For the reason I have stayed in Nha Trang so long, click on the following link for pictures.
Sorry for those of you that think the first pic will be of a nice young gentlemen. It is of the kids at the school I volunteer at each morning, teaching English. These are some of the underprivileged kids at the school that runs on a drop in basis for them. Then a picture of the beach volleyball tournament that was on today. The Louisiana Brew Pub where I spend the afternoons, pool side and then some of the great seafood I eat at night. Check out the large prawns (shrimp) they de-vien them and take the shell off them before they come to the table. You choose which ones you want and they weight them up and bar b q them.
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/NhaTrangCrazyKimSSchoolBeachVietnam
Friday 30 March 2007
Tuesday 27 March 2007
Pictures from Hue, Hoi An and Nha Trang -Vietnam
The first picture is of me in a cyclo with Anne and Andrea from B.C.. We were driven around the city on the cyclos. The next couple of pictures are from the Citadel in Hue. Black and white photos of the market in Hoi An and the motorcycles on the boats crossing to a near by village. Me by the M.A.S.H. jeep that took us into the jungle at My Son to see the temples from the 17th Century that were bombed during the American war. Some have large craters beside them, where the bombs landed. A couple of a hydro worker, check out the ladder. The new red coat I had made in a tailor shop in Hoi An. A picture trying to capture the traffic and tailor shops in Hoi An. A view of the beach in Nha Trang and then me during my scuba diving certification and a couple of views from the boat. Me at the mud baths with an Aussie couple Michelle and Sam.
Click on the following link to see the pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/HoiAnNhaTrangVietnam02
Click on the following link to see the pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/HoiAnNhaTrangVietnam02
Still In Nha Trang - Vietnam
Well yes I am still alive, sorry for the delay in updating. I have had long, long days with the diving course. Usually 12 hours and then I have to come back to the hotel and do chapter work. I have been bagged. Well, after a long few days and six or seven dives, class work and the exam. I am now PADI open water certified. It was a great course and my instructor (Russell or Rusty) was very thorough.
We did a session in an Olympic size pool, 2/3 of the way full with water, half ass as usually here, they said. It is the navy's pool but they have never seen any navy in it.
The visibility was 8 – 10 m in the ocean. It is usually a lot better but it has been raining off and on. I think I will go again in the next day or two as it has not rained in a few days and I should be able to see more. We saw great big star blue and purple star fish, clown fish (Nemo), damsel fish and really nice large coral. It was better then my last dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Surprisingly there is a lot of coral life here, but I did not see many schools of fish.
I have finally got to chill out at the beach. I was told of this place that rents lounge chairs and has a pool and restaurant. It is not a resort but instead of lying on the sand for $1.50 you can rent a chair for the day and either lay on the beach or by the pool, or switch between the two. You are not harassed there, by the “want to buy, you like.” It is the place to hang out and they will bring you food and drinks, ice cream etc from the restaurant. It is a brew pub, run by an Aussie. When you look around it is hard to believe it is still Vietnam. This town has a little bit better know how on tourism.
There are many hotels going up and I am sure in 5 – 10 years it will be so different. In the South you can notice the American/Westerner influence, remnants of the war, more than in the north.
As usual I have been meeting lots of great people. A lot of Aussie couples, they are great for conversation.
Went out the other evening with my diving instructor and some of the dive masters. We went to a few high class bars and it was interesting to just people watch. There were Vietnamese gay men, “women of the night” and straight people. It was my first exposure to the ladies and that is interesting too. I had read about it, but once you see it, well.
You notice the inner racial couples in this town and you cann’t help but wonder about them. Unfortunately there are a lot of dirty old men with young Vietnamese women and unfortunately there are a lot of pedophiles. There is a woman (Vietnamese – Canadian) that has a campaign, hands off the kids. She works to reduce kids in the sex trade and runs a bar, spa (the one I went to the other day) and school. She offers free English classes to street kids and uses the money from her bar and spa to support her efforts. I volunteered today at the school teaching English. They have volunteer teachers who do 4 week or more stints and then travelers are welcome to stop in at their convenience and offer help. It was interesting, a lot of chaos in the room, organized chaos I guess. I worked with the ones that were not interested at all and unfocused. I had Canada pins in my pocket so we used them as counters and practiced counting. The one boy was really young and not doing any of the work the others were, but when I used the pins with him, he knew his numbers to 6 and we worked up to 12. They do an hour of schooling a day and come when they can. Some just once a week. It is a drop in center.
I had to laugh coming back from my class the other night. There was a women walking down the road pushing a large scale on a stand to check your weight. Why they have them? Who would want to check their weight? They had them in Hanoi too. They are crazy. I cann't think that person is making money. They are constantly trying to peddle something. Terry would like it. You sit at the restaurant and they bring the books to you. "Want to buy, good book". All pirated photocopies of books for cheap and they look real.
There is an arts and craft historical building beside my hotel. It is a lovely set up. They have a guitarist and harp players in the courtyard and mist spraying in those areas. It is relaxing and you can sit down and have a free tea. Inside the buildings are pictures for sale. They are stunning. The pictures, look like paintings but are embroidered with silk. It takes them over six months to do a picture. They truly are stunning. The detail in some of the pictures was amazing. They had an old Vietnamese man’s face and it had every detail. They also have lovely landscape pictures. It truly was spectacular and to think it is all done my hand.
Enjoying now the rest full days of lounging at the beach and reading my book after a month of go, go, see this, check this out.
This afternoon I went to the mud baths and mineral springs. It was an interesting set up. They have many small hot tub size marble tubs that they fill with mud and you lay in them for 20 minutes. Mud makes you very buoyant it was neat to float in it. It is suppose to be good for the skin. My skin does feel softer. Then you go to the mineral shower where hundreds of jets spray mineral water on you from nice granite rocks. Then you go to another tub and they fill it with hot mineral water and you relax in it. An afternoon’s entertainment for a little over $3. They also have hot large pools then that you can swim in and they are 38 degrees, they were too hot.
We did a session in an Olympic size pool, 2/3 of the way full with water, half ass as usually here, they said. It is the navy's pool but they have never seen any navy in it.
The visibility was 8 – 10 m in the ocean. It is usually a lot better but it has been raining off and on. I think I will go again in the next day or two as it has not rained in a few days and I should be able to see more. We saw great big star blue and purple star fish, clown fish (Nemo), damsel fish and really nice large coral. It was better then my last dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Surprisingly there is a lot of coral life here, but I did not see many schools of fish.
I have finally got to chill out at the beach. I was told of this place that rents lounge chairs and has a pool and restaurant. It is not a resort but instead of lying on the sand for $1.50 you can rent a chair for the day and either lay on the beach or by the pool, or switch between the two. You are not harassed there, by the “want to buy, you like.” It is the place to hang out and they will bring you food and drinks, ice cream etc from the restaurant. It is a brew pub, run by an Aussie. When you look around it is hard to believe it is still Vietnam. This town has a little bit better know how on tourism.
There are many hotels going up and I am sure in 5 – 10 years it will be so different. In the South you can notice the American/Westerner influence, remnants of the war, more than in the north.
As usual I have been meeting lots of great people. A lot of Aussie couples, they are great for conversation.
Went out the other evening with my diving instructor and some of the dive masters. We went to a few high class bars and it was interesting to just people watch. There were Vietnamese gay men, “women of the night” and straight people. It was my first exposure to the ladies and that is interesting too. I had read about it, but once you see it, well.
You notice the inner racial couples in this town and you cann’t help but wonder about them. Unfortunately there are a lot of dirty old men with young Vietnamese women and unfortunately there are a lot of pedophiles. There is a woman (Vietnamese – Canadian) that has a campaign, hands off the kids. She works to reduce kids in the sex trade and runs a bar, spa (the one I went to the other day) and school. She offers free English classes to street kids and uses the money from her bar and spa to support her efforts. I volunteered today at the school teaching English. They have volunteer teachers who do 4 week or more stints and then travelers are welcome to stop in at their convenience and offer help. It was interesting, a lot of chaos in the room, organized chaos I guess. I worked with the ones that were not interested at all and unfocused. I had Canada pins in my pocket so we used them as counters and practiced counting. The one boy was really young and not doing any of the work the others were, but when I used the pins with him, he knew his numbers to 6 and we worked up to 12. They do an hour of schooling a day and come when they can. Some just once a week. It is a drop in center.
I had to laugh coming back from my class the other night. There was a women walking down the road pushing a large scale on a stand to check your weight. Why they have them? Who would want to check their weight? They had them in Hanoi too. They are crazy. I cann't think that person is making money. They are constantly trying to peddle something. Terry would like it. You sit at the restaurant and they bring the books to you. "Want to buy, good book". All pirated photocopies of books for cheap and they look real.
There is an arts and craft historical building beside my hotel. It is a lovely set up. They have a guitarist and harp players in the courtyard and mist spraying in those areas. It is relaxing and you can sit down and have a free tea. Inside the buildings are pictures for sale. They are stunning. The pictures, look like paintings but are embroidered with silk. It takes them over six months to do a picture. They truly are stunning. The detail in some of the pictures was amazing. They had an old Vietnamese man’s face and it had every detail. They also have lovely landscape pictures. It truly was spectacular and to think it is all done my hand.
Enjoying now the rest full days of lounging at the beach and reading my book after a month of go, go, see this, check this out.
This afternoon I went to the mud baths and mineral springs. It was an interesting set up. They have many small hot tub size marble tubs that they fill with mud and you lay in them for 20 minutes. Mud makes you very buoyant it was neat to float in it. It is suppose to be good for the skin. My skin does feel softer. Then you go to the mineral shower where hundreds of jets spray mineral water on you from nice granite rocks. Then you go to another tub and they fill it with hot mineral water and you relax in it. An afternoon’s entertainment for a little over $3. They also have hot large pools then that you can swim in and they are 38 degrees, they were too hot.
