all of the details, I realized that designing clothes is for the pros.  I also realized that the artistic section of my brain is a bit lacking!

After getting a dress started for me and a shirt for David on our first afternoon, we were exhausted and decided it was time for a $0.20 beer instead of another tailor.  I did manage to get two more things made, a purse and a pair of shorts.

The verdict:
Dress: Excellent!
Purse: Good
Shorts: Not so good

It's funny.  I came to Hoi An so excited about the tailors, but I leave having enjoyed the food, the biking, and the beach so much more.

~Sara

Happy Women's Day!

Today is Women's Day in Vietnam, a celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women.

I know a lot of fabulous women - so happy Women's Day to each one of you.  Don't forget to celebrate and do something special for yourself today!!

~Sara

Hoi An Foodies

Arriving in Hoi An, I found out about a 'Foodie' tour.  My first thought was, what is a 'Foodie' tour?

The answer: a chance to walk around Hoi An with a local and try about 50 different types of street food.  Um, yes please!!!

Our favorites were:
 -Sinh To (mixed fruit shake)
-Xi Ma (black sesame seed soup)
-Kem Flan (just as it sounds)
-Hoanh Thanh (fried wontons with salsa)
-Ca Tim (eggplant)
-Banh Chung (square sticky rice cakes with green bean and pork)

Last night and this morning we went back for more!  Hoanh Thanh and Ca Tim for dinner.  And this morning round two of Sinh To (actually rounds two and three for me), Xi Ma, and Kem Flan.

Our guide explained a few things that make me think my eating style is somewhat Vietnamese:
1. The Vietnamese get bored when they aren't eating (me too!), so they eat snacks all day.  They might have breakfast and then stop at three food stands for snacks before lunch.  This is exactly how I would imagine the perfect morning.

2. The Vietnamese inhale their food, and and they don't understand Westerners who graze over a plate for thirty minutes.  As I finished my meal before any of the other seven people at our table last night, I realized that I might fit into this category, too.

This place is tasty and the good news is that there is still time for more eating.

~Sara

Sara drinking a Sin To

David eating Xi Ma

Hue Then and Now

My dad served in Vietnam over 40 years ago, and while he was there he took a lot of really great pictures.  We have enjoyed retracing some of his steps.

Hue's Imperial City

1971

2012

The Flag Tower

1971

2012

The Hai Van Pass

1971

2012

Thai Hoa Temple

1971

2012

Other than some sprucing up, we were surprised that little seems to have changed at these sites in the last four decades.

~David

Nighlights in Hue

Truong Tien Bridge lit up at night

A night market alongside the Perfume River

Ha Long Bay

Halong Bay

 

When arriving at Ha Long Bay it is hard to miss the fact that it was recently voted as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World - there are quite a few signs letting you know.  Who voted, we don't know, but we agree it is pretty spectacular.  Unfortunately, we weren't graced with any of the elusive blue sky, but the clouds did add an air of mysteriousness to the experience.  With each turn we took on the boat another rock would seemingly appear from nowhere.

We cruised through Ha Long Bay spending the night on a "junk boat" that was anything but junky.  There were only 16 of us on board, but the crew prepared food to feed a village.  It seems like cruising, no matter where you do it, involves eating too much food!  No complaining here.

Heading out for an afternoon kayak at Halong Bay

Our junk boat

Scenes from Hanoi

Scenes from Hanoi

From left to right:
Picture 1: Truc Bach Lake (where John McCain was shot down during the Vietnam War)
Picture 2: Crossing the street
Picture 3: Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum
Picture 4: Street scene
Picture 5: The Hanoi Hilton
Picture 6: Roadside barber shop
Picture 7: B-52 bomber in Huu Tiep Lake
Picture 8: Leaf Hat
Picture 9: Fishing
Picture 10: Electrical wires
Picture 11: Resting
Picture 12: Posing at the Women's Museum

Real Life Frogger

Crossing the street in Hanoi feels like playing a real-life game of Frogger.  Watch me complete a more advanced level. 

-David

Frogger crossing the street in Hanoi

Saying Goodbye

Standing in front of Hoan Kiem Lake

Boy, are we going to miss them!  My parents left yesterday afternoon to start their very, very long journey home.  I can't imagine a more wonderful two weeks.  Quality time together!  The opportunity to experience new countries is amazing.  Getting to do it with my parents adds a whole other level of fun!  

Thank you for making the effort to get all the way to Southeast Asia to see us - four flights just to get here.  For getting all sorts of vaccines and taking malaria pills.  For riding tuk-tuks and ATVs, climbing in caves, taking overnight trains, getting on elephants, walking for miles and miles, taking slow boats and fast boats, crossing crazy streets, and riding your bike through city traffic.  And thank you for spoiling us for the last two weeks with the most wonderful food.  I hit the parent jackpot!!

~Sara

Goodbye!

Two Months!

A street scene in Hanoi

Tonight, in Hanoi, Vietnam, we celebrated two months of traveling.  What a fabulous two months it has been!  It's weird, but being on the road is starting to feel like home.  Not our forever home, but our "for now" home.

We celebrated with ice cream fondue!