February 14, 2007 by zankbennett.

Left Bali after far too few days.  Had tons of great surfing and really enjoyed meeting the people there.   They are just simply the kindest, gentlest people I’ve encountered on this trip.
Managed to step on a sea urchin…something I’ve always wondered about…how would it feel?  The walk across the reef was so punishing….about 150 meters at medium to low tide, which took me about 20 minutes!

The reef-walk out to the break.  Amazing wave…but F A R out there.

Sunset north of the town.

How priceless is THIS!?

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February 7, 2007 by zankbennett.

Got in last night from Singapore (see Hong Kong) on an evening flight. Checked into a hotel. $4/night. Perfect. One fitted sheet and a pillow. That was the extent of the ‘linen’. Ha ha. No toilet paper, towels…not even a shower head, just a pipe coming out of the wall. Really, do I need a big fancy shower head….or anything but tap-temp water?
The dresser has doors that open. Inside is lots of writing. I wouldn’t call most of it graffiti; it’s more informative.
My favorites are the message about bed bugs. For those outside the ‘know’ with bed bugs, they’re real! I’ve heard wacky stories about itching for days after a good night of being bitten. It’s in all the travel books. Anyway, so the writings in the dresser report the presence of bedbugs (or not) and the year/month. Luckily, the bug problem was apparently mostly in 2005. Ha ha!
Got up this morning and ate the breakfast that comes with the room, a banana sandwich. Mmm. Warm, from a bread machine.
After pouring rain all night, the morning was sunny and HOT. Humidity has to be near 90%. It’s incredible.
Rented a scooter and drove all the long way to the famed surf break, Padang Padang. Almost flat, but the view was beautiful.
Drove back to town and rented a surfboard and hit the onshore beach break. Sloppy and chest-high. There was more trash in the water than anywhere I’ve ever seen. Dead fish even! The water is warm! 26 degrees…hardly refreshing! Had enough, so went over to the other side and on to an island where the wind would be offshore and the surf was said to be bigger. Yes!
I scored a serious left-hander about head high +. Surfed until dark. The sunset was amazing. The whole scene was breathtaking. About 15 miles away there’s a massive mountain peak from another island. The clouds had formed low around the island so it was impossible to see the base, but the peak just stood out above them. It was insanity! One of the most beautiful places to be in the water. Will be there tomorrow for dawn patrol and will take some pics…
Woo!
$1 lunch. $2 dinner (with a sweet live acoustic trio). $1 rash guard. $4 surfboard. $4 scooter. $5 hotel

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February 4, 2007 by zankbennett.

Bought a ticket to Singapore. Took the 45-min shuttle to airport. Had the time wrong. Missed it by one minute! After nearly having a fit, decided to walk to the airport hotel, about 1 km down a dismal road. They wanted $25 for a disgusting room….back to the old quarter of downtown and to the hostel. By now it was late and I had to call the owner for a room. He was appropriately laughing at my misfortune. Got on the internet and booked another flight….just as the clock passed midnight. That would have been fine, only I didn’t realize it was already the next day….so I booked another plane ticket for the next day. So I go to sleep and the next day make sure to get to the airport nice and early. Only prob was, there was NO flight. Hmmm. Turns out, when the clock passed midnight, I’d bought a ticket for the “next day”. Well, so I get back on the shuttle bus for round two of embarrasment by showing up at the hostel.
Both times, met a bunch of cool people on the shuttle and generally enjoyed myself.
Finally, I’m now at the airport, three hours early. It appears that on my third trip I may just make the flight. Singapore.

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February 4, 2007 by zankbennett.

Here are a few random pics to convey the feel of the trip.  It was entirely priceless.  Hopefully these capture a bit of the rush!

On the climb up one fo the first mountain passes.  The stoke was just tremendous!

Along the road. It always felt great to get the helmet off for a few minutes and survey the scenery.

One of those magical pictures.  This little girl had the best look on her face, years beyond her age, and the BG colors were perfect.  The well-known Sunday Market in Bac Ha, Vietnam.

The school children in Sin Ho.  I stopped to look at the map and they just swamped me!  The kid with the black shirt in the middle was hilarious.  I was chasing him up and down the road…he pointed out that I’d stepped in a monsterous pile of water buffalo poop when getting off my bike.  I was chasing him pretending like I was going to wipe it on his trousers.  We had a blast!!! :D  I don’t expect any of the kids had spoken with white people before.

Brandon and I.  Paunch and John.  ;)  Thanks, bud.  Here’s wishing you all the best the world has to offer!

A picture of the limestone walls along the best day of the trip…Brandon had left for Hanoi and I pressed on to make Meo Vac from Ha Giang.  About 18km from Meo Vac, this was the scenery.  Note teh road along the bottom of the picture.  It went like this for another 15km.  The view in the other direction was twice as breathtaking and the reason for the entire trip!  For real.

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February 3, 2007 by zankbennett.

Day 1: Hanoi to Mai Chau, 136 km.
Leaving Hanoi was insane.  I guess I can say I did it.  Slow is the word.  People drive in all directions on any part of the road they please.  Keep your eyes open and avoid people, that’s really the game.  Horns are used extensively to warn/signal others that something unusual is about to happen….so the beeping is incessant!  …but it really works.

I putted out of the city and after about an hour (still on outskirts of Hanoi) stopped for lunch.  The young teenage girl working there was learning English and was very helpful.  On the road…no white people.  In fact I haven’t seen a white person since I was 10 minutes from my hostel.  Wow!

Made it a little further and stopped by a store that sold helmets.  I have them my open-face model for a beautiful closed-face one.  Infinitely better with noise and cold.  It’s REALLY chilly on the bike!  Have a monstrous down coat on.  Not enough.  Tomorrow fleece goes below.

It was starting to get dark as I ascended the huge mountain pass that acts as the gateway to Mai Chau.  The road up was steep and, in the dark, quite confusing.  Visibility gradually decreased until, near the top, it had dropped to no more than 100 feet in thick, thick fog.  At three or four places, the mountain to my left had slid onto the road, leaving just enough space for a single car.  The rubble had been beaten down by the traffic, but it was still quite rough.  Simple on the bike, but in the post-dusk light, difficult to identify early.  To my right, from what I could see, the cliff dropped into an infinite valley of pea soup.  It was haunting.  The sky was blue and black and gray and dead still.

Just over the pass and I could see Mai Chau in the distance; I had passed the fog, but was still high on the hill.  As I descended a kid on a scooter pulled up next to me on this winding, 8% downward grade, and handed me a business card.  The two of us rode strangely side by side into Mai Chau and through to the village of Lac, home of the White Thai people.  I was greeted by a wonderful woman who opened me a beer, cooked me dinner and showed me my $8 room!  Perfect, if strange! :). There’s a really weird poster of a Vietnamese couple on my wall.  ???
Went out to the town market after dark, for about an hour.  There were thousands of people there and we were the only two white people.  Really cool.  Live music on a huge stage (even if it was glorified karaoke!!) and food vendors and clothing…I bought a cheap watch to destroy on the journey.

This is by far one of the most amazing days on the trip…all five months.  I only hope I stay safe and continue to see such amazing sights and have all these feelings.

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Day 2: Mai Chau to Son La, 165 km.