Wednesday 21 March 2007
Nha Trang - Vietnam
Well the train did have air-conditioning and the toilets left a lot to be desired. Man those are gross. The trains are very old, grimy and the toilets, holy the toilets. You just hope no part of your body touches any part of that room and use lots of hand sanitizer once you get out. The doors between the cars did not shut. So when people were smoking between the cars the smoke came billowing into the car and man after 8 ½ hours I felt as if I had smoked two packs of cigarettes. Well enough of that.
It has been raining off and on here. Sometimes it just downpours, but it usually only lasts for five or ten minutes. Nha Trang has a bit slower pace then the other towns so far and it is on the beach. I am staying at a hotel that is half a block from the beach and I can see the water and beach from my room for $8 a night. It is lovely and very clean. No free breakfast at this one though, but free internet.
This town also likes to cater to the Western’s and offers lots of massages and spa packages. So with the rain. I walked into Crazy Kim’s Spa and Gym to check the prices and facilities and ended up staying for a couple of hours. It was great. It was up to North American standards, very clean, sterile and modern. It was nicer then some of the expensive spots in Peterborough. So the ladies reading will like this. I had a deep cleansing facial for 70 minutes, pedicure and foot massage for 60 minutes and steam bath (all I could take was 10 minutes or so) all for less than $16. My skin has never felt so good. She worked wonders on it. If the rain keeps up, I may have to go back.
I also found another spot up to North American standards. I keep saying that as it is very poor here and things are usually grimy and not as bright and modern as in Canada. This place offers diving certification. So you got it. I am signed up to start my open water PADI certification for scuba diving tomorrow. It should take three to four days. I had to fill in a bunch of paper work and answer a lot of questions. I answered yes to one of the questions so I had to go to the doctor and get checked out. The question asked if you have ever had ear surgery. As a kid I had five sets of tubes. So off I go to the doctor. No problem. There is an English French speaking doctor across town. The dive shop (which is mostly westerners working there) got one of their Vietnamese employees to get me a motorbike and told them where to take me and to wait until I was finish and bring me back. Not a problem, as I am constantly being harassed, “motorbike, you like motorbike.” They always want to give you a ride.
So to the doctor a quick ride across town and I was in and out of the office in less than five minutes. Holy speedy, no sitting around waiting there like at home. He checked my ears and filled out the paperwork and gave me the okay. All this for $6.
Oh another crazy thing, trying to find deodorant. I was running low so I was watching out for it. They have many street venders who sell it, but not what I like or Westerns use. So it took a few days and a couple of towns. Luckily I still had some left. I found an A mart in Nha Trang, a large department store, similar to K mart, but a tenth of the size. I found regular Westerner deodorant there and was able to read the English on the Vietnamese glass bottles of deodorant. You got it, glass and they are heavy. Well it turns out they have whiting ingredients in their deodorant to make their skin whiter. Glad I got the regular stuff as I do not need help in the whiting department. So this leads to my other white story. In Hoi An at all those tailor shops all the women would rub my pasty white skin, “oh so nice, nice white skin, so pretty.” It was a bit much. The women here all want to have whiter skin and will wear surgical masks over their faces to protect their skin. Or longer ones that also cover the neck and long satin gloves to cover their arms when they are outside. So in the heat, me in a tank top and shorts I am gleaming white, as I have not been the beach.
The food is excellent. I have been having a lot of seafood even squid (little octopuses) in my seafood pasta. You can eat really well for cheap the most expensive things are $4. They have great fruit shakes for 50 cents. Most things are between one and two dollars.
Yesterday I met this really neat older woman. I went to the beach to read and met this woman there. I never got the book open. She was the first female war correspondent for Holland and was/is a journalist. She has lived in Saigon for the last eight years and was here when the war was on. She was fascinating to listen too. She has been all over the world, seen many wars and lived a very interesting life. Her stories were fascinating. She invited me to come to her house in Saigon when I am there to check out her scrapbooks and clippings from the war era. It was really neat listening to her.
It has been raining off and on here. Sometimes it just downpours, but it usually only lasts for five or ten minutes. Nha Trang has a bit slower pace then the other towns so far and it is on the beach. I am staying at a hotel that is half a block from the beach and I can see the water and beach from my room for $8 a night. It is lovely and very clean. No free breakfast at this one though, but free internet.
This town also likes to cater to the Western’s and offers lots of massages and spa packages. So with the rain. I walked into Crazy Kim’s Spa and Gym to check the prices and facilities and ended up staying for a couple of hours. It was great. It was up to North American standards, very clean, sterile and modern. It was nicer then some of the expensive spots in Peterborough. So the ladies reading will like this. I had a deep cleansing facial for 70 minutes, pedicure and foot massage for 60 minutes and steam bath (all I could take was 10 minutes or so) all for less than $16. My skin has never felt so good. She worked wonders on it. If the rain keeps up, I may have to go back.
I also found another spot up to North American standards. I keep saying that as it is very poor here and things are usually grimy and not as bright and modern as in Canada. This place offers diving certification. So you got it. I am signed up to start my open water PADI certification for scuba diving tomorrow. It should take three to four days. I had to fill in a bunch of paper work and answer a lot of questions. I answered yes to one of the questions so I had to go to the doctor and get checked out. The question asked if you have ever had ear surgery. As a kid I had five sets of tubes. So off I go to the doctor. No problem. There is an English French speaking doctor across town. The dive shop (which is mostly westerners working there) got one of their Vietnamese employees to get me a motorbike and told them where to take me and to wait until I was finish and bring me back. Not a problem, as I am constantly being harassed, “motorbike, you like motorbike.” They always want to give you a ride.
So to the doctor a quick ride across town and I was in and out of the office in less than five minutes. Holy speedy, no sitting around waiting there like at home. He checked my ears and filled out the paperwork and gave me the okay. All this for $6.
Oh another crazy thing, trying to find deodorant. I was running low so I was watching out for it. They have many street venders who sell it, but not what I like or Westerns use. So it took a few days and a couple of towns. Luckily I still had some left. I found an A mart in Nha Trang, a large department store, similar to K mart, but a tenth of the size. I found regular Westerner deodorant there and was able to read the English on the Vietnamese glass bottles of deodorant. You got it, glass and they are heavy. Well it turns out they have whiting ingredients in their deodorant to make their skin whiter. Glad I got the regular stuff as I do not need help in the whiting department. So this leads to my other white story. In Hoi An at all those tailor shops all the women would rub my pasty white skin, “oh so nice, nice white skin, so pretty.” It was a bit much. The women here all want to have whiter skin and will wear surgical masks over their faces to protect their skin. Or longer ones that also cover the neck and long satin gloves to cover their arms when they are outside. So in the heat, me in a tank top and shorts I am gleaming white, as I have not been the beach.
The food is excellent. I have been having a lot of seafood even squid (little octopuses) in my seafood pasta. You can eat really well for cheap the most expensive things are $4. They have great fruit shakes for 50 cents. Most things are between one and two dollars.
Yesterday I met this really neat older woman. I went to the beach to read and met this woman there. I never got the book open. She was the first female war correspondent for Holland and was/is a journalist. She has lived in Saigon for the last eight years and was here when the war was on. She was fascinating to listen too. She has been all over the world, seen many wars and lived a very interesting life. Her stories were fascinating. She invited me to come to her house in Saigon when I am there to check out her scrapbooks and clippings from the war era. It was really neat listening to her.
Sunday 18 March 2007
Hoi An - Vietnam
I have been in Hoi An for three nights. The town is a lovely little tourist town with tons of great restaurants and just as many tailors. Hoi An is know for having great tailors and most travelers stop here to have cloths made. That being said every other shop is a tailor or restaurant. I had a spring/fall jacket made for $22 and a pair of travel shorts for $7.
You walk by each of these shops and they say “Hello. Please check out my shop. You like. I have many colour. Try on.” I was interested in a wool coat as each shop has some version of one. Let me remind you it is at least 30 degrees, I am sweaty and here I am squeezing into multiple wool coats that are too small for me anyway. “I make to fit you, have many colour” they say. I gave up on that idea, it would take up too much room in my bag and once I had tried some on I realized I did not like that style.
So the shorts. I check out the shop Ny, Ny, they have five shops in the little town, not sure if they are linked to the shops I saw with the names, My, My, or Ky, Ky. But I thought they were interesting versions of each other. I ask how much for shorts? They say $7 - $10. I figure I can afford that. I describe the pair I already have that are a little big and would like another pair of, so they say, “where your hotel?” I show them the map I have from the hotel with the hotels name on it. She says “my sister take you on motorbike.” So one phone call and up comes her sister on the motorbike to take me to my hotel to pick up the shorts. The shorts cost $50 in Canada and are Royal Robins, great for traveling with lots of pockets. They copied them and after 2 adjustments and $7 they are great.
Hoi An is know also for it’s great cuisine and some specialty dishes. They are very tasty. I had a few meals with the family I met from B.C. and we shared dishes, so we got to try lots of different things. They serve the food to you on a plate but then you take it from the plate and put it in a bowl the size of a dessert bowl back home and eat from that. It is different eating from this size of bowl and not using plates to eat from. I have loved Hoi An. It is a great little town. There are lots of nice restaurants that look onto the river with patios out front or roof top patios. The most expensive meal we had worked out to be around $4 and that was a pretty swanky restaurant. We sat on the roof top patio and had good North American desserts too. I had a fruit tart that had strawberries, mango, kiwi and a fruit that looked like kiwi and tasted like kiwi, but was white.
