I Want To Ride My Bicycle

Off To An Early Start 

At 04:00 my cellphone kindly requested me to get out of bed. So I did.

In the main lobby everyone was sleeping, not for long, as I spooked a dormant doorman with a dramatic entrance thanks to the lack of light present in the room. Anyway, it turned out that bikes weren't available before 05:00 , so I killed some time on the very same computer this entry is being typed on.

At 04:57 I had my bike presented to me and off I went. It was somewhat challenging maneuvering my way onto the street and eventually making the right turn which would, eventually, lead me to Angkor but I got to the ticket office without causing accidents. There my picture was taken and I was asked on two separate occasions if I was 'all right' riding my bike all the way out there. I wasn't the only one riding a bike, but my vehicle excelled in the 'Looking Rather Shabby' department and I was sweating like a pig. An eager pig, but a pig none the less.

After working my way past the routine I headed for Angkor Wat, which is the biggest temple of the Temples of Angkor. It's also the largest stone religious building in the world. Here I joined the circus of experiencing the sunrise over this magnificent structure. That plan went south pretty fast as it was quite cloudy and the sun was having a hard time breaking through, so I skipped the crowds and headed into the temple.

Here I resist the temptation of describing every single thing I've done so far and skip to the part where I give some kind of opinion on the whole experience of my first day, with a little bit about the itinerary. So if you're planning to come here yourself and would like it to be a pure experience without any foreknowledge, stop reading. If you're still on the fence and/or would like to read my opinion, read on, but beware of SPOILERS AHEAD. You might also skip ahead to the In Retrospect part.

The Dead Battery

Before moving on, open this map in a separate tab in your browser. There Angkor Wat is labeled 'Angkor Vat', look for it in the south. That was my starting point, from there I did the opposite of all the tuktuks, taxi's and motorcycles and headed north-east to Ta Promh, which is a temple that is literally consumed by the jungle. The first thing I saw when I got there was a huge crane and about 30 people running around in construction outfits. Turns out that there is a huge Indian-sponsored effort under way to reconstruct the temple. The disappointment was tangible. Luckily there's a way around the temple to get to the somewhat more rugged parts, which I had to myself. I wandered around for a while and ended up one a separate construction site, of which I seemed to have used the back door, judging by the faces of the construction guys once I emerged from the jungle. There, as if to shove my face in the dirt, my camera battery went dead. This gave my day an interesting twist and had me changing priorities where I would explore as much as possible, so I could figure out where I'd return the following days.

After Ta Promh I turned around and went to Sra Srang, which isn't on the map, but it's next to Bantaey Srei, to the west. Sra Srang is a big pool that used to be the king's personal bathtub. Here I ended up in Sra Srang village, while looking for Prasat Bat Chum to the south. There I saw a part of Angkor that not many people bother to see, I think, because I was asked on multiple occasions if I was lost. In between the temples are small villages that consist of farmers and the people who try and sell you things when you're in a temple. I got there thanks to a farmer who was urging me to go on, sitting behind his two cows and chewing his pipe. Angkor doesn't have an image of  red dirt roads, cows and a lot of chickens, but they're all there.

After a quick stop at Bentaey Srei, where I bought a painting, more on that when I get it home in one piece,  I hopped on my bike and headed to Angkor Thom, the main complex, home to the epic sounding Terrace of Elephants and The Terrace of The Leper King. Here more tourists emerged, as well as all sorts of things-sellers.

When I headed to the Bayon temple to the south, I had to make a run for it after a wall of rain came rumbling my way, all that needed was some vintage John Williams music and it would have been a Hollywood blockbuster. When the skies cleared, I headed back, rounding up the about 25 kilometers of road traveled after a quick stop at a restaurant to have the painting wrapped in plastic.

In Retrospect

This place is a mixed bag. I'd recommend anyone that comes here to do it at your own pace and at your own leisure. Doing it on a bike is not to be underestimated and requires some stamina, as well as adaptability to the climate. Guides have amazing stories and tuktuk drivers will be sure to show you all that's there to see, but the magic lies in what's not to see. You'll come across plenty of groups with guides, and you'll pick up some of the info along the way. I got myself a book here at my hotel that contains all the info I need to know about what's going on, or has been going on for the past 900 or more (!!!) years. Get lost, get really, really lost in this place and have the time of your life. I do check the temples off of my list, same as everyone else and now I've seen Angkor Wat, the eighth world wonder and looked on as the sun rose, but that wasn't magical. It was mandatory.

