Rainy season interlude

The rainy season has started in south-east Asia. It reminds me of this song, while thunderstorm is taking over Siem Reap.

It usually rains for 30 minutes here and the sky turns blue again after. The temperature doesn't always get cooler in spite of the rain...

Detour in Battambang

Battambang

Everybody knows at least a little bit of Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. The names are familiar. But other than those two places, we know little about Cambodia. City with a strange name, Battambang is unknown but is worth a detour.

It took six hours on a bus to get from Phnom Penh to Battambang. The roads are not that bad to get there. But the leather seats, in the heat and humidity, are not a winner combination. And when your seat is close to the one in front of you like in planes... not winner at all.

But anyway, first nice surprise : someone from my hotel was waiting for me to get out of the bus, on the corner of the street, holding a sign with my  name on it. He drove me to the hotel, with my big bag on his motorcycle, for free. No idea how he knew I was coming on that bus. Probabilities, probably.

He then helped me to get my luggage up in my room and offered to guide me for the rest of the day. Since I decided to leave tomorrow for Siem Reap, I thought it would save me trouble to go with him instead of searching for another guide.

Without a helmet on, he drove me to the bamboo train, literally a plank of wood on wheels, which replaces the traditionnal train, on broken down rails which can't support a real train anymore. For 10 $US, it is expensive. Especially since, for that price, you can eat three meals or sleep for a night or two in a hotel. But it's a "traditionnal" attraction.

On the other end of the rail, there is a village where they try to sell you stuff to drink. You can see how they produce rice in a old wooden barrack or how they make bricks. Children accept to guide you in exchange for some money.

On the way back, they inform us the "driver" of our train doesn't get any money and we should tip him... They try really hard to get as much money as they can...

The stroll on the backcountry road was worth the detour. Landscape is amazing. On the way to Banan, a temple older than the one in Angkor, if I believe my guide, we stopped to see big bats we scared with firecrackers to make them fly. My guide made me taste soursop, a big green fruit.

After a stop at the temple, we crossed the backcountry while the sun was going down slowly. We could see smaller bats flying out of a cave (see the video). There are millions flying out every night for several ours. In the fields, villagers throw objects in the air to catch a couple of these animals for dinner. Yummy!

From there, I went up Phnom Sampeou hill, where there is a grotto where the khmers rouges killed their victims. The view on the city is amazing.

In the end, I chose to take the bus to Siem Reap even if the Lonely Planet recommended to take the boat. True, the landscape must be amazing, but 9 to 12 hours to link two cities, when you can do it in 3,5 hours  by bus... At this point on the trip, I went for the bus. I will spend more time in Thailand, that's all.

Dollar

Note that most of the prices are stated in american dollars even if the local currency is the riel. They won't take the coins though. The change is always given in riels.

Welcome in Cambodia Kingdom

I made it safely in the capital of Cambodia Kingdom, Phnom Penh, after six hours on the bus. Long life the south-east asian roads.

Crossing the border was simple. The bus stopped for a control in Vietnam. Everybody got down, stepped in a building, but nobody would take their luggage with them. I had to think for a minute before I agreed to do as instructed.

Inside, there was a metal detector and a X ray machine for luggages. But it looked like they were not using them today. Maybe they didn't feel like it.

They stamped our passport and we got back on the bus... for a 28 metres ride.

TADAM! Cambodia's border. The employee of the bus company came down with us after gathering the passports and the money. I learned afterwards that the 25 $US I paid were more than the 20 $US it usually costs. So be it.

In Angkor Wat country, still no luggage scan. But they took my fingerprints. They looked at my visa and I was good to go.

The bus made a last stop five minutes later, so we could buy some food or souvenirs. And we headed to the capital.

There, no choice. The tuk-tuk was the best option to get to the hostel. In the pure tradition, the driver said « I know where it is, I know » to convince me to choose him. BUT... he didn't know at all. Anyway, we agreed on a price beforehand. Go ahead man. Take as long as you need, I have all the time in the world.

Saying no to a kid

In the afternoon, I went to explore the city. Because I broke my first pair of sunglasses, lost the second one and bought a third one that was too cheap, I bought fake Ray Bans for 3 $.

