AK47 - Accept No Substitute

Greetings,

First of all, I made a slight cock-up with the post below the other day which meant that half of it was cut off. That error has now been corrected and the post also updated with two bonus items that I forgot to mention in the initial post. Namely, the similarity between a cult film star and a communist leader, and a drugs bust that I was almost involved in!

Right, back to business. At the moment I am in Saigon, and have been for the past two and a bit days or so.

After travelling from Nah Trang to Saigon I took a trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels where the Vietnamese fought, hid and lived during the American War. It was incredible to crawl through these tunnels and see how these people lived and fought and, ultimately, outfoxed their rivals during the war. Some of the tunnels you could barely fit your body through, and after crawling for just 100 metres underground through said tunnels, my legs were almost seized up and I felt like I'd been sitting in a sauna for a good hour! Unbelievable. Also shown were the various cunning traps that the Vietcong used to great effect. Loads of booby traps fashioned from only the natural materials that were around them, like pits with sharpened bamboo canes in them that opposition fighters would fall in. An amazing sight, and a testament to the spirit of survival of these wonderful people.

While at the Cu Chi Tunnels, I partook in an activity that will have the lads back home green with envy - I fired rounds from an AK47 assault rifle!

Following this I travelled from Saigon to see the Mekong Delta where "the mighty river splits into a labyrinth of channels before disgorging into the South China Sea". It was excellent to see how the people lived along the river, and how resourceful they were at creating their various wares. Really interesting and a fascinating insight into proper Vietnamese culture.

Following the Mekong Delta excursion I returned to Saigon. During a night out we went to a ‘specialty‘ restaurant where I tried several new types of food. Including; deep-fried scorpion (followed shortly after by holding a live one in my hand), snake, rat and goat’s penis (I kid thee not!).

In Saigon I visited the War Remnants Museum (rather amusingly formerly called the American Museum of War Atrocities or something like that!) which was incredibly moving. There were so many images showing how the various chemicals used during the American War had affected the Vietnamese people and the various deformities and defects it had caused. So sad.

Tomorrow I leave Saigon and Vietnam after having the most incredible time here. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Vietnam, but it is safe to say it has surpassed my expectations on so many levels – a truly wonderful country.

So, onto Cambodia next – cant wait!

Hope you are all well and are looking after yourselves. Missing you all loads, will speak to you very soon.

Pickpockets and Sunburn

Greetings,

When last I wrote I was in Hanoi having just arrived there. So, what has been going on since there then?

Well, let me start by telling you that Hanoi was a really good place, lots to see and do there for the sight-seeing traveller like your humble narrator. I visited the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh who was the leader of the communist regime in Vietnam. Am not really a person for dead bodies, but thought I would have a mosey on down there to see what the crack was.

By a curious coincidence Ho Chi Minh bears a frighteningly similar resemblance to the star of the Karate Kid films - Mr. Miyagi. See for yourself below. On the left is the leader of the Vietnamese communist regime Ho Chi Minh, while on the right is Wax-On, Wax-Off legend Mr. Miyagi!



After that, I went to the museum next door, the Confucian Temple of Literature, and then travelled to the prison where American POW's were kept. It was so funny to read all about how 'well' they were treat and all the nice things that they were given in the prison and three square meals etc. Aye right! Vietnamese propaganda at its best!

In the evening, we travelled to the 'World Famous' Hanoi Water Puppet show, which was pretty good if you like the childish splashing around of small dolls in a giant pool of murky green water. Fortunately, this is one of my favourite activities, so I had a great time. I also received a free CD of Vietnamese Music taken from the puppet show, so if its anyones birthday coming up when I am back home you might just be in for a treat!

After leaving the suicidal roads of Hanoi we travelled to Hue which was nice. Here there was the Imperial City which was supposed to have been modelled on Beijing's Forbidden City. That might well have been, but being as it has since been bombed it bears more of a resemblance to the pile of rubble in my Mam's back garden than the Forbidden City! Saying that though, there were still some buildings in tact and it was good to see those. The next day in Hue we took a cruise down the Perfume River. Don't be fooled. Unless the aforementioned scent was Eau to Water it was nothing like perfume! Still, there a cool Buddhist temple that we visited as we were sailing, and a couple more mausoleums (sans dead guys) so it was all good.

After Hue we travelled to Hoi An. Hoi An is famous for tailoring custom clothing to your exact measurements as ridiculously cheap discounted prices so as the old saying goes, when in Hoi An, do as the tourists do! All of these tailors shops (and there are a heck of alot of them) have Next Directories and various other catalogues in shop and you can just point to what you would like to be made and after a measuring and fitting, the next day you collect your brand spanking new clothes! Hoi An has been my favourite place so far in Vietnam, its a really quaint kind of place with meandering streets and loads of nice places to eat and drink (including Treats Bar which offers a Happy 'Hour' that is some 5 hours long and offers among other things 2 Double Vodka and Red Bull for 20,000 Vietnamese Dong; approximately 66 of your English Pence!). The whole of the Hoi An old town is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site with loads of temples, buildings and museums to check out.

During an evening out in Hoi An and another bout of Karaoke we travelled to an out of town club. After having been there for an hour or so everyone in the club was hurriedly ushered out the back entrance. Apparently the police were on their way to perform a drugs bust - excellent! Fortunately they failed to find the seven ounces of heroin that I had stashed about my person and I escaped scot-free!

