Monday, January 19, 2015
Trip Six - Down Under....
Ok, having found the final destination, how did I get there? First the figures: 1 car hire, 2 ferries, 2 buses, 4 trains, 8 countries (yes, Tamzin, I have included Malaysia even through I didn't sleep there but I saw the airport, the surrounding country, had some food, spent money, talked to people, etc), 13 flights, 10 airports, and 18 hotel/guest houses. And something like 65 hours in planes and a total of 33 days away.
And the route? Madrid, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
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HONG KONG
This is the fabulous view of Hong Kong island from the Mainland, ie Kowloon. The name Hong Kong apparently means "Fragrant Harbour" but I don't believe a word of it.
As you know, Hong Kong, the island and its New Territories, are very small having only 1100 sq km (426 sq. miles), about the size of Martinique in the Caribbean, and having a population of over 7 million. This gives it one of the highest population densities in the world. In fact, it's 6,500 people per sq km (17,000 per sq mile) is second only to that of the 7,300 of Singapore with the poor relation, the prison camp of the Gaza Strip, with it's 5,000 people per sq km, in third place. So, as you may have guessed, Hong Kong is very vertical and space is expensive; don't expect too much for your money in hotel space. Strangely enough, (a view of the container port lead me to check) these two heavily populated places, Singapore and Hong Kong, are two of the busiest container ports in the world and are only by beaten in volume by Chinese in Shanghi.
This then is the end result. An odd un-Chinese environment full of Chinese people and strange writing up in lights. This is the dazzling Nathan Road, leading down to the waterfront. Neon lights and huge TV screens and not surprisingly, Chinese, everywhere.
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VIETNAM
Next stop, Hanoi, capital of Vietnam with 7 million people and 4 million motorbikes of various shapes and sizes. And here is the sight you get of traffic lights in rush hour. As you can imagine crossing the road takes nerves of steel because there are not so many traffic lights......
But if you think that the country must be complete chaos here's the classic shot of a few Vietnamese ladies on their way to work.
And we can't avoid showing the wonderful Hotel Continental in Saigon where breakfast is a slow, leisurely hour as you take your time before starting the day.
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CAMBODIA
PHNOM PENH/ANGKOR WAT
This is the picture that everyone wants to take of the famous Angkor Wat temple. The trouble is you have to get up at 5 am and arrive there before the sun comes up at about half 6. The temple complex is normally completely black but at sunrise it becomes a more pleasant shade of grey, if that is what you want.
For me, all I wanted was an empty temple - to see it without the millions of tourists. And that is exactly what I got, because everyone was there, thousands of them, beside the lake in this very spot with their cameras and tripods and phones waiting in the darkness. Meanwhile, while they were struggling to get the right camera angle, I waited in the food tents with the tour guides having a warming green tea. It was very cold, but with the pre-dawn light growing I downed my last mouthful and calmly walked past all the waiting tourists ( I didn't want them having the same idea) and into an almost Empty Temple. Magic.........
And this was the very pleasant present I received from the girl next to me on my Phnom Penh to Siem Reap bus. We had stopped at the half-way point for a quick bite to eat but she had bought some oranges. It served to break the ice and we talked quite a bit on the second half of the journey. She was 25, spoke almost perfect English and was born in Siem Reap. She now lived 70 km away in a small village where she worked for Handicap International, an ONG that helps disabled and vulnerable people in situations of poverty and conflict.
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SINGAPORE
So on to Singapore, another former English colony. And it was one place that I wish I could have stayed longer as it cleary has a lot to offer. But all I planned for was an overnight stop fairly near the airport and I was still struggling to find my bearings in the humid climate when it was time to leave.
So it doesn't really deserve a photo as I didn't see anything.
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NEW ZEALAND
NEW ZEALAND
A shot of the TranzAlpine Express crossing the Southern Alps. The landscape is very scenic with "Wow" expressions coming from even the most modest of observers. Ok, I was there in the summer so the snow was only on the mountain top but nevertheless the landscapes was very impressive. And luckily, I used the train the day before an earthquake at 7 in the morning and as a consequence the train that day were replaced by buses as engineers checked the tracks. I can imagine the punters, who paid a not inconsiderable sum to reserve their places, were not well pleased.
One of the many beautiful, remote, tranquil lakes in New Zealand that seem to be around every corner.
Well, you're all dying to ask questions so here are a few comments on the trip.
So Did You Meet Anyone?
Well, the usual handfull. Dara, my friendly tut-tut driver who took me all over Phnom Penh, Thai, the 5 year old sales-girl in a Cambodia forest, there was Dutch the old geezer on the Aussie train going the wrong way after losing his wife. And two whose name passed me by; the very pleasant girl on the Cambodian bus with the orange, and the friendly Turkish girl from Hamburg driving around New Zealand. In addition, there were the dozen Vietnamese students who insisted on asking all those polite questions and then having a quick photo-shoot with this strange foreigner.
