Life in a movie: Halong Bay

There are a few places in this world that I have been that are so unbelievable that all personal and rational thought seems to freeze and everything exists in an unbelievable state of aw.  Zurmatt Switzerland, Morano Glacier Argentina, and the Grand Canyon are a few that jump to mind for me personally.  I add Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island to that list.  This was one of the places I was most looking forward to seeing before this trip and it didn't disappoint in the slightest.

In trying to keep our tours to a minimum we decided to book our transportation to Cat Ba Town only and plan everything else out once we arrived.  Very good idea.  The leeching tour companies around this area seemed particularly shady and up to no good.  We didn't hear anything but bad things from everyone we talked to on the island.  Unfortunately, mom got sick right as we got to Cat Ba island.  Terrible timing but it was definitely one of the more comfortable places we have been to get sick.


What this did mean was I was virtually on my own for the four days we were in Halong Bay.  I decided to try to fill my time with an equal amount of invigorating physical activity and wonderfully mellow beach time.


First on the list was a wonderful fun bike ride across the island and up the coast.  My legs have felt so antsy on this trip, getting tons of work from walking everywhere but never really getting the chance to get opened up.  Getting on a bike felt fantastic.  The landscape was something out of a fairy tale story of a an island jungle.  Rolling hills of green vegetation, massive palms fanning everywhere and oddly enough loads of pine trees mixed in.  The type of scenery that made it hard to pay attention to where you are going.  Always  keeping your head up to watch the world change as you whoosh by.  It was great.  I found that the favorite past time for local children around here is chasing the bikers up the hill as they struggle to peddle.

Another day I rented a sea kayak for three bucks and set out to explore the Halong Bay money maker, the ocean.  Unbelievable seascapes I could never imagine before I saw them.  Things that you only think exist in movies or pictures.  The Karst rocks jutted up from the blue ocean as if the earth was confused what should be there, water or mountain.  Add music and you could have something out of Fantasia.  Fighting with the current I found the act of kayaking a lot harder then I had planned but it did not worry me.  I found myself being visited by random butterflies in the middle of the ocean and I leaned back and smiled.  I am in love with life.

I literally found my own private island!  A patch of sand that was maybe fifty feet long on a little mountain of rock in the ocean.  Not a person in sight.  It was truly mine.  I took the opportunity to practice my free hand labyrinth building techniques!

Halong was a place that defied logic.  As far as I am concerned it could literally be the dictionary picture for geological beauty.  I loved it.

I miss everyone deeply and I hope you are all well.

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To keep things in prospective:
I watched this fisherman for over 40 minutes slowly throwing out a single line and hook into the water and pulling it back in.  We did not seem to catch anything as I watched but never once broke his peaceful rhythm.  He seemed older in years then most and for all the knowledge I have does this every day of his life... Things could be very different.

Hanoi -People, horns, people, fashion, people people people

Man oh Man, what an interesting city!  From the moment we arrived till the moment we left I found myself in a state of aw.  My first impressions were that of terrified bewilderment.  The former lessened with time, I don't think the latter ever will.

The most striking thing about Hanoi was, hands down, the constant state of movement and traffic.  Never for a moment (except during the police enforced 12 a.m. curfew) would the traffic relent.  People always seemed to be on the move and rush hour was nearly unbearable.  There are no traffic lights in old town Hanoi and no discernibly grid system for the street making for some of the most intense intersections I have ever seen (up to 9 ways!)  90 percent of the vehicles on the street are motorized bikes or scooter of some sort that zip and zoom where ever they need or want to go.  No real one ways or sides of the road, sidewalks are free game for driving, people just go anywhere.  I honestly think these are some of the most aware driver in the world because no one ever stops or hesitates on the road.  Everyone fluidly weaves around each other like it was nothing.

Crossing the street reminded of something from an Indiana Jones movie "only the penitent man shall pass" because you just go.  whether there is an open street in front of you or 30 motor bikes heading right for you.  You don't break your pace and just step into the unknown and somehow this works perfectly.  I never saw any ting even resembling an accident or traffic accident.  I took a bit of getting used to but after a day or so I loved it, so efficient!