But taking my wallet out in the street was like eating a lot of fries next to a McDonald's. Bad idea. The sellers rushed to me trying to convince me to buy stuff.

I bought a bracelet from a 10 or 12 years old girl. For one dollar. That is a lot of money in Cambodia and a bracelet is easier for me to carry than anything else.

At the same time came Little Buddy (That's the name I gave him), the one boy on the picture. How old? Seven, eight? He spends his days in the street, selling scarves and bracelets. To afford school, he says.

I didn't really want another bracelet. But the kid followed me for 15 minutes. Under a really warm sun. I gave up, accepted to buy something if he let me take a picture of him.

How do you say no to a kid that young? I'll need to get stronger because I might come across more of these.

I was wondering if it was better to buy from him or not... Cannot find an answer.

That said, Cambodia is wonderful for now. I expect to spend one more day in Phnom Penh before heading to Battambang on the bus. From there, after one day or two, I'll go to Siem Reap.

Getting home before the mail

Somewhere on the Mekong River

One of the things starting to get heavy (!) when you travel is the backpack you carry around. Like a snail, you carry your house, gathering so much stuff. Sometimes, I hesitate to leave a guidebook or to throw away a plane ticket I might want to keep as a souvenir. The solution : sending everything back home.

I sent a package from Hong Kong and it got home safely. The one I sent from China is still on the road (!). Today, I ran to the post office just before it closed to send another package.

For 2 kg, they were asking for 50 $. Those Vietnamese are a little crazy I think. I chose the "ground" option, cheaper, that will send my guidebooks by truck and by boat. I have to allow three months for it to get home.

It means I'll be back in Quebec before the box I left behind today. I don't know if it'll travel on a donkey, but I'll have time to get stamps from around ten countries while it's gonna make its way home.

Mekong

I started taking the pills to prevent me from getting malaria, hoping I won't have any side effects. For now, no problems. Malaria was a risk in Sapa, in the Mekong Delta and might be a problem in Cambodia.

Yesterday, I made sure I didn't pay for nothing by going in the Mekong Delta area. I was hoping for sun, but since it's the rain season, the weather forecast was stating we would get thunderstorms all week long. I had to take a risk.

In the end, I got a cloudy day, but I was more disappointed by the activities themselves. Three hours on the bus to get there, three hours return, all of that to see a floating market for a few minutes, see how they make rice paper and eat a really small meal.

Today's visit was more interesting, in the Cu Chi tunnels, where Vietnamese were hidding from the Americans during the war. Claustrophobic people should refrain from going : the most adventurous people, which I was part of, accepted to "walk" in those narrow tunnels. In an intense heat, it was almost certain we would hit our head on the low ceiling. After a while in the dark, leaning in an uncomfortable position, one can't wait to get out of there...

They had demonstrations of very cruel traps Vietnamese made to slow the enemy down. Nothing tempting for Uncle Sam soldiers.

On that note, I'm heading to Phnom Penh in Cambodia on a bus trip that should last for six hours. Transportation in south-east Asia is a little bit slow.

I am planning on getting the Cambodian visa at the border. I'll tell you about it when I'll get in Cambodia's capital.

Hi, I'm a student

Sapa

Ok! We'll set things clear once and for all. When you come to me saying "Hi! I'm a student. Where are you from?", there is something telling me I can't trust you.

Since my friend Jeannot told me not to talk to strangers, and with what I experienced in China, I'm starting to believe you're trying to get some money from me.

Guess what. In Shanghai, Beijing, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), there are young couples talking to tourists saying they want to practice their english. I've already written about the tea ceremony scam in China. In Vietnam, the intentions are not that obvious.

In Hanoi, I agreed to let a young girl follow me so she could ask some questions to improve her english. But I was fast to set things clear : I didn't have a lot of time to spend with her. She gave up by herself.

Was she sincere? Don't know. But it was clear she wouldn't be able to get any money from me and there was no way she could steal anything from my bag or my pockets.

Had the same experience in Ho Chi Minh City. Left behind a couple who tried to talk to me. When two girls started following me, laughing, and one of them asked for me to answer a couple of questions for a school assignement, I agreed to participate. Again, I kept my belongings really close to me. Maybe they were sincere after all.

