Along the southern boarder of Laos, bumping up against northeastern Cambodia there's a group of islands, smack dab in the middle of the Mekong River. The mass is named after the sheer quantity of islands... supposedly 4,000, but I wouldn't know, I stopped counting after 12. Of the 4,000 islands you only hear about three of them and we chose to spend our time on Dong Khon, the southernly most island.


The highlight of the islands is that there is no highlight. It has to be the most relaxed and chilled out place we've encountered on our entire journey (perhaps only usurped by Pai, but we'll get to that later). We spent 4 relaxed days mainly on our bungalow's porch overlooking the Mekong watching life go by, when not catching up on reading and writing (who am I kidding, I didn't write a word) but seriously folks, the place was a small sleepy fishing and farming village, with just enough tourism comforts to be convenient without being tacky or overrun. It was magic... and in addition the people were spectacular! The place we stayed at was a small operation, four bungalows total. Three generations lived on the premasis, which was perfectly set right on the river, as well as being adjacent to the island's only wat (Buddhist Temple).... that's how I spell p-e-a-c-e-f-u-l. Most interesting about the family as well as the majority of households is that tourism is not the main source of income. They're all doing other things in order to make ends-meat... for most the main source was fishing. The fishing market ended up being across from our accommodation. When I say market I mean people congregate with their last night's catch (mostly catfish) on the ground, it's weighed out, people are paid appropriately, some is immediately sold to interested parties, and the rest is stacked into baskets and carried to a boat which is headed to the mainland. On good mornings, I'd get back from a run to see the guys celebrating with the local beverage of choice called laolao, rice whiskey... yeah that's at about 7:30 AM, and of course you can't say no to celebrating Laos gents.

But that was it. We spent time with the family, one night sitting around husking nuts used with betle, which once husked only gets them about $2 per kg.. NOTHING! and spending time with the kids of the family... throwing a cd back and forth was a good one, until we gave the boys a tennis ball, which they loved.

We actually did do one touristy thing... we went to see the fresh water dolphins. There are supposedly under 40 left in the world and this set lives right along the Laos, Cambodian boarder. You take a 30 min long nose boat ride out to the viewing area. We chose to pay the extra $1 to run aground on the Cambodian side of the river have a couple of Beerlao and watch the dolphins from ashore... just as the sun set. It was magic and a great way to start our last evening. We then proceeded to be invited to the boat driver's beach side restaurant for dinner with his family. It ended up being a type of hot pot with fish and vegetables, oh and laolao of course. It was so quinessential Laos, making it difficult for us to leave.

But alas plans called and we had to head north. Luang Prabang was our next stop and our party was about to grow to 4, then 6. We said good-bye to Dong Khone with fond memories and the hope that this fairly unspoilt spot would keep its charm and innocence until our next visit, in a few years.

After spending some quality time in Vietnam we realized if we wanted to taste the other three countries on our itinerary we would have to skip some intricate exploration.  Entering Cambodia we realized right away that we would have to return to get a the full flavor of the lives these people live and decided to make Siem Reap our focus after a brief stop in Phnom Penh. 
  Siem Reap is conveniently set up for tourists and backpackers making their way through Cambodia. So not to get confused they've even labeled a street 'Pub Street' with happy hours from open to late with buy one $.50 draft get a second free.  The town has a carefree Southeast Asia feel to it with night markets selling silk, silver and just about anything you can write Angkor Wat on.  There are many western comforts lining the streets from pizza and hamburgers to massage tables and convenient stores.  The true attraction and often why so many people stop in this town is because less then 10km outside of town lies the lost city of Angkor. 
  What was once a bustling city is now only remnants of the finest artisans in history.  The carvings that remain in the sandstone and plaster describes their lives in amazing detail and tell stories of gods that these people devoted their lives to.  Angkor is the most hands-on experience you will ever have with art from thousands of years ago.  You feel mischievous as you climb over large pieces of sandstone with elephants and buddas carved into them, almost as if you snuck into the museum after hours and crossed the velvet rope.  In the land of Angkor nothing is off limits as you wander through the Khmer world. 
  Although we had an incredible time exploring this piece of Cambodia's past it pains me to look around and realize that everyone my age and older has lived through one of the most horrific periods in our worlds history.  We know that we must return to this beautiful country to get a deeper feeling for the battle these people have had to fight in their lifetime.  There is so much beauty in Cambodia and the people are amazing in their generosity as we travel through a land that is so foreign to us.  It makes me step back and think about how solid the ground is in our country and how shaken it has been for so many to this day.  