Woke at 8 am.  Since I arrived in the dark, I hadn’t yet seen the surroundings.  There were stilted houses among the rice fields against the backdrop of cloud-tipped mountains.  In all directions! It was 9:30 before we took the road back north, backtracking only slightly before making it back onto route 6, the famous.  Immediately we were engulfed by thick fog.  We climbed and climbed.  We must have crossed two mountain passes, but it was impossible to are greater than 100 feet for the better part of 1 1/2 hours.  I was getting soaked, so I pulled under the lean of a house and was about to out my one-piece rain suit on when an old Viet woman came running out.   She was beckoning us to come in out of the cold.  Wow!  Great.  The house was small.  We sat on small plastic chairs on the clean but well-aged cement floor.  There was a fire pit in the center of the room.  There was no chimney.  But this was no problem as none of the wall boards were anything close to air-tight…by a matter of inches!  From what I noticed, there was no running water.  The kitchen consisted of a few assorted pots hung neatly in the corner of the room, next to a back door where the rooster, I’m guessing, lived.  I could hear him.  It was dark.  If there was electricity it wasn’t being used.  We were sitting, myself, Brandon, the home owner and her woman friend.  I changed and we fried our shoes by the fire, per the lady’s suggestion.  Later her kids (three) came in to see what was going on.  The lady poured got tea and I shared some sweet, nutty biscuits I’d bought the night before at the night market in Mai Chau.  The lady was so friendly and happy to have guests. I hope the way I describe her home doesn’t take anything away from the hominess.  It was modest.  In fact the poorest I’ve ever seen, but she was happy and close to her children.  It was so nice of her to open her doors to a couple wet travelers.  How many people in America would open the front door to a couple muddy, no, REALLY muddy, cold and wet travelers for some tea around the living room fire?  Ha ha, without even a chimney!  ;). We were grateful and said our goodbyes and it was back to the pass.  The weather had not let up.
When we left our bikes under the lady’s awning, we thought we were out of the rain.  Fact was, we were IN a giant rain cloud.  There was no escaping it.  It rained everywhere, even under shelter.  It was amazing!  Water everywhere.  We pushed on.  As fast as we could safely go, we pushed through the terrible visibility, blinking like mad to clear the eyes.  Eventually the cloud was behind us.
Reached the town of Moc Chau for lunch around noon.  Food was delicious; it’s getting better with each meal now!  The architecture is curious.  I’ll post pics.  The colors are just crazy.  Really.  They’ll use chalky blue, just a shade from fluorescent.  I can’t describe it better.  There were massive purples, sultry reds, tacky aquas…you name it, but gaudy is the rule!  The White Thai people are the predominant race living in these regions.  They make clothes and scarves and work mostly with very bright colors.  It’s quite special to be among these people.  It always brings a smile to see a woman with a giant, brightly colored hat or headdress walking down the street as I zoom by with a wave.

Today ended in Son La, just before dark.  Wow, it was a HUGE day of riding, with a few stops along the way.

Must have passed hundreds of animals: water buffalos, oxen (yes??), dogs (!!! So many) chickens with chicks, cats, and many others that I couldn’t identify.
The animals sometimes eat trash, even if it’s in the street.  No one looks twice when a giant water buffalo takes up 3/4 of one of the driving lane…for a half hour.
Walked and rode on a suspension bridge made of wooden planks.  Later did the same on a suspension bridge made entirely out of bamboo and thick wire!  It’s surreal!  Yes!
Met numerous people today.  We’d just stop near town or small village and people of all ages would run out to look at us, get in a picture or two or just to be a part of what was going on.  It’s shocking, but that’s really the truth.  The Vietnamese people are so friendly and kind.  The smiles we get riding by are priceless; I can picture at least 20 of them just from today.

Again, one of the best days of my life.
I hope I am safe again tomorrow.
Best,
Zank

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February 3, 2007 by zankbennett.

Day 3: Son La to Lai Chau (Tam Duong), 160 km.

Can hardly feel my neck…the weight of the helmet is wearing on me.  The chafing of the helmet padding on my cheeks, forehead and even nose is getting ridiculous. Loving it!

Today began with a 30 km ride before discovering a massive cave along the left side of the road.  We had to get up to it.  Found the access road and I rode in, solo.  It was so dark and spooky that I turned before 150 m.  The roof was 50 feet tall in places, and the tunnel was 20-30 feet wide throughout.  It appeared to be a natural cave, quite serpentine in shape that was finished by hand.  Eventually Brandon, who’d had a but of trouble climbing the steep path to the opening, made it and that was all the courage I needed to push through.  The whole tunnel was about 300 m long.  At the far end, the trail dropped steeply into a field with long bamboo and people were resting and preparing their massive flame torches for the passage to the other side, from where we’d come.  I lifted one of the loads carried by the tribe’s ladies.  I could hardly lift it to my shoulder.  I’d say it was a solid 60 lbs.  This woman in her 50’s was about to carry this pack of wood on her shoulder through the cave then down a very steep trail to town.  I watched in complete amazement as she began her descent at the other side.  One slip and she’d have fallen and tumbled for 50 meters down a steep dusty trail.  How these old ladies could carry these loads remains a mystery to me.  I will be forever humbled with this memory.
From the cave it was a normal road to the next town along the way for has and some lunch.
After lunch it was a beautiful ascent into the first of many passes.  On the way down, I got a flat tire: the rear!  So, I quickly befriended a local man who happened to have tire irons and an adjustable wrench and even a crate with which to prop up the bike.  I went to work removing the rear wheel (requiring the removal of the internal hub, drum brake, chain and spacers) and subsequently changing the tube to the good one I kept in my pack.  There was a crowd of people by the time we were done.  I have my camera to on of the teenagers standing around.  He enthusiastically took the camera and was walking around with it, taking pictures…or so I thought.  Turns out, he was just happy as could be to look at everyone in the LCD!  Ha ha!  When I realized TGI, I showed him how to click a few pictures…it was great, and he was so excited.  After about 30 minutes, I gave the house owner 50,000 dong and hit the road once again.

We stopped now and again to snap a photo of the scenery.  People went bananas!  The tribes her are so friendly.  They love to wave as I ride by.  And the smiles are enough to bring tears.  These people work so hard on some vicious terrain, but when I come zooming by and wave, it’s like none of that matters to them.  The smiles are priceless.  These people in NW Vietnam are gorgeous and so welcoming.  Anytime we stop we’re surrounded by people with questions and smiles.  Sometimes it’s enough just to touch a white person and run away…telling of the accomplishment.  This invariably brought more people out, when it was established that we didn’t bite!

-waves, smile and good energy?  About 500!  Each one was so special to see.
-animals: at least 20 different types.  Lots of pigs today…and water buffalo…always!  They’re in the road all the time.  It’s going to be weird to drive down the street without animals in it.
-rice terraces: saw so many today, both from level view and from high stop a mountain pass.  Some green, some brown, waiting for next season.
-saw a small forest fire, about two miles away on a nearby mountain.  Diameter appeared to be about 100 meters.
-about four water crossings.  Nothing deeper than one foot.
-one, beautiful waterfall.
-saw some Black Thai people.

Again, one amazing day.  Dropping into Mai Chau from a huge mountain pass was a shot of adrenaline, especially as the sun set and backlit the mountains.  Lots of pictures!  My photo antics pushed the drive into the dark hours by a touch.
Found a great hotel.  Staying in a stilted house.  If I look, I can are through the boards to the next room.  Cool!  Who cares, right!?

One of the best days of my life.  Unforgettable -if blurry!!!

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Day 4: Lai Chau (Tam Duong) to Lai Chau (Tam Duong)???, 120 km.

For some reason, the town I started in changed its name with the town I ended in.  It did so after my maps were printed.  Just imagine the sign-language argument I got into with the girl at the hotel.  She nearly had me believing that I’d just driven an eight-hour loop!  More at the end…