Radar

Everywhere in Asia, motorcycle drivers have the eye of an eagle. A tourist just needs to walk around the corner for someone to flag him on the other end of the street. If you are of those having trouble to say no, it's time to practice. Here, you need to say no all the time.

Some insist enough to grab us by the arm... "Where do you go?", they ask.

Saying "no" once and ignoring them is the best solution, I believe. But as soon as you got rid of the first one, another one comes to you. It barely never ends...

And at night, the same drivers offer you to get some massages... They insist for that too...

Adorable Vietnam

Sapa

Vietnam probably is the country I was the less prepared to fly to. Because I didn't know what I wanted to see. Maybe that is why I love the experience I'm living right now.

Vietnam is a little bit like China... but better. There are people who just want our money, trying to convince us to buy so many useless things or to hop on their motorcycle... but they don't insist as much as the Chinese. And they really need our money.

I fought against myself by preparing nothing, booking nothing. Sending planification to hell. Trying to feel zen and to go with the flow.

So I got in Halong Bay for three days, going from island to island on a boat. All of that after booking through a "fake" agency. Hard to tell the real ones from all the copies, even when you know there is a lot of fake ones. At least, I probably got what I paid for.

We got into a grotto before going for some kayak near a floating village and swimming in the salt water of the bay. After that, we slept on the boat. In the meals of seafood, we ate calamari, tofu with tomatoes and... jelly fish.

The next day was a nice bike stroll in the fields and along the water, and we could swim on Monkey Island, where you can see some monkeys, obviously. In the evening, we slept in a hotel where the staff was rude, in Cat Ba, a town that will probably become a very important destination for tourists. One can tell by all the construction in the city. It looks like they are trying to bring people with thick wallets.

Back to Hanoi, my two Australian friends and me got on a train for Sapa, to the north of the country. The train station was interesting since you actually need to cross the rails on foot to board the train.

In Sapa, we walked for 12 km in the rice terraces to spend the night in a typical village. The heat was almost unbearable. Really! In the muddy streets, the buffalos and the children with mud on their face are walking around. Next to the house where we were sleeping, there was a pig we have never seen, but we could hear it well. Gave him the name of Chewbacca.

We started to walk again the next day to cross a bamboo forest where there was so many butterflies. Buffalos again. And still a lot of children without parents around.

In the afternoon, we rented motorcycles to explore even more. About 15 minutes after we left, when I was starting to get used to driving on two wheels, we encountered police officers. Driving licence, they asked.

Oops! In all the luggage reorganization, with the use of two wallets (one with only a couple of notes and the other one hidden somewhere), I thought I got myself in a lot of trouble. No driving licence... It was probably in the hotel. Unless...

The precious document was in my backpack... which I had with me. At home, the licence is always in my wallet, with me. But when I travel, it's not that obvious.

Two of my companions had to go back to the hotel (without their licence) to get their card.

What an adventure!

I still have a couple of days in Vietnam. I'm flying on the 24th for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), from where I'll leave for Cambodia.

Vietnam visa

Hanoi

Since I got in Hanoi, Vietnam, I can confirm the electronic process to get the Vietnam visa works. But it is possible you encounter some problems on the way.

First, you need to register on www.myvietnamvisa.com. With a credit card or a PayPal account, you pay the fees. It is not the amount for the visa itself, but the service fees.

Two or three days later, by e-mail, you receive an acceptation letter and a list of the people who are part of your "group". Because the company makes requests for groups. So don't be surprised to see so many names on your acceptation letter.

You need to print the documents and two copies of a form you need to fill. You also need a passport picture.

That process is possible only if you get in the country in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City airport. Otherwise, you need to get help from a travel agency.

In Hanoi airport, the desk where you get the visa is clearly marked. You give all the papers, pay the 25 $US in cash. No ATM to be seen anywhere. So make sure you have the money. Afterwards, bingo, you get a visa for 30 days.

However, in Tokyo-Narita airport (where I was leaving from), the employee at the desk clearly had never heard about that procedure. Seeing no visa in my passport, she got worried. When I showed her the acceptation letter, she needed to talk to her boss. The boss looked as surprised as the employee.

