After leaving Luang Prabang we made our way by bus (AC and quite comfortable) to Vang Vieng - known as the hard core party town of Laos. Most backpackers spend their days tubing down the river, with the tubing operators pulling the tubes in for temporary stops at bars on the riverside. Nights are spent sitting in restaurants and bars watching endless reruns of Friends, Family Guy and the Simpsons while enjoying countless Beerlao (a very good local beer) and in some places adding a side of marijuana or opium. Some restaurants list these on the menu, others offer “Happy” pizzas or meals.
If this isn’t your cup of tea (and it wasn’t mine), you can spend hours biking around the countryside exploring the caves and lagoons, relaxing with a massage and enjoying the endless reruns of Friends.
We stayed only a day in VV and then took a local bus (no AC and a little less comfortable) to Ventiene, the capital of Laos. Honestly, although the guidebooks suggest you can spend several days there, I thought that a day and a half was just right. Vientiene is a sleepy capital city and reminded me of Phnom Penh. The time we had there allowed us to take in the major sights, including walking along the riverside which splits Laos and Thailand, the Victory Monument reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe, Phat Thra Luang (which required a 4 km walk/bike ride or tuk tuk to get to) - but it is the most important temple in Laos. Historic but not my favorite city in Laos.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Luang Prabang - Part 2 - Leeches
Luang Prabang isn’t just a city steeped in religion. I think what makes people fall in love with it - is its chill vibe. It oozes charm with its restaurants, bars and shops set in a French Colonial atmosphere. You can easily spend whole days just strolling down its streets, stopping in at a Wat occasionally, talking to a monk, nipping into a shop and then for a coffee or a glass of wine or a BeerLao (very good local beer) or treating yourself to a massage (I have become a foot massage convert), all before going to the night market where you can have a heap of food for dinner at the awesome price of $4.50 (including meat or fish, about 10 different sides and a beer).
But Luang Prabang does not stop there, as I found out. You can also spend a day with the elephants - learning how to mount and ride them astride their head and bathe them in the river, or you can ride an elephant and then spend half a day kayaking or as I did, visit the Tat See waterfalls and then spend half a day kayaking (and only falling in once!). As great as the kayaking was, the next day was even better. We hiked up and around the Tat Kuang Si waterfalls. The hike took over two hours - at times steep and at other times slippery (I only fell once!). Much of it was quite muddy because of the heavy rains that have been falling. After we climbed for about an hour, we crossed over the top of the falls - the sight was breathtaking.
It was as we peered over the top of the falls that we noticed them - leeches - on our feet. They had apparently latched on while we were hiking in the woods. They can be pulled off with minimal pain but have to be flung off your fingers since they latch on wherever they can. I was fortunate to have caught them shortly after they tagged me. Another experience to add to the books!
But Luang Prabang does not stop there, as I found out. You can also spend a day with the elephants - learning how to mount and ride them astride their head and bathe them in the river, or you can ride an elephant and then spend half a day kayaking or as I did, visit the Tat See waterfalls and then spend half a day kayaking (and only falling in once!). As great as the kayaking was, the next day was even better. We hiked up and around the Tat Kuang Si waterfalls. The hike took over two hours - at times steep and at other times slippery (I only fell once!). Much of it was quite muddy because of the heavy rains that have been falling. After we climbed for about an hour, we crossed over the top of the falls - the sight was breathtaking.
It was as we peered over the top of the falls that we noticed them - leeches - on our feet. They had apparently latched on while we were hiking in the woods. They can be pulled off with minimal pain but have to be flung off your fingers since they latch on wherever they can. I was fortunate to have caught them shortly after they tagged me. Another experience to add to the books!
Luang Prabang - Part 1
The travel books tell you that Luang Prabang becomes many travelers favorite city in Southeast Asia and I can understand why. It has definitely become one of my favorites in the 2 and 1/2 days I spent there.
Luang Prabang is set along the Mekong and the whole city is deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site as being one of the best preserved cities in SEA. It seems to be the capital of Buddhism in Laos with the numerous temples and monasteries sprinkled around the city. Monks are seen everywhere in their saffron robes and umbrellas to protect them from the sun.
Speaking of monks, in Luang Prabang, the monks still collect alms each morning from the townspeople. I participated in this ritual my first morning. I awoke before dawn and walked to the main street. As soon as I got there, I was accosted by some local women selling sticky rice or plates of bananas that could be given to the monks. I stood back awhile since I wasn’t sure I wanted to participate. The rules are strict and I didn’t want to do anything that would offend. Our tour guide suggested that it would be fine and we went over the rules again.
