Well, technically it is Day 79 now but I don't think a lot is going to happen anymore worthwhile of spamming in these last 7 hours...
What can I say... It is a big city, so even more malls than in Kuching, Miri, KK,...
Four days here is really too much but knew that when deciding not to do anything else any more
What I should have done differently:
- Go to Battambang first, then Siem Reap... guess it is better to get acclimatised to certain Local-Tourist interactions in a smaller and more relaxed city (especially when travelling alone)
- Book flights much more in advance... Especially for Malaysia: Although you can get away with booking only 2-3 days in advance in the Philippines, no such thing for Air Asia...Twice (Miri -> Kuching and Kuching -> Singapore) Malaysian airways was cheaper than the other which is only cheaper (but significantly) if you book 1-2 weeks ahead - Quite sure Chinese New Year also had an impact
- Bring some kind of mobile device... Free wifi everywhere but almost no free lobby computers...and there aren't that many internet café's any more.
So it's time to think about the next trip:
- "Pick up the pieces": North Peninsular Malaysia, South Thailand, South Cambodia and South Vietnam or
- "Beans and burrito's": Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua
Likely it is going to be the latter one
That is, if there is again time and money
Jumpa Lagi
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Day 75 - 76: Malacca
Seems I made a miscount somewhere as that should be until day 75 as I had 4 nights left after 2 days in Malacca (and it is not really 80 days anyway.. only if I include the day of departure and arrival but it sounds better then "Around...in 78 days")
Well, not much too say about the place... you can see all the historical stuff in one day and all of them are not that spectacular...I expected more. Seems it is more a weekend destination for Kuala Lumpurians (or whatever).
I was disappointed that the famous Pak Putra tandoori (yes, cannot get enough of Indian food) restaurant is closed until March 1st but I did make it to the other highly recommended eatery: Capitol Satay (serious waiting queue to get in). I thought the stuff you put in the boiling peanut sauce is not that great (the sauce is though) but the whole process is fun: pick as many satay's as you wish (all the same price: rm0.9 per piece) - sit at the table, they will stop by to heat up the table (well, it is a steel table with a hole in the middle where the pot of peanut sauce goes), a guy comes along to put some (I assume secret) herbs into it and when the mixture is boiling you can start to make a mess (You really should not wear a white shirt).
To me 2 days were more than enough (world heritage or not), the activity of day 2:
Took the bus to the big bus station to get a ticket for the day after to KL, so after 1 hour (5km) arrived at Melaka Sentral (paid with exact change - 1.50 ringgit)...bought the bus ticket for KL (12.20rm) and the (same) local bus back to the city centre was still there (basically it just makes a loop all the time, only in one way)...but the guy won't let me in because he has 'no change' for my 10 ringgit note... "What? you have plenty of change" when I see his hands full of 1 and 5 notes but again he claimed to have no change and let 2 locals in who pay with 5 notes... I had enough of the 'tourist must take a teksi thing' - which I did...for f**** 20 ringgit (for which you almost buy a return ticket to KL) so for the first time it happened... lost my temper and he received my rage: a shower of cursing and swearing (in multiple languages) due to 2.5 months of short distance transport tourist rip off frustration (Xe'oms and other motorbike taxi's, tuktuk's, tricycles and regular taxi's).
But as before during other trips, frustration and luck is very volatile in Asia... I might had some bad luck in short distance stuff but also good fortune with the long distance ones. On the day of departure I shared a taxi with a Dutch couple to the central bus station but that meant I was 2.5 hours early (really not needed to book a bus to KL in advance)..but wouldn't you know...could change my 12pm ticket to the 10am one so in the end I left before them.
Well, not much too say about the place... you can see all the historical stuff in one day and all of them are not that spectacular...I expected more. Seems it is more a weekend destination for Kuala Lumpurians (or whatever).
I was disappointed that the famous Pak Putra tandoori (yes, cannot get enough of Indian food) restaurant is closed until March 1st but I did make it to the other highly recommended eatery: Capitol Satay (serious waiting queue to get in). I thought the stuff you put in the boiling peanut sauce is not that great (the sauce is though) but the whole process is fun: pick as many satay's as you wish (all the same price: rm0.9 per piece) - sit at the table, they will stop by to heat up the table (well, it is a steel table with a hole in the middle where the pot of peanut sauce goes), a guy comes along to put some (I assume secret) herbs into it and when the mixture is boiling you can start to make a mess (You really should not wear a white shirt).
To me 2 days were more than enough (world heritage or not), the activity of day 2:
Took the bus to the big bus station to get a ticket for the day after to KL, so after 1 hour (5km) arrived at Melaka Sentral (paid with exact change - 1.50 ringgit)...bought the bus ticket for KL (12.20rm) and the (same) local bus back to the city centre was still there (basically it just makes a loop all the time, only in one way)...but the guy won't let me in because he has 'no change' for my 10 ringgit note... "What? you have plenty of change" when I see his hands full of 1 and 5 notes but again he claimed to have no change and let 2 locals in who pay with 5 notes... I had enough of the 'tourist must take a teksi thing' - which I did...for f**** 20 ringgit (for which you almost buy a return ticket to KL) so for the first time it happened... lost my temper and he received my rage: a shower of cursing and swearing (in multiple languages) due to 2.5 months of short distance transport tourist rip off frustration (Xe'oms and other motorbike taxi's, tuktuk's, tricycles and regular taxi's).
But as before during other trips, frustration and luck is very volatile in Asia... I might had some bad luck in short distance stuff but also good fortune with the long distance ones. On the day of departure I shared a taxi with a Dutch couple to the central bus station but that meant I was 2.5 hours early (really not needed to book a bus to KL in advance)..but wouldn't you know...could change my 12pm ticket to the 10am one so in the end I left before them.
Day 73 - 74: Sterile Singapore
By choosing to fly to Singapore I kind of already decided that peninsular Malaysian was going to be skipped for the most part... and to be added to the 'another time' list (just as South Cambodia, South Vietnam, North Luzon, ...).
By now it was almost certain that Penang and the Cameron highlands were not going to happen (although still possible but after Burnmoneyo I did not feel for rushing any more). The only place besides Kuala (that one is mandatory is my plane back home leaves from there) that was still on the list was Melaka as it is basically on the way.
What to say about Singapore...besides the obvious fact it is even more painful for the wallet than Brunei..
It is clean, very clean...must have something to do with the very strict laws here (1 Euro = S$1.6 = B$1.6, for some reason the currency of Brunei and Singapore are linked -you can use both in both currencies- but still they have different notes), fines :
By now it was almost certain that Penang and the Cameron highlands were not going to happen (although still possible but after Burnmoneyo I did not feel for rushing any more). The only place besides Kuala (that one is mandatory is my plane back home leaves from there) that was still on the list was Melaka as it is basically on the way.
What to say about Singapore...besides the obvious fact it is even more painful for the wallet than Brunei..
It is clean, very clean...must have something to do with the very strict laws here (1 Euro = S$1.6 = B$1.6, for some reason the currency of Brunei and Singapore are linked -you can use both in both currencies- but still they have different notes), fines :
- S$500 if you eat or drink in the MRT or MRT stations
- S$1000 if you smoke in the MRT
- S$5000 if carry bring flammable or explosive (not sure why you want to do that) material in the MRT
- S$1000 if you do not step off your bike in the parks
- Not sure what the one is for spitting on the ground though
You do not see a lot of cops but rest assured: you are being watched! Big brother is everywhere. I guess it might be the only way to enforce clean streets and such (did not see many cigarette buts) and it is all very modern and some of the buildings and structures are quite spectacular but it all feels very sterile at some times... In addition it seems they want to create authenticity but in the process of doing so they lost it. As two nights is more than enough, took the -yet another very comfy- bus to Melaka.
Day 56 - 72: Burnmoneyo
The mandatory itinerary stuff first:
KK -> BSB
BSB -> Miri
Miri -> Mulu -> Miri (That was a bit inefficient)
Miri -> Kuching (As there is a direct plane to Kuching from Miri)
So, Kota Kinabalu (KK) it was for the first stop in Malaysian Borneo as this was already set before entering the Philippines (the mandatory onward-ticket-out for the 21 days free visa). I really should learn from previous experiences but for some reason it just does not sink in... In case of international flights it might be better just to fly to major cities and then hop to smaller ones (although KK is not that small... It might be Borneo but you wouldn't say that...but I digress) then trying to make a nice continuous loop...It just does not work that way for flights.
