Joses

apologies for the mutedness the last few wks. for the uninformed, ive long left china; hmm abt a mth ago or smth. since then ive traversed pakistani sovereign territory and now am in india. in pakistan theres a nationwide power shortage and internet there is dial-up so thats that when it comes to getting wired. pakistan....is truly beautiful. nothing like how the media would hardsell and pitch ardently. no semblence of ethnic and religious unrest, terror networks , no shit like that. now that im in india i really really miss it. first, the china debacle. the last wk has been nth short of tumultuous. it all started with our chimerical claim that a transit visa was available at Sust (pak border town) on arrival. of cos, such conjectures were founded on very thorough and exacting ... read more

an overdue post yet again. somehow ive lost the impetus to blog; not as psyched for it as with my previous sojourn. its really an acquired skill; an art of sorts, to live by the day and to function without an agenda. as pegs would say, 'to dysfunction into function'. its almost 2 wks in yangshuo now; and the karst dreamscape is really august and picturesque all at once. the unabating imperious mountains that stretch the horizon and go on beyond are truly a sight to behold. its an unassuming little town abt an hr off guilin. 2 days ago. it was wicked! we decided to find the other river that bounds yangshuo after our Li river conquest. this time it was the Yulong river. ok 7km on the bike later, we ended up at a ... read more

vientiane proved to be a genteel introduction to laos. having not expected too much of the place after the countless anecdotes we heard of; about being the most heavily bombed country in the world and stuff, we werent too up for it except for the fact that we needed to get thru' vientiane to bangkok to fly home. but as with the rest of the trip hitherto, we were beckoned and embraced with such ardor that vientiane is a place i soon came to be enchanted with. it truly is the most laid back country in all of southeast asia; with the pace of life so deliberate and languid you are inclined to feel so zen. some people detest it for the scarcity of sights and attractions, i fancy it for exactly that reason. one ... read more

we set foot on hoi an furnished with the scoop and skinny about the niche little town. its tucked away in central vietnam and entrenched in a history of commercial and historical lavishness. it was largely untouched during the waring periods that afflicted vietnam, so their houses and infrastructure remain intact and unblemished from the days of old. its like being transposed back in time, with shophouses galore and errr..that's pretty much it haha. so it was a good reprieve after enterprising and effervescent saigon, sluggish nha trang, with the primodial charm of the old town out to lure you. we spent an analgesic few days there, having been consumed with an opiate reverie that inundates you. we dispensed with the hefty admission fees to the select few features (houses, bridges) of the old town ... read more

so its been a good few days in saigon and the days they evaporate into a haze by the day. its almost surreal to find yourself encapsulated in a city on the hinges of urban living and globalization yet still very much buttressed by uncle ho and a history so rich. theres an enthralling allure to this city, emanating a certain lustre quite unlike the other cities we've been to. the streets are lined with the extensive array of pho, their national fare of choice and everyone's comfort food on any day, local made cigarettes that seems to tie a common seam amongst local and foreign, and their most celebrated iced coffee; of which they truly are masters of their craft. the cacophony of the cityscape is complete with the parks showcasing the throngs playing soccer, ... read more