Woke up at 6:30 am and took the bread and jam to go.  Picked up a new tube for the rear tire, I’d need it later in the day, and filled up on gas before taking to the road for the climb…and climb…to Sin Ho, the fabled mountain town and surreal destination.
The sky was gray, but with spots of brightness and the air was clear and not foggy.  We had high hopes for the day as yesterday have us some welcomed patches of sun.  For the first 50 km we rods along the beautiful Nam Na river.  Next,  we climbed to a fork in the road and after chasing down Brandon who’d taken the wrong fork, got ourselves on the right road.  About 1 km up the road there was a 50 m stretch of construction.  We had to nearly walk our bikes around the machinery and people working.  This would repeat itself at least 10 times for major road blocks and another 50 for minor road work.  At one point we required the guy in the massive tractor to flatten a path for us, as the bank made by the road crew blocked our way!  That’s the Vietnamese equivalent of rolling out the red carpet and we couldn’t have been more appreciative to the 14-year old running the thing
For the most part there was little in the way of “large machinery”.  To lay the foundation for the pavement to be applied later, women and men sat alongside the road and broke the granite stones by hand in order to place them flatly.  It must take them a week to lay 20 meters of flat stone.
As we motored or struggled by, all we got were smiles and waves and the occasional cheer.  We weren’t ruining their work, we were a welcomed diversion.  This was hard for me to believe, but no one showed anything but kindness to us as we blasted through work zone after work zone.  Watching women in their tribal garb bashing stones and wrestling meter-long rocks was enough to leave me speechless.
The climb led to a cloud-covered mountain peak, and just before Sin Ho, the view down was breathtaking.  It was the highest peak yet and I’d say at least 2000 m.  Picture Colorado with intense jungle, banana plants and tribal Vietnamese, Thai and H’mong people everywhere!  The drop-offs along the downhill side of the road provided views of nightmarish intensity.  One slip in that direction and the fall could be as much as 1000 feet.  Not quite straight down, but the angle was so steep, thinking of stopping would be preposterous.  I tried not to look except when I stopped.
Just before town, we saw a house being built and a good 25 villagers working on it.  The night before, I’d mentioned to Brandon over dinner that it might be interesting to stop and try to help them built one of their typical homes.  He pulled over first and proclaimed it our mission. Before he could even remove his helmet he had grabbed a saw and was making a plank from a tree.  The pictures are hilarious.  In the end we were more of a distraction than anything else, but I think there was mutual appreciation for all involved.  We took lots of pictures and the young and old alike marveled at the images on the screen.  It was an unforgettable moment and pulled-off entirely by Brandon’s ability to make things happen.  This guy makes friends faster than a Minsk climbs mountains!

Sin Ho was enveloped in a dense fog.  Approaching, the visibility was as low as 50 feet for quite some time.
I’d read that the tribes in Sin Ho were less than friendly to outsiders.  Really?
As we neared town, we could see more and more people. I stopped along the road to remove my video camera to film the drive through. I’d just passed some children and thought I have myself enough space…but 50 m wasn’t enough!  There they came…running and screaming!  The commotion was too much for the school children at the nearby school.  Within moments I was swamped!  With my video camera out, I spun the screen around and let the children are what they look like on TV.  They laughed and screamed and pointed and jumped up and down.  This lasted for about 20 minutes.  We literally emptied an entire school!  Ha ha!  What beautiful children.  The pictures say a lot.  These children are so special, and so happy.  A few knew ‘hello’ and when it was repeated to them was enough to cause them happy-spasms in all.  What a mind-blowing experience.
We had a great lunch in Sin Ho and found everyone to be beyond friendly.  Great!
We descended from the summit town and eventually found clear skies.  The decent was amazing; where the climb have views of pines and a more alpine setting, the back side of the mountain was Vietnamese jungle at its best.  The mostly-dirt road was slick and required care to maneuver.  At the bottom were more villages, but they were sparse.  I got a flat rear tire.  Again!
I stopped outside a house along the road, realizing my rear tire was low, and made a hissing sound while frantically pointing at my rear tire.  That’s international dummy sign-language for “do you have a tire pump?” The girl comes out of her house with one, but it has no nozzle at the end.  Huh?  She comes over and shows me the trick.  She finds a tiny rock on the ground and puts it inside the tire valve stem.  Then she places a cloth over the stem.  Then she forces the pump tube over the rag.  The rationale is simple, but I wouldn’t have thought of it quickly;  the tube forces the rag down when it’s forced over the valve stem.  This forces the rock Dorn into the valve, allowing air to flow from the pump, through the rag, and into the tire.  Genius!

I was taking it easy (ish) on my tire when it blew out going around a corner!  I almost lost it, but made it to the side of the road.  No houses in sight this time!  I ended up running with the bike pulling itself for about three miles before my hissing noise and crazy pointing landed me at the home of a cave-guide.  He helped me change the tube and I was of after a quick tea.
Whew.
Well, the push to Sa Pa would have to wait until tomorrow.
I made it to Mai Chau (the same town I left from!!!!??) and stopped to buy a tube.  The guy selling the tube convinced me that the town we were heading for for the night was the one I was standing in!  Problem.  Brandon already rode ahead.  But where?  There’s nowhere to spend the night between here and Sa Pa.  I rode after him but the road forked and I never saw him again.  It’s 4 hours later and no word from him.  He’s ok, I’m sure…but where?
So I go to the recommended hotel and check in.  I tell them that they’re in a city different than what they think!  Then I show them on the map.  They point to where I was this morning and say “there, there”.  Well, if I’m THERE, then I made a full loop!  No way, it’s just not possible.  After a really nice girl and I jumped up and down for about 20 minutes I realized that the names of the two towns were swapped!!  What are the chances?  She was nice about it and we both got a good laugh.
More tomorrow….but where’s Brandon???

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February 3, 2007 by zankbennett.

Day 5: Lai Chau to Sa Pa, 65 km.

Woke up in whatever town I stayed in last night!  I headed solo to Sa Pa.  Along the way, I passed the town that Brandon must have stayed in.  I stopped and asked if they’d seen an American on a motorbike…all sign language.  Sure enough, the girl showed me his reg card.  He was only a half hour ahead.
About 20 minutes later, out of the corner of my eye, I saw his jacket.  So I U-turned.  He was at a school and had all the kids out in front, teaching them the ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes song.  Awesome!  After a quick detour to fix his clutch and for me to out my ridiculously small rain suit on, we were off to cross the massive and mysterious pass to Sa Pa.
I stopped about half way up to take some pictures and make a quick video.  My bike never started again, and Brandon had already left for the summit.  I got picked up by a massive truck.  We lifted the heavy bike with my bag on the back, up and into the truck.  He took me to the beginning of Sa Pa town through some of the worst mid I’ve seen on this trip.  I can’t believe I didn’t get to ride it!
The guy strapped my bike into the truck in a miserable fashion.  Half of the plastic housing that holds my headlight in place was trashed.  My left blinker, trashed.  The kick stand, bent to heck.  My fault for not tying the bike myself.
The worst part, though, is that I had a flat tire as soon as I got going on the bike to look for a hotel.  That’s three in as many days.  This is a big problem.  It’s not easy to change the rear tube, especially in the cold.  So I called the guy in Hanoi who rented me the bike and had him talk to a local repair guy.  Hopefully it will be an issue of the past…
Funniest part…when the repairman pulled the tune out of my tire, it was severed through, radially.  In other words, it was like a donut cut by a knife.  I’ve never even heard of a tube failing in that way.  Unbelievable.
Worse still…I went to take a picture of it and my camera wouldn’t open…the most expensive part of the terrible decision I made to hoist my bike about 4 1/2 feet into the bed of that truck.

Still, the scenery before the breakdown was some of the most beautiful I could imagine!  Today was priceless.
Staying in Sa Pa in a hotel with beautiful mountain views…of course, we can’t see anything as the fog is intense…but I can feel it’s there!

Sa Pa is a huge tourist town.  Unfortunately, the H’mong people have come to this region to beg for money and to sell their goods or hash or pot.  I really wish I hadn’t seen the ugly side.  I was amazed at how well the tribes had been preserved and how well the people were adept at getting by with what little they had.  I never heard one word from someone in a hill tribe.  Now they’re using the same few English phrases that people learn to get money from tourists.  It was the same lingo in Egypt.  Sad.

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Day 6: Sa Pa to Bac Ha, 75 km.

Another short travel day.  The hotel in Sa Pa, along with the whole town, lost electricity in the morning so my laundry was stuck in limbo.  At 11:30 it was finally done and near noon we struck out for our next stop, Bac Ha.  About 15 km down the mountain I had another blow-out.  I was dangerously close to going off the cliff this time.  That’s it.  No more of this tire business!
In Lao Cai (a big border city with China) I called Hung in Hanoi and arranged to have him pay for the new rear tire I surely needed.  So, after having to ride a good 20 km on a flat rear tire a remedy was in motion.  We stopped briefly on a bridge so I could answer the phone and right there, at my feet was a whole heroin kit complete with 4 or 5 needles.  Wow!  It was a prime location for another Zank Homeless shot.  It’s quite sad, however; Vietnam is well known for having a skyrocketing AIDS rate.  From the posters I’ve seen along the way, dirty needles play a big part in this.
We ate lunch while my bike was fixed and it was off to Bac Ha.  The road was beautiful for the second half, during the beautiful climb up to the city.  It turns out that there is a magnificent market here tomorrow, so we’ll get another late start and have a 3/4 day of riding.  Heading north and east.  The best is yet to come.  It’s hard to believe.  The sights so far have been so amazing.
No sooner had we left the Sa Pa town center, people began to wave and smile at us in the manner we were used to.  It felt really good to get out of the tourist center.  Back at it….
Tomorrow will be the first in five with no flat tire!

