We’re currently stuck over what to do with our remaining time (and money). There’s so many things we can do in Luang Prabang: cooking classes, trekking, weaving classes, elephant trekking, elephant trainer courses, etc. Luckily, we can stay here for as long as we like, and actually it’s more cost effective if we do (since we have to go to Thailand next). Here’s a sample of our daily costs…
Breakfast (eggs, sausages, coffee, toast etc.) = $6 US
Lunch (sandwich from a food cart, or maybe some noodles) = $2
Dinner (two Lao dishes and sticky rice, or maybe a pizza and salad, beer and drinks) = $10
Guesthouse accomodation (hot water, attatched bathroom, fan, good location, decent bed) = $8
Total cost = $26 for TWO people ($13 a person)
And we’re also living very, very comfortably. We’re not includng the one-hour massages for $4, or the silver jewelry for $3. If we were willing to forgo hot water and our own bathroom, and if we ate like a locals every meal, our costs drop to under $10 a day. Quite frankly though, the prices could be 4x higher and I’d still love it here. It’s not about the costs at all, really, though that does allow us to stay here longer. What we love is the atmosphere and the people.
There’s none of that hustle-and-bustle that you see in Thailand or Vietnam, very few of the jaded faces, none of the obvious hatred to tourists you see in those countries (and is pretty deserved, honestly). I think they’ve learned the lessons of Vietnam, which sadly was one of the most unpleasant places we went to. Prostitution is illegal here, and foreigners cannot have sexual relations with Lao people unless they’re married. This also makes the atmosphere much nicer for me, since no one immediately assumes that since I’m with a white guy, I’m a prostitute. It also means there’s fewer nasty old sex-tourist men, and since all establishments must close by 11:30pm and there’s a 12am curfew, it also means Laos isn’t party central so you get fewer obnoxious jerks on their gap year.
There’s so many commendable fair trade shops and treks, lots of eco-tourism, and programs to ensure tourists behave themselves around the Lao people. It’s a wonderful effort and I’m really hoping the next time I can make it out here nothing much has changed except to clean up the countryside and raise more people out of poverty, because I’m positive we’ll come back, but next time we’ll bring friends.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
So, here Hugh and I were sitting in a net cafe, when four young novice monks entered the shop. They were dressed in the usual saffron-colored robes and shaved heads and eyebrows. You see these monks commonly around South-East Asia, but Hugh and I are always amazed to see them doing “normal things” like buying DVDs or playing on the Internet. I know they’re not Amish and there’s no law against them using technology, it’s just interesting juxtaposition I guess.
Just moments ago, the two novices sitting next to us were smiling at us and giggling over something written in English. Hugh tried to extend a helping hand, but they just smiled at him. When they finally got up to leave, they walked over to us and asked Hugh where he was from and all that in perfect English. They were especially excited to hear Hugh was from Melbourne, since there’s apparently a Buddhist temple there and one of the monks friends had been there. Funny conversation.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
A small collection of jars and a pretty tree
One of my initial reasons to come to Laos was to visit the Plain of Jars. We love mysterious ruins/monuments and the journey to find them. Going to the Jars wasn’t really much of an adventure, per se, but the Jars themselves were creepy and ethereal.
Bricks warning about UXOs. Always stay between the white side of the bricks... or you could be in that bomb crater in the distance of this photo
There’s various legends and myths around the jars, but the one with the most proof is that they used to be coffins. Anyways, all I can say for sure is that it was weird and surreal trekking into a forests, through rice fields, and up a mountain and suddenly seeing all these ancient stone jars littered around the area. It was also weird passing by so many bomb craters.
I didn’t know this before leaving, but Laos is one of the most heavily bombed countries on earth. Even today they have UXOs (unexploded ordanances) which kill/maim people every year. All around the Plain site were little stone markers warning you not to stray from the area of risk getting killed. Crazy.
This jar was particularly big...
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
Since we enjoyed our last caving experience, we decided to go kayaking and caving today… and our inexperience mixed with the relative difficulty of it and a guide more interested in asking questions about English proved to be a little trickier and nerve-wracking than before. This time we were taken to the biggest cave in Vang Vieng, which might have been awesome…except for the fact we had to climb in and out of the cave with a CANDLE. A candle! What the hell?! Not like, ooh look at me and my awesome candle-stick and candle-holder…I mean, a birthday candle (photos later.)