The Road To A World Wonder

Very short update after what seemed to be spending a few days almost exclusively on the inside of a bus.

Dalat

In Dalat, it's 25 degrees on a warm day, so it kind of feels like home. Up in the green, but thoroughly scarred mountainside, lies this heavily French-influenced city, which has - as previously mentioned -  waterfalls in the vicinity. The Vietnamese dress up as if they're expecting a blizzard, but for us it was the time to take a breather from the tropical heat. The town itself has its charms, but it's no Hoi An.

Saigon 

The visit to Saigon was short, but powerful, I have silly video footage to prove it, will try and upload it later.

Getting into Cambodia

This was surprisingly high tech (palm and fingerprints on a scanner) and hassle-free. Not much else to be said about it. Movies that were screened during the busride: Clash of the Titans, Face/Off and Fast Five, all gloriously illegal with Vietnamese subtitles. The visa was, as expected, 25 US dollars.

Phnom Penh

The capital of Cambodia is a surprisingly low key place, in a week or so I'll be going there again for a more extensive visit. So far I've seen the royal palace, had a great vegan meal and got my hands on my first Riels, the local currency, although the US dollar is favored around here.

Siem Reap

After traveling together for 5 days, Antonella and I went our separate ways. We're both here for the same thing, but I intend to stay here a while longer. Tomorrow I can cross another name off of my bucket list: Angkor Wat.

Cue the Raider's March.

A Few Honest Words

More Bombs


Yesterday, I went to My Son on an organised tour. My Son is a wrecked ruin. Where once stood over 60 temples, there are now roughly 18 left after an American bombing raid. The French had shipped a considerable part to the Louvre a few years earlier.

Inscriptions that remain untranslated

What is left, is still worth seeing, as it provides insight in what the world was like here almost a thousand years ago and it's the ultimate appetizer for Ankor Watt. It's impossible to get there on your own without a car or motorcycle, and as public transportation is bound to rip you off as badly, you're better off with a hotel-organised tour. These tours are informative, but also extremely polished: zou get there, go in single file, listen to the guide, walk around a bit and get back on the bus before you know it. All this boils down to saying that Vietnam is a difficult country to backpack through, as luxury tourism pushed the prices upward, and the Vietnamese have little love for 'rich bums with a backpack'. Road infrastructure isn't everything, and the traffic is for nutcases only. Some foreigners do brave the traffic, but these people are either crazy or experienced on a motorbike. Teaming up with other backpackers helps, but it doesn't solve all your problems. Some regions seem to have a more positive attitude to foreigners, but usually there is money involved. Verbal aggression is also more rampant the past few days, and declining a tour offer is considered an insult. Some Vietnamese are becoming increasingly desperate when tourists are involved and yes well, it just makes you want to hit them square in the jaw. Having said that, there are nice people here as well, but you sometimes you tend to forget that.

These were temples at some point

Speaking of Ankor Watt, I'm shifting into higher gear and will be leaving Vietnam in 2 days, trading it for Cambodia, where it's hopefully cheaper and backpack-friendlier.

The Journey To Dalat

Today was the last straw. We booked a busride to Dalat from Hoi An yesterday. The sleeper bus left on time, but was a hunk of junk - rusty beds, no toilet, overbooked so people had to sleep on the floor, no seat belts -  with a driver so friendly you'd consider hitting him in the face as a genuine favor. He drove like a nut, honked his horn ever 5 seconds, did it for 12 hours straight and kicked us out of the bus, along with a couple from New Zealand, in Nha Trang, roughly 6 hours away from the destination we paid him for. The four of us were sent to the local bus company, who sent us to their main office. They offered us a cab, which we had to pay.

We walked.

There they put us in a minivan for six hours to Dalat, where we are now and we'll be leaving for Saigon tomorrow, taking the early bus to Phnom Penh the day after that. This way, I don't have to cross the border on my own and we turn our backs to this country, at least for a little while.