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February 3, 2007 by zankbennett.

Day 8: Ha Giang to Meo Vac , 160 km.

Where to start…
No flat tire!!!!!!
Woke up at 5:45 am.  Intent was to hit Meo Vac and return in one day WITH the requisite permit from the police station…read: SCAM!  Got to police station at 6:50 after finding out that it opens at 7 am  turns out that only a guide can buy a permit.  Huh?  Ok, how much is a guide?  So a sleazy guy rides up on a scooter with pictures of naked girls on his has tank.  Perfect!  He wants $35/day with a two-day min.  Yeah, sure!  That’s about what an average Vietnamese person makes in three weeks.  No way.  So I go with Brandon back to the hotel bec we realized that it was only a dream that we could make it to Meo Vac and back in one day.  After packing up and assessing the hassle-factor, Brandon decided to abort and head back to Hanoi.  I could hardly blame him.
At the hotel I met up with a couple Canadian girls I’d met the night before at dinner and spoke with their guide.  He was friends with the guide who’d initially approached me, but knew no one else.  He did tell me that, as long as I didn’t stop and LOOK for the police I wouldn’t have any trouble.  Cool.
So I go to the permit place and beg for help…no luck.  I go to the only semi-major hotel in town and, after about 10 minutes of sign language, manage to convey to the girls that I need a guide.  They call the first guy.  Ha ha.  He must be the only guy in town.  So, we began the negotiation process.  Ok, it’s looking ok.
He tells me it’s $20 for the permit and he needs $30/day.  Ok.  We go to the permit place.  He asks for $20 and wants to go in alone. Ha ha.  Sure.  I’m stupid!  I just started traveling yesterday…the day after I won the lottery!
So I go in and find a very nice girl who spoke good English.  She tells me the guide must pay $10.  So I tell this to the guide.  He goes into a new mode.  Now he’s upset (bec I caught him lying) and trying to turn it to my problem.  Well, he knows he’s the only guide in town.  Finally we renegotiate and get on to the shop where his bike is being fixed.  It’s there that he tells me that he has to wait a while before his bike is fixed.  I look, and it’s in pieces on the shop floor. Sure.   Have all day.  He also tells me that he has to carry a policeman nearly the whole way.  What?!  I tell him that I’m going for gas and pay him half.  Give me the permit and I’ll pay the second half if he shows in Meo Vac.  But I tell him not to even bother; just take my $ and stay home.  I don’t want a guide anyway.  I’ve been having a great time asking directions from random people along the road
I leave him with the cop at the mechanic.  I wouldn’t see him until much after dinner and dark.  Unfortunately.
The first part of the drive was a drop.  Then the road climbed a bit. Eventually, the road climbed and climbed.  The last 22 km of the trip were sureal.  This is as good as any scenery I have seen in my life. Certainly I was beside myself.  I filmed a lot of the decent into Meo Vac.  The canyon I drove into was towering tall.  Rocks had slid down from high above, leaving massive craters in the road.  Many rocks had just fallen and were still in the middle of the road.  The sight of these rocks was terrifying. At any moment another cluster of rocks could drop.  I couldn’t believe that kids were able to travel here on their own.
As scenery goes, this ride was the highlight of the trip around the world.  Period.
After this slow 22 km, I decided to get back to Hanoi as soon as possible.  Maybe two days.
In Meo Vac, I went out searching for dinner.  I am definitely the only white person in town.  In fact, the hotel I’m staying in isn’t even labeled as a hotel!  I had to ask a local to point one out to me.  I was standing right in front of it.  On the way from the hotel to dinner I walked past a group of boys kicking a “kick-chicken”.  That’s what I call this thing that consists of a weight with feathers coming out of one end.  They kick it in a circle.  I’d never tried it, but when I walked by it came my way.  I kicked at it and actually made good contact.  An hour later I was still there playing!  Then dinner.  Forgot walet at hotel.  With sing language, I explained this had headed back to get my wallet.
After paying, I walked back to hotel.  There was “my guide”.  He’d just gotten in and it was well after dark…and he wanted the rest of his $.  I gave it to him. He left and took the permit to the police to prove he’d been there. He insisted that I won’t be able to leave town without him.  Sure.  Hopefully I won’t see him again.  ;)
I went searching for the karaoke bar I’d seen on the way into town…and on the way, I got called into a scotter repair station. Some of the kids I was playing kick-chicken with we’re having dinner. I came into the shop and took off my shoes.  They were eating and drinking moonshine out of a beer bottle poured into shot glasses.  I sat with them and told sign language stories for a couple hours.  It was a great time.  We drank this rice-vodka and laughed and carried on.  They were so cool.  Just normal kids.
I motivated everyone to get to the karaoke bar.  Classic!  They did some Vietnamese songs and I did some Toad and some Barry Manilo and G. Michael!  Ha ha. It was a great night.  I was showing them a few breakdancing moves.  A couple of the kids were really good at it.
Came back to hotel about 10:30.

One of the best days ever.  Didn’t speak much English at all after about 9:30 am.  These people are so amazing, even with the language barrier.  Overall, I am impressed by the Vietnamese people I’ve met.  The kids tonight had a world-map and were pointing and making bombing sounds.  That was a little awkward, but they played it down.  I don’t feel like anyone holds a grudge about the war here, even with the presence of the older generation.
Today was again, on of the best days of travel and of my life!
I whole heartedly recommend this motorbike trip!!!
Next few days guide me toward Hanoi.
Safely!!!!
Best,
-Zank

Day 9…my birthday: Meo Vac  to Hanoi, 375km!!!

Left the camera off for most of the day.  This one was to sit as a memory.
It was MASSIVE.  375 km worth and 12 hours!!!  The roads were insane.  I got well off the beaten path.  Must have crossed no fewer than eight bamboo bridges, paying about 12 1/2 cents apiece.  Rode like I was on fire.  Really put the Yamaha through its paces…jumping over big ruts and riding through rocky streams.  At one point, found a huge dead-end in the form of a mountain-wall cul-de-sac.  A local village man hopped on the back of the bike and helped me back out for about 30 km (that’s about an hour!)  I was dead lost.  It was magnificant.  Unequivocally the best day of riding for me.  Up on tall ridges with monsterous ruts, powering through the hills along paths where hill tribes were assembling for the day’s market.  The men shouted encouragement and the kids just pointed.  The vistas vanished at my sides as I kept an eagle-eye on the road ahead and broke the 40 km/hr average barrier, then 50!
Luckily, as the road turned to pavement, I got behind an ambulance and guided me at nearly a 65 km/hr average straight into Hanoi!!!  It was dark and I was tired and we were hauling as$! Hair on FIRE!!!
The best road trip.  Ever.

Thank you everyone in Vietnam and especially the beautiful people in the mountains of the Northwest.  You are inspirational.

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January 20, 2007 by zankbennett.

About there months ago, I read the Author’s Profile in the beginning of the Lonely Planet book. One of the authors wrote about his “favorite trip” up to the far northwest of Vietnam. He took a motorbike on a massive trip over 1000 km through the high mountains, meeting tribes of villagers and having the greatest adventure of his life. At that moment I made up my mind to do a similar trip.
I managed to find the right bike to set out on. It’s a Yamaha, 2-stroke, 175 cc motorbike. Now I need to find a warm jacket. It’s COLD here and colder in the mountains. Gloves, hat, rain cover the whole rig.
With much trepidation I have planned this trip as a solo venture. Of course, once here I’m hearing stories about people who do this thing solo all the time. I’m amped and ready for the challenges that the road and trail bring. Finding these tribes could prove to be quite a challenge, but one I’m really up for. Lots of hiking and getting lost on trails and the road are surely in my near future. This is it, the apex of my adventures on this trip!

