Dominican Days

Back in 2010 when I spent 2 weeks in Argentina, my Spanish got good.  Relatively good, since language is not my strength, but I swore then and there that for the rest of my life I'd visit someplace Spanish-speaking at least every-other year to keep my skills up.  So it was Costa Rica in 2012, and here comes 2014 and I didn't have anything planned.  But looking at my school calendar I realized there was some time off for Rosh Hashanah in September, and hey, my sister happened to be free the same weekend.  Her criteria was beach.  Mine was Spanish and under $750.  Hello, Dominican Republic.

We flew in with a connection from Philadelphia and arrived in gorgeous, beautiful sunny tropical weather.  There was Caribbean music playing in the airport, which looked like a giant cabana.  Our hotel shuttle awaited- is there anything cooler than a guy with your name on a sign waiting after customs? 

We stayed in the Westin Punta Cana, a new hotel that seemed to mix the luxury of a resort with the old-school beach hotel vibe.  We both thought it reminded us a little of our summers in Ocean City, NJ when we were young- but much nicer.  Our room was great, on the third floor with beautiful views of the pool and ocean. 

I wish I could say that I explored all the sights of the island, but this trip wasn't about tourism or cultural immersion.  It was about the beach.  I read some wonderfully trashy books, talked baseball with the hotel employees (Big Papi!), and drank a lot of passionfruit mojitos.  I wish there'd been more tropical fruits and local foods, but that's the trade off for staying in a big Western resort.  The steaks, though, were to die for. 

So just a little jaunt to the island to bring back summer as fall sets in here in New England.  I can see myself going back someday- it was as beautiful as Hawaii but a heck of a lot closer.

Ha Long Bay

I was ready to give up on Vietnam after the chaos of Hanoi, but Ha Long Bay has restored my appreciation for the country.  We used a tour company- Handspan Tours- for a 2 night cruise on the Bay on a ship called the Treasure Junk.  Usually I avoid organized travel, but this was a great choice.  They had plenty of down time to appreciate the scenery, and their tour operated like clockwork.

The drive to the coast was long- about four hours- through the rice paddies and small towns of northern Vietnam.  They were planting rice in the fields as we went, which was great to see.  It was raining when we arrived, and we got a little wet transferring to a tender and then onto the main boat.  But lunch was delicious and the sun was out by the time we got into the kayaks.  The trip the first day wasn't long, only an hour or two.  The tides were wrong for the beach, but it was still a great little adventure.  Afterwards, we relaxed in lounge chairs on the top deck, and it was just heaven.  Seriously, this is what heaven is like.  A padded lounge chair on the top deck, perfectly comfortable temperature, a waiter bringing you drinks, a book, and the sun setting on one side between the islands while the moon rose on the other side.  HEAVEN.

The first night we had dinner and then returned to the top deck to bask in the moonlight.  We almost fell asleep up there, it was really incredible.  The boat just lulled you- and I usually get seasick but felt none of that.

I slept so well in our cabin.  I woke up refreshed and excited for the day- they had Tai Chi scheduled, but it was cancelled because of the rain.  We had breakfast and then headed out in the kayaks for our long ride.  We paddled all morning to a private beach between two of the rock islands.  We had time to rest, swim, and take pictures, then went to a day boat (like the Treasure Junk but without the cabins) for lunch and relaxation.  After, we returned to the big boat and could hang out or kayak more.  Julie was a little sunburned and I was pretty done with rowing so we stayed on the boat.  I went back to my favorite top deck.  Before dinner we started to chat with some of the Australians who were on the tour.  We continued the conversation through dinner and then up to the top deck in the dark for happy hour.  It was great to hear about life there, how their politics are so similar to ours. 

The last day we had a quick bite and then a tour of a floating fishing village- all of the houses were on rafts.  They government is trying to close them down, so many were abandoned, but a few people still kept their old lifestyle.  They were also pearl farmers.  Then it was back to the boat for brunch, packing up, and heading in to shore.  And of course the four hour drive back to Hanoi.

We shopped a bit and had one last dinner with some of the people from the tour - more spring rolls! 