She finally made photocopies and decided to let me go. I don't know why, I was getting worried too. Keep smiling! No panic. Deep breath.

Other anecdote : the flight to Hanoi had a stopover in China. Never as easy in China, since I needed to wear a sticker on my clothes to prove I needed to change plane. Instead of identifying the luggages so they get directly to our destination, like everywhere else in the world, we needed to fill a really small coupon with our name, final destination and a phone number to reach us.

Me : Euh... I don't have a phone.
A surprised woman : REALLY?
...
...
(Big silence)
A surprised woman : Put the number of your hotel then.

GET OVER IT! Some people still don't have a phone when they travel, even in 2012!

It is true the payphones are harder to find almost everywhere in the world and some hostels now reduce the time they have someone at the desk. They put a sign on the front door saying you can call 24 hours a day to get in. Like if you're stuck outside at night. That is them assuming everybody has a phone...

Tip

In Vietnam, like in China, Syria or United Arab Emirates, for example, Facebook is censored. It is necessary to install a proxy on your computer BEFORE you get in the country itself if you want to poke you friends while you're there. The most popular one seems to be Freegate. Other than a problem that lasted for a couple of days in China, the software worked well.

Half way through

Little bit painful... Already (!) half way through.

That way of life, I could probably have it going for a few years. If I had the money, of course. Three months, seems long in the daily life. And when I look behind, I see all I had the time to do. And that is what is scary. Seeing all one can do when he gives himself time to do so. All one can discover. When, with the same three months, at home, I would probably would have just worked, slept, and ate. 

Three months, it's enough to take a distance from our regular life, to take a distant look on what surrounds us. And by taking that distance, you see clearly the obstacles coming ahead. Suddenly, we know where they come from...

Scary also, because the trip is like going down a very long hill on a bike. You start slowly, you pedal faster and faster, keeping your hands close to the brakes, and you end up letting go of the handlebars, getting tipsy of all that wind hitting your face. You only have to make sure you won't fall. And start braking before you hit the wall.

Traveling for three months, it's changing air. Like opening the windows when spring comes. Renewing. Knowing what we're missing. Knowing what we're not missing. Understanding that the decisions we make daily, that won't make everyone happy at home, are bringing us where we want to go when people let us choose our own way. We have a good judgement, after all... Relying on ourseleves, and ourselves only, it's proving (and proving to ourselves) at what speed we can move forward. It's stopping to define ourselves by the image others show us of ourselves. Only because it's better for them.

On the road, with some exceptions, we choose to be only with people we appreciate. Who are not trying to get something from us, if only the good times we spend together. Because they are not forced to stay. Because they will spend time with you only because they feel like they are gonna have a good time.

Example? One could think that the fact I refuse to drink alcohol would be a problem in an environment where youth gathers around a drink. Hostel is a synonym of alcohol. Strangely (the opposite of what I know, at least), nobody tried to force me to drink. Nobody called me a weirdo. Everybody invited me out. I was even invited to a pub crawl, knowing I wouldn't drink, simply because some people wanted to spend some time with me. Coming from people who don't need to talk to me if they don't want to, it makes me think.

Three months to open my eyes. They will probably be widely open after six months.

I just need not to close them back again.

Itinerary

For those who are interested, here are the cities I visited in the last month :

China : Xi'an, Pingyao, Beijing (and the Great Wall)

Japon : Osaka, Mino, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Himeji, Kyoto, (Osaka), Nara, Nagano, Matsumoto, Yamanouchi, Tokyo, Mont Fuji

The unforseen

Mount Fuji

It's well known, when you travel, the unforseen events are plentiful. Bad news are they are usally a sign a problem is coming. One needs to reorganize everything, go back to the drawing table, change plans that were already in their 8.0 version.

Good news are some unforseen events are interesting enough...

I was very clear with myself. Wouldn't bouge. I wasn't going back on that. After establishing my itinerary in Japan, I decided to make it a short stay. Needed to cut somewhere. What needs to be done needs to be done. Taking my responsabilities, I cut my stay short of two or three days, pushing to later the moment where I would need to change the itinerary.