Leaving tomorrow, if all goes well today procuring various things I need. I’ll be riding with a spare tire and some tools for working on the bike, should it break down. I’ll have a single change of clothes and, of course, the camera gear.

Massive vistas from towering mountain passes. Mud slides. Mechanical failures. Days and days alone. It’s all coming.

Right now, all limbs and faculties are working. I just hope that when I come back to Hanoi I can say the same. I’ll be as safe as I can be! This is IT!!!

I’ll post if it’s available to me, but likely I’ll just post a massive one on return.
Best,
-Z

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January 19, 2007 by zankbennett.

From my sweet hotel in Hue, took a 12 1/2-hour bus tour of the demilitarized zone, DMZ in central Vietnam. It was a really heavy day. The tour guide grew up in the first town south of the DMZ and remembered playing ball and spending time with the US soldiers when he was around 10 years old. He told stories about the poverty he experienced with his family when Vietnam was under full communism (now, a free market exists in communist Vietnam.) for a year he had one change of clothing. His family would receive a “coupon” for food: 2 kilos of meat and 7 of rice per month. Things are much improved for him now, but, of course, none of it is due to the war. He guides tours around and through the DMZ and occasionally takes small groups anywhere they desire. Tourism has only been open to Vietnam since around 1990, so things are still rather in the state they were left in 40 years ago. There are crashed planes to see. There are bunkers to go into. There are VC tunnels to explore, complete with maternity rooms and classrooms. Our guide described to the group a recent trip he took to one of the most famous mountain tops north of the DMZ. He went with two returning American veterans who told him stories of the four months they lived in a hole atop that mountain and under intense enemy fire. They requested to spend one last night on that hill together. The guide obliged.
Since 1990 many US veterans have returned.
He told of the 5,000 deaths that have occurrd since the war to Vietnamese due to old, buried munitions or mines. The death rate is slowing, but even last year a small boy stepped on a mine and lost his legs near the DMZ.
I met an older man at lunch who is a veteran and is the CEO of an organization trying to find a way to more efficiently scan for the underground death traps.

There was a lot to see and hear during this tour. It avoided the gory (there’s plenty of it here and doesn’t require searching!).

I found it intreasting that I came for the tunnels at Vinh Moc, but they were hardly the most impressive part of the day. Maybe the crater from a bomb dropped by the US just outside the tunnel entrance was more impressive. Maybe the fighter plane captured by the N Vietnamese and after only six days of trial-and-error training used against the south, including the US troops. Maybe it was the look on our guides face when he smiled after telling us about life during and amidst the war.

On to Hanoi.

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January 19, 2007 by zankbennett.

Flight from HCMC to Hua. People were amazed to be above the city lights and so crowded to the windows for a glimpse. It was a little prop. plane. No thanks, but I suppose I couldn’t really choose!
It’s cold here. Drizzling as I wait for my bag to come out.
Tomorrow I’m off, by bus, to Vinh Moc. It’s where the most impressive Vietnamese tunnels from the war were dug. They exist just north of the ironically named DMZ and have remained reportedly untouched since the war. The tunnels in the south were mostly destroyed and had to be rebuilt and so their authenticity is somewhat limited. What I read anyway…

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January 19, 2007 by zankbennett.

Another crazy, huge city. Mopeds are the rule here. Crossing the street is an experience. The drivers here go slowly. Everywhere. A left turn at an intersection consists of getting into the left lane (yes, directly into oncommung traffic) and turning left while still on the left (wrong) side of the road. Now, the driver is like a salmon swimming upstream, but slowly making his/her way to the right. Believe it or not, that’s just how it’s done. Walking across the street requires a quick shot of adrenaline, enough to push you out into the mayhem. From there, go forward. Don’t stop or change direction and for the sake of safety, don’t dare run! The sea of mopeds and cars part and leave you untouched and with a definite feeling of accomplishment. I googled this q while ago, before I left. It’s just commonly accepted that crossing is like this. Love it.

Where the Cambodians were sagacious, the Vietnamese are both quick to get it and equally hilarious! Everyone’s up for a joke; when I’d nearly cartwheel on one of the ridiculous HCMC curbs there was always someone to point and give an understanding laugh. It was really refreshing. I spent two days meeting lots of Vietnamese and really enjoying the interactions.

Food? Good, not great here. I’m still Thai-spoiled. Fresh is an understatement, and that’s a real plus.

Yesterday, 17 Jan, took the Lonely Planet recommended walking tour. My second such endeavour of this, now five month old trip’ and really enjoyed myself. HCMC has a ton to see and food is never far away.

Visited HCMC museum. Saw some of the Vietnamese war exhibits. These are the mild ones and I was a wreck…so I made a note to skip the War Crimes museum and etc. The re-unification Palace was a great stop. For just under $1 I took a guided tour. Lots of amazing moments transpired in some of those rooms. The highlight was definitely the basement with the war-planning rooms with their original typewriters and rotary phones and secret staircase.

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January 19, 2007 by zankbennett.

Arrived in Siem Reap in one piece. Checked into hotel. Killed the other 12 residents who’d been living in the room before I got there. Promptly bought some Raid mosquito spray to be sure their friends weren’t coming back.
Started taking the doxycycline for malaria. Between that and the Raid lingering in the room I had the craziest dreams! Ha ha.
Spent the next there days exploring the temples of Angkor Wat. The temple area begins about six miles from town. The options are bike, tuk tuk or taxi, in order of expense and general desirability for a proper visit.
Miked it for the first two days. The bike weighed in at about 40 lbs. Like a tank, but it had shocks and worked well enough.
The temples are incredible. The area is huge. It’s possible to bike through back woods areas and explore temples off the beaten track. It’s too much for me to describe, so I will post pictures. Of note: some of the temples have steps leading to upper levels that are quite climbable. They’re steep. Really steep. The ratio, best I could judge using my hands, was 3 to 1. IOW, each step was there times taller than deep. Normal steps are roughly 1 to 1. These were so steep that most people, including me, had trouble looking down them from the top of say 30 of them. At that height, 3 was roughly 15 feet up but only a horizontal distance of 5 feet from the last step. We all crawled up and down these…very carefully.
On way home, met a cool Brit and asked him to snap a couple pictures with my camera of me riding next to some of the local kids. Riding along, talking to the kids, I heard the sick sound that comes from metal crunching together at speed. He had run head-on into a scooter. The girl was alone and riding a new scooter. He flipped over the bars and never dropped my camera. I lifted the scooter off her pinned leg and there we were, in a Cambodian road-show. The girl was ok, the Brit was ok, but nothing was going to stop the crowd from coming. We had 50 people in as many seconds.
I biked home and later ran into the Brit. Turns out, the police wanted him to pay $800, a number they apparently pulled from the air. It was also up for negotiation. Huh? So they kept his passport while he made a decision as to what to pay them. Really nice guy and I wish him the best with this.
The next day, more biking. Visited the temple used in the movie Tomb Raider. Of course, they were selling counterfeit Tomb Raider DVDs right inside the temple. There’s got to be something wrong with that.
Last day was spent on a tuk tuk (here, a tuk tuk is a scooter with a trailer with seating for two people.) went with Ryan from the first day’s taxi ride. We took it 1 1/2 hours north to a waterfall and underwater carvings. The waterfall fell into a nearly-dry pool but it was none the less spectacularly refreshing to stand under. The hike was 45 mins one way. The Lonely Planet described this trip as “frankly not worth it”, but I completely disagree.
The town of Siem Reap is exactly what one would expect of an impoverished tourist center; beggars and children selling everything imaginable are omnipresent. But, the Cambodians are different. I found them to be brilliant. Most of the children (roughly 6-10 yrs old) working the monuments could speak a little of up to six languages! I had a little not rattle off the numbers one to ten in English, Spanish, German, French then a couple more I didn’t know. It wasn’t unusual to see Cambodians acting as tour guides speaking English, French or German. While that’s not particularly unusual, I got the feeling that a fairly large population was capable of doing this, and from the countries I’ve been to, that’s was quite remarkable to me.