And Did You Learn Anything?
Yes, I learnt that as every person has a story to tell, so too does every town and country. And to get the most out of your travels you really owe it to yourself, and also to the country that you are visiting, to find out all you can about that story and that history. Visit the book shop, there's sure to be something in English (well, maybe not in Ukraine).
A Lasting Impression.....
I spent 6 days in Vietnam and travelled down the coast on the train from Hanoi to Saigon. It's hell to get into the country when you haven't got a Visa (one hour Visa, plus one hour Customs Hall) but once inside the country you can't help but fall in love with it.
But seeing the poverty and hard-working locals in the fields from the train and the friendliness of all the people that I meet, I got a little upset. This is the country where, a few years ago, the americans killed around a million people just because they wanted to stop something called communism. It really is a disgusting thought that a country 10,000 miles away could kill countless thousands just because they didn't want your political system. Around 58,000 americans died as well, which is equally disgusting, as well as 300,000 Cambodians who were unfortunate enough to be living next door and were secretly bombed, the White House denying that the country had ever been a target.
You haven't mentioned the Problems
I do seem to have different problems to the rest of the people. While everyone complains about the Wifi reception at the hotel, I search, often in vain, for the local Internet Cafe. And they are getting harder to track down as people seem determined to carry all their personal machinery with them on the hols and the Internet is usually an old PC stuck in a corner.
Anything Unusual?
Yes, I'm glad you asked. I started out on my trip with my new suitcase and very nice it is too and a bargain at only 37Euros. But there was a little problem with it - it was called Salvador or rather had a large advert with the name of the maker on the top. And after a while the thought of travelling half way round the world advertising "Salvador Somebody" started to irritate. So I stuck black tape over the name.
But then, of course, I had a bag with no name. And travelling alone, with no-one to talk to, can sometimes cause strange things to happen to your thoughts. I had, several trips ago, named the backpack "Dave" for something better to do and there inside Dave was little Snoppy. So there were three of us and a bag with a big Black Label.......
So in Hong Kong I decided that "Salvador" would have a sex change. Because it was travelling with a bloke as well as the advertising that troubled me. So it seemed only right that we should have a girl in the party. But what to call her? Well, Eva came to mind. I don't know anyone called Eva, except an airline but I was soon inking in her new name on top of the big Black Label.
And then, of course, as you do, I started to worry about her. She became more than a bag. She seemed to grow a personality. Yes, I know, it is crazy travelling alone, isn't it.
The Best Airport
Istanbul has long been one of my favourites because of the heady mixture of East and West. and the jummy Yogurt with fruit and muesli in the Caffe Zero. But having now seen Hong Kong and Singapore airports it's beginning to look a little small and and a bit dated.
The Best Hotel
The one I enjoyed staying in the most has to be the old-fashioned Continental in Saigon. A wonderful 4 course, plus a last minute yogurt, buffet breakfast lasting an hour and there were others who always took longer.
Churches, Mosques and Temples
After all the mosques and churches that I explored in Edirne in Turkey, Lviv in Ukraine, Belgrade in Serbia and all the numerous churches and catedrals in Poland during my last trip, this time I didn't enter a single church or mosque. But I made up for it by seeing a few dozen very old Temples in Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat.
There was one lovely huge Anglian church in the centre of Saigon but those crafty atheists had made it almost impossible to get to by putting a road around it and it languished in the middle of a huge traffic island surrounded by thousands of continually moving motorbikes.
The Best Meal
Food these days is not one of my greatest passions. Life without P has taken away all the pleasure of eating and my favourite dishes are still the ones she used to make.
But I did make the effort a few times so what was my best meal this trip? I did try a few Pho's in Vietnam, all different, and had a wonderfully colourful pizza in Australia. And a very tasty bun thing in Istanbul - it wasn't a kofte, a kebab or even doner - they had a picture of it, so I pointed and said "One of those", it was a Rosnik or something. a round bun crammed with meal in a sauce.
And because I was starving, one of the most pleasant meals was in Hanoi, when unbeknown to me, everywhere where the food looked appetizing closes at 10:30. In desperation I spotted a Hotel sign and although the restaurant was closed they offered me room service in the bar. And very welcome Tacos and beer it was.
But the best was I have to say those strange triangular things that they cook in the street in Vietnam. I'd seen them in Hanoi and Saigon and at last I tried one. Well, I expected to get one but they give you about 20 little triangles in a plastic bag. I expected a crepe type taste but it was a sweet, doughy shape that melted in the mouth. And cooked in the street over a griddle outside Versace......
Well, you're all dying to ask questions so here are a few comments on the trip.
So Did You Meet Anyone?
