Hello Everyone,
Look for our new blog about our adventures in Asia in 2008-2009 at http://andrewrayna.vox.com
We are hoping that this will be a blog site we will be able to access easily unlike this one that was blocked. We will start to add to it in early August when we return for our next school year. Thanks for reading.
-Andrew and Rayna
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Rice Delivery
Andrew and fellow teachers deliver rice to the delta region. Lots od down trees and destroyed houses in this area.
Myanmar Aid
Here are some images of your money being used to purchase rice to deliver to the delta region.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Vietnam Reflections
Vietnam is loud, chaotic, and a country that’s rich for the senses. The food is delicious and very fresh, we are talking no preservatives, right from the garden and sea straight to your stomach. The country is geographically varied from large river deltas in the south to tropical coastlines to desert like regions with huge sand dunes to the mountains and cold weather of the north.
The people are independent and vary from friendly to rude. There is a theme of do whatever you can do to further yourself regardless of how you do it mentality that I find a little disturbing at times. This may stem from Vietnam’s past of constant attempts of colonization and control by the Chinese, French, Russians and the United States. The people here are very resourceful, able to make due with whatever they can find and make it work. The country seems to be one of little patience and order, but yet it functions and seems very successful capitalistically for a country that is supposedly communist. Perhaps Vietnam is a land of opposites.
Andrew and I have most enjoyed our time in Mui Ne where the lifestyle is about relaxing, enjoying nature and meeting interesting people. Most of the people, especially the Europeans, we have met are on long 2-3 month extended vacations. Some people have these types of vacations through their jobs, while others quit their jobs and are seeing the world for half a year before returning home and resuming their life. I found this concept so foreign to Americans. Compared to Europeans, we work so hard and for so little time off, plus many of us wouldn’t even consider quitting our jobs and traveling the world for a few months. This type of activity is just not in the American psyche, but maybe it should be. There is something to be said for seeing the world, there is also something to be said for taking responsibility for yourself and your financial situation.
Would I recommend visiting Vietnam? Yes. It is an interesting, beautiful and chaotic country. If anything, visit it for its gastronomic delights and its close ties to our own history during the Vietnam War. We found it a very different country from that portrayed in the media in the 1960s and 1970s.
The people are independent and vary from friendly to rude. There is a theme of do whatever you can do to further yourself regardless of how you do it mentality that I find a little disturbing at times. This may stem from Vietnam’s past of constant attempts of colonization and control by the Chinese, French, Russians and the United States. The people here are very resourceful, able to make due with whatever they can find and make it work. The country seems to be one of little patience and order, but yet it functions and seems very successful capitalistically for a country that is supposedly communist. Perhaps Vietnam is a land of opposites.
Andrew and I have most enjoyed our time in Mui Ne where the lifestyle is about relaxing, enjoying nature and meeting interesting people. Most of the people, especially the Europeans, we have met are on long 2-3 month extended vacations. Some people have these types of vacations through their jobs, while others quit their jobs and are seeing the world for half a year before returning home and resuming their life. I found this concept so foreign to Americans. Compared to Europeans, we work so hard and for so little time off, plus many of us wouldn’t even consider quitting our jobs and traveling the world for a few months. This type of activity is just not in the American psyche, but maybe it should be. There is something to be said for seeing the world, there is also something to be said for taking responsibility for yourself and your financial situation.
Would I recommend visiting Vietnam? Yes. It is an interesting, beautiful and chaotic country. If anything, visit it for its gastronomic delights and its close ties to our own history during the Vietnam War. We found it a very different country from that portrayed in the media in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
More Pictures from Vietnam
Just because everyone likes a good photo. Starting from the left, a pig crossing a pathway near a Hmong village, some Hmong boys near a store as we hike back to Sapa (there were laughing at Andrew as he unsuccessfully tried to work their spinning top), a wreckage sculpture of b-52s shots down in the Vietnam war, Rayna trying to bargain with Hmong women in Sapa.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Scams….they’re the worst. Like many travelers, Andrew and I came across some scams while traveling in Vietnam. We will share them now with you in hopes that they will help people to avoid future scams.
Scam #1: We didn’t arrive to Hanoi until late on Sunday night, so I booked a hotel on-line that was highly recommended by our lonely planet guidebook. I booked a standard room for $12-18 dollars/night. When we arrived that night, the small hotel was overbooked and we spent the night in the owner’s bedroom. Since it was 1am, we didn’t protest and just fell asleep. The next day we were moved into a normal room, that was ok except for the occasional smell of sewer gas and the fact that there was no hot water when there should have been.