Antonella


Upgraded from 'Random Person I've Met On A Bus' to 'Traveling Buddy', she taught me to re-attach the button to my pants - a wardrobe malfunction dating from the second day in Hanoi -, claims to have saved my life today and has been funny company the past few days. She's the kind of girl that sais, 'Ok, let's cross this street ', only to stop walking and see if I don't get killed first. She's Italian with German roots, so she takes care of all the complaining and is always right, even when she's wrong. Right now we still get along and both enjoy the benefits of not having to face the vultures on the streets alone. We'll see how long it'll last, as we both have somewhat challenging personalities.



Same same, but different


This is a saying they use here in Vietnam quite often, it isn't hard to figure out what it means.

There are nice waterfalls some 50 km from here, bringing up the whole tour issue again. Now, I've seen some pretty waterfalls already during my time on this planet, and they didn't have emo-Vietnamese pop music shredding your ears apart, nor did they have vendors trying to sell you anything from a bird to a drink, while tossing every piece of plastic into the water below. Same same, but different.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Meeting Strangers On A Bus

This Could Be Paradise, But It Isn´t 

Here I am now in Hoi An, the prettiest city Vietnam has to offer so far. I´m in a hotelroom which I share with a 25-year old Spanish guy called Jose, who had just spent 6 months in India and Antonella, a 27-year old Italian girl with German roots. Yesterday we spent the day walking and talking here, and worked as a team to get Antonella two tailored dresses for 85 dollars. Anyone who has a wife or a girlfriend, stay the hell away from this place. Here they have shop after shop full of dresses and suits, all with the option of having your own tailored to your size.

It took 20-Antonella minutes (over 2 hours) to choose two types of dresses and one Antonella minute (20 minutes) to find the right fabric. The three of us participated in the bargaining and managed to knock 15 dollars off of the price. Not a major victory, but a victory none the less.  

Ye Olde Shoppe 

We ended up in a hotelroom together after joining forces to fend off the xe oms and finding our way to the city center. Once we got to the hotel Antonella had booked, we took the impulsive decision to split the room in three and share in the costs. This way we´re all sitting cozy in an aircon´d hotel with breakfast included, a bathtub and hot water. Luxury if there ever was such a thing.

Epic fountain is epic

Hoi An by night is a sight to see, yesterday saw some full moon festivities, with candles floating down the river in lanterns. Mass pollution for ancestor worship, or the likes. Furthermore, the old town is free of any sort of motorized vehicle. This place, I like. 

Fred Flinstone liftst his weights

A Day At The Beach

South China Sea 

Today we said goodbye to Jose, is continues his journey north, while Antonella and I headed for the beach. It only took us 2 hours of getting lost and a xe om ride to get there, but eventually we did conquer the South China Sea by simply swimming in it. The weather was great, the sea and the beach had trashcans!

Tomorrow I go to My Son (ruins) and tomorrow night we´ll take the bus to Dalat.

After The Bombs

This morning I got lost in the UNESCO cultural heritage site that is the Citadel here in Hue.

Without going on for too long about the history of this place, perhaps the most important part is that it is being authentically reconstructed by UNESCO. The Citadel had been almost completely destroyed during the Vietnam war and the effort to restore it is starting to pay off. Construction will be complete in 2015.

Dragon detail

I got lost in this place for about three hours, taking the time to soak it all in. There were little crowds and the buildings provided cover for the heat, so there was no reason not to. The entrance fee is a little steep, compared to other places (80,000 VND = a little under 4 euros) but still worth it. The chained, rideable elephants remain disgraceful.

Citadel theater. 

The horror

You can ride an elephant for 15 minutes for about 6 euro's. I really don't have any kind words for anyone who would support this.

Anyway, the citadel dates (or used to date) back to the 19th century. There was a section called The Forbidden Purple City, which used to mean that unless you were the emperor, part of his family, a servant or a eunuch, you'd be killed on te spot for trespassing. These days are long behing us, and we're all glad for it.

It's forbidden to take photo's in the Throne Room, which used to be the place where the emperor welcomed his guests. The rest of the Citadel has temples, a house for the emperor's parents and grandparents, a reading room, library, a theater and a treasury, among other things.

This were the kinds of dinasties where 7 year olds could take the throne and where eunuchs switched around babies so the next emperor would be a bastard which was brought into this world by a local concubine. Furthermore people got poisened or killed in other sorts of creative ways. It's more or less like A Song Of Ice And Fire, with dragons, but without the giant wall of ice.

This video is quite old, but finally found a way to upload it :) There is more, but the files are huge and the upload rate is slow.