That explains the hard choice not to visit mount Fuji. That mountain might be one of the symbols of Japan, but it doesn't look easy to get there by train. With the bus, it looks easier. Would still have to find out if my JR pass covers the trip. One day, is it enough? Too complicated. Not enough time. No mount Fuji...

But...

When I got in Tokyo, I knew I would be spending two days with Hisai, a Japanese girl I met in New Zealand.  She wanted to show me Tokyo. I didn't know about her plans.

Day 1 :
- Have you seen mount Fuji?
- No. Too complicated...
- Do you want to see mount Fuji?
- Yes but it is complicated...
- I have my car. We can go tomorrow...
- Ok than!

So, by a sunny day, without clouds or almost, Mister have seen mount Fuji under all its angles. Karma was rewarding me for surviving a storm in Tangariro, New Zealand, by letting me see the Cherry Blossom Festival too, with thousands of colourful flowers. Take that, karma!

Those two days allowed me to check so many things on my japanese check-list : okonomiyaki, pachinko, mount Fuji, yakisoba, onsen, Shibuya, etc. Who do you think hate octopus and chicken hearts? Shark eggs? See urchins? And sushis for breakfast?

Here I am, a little sad to leave Japan, a country that is so welcoming. I tried to make the most of every minute, waking up at 6:45 on the last day to wash my clothes. Laundry couldn't wait anymore... Just before I left for the airport.

Met great people again. Hard goodbyes again. Still want to live on the road for a while.

Please wait

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In the next episode : leaving Japan for Vietnam...

That was a prerecorded message.

Nagano, nothing to do

Monkey Park, near Nagano

Well, it is said. There is nothing, or almost, to do in Nagano. The might have hosted the Olympics, but the downtown area has no exciting attractions.

I booked for two nights, had one more before I got in Tokyo. The road to mount Fuji seemed complicated. By pure laziness, I chose to stay one more night in Nagano.

First afternoon, I visited the only interesting temple in town, two minutes away from my hostel. For 500 JPY (!), it was possible to go down in the absolute darkness of the basement. Walking along the wall, one wishes to find a metal  key hanging on one wall. It is said that touching it garantees the salute of your soul. The salute of mine is assured since I got scamed in a temple in Pingyao, but I didn't want to risk anything. After all, the Lonely Planet says that 500 JPY for your salute of your soul is worth it.

I then used Nagano as a base to visit Matsumoto and the Monkey Park. Monkeys there are not afraid of humans. They are not tamed, but they are used to see us.

Karma is back. In Matsumoto, a nice old man offered to guide me around the castle for free. He had so many things to tell me. And I could see every room up close because of what he was saying.

What is nice, also, is my hostel. It is a true hostel, but in the house of a nice Japanese woman. She always offers food or suggestions on things to do. It's like sleeping at a local's house, without disturbing them.

Tip

Note that most japanese ATM won't take the north-american or european bank cards. How to survive? Some ATM in the post offices, convenient stores, especially 7-Elevens, work most of the times. With a little bit of luck, you'll find some in Lawson and Familymart. But it takes luck.

All the same

Kyoto

Does Japan make me zen? Looks like I took a break from writing in the last few days.

I would blame the Golden Week, which made me spend a lot of time in transportation.

Like I planned, since there is no available room in Kyoto or Nara (40 minutes away from Kyoto), I needed to go back to Osaka to sleep.

In the end, it was a good thing. Only 15 minutes away with the shinkansen (fast train). The hostel was average, but since there was almost nobody sleeping there, it was fine. The woman working there spent each and every day in a small room with her dog. We would never see her. And all the beds were in the only room on the second floor, with minimal lighting. Nothing fancy. But very good to meet people.

It was even easier to get in Kyoto in the morning, with the fast train, than trying to use the transportation in the city itself.

I spent one day in Nara, known for its huge wooden temple... and its deers. Like everywhere else, the sky was on the verge of tearing itself apart. But only a few drops fell. Japan is almost as bipolar as New Zealand...

That said, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka... one ends up visiting so many temples. And they are all looking similar. Unless you really know the story behind each one. The problem is, Kyoto is THE temple city.