Well, we’re not dead…but Laos has never scored high on the whole health and safety standards thing. I mean, the fact that I have to plug my computer into a bamboo pole should say something. Everytime I type I get electrocuted. =P
Anyways, we’re off tomorrow for Phonsavan and the mysterious Plain of Jars… so long Vang Vieng, it’s been awesome.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
Far left hammock? We were there. ;)
We just spent all day lying in a hammock on a bamboo thatched hut over the river. We periodically drank delicious pineapple and banana drinks. We watched cows walk across the river. We watched kids swim. We picked pretty rocks out of the river. I fell asleep in a big blue hammock while the wind blew over my hair and the sun kissed my face. Hugh, however, did not get tan (it’s the pasty-gene).
I don’t want to leave. But then again, we don’t have to…
Until our visa runs out, at least. =P But then again, we can always get an extension…
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
We took the trip from Vientiane to Vang Vieng on a local bus. Being sore from constant scamming in Thailand and Vietnam, we were stunned to actually meet helpful people who weren’t trying to secretly sneak us onto a crowded mini-bus, but were just kindly pointing which one to go to. The local bus proved to be much nicer than “VIP” buses. Yeah, sure the VIP ones are airconditioned, but you don’t really need it. Opening a window is much cooler (Laos isn’t humid at the moment.) Furthermore, A/C means nothing when there’s 25 extra people on board.
We passed lots of small rural Laotian villages and what struck me was that nearly every home, hut, or shanty had a satellite. I saw homes that looked like speaking above a whisper would send the entire thing crashing into a river, homes with probably no running water, yet they all had satellite televisions.
We arrived in Vang Vieng in one piece, but half expecting cracked out zombie stoners to be roaming the streets. Instead, the town is incredibly chilled out. The locals are extremely friendly and walking around town has been a pleasure. One of the best/worst things about Vang Vieng are all the TV bars. They’ve got TVs playing movies or TV shows and these big lounging platforms so you can lie on pillows and just zone out on TV (or something else.) We spent hours watching the Family Guy and just eating pizza. Now we’re in a bar (Hugh’s in a hammock) eating cheesy fries and watching the new Indiana Jones…
This has definitely been pretty awesome.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
Perhaps we spoke too soon, but after a few days in Vientiane I’m not as enthralled anymore. Having some tuktuk driver offer you drugs on a dark road is a little unnerving.
Anyways, we leave today for Vang Vieng to do some “adventure” (or soft-adventure) travel.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
7:00AM - Whoohoo! We’re awake, lets buy food for the bus trip and go…!
9:00AM - Yay, the bus is leaving!
9:15AM - Hmm…. looks like we’re picking up people along the way….
10:30AM - Are we out of Savannakhet yet?
11:00AM - WTF they’re loading planks of wood on the roof?
12:00PM - Pitstop for lunch and more passengers… that lady’s selling eggs on a stick. How do you get eggs on a stick with the shell still on them?
12:05PM - Hey that lady’s got chicken butt….or bat butt… hmm, tiny wings…
12:30PM - Bathroom break. In the bushes. Pass.
1:00PM - Please stop loading people on the bus. The aisles are full already.
1:30PM - Oh god, I think that lady is throwing up…
1:35PM - Damnit, they’re passing the bag of vomit up the aisle.
2:00PM - Zzzzzz….
2:30PM - Are we there yet?
2:35PM - Cool, someone’s getting off. Time to stretch!
2:40PM - WTF 5 people are getting on?
3:30PM - Old man is yelling about stuff and everyone’s laughing at him… crazy old dudes.
4:00PM - Whoo hoo, 70km from Vientiene!
5:30PM - 20km from Vientiene? What the….
6:50PM - Thank god we’ve arrived!
Of course, it wouldn’t be another hour until we got to the hotel and finally got to eat dinner (we had passed on the egg-sticks and the bat/chicken sticks so just ate chocolate and baguettes the entire time.) Despite all of this, I still like this country a lot.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
You’d think that after hours of being on a bus, crammed to the brim with bags of rice, luggage, and god knows what that I’d be sore and angry, but yet, I think I’m in love.