Yesterday we went by bus to My Son and returned by boat. It was really interesting. We visited ancient ruins from the 17th Century that were bombed during the American war. As we walked around the cobble stone foot path we could see many temples, I think there were 17 temples and beside some of them there were great big craters where bombs had landed during the war. Some of the building were also just rubble now. It was a nice area. I was not going to check it out, but am glad I did. The cobblestone pathways and temples were in the jungle and we had to take an American jeep to get to them, once we got off the bus. It was cool, just like M.A.S.H.
There is a family staying at our hotel with two girls from Montreal. One is in grade five and the other grade two. They are away from home for two months so each night I see them working on their homework.
The hotel is nice it has a pool, free internet, free breakfast, air conditioning in the room and two beds in the room for $10 a night.
I am taking the train today with my friends, the family from B.C. We are going to Nha Trang. It is a day train and will take eight hours to go 550 km. We have booked soft seats. The options are hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper. We took the soft sleeper the other day for the night train to sleep. It was a cabin with two sets of bunk beds. You could not see out the window well so we are hoping that the soft seat during the day will let us check out the views. The last train had mesh over the window so if kids threw stones they would not break the windows. I hope the soft seat area has better windows to see out.
Transportation has been easy to arrange as most travelers do the same route and you can fly, take the train or go by bus. Oh yes amongst the tailors and restaurants are many travel agents selling tickets and day tours or the hotel sells them too.
I was walking down the street the other day and a motorbike went by and a guy yelled “hey Sarah” and waved. That was pretty cool I had met him and his girlfriend the second day in Hanoi. I also met the girl that was my roommate on the Ha Long bay boat trip so we hung out again too. Turned out we shared my room one night as she was paying $25 a night at another place so we split the $10 at my hotel as it had two beds and was quite large.
Here's hoping the train has air conditioning and is not too packed.
You walk by each of these shops and they say “Hello. Please check out my shop. You like. I have many colour. Try on.” I was interested in a wool coat as each shop has some version of one. Let me remind you it is at least 30 degrees, I am sweaty and here I am squeezing into multiple wool coats that are too small for me anyway. “I make to fit you, have many colour” they say. I gave up on that idea, it would take up too much room in my bag and once I had tried some on I realized I did not like that style.
So the shorts. I check out the shop Ny, Ny, they have five shops in the little town, not sure if they are linked to the shops I saw with the names, My, My, or Ky, Ky. But I thought they were interesting versions of each other. I ask how much for shorts? They say $7 - $10. I figure I can afford that. I describe the pair I already have that are a little big and would like another pair of, so they say, “where your hotel?” I show them the map I have from the hotel with the hotels name on it. She says “my sister take you on motorbike.” So one phone call and up comes her sister on the motorbike to take me to my hotel to pick up the shorts. The shorts cost $50 in Canada and are Royal Robins, great for traveling with lots of pockets. They copied them and after 2 adjustments and $7 they are great.
Hoi An is know also for it’s great cuisine and some specialty dishes. They are very tasty. I had a few meals with the family I met from B.C. and we shared dishes, so we got to try lots of different things. They serve the food to you on a plate but then you take it from the plate and put it in a bowl the size of a dessert bowl back home and eat from that. It is different eating from this size of bowl and not using plates to eat from. I have loved Hoi An. It is a great little town. There are lots of nice restaurants that look onto the river with patios out front or roof top patios. The most expensive meal we had worked out to be around $4 and that was a pretty swanky restaurant. We sat on the roof top patio and had good North American desserts too. I had a fruit tart that had strawberries, mango, kiwi and a fruit that looked like kiwi and tasted like kiwi, but was white.
Yesterday we went by bus to My Son and returned by boat. It was really interesting. We visited ancient ruins from the 17th Century that were bombed during the American war. As we walked around the cobble stone foot path we could see many temples, I think there were 17 temples and beside some of them there were great big craters where bombs had landed during the war. Some of the building were also just rubble now. It was a nice area. I was not going to check it out, but am glad I did. The cobblestone pathways and temples were in the jungle and we had to take an American jeep to get to them, once we got off the bus. It was cool, just like M.A.S.H.
There is a family staying at our hotel with two girls from Montreal. One is in grade five and the other grade two. They are away from home for two months so each night I see them working on their homework.
The hotel is nice it has a pool, free internet, free breakfast, air conditioning in the room and two beds in the room for $10 a night.
I am taking the train today with my friends, the family from B.C. We are going to Nha Trang. It is a day train and will take eight hours to go 550 km. We have booked soft seats. The options are hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper. We took the soft sleeper the other day for the night train to sleep. It was a cabin with two sets of bunk beds. You could not see out the window well so we are hoping that the soft seat during the day will let us check out the views. The last train had mesh over the window so if kids threw stones they would not break the windows. I hope the soft seat area has better windows to see out.
Transportation has been easy to arrange as most travelers do the same route and you can fly, take the train or go by bus. Oh yes amongst the tailors and restaurants are many travel agents selling tickets and day tours or the hotel sells them too.
I was walking down the street the other day and a motorbike went by and a guy yelled “hey Sarah” and waved. That was pretty cool I had met him and his girlfriend the second day in Hanoi. I also met the girl that was my roommate on the Ha Long bay boat trip so we hung out again too. Turned out we shared my room one night as she was paying $25 a night at another place so we split the $10 at my hotel as it had two beds and was quite large.
Here's hoping the train has air conditioning and is not too packed.
Thursday 15 March 2007
Hue - Vietnam
I took a sleeper train last night to Hue it ended up being a 15 1/2 hour ride. I was able to get some sleep and lucked out having 3 cabin mates from British Columbia. A girl around my age with her parents. They are great and we were able to check into the same hotel and tour the city together today. We road around in a cyclo. (A guy drives the bike with you sitting in a cart at the front.)
The train was interesting. I am very thankful for my great cabin mates. I could have ended up with anyone. The train was very old and had a one hole squatter toilet. Not the cleanest to say the least, but we managed.
Taking the bus to Hoi An tomorrow morning. Should be a 3 1/2 hour ride and it cost a little under $3 US.
The train was interesting. I am very thankful for my great cabin mates. I could have ended up with anyone. The train was very old and had a one hole squatter toilet. Not the cleanest to say the least, but we managed.
Taking the bus to Hoi An tomorrow morning. Should be a 3 1/2 hour ride and it cost a little under $3 US.
Wednesday 14 March 2007
Ha Long Bay - Vietnam
I went to Ha Long Bay for two days and one night. It was great. It took three hours by bus to get there and another three hours back today. We successfully made it back too. The traffic is insane here and we almost side swiped another bus. We were centimeters apart. Thank god, all is well.
Once arriving at Ha Long Bay amongst the thousands we climb aboard a boat to only have to climb onto another and then another and then another, all with our backpacks on. I am glad I did not have a suitcase like some people I saw. I am not sure how they made out. As the boats were sometimes ten deep. It also makes you think, this is not wheelchair friendly.
We took a Junk. That is what the boats are called by the locals and we eat and slept on it. Once touring on the boat for awhile we arrived amongst the thousands of mini islands. It was very pretty. However it was overcast. There always seems to be a haze and smog. They are terrible polluters and are ruining their lakes and country. It is unfortunate but there is a lot of garbage floating in the Bay.
One of the islands had a very large cave that we were able to tour. It was also very interesting. It is thought that two dragons live in the cave. We didn’t see them. They have different coloured lights in the cave so that is why some of the pictures are glowing.
I met some wonderful people on the boat. There were 14 people on the boat and everyone was lovely. We also got to go kayaking around the islands.
Ha Long Bay has been the best part of Vietnam so far. It is definitely something to checkout on the Junk.
I am waiting back at the hotel to take a taxi to catch the night train to Hue. I have a soft sleeper (a bed). It will take 13 hours, and it is really not that far, only a few hundred kilometers. So I thought I would take advantage of the internet and give you an update and a new link to pictures. I was able to put the software on this computer the other night and this will be the last time I use this specific computer. I am not sure if I will be able to keep up with loading the pictures, so I might as well while I can.
Click on the following link for pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/HaLongBayVietnam
Once arriving at Ha Long Bay amongst the thousands we climb aboard a boat to only have to climb onto another and then another and then another, all with our backpacks on. I am glad I did not have a suitcase like some people I saw. I am not sure how they made out. As the boats were sometimes ten deep. It also makes you think, this is not wheelchair friendly.
We took a Junk. That is what the boats are called by the locals and we eat and slept on it. Once touring on the boat for awhile we arrived amongst the thousands of mini islands. It was very pretty. However it was overcast. There always seems to be a haze and smog. They are terrible polluters and are ruining their lakes and country. It is unfortunate but there is a lot of garbage floating in the Bay.
One of the islands had a very large cave that we were able to tour. It was also very interesting. It is thought that two dragons live in the cave. We didn’t see them. They have different coloured lights in the cave so that is why some of the pictures are glowing.
I met some wonderful people on the boat. There were 14 people on the boat and everyone was lovely. We also got to go kayaking around the islands.
Ha Long Bay has been the best part of Vietnam so far. It is definitely something to checkout on the Junk.
I am waiting back at the hotel to take a taxi to catch the night train to Hue. I have a soft sleeper (a bed). It will take 13 hours, and it is really not that far, only a few hundred kilometers. So I thought I would take advantage of the internet and give you an update and a new link to pictures. I was able to put the software on this computer the other night and this will be the last time I use this specific computer. I am not sure if I will be able to keep up with loading the pictures, so I might as well while I can.
Click on the following link for pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/HaLongBayVietnam
Monday 12 March 2007
Korea and Vietnam pictures
Persistence and patience I think has paid off, and I believe I was able to upload the pictures using this terribly crappy computer at the hotel. At least it is something though. Hopefully it works.