On a bus now. Going to Pnom
Pen (sp?), the capital. I’m sitting 3 feet from the only speaker on this stinky bus. It’s blasting the audio from the Cambodian comedy show that’s playing at the front of the bus. This is entertainment and presumably makes the trip go by faster. So, while I search for earplugs, everyone’s laughing and enjoying the show. I always get the screaming baby on flights and seem to now also attract the brain-meltingly loud speaker on bus trips. As I pray for a massive electrical disturbance that knocks out the DVD system, the guy two seats in front of me sounds like he’s about to bark himself to death. I’m actually legitamately concerned.
But the road is paved, the bus has A/C and after 30 minutes I found the button to recline my seat back from its 90 degree angle.

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January 19, 2007 by zankbennett.

Cambodian roadside attraction.
Where to start?
We stopped along the route to allow everyone a lunch/bathroom break.
It’s impossible to describe the scene, but here’re a few details.
Trash everywhere. A couple cows eating at it. A covered restaurant thing with no walls, intrenched in bus exhaust. Went around back to the dried-out pool to find the bathroom. Waited my turn. Went inside.
It was a square room with a giant pool, about 3 feet deep taking up the far half of the 6′ x 6′ room. The pool of water clearly ran between both “bathrooms”. There was a pail balanced on the edge of the pool. The idea is to do one’s business then use the pail to scoop up some water from this massive pool and wash it away; only there’s no drain in the dead-flat, cement floor, just a small hole in the corner and a small opening to the adjoining room. So I’m using the facilities when the person next to me apparently finishes and decides to “flush”. Ahem. So, here comes this river of disgustingness, straight at my shoes! I was slow, too slow to move, but there wasn’t much room anyway. So there I am standing in a swirling, flat lake of someone’s unpleasantness. After I left, a white girl walked in and just stared; she couldn’t figure out what to do and just walked away after a few moments of contemplation.
So, I head over to the bus-fumed eating area. A lady is making meat sandwiches, taking money and using her hands to do it all on a counter that hadn’t seen a cleaning cloth in ages. Same with the lady cutting fresh fruit one stand over. There seemed to be dirt/dust on everything. I give it a hyginic ratin of 2/10. Street food is my favorite thing in the SE Asian countries I’ve visited, but this was a whole different level!

At the end of my stay, the sandwich lady grabs a meat clever and starts mauling a coconut. When she’s done cutting through the thick, fibrous outside and making a hole to the inside, she grabs a plastic bag and flips the coconut up-side down into the little baggie. She handed it to the mom of the child who had been screaming. The mom tied the bag, tossed a straw in it and that was that! Tons of things are served in plastic bags. There’s absolutely nothing wrong or even weird about drinking from a plastic bag, but it sure looks funny at first.

I’m back in the bus. The driver turned the music back up. I went catatonic earlier and asked him to turn it down before I pulled all my hair out. I give myself about another hour before I’m just a drooling vegetable. It’s Cambodian karaoke. I guess it’s cool to follow along as though you were singing, but you’re not.

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January 18, 2007 by zankbennett.

Temple jumping. Self-timer shots. Bring it on Justin and Danny!!!

================================

I met some children at the highest point in Angkor Wat. I was teaching them the art of Temple Jumping! This guy caught on quickly!!  Mom offers encouragement.  Sister watches on.

Then the kid just launches one.  What a rocket.  Righ over the onlooker.  SWEET, this kid was a natural.

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January 14, 2007 by zankbennett.

This is like Cairo.  No words come to mind to properly describe this place.

Getting here:
-Wake-up call: 4 am.
-Taxi to bus 5 am.  (I took 3 1/2 minutes to get ready!  What was the lady at the reception thinking at 4 am?!!!
-bus takes 3 hours to get to border.  The usual bus for tourists takes 6 hours.  I got lucky with an inside tip.
-got off bus and eventually found the line to leave Thailand
-wait in line to get visa for Cambodia.

The Cambodian visa is an elusive creature; the visa guys try to overcharge everyone.  The police are in on it too.  Throughout this trip, a quick mention of police gets things moving along quickly in the right direction.  That’s largely because the appearance of a country to tourists as a whole is usually quite important.  This is not the case in Cambodia.  Come.  Go.  They just couldn’t care much less.  Eventually with the third request to an officer I got my visa and was off on the back of an open truck.  250 meters later, got passport stamped.  100 meters later took a bus to the taxi/bus station…or dirt lot, really that’s what it was.  The bus takes 6 hours + and would leave in 2 1/2 hours.  The taxi was $5 more, but left right away.
So, I piled in with three friends I made in line and we were off.  This 162 km dirt road cannot be described.  Instead, some facts:

-vehicle of choice is a Toyota Carola sedan.  Jacked up about 5 inches.
-we had 2 flats.
-pot holes?  It’s not like that.  It’s so much worse.  A pot hole would be a smooth part in comparison to what we were driving over.  At times I thought the car would disappear.

Entrance to Cambodia.  Visa station just out of picture to right.

Typically overloaded truck.

Main temple of Angkor Wat in BG.

View from Angkor Wat temple back to entrance gate.

Hanging 10 off the top of Angkor Wat.

Looking outside window in Angkor Wat perimeter structure.

In Banyon Temple.  I believe there are over 200 of the faces seen in BG.  My favorite of the 15+ I visited in three days.

Another temple.  The roots of some of these ingrown trees were breathtaking.  There were 50 people standing in awe just outside the frame of this pic.

Another temple.  My favorite travel pic in quite some time.

One of the statues built into a temple.

Another temple.  More of the intricate stone work.

Workers climbing up a crane tower.  Why?  I had no idea.

Another temple.  The view directly up from the center out the top of the tower.  This is one of the more “organized” openings.  Some looked ready to collapse at any moment.

A boy searches for something in the mud pit.  They did this all over Cambodia.  Just what the harvest from these man-made pits I don’t know.

A girl sits high up on a temple and reads as the sun sets.  I rested at many of these temples in a similar way.  This picture really captures the mood of many of us at this point in the day when legs are tired and escape from the many sales pitches is so very welcome.

That same temple from the ground level.  Sun is setting.  Dusk made the temples so much more special.  It would be quite something to visit each one at this time of day, a task that would certainly require more than a month here.

Another temple.  My antics.  The view from here was worth it.

Mtn biking was a great way to see the temples.  Even on a BEAST like this one

“Hey Mistah!”  Ten postkahd, one dollah!”  EVERYWHERE you go….

The last sign of a great day…

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January 11, 2007 by zankbennett.

Final days in Bangkok! Sad/relieved to be leaving. For the last five weeks part of my belongings or I were/was stored there. The A-1-Inn. Ha ha, if ever a name were designed to mislead… There was a shrill, on-again, off-again drilling sound just outside my window…no matter which room I stayed in…every morning starting at 5 am. I think, actually, that 5 am is still night time. No, for sure it is. Especially to a traveler. For anyone who hasn’t experienced noise-reducing (passive) in-ear headphones, they’re life savers and don’t physically interfere with sleep. Hardly useful at “home”, these things are saving my small remaining thread of sanity while traveling. They’re firmly among the must-pack items.

So, it’s been officially > five weeks since I last slept in a dorm room. SE Asia is so inexpensive, it’s just not necessary to keep the cost down that low.

While back in Bangkok, made plans to meet up with the two Aussies from Phuket. Went down to Koh San Road and shared a drink, out of a bucket…a french guy and his wife walked by. We’d originally met on Ko Sai island while snorkeling…such a tiny place, and there they were, two days later. It was hilarious. We we’re then seven and as a group made our way to the revered petrol station for the next bucket. The pictures from the menus at the petrol station were hilarious to read and this time I got pictures…will post.