Where we were staying was an area of town called the Old Quarter.  It sounds historical but was really more like the worlds largest outdoor shopping mall.  Street after street of shops selling everything you could think of from food to to the finest silk dresses, L.E.D. Buddha statues to personalized hand carved grave stones.  It was bizarrely refreshing to be somewhere that wasn't just a destination for foreign travelers and backpacks.  This is where everyone was coming to get what they needed.

Just a small side note about the peope of Hanoi, They look good.  All the time.  The women always seemed to be dressed in beautiful printed blouses and dresses, then men looking super sharp in fitted suits or designer jeans.  Here travellers were more obviously from there clothing rather then skin tone or luggage.  Everyone seemed like they were going out to a Friday night in LoDo.

Hanoi is a place that seems to defy logic for me.  The roads should be backed up for miles with loads of wrecks, but aren't.  The hawlkers should be pushy and aggressive, but weren't.  The people should be cold and distant but were surprisingly beautiful and uplifting.  The taste in my mouth was expected to be sour and harsh but, oddly enough, I was more intrigued and excited about Hanoi over anywhere I've been yet.

The calm of Chiang Mai

Hello friends and family!

It's been a little bit since my last update, for that I am sorry.  My memory is already a little bit blurry with details from Chaing Mai but I will try to get it all in.

More then anything, Chiang Mai was a breath of fresh air and relaxing sigh of relief from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.  The town is much smaller and much easier to navigate.  Loads of artist selling random pieces of jewlery and clothing, a wide verity of food both Thai and international, and a very chilled out atmosphere.  Hawkers are fewer and more respecting and the entire city just seemed to have More character.  It also helped that we were recommended a fantastic guest house to stay in for unbelievably cheap (6 dollars for a private BIG twin bed room) with a wonderfully nice family of Thai ladies.

There was a much broader variety of activities to get into in this town.  There were some key temples that we saw.  Doi Suthep which is atop the mountain directly behind the city was a big highlight.  We happened to be up there on a Thai Buddhist holiday  totally by accident.  On this day Every Buddhist takes homage at a temple so you can imagine the place was packed.  It was very interesting to see so many people there truly using the temple and not just sightseers checking it out.  The smell of incense was overwhelming and there was a constant cacophony of ringing bells and gongs mixed in with chanting and music.

Another notable place we checked out was the center of Chiang Mai city called ____.  This was probably my favorite Buddhist sight to date.  everything was so clean and pristine.  The main temple at the from of the compound gave way to a great courtyard.  At the center was an old temple from the 6th century on it's way to crumbling but still holding four beautiful shimmering gold Buddha statues.  I went back to this sight four times while I was in Chiang Mai, something about it was absolutely captivating.

The second part of Chiang Mai was more physical activities.  Downhill mountain biking, Hiking and white water rafting.  Finally an opportunity to really get my heart pumping.  The mountain biking proved to be the hardest and also most memorable experience of the stay.  The company we rented bikes from had listed this path as "easy" but it was far from it.  extremely steep inclines and declines mixed with crumbling cement path, overhanging brush and a supper slick red mud made for an exhilarating experience.  I hit the ground three times, two of which were full face plants and left with a huge smile on my face.

I left Chiang Mai feeling wonderfully refreshed and recharged.  Ready for this massive journey to truly play out now and ready for the change that will come.  I'll have a Hanoi report up soon!

Bangkok -- The BIG City

Hey Everyone, things are a little slower on this blog then I had hoped but I am finally getting around to getting this post up.  I'll try to update in a more timely manner in the future.  I love and miss you all deeply.

Bangkok

Bangkok is a seriously nuts city full of all the aspects of a huge mega city.  Packed streets at almost any hour, tons of bustle and movement, entertainment, bars, new sights and smells, beauty and ugliness.  Yet somehow it seemed void of the hidden "charm" that other mega cities, like New York or Buenos Aires have..... or maybe I just didn't find it in my 8 days there.

