Indochina 2008

Back in Indochina - a whirlwind month in and out of bustling Bangkok, entranced by the Khmer temples - majestic Angkor Wat and its detailed bas relief, Angkor Thom and the Bayon Heads, the overpowering strength of the jungle roots at Ta Prohm... jumping over big stones dressed in moss then a 'Seeing Hands' massage to relieve the strain. In Phnom Penh the impact of the open wounds of Tuol Sleng prison and the Killing Fields are distanced whilst enjoying a drink at the Foreign Correspondents Club overlooking the river. A change of scene - sun and sea in Sihanoukville where hawkers offering manicures and massages also find a way of removing every hair in sight with the twist of a couple of threads. Heading south to the Delta region leaving aridness for lush fertile lands, a sudden change of pace crossing into Vietnam. Motos abound, horns honking, cottage industries on every door step, poker faces, conical hats, loaded cyclos... the quacking of juicy ducks emphasizes the freshness of produce at the Chau Doc market in the Mekong Delta where fruit and veges are displayed in neat piles and rows. Next Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon where around 7 million make their home - struck by the intense heat strolling past the remains of French colonialism - elegant avenues, a copycat hotel de ville, post office, opera house and cathedral... a thunderstorm breaks the tension but our open-air kitchen is no longer serving fried rice nor grilled anything!!
Further up the coast diving in Nha Trang and a drop of r&r before venturing out to tailors, historic Chinese meeting houses, and lao cau in Hoi An. Motorbikes in Hue to enjoy the countryside, the emperor Tu Duc's tomb, a vegetarian lunch with tofu 'fish' 'pork' in a Buddhist nunnery, then a boat along the Perfume River. That evening a cyclo ride nearby the walls of the old citadel stopping off for a special remedy Chinese tea before bed. Another night train where carriages rock from side to side all the way to Hanoi. A side trip to Halong Bay to enjoy the calm waters and 2000 karsts followed by a special Chinese massage where every organ was alerted by its own pressure point. Tai Chi at 5am by the Ho Tay the pho bo tai (noodle soup), meandering in the old quarter discovering the delights of Hang Quat (Buddha Image St), Hang Thuoc Bac (Traditional Medicine Street, Hang Gai (Silk St) and more. Dancing Water Puppets originating in the paddie fields are presented in a trilingual theatre, followed by catfish spring rolls at Highway 4.
A seemingly never-ending journey over the Annamite range into Laos where we gradually abandoned the hustle and bustle of Vietnamese towns for the dense rainforest of the Ho Chi Minh trail. As we entered Laos the roadside became speckled with Hmong villages and bright eyed children looking after their younger siblings. Faces changed as we arrived at lowland Pak Xan where the favourite is porcupine sampled on the banks of the Mekong. The capital Vientiane awaited with tranquility and wide-open spaces, the craziness of limestone backpacker territory in Vang Vieng where homesick folk watch 'Friends' after a day of boozing whilst tubing & acrobatic swings!!?? A day's journey of non-stop amazing picturesque lead to the jewel and former capital, Luang Prabang. A penisular between two rivers dotted with golden temples, saffron-robed monks, a colourful nightmarket and sticky rice and laap. Here I rediscovered my love of elephants as I sat on the neck of 'Mai Nam' patting it's prickly hair and caressinhg the speckled ears as we ventured through the jungle munching on banana trees. Paddling through fast waters down the Nam Khan river a bunch of kids could be seen high in the trees daring each other to jump into the whirlpools beyond. Time to do nothing for a couple of days on a slowboat up the Mekong River and back into Thailand where neons of 7-Eleven, Subway, McDonald's make their mark and tom kha kai is still a favourite.
Next - a few days off to go diving on Koh Tao and then heading to Malaysia and Borneo - watch this space!!!