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/KoreaAndVietnamPictures
Info on the pictures:
Notice the gloves on the motorbike in Korea and the dump feature on the other. The map picture is of the proposed/future rail route from South Korea to the UK. Then some pagoda pictures from the Palace I visited. Me eating a traditional Korea meal while sitting on the floor. Then Vietnam, me at the one pillar pagoda, at the Hoi Chi Ming place, sorry no pictures of the dead guy as they took our cameras from us before entering. A black and white picture of a cell at the jail. Me carrying pineapples for sale and a picture of a street market. Then pictures of the Perfume Pagoda tour and the boats we took to get there. Then all the people, now that is with a little bit of a break in space, as I was able to get my camera out of its bag. So we were even closer than that. An invasion of personal space and the pushing up the steps that where there. Me at the chocolate buffet. Two pictures of the mayhem on the streets with all the mopeds, try crossing that road, which you have to do and dog them all.
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/KoreaAndVietnamPictures
Info on the pictures:
Notice the gloves on the motorbike in Korea and the dump feature on the other. The map picture is of the proposed/future rail route from South Korea to the UK. Then some pagoda pictures from the Palace I visited. Me eating a traditional Korea meal while sitting on the floor. Then Vietnam, me at the one pillar pagoda, at the Hoi Chi Ming place, sorry no pictures of the dead guy as they took our cameras from us before entering. A black and white picture of a cell at the jail. Me carrying pineapples for sale and a picture of a street market. Then pictures of the Perfume Pagoda tour and the boats we took to get there. Then all the people, now that is with a little bit of a break in space, as I was able to get my camera out of its bag. So we were even closer than that. An invasion of personal space and the pushing up the steps that where there. Me at the chocolate buffet. Two pictures of the mayhem on the streets with all the mopeds, try crossing that road, which you have to do and dog them all.
Perfume Pagoda Tour - Vietnam
I went on the Perfume Pagoda tour. It is called that because the trees there are suppose to be potent. It was a two hour bus ride out of Hanoi. It was nice looking at all the rice patties and the people working in the fields. Getting to the Perfume Pagoda was very involved. Once arriving in the town we were escorted by a vicious women who took us from one end of the town to her restaurant. She led the way on her moped with the horn blaring the whole way and we were the only two vehicles on the road. It was not a beep, beep it was a laid on constant, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Once at her place she was trying to sell, sell, sell and there was no need for food or drink. When we went to leave her restaurant we went to board the bus, but they would not let the four Westerners get on. The bus only took the Vietnamese people and we had to walk to the where we were to board the row boat for the hour long boat ride to the pagoda. I am not sure what that was all about.
We got on the boat which the crazy lady ushered us onto her boat and was persistent we get on her boat and not another. She then rowed at the back and a man at the front. She talked (yelled) into her cell phone for the whole trip. When it would ring, she would pull the boat over to answer it. It is amazing we were in no mans land and they still have cell phone reception. I think it is better reception than Canada and they are so poor, but have a phone.
Now it was really interesting and all of that sounds negative, but the views were spectacular and the boat ride great. There were thousands of boats and even more people. Most were Vietnamese and oh yes it was a festival day and Sunday (a time of year the Lonely Planet recommends not to go) but we did not know that until after we experienced it. March and April are extremely busy, but it is always busy the book says and it also says “you have been warned.” Sure makes since after visiting the place.
Once on the other side at the end of the hour long boat ride our vicious lady takes us to her restaurant on this side of the river and basically tells our guide we have to eat our lunch there. We don’t, so when we return at the end of the trip she gives him a tongue lashing. You have to trek to the top to view the perfume pagoda or take a cable car. The stupid ones we are decide, oh yea it would be great to hike to the top check out the scenery and get some exercise. You also had to pay for the cable car, but it was minuscule. The fourth westerner tried to take the cable car but was refused a ticket. She was told they were sold out so she also did the hike.
The hike of my god. Two hours up with extremely rough large rock terrain, mud, people, people and more people. It was impossible to look at the view as you had to constantly be watching where you were walking. The rocks were really slippery, uneven and there were tons of stairs without the correct seven inch rise. It took two hours and we did not even get to see it. There were so many people we were stuck in this one area for half an hour and only moved 10 feet in that time. From where I finally turned around it was suppose to be another 2 km and the people were so thick. We were on top of each other and they were constantly pushing with out saying excuse me or anything. Check out the picture of how close the people were. Thank god the four of us came out of the masses with all of our belonging and no one was pick pocketed. My plane was to make it to the top and take the cable car down as if would be really dangerous going down as the mountain was steep. We could not make it to the top so down I go. I almost fell four or five times. There were shoes and sandals left behind in the mud as their footwear did not make the journey. I came back to the hotel with solid mud running shoes and the mud on my pants was to my knees.
Once making it to the bottom we were to meet the “guide” or the guy that is suppose to talk English, but tells you nothing. He basically pays the money to enter the area for the group. We meet him it is 3pm when he said lunch was to be. We are starving as we have not eaten since before 8am and did all this walking. He finally after a lot of hassle from us orders the lunch at 3:45 pm. The two others I am with go to a spot for coffee and get into a huge argument with the workers there as they tried to ripe them off when they went to pay. He gave give a 100 000 dollar bill and the coffee was 10 000 and they tried to keep the money. He did not have anything smaller so had to pay with the 100 000. It was crazy the yelling, but they got the bill back and the other person paid for his coffee with her money as she had the correct amount for him.
So back to the boat area and you got it our lady is back, "take my boat, take my boat." This is when the “guide” gets yelled at for not taking our group to her restaurant. We get in her boat, this time she sits down with us and lets others do the rowing. She takes four cell phone calls (yelling matches) on the ride back. I made a bet with myself that before we got on the boat she would take three calls. Then once making it to the “docking” area she looks for a tip and the other people on the shore want us to give our lady a tip. For what ruining the calm and peace of the area by talking (yelling) into her cell phone? The docking was another story. Thousands of boats coming into this area no more than 50 feet across. They were crashing into one another and pushing there way through. It was mayhem.
We drive two hours back to Hanoi only to be dropped off at the lake the main part of the city and not our hotels. This is a good 10 minute drive from my place. We say no you have to take us to our hotels but no they won’t. It is also 8pm and obviously dark out. The “guide” does tell the driver to take me back as I am so far away. So I remain in the bus (large van) and go with the driver. He is not happy about this. He tries to drop me off 100meters away. I say no. He motions take that road. I say no you take me to my hotel, I do not know how to get there. He motions take a motorbike. I say no. I have to yell at him and show him the business card for my hotel and say take me to my hotel, pointing vigorously at the card. He ends up doing it, speaking under his breath. We get to my street and he says here. I say no take me the 5 blocks down to my hotel. So what does he do? Drives by it and I say STOP. Finally he does and shoos me out of the van giving me a nasty, dirty look. The service and manners here are out of this world. That being said though the people working at the hotel are very nice.
I met a girl today from Sweden. I am sure I will see her again as she is one day ahead of me on moving to the next city. Most tourists take the same route so I am sure to see others again. We are all a day or two behind each other.
The streets here are not parallel or perpendicular and change names literally five times in less than a km stretch. Some times each block starts a new name. So we got lost trying to find the lake. We were two hours trying to get there. Luckily we were just on tour for the day anyway. My sense of direction is usually good, but in this city I had no idea if we should go left or right and got so turned around. I have also learned that when most Vietnamese try to help you and say right, they really mean left.
We did manage to make it to the chocolate buffet J Terry and I read about this place the week or so before I came. There was an article in the Toronto Star raving about it. So you got it, this chocoholic checked it out and really enjoyed it. It was at a swanky, swanky hotel. The cheap room is $200 U.S. a night in the low season and $380 U.S. if I wanted to stay there tonight. You are welcome to go there though and check the place out. I had chocolate spring rolls, chocolate fondue, good fancy hot chocolate and tons more. It was decedent and very relaxing sitting in such an extravagant environment minus the traffic and constant horn blaring. Leaving there, which was right at the lake we were extremely successful making it back to the hotel in record time with not one wrong turn or street.
Sorry I can not get the pictures to upload. Hopefully I can get this to work somewhere else.
We got on the boat which the crazy lady ushered us onto her boat and was persistent we get on her boat and not another. She then rowed at the back and a man at the front. She talked (yelled) into her cell phone for the whole trip. When it would ring, she would pull the boat over to answer it. It is amazing we were in no mans land and they still have cell phone reception. I think it is better reception than Canada and they are so poor, but have a phone.
Now it was really interesting and all of that sounds negative, but the views were spectacular and the boat ride great. There were thousands of boats and even more people. Most were Vietnamese and oh yes it was a festival day and Sunday (a time of year the Lonely Planet recommends not to go) but we did not know that until after we experienced it. March and April are extremely busy, but it is always busy the book says and it also says “you have been warned.” Sure makes since after visiting the place.
Once on the other side at the end of the hour long boat ride our vicious lady takes us to her restaurant on this side of the river and basically tells our guide we have to eat our lunch there. We don’t, so when we return at the end of the trip she gives him a tongue lashing. You have to trek to the top to view the perfume pagoda or take a cable car. The stupid ones we are decide, oh yea it would be great to hike to the top check out the scenery and get some exercise. You also had to pay for the cable car, but it was minuscule. The fourth westerner tried to take the cable car but was refused a ticket. She was told they were sold out so she also did the hike.
The hike of my god. Two hours up with extremely rough large rock terrain, mud, people, people and more people. It was impossible to look at the view as you had to constantly be watching where you were walking. The rocks were really slippery, uneven and there were tons of stairs without the correct seven inch rise. It took two hours and we did not even get to see it. There were so many people we were stuck in this one area for half an hour and only moved 10 feet in that time. From where I finally turned around it was suppose to be another 2 km and the people were so thick. We were on top of each other and they were constantly pushing with out saying excuse me or anything. Check out the picture of how close the people were. Thank god the four of us came out of the masses with all of our belonging and no one was pick pocketed. My plane was to make it to the top and take the cable car down as if would be really dangerous going down as the mountain was steep. We could not make it to the top so down I go. I almost fell four or five times. There were shoes and sandals left behind in the mud as their footwear did not make the journey. I came back to the hotel with solid mud running shoes and the mud on my pants was to my knees.