We heard a lot of negative things about Vietnam, before, during and after our trip there. Mainly people had an issue with how the Vietnamese prey on tourists.  There's the relentless hassling of touts in every touristic area, then there's the tourist price vs. the local price.  Those two things, added to the fact that Vietnam can easily be a package travel type country seems to have turned a bunch of people off.

I'll admit there are times you get quite sick of saying 'no thank you' or as my cousin Pat's favorite 'Thanks, but I already have one of those', but we didn't let it get to us to the level of having it be the first thing we say about Vietnam.  Often times I took it as an opportunity to have a conversation.  You'd be amazed how quickly the 'touter' can be come the 'touted' if you just respond with a simple question.  How's business this year?  Where's this place? Where is this stuff made?  All different ways to get the focus off of you buying something.

Same thing with the prices.  We accept the fact that tourists will pay more, but like anywhere, if you come into a buying situation with some information about what you're buying, you'll come out alright in Vietnam.  Sure there are always exceptions, like that $15 chopstick set we bought, then saw a local buy for $2 (may or may not have happened), but you grit your teeth, say 'you've won this battle, but the war's not over' and move on.

The level of orgnization around tourism in Vietnam can get overwhelming and slightly annoying for the typical do-it-yourselfer.  It seemed often times you can't get any information about a place without the first thing being 'but we have a tour for that, please look, here.'  But again, diligence can be rewarded here in spades. 

Halong Bay is a good example.  Halong Bay is northeast of Hanoi, in northern Vietnam, absolutely beautiful backdrop of limestone karst mountains jutting out of the ocean.  A 'must-see' for any Vietnam trip.  Most people see Halong Bay through a 2 or 3 day tour with companies out of Hanoi, which includes one night on pretty tacky replica junk boat and often a second night on the largest inhabited island in the area Cat Ba.  But with just a little more effort we heard stories of at least 3 groups finding a ride out to Halong Bay (town) then getting ferried directly over to Cat Ba island - on some pretty local forms of transport - and spending all of their time on the Cat Ba, perhaps not even seeing the "true" Halong Bay, but undoubtedly getting a good view of the surrounding landscape and enjoying everything that Cat Ba had to offer - including day trips into the waters from there, a national park, good cycling and hiking etc.

We actually opted for a tour which included a night on the boat, kayaking for a day and a night on Cat Ba.     The highlights for me were 1) kayaking, 2) the place we stayed on Cat Ba and the sunset that evening 3) the people we met on the boat.  We met Adrian and Barbara, a Dutch couple, there, then again later in the trip and had a really nice time with them.  It never would have happened if we had done the do-it-yourselfer thing... So there you go as is the case always, there's good and not so good in every situation you're in.  It's up to you to make the decision, then make the best of the situation, because in the end everything will turn out alright.

We really enjoyed Vietnam and I can bet that our great experience was in large part due to the fact that we did take our time and 'did the place justice'.  Lovely.

Welcome to the plastic chair society. We've been traveling through Vietnam for about three weeks now and taking in the culture of yet another Asian society. At first glance you see similarities, the ability to fit whole families on motor bikes, the fashionable face masks and the dedication to farming. However, one thing that Vietnam has perfected is its ability to set up a restaurant on any street corner. All you need is a creative heating vessel and a stack of red and blue plastic chairs. You see locals with the whole set up on the back of their bike and then two minutes later they have twenty people sitting at their make shift restaurant eating delicious creations. Don't go looking for a menu though, often times there's only one thing being served and it's usually dependent on the time of day. It makes the ordering process pretty easy, "how many would you like?"
For me Vietnam has always been the name of a war my father fought in and didn't talk much about. I came here expecting to be overwhelmed with signs of the War and to see massive destruction. Instead I found that people have moved on with their lives and the next generation knows a new world. They'll still talk about the "American" war and the pain that it caused their uncles and brothers but as a whole people are much more focused on themselves and their family's future, then holding a grudge towards Americans or any of the other historical occupiers of their lands. Most are now very supportive of the reunification of their country. We've visited some areas that were severely destroyed during the war and tunnels that were someone's only hope at safety but there has been a lot of rebuilding and growth that hides these battle wounds.
My new vision of Vietnam is kids riding double in uniforms on their way to school, communities of farmers all working together on the next phase of cultivation and street corners with blue and red plastic stools waiting for the next "I'll take two."

So, we spent three weeks in China this Fall, broken up by a that month long side trip to Nepal. Annie posted early on in our time here, but we wanted to do at least more more post on our experience in this amazing country. Here goes...