I never got a direct quote on the hotel since it said it was $12-18 a night, but we found out upon checking that that is the price for 1 person, 2 people and the price goes to $25. Rigggggggggghhhhhhhht…….Can you sense the sarcasm? We found this out on the day we were leaving but didn’t want to argue too much because the hotel had our clothes because they were doing our laundry. The hotel owner had also booked our night train tickets to Sapa and would be driving us to the train station later that night. We were in a pickle. Lesson Learned: Always get a price quote before you stay somewhere and never stay at City Gate Hotel in Hanoi.
Scam #2: We were told that our sleeper car on the night train would be nice and have only 4 bunks. We ended up with a not-so-nice sleeper car train with 6 bunks per berth that not only had every bed filled but one of our sleeper mates was a Vietnamese man who wanted to smoke cigarettes. I don’t think so. Andrew told him in so many words that he was not allowed to smoke in our cabin. We survived the night but were not happy. On our second night train back to Hanoi we upgraded to the 4person sleeper berth and were much happier. Although we still felt burned at having paid the 4person sleeper berth price to begin with and then having been ripped off by our hotel. Lesson Learned: Always confirm and ask questions when booking any trip.
Scam#3: Just because you’re white and look like a tourist, people like to rip you off. I can take a little overcharging here or there, but there comes a point when you get annoyed (I like to say Hanoiannoyed) and get upset. Our second night train arrived in Hanoi at 4am, so we took to the streets to see what we could find to do. We ate at a nice street soup shop for 15,000 dong a person ($1). We decided to go to that same street stall for soup that evening and we were then charged 30,000 dong for the same soup ($2)! We refused to pay it and explained that we ate there in the morning for only 15,000, so there is no reason the soup would have doubled in price over the day, not to mention the fact that we say other people there only pay 15,000 for their soup.
Lesson Learned: Keep your eyes peeled for what the locals pay and do not back down.
Scam#4: Andrew and I wanted to change our plan ticket back to Ho Chi Minh City to a day earlier. When asking travel agents to do this we were met with a number of different prices to change tickets, ranging from $0 to $15. We had to go to the actual airline office to change our tickets and when were there at Pacific Airlines, they said that it would now cost $25 because there were no more economy seats and we would have to go to first class. We decided to go for this change after they said that they would pick us up at our hotel and drive us to the airport (which would be a $12 taxi ride).
The day we were to leave, the airline did not pick us up (as they had said they would and gave us a printed confirmation of this), so we had to have a taxi rush us to the airport. Talk about stressful. Then when we board the plane, we discover that there is no first class and that the plane is all the same class and we are stuck in a 3 seater with andrew on the aisle and myself in the middle (oh, great)! Disappointed does not even begin to describe how I felt.
Its one thing to get scammed on the street, but to get scammed from the actual airline office of Pacific airlines is another thing entirely. And this was not a misinterpretation between the two languages, but an outright scam. I didn’t think businesses could be that unscrupulous! These are the moments when I appreciate America and its laws.
Lesson Learned: Asian businesses are sometimes without morals.
Scam#5: We organized our flight back to Ho Chi Minh City around catching a 5:30pm train to a city nearby Mui Ne. I had asked a travel agent about the train schedule and he called and said that there was a 5:30pm train that traveled on the weekends. We got back to Ho Chi Minh on Saturday and took a taxi to the train station only to discover that there never is a train at 5:30pm on the weekend. When will the lies stop people! There was a train the next day at 6am but Andrew and I wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible, so we just bucked up and paid $65 to have a taxi drive us to Mui Ne.
Lesson Learned: Always double, triple check everything. There are lies everywhere.
To end on a happy note, now that we are back in Mui Ne, we have not encountered any scams and are ending our vacation on a happy, relaxed note. Amen!
Scam #1: We didn’t arrive to Hanoi until late on Sunday night, so I booked a hotel on-line that was highly recommended by our lonely planet guidebook. I booked a standard room for $12-18 dollars/night. When we arrived that night, the small hotel was overbooked and we spent the night in the owner’s bedroom. Since it was 1am, we didn’t protest and just fell asleep. The next day we were moved into a normal room, that was ok except for the occasional smell of sewer gas and the fact that there was no hot water when there should have been.
I never got a direct quote on the hotel since it said it was $12-18 a night, but we found out upon checking that that is the price for 1 person, 2 people and the price goes to $25. Rigggggggggghhhhhhhht…….Can you sense the sarcasm? We found this out on the day we were leaving but didn’t want to argue too much because the hotel had our clothes because they were doing our laundry. The hotel owner had also booked our night train tickets to Sapa and would be driving us to the train station later that night. We were in a pickle. Lesson Learned: Always get a price quote before you stay somewhere and never stay at City Gate Hotel in Hanoi.