On the bus to Vietnam, we met three other foreigners and we shared battle scars from our travels in Vietnam. We wearily admitted to each other that we were tired of travel and Vietnam helped that happen. Yet when we pulled into Savannakhet and walked around town, I believe we were all rejuvenated and our mutual love for travel was renewed. Everywhere we went people smiled and waved and said hello (or bonjour or sabaidee). Dinner was delicious and the waitress was far too thankful for her 4000 kip tip (approximately 40 cents). We went home, took cold showers (no hot water), and slept under a fan (no a/c) listening to goats bleating…and it was a great.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
Well, we’ve been in Vietnam since the 22nd of October. To be honest, it hasn’t been easy on us. It’s been a mix of reasons, and while I won’t solely blame our troubles on this, the fact we are an interracial couple (with me being Asian) has proven to be difficult here. However, that’s not why we’re leaving… the floods in northern Vietnam (and the promise of more rain) mean that we just don’t have the stamina to deal with wading through knee-deep water.
So, we’re off to Laos now. We will be arriving in Savannakhet in about 10 hours. I’m really excited about Laos because I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, though we might not have internet access for weeks… Off we go!
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
I knew she was sick, but Japanese people never talk about these things. Before I left they told me that she had cancer, but she was going to be okay. But I could always tell they were lying. Japanese people don't like to talk about terminal illness or death.
I never got to say goodbye to her. She was too sick to come to my farewell party. People just told me she was too busy. It makes me so mad. I wish I had known. :/
- posting from:Hue, Vietnam
We’ve had to unfortunately cut our trip to Vietnam short by about two weeks. We’ll be traveling to Laos tomorrow, so before I quite possibly have no internet connection for a month I thought I’d upload some photos. If you wanna see more, check out http://www.flickr.com/himene/
Tiny frog (it's real)
Freshly macheted coconut
Hugh caught in the rain (black and white version)
Hoi An by night
Tranquil Cua Dai beach (aka China Beach)
Beach bums
Shop selling Hoi An's famous silk lamps at night
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
Terrorist:
Do you know what kind of background checks you have to go through just to be the visa stamping lackey at an embassy? No? Well I'll tell you since I applied--a full financial check, a criminal check, and basically anything else they want to dig up. Now, I suppose it's fair enough that you don't trust the government well enough to find terrorists since we can't find Bin Laden, but do you REALLY think that a chain email writer was able to dig up facts that a background check wasn't able to?
Socialist:
If you don't like socialism, then please don't accept any social security or medicare money. What makes me laugh the most is people who listen to "Joe the Plumber" on economic issues. If you wouldn't ask Joe to file your taxes or invest your money then I don't think he's qualified to talk about what socialism is. Also, socialism does not equal fascism. If you honestly think that, then you have no idea what the word means.
Elitist Egg-head:
If you so trust the opinions of a guy "ya wanna have a beer with" then why don't you ask your buddies to do your brain surgery, represent you in a legal battle, or teach your children in university. Cause if they can't do that for you, then why the hell would you want joe the plumber as your President? Furthermore, if most "educated" people and most people with post-secondary degrees voted for Obama what does that really SAY? Oh right, sorry, the more educated people in America who make more money somehow want to run America to the ground. Seriously people, critical thinking.
Antichrist:
Maybe. No proof. You win.
Now, to anyone who was a McCain supporter who is a normal, rational person who is dismayed. I understand how you feel. In fact, I was one of those people who made good on my promise to leave America and not come back until he was out of office. I took my anger seriously. However, I urge you to look at the joy and happiness coming from all corners of America. McCain's speech was exceedingly gracious and even top Republicans seem pleased about the result. The world broke out in cheers over this. Now, you might say "screw the foreigners, they have no sway on how America does things," and you are right to an extent. Unfortunately, what America does ALWAYS impacts them so they care as much as you do, maybe even more than you do in some corners of the world where the only hope is a change in foreign policy. Now, I suppose you can think that the world is wrong and everyone's just blinded by celebrity--but perhaps give us the benefit of the doubt. You might not agree with everything he says, but only a few people agree with everything a President does. Furthermore, if the world survived Bush (and trust me, the world hates Bush) then we'll be fine with Obama too. He seriously couldn't be any worse. Trust me, when you can look at America from the outside it's far, far easier to see what's wrong with it. You know, it's like that drunk ex-girlfriend you had who can't ever see her faults when everyone on the outside can? Yeah, it's like that. Sort of.
- posting from:Hue, Vietnam
I can't describe the joy, the pride, the hope I felt. I was overwhelmed with emotion and actually found myself sobbing on the phone to my mother (who voted for McCain). "That's okay honey, I know you feel vindicated from all those rednecks and all that injustice you felt..." she said to me, and that just made me cry more. I was never strong enough when I was young to shout back to someone, "Yes I can!" when they told me "no, because you are Asian," or "no, because you're a girl." I feel so much happiness that perhaps now, if not me, then some young kid will feel like they're able to do so.