Anyway, got into serious indecisive mode upon arrival... do or do not the mountain? go or go not to Sulawesi/Flores? Go to the east of Sabah? (Sandakan,...). The end result was that I basically didn't do anything at all in KK for 3 days... And KK is not exactly a city where you do not want to do anything for 3 days...Yes there were some activities (basically night markets and some - no offence intended - horrendous live performances...I am just not the biggest fan of Chinese-like poppy music, ie a drum-computer with some saccharine singing) in preparation for Chinese New Year but that was it.
So for the first time the end-of-the-trip syndrome kicked in, just because of boredom. Mind you, the mountain can be done economically if you skip the over night (100 Euros for a non-heated dorm on the mountain) but this is out of my fitness league. So after 3 days of pure nothingness I called it a day and took the 2 ferries-way to Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB, Brunei) via the duty free island of Labuan... As, it is so close so why not include another country...sometimes logic is far off as obviously that country is much more painful for the wallet than any mountain.
No more motorbikes in this mini oil-sultanate (well, I did not see any), only cars that run on stuff cheaper than water ($0.3 or something for a liter of diesel). The stop at Labuan was not of a lot of use to me as you cannot bring in duty free cigarettes into Brunei...You can -as a tourist- bring in 2L of alcohol (and that is the only alcohol you will have in this rather devout country) but in theory no cheap cancer...well, I managed to sneak in 3 packs, on advice of a duty-free-shop-guy (who obviously still wanted to sell me stuff)... "If you open them you should be fine" Anyway, got them in.
As far as I know, there are 2 dorm-spots in BSB, but obviously (Chinese New Year) these were fully booked so had to take the cheapest private room at KH Soon rest house (23 Euros or something - very big rooms I have to say but that was it...but close to the bus station and above a travel agent). I did create a couch surfing account before I left... probably should have used it...but well, haven't yet.
Because any logic was gone by now (and because I felt I really really needed to do something) I checked out the tour thingys with the travel agent just below my place. Well, the girl at the tourist information was the sweetest ever but my spine started to shivver when she started: "only US $100 for this most popular (the one I was thinking to do - Ulu Temburong National Park: "the most pristine rainforest of the island") DAY-tour" "but B$175 (US$140 or so) if there are no other people" sigh - and there were not a lot of people here...although all the beds in the sleeping hall were fully booked. Long story short, I sucked it up and gave her the money, hoping I would get something back. And wouldn't you know, the next morning -when waiting for the first boat to kick off the tour - another guy shows up so our (not mine any more) guide told me I just had to go the office after the tourist stuff for my B$45 (or so).
Well, turns out that office is closed on Saturday afternoon, and already booked my bus ticket to Miri, Sarawak for the next morning (at the same travel agent).After the initial frustration about this B$45 refund, did not start to spam every travel site but send the agency (part of Borneo guide) a mail explaining my disappointment in that matter and wouldn't you know: the girl and her boss (I think) went to see me the following morning at the bus stop with their sincere apologies and the refund... made me feel all mushy inside... and an apology mail of Borneo guide as well... so could leave BSB with a good feeling. A yes, the day tour: well.. nice canopy walk (45m) and all but still not worth US$100, maybe $30-40 but not more.
During my stay in BSB I was also heavily involved in mail exchanges (next time I will bring some kind of mobile device with me as it gets very tiring to find internet café's... in all the countries the same thing: free wifi everywhere but if you want to use the lobby computer -assuming there is one, not always the case- you have to pay) with a guy in Mulu to negotiate prices to do the pinnacles track (met an Italian guy in Vietnam who told me about it and convinced me). Tha very long (and tiring) round of money talk...in the end I arranged everything with Mulu park headquarters. I so hate this advanced booking but I met other tourists who just went there but could not do their thing as there were no empty slots left.. The thing is: to get there you have to fly (boat should be possible but much longer and more expensive, afterwards I heard that you can do it overland as well but nobody exactly knows how to do it) so did not want to arrive in Mulu for nothing.
By now I had accepted the fact that Borneo is expensive (compared to the previous countries)...food is cheap (even in BSB) and good (gotta love Indian influence...mmm roti canai for breakfast), accommodation is doable (excluding Brunei, but you just get less for your Ringgit), transport is fine as well... but activities (and that is why you are here) will hurt your wallet...
So. The BSB-Miri bus (and border crossing) were straightforward, spent one night there and then with the smallest plane I was ever in: Mulu. Before I did anything at all I had already spent 200 Euro ++ (plane, the 3D2N pinnacle and some cave booking... they do love to list prices -especially in restaurants/food stalls- as "++", never sure how much it really is but food is still cheap so whatever).
Anyway. The cheapest deal (turns out you could do it cheaper...but by now I did not care any more) to do the pinnacly thing also meant you had to carry and to take care of your own food which meant: 3 (well, more like 2) days of instant salty noodles (yuck) and crackers with some chocolate. Well, in case you are interested: http://www.mulupark.com/htm/forest_activities/index.htm or http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303998-d2103294-Reviews-The_Pinnacles_Trail-Miri_Miri_District_Sarawak.html
They advertise it as "high adventure, high risk". In my opinion, they are not kidding. All I can say is that I am happy I made it back in one piece (more or less - only some black toes and some bruises and scratches). I felt the painnacles for more than 1 week and they had a major impact on the last part of this trip (basically I am already at day 77, at the last stop... should really update this blogging thing sooner but getting very lazy at it...so if you think it is all a bit chaotic, well... so do I!). Anyway, Mulu park really saved my Borneo experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants to visit Sarawak. Still a shame though I did not see the Bat-exodus at deer cave...tried twice but twice it started to rain around 5pm...no bugs during rainforest rain so no bats (should be quite spectacular though, 2-3 millions of bats flying out -what used to be the biggest cave until the one in Vietnam (Paradise cave) was discovered... but this one definitely looks bigger).
So after Mulu back to Miri, as the initial plan was to take a bus from Miri to Kuching. But I did not feel for a 16 hours bus ride (could hardly bend my knees upon return) so chose the lazy way by plane...(I should have flown from Mulu straight to Kuching but ticket was already booked). For the record: Air Asia is not by default cheap! Although it is perfectly fine to book a flight only 2-3 days in advance in the Philippines, this is not the case with Air Asia...you really should book 1-2 weeks in advance for a very economical ticket. So again, burnt some more money in Borneo and paid 80 Euro's to fly to Kuching with Malaysian Airways (Air Asia was already at 100 EUR ++).
On my last night in Miri had an unexpected (they always are) beer night with some folks who stayed at the same place...also that is not very cheap in Muslim Malaysia and the following night again in Kuching (hey, it was my existence celebration day). The latter one really hurt so no touristy things in Kuching for 2 days. On the last day I visited Bako national park (the mandatory thing to do when in Kuching)... guess it is better to stay at the park for a few days to really explore the park but I was running out of time...at least I saw the nose-monkey as up to that point I only saw some snakes and insects (spectacular ones though) on the island. As was the case for the flight to Kuching, had to book a flight with Malaysia as Air Asia was again ridiculously expensive...so again around 80 Euro's to get to...Singapore (well, yes...might as well include the other mini but super expensive state)
Because any logic was gone by now (and because I felt I really really needed to do something) I checked out the tour thingys with the travel agent just below my place. Well, the girl at the tourist information was the sweetest ever but my spine started to shivver when she started: "only US $100 for this most popular (the one I was thinking to do - Ulu Temburong National Park: "the most pristine rainforest of the island") DAY-tour" "but B$175 (US$140 or so) if there are no other people" sigh - and there were not a lot of people here...although all the beds in the sleeping hall were fully booked. Long story short, I sucked it up and gave her the money, hoping I would get something back. And wouldn't you know, the next morning -when waiting for the first boat to kick off the tour - another guy shows up so our (not mine any more) guide told me I just had to go the office after the tourist stuff for my B$45 (or so).
Well, turns out that office is closed on Saturday afternoon, and already booked my bus ticket to Miri, Sarawak for the next morning (at the same travel agent).After the initial frustration about this B$45 refund, did not start to spam every travel site but send the agency (part of Borneo guide) a mail explaining my disappointment in that matter and wouldn't you know: the girl and her boss (I think) went to see me the following morning at the bus stop with their sincere apologies and the refund... made me feel all mushy inside... and an apology mail of Borneo guide as well... so could leave BSB with a good feeling. A yes, the day tour: well.. nice canopy walk (45m) and all but still not worth US$100, maybe $30-40 but not more.