Managed to wrestle a Vietnamese visa out of the nice people at the Vietnamese Embasy.
“Nice”. Yeah, like how the people at the DMV are “nice”. Sort of like, I wonder who would win a fight to the death, me or those three behind the counter holding my visa until 4 pm for no reason and laughing at me for wanting it earlier, or at all, “nice”. Anyway, I now have a visa good for one month past 16 Jan. Got the malaria prophylaxis pils. Bring on those little blood-sucking death-bugs of the far north!

On a bus now from Bangkok to the Cambodian border on my way to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I decided last night to do it today. That still has to be one of the oddest feelings, unique to travelers (or pre-depressive lottery winners), just picking a place within striking distance and going there as soon as possible. Cambodia? Sure. It’s bizarre. It would be like waking up in San Diego and saying Yosemite… then thumbing through a guide book for the route and getting on a bus two hours later with little or no idea what’s in store.
It’s brilliant.

Farewell Thailand and:
Bye pad thai. I will miss you dearly. May we meet again…in my kitchen!
Bye $5 Rolexes and Breitlings and Ray Bans and, well, just about anything’s $5 in Bangkok if you look long/hard enough.
Bye $2, one-hour taxi rides.
Bye street food!! (the best, for real)

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January 9, 2007 by zankbennett.

For EVER bus ride from Pattaya…

Made it to the bus station in Pattaya. The guy there points down the road and says to wait (somewhere) over there for the bus. Sure. Love to! Turns out the bus (only 4/day) was just about to leave. Sweet. Bus to truck to ferry to truck to hotel. Best accomodation yet in Thailand…and, of course, the cost scaled accordingly. Stayed at Saffron on the Sea. And it was awesome. Best food here in Thailand…by far. I have a couple recipes I was able to talk out of one of the cooks, Matt. I’ll post pics of the recipes: pad thai and papaya salad, two huge thai staples.

Days on Ko Chang were mellow. Scootered around the island. Kayaked. Took a 1/2 day snorkel trip to nearby Koh Wai island. It was poor to just barely fair. The island was beautiful, but the howling night winds killed the underwater visibility. This was the perfect excuse for me to spend the day nearly maiming myself jumping the pier railing into the shallow, fish-filled water.
It sure made for good pictures.

Last night got sick from the pork in the pad thai the night before…that’s four times on this trip. Fine today. It was just a small one…not the type that takes my legs from me for 3 days and hurts for the better part of seven!

Some of the island roads were crazy. During a trip CW and nearly around the island, went up some hills so steep that the front wheel of the (pink) scooter was just hovering over the rocks. It was a blast and surely a small-scale primer for the Vietnam trip to come.
Bought a Vietnam guide book and am preparing plans for that monster….

In Bangkok now.
Hanoi on 15th.
-Best, z

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January 6, 2007 by zankbennett.

Anyone want to come ride a motorcycle around northern Vietnam with me? I’ll be in Hanoi on like the 15th and spending a few days getting used to the language and culture and figuring out how to read street signs and getting used to the medication that is supposed to cause psychotic episodes and dreams where you wake up pretty sure you’ve become a serial killer and the world ends Thursday. The trip will last about two weeks. You’ll get to visit mountain tribes that live now as they have for hundreds of years…if we can find them. I don’t think these are listed as trail-side attractions of the main dirt road.
You must feel confident dodging massive bolders on a 1960’s Russian-made 125 cc motorbike and be proficient in begging for help in Vietnamese when flats, broken chains…you name it…occur.
You must enjoy dirt. Lots of it.
This is a trip of a lifetime and not for the timid.
If you would like to be the primary beneficiary on my life insurance policy, please see my eBay auction.

—-

I bought this toothpaste. It’s Colgate. It tastes like mint…a good thing. It also, however tastes like some weird grass. It’s not lemon grass, my first guess. It tastes like I just grabbed a half-chewed handful of pasture-grass out of the mouth of a milk cow and threw it on my toothbrush. It’s absolutely terrible, but at least it’s not spicy!

—-

Hi, I made a reservation. I’m just calling to confirm and say that I’m on the way.

-oh. You have a reservation?

Yes.

-when do you want a room?

Well, I made a reservation for tonight and tomorrow.

Click

-hi, how can I help you?

Ah, yes, I have a reservation for tonight.

-you want room tonight?

I’m on the bus. Z-A-N-K.

-ok, what dates?

Tonight and tomorrow.

-Check in on six?

Yes. You have my reservation?

-where are you calling from?

I’m on the bus. I have no idea where I am. There’s a good chance I got on the wrong bus anyway.

-From six to seven?

Yes. So, you have the reservation?

-how many nights?

Um, two. How much is the room?

-[some amount]

Oh. That’s 300 baht more than the girl told me yesterday.

-whats your name.

Huh?

-where are you?

CLICK.

…..that happens daily! I’m developing skills that I may never need again, but there coming along none the less.

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January 6, 2007 by zankbennett.

Left the beautiful nature reserve at Khao Sok via mini-bus to Surat Thani and flew to Bangkok…then took a bus to Pattaya. Pattaya is famous for having the worst/most sex tourism in the country. It was a stopover on the way to the picturesque island of Ko Chang. Went out with a couple Kiwi guys, Ben and Sam on their first night in Thailand. What a crazy town. It’s really more sad than anthing else. There are lots and lots of middle-aged (read: 55+) walking around with skinny Thai girls who appear to be 15. Viagra is sold on every corner.
…in other words, I’m happy to be on a bus right now, halfway to the island…
The bus is riding a little high on the left side…that’s because it’s jacked up on that side so the tire-guy can change a tire. Ha ha. We’re all on the bus and the engine’s running. Why wouldn’t we just pull over and get some maintenence done? What’s an extra hour tacked onto the already FOUR-hour ride. I think the whole trip is about 100 miles :~)

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January 4, 2007 by zankbennett.

Reserved a tree-house in a place just on the outskirts of the KS national forest. They had given it to some other people so it was off to a normal hut…250 baht/night (about $8!).
Woke this morning and did an elephant safari! It was great. At the end of the trail, did some serious diving into a narrow pool with a small waterfall at one end. Have pics.
The elephants were friendly and much better behaved than the camels in Aswan, Egypt.

In the afternoon watched a movie under a hut and ate some pad thai (duh!). Worst pt yet…I think the lady was British! Ha.

Sitting on the bank of a creek right now. Just went for a post-nap swim complete with a rope swing and a good visit to the hard, rocky bottom. No broken bones, but some good bruising and a bit of blood.

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January 3, 2007 by zankbennett.

Patong Beach.
It was bananas!  This place is easily one of the craziest places I’ve ever seen.  It’s like some sort of spring-break mecca with the capacity to house and provide drinks for thousands of partiers.  The endless rows of beach-style bars was daunting.  Thai girls, unfortunately for sale, were omnipresent as we walked through the endless maze of neon-lit streets in search of the “right spot”. Ha ha.
On the beach there were people selling cylindrical hot air balloons.  They came in two sizes: 2-foot diameter and 4′ tall or just smaller.
We bought the larger one for 100 baht (about $3) and lit the fuel source, waited for it to generate enough lift to fly and….it was gone.  It flew into the sky along with hundreds, no thousands of others. I’ve never seen anything like the sky that night.  With the full moon as a backdrop, the brightly glowing balloons dotted the sky as far as any of is could see.  It was really a special new years, seeing the fireworks amidst the balloons alongside the thousands of onlookers.

The Aussie guys with Aly.  Notice all the illuminated hot-air balloons in the background; some are just about to take off and the other are cluttering the dark sky.
Back on the streets, people were lighting giant strips of firecrackers (some up to 10,000 long!). The idea was to unroll the strip as quickly as possible while people passed close by, so as not to draw too much attention to the miniature BOMBS.  Then light the fuse and watch people jump out of their skins.  It worked!  We’d be walking along and a machine gun would start going off at our feet.  Soon a big circle would clear where the strip was laid until the bangs were done and the procession would continue normally, if not a bit more leery than before.
These guys would never fully get the whole roll laid out and when the explosions reached the clump there was a HUGE bang.  It was really fun running around trying not to get our toes blown off!  Really

One of the top new years ever!

Me, the two Aussies and Aly.

