GOODBYE ASIA

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Contemplating leaving Asia has been quite daunting at times as we have been travelling here for so long and feel comfortable with the customs and way of life (and the cost). It has been a fantastic experience and we have both learnt so much along the way. We thought it would be good to do a breakdown of our findings and achievements. So here goes.....

9 COUNTRIES IN 114 DAYS
INDIA, NEPAL, HONG KONG, CHINA, VIETNAM, CAMBODIA, THAILAND, MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE.
36 HOTELS, 36 DIFFERENT BEDS!
21 BUSES, 18 TAXI'S, 13 TRAINS, 12 PLANES AND 5 BOATS - THATS WITHOUT SIGHTSEEING.

The most famous places we have seen include the TAJ MAHAL, GREAT WALL OF CHINA, TERRACOTTA WARRIERS, ANGKOR TEMPLES, EVEREST and THE HIMALAYA'S.

Good people we have met along the way include Wilson and the lads at the Big Fish Restaurant in Palolem, Goa. Colonel Lambas and his family in Agra, India. Duc and his friends who gave us such good company in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Rick and sharon who we met in a bar in Hong Kong who have just invited us to their wedding while we are in New Zealand. The Khmer family we stayed with on Otres beach Cambodia and finally the wonderful Vernon who gave us many hours of good fun and conversation at My Daddy's Cafe Pular Pangkor, Malaysia. Thanks to you all.

Asia is a vast continent harbouring many different beliefs, customs and myths. From our first experience of India at Mumbai railway station to the peaceful beach of Otres in cambodia it has been an on going very enjoyable challenge. We now believe that if we hadnt chosen India as our first destination we may have coped better with our experiences there. However, after India we certainly found everything else we encountered much easier to deal with. We are still yet to travel through a poorer more densely populated country than there. Other travellers we have met along the way have advised Southern India for a more fruitful and enjoyable travelling experience. All I know is that I never expected to be as hard as it ultimately was at times. While India was tough it also provided us with many memories, the over cramped trains, the fact that they all cram on the outside of the carriages as well as in. The shocking colours the older men dye their hair (mainly an awful ginger), the garish but very colourful 'trendy' clothes the younger men wear and the wondering cattle on the roadsides and beaches. It wasn't all bad!!!

For me I will never ever forget our stay in Nargakot, Nepal. Never before have I seen such natural beauty in my life as I did during the two days we stayed there. The Himalayas are my ultimate experience on the trip so far and seeing Everest is Tims.

China was damn cold but so enjoyable, we will never forget the many goals that were achieved there for us. Yangshou was our favourite place we visited. As for Vietnam and Cambodia well for saying I was concerned about safety and cleanliness these countries stand out to the pair of us as welcoming, friendly, safe and overall an absolute pleasure to visit. Just watch out for the older Vietnamese ladies they have dealt with some crap in their youth and they have little tolerance if you dilly dally around them!!! The Cambodian people inparticular are soft, generous and the most pleasant people we have encountered, I remain humbled by their history and strength of character.

Thailand left us disappointed as we had always spoken so very highly of the country and it's people. These days we wonder if they are not only getting greedy in their approach to tourism but since the Tsunami they seem to be irradicating what once made the country such a pleasure to visit. The beach huts have gone and the 5 star resorts have taken over.

Malaysia is not the cleanest of countries to visit but it is certainly the easiest to travel around. They are organised and punctual whatever mode of transport you take. Travelling here was very easy and not as expensive as we expected. Whilst China has the most comfortable and cleanest trains to travel on (you get a lovely little quilt on the sleepers) India certainly has the quietest and most delayed !!!

Cambodia provided the maximum amount of people we have seen on one scooter in Asia, that was 6 adults and a baby which is some going!!! We also got very used to seeing the chicken carriers hanging god knows how many dead carcusses of the back of their scooter. The ice delivery men who carry the biggest block of solid ice I have ever seen on the front in between their legs. The scooters in Asia are a source of surprise and entertainment for what they manage to get on them.

We have been very concious of customs and beliefs throughout our trip. Although we have not been to many temples the Hindu temples seem to be the most welcoming and relaxed. The Buddhist monks are also very friendly for saying that we were warned of not making eye contact with them and certainly never touching one under any circumstances. However, I do not agree with them trying to sell to you in the street/restaurants, it just doesn't seem right. The muslim countries are the most difficult to travel around being a western woman. I got very stressed and felt under constant pressure about the way I dressed and how I was perceived by the locals. It is not easy covering every part of flesh when it is a rather hot climate. I think the muslim woman that wear their Burkas when their husbands dress in shorts and a t-shirt are either highly dedicated or have no choice in the matter. It seems an unfair and unequal expectancy. The countries have so many rules of conduct for women but none for men it has truly made me grateful for what I have. It has also made me realsie how one sided this religion can be.

On the other hand the whole continent is a mass of contradictions the general rules are made but if you have money these rules can definately be altered/waived for you. A no smoking restaurant becomes a smoking restaurant for the customers with money (but only for them) and we saw an awful lot of this across the countries. Prostitution is illegal in all of the Asian countries but Thailand actively promotes it's market of flesh and Asia also has a very lucrative trade in the sale of young girls and sex slavery too.

I have read many books on our travels and two inparticular have impacted upon my heart and mind. The first was a book about the asian sex trade. It is entitled sex slaves and tells some of the most horrific stories about the girls that are trafficked from country to country across the continent. The second was a book of the childrens stories from the killing fields. These stories are both touching and shocking at the same time. What I would like to say at this point is I was very strong in my views of the americans behaviour towards Cambodia during their war with Vietnam. What the book did teach me is that after the Khmer Rouge reign america provided asylum and new hope to many of the orphaned children and poor families. Alot of the stories that were told were from Cambodian Americans still living out there today.

Finally to food, the passion of many a persons life especially in Asia. Wherever you visit you can guarantee that there are food houses aplenty and most are busy throughout the day. Eating seems to be a hobby in Asia. The best curry we have had was in Cambodia the traditional Khmer curries are both filling and satisfying they also provide a good source of vegetables. Tims most favourite asian meal was in Hanoi, Vietnam where they use alot if garlic in their preparation. In fact the further south we got in Vietnam the less flavour the food had. The best bread we have had outside of western influenced cities was in Vietnam where you can get a lovely fresh baked baguette for pennies. This was a treat after 3-4 weeks in China with no bread at all. China however has the best dumplings we tasted when CU Phosco took us out for a meal, they were delicious. If you have a problem eating eggs travelling through Asia will be hard as it is the main thing for breakfast everywhere. Even when you are trying to intigrate into a country it is pretty hard to contemplate noodles, soups, rice or even stir fried veg for breakfast. Other than eggs toast and jam is pretty much it. Tim also has a full array of comments/opinions on the beers we have sampled. Unfortunately or fortunately (I'm not quite sure) there have been so many I am not listing them all. What I can tell you is that his favourite is from Cambodia and it is called Angkor.

So there you have Asia as we have experienced it we will be sad to leave. However, one of the biggest things we have both wanted to do in our lives is travel to Australia and that is our next stop. Bring on the tinnies, shrimp on the barby and the first person we hear say G'day mate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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