Once making it to the bottom we were to meet the “guide” or the guy that is suppose to talk English, but tells you nothing. He basically pays the money to enter the area for the group. We meet him it is 3pm when he said lunch was to be. We are starving as we have not eaten since before 8am and did all this walking. He finally after a lot of hassle from us orders the lunch at 3:45 pm. The two others I am with go to a spot for coffee and get into a huge argument with the workers there as they tried to ripe them off when they went to pay. He gave give a 100 000 dollar bill and the coffee was 10 000 and they tried to keep the money. He did not have anything smaller so had to pay with the 100 000. It was crazy the yelling, but they got the bill back and the other person paid for his coffee with her money as she had the correct amount for him.
So back to the boat area and you got it our lady is back, "take my boat, take my boat." This is when the “guide” gets yelled at for not taking our group to her restaurant. We get in her boat, this time she sits down with us and lets others do the rowing. She takes four cell phone calls (yelling matches) on the ride back. I made a bet with myself that before we got on the boat she would take three calls. Then once making it to the “docking” area she looks for a tip and the other people on the shore want us to give our lady a tip. For what ruining the calm and peace of the area by talking (yelling) into her cell phone? The docking was another story. Thousands of boats coming into this area no more than 50 feet across. They were crashing into one another and pushing there way through. It was mayhem.
We drive two hours back to Hanoi only to be dropped off at the lake the main part of the city and not our hotels. This is a good 10 minute drive from my place. We say no you have to take us to our hotels but no they won’t. It is also 8pm and obviously dark out. The “guide” does tell the driver to take me back as I am so far away. So I remain in the bus (large van) and go with the driver. He is not happy about this. He tries to drop me off 100meters away. I say no. He motions take that road. I say no you take me to my hotel, I do not know how to get there. He motions take a motorbike. I say no. I have to yell at him and show him the business card for my hotel and say take me to my hotel, pointing vigorously at the card. He ends up doing it, speaking under his breath. We get to my street and he says here. I say no take me the 5 blocks down to my hotel. So what does he do? Drives by it and I say STOP. Finally he does and shoos me out of the van giving me a nasty, dirty look. The service and manners here are out of this world. That being said though the people working at the hotel are very nice.
I met a girl today from Sweden. I am sure I will see her again as she is one day ahead of me on moving to the next city. Most tourists take the same route so I am sure to see others again. We are all a day or two behind each other.
The streets here are not parallel or perpendicular and change names literally five times in less than a km stretch. Some times each block starts a new name. So we got lost trying to find the lake. We were two hours trying to get there. Luckily we were just on tour for the day anyway. My sense of direction is usually good, but in this city I had no idea if we should go left or right and got so turned around. I have also learned that when most Vietnamese try to help you and say right, they really mean left.
We did manage to make it to the chocolate buffet J Terry and I read about this place the week or so before I came. There was an article in the Toronto Star raving about it. So you got it, this chocoholic checked it out and really enjoyed it. It was at a swanky, swanky hotel. The cheap room is $200 U.S. a night in the low season and $380 U.S. if I wanted to stay there tonight. You are welcome to go there though and check the place out. I had chocolate spring rolls, chocolate fondue, good fancy hot chocolate and tons more. It was decedent and very relaxing sitting in such an extravagant environment minus the traffic and constant horn blaring. Leaving there, which was right at the lake we were extremely successful making it back to the hotel in record time with not one wrong turn or street.
Sorry I can not get the pictures to upload. Hopefully I can get this to work somewhere else.
Saturday 10 March 2007
Good morning Vietnam!
Another early start with a trip to the airport bus stop shortly after six am.
I arrive at the Incheon International Airport (which is huge) and looks a lot like the Toronto airport on the outside to be dropped off in area M. There are areas A – Z. I look at the info board for my flight, but the board only goes to 9:30 am and my flight is at 10:15 am so I find another area that says Korean Air is in area K. I go there and am told to go to area D. I get to area D and am told to go to K. I show her the ticket again and it says it is a Korean Air flight being operated by Vietnam Air, which ends up being on the other side of area D. Great. I wait in the line zip off my day pack from the large backpack to the amazement of the security official standing there. I then zip up the shoulder straps, turning the bag into a duffle bag so the straps don’t get caught in the conveyor belts, again to this women’s amazement.
Once at the counter I hand over my passport containing my visa and ticket. She asks if I have another ticket which I respond no. She says you need another ticket. I show her the ones I have for Hong Kong and Africa and Ireland, Toronto. No good. She says no you need a flight out of Vietnam. I say, no I thought it was ok if I just have a flight home from somewhere, not Vietnam. I explain that I would like to leave Vietnam via ground transportation, but she says no, that I have to go buy a ticket out of the country. I am a little bothered, but figure ok. That is how the Africa trip evolved in the first place so I would have a flight home. She sends me to yet another area to buy a ticket. I am still lugging my luggage. I get there. Explain my situation only to be interrupted by another woman, saying come with me, she was wrong. She explains that the original women had it wrong and that immigration will let me in. She takes me to her desk and checks me in. I am thinking ok is this going to happen again? Will I be refused into the country once there? But luckily I was not.
Upon walking through the airport there is a little taste of Peterborough, so I indulge. They had a Baskin and Robbins and since the only plant in the world is in Peterborough I treat myself, it was only $2. Breakfast of champions. You are also never to far from Peterborough.
At the airport there were huge groups of people going golfing. Carts going by with 50 sets of clubs on them. Oh and the people on the flight. A large group of Koreans that had major listening problems. They would stand up and walk around during take off and landing. Who does that? You could tell the flight attendants were really irritated with these people. They would try to use the first class bathrooms continuously. Often it was excuse me, excuse me as the flight attendants give them hell. If you have been on plane you know the service carts take up the whole isle, well four Korean women had there butts in my face trying to squeeze through past these carts, with no excuse me. The flight attendants again just looked at them. I had none of this invasive behaviour in Korea, but the flight was entertaining.
Once arriving in Hanoi I am met by a sign with my name on it as the hotel sent a guy to pick me up. In Korea I booked a place over the internet. That was great, because I don’t think I would have found it on my own. No streets are parallel or perpendicular and the traffic and motorcycles, mopeds are insane. Out front of my hotel it looks like a race as the road is thick with mopeds. No space between them.
I was going to take the bus which was free and an hour and a half ride with my escort but a taxi was $ 10 and 40 minutes, so I did that instead. An interesting ride, in and out of cars and mopeds. Around people with LOADED down mopeds, some containing pigs, others 5 people, or boxes, or vegetables. The pigs were especially cool and freaky. There were mopeds with 2 feet by 2 feet wire baskets on the back and another basket on either side (were my saddle bags would be) all containing LIVE pigs. There must have been 12 pigs on this moped. I have to get a picture at some time. Speaking of pictures. Stopped at the side of the highway is a convoy of people in a wedding. They are stopped taking pictures with the guardrail as a back drop. I was told Vietnam was one of the most beautiful countries in the world, I am sure you can find a better backdrop than the guardrail for the highway. Maybe that is where they met; he picked her up along with four other people and squeezed her on to his moped.
The noise, constant horns, people indicating they are passing or just saying hi. Constant loud noise. Good thing I brought ear plugs. They are working well for sleeping as the hotel is beside a terrible Karaoke bar and the horns. Have I mentioned the horns and the traffic? Actually the hotel is really good. $8 a night for a single room, double bed, ensuite, t.v., mini fridge and toast for breakfast. It is also clean and has lots of hot water.
Over head wires on the street leave much to be desired. There are blankets of wires coming into hydro poles. Coming from the airport there was a transport truck stopped and a guy standing on the side of the box with a broom pushing the blanket of wires up so the truck could shimmy through.
I took a tour of the city and met a woman from Lebanon. She is great. We spent the day together and she gave me lots of info about where to go and what stuff costs. As they are always trying to ripe you off. It is cheap, but should be cheaper. She has two days left in her month long trip to Vietnam. She is finishing where I am starting so she has lots of tips. We toured museums, an old jail, a university and Hoi Chi Ming’s monument. We were ushered into this one huge building heavily guarded only to be met by Hoi Chi Ming’s body. Wow. It was like a funeral procession and all the tourists are there. We went through single file with all the thousands of tourists checking this out. He was a great leader, died in 1969 and they preserved him. A Russian doctor comes back each year to touch him up. He did a great job. He was the best dead person I have ever seen. Very different.
Toured the town the many little store fronts, booths on the street and markets. Or traveling stores on you got it, mopeds and bicycles. You can buy anything here. People said you can take nothing to Vietnam and buy it all there. It is hard to imagine, but really I could have brought nothing and bought better cloths (knock offs, good ones) for cheaper here. One person brought 1 kg of stuff with her and is taking 50 kg home. Good thing I have a backpack and therefore the shopping is really limited.
Going on a day trip today to a river with Salem from Lebanon.
I arrive at the Incheon International Airport (which is huge) and looks a lot like the Toronto airport on the outside to be dropped off in area M. There are areas A – Z. I look at the info board for my flight, but the board only goes to 9:30 am and my flight is at 10:15 am so I find another area that says Korean Air is in area K. I go there and am told to go to area D. I get to area D and am told to go to K. I show her the ticket again and it says it is a Korean Air flight being operated by Vietnam Air, which ends up being on the other side of area D. Great. I wait in the line zip off my day pack from the large backpack to the amazement of the security official standing there. I then zip up the shoulder straps, turning the bag into a duffle bag so the straps don’t get caught in the conveyor belts, again to this women’s amazement.