No, I'm not black, but you don't have to be to understand how it feels. I often hated being Asian when I grew up. I hated being stared at. I hated it when my parents spoke in Filipino. I decided that it must be America that was wrong, full of people who would bow to hate and fear than try and look beyond differences. Oddly enough, living abroad made me start to really realize how American I was, and how many things I thought were so great, one of those being our racial tolerance. Despite what it seems, it's far worse pretty much everywhere else. Through my travels I've learned to realize what the true greatness of America is, and this election just seals the deal for me. Despite my neverending cynicism and jaded nature, I want to believe this is a new day for everyone. For the many people who never thought they had a chance to succeed in "white America" and for the many "white Americans" who fought very hard to allow everyone to have a chance. Bravo, all.
Whether or not he turns out to be a great President, to me the election itself is what mattered because I can finally look at all those people who said hateful things to me and made me feel so ashamed of who I am that they were wrong, really fucking wrong. ;)
- posting from:Hue, Vietnam
Never in my four years traveling and living aboad have I ached so badly to be in America. I watched the election from the television and yearn so badly to be there in Chicago screaming and cheering. Yet when it was announced that Barack Obama was announced as president, I found that instead of screaming and cheering I was bursting into tears. One of the reasons I left America was because I had so much bitterness about growing up where I did. I have always loved politics and wanted to change the world, but I was told so many times in my young adult life that, “No one would ever vote an Asian girl for anything,” and I can’t help but feel that it’s changed now, America has changed, my home state has changed and now I think maybe I can go back and live in America, maybe I can run for public office one day as well.
Being in Vietnam too has been interesting. So many people have come to me and said, “I hope you win, I hope Obama wins,” and that sort of thing.
Hugh is also very excited as he will one day become an American citizen and this fills with some hope, perhaps even some pride. I think we can both go back to America and feel comfortable with it.
Also, I think McCain’s concession speech was beautiful. I can only hope his supporters listen to him…
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
It’s raining up a storm in Hue, and I’m afraid that Hanoi is under a meter of water. What a mess… I guess being holed up in a hotel room gives me an excuse to watch election coverage nonstop.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
We have spent the past few days in Hoi An, a very quaint small city in central Vietnam. It’s definitely been the most fun we’ve had in Vietnam. For one, Hoi An is renown in Vietnam for its tailors. Apparently there are over 500 tailor shops to choose from. We tried one shop, and were unhappy and were pretty ready to leave Vietnam without getting anything made. However, while waiting for a shuttle we wandered into A Dong Silk, which we heard good reviews about but also that it was 2x the price of other tailors.
Needless to say, Hugh and I left with some awesome custom-designed jackets. It was so fun hopping around the store with the ladies and picking out all the fabric and finding the perfect lining, etc. I’m thankful we found the place on the last day or we would have left with soooo much more stuff than necessary.
We also took a trip yesterday to Cua Dai beach, which might be better known as a strip of the infamous China Beach. It was surprisingly beautiful and relaxing. Much better than Nha Trang, though I’m not sure the party people would agree with me. Even the touts on the beach were friendlier and nicer.
We are now in Hue, after a very tiring and taxing day on a bus ride full of suspense. I’m glad to be in a hotel with staff that’s genuinely kind and friendly. It’s been a bit rough lately. One thing I’ve learned on this trip is that service and staff mean much, much more than actual room quality.
Originally published at The Adventures of Janelle & Hugh. Please leave any comments there.
This is a fight that's going to continue long and bloody, no matter what happens with the proposition, because the other side feels just as strongly as we do.
I think the best way to change minds though, is to try and understand the side, no matter how much it disgusts and hurts you. Too many people have been calling the people supporting the proposition as bigots or whatever and they'll just close their ears and call you whatever nasty names they want. Not everyone is a bigot, or a nazi, or whatever. Some people just have extremely strong religious conviction which you can laugh at, but where does that get you? At the very least, when you fully understand the other sides beliefs and fears, it gives you more ammunition when you DO talk to them. =P
They will not listen to your ranting, no matter how much sense it makes, just as you won't listen to theirs no matter how much sense it makes to them. So stop ranting and talk to people. Be an example.