Here’s how it goes - you sit on the side of the street with your offering. Men can stand or sit with legs behind them (feet are considered very low and must not be shown or allowed in the direction of monks), and women kneel while making the offering. As the hundreds of monks (there were at least 2-300) walked past, I took a bit of the sticky rice (it’s already cooked) and put some in each monk‘s bowl. The monks varied in age from elderly men to boys who looked to be no more than 10 years old. The food they collect is shared among them at mealtimes, which seems fair since by the time the 150th monk came by, I was out of rice!
It was such a cool experience to participate in this ritual. Seeing the monks coming toward you in a line - a sea of saffron - and then passing down the streets back to the monastery.
Luang Prabang is set along the Mekong and the whole city is deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site as being one of the best preserved cities in SEA. It seems to be the capital of Buddhism in Laos with the numerous temples and monasteries sprinkled around the city. Monks are seen everywhere in their saffron robes and umbrellas to protect them from the sun.
Speaking of monks, in Luang Prabang, the monks still collect alms each morning from the townspeople. I participated in this ritual my first morning. I awoke before dawn and walked to the main street. As soon as I got there, I was accosted by some local women selling sticky rice or plates of bananas that could be given to the monks. I stood back awhile since I wasn’t sure I wanted to participate. The rules are strict and I didn’t want to do anything that would offend. Our tour guide suggested that it would be fine and we went over the rules again.
Here’s how it goes - you sit on the side of the street with your offering. Men can stand or sit with legs behind them (feet are considered very low and must not be shown or allowed in the direction of monks), and women kneel while making the offering. As the hundreds of monks (there were at least 2-300) walked past, I took a bit of the sticky rice (it’s already cooked) and put some in each monk‘s bowl. The monks varied in age from elderly men to boys who looked to be no more than 10 years old. The food they collect is shared among them at mealtimes, which seems fair since by the time the 150th monk came by, I was out of rice!
It was such a cool experience to participate in this ritual. Seeing the monks coming toward you in a line - a sea of saffron - and then passing down the streets back to the monastery.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Floating down the Mekong
In order to come to Luang Prabang, where I've been the last two days, we had to leave Huaixay by slow boat and traveled down river to Pak Beng, stopped for the night and then carried on to LP.
I had thought that spending two days on the river just floating along would not be all that enjoyable and that the days would pass very slowly. Boy, was I wrong. In fact, floating down river was great. The days passed really quickly and the scenery surrounding us was magnificent. I think that five years from now, Laos will be the new Prague (or what Prague was in the late 80s) - a hip vacation location. The backpackers have already discovered it - it is time for everyone else.
I will be posting pics shortly, but I am not exaggerating when I say that the trees and mountains surrounding us made me think of the great Northwest in the US or perhaps what Ireland must look like during the days when it earns its name, the Emerald Isle. Alongside the trees and mountains, we watched water buffalo bathing alongside the river's edge and saw children jumping into the river with naked abandon.
While traveling downstream, we were able to stop at two villages on the way. In both villages, most of the adults were off in the fields and the children were either being watched by grandparents, neighbors or the older siblings. They live in mostly wooden huts with the odd brick building (owned by a villager who works in the city - LP probably). Next to the huts were smaller buildings to store the rice and corn they cook, while chickens, ducks and pigs (as well as cats and dogs) roamed around.
Being in the villages brings to bear that Laos is one of the least developed countries in the region and many of its villages are isolated - but life here is refreshingly simple. Life here is languid and it allows you to slow down a notch - definitely enough to enjoy the scenery as you float down a river. Ahh, this is the life.
I had thought that spending two days on the river just floating along would not be all that enjoyable and that the days would pass very slowly. Boy, was I wrong. In fact, floating down river was great. The days passed really quickly and the scenery surrounding us was magnificent. I think that five years from now, Laos will be the new Prague (or what Prague was in the late 80s) - a hip vacation location. The backpackers have already discovered it - it is time for everyone else.
I will be posting pics shortly, but I am not exaggerating when I say that the trees and mountains surrounding us made me think of the great Northwest in the US or perhaps what Ireland must look like during the days when it earns its name, the Emerald Isle. Alongside the trees and mountains, we watched water buffalo bathing alongside the river's edge and saw children jumping into the river with naked abandon.
While traveling downstream, we were able to stop at two villages on the way. In both villages, most of the adults were off in the fields and the children were either being watched by grandparents, neighbors or the older siblings. They live in mostly wooden huts with the odd brick building (owned by a villager who works in the city - LP probably). Next to the huts were smaller buildings to store the rice and corn they cook, while chickens, ducks and pigs (as well as cats and dogs) roamed around.
Being in the villages brings to bear that Laos is one of the least developed countries in the region and many of its villages are isolated - but life here is refreshingly simple. Life here is languid and it allows you to slow down a notch - definitely enough to enjoy the scenery as you float down a river. Ahh, this is the life.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Entering Laos - or Where I gave myself a concussion
To get to Laos from Chaing Mai required two buses - and took about 5 and 1/2 hrs. The journey was pretty easy and getting across the border was hassle free. We entered into Laos at a town called Houayxay in the early afternoon.