Once at the counter I hand over my passport containing my visa and ticket. She asks if I have another ticket which I respond no. She says you need another ticket. I show her the ones I have for Hong Kong and Africa and Ireland, Toronto. No good. She says no you need a flight out of Vietnam. I say, no I thought it was ok if I just have a flight home from somewhere, not Vietnam. I explain that I would like to leave Vietnam via ground transportation, but she says no, that I have to go buy a ticket out of the country. I am a little bothered, but figure ok. That is how the Africa trip evolved in the first place so I would have a flight home. She sends me to yet another area to buy a ticket. I am still lugging my luggage. I get there. Explain my situation only to be interrupted by another woman, saying come with me, she was wrong. She explains that the original women had it wrong and that immigration will let me in. She takes me to her desk and checks me in. I am thinking ok is this going to happen again? Will I be refused into the country once there? But luckily I was not.
Upon walking through the airport there is a little taste of Peterborough, so I indulge. They had a Baskin and Robbins and since the only plant in the world is in Peterborough I treat myself, it was only $2. Breakfast of champions. You are also never to far from Peterborough.
At the airport there were huge groups of people going golfing. Carts going by with 50 sets of clubs on them. Oh and the people on the flight. A large group of Koreans that had major listening problems. They would stand up and walk around during take off and landing. Who does that? You could tell the flight attendants were really irritated with these people. They would try to use the first class bathrooms continuously. Often it was excuse me, excuse me as the flight attendants give them hell. If you have been on plane you know the service carts take up the whole isle, well four Korean women had there butts in my face trying to squeeze through past these carts, with no excuse me. The flight attendants again just looked at them. I had none of this invasive behaviour in Korea, but the flight was entertaining.
Once arriving in Hanoi I am met by a sign with my name on it as the hotel sent a guy to pick me up. In Korea I booked a place over the internet. That was great, because I don’t think I would have found it on my own. No streets are parallel or perpendicular and the traffic and motorcycles, mopeds are insane. Out front of my hotel it looks like a race as the road is thick with mopeds. No space between them.
I was going to take the bus which was free and an hour and a half ride with my escort but a taxi was $ 10 and 40 minutes, so I did that instead. An interesting ride, in and out of cars and mopeds. Around people with LOADED down mopeds, some containing pigs, others 5 people, or boxes, or vegetables. The pigs were especially cool and freaky. There were mopeds with 2 feet by 2 feet wire baskets on the back and another basket on either side (were my saddle bags would be) all containing LIVE pigs. There must have been 12 pigs on this moped. I have to get a picture at some time. Speaking of pictures. Stopped at the side of the highway is a convoy of people in a wedding. They are stopped taking pictures with the guardrail as a back drop. I was told Vietnam was one of the most beautiful countries in the world, I am sure you can find a better backdrop than the guardrail for the highway. Maybe that is where they met; he picked her up along with four other people and squeezed her on to his moped.
The noise, constant horns, people indicating they are passing or just saying hi. Constant loud noise. Good thing I brought ear plugs. They are working well for sleeping as the hotel is beside a terrible Karaoke bar and the horns. Have I mentioned the horns and the traffic? Actually the hotel is really good. $8 a night for a single room, double bed, ensuite, t.v., mini fridge and toast for breakfast. It is also clean and has lots of hot water.
Over head wires on the street leave much to be desired. There are blankets of wires coming into hydro poles. Coming from the airport there was a transport truck stopped and a guy standing on the side of the box with a broom pushing the blanket of wires up so the truck could shimmy through.
I took a tour of the city and met a woman from Lebanon. She is great. We spent the day together and she gave me lots of info about where to go and what stuff costs. As they are always trying to ripe you off. It is cheap, but should be cheaper. She has two days left in her month long trip to Vietnam. She is finishing where I am starting so she has lots of tips. We toured museums, an old jail, a university and Hoi Chi Ming’s monument. We were ushered into this one huge building heavily guarded only to be met by Hoi Chi Ming’s body. Wow. It was like a funeral procession and all the tourists are there. We went through single file with all the thousands of tourists checking this out. He was a great leader, died in 1969 and they preserved him. A Russian doctor comes back each year to touch him up. He did a great job. He was the best dead person I have ever seen. Very different.
Toured the town the many little store fronts, booths on the street and markets. Or traveling stores on you got it, mopeds and bicycles. You can buy anything here. People said you can take nothing to Vietnam and buy it all there. It is hard to imagine, but really I could have brought nothing and bought better cloths (knock offs, good ones) for cheaper here. One person brought 1 kg of stuff with her and is taking 50 kg home. Good thing I have a backpack and therefore the shopping is really limited.
Going on a day trip today to a river with Salem from Lebanon.
Thursday 8 March 2007
Royal Palace and Insa-Dong (Seoul)
It was another cold day, even snowed a bit today. I went to one of the many palaces in town today (Royal Palace, Changdeakgung) for the 11:30 am English, guided tour for 3000 won, $3 Cdn. It was neat. It covers about 250 acres and has nice gardens and lots of neat buildings. It is hard to believe one king would have all of this property when they are tripping over each other on the other side of the street. There are so many little, little alley ways everywhere. At home or in the States, I would question walking down them, but here it is the norm and I feel very safe. There is also a lot of police presence.
On the tour I met a man from Virginia in his late 30's here on business. He is origanally from Korea but moved away 30 years ago. This is his first time back to Korea in 30 years. I could not even tell he was Korean, he looked American. So we did the tour together and then he mentioned he wanted to go to the markets and shopping. I too wanted to do that so we did lunch and then toured. It was great we eat at a very traditional Korea restarant, sitting on the floor (which has radiant heat). It was great because he can read and speak Korean. I had a great meal of beef, rice and lots of side dishes. I also had water and it was rice water. They cook the rice in it and then serve it to you to drink. Interesting. It tasted like rice had been cooked in it, but I was thirsty. So we went and toured a touristy shopping area (Insa-dong). He got things for his kids and wife and I looked for birthday cards and little souveniers. It was a nice part of town, not so busy and close to where I am staying. When I was coming back I got stopped and asked by these British girls if I spoke English. I said yes and I actually gave them directions. That is pretty good as it is really easy to get toured around and lost here. Especially with all the numerous little alleyways that jut off of one another. Their transit system is very extensive and they say it is not complicated, but I would beg to differ. I have been able to figure out where I need to go, but not much more. It is really hard to remember the names of areas, even when they are in English. I am not sure if the Amazing Race has been to Seoul, if they haven't it will be coming, I am sure it would be interesting to navigate in that situation.
I did not tell you about the bathroom in my room. It is an all in one room. It is all tile and there is a toilet, sink and shower head in the small room, with no curtin. You adjust the tap on the sink to work the shower head and it drains to a drain in the middle of the floor. It is a neat, space saving idea but leaves the floor very wet for a long time after a shower. At least there has been lots of good hot water as the bathroom is freezing, it has no heat.
Off to Hanoi Vietnam tomorrow.
On the tour I met a man from Virginia in his late 30's here on business. He is origanally from Korea but moved away 30 years ago. This is his first time back to Korea in 30 years. I could not even tell he was Korean, he looked American. So we did the tour together and then he mentioned he wanted to go to the markets and shopping. I too wanted to do that so we did lunch and then toured. It was great we eat at a very traditional Korea restarant, sitting on the floor (which has radiant heat). It was great because he can read and speak Korean. I had a great meal of beef, rice and lots of side dishes. I also had water and it was rice water. They cook the rice in it and then serve it to you to drink. Interesting. It tasted like rice had been cooked in it, but I was thirsty. So we went and toured a touristy shopping area (Insa-dong). He got things for his kids and wife and I looked for birthday cards and little souveniers. It was a nice part of town, not so busy and close to where I am staying. When I was coming back I got stopped and asked by these British girls if I spoke English. I said yes and I actually gave them directions. That is pretty good as it is really easy to get toured around and lost here. Especially with all the numerous little alleyways that jut off of one another. Their transit system is very extensive and they say it is not complicated, but I would beg to differ. I have been able to figure out where I need to go, but not much more. It is really hard to remember the names of areas, even when they are in English. I am not sure if the Amazing Race has been to Seoul, if they haven't it will be coming, I am sure it would be interesting to navigate in that situation.
I did not tell you about the bathroom in my room. It is an all in one room. It is all tile and there is a toilet, sink and shower head in the small room, with no curtin. You adjust the tap on the sink to work the shower head and it drains to a drain in the middle of the floor. It is a neat, space saving idea but leaves the floor very wet for a long time after a shower. At least there has been lots of good hot water as the bathroom is freezing, it has no heat.
Off to Hanoi Vietnam tomorrow.
Wednesday 7 March 2007
Seoul - Korea
I am in Seoul Korea.
It is -7 today. When I went out in the morning I wore two t-shirts and a sweater and a light coat to keep warm. Not enough. When I went out in the afternoon I wore my pj bottoms under my pants, as the pants I have are light and four t-shirts under my sweater and light coat. Oh and my sorong wrapped around my neck as a scarf. It was warmer last week, but they are having a cold spell. I am trying to get use to the smells. There seems to be a wierd odour just about everywhere. As Erin informed me about China, it seems the people here also have a hard time clearing their throats and like to snort a lot. That being said it is interesting here and I don't mean to have a negative slant. So here is our history lesson for today.
I went on a great tour this morning, it was amazing and very informative. It was called the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). It is the zone between North and South Korea. There is a border and each side has 2km on either side of the border as a military free zone. It is heavily armed with soldiers. It is so the South can watch the North. You are not allowed to take pictures in all these areas, so where you can, there is nothing to take a picture of. They will put you in jail if you take pictures in the unpicture taking areas. I went under ground, in the 3rd infiltration tunnel, what a work out. The pitch was steep getting under ground and up. The North Koreans used dynamite to blast through to the South and dug it out by hand. Amazing. All while the south was increasing their economics the North was trying to attack the South and letting there people starve. The North is very poor and the South sends them food on a daily basis, even though the trucks going to the North have to pretend they are from the North. They do so with a red flag on each vehicle and their license plates covered. The North is so poor they have cut all the trees down on their mountains and used the wood for heat and eat the bark for food. The people though in the South want the countries to be untited. It was really interesting.