Well, the usual handfull. Dara, my friendly tut-tut driver who took me all over Phnom Penh, Thai, the 5 year old sales-girl in a Cambodia forest, there was Dutch the old geezer on the Aussie train going the wrong way after losing his wife. And two whose name passed me by; the very pleasant girl on the Cambodian bus with the orange, and the friendly Turkish girl from Hamburg driving around New Zealand. In addition, there were the dozen Vietnamese students who insisted on asking all those polite questions and then having a quick photo-shoot with this strange foreigner.
And Did You Learn Anything?
Yes, I learnt that as every person has a story to tell, so too does every town and country. And to get the most out of your travels you really owe it to yourself, and also to the country that you are visiting, to find out all you can about that story and that history. Visit the book shop, there's sure to be something in English (well, maybe not in Ukraine).
I spent 6 days in Vietnam and travelled down the coast on the train from Hanoi to Saigon. It's hell to get into the country when you haven't got a Visa (one hour Visa, plus one hour Customs Hall) but once inside the country you can't help but fall in love with it.
But seeing the poverty and hard-working locals in the fields from the train and the friendliness of all the people that I meet, I got a little upset. This is the country where, a few years ago, the americans killed around a million people just because they wanted to stop something called communism. It really is a disgusting thought that a country 10,000 miles away could kill countless thousands just because they didn't want your political system. Around 58,000 americans died as well, which is equally disgusting, as well as 300,000 Cambodians who were unfortunate enough to be living next door and were secretly bombed, the White House denying that the country had ever been a target.
You haven't mentioned the Problems
I do seem to have different problems to the rest of the people. While everyone complains about the Wifi reception at the hotel, I search, often in vain, for the local Internet Cafe. And they are getting harder to track down as people seem determined to carry all their personal machinery with them on the hols and the Internet is usually an old PC stuck in a corner.
Anything Unusual?
Yes, I'm glad you asked. I started out on my trip with my new suitcase and very nice it is too and a bargain at only 37Euros. But there was a little problem with it - it was called Salvador or rather had a large advert with the name of the maker on the top. And after a while the thought of travelling half way round the world advertising "Salvador Somebody" started to irritate. So I stuck black tape over the name.
But then, of course, I had a bag with no name. And travelling alone, with no-one to talk to, can sometimes cause strange things to happen to your thoughts. I had, several trips ago, named the backpack "Dave" for something better to do and there inside Dave was little Snoppy. So there were three of us and a bag with a big Black Label.......
So in Hong Kong I decided that "Salvador" would have a sex change. Because it was travelling with a bloke as well as the advertising that troubled me. So it seemed only right that we should have a girl in the party. But what to call her? Well, Eva came to mind. I don't know anyone called Eva, except an airline but I was soon inking in her new name on top of the big Black Label.
And then, of course, as you do, I started to worry about her. She became more than a bag. She seemed to grow a personality. Yes, I know, it is crazy travelling alone, isn't it.
The Best Airport
Istanbul has long been one of my favourites because of the heady mixture of East and West. and the jummy Yogurt with fruit and muesli in the Caffe Zero. But having now seen Hong Kong and Singapore airports it's beginning to look a little small and and a bit dated.
The Best Hotel
The one I enjoyed staying in the most has to be the old-fashioned Continental in Saigon. A wonderful 4 course, plus a last minute yogurt, buffet breakfast lasting an hour and there were others who always took longer.
Churches, Mosques and Temples
After all the mosques and churches that I explored in Edirne in Turkey, Lviv in Ukraine, Belgrade in Serbia and all the numerous churches and catedrals in Poland during my last trip, this time I didn't enter a single church or mosque. But I made up for it by seeing a few dozen very old Temples in Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat.
There was one lovely huge Anglian church in the centre of Saigon but those crafty atheists had made it almost impossible to get to by putting a road around it and it languished in the middle of a huge traffic island surrounded by thousands of continually moving motorbikes.
The Best Meal
Food these days is not one of my greatest passions. Life without P has taken away all the pleasure of eating and my favourite dishes are still the ones she used to make.
But I did make the effort a few times so what was my best meal this trip? I did try a few Pho's in Vietnam, all different, and had a wonderfully colourful pizza in Australia. And a very tasty bun thing in Istanbul - it wasn't a kofte, a kebab or even doner - they had a picture of it, so I pointed and said "One of those", it was a Rosnik or something. a round bun crammed with meal in a sauce.
And because I was starving, one of the most pleasant meals was in Hanoi, when unbeknown to me, everywhere where the food looked appetizing closes at 10:30. In desperation I spotted a Hotel sign and although the restaurant was closed they offered me room service in the bar. And very welcome Tacos and beer it was.
But the best was I have to say those strange triangular things that they cook in the street in Vietnam. I'd seen them in Hanoi and Saigon and at last I tried one. Well, I expected to get one but they give you about 20 little triangles in a plastic bag. I expected a crepe type taste but it was a sweet, doughy shape that melted in the mouth. And cooked in the street over a griddle outside Versace......