During my stay in BSB I was also heavily involved in mail exchanges (next time I will bring some kind of mobile device with me as it gets very tiring to find internet café's... in all the countries the same thing: free wifi everywhere but if you want to use the lobby computer -assuming there is one, not always the case- you have to pay) with a guy in Mulu to negotiate prices to do the pinnacles track (met an Italian guy in Vietnam who told me about it and convinced me). Tha very long (and tiring) round of money talk...in the end I arranged everything with Mulu park headquarters. I so hate this advanced booking but I met other tourists who just went there but could not do their thing as there were no empty slots left.. The thing is: to get there you have to fly (boat should be possible but much longer and more expensive, afterwards I heard that you can do it overland as well but nobody exactly knows how to do it) so did not want to arrive in Mulu for nothing.
By now I had accepted the fact that Borneo is expensive (compared to the previous countries)...food is cheap (even in BSB) and good (gotta love Indian influence...mmm roti canai for breakfast), accommodation is doable (excluding Brunei, but you just get less for your Ringgit), transport is fine as well... but activities (and that is why you are here) will hurt your wallet...
So. The BSB-Miri bus (and border crossing) were straightforward, spent one night there and then with the smallest plane I was ever in: Mulu. Before I did anything at all I had already spent 200 Euro ++ (plane, the 3D2N pinnacle and some cave booking... they do love to list prices -especially in restaurants/food stalls- as "++", never sure how much it really is but food is still cheap so whatever).
Anyway. The cheapest deal (turns out you could do it cheaper...but by now I did not care any more) to do the pinnacly thing also meant you had to carry and to take care of your own food which meant: 3 (well, more like 2) days of instant salty noodles (yuck) and crackers with some chocolate. Well, in case you are interested: http://www.mulupark.com/htm/forest_activities/index.htm or http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303998-d2103294-Reviews-The_Pinnacles_Trail-Miri_Miri_District_Sarawak.html
They advertise it as "high adventure, high risk". In my opinion, they are not kidding. All I can say is that I am happy I made it back in one piece (more or less - only some black toes and some bruises and scratches). I felt the painnacles for more than 1 week and they had a major impact on the last part of this trip (basically I am already at day 77, at the last stop... should really update this blogging thing sooner but getting very lazy at it...so if you think it is all a bit chaotic, well... so do I!). Anyway, Mulu park really saved my Borneo experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants to visit Sarawak. Still a shame though I did not see the Bat-exodus at deer cave...tried twice but twice it started to rain around 5pm...no bugs during rainforest rain so no bats (should be quite spectacular though, 2-3 millions of bats flying out -what used to be the biggest cave until the one in Vietnam (Paradise cave) was discovered... but this one definitely looks bigger).
So after Mulu back to Miri, as the initial plan was to take a bus from Miri to Kuching. But I did not feel for a 16 hours bus ride (could hardly bend my knees upon return) so chose the lazy way by plane...(I should have flown from Mulu straight to Kuching but ticket was already booked). For the record: Air Asia is not by default cheap! Although it is perfectly fine to book a flight only 2-3 days in advance in the Philippines, this is not the case with Air Asia...you really should book 1-2 weeks in advance for a very economical ticket. So again, burnt some more money in Borneo and paid 80 Euro's to fly to Kuching with Malaysian Airways (Air Asia was already at 100 EUR ++).
On my last night in Miri had an unexpected (they always are) beer night with some folks who stayed at the same place...also that is not very cheap in Muslim Malaysia and the following night again in Kuching (hey, it was my existence celebration day). The latter one really hurt so no touristy things in Kuching for 2 days. On the last day I visited Bako national park (the mandatory thing to do when in Kuching)... guess it is better to stay at the park for a few days to really explore the park but I was running out of time...at least I saw the nose-monkey as up to that point I only saw some snakes and insects (spectacular ones though) on the island. As was the case for the flight to Kuching, had to book a flight with Malaysia as Air Asia was again ridiculously expensive...so again around 80 Euro's to get to...Singapore (well, yes...might as well include the other mini but super expensive state)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Some Random Philippine stuff
1. They are really into the religion thing
2. You cannot distinguish days in SE Asia except in the Philippines, see also 1
3. There are masses in the shopping mall on Sunday, see also 1, 2
4. A required field on the laboratory form (blood testing for Palawanitis) stating: "What Religion?", see also 1, 2, 3
5. Almost every Western guy I saw in Cebu is walking around with a Philippina
6. Sat myself next to an old 70+ lady when visiting the church in Cebu, after 5': "I know a girl for you, she is not pretty but can cook well", see also 5
7. At my place in Cebu they make it very clear you cannot have 'guests' in the room, see also 5, 6
8. In 90% of the cases it takes about 2' when this string occurs: "Are you married?" "No?" "Why Not?" "How about a nice Philippina girl?"; also when socializing with the staff at my place in Cebu, see also 7
9. Almost every place requires you pay for at least one night when checking in
10. People are in general much more polite than in the other SE Asian countries when it comes to queuing up for the bus or just walking on the street
11. Never had the feeling that the major cities are unsafe but all these guards do make them feel unsafe... basically every shop a little bigger than a small kiosk has one
12. They are not so into smoking as the other SE Asian countries...happened several times I had to go outside at places I was staying...cigarettes are still cheap though ($0.75 for a pack of 'local' Fortune)
13. If you want to get wasted, Tanduay + coke is your thing...one bottle of rum: $1.5-2.0 (same as 2 beers)...does hurt though the day after
14. 2 bottles of Tanduay for 3 people is a bit too much, see 13
15. As in other SE Asian countries, minivans suck but the difference with regular buses (not talking Jeepneys or long haul buses) is much bigger (leg space that is...the bus is so much better and cheaper and not that much slower)
16. Almost by default, a rented motorbike will be a semi-automatic 125cc semi-dirt bike instead of a 120cc full automatic scooter
17. There are some really good looking Philippinas, see also 5, 6, 7, 8
18. You do not bargain in the Philippines, you ask for a 'discount'
19. The 21-day free visa is by far not enough to see the country
2. You cannot distinguish days in SE Asia except in the Philippines, see also 1
3. There are masses in the shopping mall on Sunday, see also 1, 2
4. A required field on the laboratory form (blood testing for Palawanitis) stating: "What Religion?", see also 1, 2, 3
5. Almost every Western guy I saw in Cebu is walking around with a Philippina
6. Sat myself next to an old 70+ lady when visiting the church in Cebu, after 5': "I know a girl for you, she is not pretty but can cook well", see also 5
7. At my place in Cebu they make it very clear you cannot have 'guests' in the room, see also 5, 6
8. In 90% of the cases it takes about 2' when this string occurs: "Are you married?" "No?" "Why Not?" "How about a nice Philippina girl?"; also when socializing with the staff at my place in Cebu, see also 7
9. Almost every place requires you pay for at least one night when checking in
10. People are in general much more polite than in the other SE Asian countries when it comes to queuing up for the bus or just walking on the street
11. Never had the feeling that the major cities are unsafe but all these guards do make them feel unsafe... basically every shop a little bigger than a small kiosk has one
12. They are not so into smoking as the other SE Asian countries...happened several times I had to go outside at places I was staying...cigarettes are still cheap though ($0.75 for a pack of 'local' Fortune)
13. If you want to get wasted, Tanduay + coke is your thing...one bottle of rum: $1.5-2.0 (same as 2 beers)...does hurt though the day after
14. 2 bottles of Tanduay for 3 people is a bit too much, see 13
15. As in other SE Asian countries, minivans suck but the difference with regular buses (not talking Jeepneys or long haul buses) is much bigger (leg space that is...the bus is so much better and cheaper and not that much slower)
16. Almost by default, a rented motorbike will be a semi-automatic 125cc semi-dirt bike instead of a 120cc full automatic scooter
17. There are some really good looking Philippinas, see also 5, 6, 7, 8
18. You do not bargain in the Philippines, you ask for a 'discount'
19. The 21-day free visa is by far not enough to see the country
Day 46 - 55: Philippinitis
The title is chosen for 2 reasons:
1. Yet again I have some skin trouble here in Asia (first time in Indonesia 4 years ago) - Maybe should call it Palawanitis... anyway...guess it is more than just bed bugs as basically the red spots grew and multiplied rapidly once in Cebu. End result: 3 days in Cebu (which is 2 too many) to visit a dermatologist at Cebu doctors. Not so long story short: Blood and urine are fine and no indication of allergies...sounded all very familiar as with Sumatraitis but this time the antihistamine had no effect...so let's destroy the liver some more with Cortisone...at least the spots and for the most part the itching is gone. Guess my skin just does not like Asia. "It might be a reaction to plankton" (can you imagine). "It might be the food" (well, it is not as great as in Vietnam but by now I had some tasty dishes...and it is definitely more healthy than the junk I eat back home). And I am not following the advice given by a local dude: "Eat at Mc Donalds" - really. (well, did it once...eh, today and still regretting it). Guess I just have to suck it up.