I had a good friend who honestly thought I was going to hell. She isn't a hateful person, this is what she honestly feels. She's just been brought up that way. She's just a good person who feels a lot of sorrow because she can't save all her friends. Over the years her position has softened through exposure to the outside world, age, and being presented with questions that she hadn't ever thought of. I could have called her a freak or a lunatic, but then she would have just felt more dug in her beliefs, and more like she was fighting the good fight. It isn't always about hate, sometimes it's about ignorance and those people should be helped with compassion too. If you want to bring people to your side, especially fence-sitters, you won't accomplish it by accusing people of being Nazis.
But without a doubt, there are plenty of horrible people out there, fear-mongering and saying ludicrous, disgusting things. But we have to realize that those people see us the same way and therefore give us as much attention as we give them (none, really). You could shrug and say, "There's no way I'm giving those disgusting people the time of day, let alone any compassion," but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what they're saying too. You think you're right. They think they're right. You cannot both be right, and you'll never know who WAS right until you go/do not go to the pearly gates.
What matters is justice, we want to fight for justice. So let's go the route of Martin Luther King and Gandhi. People always respect them a lot more than they respect people who go around calling anyone who disagrees with them nasty names and seeing who can scream louder. That goes for both sides, but it goes for us more because we ARE the side of justice. Don't sink to their level, we're better than that.
- posting from:Hoi An, Vietnam
In what universe is the queen of high school qualified to be quite possibly, President of the United States? People seem to say things like, "but she was Mayor of a town!" Um, she was Mayor of a town of 2000. My high school had more people than that. Furthermore, she was a beauty queen and a star basketball player. OMG what a shock! The small town picks the high school queen bee to be mayor! I worked in the city hall of a town of 50,000 and if that election was anything like the elections I saw, it was pretty much down to whoever was the richest and most popular guy in town. And call me sexist or anti-feminist, but she got ahead on her looks. It's been proven in studies. People don't like ugly women. Full stop. Good for her, she can run Alaska. Imagining her running our foreign policy is a nightmare. What the hell was McCain thinking? Actually, I know what he was thinking and it was pretty clever.
I have no idea wtf is wrong with the Republican party. I have no idea why Sarah Palin is campaigning on this folksy blue-collar white people angle. Why is the "base" of the Republican party largely blue-collar (read: uneducated) and white? How many years before the Republicans start campaigning as the party for white people? Don't act so uptight and alarmed, many parties on the right in countries like Japan, Australia, and various countries in Europe have turned into the Party of Whites (or in Japan, native-born ethnic Japanese people). All it seems the Republicans ever do is spout off "Christian" values (apparently compassion for the poor wasn't one of those, though) and rail on minorities (but don't tell the soccer moms who like their immigrant picked $2 arugula) and sniff at things like updating our railways (I've been to two third world countries with better trains than America, people, seriously.) The same people in Alabama who hate their jobs being outsourced keep voting in the old idiots who send their jobs overseas. Maybe that's the whole under-educated thing? For what it's worth, I actually far more align with the Republican platform in regards to economics and foreign policy. But I morally could never align myself with them (thus making me bit of a Libertarian or a centris). I guess that's how some people feel with the Democrats though. Economically it makes more sense, but they don't agree with the social/moral aspect. Fair enough, I guess.
Some Republican intelligensia said that Palin represented a "new vulgarization of the Republican Party," and she was totally right. It's become completely un-American and un-patriotic to be educated, to have traveled, to know ANYTHING about how the world works when it comes to Republicans. I can't relate to her (or her image, whatever) at all. What she represents makes me cringe. That probably makes me one of these elitist college-educated minority-types. GREAT. I'm proud of being college educated!
The thing is, I really liked John McCain. I've always admired him. If it had been nearly anyone but Obama (and if the economy hadn't exploded) I would have likely voted for him. But the whole Palin choice has really made me lose confidence in him.
People are scared of imagining Obama trying to go toe-to-toe with Al Qaeda... but could you imagine Sarah Palin? Dear lord.
Sorry if this made no sense at all... just hearing all this news to the run-up to the election makes my blood churn. This will be my second election that I've watched from abroad, and I hope to god it doesn't make me physically ill like the last one. If anything, I can't deal with people asking me things like, "WTF is wrong with your country?" =P That was a tough question to answer last time. To be honest, in the very remote chance that John McCain wins, I wouldn't be terribly crushed. I think he'd be a perfectly fine moderate conservative President. I'd just be praying every single night that he doesn't die in office.
- posting from:Hoi An, Vietnam
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