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Backpacking
Helen's backpack - before she knew how to pack properly.Well, well, well... it's been and gone. We have 'done' the Asia leg of our travels...
I can't really believe we have actually done it now. We are now in New Zealand. Towards the end of our time in Vietnam it almost felt as though we were coming to the end of our trip. Strange I know, but because we had always focussed our energy on Asia, now that it has ended it is hard to focus on the remainder of our journey - a journey that is only one third complete.
We flew to New Zealand to abandon the backpack for a month and a half and to get into the life of Campervanning - something we are very excited about.
It is strange to have left Asia though. We have both come to enjoy the way of life over there. It was not easy... I think we both hated it when we first arrived, which was mainly down to the stifling heat. The pace of life in SE Asia astounded us both, we could hardly lift a finger in 40 degrees and yet, at all hours of the day
Tricky little kids
Hey mister! 1 dollar! Take picure? 1 dollar! Talk to me! 1 dollar! people are running, arguing, selling, buying... they simply do not stop!
A simple walk along any street in SE Asia is always eventful. A mere 200 yards can lead to about five different conversations. From street sellers, to tuk tuk drivers, from hawker stalls to english students - if you are Western you are either interesting or profitable. The status given to you is phenomenal, a man of fifty should not be bowing his head and praising me for parting with just 50 pence. I should be offering him such bows. But it does not happen. For if you are Western it's as though you are king, not because you are a better person, but because you are a richer person.
Well... at least they think you are richer, and in most cases we are. Even Helen and I, who are trying to live modestly have more money available to us then they do. We may think "but we can only afford to eat and live!" - but we are still staying in nice accomodation and eating nice food - besides, we are travelling around the world! How hard up can we possibly be? We met so many
Cooking course
We did a Thai cooking course. Anyone who comes to dinner with us will now get Pad Thai. locals who are of a similar age to us that harbour the same ambitions, dreams of travel and education, dreams of jobs and fullfillment - it makes me feel sick to think that they probably won't ever get the chance to come and visit my country, half of them have never even left the town they were born in. Not through lack of ambition, but lack of funds.
Four months of being humbled certainly does take its toll, and both Helen and I have loved being pummelled into that big pie made from humble. We haven't always enjoyed listening to the desperation or the failing dreams, but we have enjoyed growing up a little bit and realising how lucky we are and how prosperous our country is. I simply take it for granted that I will be educated, that I will have freedom to travel, that I will have freedom to choose what job I would like. Freedom here is merely a notion - embodied within the westerner.
Don't get me wrong. The countries we have passed through are by no means completely hard done by. There are many prosperous Thais and Vietnamese - most Singaporians and Hong
Phi Phi
Beach life. Kong-er-er-ians... are probably doing better than folks back home, but you do see your fair share of hardworking souls forced into a life of struggle.
So... what have we loved about Asia? Well, for starters I have loved the grime and the grit. I can remember when I lived in New Zealand a few years ago - the grime and grit was what I missed most about England. New Zealand for me was far too clean, safe and orderly. I missed the hustle and hassle of England. I missed the soggy days, the ignorant people, the slight tingle in the back of your neck when you have wandered into a dodgy looking pub... I missed all that when I was away. But in SE Asia, well, eat your heart out! You want grime? You got it! You want grit (metaphorical and physical) - here you go! Have a ton of it!
It's manic, it's high tempo, it's hard work, it's hot and sweaty... it's so much fun! Ok, the rats, the cockroaches and the dangerous shards of metal sticking out of the pavement every few steps aren't much fun (the amount of times I have almost broken toes
Our first hostel room
Check how small this place is. on my flip-flopped foot due to pieces of metal or glass sticking out of the ground!), but you get used to them. You learn not to take food anywhere near your room. You learn to stand still when a rat runs towards you (they always bolt when they notice you). You also learn to simply relax. Helen feels like she has chilled out a lot as a result of travelling away from our usual creature comforts.
The amount of travellers that I see stressing about everyone asking them whether they want a motorbike ride, or a bracelet, or a bottle of water, or a tour - the amount of stressy hot-headed tourists simply astounds me. Of course, we all get worked up, but what people don't always remember is that the average 'local' trying to sell a bottle of water is simply trying to make maybe one or two pounds a day for twelve hours work. She then has to go home and buy dinner with that money, and feed her kids. Even though it isn't always your problem it doesn't mean you wouldn't do the same if you were in that situation. If your kids were hungry you
Oh YES!
IT WILL BE BACK! would probably do a lot worse. I know I would.
People just don't seem to think about the desperation and the living conditions. They want everything for rock bottom prices but don't want people having rock bottom desperation. We all smile when we have haggled a beautiful bag for maybe one or two pounds but essentially all we have done is used the local's lack of stability to extort their labour from them. I smile because of my one pound T-shirt, but someone the day before had maybe spent three or four hours making it. It's a hard one to get round.
Of course, there are the con-artists and your shady characters, but aren't they everywhere? I certainly felt safer there than I do at home. In four months I didn't see one fight in SE Asia. I only have to walk into Newbury on a friday night to see a dozen of them.
Overall I would have to say Cambodia and Vietnam have been the highlights. Thailand was typically easy and Laos was even easier. Malaysia was the hardest to travel around once you went off the well trodden backpacker routes, Thailand was the easiest (the
Grocery Shopping
Helen doing the weekly food "big shop" highlight of Thailand was when we broke away, as was Malaysia). Cambodia was just crazy and so much fun.
Vietnam was number one. It is beautiful, yet hard work; serene yet manic. It has for me, the best blend of Western civilisation and Eastern culture. You can sit in a beautiful French colonial building watching a Vietnamese local drive past with six dead pigs balanced on the back of his motocycle. It is really great.
The highlight of Thailand has to be the food, I simply haven't eaten better than when we were in Thailand. We loved Malaysia for the people, we loved Laos for the scenery, Cambodia for the culture shock, and Vietnam - well, it has all of the above I guess. So that's why we loved it the most.
Overall, South East Asia is awesome when you are used to it. It's the getting used to it that is the real hurdle. Thankfully we got used to it after a few weeks and can look back on our journey through 6 countries (+ Hong Kong) with fond memories and a whole load of cheap clothes, fake watches and green curries.
Thank you very
Hong Kong: the first room
Another picture of the room... much Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Goodbye... hopefully see you again sometime...
Here are some STATS for you to get your head around: SO FAR: FLIGHTS: 5
Bus Journeys: 25
Mini Vans: 3
Boat journeys: 10
Different beds in a hostel: 33
Beds on a boat: 1
Beds on a bus: 1
Beds on a Train: 1
Sicknesses: Sam - 3
Helen - 1
Money Spent: too much.
WHAT A STROKE OF LUCK Well... you wouldn't believe it... On about day 3 of our trip I lost a load of pictures from the memory card of our camera, and now I have just found them again. Don't ask me how it happened. All of a sudden they just appeared on the computer when I was transferring pictures from the Ipod on to the blog of Vietnam.
Here are some of the MISSING pictures (all of Hong Kong) that I lost from the first blog and also a round up of all the pictures that didn't quite make it on all of the blogs to date.
Enjoy.
PS. For all of you who haven't
Elephants
Local transport. seen any wedding pictures... see the first blog... I have now attached some for you.
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Roger Wills
non-member comment
New Blog
Great new Blog. Well done Sam, you surpass yourself each time. By the way, the elephant I drove was bigger than yours! We had to feed it bananas as we went so that it would keep moving.