2. Well, I am getting a bit lazy in blogging so...
- the country and the people are growing on me but it is time to leave again
- had a great time in Bohol and Camiguin, at both islands stayed at some places that are somewhat different, in Bohol at Nuts Huts and at the treehouse ecolodge near Mambajao in Camiguin. Met at both places some really nice people and had a great time motorbiking both islands...they are just made for it...especially on Bohol ...a tad expensive though (10 Euros / day without petrol, you can have it for less if you are a better bargainer than me) but to me still the best way to explore them. So nice to drive IN the melocake hills than just going to the viewpoint..think I did 150km on the first day there. And you can stop wherever you want, so if you see a big crowd (with some serious shouting) all of the sudden at the side of the road you can experience some cock-fighting...Not a big fan of these but it is their thing here... Not too sure though whether they liked it I filmed one (left after that one) but I could not resist. Anyway, if you are interested in any of both places...tripadvisor!
So one more Cebu night and up to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo. Not too sure though I will climb the mountain (might not be possible in the first place as it seems some prior booking could be required) as this could be a serious Ringgit drainage...200-400 euros for just 2 days is a bit overkill...anyway, the sole purpose of plans is to induce some change...
1. Yet again I have some skin trouble here in Asia (first time in Indonesia 4 years ago) - Maybe should call it Palawanitis... anyway...guess it is more than just bed bugs as basically the red spots grew and multiplied rapidly once in Cebu. End result: 3 days in Cebu (which is 2 too many) to visit a dermatologist at Cebu doctors. Not so long story short: Blood and urine are fine and no indication of allergies...sounded all very familiar as with Sumatraitis but this time the antihistamine had no effect...so let's destroy the liver some more with Cortisone...at least the spots and for the most part the itching is gone. Guess my skin just does not like Asia. "It might be a reaction to plankton" (can you imagine). "It might be the food" (well, it is not as great as in Vietnam but by now I had some tasty dishes...and it is definitely more healthy than the junk I eat back home). And I am not following the advice given by a local dude: "Eat at Mc Donalds" - really. (well, did it once...eh, today and still regretting it). Guess I just have to suck it up.
2. Well, I am getting a bit lazy in blogging so...
- the country and the people are growing on me but it is time to leave again
- had a great time in Bohol and Camiguin, at both islands stayed at some places that are somewhat different, in Bohol at Nuts Huts and at the treehouse ecolodge near Mambajao in Camiguin. Met at both places some really nice people and had a great time motorbiking both islands...they are just made for it...especially on Bohol ...a tad expensive though (10 Euros / day without petrol, you can have it for less if you are a better bargainer than me) but to me still the best way to explore them. So nice to drive IN the melocake hills than just going to the viewpoint..think I did 150km on the first day there. And you can stop wherever you want, so if you see a big crowd (with some serious shouting) all of the sudden at the side of the road you can experience some cock-fighting...Not a big fan of these but it is their thing here... Not too sure though whether they liked it I filmed one (left after that one) but I could not resist. Anyway, if you are interested in any of both places...tripadvisor!
So one more Cebu night and up to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo. Not too sure though I will climb the mountain (might not be possible in the first place as it seems some prior booking could be required) as this could be a serious Ringgit drainage...200-400 euros for just 2 days is a bit overkill...anyway, the sole purpose of plans is to induce some change...
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Day 43 - 45: Beyond the culture shock
Ok ok, I was a bit harsh on the food...
The lunch included on the day trip in El Nido was actually pretty good - ok, delicious. And had another tasty burito and fajita at the local Mexican place - What can I say, I am a sucker for Mexican - too bad they do not have an Indian place over there. There is actually an Indian guy (currently running an internet shop) who wants to open one of my favorite cuisine eateries...but he is looking for investors - sorry bud, euros are dwindling very fast here (and I am a bit splurging). Back to the local stuff: I guess you just need to find the right place... they are not by default all great as was the case in the previous country.
After El Nido decided to go to Port Barton, this place was actually a bit of a disappointment...The place is much much quieter than El Nido (maybe just a bit too much) but it could not satisfy my temporary shift to beaching. The beach over there looked very similar to the previous one...littered with boats to do a day tour... I was hoping that the beach at the city would be the thing itself...The road to PB was far more interesting (Largest Asian potholes for me so far) than Port Barton itself so only stayed one night. I heard from others that the one at Sabang should be much nicer but I guess I am a bit out-beached. And apparently there are a lot of sand flies over there (a French girl showed me her legs...that looked like... ouch). After territorial fish at the small lagoon, jellyfish and bedbugs at La Banane my body is already a mine field... and some of this nasty stuff on my feet has been torn open by flip flop walking so sand flies is not the thing I am looking for right now.
So I am back to Puerto Princesa where there is electricity all day (the shutdown as of 6am to 6pm is not only limited to the major tourist attraction in the North of Palawan). It is amazing how easy it is to take power for granted...it was really annoying for me as I was desperately searching for a PC at Port Barton to book a flight. The 'one' (yes just one was connected to the world) at the 'internet' cafe was occupied every time I checked it. Obviously there was WiFi but I am still walking around with pen and paper. It is not a disaster as I managed to book a flight to Cebu in PP, but since the booking is now only one day in advance it costs me 12 euros more... If you really plan your trip here - ie booking everything upfront - it will save you a significant amount of money but I do like my flexibility (especially after the loss of it in Vietnam). So, the 'current' plan is:
plane from PP to Cebu: 1 night, just enough to know the city as I will have to be there again for my flight to Borneo anyway
ferry from Cebu to Bohol for the melocakes and some small primates
ferry from Bohol to I-forgot-the-name but the biggest city is Mambajao (just North of Mindanao) - Volcanos, waterfalls and such
ferry to Mindanao to get a plane back direction Cebu or something...probably everything will be different tomorrow anyway
The lunch included on the day trip in El Nido was actually pretty good - ok, delicious. And had another tasty burito and fajita at the local Mexican place - What can I say, I am a sucker for Mexican - too bad they do not have an Indian place over there. There is actually an Indian guy (currently running an internet shop) who wants to open one of my favorite cuisine eateries...but he is looking for investors - sorry bud, euros are dwindling very fast here (and I am a bit splurging). Back to the local stuff: I guess you just need to find the right place... they are not by default all great as was the case in the previous country.
After El Nido decided to go to Port Barton, this place was actually a bit of a disappointment...The place is much much quieter than El Nido (maybe just a bit too much) but it could not satisfy my temporary shift to beaching. The beach over there looked very similar to the previous one...littered with boats to do a day tour... I was hoping that the beach at the city would be the thing itself...The road to PB was far more interesting (Largest Asian potholes for me so far) than Port Barton itself so only stayed one night. I heard from others that the one at Sabang should be much nicer but I guess I am a bit out-beached. And apparently there are a lot of sand flies over there (a French girl showed me her legs...that looked like... ouch). After territorial fish at the small lagoon, jellyfish and bedbugs at La Banane my body is already a mine field... and some of this nasty stuff on my feet has been torn open by flip flop walking so sand flies is not the thing I am looking for right now.