China was tough to love at first. Coming from Japan, an ultra-evolved society, China and specifically Beijing felt like a work in progress. We expected this, but I think we had become quite comfortable with the superbly clean side walks, professional construction sites, western style public bathrooms, and civilized rules of the road. Things in China started off along those same lines, first in the newly constructed international terminal at PEK airport and also as you're whisked into town on the brand-new airport express light rail line. Then you get out of the subway at Fuchungman station and it hits you like a tonna bricks: bikes, buses, construction, vendors... all at dusk. It was slightly overwhelming... especially because I don't think we were all that weathered in developing countries at that point in October.

Our Beijing accommodation was northwest of Tian'amen. Place was cool, and COLD. Google "beijing hutong", look at pictures and you'll get an idea - door off an ally opens to a stone courtyard, lined with bedrooms and dorms. Our place also had a common room, free wifi and a staff - mainly this one lady, Juju who wouldn't quit with the hospitality, which really made the stay worthwhile.

We did the sites in Beijing, slowly becoming accustom to the style. Then we headed to Shanghai on an overnight train. Which, once we got into the Beijing train station - holy shite it felt like the entire city was trying to catch an urgent lift out of town that night - proved to be a very comfortable experience. It included complimentary slippers - which I can't get enough of and a bunk long enough for the tallest of travelers.

Shanghai was very very interesting. We had a great set up at a former colleague's place, who went above and beyond to secure bikes and touristy info for us. We did the biking thing, the pearl thing, a night out which included a twelve dollar, hour long massage at 11:30 PM and we were even able to meet up with a Medullan colleague, in town as part of her own China vacation. So Shanghai had all that going for it, but Annie and I both got a bit into the history of the place - western cultural and architectural influences, role in historical international trade, involvement in the Opium Wars, role in governmental struggles between Nationalists and Communists, its new found position as the economic powerhouse of China and its continued focus on outward perfection as it works to host the 2010 World Expo. The beauty for us was the ability to still walk through its old city and find the noodle shops, fruit, antique and book markets which have stood for centuries. We strolled through parks watching men and women play card, chinese chess and mahjong. Combine these things and you've got an exciting and interesting atmosphere that deserves some time.

We then spent 3 days in what's described as Shanghai's beach weekend getaway, a group of islands southeast of the city called Zhoushan. Unremarkable. Best part of the 3 days would have to be the food. Fish and other sea creatures sit in tanks, you point, negotiatevprice... once you're settled on your choice, it's pulled out of the tank, if necessary it's batted over the head a couple times, then steamed, poached, fried or grilled to perfection..add a vegetable, some rice and a few beers and you've got a meal. Delic!

Then back to Beijing...throw a failed attempt to get to Xi'an in there and it's back to the same hostel. This second trip was all about getting back to fly to Nepal, and getting to the Great Wall. We did and it was awesome! A lot of the historical significance was lost on us... 7th century BC, unified the sets of fortified walls already built around villages and states, modified, rebuilt, extended for centuries after that, mostly what you see now done done during Ming Dynasty, blah blah blah... What we took away from the day was that the Wall is a work of art and a pretty hefty hike. We walked the 12 km Simatai to Jinshanling section, which was gorgeous with numerous watch towers and a good stretch of natural, unrestored wall. It was surreal to see the wall meander through the hillside as far as the eye could see. Very worth the 3 1/2 hour bus trip out of Beijing.

During those last few days in Beijing we also spent some time in ArtSpace 798. It's blocks of galleries and studios for artists, west of city center. It was something I would have not expected to see in Beijing or China for that matter - a place for artists to express themselves and attempt to make a living from their freedoms of artistic creativity. In that way, Beijing impressed me and made Annie I both feel as though it would be a very interesting place to get to know better.

After a month long intermission in Nepal we made our second touch down in the region this time further south. Flying into Hong Kong just isn't what it was ten years ago when the landing strip was in the middle of the city but when a flight is uneventful I guess that's a good sign. Leaving the land of power shortage and chaotic streets of Nepal we found ourselves in one of the most affluent, lit up, organized cities in the world and right in the middle of the Christmas rush. We found Hong Kong to be beautiful and worth a second visit at some point in our lives but also felt the less populated southern Mainland call our names.

A horrific night bus ride north, left us in the middle of Yongshuo (southern guangxi province) in the middle of the night. Not calculating the trip time perfectly left us on the city's streets at about 4 AM with the only respite being an internet cafe with a dozen teenage dudes, smoking cigarettes, drinking red bull and playing online games . No worries- we know how to kill time online. Our time in Yongshuo was some of the trip's best due to our comfortable accommodations at the Giggling Tree and our love of peddle bikes on flat roads in the country. The landscape is flat farmland except for massive limestone peaks that rise fast and high. Needless to say we stayed longer then we expected.

Our time in China didn't start with love at first sight but it ended with a promise to return and explore further. It was time to move on to Southeast Asia and look under the covers of Vietnam.