How many, Mam? 1600 buddhist temples. And yes, Sir, you're right when you're adding 400 shinto sites. 17 are listed as Unesco world heritage. And I, who is there, I'm thinking that 10 or 12 temples are enough for me. Enough! Especially when you pay 500 JPY each time to visit.

In most cases, you can't even geet IN the temple. The Golden Pavillon, one of Kyoto's symbols, is supposed to house relics from Buddha. But you can only see it from a distance, stuck in between hundreds of Japanese who are trying to take some pictures. Eight minutes later, your 500 JPY are gone.

Sushis

Japan is the perfect place to eat sushis. Fresh ones. With a conveyor on which the sushis are going around. In the end, you pay for the number of plates you have taken. There is a line at the door to eat in those restaurants. It's not too expensive and it's worth it. Better than eating at home.

Seduction

My theory about white men in Asia is confirming itself. One doesn't need to be good looking to seduce a Japanese girl. That's what a woman confirmed : they all want an eurasian baby, half-white, half-asian. That woman was sorry she married a japanese guy because their children will be totally asian. But be careful. I was told the north-american techniques to seduce are perceived as agressive here.

Anecdotes

Funny anecdote. In the bathroom of my hostel in Osaka, there was a big "Toilet.cam" poster, a poster you can buy on Amazon for example. It shows a lot of things that can happen in a bathroom... Strangely, when I saw it, I had the reflex of looking around to make sure there was no camera in that bathroom...

Still in the anecdotes area, I tried to recharge my new razor, the one that saved my life in Hong Kong, but it looks like the adaptor I bought there isn't working here in Japan. For now, I have two electric razors I can't use. As soon as I get in Tokyo, I'll try to find a new cable which will work for both. Let's see if I can. Japan is the place where all technologies are after all.


Soon the be three months

Times goes by very fast. Soon, half of my trip will be behind me. Still so much to see. But already a lot has gone by. I'm heading to Nagano tomorrow morning (May 7th in Japan). Indeniable sign of time, I'm now ready to use my South-East Asia guidebook. The one as thick as a dictionnary that makes my bag heavy from the start.

Adventures in Himeji

Hiroshima

The sky got grey. And it seems like it chose to rain everywhere I'm going. But I'll have to live with it.

Should have trusted my instinct, when I got in Hiroshima under the sun, and should have gone directly to Miyajima, where is the famous Floating Tori. From there, I wanted to climb a mountain, the Misen, to appreciate the view.

But I decided to push it back to the next day. One afternoon would be too short... But the next day, it was raining. I waited under a small roof, in front of the Floating Tori (covered for renovations), but it wouldn't stop. So I traveled back to Hiroshima.

One day later, I left for Himeji. The only directions I had to get to my hostel : from the train station, walk for 20 minutes.

So I took a taxi, hoping not to get lost. It was 9 PM. But the driver didn't know where was my hostel.

He decided to stop randomly in the middle of an alley. Rang one house door bell. The people living there got out and gave him directions. But it didn't look like he understood. So one woman got in the car with us and helped us get to the destination.

There, it wasn't really a hostel, but more of a guesthouse. A real japanese house, a 100 years old, where you sleep on the floor in the most traditionnal way. It looks like they are Japenese welcoming people in their house.

You know you're not in a commercial hostel when the owner hugs you before you go, and when he waits on the sidewalk, waving at you while you walk away.

Other than that, Himeji has nothing very special. Especially (that is my luck) since its castle, the real attraction there, is closed for renovations until 2015. Scaffolds again. Not allowed to walk in.

After, I got in Kyoto, where it should rain for two days. And like everywhere else, I was told I should visit the aquarium. They are obsessed with aquariums in here. 

Getting in Japon

Like in New Zealand, you need to have bought a ticket to get out of Japan to be allowed in. Having had trouble at the beggining of this trip, I had everything with me. But nobody asked for it.

Vietnam visa

A visa is necessary to get in Vietnam and you need to obtain it before arriving in the airport. So I used the website myvietnamvisa.com. Very efficient, for a small fee, you get a letter which confirms the visa was granted. You then need to exchange that letter against the visa itself once you get in the airport. Crossing my fingers for everything to work well.