Hanoi Part 2

The second day in Hanoi was a long one- we started back at the lake with the Jade Temple, hoping to get a little sight-seeing in before the rain.  It worked- we had a beautiful visit to the little island and then walked along the shore taking in the sites and statues in the park.  We made our way back to the Cathedral area, when the skies opened up and it just POURED.  We rode out the storm in a Highland Coffee, Vietnam’s version of Starbucks.   Their frozen coffee drinks are delicious. 

After the rain lessened, we ventured out into the drizzle to see some of the streets in the Old Quarter.  The “silk” street provided some good shopping, and we even found a shop that sold old propaganda posters, which were fascinating to look through.  I wish everyone who studied history had a chance to go to the places where events happened.  It’s been fascinating seeing the Vietnam’s perspective of the “American War.”  If I had more time, I’d head to the war museum, but given our limited days, the streets are a better place to learn about life here.

We were fading pretty quickly by lunch time, but found a great Indian restaurant called Namaste Hanoi from a Trip Advisor recommendation.  It was one of the best meals of the trip- delicious chicken, garlicky naan.  Just the thing to perk us up again for more exploring.

 fter lunch we looked for Buddhas statues and saw a few temples.  We’d both dressed for hot weather so going inside wasn’t an option (bare shoulders and all) but we could see a lot of people visiting for the full moon.  It’s good luck to burn money at the local temple. 

Our next stop was the Hom market, the second floor of which was just all fabric sellers.  It was incredible- I think they have anything you could ever want to buy.  I picked up some black and white silk blend.  Not sure what I’ll do with it, but it’ll be a good souvenier.  

From there we headed north toward the Opera house.  Walking is a challenge in the city- sidewalks are more for cafes and parking motorbikes than walking.  Most people seem to ride here.  You have to constantly be thinking and weaving around obstacles when you walk.  Crossing the street is insane.  Someone in Laos told us that you have to just wait for a break and then stare down oncoming traffic when walking.  It works pretty well, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a few near-collisions!  

The Opera house was a beautiful yellow and white building with, hey, another Highland Coffee next door.  The heat index was up in the 120 range again, so sitting in the shade with frozen coffee sounded good.  Caffeine and ice are always good on a hot day.  Our final destination was another long walk- a street called Ma May known for its architecture and lacquer shops.

Ma May street was incredibly crowded, and I was about at my limit so wasn’t in the best of mood when we got there.  We shopped some, found the meeting point for our tour the next day, and tried some weasel coffee which wasn’t as gross as it should have been.  Of course I spilled it all over myself.  Given that it was the end of the day and ladies with bamboo hanging baskets kept trying to put them on my shoulders, I was done.  My friend helped me find a new shirt to buy so I wasn’t quite such a slob, and then we found a cab back.  It drove down the street that was setting up for the weekend market, which meant it took forever to get to the hotel.  Dinner was in the restaurant there that night- not great, and slow, but convenient.  I was glad to be leaving Hanoi tomorrow.

Hanoi Havoc

After deep-in-the-jungle Angkor and sleep Luang Prabang, Hanoi is an assault on the senses.  We arrived late at night after some flight delays and got a first-hand account on the frenetic pace here in the taxi ride to the hotel- it was wild.  We almost got run off the road by a giant piece of construction equipment.  It was a late-night room-service dinner for us, something off of the American menu as a reminder that in a big city, you can have international cuisine.

We slightly over-slept the next morning, a combination of a cold bug for Julie and exhaustion for me, but got up and moving on the rainy day.  Our first stop was probably the most bizarre of the trip- Ho Chi Minh.  When I was in Beijing I went to see Mao and have been fascinated by the fact that these famous dictators are just preserved and out there for the world to see a half-century after their death.  The taxi driver dropped us off in right next to the mausoleum plaza- but we had to walk about a mile around to actually get to the entrance.  By the time arrived the rain had stopped and we checked bags and followed the long lines to see him.  I’ll be honest- the best thing was the air conditioning inside.  But now I’ve seen 2/3 famous preserved dead communists and will hopefully get to Lenin before I die.  It’s a weird bucket list, I realize.

After Ho Chi Minh, we went through the gardens behind the old palace.  It was pretty, but getting hot.  Really hot.  We tried to find the one-pillar pagoda, but it was hidden somewhere nearby and just not showing up.  The museum was there, but I was pretty done with Uncle Ho by that point, so we decided instead to visit something a little older.