So I am back to Puerto Princesa where there is electricity all day (the shutdown as of 6am to 6pm is not only limited to the major tourist attraction in the North of Palawan). It is amazing how easy it is to take power for granted...it was really annoying for me as I was desperately searching for a PC at Port Barton to book a flight. The 'one' (yes just one was connected to the world) at the 'internet' cafe was occupied every time I checked it. Obviously there was WiFi but I am still walking around with pen and paper. It is not a disaster as I managed to book a flight to Cebu in PP, but since the booking is now only one day in advance it costs me 12 euros more... If you really plan your trip here - ie booking everything upfront - it will save you a significant amount of money but I do like my flexibility (especially after the loss of it in Vietnam). So, the 'current' plan is:
plane from PP to Cebu: 1 night, just enough to know the city as I will have to be there again for my flight to Borneo anyway
ferry from Cebu to Bohol for the melocakes and some small primates
ferry from Bohol to I-forgot-the-name but the biggest city is Mambajao (just North of Mindanao) - Volcanos, waterfalls and such
ferry to Mindanao to get a plane back direction Cebu or something...probably everything will be different tomorrow anyway
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Day 37- 42: Something... completely different
The mandatory stuff
Day 37: Arrival Manila
Day 38: Booked a plane 5 hours in advance to Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Day 39+40: Total Crash in PP, as no sleep for 40 hours, result: a cold as I would have in Belgium but at 30C+, needless to say, some water input required
Day 41: Left PP for El Nido, North Palawan
Day 42: Now
First, what is not different: Tricycles, yet another form of short distance transport ripoff, also known as tuktuks in other parts of the world (but with a sidecar instead); extremely annoying and always 300-500% overcharging because you are white. As I will later state, $1 here is absolutely nothing but if a tricycle overcharges me for $0.5 I will walk, don't care if I pay $0.5 too much for water...they will never be my buddies...especially not after Siem Reap, where e v e r y tricycle dude thinks I am a pervert and wants to sell me little girls and boys (I really really hated Siem Reap, Angkor or no Angkor... what I hear from others it has gone completely berserk in the pedo-sexindustry the last 2 years...anyway, differences)
-- The food is bleh here. I know I have been spoiled in Vietnam but the Filipino cuisine is really poor (some of the locals actually admit it...)... seems it is all about BBQ chicken (which is a personal favorite but they are not very good at it) and tomato sauce (also a favorite but very bland here)... I'll give them some credit as I am only here for a few days but it does not look promising
-- People come in all shapes and widths here...not all skinnies as before... I guess that has a lot to do with the previous point as the best food I have had here so far is Turkish (Kebab) and Mexican (Burrito) - have to say though, one of the best burritos I have ever had...except the ones from Maricella (for the insiders). On the people: not sure how to classify them...I guess a blend of Asian/Spanish/Mexican with a big USA influence... The locals are very nice though and so far communication has been the easiest of all countries visited in the region... Most of them speak very good English and the others still enough to communicate the bare necessities with.
-- (Back to the food:) That was actually a shock upon arrival in Manila, when visiting the Robinsons mall (which is...kinda an attraction I guess...it is definitely big and the locals will queue up 30' before opening time): Persian, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Italian, whateveryouwant food but almost no local stuff...Obviously you can also buy stuff in this mall but I went there for food (as all the nearby locations where a bit pricey) and internet.
-- Everything is much, MUCH more expensive...especially accommodation... took a dorm in Manila and here in El Nido for my first night. Mind you, I will splurge occasionally but you have to get value for your money and that is a bit the problem with a 'standard' room of $25 here....while you might have all the luxury in Vietnam (or anywhere else in SE Asia besides Bangkok) for that money, no such thing in the Philippines (so far)... I did switch to a $35 (shivver) room here in El Nido as the 'highly recommended' 9-bed dorm for $8.5/night also included: 0 hours sleep (and I kinda only just recovered from my Vietnam-cold) and most of all: bedbugs (my feet and legs have very nice red spots as a result of it). Mind you, do not expect too much for $35...(it was the cheapest I could find after looking around for several hours - high season here)...no TV (do not need that but you would expect it for $35), no hot water (do not need that either here but still), a shower that does not work properly so it is bucket and scoop again (Sumatra all over again but a similar room there was $2.5 in 2009), no lobby computer (well, there is free wifi but since it seems I am the only foreigner without Ipod/phone/pad/mat/junk/whatever that is kinda annoying), no breakfast included, no electricity between 6am and 2pm: this is apparently an El Nido thing...although it is very touristy here, infrastructure is still behind (wait a few more years when the airport accepts commercial flights and not only private jets for the happy few who stay in the super resorts here - most likely those places have generators to cover for all consumer needs, not only for some lights - and this place will be overbooming). Very weid here...also NO working ATM's so you better visit one a couple of times in Puerto Princesa before making the trip to the North (or anywhere else on Palawan)...You can pay with creditcard at some places but they will charge you an additional whopping 6% if you do. BTW, it seems that all ATM's charge you $4.5 for any withdrawal...my rip-off banks adds another $5 for a $100 withdrawal (+a shitty exchange rate) so that is...paying $110 to get $100 (these computers must work so hard you know).
-- So much quieter here... when I said that to people on my first day in Manila they thought I have been drinking too many Red Horses (not too bad, bit stronger than the standard Asian Lagers but obviously nowhere close of being Duvel-grade). Obviously Manila is very busy but it is all so much more Western....almost no honking and not the completely chaotic spider rag weaving traffic as on the continent (Recall, I spent 7 days in Hanoi before going to the Philippines). Similarly, passengers were nicely queuing up in one line for boarding the plane to Palawan... I have never seen anything close on the continent.
Anyway, there was much more...but all I can say for now is: It feels like a holiday within a holiday (which is nice) but 20 days for the Philippines is absolutely not enough (the money thing is obviously a bit annoying...did not expect such a big difference)... I probably end up just doing Palawan and perhaps Coron and Bohol to leave in Cebu for Borneo..I am happy I skipped North Luzon (for the rice terraces)... although it should be very nice, I heard in Manila the weather over there was kinda bad (not as bad as in Sapa but still) and the viruses won the battle on the plane towards here...better here than in the cold...guess rice terraces, whether in Vietnam or here will be for another time.
Day 37: Arrival Manila
Day 38: Booked a plane 5 hours in advance to Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Day 39+40: Total Crash in PP, as no sleep for 40 hours, result: a cold as I would have in Belgium but at 30C+, needless to say, some water input required
Day 41: Left PP for El Nido, North Palawan
Day 42: Now
First, what is not different: Tricycles, yet another form of short distance transport ripoff, also known as tuktuks in other parts of the world (but with a sidecar instead); extremely annoying and always 300-500% overcharging because you are white. As I will later state, $1 here is absolutely nothing but if a tricycle overcharges me for $0.5 I will walk, don't care if I pay $0.5 too much for water...they will never be my buddies...especially not after Siem Reap, where e v e r y tricycle dude thinks I am a pervert and wants to sell me little girls and boys (I really really hated Siem Reap, Angkor or no Angkor... what I hear from others it has gone completely berserk in the pedo-sexindustry the last 2 years...anyway, differences)
-- The food is bleh here. I know I have been spoiled in Vietnam but the Filipino cuisine is really poor (some of the locals actually admit it...)... seems it is all about BBQ chicken (which is a personal favorite but they are not very good at it) and tomato sauce (also a favorite but very bland here)... I'll give them some credit as I am only here for a few days but it does not look promising
-- People come in all shapes and widths here...not all skinnies as before... I guess that has a lot to do with the previous point as the best food I have had here so far is Turkish (Kebab) and Mexican (Burrito) - have to say though, one of the best burritos I have ever had...except the ones from Maricella (for the insiders). On the people: not sure how to classify them...I guess a blend of Asian/Spanish/Mexican with a big USA influence... The locals are very nice though and so far communication has been the easiest of all countries visited in the region... Most of them speak very good English and the others still enough to communicate the bare necessities with.
-- (Back to the food:) That was actually a shock upon arrival in Manila, when visiting the Robinsons mall (which is...kinda an attraction I guess...it is definitely big and the locals will queue up 30' before opening time): Persian, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Italian, whateveryouwant food but almost no local stuff...Obviously you can also buy stuff in this mall but I went there for food (as all the nearby locations where a bit pricey) and internet.