My shortness came in handy today as I did not have to duck in the tunnel. The North Koreans are 7 inches shorter than the South Koreans, so I'm told. Therefore no ducking for me. The tunnels where less than 2m by 2m. The tunnels are granite stone painted black. After the North was caught, they tried to lie and say it was the South digging and then they lied again and said, no we dug them, we were looking for coal. Hence why they painted the rock black. They are aware of four tunnels the last being found in 1990 and think there are 15 - 17 more.
When our tour of eight people entered the DMZ we had to join up with other tour groups and get onto a coach bus that only stays in the DMZ. You are not aloud to take in your own vehicles or the tour companies vehicles as it is thought North Korean spys could sneak in and try to bomb the area. Supposably there are 30 000 North Korean spys living in the South. The army gets onto the bus and checks everyones passport with guns strapped to their backs.
Each South Korean male must serve two years in the military unless you live in the DMZ village of 250 people. They did this and gave these people a tax break to get them to live and work in this area. It is the agricultural area of the country, but noone wants to live there as it is the first to get attacked in a war. So the people living there make $70 000 US. tax free and their sons do not have to serve in the military. They say they harvest the worlds best ginsing there.
The traffic is crazy here. Lots of motorcylces and intersting motorbike/dump truck combos. I took a picture of this one motorcycle that had no back tire and a box on the back with dump capabilities. They also have huge mitts over the handle bars to keep there hands warm. They would be interesting to add to my motorcycle. I think people would laugh at me though.
There are all kinds of little, I mean really little shops and venders everywhere. They cram things into very small alley ways and motorcyles ride on sidewalks and the roads.
The view from the Dora Observatory was great today. Cold weather means clear skys, so we could see to the North really well. Oh course no picture taking though, until you are behind a yellow line looking at a fence and then there is no view to be had.
It has been really interesting and informative. Hopefully I did ok on my spelling as I did not have a spell check option today.
It is -7 today. When I went out in the morning I wore two t-shirts and a sweater and a light coat to keep warm. Not enough. When I went out in the afternoon I wore my pj bottoms under my pants, as the pants I have are light and four t-shirts under my sweater and light coat. Oh and my sorong wrapped around my neck as a scarf. It was warmer last week, but they are having a cold spell. I am trying to get use to the smells. There seems to be a wierd odour just about everywhere. As Erin informed me about China, it seems the people here also have a hard time clearing their throats and like to snort a lot. That being said it is interesting here and I don't mean to have a negative slant. So here is our history lesson for today.
I went on a great tour this morning, it was amazing and very informative. It was called the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). It is the zone between North and South Korea. There is a border and each side has 2km on either side of the border as a military free zone. It is heavily armed with soldiers. It is so the South can watch the North. You are not allowed to take pictures in all these areas, so where you can, there is nothing to take a picture of. They will put you in jail if you take pictures in the unpicture taking areas. I went under ground, in the 3rd infiltration tunnel, what a work out. The pitch was steep getting under ground and up. The North Koreans used dynamite to blast through to the South and dug it out by hand. Amazing. All while the south was increasing their economics the North was trying to attack the South and letting there people starve. The North is very poor and the South sends them food on a daily basis, even though the trucks going to the North have to pretend they are from the North. They do so with a red flag on each vehicle and their license plates covered. The North is so poor they have cut all the trees down on their mountains and used the wood for heat and eat the bark for food. The people though in the South want the countries to be untited. It was really interesting.
My shortness came in handy today as I did not have to duck in the tunnel. The North Koreans are 7 inches shorter than the South Koreans, so I'm told. Therefore no ducking for me. The tunnels where less than 2m by 2m. The tunnels are granite stone painted black. After the North was caught, they tried to lie and say it was the South digging and then they lied again and said, no we dug them, we were looking for coal. Hence why they painted the rock black. They are aware of four tunnels the last being found in 1990 and think there are 15 - 17 more.
When our tour of eight people entered the DMZ we had to join up with other tour groups and get onto a coach bus that only stays in the DMZ. You are not aloud to take in your own vehicles or the tour companies vehicles as it is thought North Korean spys could sneak in and try to bomb the area. Supposably there are 30 000 North Korean spys living in the South. The army gets onto the bus and checks everyones passport with guns strapped to their backs.
Each South Korean male must serve two years in the military unless you live in the DMZ village of 250 people. They did this and gave these people a tax break to get them to live and work in this area. It is the agricultural area of the country, but noone wants to live there as it is the first to get attacked in a war. So the people living there make $70 000 US. tax free and their sons do not have to serve in the military. They say they harvest the worlds best ginsing there.
The traffic is crazy here. Lots of motorcylces and intersting motorbike/dump truck combos. I took a picture of this one motorcycle that had no back tire and a box on the back with dump capabilities. They also have huge mitts over the handle bars to keep there hands warm. They would be interesting to add to my motorcycle. I think people would laugh at me though.
There are all kinds of little, I mean really little shops and venders everywhere. They cram things into very small alley ways and motorcyles ride on sidewalks and the roads.
The view from the Dora Observatory was great today. Cold weather means clear skys, so we could see to the North really well. Oh course no picture taking though, until you are behind a yellow line looking at a fence and then there is no view to be had.
It has been really interesting and informative. Hopefully I did ok on my spelling as I did not have a spell check option today.
Sunday 4 March 2007
Victoria - our hike
We went on a huge hike up and down, through roots and climbing up stairs that had a 2 foot rise through the forest today. It took us 3 ½ hours to do 6 km. It was tiring, but great views. We walked through, extremely thick forest and the trail came out on the ocean. It was great. We also had mud up to our knees as it was muddy.
On Christmas day the Shebibs went on this hike and at the 2km mark Kirby broke her ankle. Mike made her a splint and she had to climb out on her hands and knees through the mud and Mike had to carry her. They thought they may have to spend the night, but they ended up getting out. It was unreal walking it today thinking that he carried her through this and she went through parts on her hands and knees, because he thought he would trip and fall with her through some of the heavily rooted parts. It was like no terrain in Ontario. Up and down, roots, mud, streams and rocks.
Click on the following link to see the photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/VictoriaPicturesFromOurHike
On Christmas day the Shebibs went on this hike and at the 2km mark Kirby broke her ankle. Mike made her a splint and she had to climb out on her hands and knees through the mud and Mike had to carry her. They thought they may have to spend the night, but they ended up getting out. It was unreal walking it today thinking that he carried her through this and she went through parts on her hands and knees, because he thought he would trip and fall with her through some of the heavily rooted parts. It was like no terrain in Ontario. Up and down, roots, mud, streams and rocks.
Click on the following link to see the photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/VictoriaPicturesFromOurHike
Butchart Gardens and the Butterfly Gardens of Victoria
Today Liz, Mike and I went to Butchart Gardens and the Butterfly Gardens of Victoria. They were both really cool. I played around with my camera and got some great shots of the butterflies and chrysalises up close. The gardens were spectacular and they are not fully in bloom, crocuses are out though and the bushes throughout were dense, tall and trimmed well. It would be nice to come back in the summer when it is in full bloom, though it was spectacular today. We walked through it for two hours.
It was a cement factory and as the husband finished with an area his wife turned it into a garden. She used a device similar to what a window washer uses to plant vines into the crevices on the cliffs. They had/have TONS of money. The gardens are over 100 years old. They left the gardens to their grandson who inherited them when he was 21 with enough money to maintain the gardens for his entire lifetime. It turns out the grandson is the founder of the University of Victoria.
The Butterfly Gardens were neat with butterflies flying all over the place and flamingoes in the centre pond.
Click on the following link to see the photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/ButchartGardensAndTheButterflyGardenSOfVictoria
It was a cement factory and as the husband finished with an area his wife turned it into a garden. She used a device similar to what a window washer uses to plant vines into the crevices on the cliffs. They had/have TONS of money. The gardens are over 100 years old. They left the gardens to their grandson who inherited them when he was 21 with enough money to maintain the gardens for his entire lifetime. It turns out the grandson is the founder of the University of Victoria.
The Butterfly Gardens were neat with butterflies flying all over the place and flamingoes in the centre pond.
Click on the following link to see the photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahemoloney/ButchartGardensAndTheButterflyGardenSOfVictoria
Friday 2 March 2007
Victoria
The ferry ride to Victoria was very nice, the sun was out and the view of the islands was excellent.
The Shebib’s hospitality has been wonderful. They live in a great community and lovely area. What a great place to move to.
I went on a tour of the Parliament buildings. It was very interesting. The architect that designed the buildings was only 24 years old at the time. He then designed the Empress hotel. There was also a stain glass window in the parliament building that was taken out in 1912 and was lost for 65 years. It was found in the basement and restored and put on display.
I went on a tour of the Pacific Undersea Gardens. There were lots of fish to check out. I also checked out the wax museum, Chinatown and Market Square. They have alleys in Chinatown that are no more than two shoulder widths wide. There has been a promotion on in the town called “be a tourist in your own home town” and I have been able to check out a lot of attractions.
I found two cool bead stores too, one in Vancouver and the other in Victoria.
The Shebib’s hospitality has been wonderful. They live in a great community and lovely area. What a great place to move to.
I went on a tour of the Parliament buildings. It was very interesting. The architect that designed the buildings was only 24 years old at the time. He then designed the Empress hotel. There was also a stain glass window in the parliament building that was taken out in 1912 and was lost for 65 years. It was found in the basement and restored and put on display.