The Temple of Literature was a highlight in Hanoi, and only a short walk away.  Like the Buddhist temples I’d seen in China, it was arranged in several courtyards, a perfectly preserved medieval university.  We could see the first four courtyards that day.  It was still hot, but being in such a lovely environment with animal topiaries on the grass and curling dragons on the roof made it easier to bear.  There was a group leaving an offering at the Confucian altar so we got to see –and hear- the ritual.  The drum and bell are LOUD! 

Lunch was at a nearby buffet, a sampling of traditional Vietnamese food.  It was a little expensive but there wasn’t much around.  We didn’t do great with the Rough Guide food recommendations here- it got better once we found trip advisor.

Given that the heat index had passed 120, we gave up on the day after lunch and went back to the hotel to rest in the AC and swim.  Swimming never happened- we crashed.  Oops.  Well, dinner back in the city made up for it.  We ate near the cathedral, at an iron table on the balcony of the second floor.  Hanoi beer was served, which wasn’t as good as Beerlao, but the spring rolls were delicious and the coconut curry hit the spot.  After, we wandered down to the lake area and took pictures, strolling along with what seemed like the entire population of the city.  We had ice cream from a stand (which consisted of me pointing at whatever the kid in front of me got, holding up two fingers, and then holding up a handful of money and letting the server take what I owe- minimal communication is key!) and met some local teens who wanted to practice their English.  It was an exhausting first day, even with a nap, and an assault on your senses all around- wet in the morning, unbearably hot in the midday, smelly wherever you go, and a never-ceasing cacophony of engines and horns from millions of cars and motorbikes.  Tomorrow we hope to see more of the sites and finally do some souvenir

shopping.

More time in Laos

view Nam Khan River from a lunch spot

Laos has been such a pleasant surprise.  Much of our time was just spent wandering the streets of Luang Prabang looking at the architecture and studying the people.  We ate by the river several times- the cool breezes felt great after boiling in the hot, humid air all day.  One night we went to Tamarind, a restaurant that promises traditional Laotian food.  We split an appetizer of five different dishes- pork sausage, water buffalo jerky, a chicken with coriander (cilantro), and two things wrapped in banana leaves.  I loved everything but the cilantro-laced one (bleh).  Then I had "young pumpkin" which I'd call squash, but it was drenched in coconut milk and ginger.  Delicious!  My favorite thing, though, were the frozen coffees, a Coolata-like beverage that cut the heat day or night.

Upper Cave

After the waterfall day, it rained.  A lot.  We'd planned to go to the caves with discarded Buddhas up the river, and once the raid let up a bit, we started out to find a boat.  It was harder than expected, but we finally found a guy with a pretty dilapidated longboat, and off we went.  The ride was delightful- cool
breeze, not sweating, and the lull of the engine.  I admit to falling asleep.  The caves were pretty disappointing.  It was wet, and I thought that the Buddha statues would be bigger.  Most of them were pretty small.  We stopped at a Whiskey village the way back, where the community tried to sell handicrafts and  liquor.  It wasn't my favorite, but our captain really enjoyed the whiskey and sticky rice.  He put headphones in and sang to himself all the way back home.

That afternoon we crossed the river on the local ferry.  Seeing the little kids heading home from school was adorable.  I wasn't into anything else on the other side of the river.  It was peoples' homes, their private lives.  I felt like an intruder.  So I know all the guidebooks say you should go there, but really, I'd recommend staying away.  Let people leave the tourists behind when they go home from work at the end of the day.

Mama and Baby Maxi

We spent a day at the elephant village, which was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.  We heard a lot of talk about how terrible these elephant preserves could be, but I was very pleasantly surprised.  The animals were well cared for, with no prods anywhere in sight, and there were strict limits on the amount of time they spent with visitors.  We did the one-day mahout training, which meant more time with the elephants.  We learned how to ride them, then did a ride in a seat, then after lunch rode the elephants into the water.  My elephant was pretty playful, and you could see the bond she had with the mahout who rode along with me.  It was pretty awesome. 

Streetside fruit stand

Our last day was dedicated to souvenir shopping and taking photos of the local scene.   I was sad to be leaving such a tranquil place, especially since the forecast for Hanoi wasn't any cooler. 