First, there are people EVERYWHERE.  People moving, working, waiting, scamming, selling, buying everywhere.  There didn't really seem to be any kind of organization to activities in the layout of the city.  Anywhere there were people was open game for any and every kind of interaction.  There were naturally large street market areas where people congregated in a more organized fashion but it seemed that anywhere there was more then 10 people at any given time there was also 5 people with food carts, 8 tuk tuk taxi drivers, 3 people selling Buddha medallions and a few more people selling lotto tickets and random junk.  Everywhere you went in the city this seemed to be the case, business streets downtown to crappy auto areas out on the outskirts.  I don'w know how it is all supported.  My favorite market that we went to was the orchid and general plant market that was located beside one of the many canals in the city.  Tent after tent of plants exploding out of their pots.  Tables full of twisting and turning vines and leafs that all seemed like alean life forms to me more then familiar flowers.  It seemed harder to keep these plants in a manageable state then to actually grow them.  It was fantastic.

The largest part of the Bangkok experience was definitely seeing the massive temples and palaces of the Ratkashhan district.  This was my first experience seeing Buddhist temples of this size.  They have a extreme intricacy that I dod not really expect to be honest.  Glass and jewel mosaic and inlet everywhere and gold leafing covering every surface it seemed.  I personally took the most inspiration from the all the massive stupahs that seem to spring up from the ground like a drawing from my sketch book come to life.  In one busy day we walked to Wat Pho, Wat Arun and the Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha all of which are virtually next door to each other.  It reminded me of Istanbul in that respect, standing in a great courtyard and getting an amazing 360 degree view of ancient, immaculate important historical culture.  Like Washington D.C. i suppose only far more visually stimulating.  There is just something calming and comforting about being surrounded by Buddha everywhere.  I far prefer Buddhist temples to Catholic churches.

What I enjoyed most though was my introduction into the explosion of new plant life that I think will ultimately come to define this entire trip.  The best time I spent in this city was an afternoon in Lumpini park.  A central park of sorts located in the center of the Crazy downtown area of Bangkok.  The trees, oh my lord, the trees this park had were some of the best tree displays I can ever remember seeing.  Old and mighty and extremely well kept like a Japanese rock garden from the earth.  I couldn't calm down over how perfectly picturesque they all were.  some were grouped together forming wonderful installations and some stood on their own like massive living sculptures.  I can already tell I will be going nuts over trees this entire trip.

I love you all and miss you dearly.  I am in Chiang Mai now and am having a blast.  I'll try to get this update in a more timely manner.

Tuesday brings on Vietnam!

Things are about to change!

Hello family and friends

Well the day is almost upon me.  I leave on this massive trip on Monday morning at 8:30.  Only 4 days left!!!  I can't believe it already here.  It seems like I am recounting a movie or book, not my actual plans for the next 4 months.  It will be amazing.

To bring everyone up to speed, here is the run down on the trip. 

The trip will start with 2 1/2 weeks in Thailand split between Bangkok and Chiang Mai in the North of the country.  From there I take a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam.  Once we are in Vietnam I have 3 1/2 weeks to make it down to Ho Chi Mihn City.  Not totally sure how this will happen but coastal train seems to be the obvious choice.  Next we are off to the island of Borneo.  There we are climbing Kota Kinabalu, the largest mountain in S.E. Asia at around 13,000 feet.  Borneo has one of the oldest rain forests in the world having only regrown 2 or 3 times EVER.  next we have a relaxing wee and a half in Bali before heading south of the border.  Australia is split between Sydney and Melbourne over 2 1/2 weeks.

Next it's off to New Zealand!!!  That is when everything changes and becomes much more of a "living" abroad trip rather then a "traveling" abroad trip.

This trip is truly going to be an amazing, life changing experience.  I am going to try my hardest to keep this blog up to date and filled with wonderful stories and pictures while i am away.  I hope you can fallow me!


Until next time,
Paulo