-- Everything is much, MUCH more expensive...especially accommodation... took a dorm in Manila and here in El Nido for my first night. Mind you, I will splurge occasionally but you have to get value for your money and that is a bit the problem with a 'standard' room of $25 here....while you might have all the luxury in Vietnam (or anywhere else in SE Asia besides Bangkok) for that money, no such thing in the Philippines (so far)... I did switch to a $35 (shivver) room here in El Nido as the 'highly recommended' 9-bed dorm for $8.5/night also included: 0 hours sleep (and I kinda only just recovered from my Vietnam-cold) and most of all: bedbugs (my feet and legs have very nice red spots as a result of it). Mind you, do not expect too much for $35...(it was the cheapest I could find after looking around for several hours - high season here)...no TV (do not need that but you would expect it for $35), no hot water (do not need that either here but still), a shower that does not work properly so it is bucket and scoop again (Sumatra all over again but a similar room there was $2.5 in 2009), no lobby computer (well, there is free wifi but since it seems I am the only foreigner without Ipod/phone/pad/mat/junk/whatever that is kinda annoying), no breakfast included, no electricity between 6am and 2pm: this is apparently an El Nido thing...although it is very touristy here, infrastructure is still behind (wait a few more years when the airport accepts commercial flights and not only private jets for the happy few who stay in the super resorts here - most likely those places have generators to cover for all consumer needs, not only for some lights - and this place will be overbooming). Very weid here...also NO working ATM's so you better visit one a couple of times in Puerto Princesa before making the trip to the North (or anywhere else on Palawan)...You can pay with creditcard at some places but they will charge you an additional whopping 6% if you do. BTW, it seems that all ATM's charge you $4.5 for any withdrawal...my rip-off banks adds another $5 for a $100 withdrawal (+a shitty exchange rate) so that is...paying $110 to get $100 (these computers must work so hard you know).
-- So much quieter here... when I said that to people on my first day in Manila they thought I have been drinking too many Red Horses (not too bad, bit stronger than the standard Asian Lagers but obviously nowhere close of being Duvel-grade). Obviously Manila is very busy but it is all so much more Western....almost no honking and not the completely chaotic spider rag weaving traffic as on the continent (Recall, I spent 7 days in Hanoi before going to the Philippines). Similarly, passengers were nicely queuing up in one line for boarding the plane to Palawan... I have never seen anything close on the continent.
Anyway, there was much more...but all I can say for now is: It feels like a holiday within a holiday (which is nice) but 20 days for the Philippines is absolutely not enough (the money thing is obviously a bit annoying...did not expect such a big difference)... I probably end up just doing Palawan and perhaps Coron and Bohol to leave in Cebu for Borneo..I am happy I skipped North Luzon (for the rice terraces)... although it should be very nice, I heard in Manila the weather over there was kinda bad (not as bad as in Sapa but still) and the viruses won the battle on the plane towards here...better here than in the cold...guess rice terraces, whether in Vietnam or here will be for another time.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Day 27 - 36: The Hanoi Marathon with a pinch of Sapa
So after Cat Ba, back to the capitol...question was: what to do next?
Sapa? - People warned me about the bad weather over there and the weather forecast did not look very appealing
Ha Giang? Recommended by the Cat Ba Hostel girl
A lot of indecisiveness led to 3 nights in Hanoi...well did not really see the city yet so that was fine but 3 nights are in general more than enough for one place so I took my chance and booked a night train to Sapa
Well...it was exactly how people (35% of them returned sick) described it to me: cold / wet / mud / damp / fog
Short story short. I left the same day and returned to Hanoi via the night bus (which is 1/2 price of the comfy sleeper train). And I was not the only one... Guess I could have stayed and tried for a few days for the weather to clear up a little but the body said no.
The result was: 5 more nights in Hanoi so filled those with
- walking the entire area drawn on my map (they really do not understand you want to walk for more than 5') - I actually had probably the only good winter day here...nice sun and ideal for strolling...even the Xe om guys realized they had little chance to pick up rides that day
- catch a movie: Same gigantic complex as back home (but significantly cheaper) similar brainwash before the movie starts: "this toothpaste will make your teeth whiter than white", "this cleaning poision will make your clothes smell forever - not necessarily clean but it smells and that is what clean & fresh is all about", "drink this obesitas liquid and transform into the Santa Coca-ehm Claus man" (I prefer beer for the same effect) but also Scooter commercials...guess that was the only difference...Yamaha & Suzuki commercials vs BMW & Mercedes
- go to the place where THE man is displayed: they are dead serious about it/him...Almost felt like an airport...X- Ray Scanners, leave the water bottle outside, obviously show the greatest respect (no hats and such), definitely no picture taking of the man, every 3 meters a guy in gala uniform to ensure you would respect the rules...The whole setup was a bit surreal and for me a bigger attraction than the dead man himself...Very weird though: Entrance was free
- And since I had time to spare: go for the perfume pagoda tour...I have seen too many (and bigger and nicer) temples already so did not want to do it initially but too much time...and $20 for an entire day-tour is still ok-ish. Not really worth it though...Nice scenery and all (but not the first time for me) and the temple is kinda bleh compared to the super nice golden one in Yangon..but then again, almost all are except perhaps Borobudur and the jungle one at Angkor.
Anyway, tonight: up to karaokeland and hopefully some summer... I am 3 days ahead of my initial schedule so Indonesia (Flores) might become a reality if I feel 23 days is too much for Malaysia; for sure it is going to be 20 days in the Philippenes as my ticket is booked.
Sapa? - People warned me about the bad weather over there and the weather forecast did not look very appealing
Ha Giang? Recommended by the Cat Ba Hostel girl
A lot of indecisiveness led to 3 nights in Hanoi...well did not really see the city yet so that was fine but 3 nights are in general more than enough for one place so I took my chance and booked a night train to Sapa
Well...it was exactly how people (35% of them returned sick) described it to me: cold / wet / mud / damp / fog
Short story short. I left the same day and returned to Hanoi via the night bus (which is 1/2 price of the comfy sleeper train). And I was not the only one... Guess I could have stayed and tried for a few days for the weather to clear up a little but the body said no.
The result was: 5 more nights in Hanoi so filled those with
- walking the entire area drawn on my map (they really do not understand you want to walk for more than 5') - I actually had probably the only good winter day here...nice sun and ideal for strolling...even the Xe om guys realized they had little chance to pick up rides that day
- catch a movie: Same gigantic complex as back home (but significantly cheaper) similar brainwash before the movie starts: "this toothpaste will make your teeth whiter than white", "this cleaning poision will make your clothes smell forever - not necessarily clean but it smells and that is what clean & fresh is all about", "drink this obesitas liquid and transform into the Santa Coca-ehm Claus man" (I prefer beer for the same effect) but also Scooter commercials...guess that was the only difference...Yamaha & Suzuki commercials vs BMW & Mercedes
- go to the place where THE man is displayed: they are dead serious about it/him...Almost felt like an airport...X- Ray Scanners, leave the water bottle outside, obviously show the greatest respect (no hats and such), definitely no picture taking of the man, every 3 meters a guy in gala uniform to ensure you would respect the rules...The whole setup was a bit surreal and for me a bigger attraction than the dead man himself...Very weird though: Entrance was free
- And since I had time to spare: go for the perfume pagoda tour...I have seen too many (and bigger and nicer) temples already so did not want to do it initially but too much time...and $20 for an entire day-tour is still ok-ish. Not really worth it though...Nice scenery and all (but not the first time for me) and the temple is kinda bleh compared to the super nice golden one in Yangon..but then again, almost all are except perhaps Borobudur and the jungle one at Angkor.
Anyway, tonight: up to karaokeland and hopefully some summer... I am 3 days ahead of my initial schedule so Indonesia (Flores) might become a reality if I feel 23 days is too much for Malaysia; for sure it is going to be 20 days in the Philippenes as my ticket is booked.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Day 22-26: Cat Ba
By far the best of this trip.
I had my first 'freedom' experience, driving for hours on my rented Yamaha Nuevo (or something) on empty roads surrounded by non-stop amazing scenery (and on my motorbike day had the best weather of the 4 days I have spent there: no rain and about 17C).