I went on a tour of the Pacific Undersea Gardens. There were lots of fish to check out. I also checked out the wax museum, Chinatown and Market Square. They have alleys in Chinatown that are no more than two shoulder widths wide. There has been a promotion on in the town called “be a tourist in your own home town” and I have been able to check out a lot of attractions.
I found two cool bead stores too, one in Vancouver and the other in Victoria.
Link to Pictures of Banff, Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria
I am not sure how many more pictures will be posted as this was a more involved process then I thought it would be. Thanks to Mike for helping download the appropriate software and to Alison for helping set up the site originally.
Click on the following link to see more photos.
Itinerary
Feb 20 – Feb 24 Banff
Feb 24 – Feb 26 Vancouver
Feb 26 – Feb 28 Whistler
Feb 28 – March 5 Victoria
March 5 – March 8 Seoul, Korea
March 8 – April 11 Vietnam
April – June Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Philippines
June – Beijing, Hong Kong
June 24 – June 27 Dubai
June 27 – July 22 South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana
June 22 – July 28 Ireland
July 28 - HOME
August – New Brunswick
Feb 24 – Feb 26 Vancouver
Feb 26 – Feb 28 Whistler
Feb 28 – March 5 Victoria
March 5 – March 8 Seoul, Korea
March 8 – April 11 Vietnam
April – June Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Philippines
June – Beijing, Hong Kong
June 24 – June 27 Dubai
June 27 – July 22 South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana
June 22 – July 28 Ireland
July 28 - HOME
August – New Brunswick
Whistler
Whistler was amazing. What a gorgeous area. The views were spectacular.
Well the day started at 5:30 am with a taxi to the Greyhound station to catch the bus for a 6:30 am bus ride to Whistler. The highway is under major construction in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. Some would say they are raping the earth as harsh as that sounds. Robert Young Construction could bring their crushers out here and work full time. Dad will be happy to know they are still using dynamite to blast the cliffs out. There will be all kinds of passages that will hang out over the cliff. The amount of money being spent is unreal. It is hard to believe it will be completed in time, but they say it is on schedule and budget.
So I arrived in Whistler around 8:30 am and was told where I was staying was only a 300 meter walk so I pulled my suitcase and carried by ski bag around the village for the next 30 minutes. Not so close. Finally got to the desk and the guy says your in a studio condo above the building with the seven eleven. A lot of the buildings have shops on the first floor and condos on the 2nd and 3rd floor. So I went to the seven eleven, saw the stairs and to quote Ricky, humped by bags up three flights of stairs only to find out that my room was a 100 meters down the hall from the seven eleven and that there was an elevator two doors down from my condo. My arms got a workout and are still a little sore.
Alright now I get skiing. I took the Blackcomb gondola to the top and did the run called homerun. It was spectacular, narrow, through the trees and I was making fresh tracks. I was the first person down that run and when I made it to the end of the run which went right into a condo complex I realized why. It should be your last run of the day. So luckily there was a road right there and a bus stop. So first run and off come the skis and onto a shuttle bus back to the bottom of the hill. Once arriving at the bottom (again) I took another gondola up and it stopped in the middle of the hill (mountain) for others to get on. So me not knowing got off and then realized it went further up, so I skied to the bottom and tried to make it to the top, again. It was great skiing lots of powder but reduced visibility as it was cloudy. It was hard to see the run well, and difficult to judge what was coming. I took the gondola again and two chair lifts to the top to find that there was tons of powder. It was to my knees. So as a Kirby and Devil’s Elbow skier (no powder, lots of ice) I had trouble turning and felt like I needed to learn to ski again. So now you can laugh at my expense (probably again) as I did a face plant into the snow and my face is still a little tender today, days latter. My goggles smashed into my face as well as my glasses. So the confidence was a little shot, needless to say I was tired I had already skied three full days in Banff and was up early that day. I did fall again, but it was not too bad.
My condo was much nicer than the hostel in Vancouver. It was small but had a gas fireplace, Murphy bed, great bathroom with a deep tub and a kitchen. I used the tub to soak my tired body. It was excellent. I did not use the kitchen, (surprise, surprise, my mom would say).
I met Dan McGillen, from high school for dinner and drinks that night. He works at the Four Seasons in sales and skis in his free time. He was able to fit me into his busy schedule each night I was in Whistler. It was great to hang out with him and he took me on a tour of the village.
Day two of skiing was excellent. The sun was out and you could see for miles and I avoided the deep, deep powder and did not fall today!!! I had gotten advice from Dan McGillen the evening before on where to go and I managed to do tons of the mountain. I did not take my camera up on this clear day because I was afraid of falling on it. I got my confidence back though and got the camera in the afternoon. I went to the peak and got some spectacular views. I closed the hill and ended up in Creek side (a separate village) and had to take the shuttle back to the village. Good thing they have a good shuttle system for those of us who take the wrong last run of the day, or first. It was amazing skiing, views and such a great village.
I went down the Dave Murray downhill run which is the proposed men’s Olympic downhill run in the 2010 Olympics. So that was cool. I will definitely come back to ski again. I will have to check and see if they have any teaching jobs here. I could get into that.
Mike the nice guy that he is arranged his business in Vancouver for the day that I would be leaving Whistler and it meant that I could sleep in and not have to catch the 5:30 am bus. Well Nora here is the Peterborough connection. I get into Mike’s truck and am met by Shane Duncan another St. Peter’s grad, Kelly Duncan’s younger brother. I used to play volleyball and basketball with her in high school and their step dad has taken me up in his plane before, as he was one of my good Home Hardware customers. So Nora’s boys will freak out that I randomly meet people I know even in Vancouver. He lives in Victoria and has just started to work for Mike.
Whistler was beautiful and I recommend that you visit.
Well the day started at 5:30 am with a taxi to the Greyhound station to catch the bus for a 6:30 am bus ride to Whistler. The highway is under major construction in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. Some would say they are raping the earth as harsh as that sounds. Robert Young Construction could bring their crushers out here and work full time. Dad will be happy to know they are still using dynamite to blast the cliffs out. There will be all kinds of passages that will hang out over the cliff. The amount of money being spent is unreal. It is hard to believe it will be completed in time, but they say it is on schedule and budget.
So I arrived in Whistler around 8:30 am and was told where I was staying was only a 300 meter walk so I pulled my suitcase and carried by ski bag around the village for the next 30 minutes. Not so close. Finally got to the desk and the guy says your in a studio condo above the building with the seven eleven. A lot of the buildings have shops on the first floor and condos on the 2nd and 3rd floor. So I went to the seven eleven, saw the stairs and to quote Ricky, humped by bags up three flights of stairs only to find out that my room was a 100 meters down the hall from the seven eleven and that there was an elevator two doors down from my condo. My arms got a workout and are still a little sore.
Alright now I get skiing. I took the Blackcomb gondola to the top and did the run called homerun. It was spectacular, narrow, through the trees and I was making fresh tracks. I was the first person down that run and when I made it to the end of the run which went right into a condo complex I realized why. It should be your last run of the day. So luckily there was a road right there and a bus stop. So first run and off come the skis and onto a shuttle bus back to the bottom of the hill. Once arriving at the bottom (again) I took another gondola up and it stopped in the middle of the hill (mountain) for others to get on. So me not knowing got off and then realized it went further up, so I skied to the bottom and tried to make it to the top, again. It was great skiing lots of powder but reduced visibility as it was cloudy. It was hard to see the run well, and difficult to judge what was coming. I took the gondola again and two chair lifts to the top to find that there was tons of powder. It was to my knees. So as a Kirby and Devil’s Elbow skier (no powder, lots of ice) I had trouble turning and felt like I needed to learn to ski again. So now you can laugh at my expense (probably again) as I did a face plant into the snow and my face is still a little tender today, days latter. My goggles smashed into my face as well as my glasses. So the confidence was a little shot, needless to say I was tired I had already skied three full days in Banff and was up early that day. I did fall again, but it was not too bad.
My condo was much nicer than the hostel in Vancouver. It was small but had a gas fireplace, Murphy bed, great bathroom with a deep tub and a kitchen. I used the tub to soak my tired body. It was excellent. I did not use the kitchen, (surprise, surprise, my mom would say).
I met Dan McGillen, from high school for dinner and drinks that night. He works at the Four Seasons in sales and skis in his free time. He was able to fit me into his busy schedule each night I was in Whistler. It was great to hang out with him and he took me on a tour of the village.
Day two of skiing was excellent. The sun was out and you could see for miles and I avoided the deep, deep powder and did not fall today!!! I had gotten advice from Dan McGillen the evening before on where to go and I managed to do tons of the mountain. I did not take my camera up on this clear day because I was afraid of falling on it. I got my confidence back though and got the camera in the afternoon. I went to the peak and got some spectacular views. I closed the hill and ended up in Creek side (a separate village) and had to take the shuttle back to the village. Good thing they have a good shuttle system for those of us who take the wrong last run of the day, or first. It was amazing skiing, views and such a great village.
I went down the Dave Murray downhill run which is the proposed men’s Olympic downhill run in the 2010 Olympics. So that was cool. I will definitely come back to ski again. I will have to check and see if they have any teaching jobs here. I could get into that.
Mike the nice guy that he is arranged his business in Vancouver for the day that I would be leaving Whistler and it meant that I could sleep in and not have to catch the 5:30 am bus. Well Nora here is the Peterborough connection. I get into Mike’s truck and am met by Shane Duncan another St. Peter’s grad, Kelly Duncan’s younger brother. I used to play volleyball and basketball with her in high school and their step dad has taken me up in his plane before, as he was one of my good Home Hardware customers. So Nora’s boys will freak out that I randomly meet people I know even in Vancouver. He lives in Victoria and has just started to work for Mike.
Whistler was beautiful and I recommend that you visit.
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