Scam #2: We were told that our sleeper car on the night train would be nice and have only 4 bunks. We ended up with a not-so-nice sleeper car train with 6 bunks per berth that not only had every bed filled but one of our sleeper mates was a Vietnamese man who wanted to smoke cigarettes. I don’t think so. Andrew told him in so many words that he was not allowed to smoke in our cabin. We survived the night but were not happy. On our second night train back to Hanoi we upgraded to the 4person sleeper berth and were much happier. Although we still felt burned at having paid the 4person sleeper berth price to begin with and then having been ripped off by our hotel. Lesson Learned: Always confirm and ask questions when booking any trip.
Scam#3: Just because you’re white and look like a tourist, people like to rip you off. I can take a little overcharging here or there, but there comes a point when you get annoyed (I like to say Hanoiannoyed) and get upset. Our second night train arrived in Hanoi at 4am, so we took to the streets to see what we could find to do. We ate at a nice street soup shop for 15,000 dong a person ($1). We decided to go to that same street stall for soup that evening and we were then charged 30,000 dong for the same soup ($2)! We refused to pay it and explained that we ate there in the morning for only 15,000, so there is no reason the soup would have doubled in price over the day, not to mention the fact that we say other people there only pay 15,000 for their soup.
Lesson Learned: Keep your eyes peeled for what the locals pay and do not back down.
Scam#4: Andrew and I wanted to change our plan ticket back to Ho Chi Minh City to a day earlier. When asking travel agents to do this we were met with a number of different prices to change tickets, ranging from $0 to $15. We had to go to the actual airline office to change our tickets and when were there at Pacific Airlines, they said that it would now cost $25 because there were no more economy seats and we would have to go to first class. We decided to go for this change after they said that they would pick us up at our hotel and drive us to the airport (which would be a $12 taxi ride).
The day we were to leave, the airline did not pick us up (as they had said they would and gave us a printed confirmation of this), so we had to have a taxi rush us to the airport. Talk about stressful. Then when we board the plane, we discover that there is no first class and that the plane is all the same class and we are stuck in a 3 seater with andrew on the aisle and myself in the middle (oh, great)! Disappointed does not even begin to describe how I felt.
Its one thing to get scammed on the street, but to get scammed from the actual airline office of Pacific airlines is another thing entirely. And this was not a misinterpretation between the two languages, but an outright scam. I didn’t think businesses could be that unscrupulous! These are the moments when I appreciate America and its laws.
Lesson Learned: Asian businesses are sometimes without morals.
Scam#5: We organized our flight back to Ho Chi Minh City around catching a 5:30pm train to a city nearby Mui Ne. I had asked a travel agent about the train schedule and he called and said that there was a 5:30pm train that traveled on the weekends. We got back to Ho Chi Minh on Saturday and took a taxi to the train station only to discover that there never is a train at 5:30pm on the weekend. When will the lies stop people! There was a train the next day at 6am but Andrew and I wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible, so we just bucked up and paid $65 to have a taxi drive us to Mui Ne.
Lesson Learned: Always double, triple check everything. There are lies everywhere.
To end on a happy note, now that we are back in Mui Ne, we have not encountered any scams and are ending our vacation on a happy, relaxed note. Amen!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Hmong people near Sapa
Our second day in Sapa, consisted of a good 4 hour hike with two Hmong women to their village down the mountain. We had a great day of cultural exchange with them that included trekking down the rice-terraced mountain, exchanging stories of our families and lives (they could speak English fairly well), enjoying soup together, watching them harvest a garden, visiting their homes and buying some embroidered fabric and jewelry from them.
The women were especially nimble and strong, trekking down the muddy sides of the mountain with ease wearing sandles, while Andrew and I carefully watched our footing as we moved over rocks, crossed through mud and small streams. At a few points in our hike, both Hmong women held my hands to help me down the path. They were lively, humourous and great guides. Definitely a day I'll remember for a long time.
Andrew's New Hobbies
While in Sapa, Andrew acquired two new hobbies: admiring cabbages and giving northern water buffalo a good itching.
Trekking in Sapa
Sapa is a moutainous town in the North of Vietnam, close to the border with China. Andrew and I traveled there to do some hiking in the moutains to see beautiful rice-terraced hillsides and the villages of the Hmong people who live there.
The weather there was the coldest we have encountered since leaving the United States. In Sapa itself, it was foggy, misty and about 45-55 degrees. I know 45 degrees is not that cold, but it is cold when you do not have a jacket, but only a zip-up, hat, scarf, and gloves. It is even colder when none of the buildings have heat. Let's just say that taking a shower was an exercise in self-discipline. A better way to think of our time in Sapa is to think of camping in the fall. Its always cold, you never fully heat up but its pretty and you appreciate the views.