Main activity of the day (besides contributing to the global CO2 content): drive to Cat Ba national park and climb to the viewpoint (ehm, 225m is still enough to transform me into a walking shower). Great, felt it was just me, myself and I hiking in the forest, excellent... Obviously I had no maps nor directions on how to get there so let's follow the nose when the first trail junction pops up, and then once more at the 2nd, 3rd... Needless to say, hopelessly lost after 1 hour...Well, finding my way back down to the entrance of the park was not the issue but my mind was set on this viewpoint. And then, out of nowhere a flock of 30 tour-tourists + guide coming from Halong Bay appear out of nowhere. Great, tag along to the 'summit', wait until they are gone and the 'mountain' is again mine and mine alone. So after enjoying 15' of private viewpointness I went back as well, to see the flock sitting at the most expensive joint (just at the start of the trail)... Nope, I am free so I will go for coffee at the entrance of the park where my bike is parked. Could not help myself, I waited until most of the flock was back in the tourbus to roar my Yamaha and speed off, just in front of them.
Anyway, the park is in the middle of the island so might as well go all the way to the other side...Not much to see there but on the way back an old guy walking on the side of the road made some gestures to stop. And before I realized it he jumped on the back wanting a lift to the nearby village. I was a real Xe om for 10 minutes.
The day after did the 'mandatory' boat tour for the karst landscape (similar scenery as on the island but the 'mountains' appear as thousands of little islands) to Lan Ha bay. This is basically the same thing the flock was doing, they just leave from Halong Bay. The nice thing is there were only 6 (including me) tourists on the boat, not 30+ as the ones booked via a tour in Hanoi or something. And of these 6, 2 Canadians I have met before in Hoi An and Dong Hoi... the world is small
And besides a great motorbike day + ok-tour-day I enjoyed genuine home cooking for the first time in Vietnam..made by the people of my hostel. Home cooking is not the same as the standard food served on street stalls and restaurants (and this is especially true for Cat Ba where food in general is way too tourist oriented). The guy of my hostel was so thrilled I helped him with a computer problem the night before he invited me for lunch (mind you, they have a menu for their guests)...best fish I have ever had, so much better than the $6 tuna I had the day before in a restaurant. I actually stayed one day more than anticipated, just because the people of this place were so sweet.
I had my first 'freedom' experience, driving for hours on my rented Yamaha Nuevo (or something) on empty roads surrounded by non-stop amazing scenery (and on my motorbike day had the best weather of the 4 days I have spent there: no rain and about 17C).
Main activity of the day (besides contributing to the global CO2 content): drive to Cat Ba national park and climb to the viewpoint (ehm, 225m is still enough to transform me into a walking shower). Great, felt it was just me, myself and I hiking in the forest, excellent... Obviously I had no maps nor directions on how to get there so let's follow the nose when the first trail junction pops up, and then once more at the 2nd, 3rd... Needless to say, hopelessly lost after 1 hour...Well, finding my way back down to the entrance of the park was not the issue but my mind was set on this viewpoint. And then, out of nowhere a flock of 30 tour-tourists + guide coming from Halong Bay appear out of nowhere. Great, tag along to the 'summit', wait until they are gone and the 'mountain' is again mine and mine alone. So after enjoying 15' of private viewpointness I went back as well, to see the flock sitting at the most expensive joint (just at the start of the trail)... Nope, I am free so I will go for coffee at the entrance of the park where my bike is parked. Could not help myself, I waited until most of the flock was back in the tourbus to roar my Yamaha and speed off, just in front of them.
Anyway, the park is in the middle of the island so might as well go all the way to the other side...Not much to see there but on the way back an old guy walking on the side of the road made some gestures to stop. And before I realized it he jumped on the back wanting a lift to the nearby village. I was a real Xe om for 10 minutes.
The day after did the 'mandatory' boat tour for the karst landscape (similar scenery as on the island but the 'mountains' appear as thousands of little islands) to Lan Ha bay. This is basically the same thing the flock was doing, they just leave from Halong Bay. The nice thing is there were only 6 (including me) tourists on the boat, not 30+ as the ones booked via a tour in Hanoi or something. And of these 6, 2 Canadians I have met before in Hoi An and Dong Hoi... the world is small
And besides a great motorbike day + ok-tour-day I enjoyed genuine home cooking for the first time in Vietnam..made by the people of my hostel. Home cooking is not the same as the standard food served on street stalls and restaurants (and this is especially true for Cat Ba where food in general is way too tourist oriented). The guy of my hostel was so thrilled I helped him with a computer problem the night before he invited me for lunch (mind you, they have a menu for their guests)...best fish I have ever had, so much better than the $6 tuna I had the day before in a restaurant. I actually stayed one day more than anticipated, just because the people of this place were so sweet.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Day 9 - 21: Banlung -> Cat Ba
So, it has been a while... due to
- slow internet connections
- no internet connections
- just no motivation
Anyhow, Banlung it was... to give Cambodia one more chance as Siem Reap was just bleh and Phnom Penh was not much better. Judging the country on these two alone is a bit cheap so maybe the countryside might change my opinion as so far I associated Cambodia with a country gone wild in scams and deceit. It is in the little things I guess, the people you meet and such as I can imagine the majority of the people is really nice.
For some reason, could not find a real motivation to do much in Banlung. It was so hard to get a motorbike so I just gave up. I could have joined a tour but the prices of these were just ridiculous ($75? hmm, no) and it all felt a bit like SR and PP again... Go on an ecological tour? Why not...and at the same time have the chance to kill an animal with a 'native' crossbow...nah... And some people told me that a lot of the forest was already destroyed to feed the 1.7? billion rubber consuming monster. In addition, the AK47 thing in Phnom Penh (which I was not interested in, but got talked into...anyway, did it...move on, once is enough) was decadent enough and that was just shredding some paper. But I digress, Cambodia was just not for me this time...it could have been different but let's move on.
So via the small border crossing I went to Pleiku, Vietnam joining 2 Canadians (In total I socialized with 8! of them already in Red star country...seems they like the place). Pleiku? It is not in the shoestring as, well, there are no touristy things to do there. But it is a city where you can take an onward bus to Hoi An (and other tourist bombs) so booked a bus ticket, departure time: 8pm. So there we were, the three of us in a city where almost nobody speaks English. But it was all good, nobody there had heard of tourist prices yet, smiles everywhere and we got our picture taken...maybe 50 times in a small coffeeshop where the staff was just thrilled to have us. Who knows we might be on the wall next year as real celebrities. Anyway, as far as first contacts go in a new country, I don't think it could have been much better (the little things you know) so immediately Vietnam was in my good book. And the sleeper bus seemed to be extremely comfortable and luxurous. The beds are not made for white people though...
Hoi An was, although a major tourist bomb, still a nice little town (THE place to get a custom tailored suit but in the end I did not go for it...did not want to carry it for 2 more months and I am too cheap for shipping). An ideal place for some scootering and just strolling around (there is not that much to see - besides tourists... meaning it is impossible to outrun the Coca Cola man and bleh X-mas songs)
After Hoi An: Hue...again with the open ticket bus but got a better bed (at the side, the ones in the back are to be avoided). The city felt a bit like a diluted Hoi An...bigger with the same amount of tourists. Again, not that much to see besides some more temples, gardens and 'very' old (150 years is not that impressive) buildings but a similar relaxed atmosphere with less souvenir shops and "just one dollar pushing" (they still smile though even if you do not buy anything). And of course: FOOD! It did not take long to fall in love with the Vietnamese cuisine.
Next: Dong Hoi...this time with the train. As it takes only 3.5 hours I opted for the hard seat lowest class ($2)...3.5 hours can be a loooong time...after a while the left cheek parallizes so switch to the right one...it does hurt. It also hurts when (just at the point I was going to shake into sleep) a little kid pulls arm hairs - to much joy of the locals.
I thought: after the 16 hours hard bench seat (Thailand - 2 years ago) how hard can it be? Still glad it was over...guess I am getting old.
Dong Hoi, that means only one (well... 2) thing(s): Phong Nha Cave and Paradise Cave. According the lonely planet the first one feels a bit touristy while the second one (open to public since 2010 or something) should be a real untouched treat. Both of them about 50km from the weirdest city I have ever visited in SE Asia. An empty city with an overload of hotels but almost no restaurants (fancy or local blue&red plastic seat ones). In addition, all the hotels are deserted except for tripadvisor's #1 Nam Long (which is more expensive than the others). But the empty hotels do not seem to be interested in having you...very weird...
Anyway, rent a motorbike to do the caves yourself or go with the rather expensive $45 tour?... In the end I chose the tour as:
--the weather in Central Vietnam in Dec/Jan sucks big time (every day rain so far...and not always just drizzle)
--A fellow Nam Longer (yes, chose the place where some social contact was possible) trashed a part of the rented bike and had to cough up $150 for repairs. The crash was mainly the result of the sucky weather.