Don't Feed The Trolls

We all know the feeling. You're walking down the street, minding your own business when, totally unprovoked, some stranger walks up to you and wants to sell you something. It could be spiritual enlightenment, a Greenpeace membership, some sunglasses or a tour through the city on a rusty bike.

What people usually do, is either turn around and walk away, or hear them out and walk away anyway. One must not encourage this kind of pushy behavior, which often comes hand in hand with a conversation you really don't want to be having anyway and motivate them to keep on doing it to other people. One must not feed the trolls.

Needless to say, yesterday I've fed the troll.

There was this man on one of these rusty bikes who approached me and offered to take me to the most interesting sites the old cultural center had to offer. Me being on a trip and all, doing stuff I'd never do anywhere else, so so I agreed to one hour of torment sitting in front of a guy who would be talking and talking and, in the end, who turned out to know quite a lot about his city.

The driver on the bottom left

So turns out that Hue had a big part to play in the Tet offensive in '68. Lots of people died here and the scars of bombing campaigns remain visible to this day. I went to visit a small exhibition which showed off some of the captured tanks and planes by the North Vietnamese. Went to some Buddhist temples and saw some monks and to see a place where jewelry is being made. It was all quite colorful, varied and occasionally interesting, but I couldn't help the feeling that it's just wrong for me to sit in a thing where a guys bikes you through the city. I was a little too far away from my comfort zone.

This would be a tank.

Looks legit

Truth be told, having been to the countryside, I find it difficult to enjoy the city life here. The xe oms, the guys that drive people around on their motorbikes, are everywhere and they yell and wave at you on every street corner. Now that I'm well into my second week here, my patience wears thin with these guys.

Welcome (back) To The (shitty kind of) Jungle

Anyway, today I go see the citadel and then I'm going to look for a way to get to Hoi An, which is somewhat smaller and supposedly very authentic.

Welcome To The Jungle

I'm currently in Hue, the self titled cultural hart of Vietnam. I'm waiting for my bed to become available so I'll start typing this blog thing up until it gets cleared. Pictures will come later.

So last night was interesting, where I got on my first sleeper bus, along with my two newly found Dutch friends. It looks kind of like a theme park attraction with its small bunk bed-like structures and blue neon tube lights. In the middle of the night we crashed into something, or something crashed into us, with only some minor structural damage in form of a broken window. Additional adventure was provided when you tried to use the toilet. If you think doing your number one on a plane or train is difficult, try pulling it off on a bus that's working its way through Vietnamese traffic. All in all, the ride took about 10 hours and the lucky ones slept for about 6, which includes me. The unfortunate ones got sick and participated in barf bag-testing.

Ready for take-off

Yesterday, the three of us booked another tour together which was a little more expensive (15 dollars per capita) which took us to Cuc Phuong national park. It's a 50 km drive on motorcycles, which takes a little over an hour, depending on how many cows are crossing the road along the way.

The park itself has a short trek available in which you hike through the jungle (with a stone path) to a thousand year old tree. The journey getting there was more rewarding than the tree itself, but thanks to the extensive knowledge on human psychology available in our trio, we were well aware of that before we ventured on. We came across walking branches, gekko's, colorful spiders, all sorts of bugs and two platoons of ants that were dragging worms back to the colony. 

Particular colorful specimen

Then came the monkey and turtle rescue center. This place is a tiny dot of hope in a country were conservation is about as important as stopping for a red light. Most of these animals were intercepted on the trade markets, on their way to either China or Thailand. The monkeys end up in enclosures where they get used to social life and participate in a breeding program, which sounds fun enough, even more when you consider that they don't have to go look for food. Afterwards they go to a semi-wild environment, where they need to fend for themselves, while still being isolated from human contact. The final step is reintroduction.

Meet the family

The turtles are a different story. Some get reintroduced or have a breeding program, while others are kept in isolation because they are invasive species that fare too well in the conditions the park has to offer, killing the endemic species. Most end up in the park after they're intercepted off the trade market as well. Coming here, it's really hard not to fall in love with the place and with what they are trying to do. There is a ton of information here and Vietnamese kids are invited to this place to learn and appreciate nature and, at least on a local level, it seems to work. 

Today I'm on my onesies again, having said goodbye to Naomi and Rowan, who I wish all the best, if they ever get to read this :).

Expect an update with pictures.