This terrible picture was taken when I picked up a real police helmet from the scooter-backet of his official police scooter.   It HAD to be done.  I’m not in jail, so I guess it was ok…not my general rule of conduct

What would a new years be without a homelessZank photo?  That stuff on my face is from getting mauled by silly-string at the festivities.  Ha ha.  Please ignore the man-pris.  I think I was doing some wading before the pic was taken.

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January 3, 2007 by zankbennett.

From Krabi, it was on to Phuket for another four days.
Phuket is bigger and I booked a hostel outside of town, a but closer to the beaches…close being a relative term!
There was another night market there and, of course, pad thai to be had…along with various grilled seafood, dim sum, and coconut desserts.

Day trips from Phuket:
Nai Harn (or Han, depending on the map) beach- a tranquile, open beach with lots of reclining beach chairs for rent and a a relaxing atmosphere.  Apparently there’s good surf there, but not that day.

Patong (must be Thai for CHAOS) beach-for new years with two Aussies from the hostel.
Kata beach-got a free ride from a local.  Sweet.  Had an evening swim…sunset…some reading…dinner…does it get any better?  …more on New Years post…
Island trip from the hostel near Wat Chalong to the Royal Phuket Marina (about 25 km, 3 hrs!) and from there took a long boat to Ko Yao Noi island.  The island was fair, but refreshingly incrowded.  We had a coconut drink at a great viewpoint off the eastern coast looking out to scattered islands stretching straight towards the sky.

Here’s the view…amazing!!!

That night, came home and met up with the two Aussies from new years and went to Cobra pier.  We played guitar for a while and eventually jumped into Chalong Bay, doing flips, exchanging stories and having another unforgettable time.  The water housing for my mini digital camera has been a huge asset.
Really good pics of that night…

Playing some songs before the swim…

This type of notice can be found all over.  I don’t see anything about flipping off municipal piers

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January 3, 2007 by zankbennett.

Bus-ferry-bus from Ko Samui to Krabi.
Nice town.  Not much to report.  Stayed at City Hotel, directly across from Krabi’s well-known night market.  Ate fish and pad thai and all sorts of fresh fruit.  The food selection was awesome!  I was eating so much pad thai (I still am) that I became known around the pad thai stand.  The cook would see me coming and just fire one up for me.

Took a few day trips to the local islands/beaches including Ao Nang beach, Railay beach, Chicken (it looks just like a chicken!) and Poda islands.  It all sounds much more impressive than it was, but the water was warm, mildly clear and there were many caves and interesting coastline features to explore.

 
Going DEEP…

 
White-boy crossing the distance between Railay and the nearby island.  Carrying my bag above my head to keep the video camera dry…

Going inside a cave…

 
At Railay beach there are wild monkeys living along the path connecting two long beaches.  It was really cool to get within inches of these tame monkeys.  We saw four adolescents and a mother.
Ate pad thai right off the bow of a longboat at Railay beach!  :)

The long-boat driver.  Note the rock overhang in background…we drove right under it.

Aly and I take a taxi ride…the camera’s view is from front looking out the back of the mini-truck-style taxi thing.

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December 26, 2006 by zankbennett.

From Bangkok, took a 13-hour overnight bus ride to Surat Thani, the jump-off point to get to the main Thai islands in the southern Gulf of Thailand.
The bus would stop every few hours for food/bathroom breaks. The double-decker bus had a video system and they played American movies with sound at, roughly speaking, about 100 dBA at 2 metres…about as loud as someone yelling in your ear. So I watched most of it with a finger stuck in my right ear…then out my headphones on to reduce the sound. It was brutal. Loved it. The bus had disco balls and colored flashing lights on the ceiling. The interior was every color imaginable. This love-bus took us to the connection point where we had to wait 2 hours for the mini-bus to the ferry landing….all very exciting. The 2 hour ferry took 5 1/4 and everyone was throwing up. Mmm!

Ko Samui is a aquare-ish island shaped like Portugal & Spain. I stayed on the north coast in Hat Mae Nam with clear views of the island Ko Pha-Ngan to the north.
It was quite windy for the four days on the island and so while it was beautiful, the water was never clear enough to snorkle.
Days were spent scootering around the island and visiting waterfalls and finding amazing food for very little $.
The main beach, Hat Chweng, was bananas with people and clubs and tourist stores everywhere.

All the stores/stands sell Diesel, Ray Ban and everet other brand like I’ve never seen. Want a Rolex? $3. Want some sued trunks? $10. Want the latest jeans from any label? $10-20. It’s ridiculous and everywhere. How about some pad thai for lunch and a Gucci watch? No problem!
Aly’ from SD, has been here on this leg of the trip and We’ve been having a blast seeing all of this.
Christmas was really mellow. The Thai people don’t celebrate Christmas so it’s not a big deal here. Refreshingly so. We went out for dinner with a pair of German girls from the bungalo next-door and had a great time. We sat at a table about 3 metres from the water and small, lapping waves. No windows, just open sky and water and far-off lights of Ko Pha-Ngen.

Today, 26 Dec, it’s off to Krabi, a great jump-off place to reach many of the famous and most beautiful beaches that were hit by the tsunami, two years ago this month.

Everything’s going very well, with some comedic adventures sprinkled in…
-my WAMU visa card, the one that has been cancelled FIVE times by “fraud prevention”, has become demagnetized. I’m still too upset to comment on this one. Please send money and the name of a REAL bank!!!! My phone bill to them alone could sustain a Thai island for months.
-I left my mini-guitar in the first bus today. Got out and realized 20 seconds later what I’d done. White-boy was hailing-ass down the middle of the street after the bus waving arms wildly…I actually passed a couple of mopeds as I weaved in and out of the moving traffic Caught the bus no problem. Everyone got a good laugh.
-although not offensively loud, (or maybe my tolerence is high) they’re playing Thai music now on this bus and the karaoke monitor is showing the words. They’re SERIOUS about it here. It’s glorious.
-a few minutes ago I pulled something hard out of the bite of rice-cake I was chewing. It was a metal staple. I’m having a difficult time with this one. It’s much worse mentally than the rock I pulled from my mouth last week while munching a good plate of pad thai; I really chewed that staple good! My mouth tastes like chewed metal now.

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December 19, 2006 by zankbennett.

Hong Kong:
3-hour flight from Bangkok to visit James,

(with our up-side-down glasses on!)

the cool guy I originally met on this trip, in Portugal.  I’ll be here for 7 days to visit and explore the area.  Staying on a great island called Lamma.  It’s such a bizarre place.  There’s a huge expat community here and those who aren’t speak perfect English.  It seems that everyone knows everyone else here.  I’ve met quite a few people so far and am really loving it.  Today is my second day, and already I have friends to greet in the streets.  There are no cars allowed here, so the “streets” are nothing more than pedestrian walkways.

Well, now, back in Bangkok and at the same tired hotel… ;)  Soon to the islands…

I was under the weather for my first few days in Hong Kong.  Good for some R&R.  James started work (at Chick on the Run, none the less!) the day after I arrived, so I was on my own.  I explored the island of Lamma and, when I felt better, went for a run from our town to the next town up, near the peak.  James’s girlfirend Pam suggested we gather a crew and go for a hike up the main peak on Lamma.  It was a great idea and we made the round-trip in about 5 hours!  Good, steep, rugged climbing.  Very overgrown and steep.  Brush was occasionally overhead for 20 meters at a time.

Spent some time in Hong Kong city.  The ferry ride from Lamma was about 30 minutes and then transport in the town was quite simple.  The shopping is insane.  They have electronics that we’ll likely never have in the US…and this matters to ME!! ;)  I bought a simple picture storage-device/ viewer.  Now I don’t have to worry about my memory cards filling up…

Took a tram to the top of Hong Kong island for the spectacular views found there.  Amazing architecture.  Everything’s so clean…the lines, the streets, everything.  I had set my timer to 2 seconds and was just spinning around to the camera in this shot. 

At night after James would get off work, we would go to one of the pubs on the island.  It wasn’t inexpensive, either.  Prices were just below those in the US, save anything electronic.  Food could be found cheap, but often it was not.
one particular evening, we got a whole crew together for dinner…picture…

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