We stayed there for 2 days and 1 night. After we were done hiking, we would go to the 1 or 2 bars in town that had a fireplace to bring our temperatures back up. Then we would go back to our hotel and lay under the covers, this was nice but hard to get out of when you feel so toasty warm inside.
The hiking of trekking in Sapa was beautiful. Once you hiked down from the town, you would get out of the mist to see beautifully terraced hills and valleys. You would also get to visit a number of villages of the Hmong people. Enjoy the photos from our hikes.
Museums of Hanoi
While in Hanoi, Andrew and I thought it would be best to visit the museums of Vietnam, especially those that commented on the Vietnam War. In our few days in Hanoi, we visited the Army Museum (lots of old planes, bombs and artifacts from Vietnam's history of trying to overthrow colonizers -China, France and the US), the B-52 Museum (a collection of B-52 planes and parts shot down during the Vietnam War), the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Mausoleum (the museum itself was very modern and artsy, we didn't get to see Ho Chi Minh in the mausoleum though because it is only open to viewing in the morning hours) and the Ethnology Museum, which highlights the different ethnic groups in Vietnam (lots of good exhibits on the Hmong people).
Images of Hanoi
Here is an image of Andrew at a temple that sits in the middle of Hoam Kiem Lake in Hanoi and the very large turtle that came out of the lake in 1968 (other large turtles have been seen since, this one was 6 feet long). There is also a picture of Rayna enjoy a bowl of pho ga (chicken noodle soup) on the street. The soup consists of chicken, rice noodles, lime juice, chilies and lots of herbs.
Getting Around Hanoi
The easiest way to get around Hanoi is to hop on the back of motorbike and have the driver scoot through traffic to your destination. Hanoi is a honking nightmare of little street rules other than get where you need to go any way you can. It doesn't really make sense to Andrew or myself but somehow it functions. I am just glad I do not have to do the driving and can just sit on the back and enjoy the ride.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
the wee hours in Hanoi
So Andrew and I took the night train from Sapa back into Hanoi. The night train is an ok experience. Sleeping in a small room with two bunks and constant stopping throughout the night is not the best way to catch up on your beauty rest, but it is a good way to travel a long distance without letting extreme boredom set in.
As we took the night train back into Hanoi, the only thing we were unaware of is the fact that the train arrives at 4am and we were unable to check into our hotel until 12pm. So, needless to say, we had some time to kill and no where to go. We arrived at our hotel and dropped off our luggage at 4:30am and then hit the quiet streets to see what we could do at such odd hours.
We walked the quiet and lonely streets of the old quarter, until we came upon a street vendor selling pho bo (beef noodle soup) and pho ga (chicken noodle soup). We decided that a 4:30am soup sitting would be in our best interests and it was. Pho bo and pho ga is pretty much the national dish of Vietnam. It consists of rice noodles in a clear beef or chicken broth that is flavored with a lot of fresh herbs like chives, parlsey, cilantro, mint and lime. You can also add chili sauce and some sort of pickled liquid to it as well.
At about 5:45am, we hit the streets again looking for a cup of coffee. Surprisingly, there is little to nothing open at this time as shops are just beginning to pull up their metal gates and prepare for the day. We did see somethings that surprised us though. On a bad note, we saw a pile of slaughtered dogs being cleaned on the sidewalks for eating. On a good note, we saw some great Tai Chi being practiced by older women near the lake and a variety of weird and wacky Vietnamese fitness regiments being executed. One man continued to whip his head wildly in clockwise and counterclockwise motions for five minutes, while another sat upside down on a park bench and swung his legs wildly above him. The viewing of these fun morning exercises was definitely the highlight of our morning.
It is now noon and the city is back to its normal chaotic hum, a very different rhythm than the wee hours of Hanoi.
As we took the night train back into Hanoi, the only thing we were unaware of is the fact that the train arrives at 4am and we were unable to check into our hotel until 12pm. So, needless to say, we had some time to kill and no where to go. We arrived at our hotel and dropped off our luggage at 4:30am and then hit the quiet streets to see what we could do at such odd hours.
We walked the quiet and lonely streets of the old quarter, until we came upon a street vendor selling pho bo (beef noodle soup) and pho ga (chicken noodle soup). We decided that a 4:30am soup sitting would be in our best interests and it was. Pho bo and pho ga is pretty much the national dish of Vietnam. It consists of rice noodles in a clear beef or chicken broth that is flavored with a lot of fresh herbs like chives, parlsey, cilantro, mint and lime. You can also add chili sauce and some sort of pickled liquid to it as well.