Waterfall relief

 The famous Koung Si falls beckoned us as a way to escape the heat.  We asked at the desk and they recommended hiring  a driver in a van rather than taking a tuktuk.  It was a little more expensive but still very reasonable, and I'm glad we did.  The road was curvy and bumpy, and it rained on the way home.  The driver was so nice- he pointed out his house and daughter as we went by, and told us a lot about the fields and animals we were passing.  It took about 45 minutes to get there.

 

At the falls you pay an entry fee and then walk through a small reserve for Asiatic bears before arriving at the bottom of the falls.  The bears are hairy.  

You start at the bottom pool of the falls and the work your way up the path to the left of there river.  A few spots had areas for swimming. Several people were setting up to sell food for the day.  We decided to go all the way to the biggest fall first, before the rest of the tourists arrived.  Julie wanted to climb all the way up. I did not- my stomach was a little off and the van ride hadn't helped.  I hung out at the bottom while she climbed the stairs up.  It took about an hour until she got back.  We then decided to swim. The water was so cool and refreshing.  I loved it.  We sat on the edge of one of the falls for while just enjoying the feeling of not sweating.  

We shared a snack - granola for me, Julie tried sweet basil lays (they were pretty gross) and then talked to some girls from England who were also there.  It was great people watching overall.  Lots of Laotian families had come up for the day since it was a weekend.  They had elaborate picnics spread out on tables.  Once we got really hungry we went back down to the street outside the falls, where we had skewers of delicious chicken and ice cream bars for lunch.  Julie bought a sticky rice basket from one of the shops and then we headed back.  It started to pour on the way home, so we hung out at the hotel until it stopped and then headed up for dinner and more marketing.

We meant to go to the View Khmer Kong restaurant for dinner, but accidentally went to the one next door, called LPB food.  It was good and the view was beautiful.  The sun set across the river behind the mountains.  I tried Beerlao, which was not terrible.  It's a light lager.  

Overall the drive through the countryside great fun. We saw more of how the locals live, some of the farming including growing sticky rice and bananas, and several large waterbuffalo. There were also little kids playing soccer in the rain- including a naked boy who was very shocked to see a car come around the corner! It's such a beautiful country.

Luang Prabang first impressions

We arrived late last night and didn't get to see much of the town, so this morning we wanted to explore.  Our hotel has another great breakfast buffet- I'm thinking of opening a restaurant in Boston called "Asian hotel breakfast"- pancakes and bacon, friend rice and noodles, all alongside fresh fruit and made-to-order noodle soup and omelettes.  It's a genius concenpt.  

We went first up the Phousi hill to the temple at the top.  It was a long, hot climb up the stairs.  I am so sick of being soaking wet with sweat! My clothes are just never dry.  The view from the top was beautiful. You could see the two rivers as well as the mountains beyond.  Laos is nothing what I expected.  The city feels spacious and clean, and the standard of living in what we've seen is quite high.  I imagine it changes a littler further away, but from a first glance it's a lovely place.  On the way down we took the back stairs, though a set of Buddha statues for each day of the week.  There was a monk there taking photos like us.  When we told him we were American, he said "oh, Independence Day!" So cute.  The final stairs down had white naga railings which were a whimsical touch. We ended up by the other river and walked back up to the center.  

 

We went to the national museum, which consisted of the royal palace and a pretty wat.  This was the first time I've ever taken my shoes off to go into a museum! The throne room was decorated in mosaic scenes from daily life in Laos, and the wat was done in green and gold.  Toward the end of the tour I realized that my capris had completely worn through, shredding really, so that was back to the hotel to change before lunch. I was annoyed; it was only the second time I've worn them. 

We had lunch on the river, a cute place with some breeze.  Then we walked to the end of the peninsula to see the famous Wat Xhieng Thom.  It was so hot.  I was dying.  They were doing construction at the wat so it was rather underwhelming.  We took some pictures, but I couldn't really enjoy it. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the 3 Nagas, a highly recommended restaurant that had lemongrass mojitos on special.  They were amazingly refreshing! The heat was really just oppressive.

We hid in the AC of the hotel for a bit before heading out for dinner. People apparently eat late here, but we eventually ended up back at 3 nagas. 

Our final activity was the night market.  The night market here in Luang Prabang takes up a whole street for blocks.  Many of the sellers had the same goods, but we found some gems mixed in.  I made a list for gifts for people but didn't buy anything today.  Julie got a picture of a bodhi tree drawn by a young art student.  