Following Hoi An I travelled to Nah Trang for the night. Nothing much here save a touristy resort kind of place. Following a night out I was returning to the hotel and was approached by two individuals, who tried talking to me before taking off. A fraction of a second later, I find my wallet missing - I had been the subject of a most heinous pickpocketing. Not a happy chappy. After a hasty retracing of my steps I found my wallet safe and sound, but missing the half a million or so Vietnamese Dong that was previously present. D'oh. Fortunately, my debit card and the rest of my stuff was still there. I guess if that is the worst fate that befalls me in my travels, I will be return safe and sound.

After the night in Nah Trang I travelled by boat to Whale Island staying in fantastic beach bungalows right on the waterfront. Nothing much to report there except some killer sunburn while snorkelling and alot of chilling!

Following Nah Trang we took the overnight train to Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon), which is where I am now, so I will let you know my impressions about this place when I have formed them, so until then, take care and I will speak to you shortly.

Happy Snaps: India and China

Two posts in one day, not a bad effort even if I do say so myself. Thought I would give you all a visual treat with some photos from over the last month. There are a fair few photos so the page might take a while to load, please be patient!

Enjoy!

The Red Fort, Delhi



Me and my harem, Pachewar



Tracy and I cross swords on the Maharaja's throne, Pachewar



The Ganges Gang (l to r; Carrie, Tanya, Bishal, Tracy, Myself, Kat and Simon)



The Taj Mahal, Agra



On the way into the Forbidden City, Beijing



Wise words, inside the Forbidden City



Me at the Great Wall



The Great Wall of China



The Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an



Steve and I put good use to a train delay to create the Great Card Tower of China



The Princess Jeannie cruise liner is in safe hands as Andy, myself and Steve plot our course on the Yangtze



Myself, Claire and Steve conserve precious warmth on the cruise liner deck at about 4am in the morn!



The China group on my last night (back l to r; Ian, Carl, Joan, Karen, Mel, Steve, Andy, Alex (tour leader), Claire, Danny; front l to r; Butch, Cody, Fiona, Jane, Carole, Vicki, Bruce, Vanya; front sprawled over the majority; Snugglebug (my nickname!) a.k.a. Me

Fine China

Greetings,

First of all, apologies for the tardiness of my posting - but this time there is a valid excuse! Because of laws that control Internet access/content in China there are very few Internet places. Apparently there are only two official, licensed ones in the whole of China (in Beijing), all the other ones are illegal! So you will forgive the lack of updates and emails that have not been forthcoming.

So, now I have completed my China experience I will give you the edited highlights. Without doubt (and I think it goes without saying) my personal highlight was the Great Wall. Completely blown away by it. To think that it was started in the 6th Century B.C and spans over 6,000 kilometers is incredible. Used to keep out marauding enemies, it is said that the beacon lights that warn of an attack could be lit up over all 6,000 kms worth in just two hours! Awesome!

I felt slightly let down by the Terracotta Warriors though, it just wasnt what I expected. Not sure whether it was the fact that they were preserved in a giant airport hanger type thing that ruined the ambiance slightly or the various conspiracies and rumours that only one warrior was actually found, and the rest manufactured as a tourist ploy, but I wasnt as blown away as I thought I would be.

The Yangtze River cruise was excellent and the scenery through the gorgous gorges that we went through was beautiful. Add this to the fact that our 3-star cruise liner wasn't operating and we were 'forced' to upgrade to a 5-star liner instead made it all the better.

Yangshou was the last place I travelled to and was my favourite. Just a really quaint kind of place, with meandering streets and markets and stuff all set within the mountains. Absolutely beautiful.

The social aspect of this trip was excellent, made really great mates with a group of Brits; Steve, Andy and Claire, and we had such a blast together. Add this to the fact that I performed karaoke for the first time, and won a beer drinking competition during talent night on the cruise ship makes it something I won't forget in a hurry!

So, after missing my flights to Hanoi (long story!), I finally arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam tired but safe and sound.

So, thats all from me for me for the moment. I hope you are all fit and well. Hopefully t'internet access will be less sparse through the rest of S.E. Asia so I can keep you all better informed and email more and stuff.

Take care and I will speak to you soon.

Hong Bong

Greetings to all,

How are you all doing there? Hope you are fit and well and taking good care of yourselves.

When last we spoke I had just left Delhi and was in Hong Kong. So, what was Hong Kong like then? Well, for the sightseeing traveller like myself, it has to be said that there is bugger all there really! I mean, there is a nice park area in Kowloon with a maze and sculptures and stuff like that, which was OK. And there is the famous skyline views of the Central district, which were OK too. There is also a really nice look out high above the city on a mountain, but given the inclement weather and terrible pollution it would have been futile to go up to said viewpoint.

However, if you are interested in being repeatedly offered either:
a) imitation Rolex watches
b) tailor-made suits
or
c) marijuana
while walking down the front street, then Hong Kong is very much the place for you my friend. As for me, I didnt care for it too much.

At the moment I am in Beijing which is a cool place. There is a heck of a lot to see here, loads of temples and cool stuff like that. So far I have visited the Summer Temple which was beautifully serene. Also, I have been to the Temple of Heaven and also to the Lama Temple all of which were excellent. Althought given my lack of prowess with the Mandarin language getting around and getting stuff is fairly amusing!

In the next few days I will be visiting the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China. So till that time I will bid you farewell.