At about 5:45am, we hit the streets again looking for a cup of coffee. Surprisingly, there is little to nothing open at this time as shops are just beginning to pull up their metal gates and prepare for the day. We did see somethings that surprised us though. On a bad note, we saw a pile of slaughtered dogs being cleaned on the sidewalks for eating. On a good note, we saw some great Tai Chi being practiced by older women near the lake and a variety of weird and wacky Vietnamese fitness regiments being executed. One man continued to whip his head wildly in clockwise and counterclockwise motions for five minutes, while another sat upside down on a park bench and swung his legs wildly above him. The viewing of these fun morning exercises was definitely the highlight of our morning.
It is now noon and the city is back to its normal chaotic hum, a very different rhythm than the wee hours of Hanoi.
Rude American? Not in Vietnam
The Vietnamese people are very pushy. This isn't to say they are mean, but it is a simple cultural difference. There is no such thing as a line or waiting your turn in Vietnam. If people want something, they just go ahead and push till they get it. If you are in their way, they just push you aside. This has become evident to me at the airport, at stories, buying museum tickets and in the way they drive.
While we were standing in line at the airport to check-in, people kept pushing past us and cutting in line. At first I thought there was a reason behind this, but there was none other than "to each his own." While I was looking at a shirt in a store, a woman pushed me aside and grabbed the same shirt. After a few instances of this, Andrew and I have finally figured it out and are doing some pushing and cutting of our own and let me tell you it feels good. Amen! So to sum up, I want to say that I don't think there can be a thing such as a rude American in Vietnam because that is the way things flow.
While we were standing in line at the airport to check-in, people kept pushing past us and cutting in line. At first I thought there was a reason behind this, but there was none other than "to each his own." While I was looking at a shirt in a store, a woman pushed me aside and grabbed the same shirt. After a few instances of this, Andrew and I have finally figured it out and are doing some pushing and cutting of our own and let me tell you it feels good. Amen! So to sum up, I want to say that I don't think there can be a thing such as a rude American in Vietnam because that is the way things flow.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Hanoi Christmas
We are in Hanoi and although it is Christmas eve, it feels strangely like autumn. There is a chill in the air that is refreshing and a few trees are changing color. The city is loud, chaotic but also beautiful and modern. We have enjoyed the switch from the beach and the cold weather.
We spent our day walking around the city, shopping and site seeing.
A few highlights include viewing the gigantic stuffed 6 foot tortoise that emerged from a small lake in the middle of the city in 1968. This tortoise is connected with the legend of the lake and the return of a famous sword, a few hundred years ago. Other large tortoises have been sighted in recent years with the last being in 2002. Andrew and I used our best scanning and telekinethic skills to make the tortoise surface the lake for our christmas wish, but we, alas, were unsuccessful.
To cheer up our dampened hopes, we decided to do a little christmas shopping and purchased the complete DVD set of Twin Peaks (highly recommended by Kanyun for years and difficult to find) and all 18 seasons of the Simpsons on DVD for $30. We will now be in television show heaven upon our return to Yangon.
TV shows on DVD has to be one of the best ideas of recent years. While I tend to overdose on episodes by watching 6 in a row, its great to be able to see what happens next in a show, immediately next! I highly recommend the first season of Heroes. Hiro is my Hero!
Tomorrow we hit the War Museum and perhaps the Museum of Ethnology! Merry Christmas Eve Everyone!
We spent our day walking around the city, shopping and site seeing.
A few highlights include viewing the gigantic stuffed 6 foot tortoise that emerged from a small lake in the middle of the city in 1968. This tortoise is connected with the legend of the lake and the return of a famous sword, a few hundred years ago. Other large tortoises have been sighted in recent years with the last being in 2002. Andrew and I used our best scanning and telekinethic skills to make the tortoise surface the lake for our christmas wish, but we, alas, were unsuccessful.
To cheer up our dampened hopes, we decided to do a little christmas shopping and purchased the complete DVD set of Twin Peaks (highly recommended by Kanyun for years and difficult to find) and all 18 seasons of the Simpsons on DVD for $30. We will now be in television show heaven upon our return to Yangon.
TV shows on DVD has to be one of the best ideas of recent years. While I tend to overdose on episodes by watching 6 in a row, its great to be able to see what happens next in a show, immediately next! I highly recommend the first season of Heroes. Hiro is my Hero!
Tomorrow we hit the War Museum and perhaps the Museum of Ethnology! Merry Christmas Eve Everyone!
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