Overall Laos has been a pleasant surprise, and I hope it cools off enough to appreciate it more in the coming days.

Goodbye to Cambodia

IAfter four days, it's sad to be leaving Cambodia.  The people here have been wonderfully friendly and it has just been such a welcoming, easy place to travel. I fear that Laos is going to be much more difficult.  Today we slept in a bit and then had our last big buffet breakfast at the hotel.  When they asked us what we liked best at check out, we both answered "breakfast"! They had a huge mix of western and eastern food.  I tried a lot of new fruits- longan, rock melon, and pink dragon fruit.  I really loved the noodle soup for breakfast- they made it fresh while you waited.  I topped mine with fried garlic and roasted shallots, and a few spoonfuls of soy sauce.  I usually also had a croissant and some fried rice, and bacon. Oh, and yogurt and granola and dried fruit. See what I mean? Amazing.

We decided to pamper ourselves with some of the refunded money from our cancelled plane tickets and went to the spa for rejuvenating foot massages.  It was just lovely.  Quiet room, hour long massage that included head and shoulder massages too.  It was positively relaxing.  

We checked out, had lunch (cashew chicken for me, roasted pork with coconut and mango for Julie), and then went to the Angkor national museum just down the street from the hotel.  It was a great museum. Their collection was limited but it was enough to give and example of the art styles and filled it in with great explanations, pictures of the ruins, and videos.  Everything was in Cambodian and English. There were really informative sections on Hinduism and Buddhism, the Khmer kings, and the sites of Angkor Wat and Angkor Tom.  It ended with an exhibit on costume styles during the Khmer era based on the he apsara carvings.

That was the end of our imminence in Cambodia.  We took a tuktuk back to the hotel and got our bags, then it was off to the airport.  Or flight was slightly delayed, but we are in the air now and heading for Luang Prabang.  There was a Dairy Queen on board and we got blizzards to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Outside of Angkor

Today was a weird day.  We got up really early so we could go to sunrise at Angkor Wat.  Ewe left the hotel at about 5:20. They said it was too early for a cab, so we walked out to the street and about a block down we found a tuktuk driver to take us.  He was just getting set up for the day, putting on his shirt! He drove us out for $5.00 each way, waiting for us to return.  Sunrise was beautiful.  We watched for about half an hour, from a sky with just a hint of pink until the sun was above the temple.  After, we rode back to the hotel for breakfast and then went swimming at  the hotel pool. It really is a beautiful pool! 

At that point, it was only a little after nine, so we hung around the room for a bit before lunch.  We walked down the street toward town, looking for an ATM for Julie, and found a cute pottery studio.  I bought a little elephant.  Siem Reap is lovely but it really isn't a walkable city.  Everywhere tuktuk drivers were calling out to give us a ride.  Probably should have taken them up on it, since it was so hot.  We got to the old market area and had lunch at a place on pub street called Cambodian soup.  I was so hot, though, that I was fading pretty quickly, so after failing to find a market area that was on the map, we took the tuktuk back to the hotel and crashed.  Julie didn't want to sleep since she keeps waking up at 3 am, but I had a nice nap.  We rode back down to the old market for dinner.  Poor Julie, I dragged her through the grocery area, where women were squatting up on the tables scaling fish and chopping out their guts.  I love that sort of thing- real travel.  There were no backpacking tourists in there! 

We ate at the red piano, which had been recommended but wasn't great.  We talked a bit with a guy from Norway who was living in Thailand.  Then Julie got a new bag since her drawstring backpack was ripping, and we headed home.  Oh, there was a stop at The Blue Pumpkin for ice cream first- caramel cashew and green lemon.  Both were great.

Angkor in detail

After a wandering around on our own yesterday, today we wanted some expertise on our side.  We hired a guide and a driver for the day.  We started back at Angkor Wat, in the back door this time.  Our guide had excellent English and he explained to us the history of the building and the people as well as the religious aspects.  We got the full story of the churning of the sea of milk relief, as well as the celestial impact of the image.  We also got to go to the temple at the top, since we were dressed appropriately.  Shoulders and knees had to be covered, and not by a scarf but actual clothes.  The view was spectacular from the top of the tower, the former king's space.  There wasn't much decoration there which surprised me, but the guide said most of these decor was at the lower level, for the people.  There were also several libraries at the site, which I hadn't realized.  They wrote on Palm leaves.  