--You still need to pay for a boat (to do Phong Nha cave)...if you cannot find anybody else that one is already $15
Well, the touristy cave was deserted (well, besides the 12 of us...so if I would have done it on my own I probably would not have found anybody else to 'share' a boat with) so that was kinda nice. The paradise one...although much nicer...was ready to become Disneyland...electronic entrance gates...electric buggies for lazy white people (we had one, part of the $45), wooden staircases and platforms in the cave (this was rather disappointing as I hoped it was real cave walking)...Anyway, very nice cave with very nice lighting and..local tourists (at that time we were the only foreigners).
Local tourists...with local guides, guiding with...microphones and speakers...in a cave...and local kids. At least you could outrun them so you had 5' for your own.
All in all, as far as tours go this one was ok-ish, the food was good and I was happy that I did not get soaked on a motorbike ride that would have taken me 3?4? hours.
Then motorbike-mecca: Hanoi, with a sleeper (soft bed) train this time...no need for a 10-12 hours hard seat. Very, very comfy but no sleep as it stopped 7? times to arrive around 4.30 am on December 31st in Hanoi. Way too early to find accommodation so let's have a coffee, and .. another one. $2 ??? Really. I thought, ok.. this is railway station rip off but it did not take long to realize Hanoi is going to cost more $$$ vs central Vietnam. Anyhow, not much to say about the Vietnamese capitol as the day after (crashed around 6pm so no Sylvester) left for Cat Ba. Perhaps these: Although there are plenty of motorbikes, it is definitely doable to walk around...much easier than Phnom Penh. An old lady helped me (well, she basically just grabbed my arm and of we go..in the wrong direction) to cross the street and a small shop guy was very surprised I wanted change for my bottle of water..although he made it very clear the price was 12000VND (gave him a 20000 note) he was just looking at me, and I at him for 3 minutes...so I said again: "Change?" "12000?" and then he just mumbled something and gave me 8000.
Although I am done with Cat Ba - tonight will be my 4th night (longest stay so far) the Cat Ba blabla will be for the next time...as my motivation to type is gone.
- slow internet connections
- no internet connections
- just no motivation
Anyhow, Banlung it was... to give Cambodia one more chance as Siem Reap was just bleh and Phnom Penh was not much better. Judging the country on these two alone is a bit cheap so maybe the countryside might change my opinion as so far I associated Cambodia with a country gone wild in scams and deceit. It is in the little things I guess, the people you meet and such as I can imagine the majority of the people is really nice.
For some reason, could not find a real motivation to do much in Banlung. It was so hard to get a motorbike so I just gave up. I could have joined a tour but the prices of these were just ridiculous ($75? hmm, no) and it all felt a bit like SR and PP again... Go on an ecological tour? Why not...and at the same time have the chance to kill an animal with a 'native' crossbow...nah... And some people told me that a lot of the forest was already destroyed to feed the 1.7? billion rubber consuming monster. In addition, the AK47 thing in Phnom Penh (which I was not interested in, but got talked into...anyway, did it...move on, once is enough) was decadent enough and that was just shredding some paper. But I digress, Cambodia was just not for me this time...it could have been different but let's move on.
So via the small border crossing I went to Pleiku, Vietnam joining 2 Canadians (In total I socialized with 8! of them already in Red star country...seems they like the place). Pleiku? It is not in the shoestring as, well, there are no touristy things to do there. But it is a city where you can take an onward bus to Hoi An (and other tourist bombs) so booked a bus ticket, departure time: 8pm. So there we were, the three of us in a city where almost nobody speaks English. But it was all good, nobody there had heard of tourist prices yet, smiles everywhere and we got our picture taken...maybe 50 times in a small coffeeshop where the staff was just thrilled to have us. Who knows we might be on the wall next year as real celebrities. Anyway, as far as first contacts go in a new country, I don't think it could have been much better (the little things you know) so immediately Vietnam was in my good book. And the sleeper bus seemed to be extremely comfortable and luxurous. The beds are not made for white people though...
Hoi An was, although a major tourist bomb, still a nice little town (THE place to get a custom tailored suit but in the end I did not go for it...did not want to carry it for 2 more months and I am too cheap for shipping). An ideal place for some scootering and just strolling around (there is not that much to see - besides tourists... meaning it is impossible to outrun the Coca Cola man and bleh X-mas songs)
After Hoi An: Hue...again with the open ticket bus but got a better bed (at the side, the ones in the back are to be avoided). The city felt a bit like a diluted Hoi An...bigger with the same amount of tourists. Again, not that much to see besides some more temples, gardens and 'very' old (150 years is not that impressive) buildings but a similar relaxed atmosphere with less souvenir shops and "just one dollar pushing" (they still smile though even if you do not buy anything). And of course: FOOD! It did not take long to fall in love with the Vietnamese cuisine.
Next: Dong Hoi...this time with the train. As it takes only 3.5 hours I opted for the hard seat lowest class ($2)...3.5 hours can be a loooong time...after a while the left cheek parallizes so switch to the right one...it does hurt. It also hurts when (just at the point I was going to shake into sleep) a little kid pulls arm hairs - to much joy of the locals.
I thought: after the 16 hours hard bench seat (Thailand - 2 years ago) how hard can it be? Still glad it was over...guess I am getting old.
Dong Hoi, that means only one (well... 2) thing(s): Phong Nha Cave and Paradise Cave. According the lonely planet the first one feels a bit touristy while the second one (open to public since 2010 or something) should be a real untouched treat. Both of them about 50km from the weirdest city I have ever visited in SE Asia. An empty city with an overload of hotels but almost no restaurants (fancy or local blue&red plastic seat ones). In addition, all the hotels are deserted except for tripadvisor's #1 Nam Long (which is more expensive than the others). But the empty hotels do not seem to be interested in having you...very weird...
Anyway, rent a motorbike to do the caves yourself or go with the rather expensive $45 tour?... In the end I chose the tour as:
--the weather in Central Vietnam in Dec/Jan sucks big time (every day rain so far...and not always just drizzle)
--A fellow Nam Longer (yes, chose the place where some social contact was possible) trashed a part of the rented bike and had to cough up $150 for repairs. The crash was mainly the result of the sucky weather.
--You still need to pay for a boat (to do Phong Nha cave)...if you cannot find anybody else that one is already $15
Well, the touristy cave was deserted (well, besides the 12 of us...so if I would have done it on my own I probably would not have found anybody else to 'share' a boat with) so that was kinda nice. The paradise one...although much nicer...was ready to become Disneyland...electronic entrance gates...electric buggies for lazy white people (we had one, part of the $45), wooden staircases and platforms in the cave (this was rather disappointing as I hoped it was real cave walking)...Anyway, very nice cave with very nice lighting and..local tourists (at that time we were the only foreigners).
Local tourists...with local guides, guiding with...microphones and speakers...in a cave...and local kids. At least you could outrun them so you had 5' for your own.
All in all, as far as tours go this one was ok-ish, the food was good and I was happy that I did not get soaked on a motorbike ride that would have taken me 3?4? hours.
Then motorbike-mecca: Hanoi, with a sleeper (soft bed) train this time...no need for a 10-12 hours hard seat. Very, very comfy but no sleep as it stopped 7? times to arrive around 4.30 am on December 31st in Hanoi. Way too early to find accommodation so let's have a coffee, and .. another one. $2 ??? Really. I thought, ok.. this is railway station rip off but it did not take long to realize Hanoi is going to cost more $$$ vs central Vietnam. Anyhow, not much to say about the Vietnamese capitol as the day after (crashed around 6pm so no Sylvester) left for Cat Ba. Perhaps these: Although there are plenty of motorbikes, it is definitely doable to walk around...much easier than Phnom Penh. An old lady helped me (well, she basically just grabbed my arm and of we go..in the wrong direction) to cross the street and a small shop guy was very surprised I wanted change for my bottle of water..although he made it very clear the price was 12000VND (gave him a 20000 note) he was just looking at me, and I at him for 3 minutes...so I said again: "Change?" "12000?" and then he just mumbled something and gave me 8000.
Although I am done with Cat Ba - tonight will be my 4th night (longest stay so far) the Cat Ba blabla will be for the next time...as my motivation to type is gone.
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