Our next stop was Angkor Tom, where we once again went through the Bayon temple.  I loved the reliefs we had missed the day before.  They showed scenes from everyday life, a great history of the people.  You can see the Chinese and the Khmer people clearly distinguished, as well as the defeat of the Cham by the king.  We went to the top again, not as spectacular saw yesterday when the light was more glowing than glaring and there were fewer people.  Or guide too us from the temple to the terrace of the elephants and the other sites in Angkor Tom: the Bauphon temple with the reclining Buddha, the former royal palace (only the walls remain since it was wood) and the first temple built by the kings.  We also saw the stones left when  Pol Pot's regime burns all of the archaeological records during the reconstruction of the temples.  Tragic.

Lunch was near the place from yesterday, and I had the most delicious thing: amok.  It's a Khmer dish, made of coconut and kafir lime leaves.  I had it as a soup with chicken, over rice.  I adored it, ate every bit.  Julie had cashew chicken.  

In the afternoon, the clouds rolled in but we stopped at two more temples: one was similar to Ta Prohm, but had a lot of Buddhist iconography that had been destroyed.  The other was a very early brick temple to Vishnu, with some impressive molded brick carvings.  

We got back to the hotel before 4 and waited out the rain.  We took a cab down to the night market, but were disappointed in the mass produced commercialism we go found there.  Dinner on pub street was good- I had a fried amok that wasn't as good as the soup, but still tasty.  We took a tuktuk ride back- those things are way fun.

Today was a long day, and I've got a rocking heat rash on my face thanks to the heat and humidity,  I hope it clears up by morning, it's the first time in many summer trips that has happened to me!

Introduction to Angkor

We arrived in Cambodia yesterday after a seamless transit from Bangkok.  Bangkok airlines was phenomenal- a full breakfast box served on an hour flight.  He airport here was tiny me well set up to give visas.  We were at the hotel under an hour after landing.  The shuttle driver was waiting for us with our names on a sign, cold water, and a cool cloth. At the Meridien, our room wasn't ready so they held our bags as we went exploring.  

We hired a driver for the day and got our tickets, then went right to Angkor Wat. Without a tour, our first taste was just exploring, taking in all of the relief carvings.  I thought it had some similarities to the Alhambra in layout and decoration.  However, the reliefs were much more dramatic in some places.  We spent about two hours, then went to Talk Prohm temple.  It rained there. A lot.  We tried to hide inside but the roots dripped.  Eventually it let up and we continued our explorations.  I loved way it was mostly unrestored, with toppling walls and trees growing over it.  

We had lunch after (chicken with vegetables and cashews over rice) and then went to the Bayon temple.  Built later, it is Buddhist not Hindu and it has giant stone faces over the towers.  It was nearing sunset to the light was amazing, and we were almost the only ones there.  I couldn't believe that this gigantic, striking place was just there, so empty.  How is this not more famous, more visited? This trip has been so easy, I fear in 10 years it will be discovered and the masses will emerge.  But now, it's here, with nothing more than a few "don't sit on the ballistrade" signs.  

We ate at the hotel tonight, a meal much bigger than expected.  Then Facetiming with home before bed.  Ten years ago when we traveled we were searching for pay phones - how times have changed.  

In transit

Got to Bangkok after a long day of traveling. We stopped in Philadelphia first, then twelve hours to Doha, then finally six more hours to Bangkok. We landed at 7 pm, just after sunset.  The highlight of the flight was definitely seeing the Arabian desert from the air as we landed in Qatar. I watched Catching Fire, monuments men, saving mr banks, and anchorman 2, and read a book called the Paris time capsule on the way.  I got a little sleep, but pretty much stayed awake and them crashed when we arrived in Bangkok.  Our bags were here too, so we were able to just get to the hotel and sleep.  The Novotel was excellent, and breakfast this morning was delicious.  I tried rambutan and kiwi jelly as new foods for the meal.  Now we're heading to Siem reap and Angkor Wat! We stopped at the Bangkok airlines office and cancelled our other flights, and actually got back a lot of money! So far everything is going great.