Houayxay is a very small village which people use as a base to do things such as the Gibbon Experience or to stay overnight to get on the boats to travel down the Mekong to Luang Prabang (as we are). I took a walk around town and discovered that there really is nothing else.
Now, here’s a safety share for any of my clumsy friends. Even in a very sleepy village, you should pay attention to where you are walking or you too can end up sporting a lovely bump on your head (with a small Harry Potter like scar) from walking into a bamboo pole (used to hold up the awning of a local outdoor cafe). Apparently, you really can’t take me anywhere. Well, not without adult supervision. Needless to say, while my travel-mates were enjoying the two bars in town and meeting other travelers, I was passed out in my room recovering from what I can only describe as a slight concussion. Sigh.
Houayxay is a very small village which people use as a base to do things such as the Gibbon Experience or to stay overnight to get on the boats to travel down the Mekong to Luang Prabang (as we are). I took a walk around town and discovered that there really is nothing else.
Now, here’s a safety share for any of my clumsy friends. Even in a very sleepy village, you should pay attention to where you are walking or you too can end up sporting a lovely bump on your head (with a small Harry Potter like scar) from walking into a bamboo pole (used to hold up the awning of a local outdoor cafe). Apparently, you really can’t take me anywhere. Well, not without adult supervision. Needless to say, while my travel-mates were enjoying the two bars in town and meeting other travelers, I was passed out in my room recovering from what I can only describe as a slight concussion. Sigh.
Back to Thailand
After leaving Cambodia, I arrived back in Bangkok and realized that during the trip, I had already come through Bangkok's airport five times. Along with feeling excited about continuing the trip, I was feeling apprehensive about joining my tour. I was going to be spending the next 3 and 1/2 weeks with a group of people traveling in Laos and Vietnam in some very basic conditions (after spending a year enjoying some very nonbasic hotels and resorts in India). I joined up with my tour group on Sunday morning and found that aside from me, there were only 3 other people on the tour until we get to Vietnam. Two native Australians (although I use that term loosely since one of them is a world traveler and has now sold all of her belonging to spend the rest of her life traveling) and one native UKer who has been living in Oz for the last 5 years. Clearly, I will need to do my part to represent for the Americans. We had one day in Bangkok and then took the overnight train to Chaing Mai.
Chaing Mai is a great town in the north of Thailand. It is a great spot to go trekking, mountain biking, and the Gibbon Experience (you can sign up to spend days and nights in tree housing helping to save the Gibbons and do some ziplining). The train was pretty nice, even the bunks (a bit more comfortable than those in India - better bedding) but late - so we didn't arrive in Chaing Mai until early afternoon. So with only a few hours to see Chaing Mai, we trekked around and town visited a couple of temples in town. You can see that the town of Chaing Mai has been built up around the tourist industry with loads of guest hoses, travel agencies and coffee shops and restaurants. I can see why people use it as a base for other activities in and around the area.
My favorite part of the day was our visit to the Mountain Temple - Wat Phra That Doi Sthep. It was on top of a mountain (as the name would suggest) and you could only reach it after climbing 300 steps. The temple itself was beautiful. Built in the 14th century, it has two large golden stupas. We arrived just after sunset and saw some great views of the city below.
Chaing Mai is a great town in the north of Thailand. It is a great spot to go trekking, mountain biking, and the Gibbon Experience (you can sign up to spend days and nights in tree housing helping to save the Gibbons and do some ziplining). The train was pretty nice, even the bunks (a bit more comfortable than those in India - better bedding) but late - so we didn't arrive in Chaing Mai until early afternoon. So with only a few hours to see Chaing Mai, we trekked around and town visited a couple of temples in town. You can see that the town of Chaing Mai has been built up around the tourist industry with loads of guest hoses, travel agencies and coffee shops and restaurants. I can see why people use it as a base for other activities in and around the area.
My favorite part of the day was our visit to the Mountain Temple - Wat Phra That Doi Sthep. It was on top of a mountain (as the name would suggest) and you could only reach it after climbing 300 steps. The temple itself was beautiful. Built in the 14th century, it has two large golden stupas. We arrived just after sunset and saw some great views of the city below.
Remembering Cambodia
It’s Wednesday and I am spending the day floating down the Mekong River, through Laos. I figured it was about tmie I updated the blog - starting with Angkor.
What can I say about Angkor that isn't better expressed by pictures. It really is one of those places where a picture is worth a thousand words. My friend George and I spent 3 and half days in Angkor, two and half of those wandering around the temples (by which time we were templed out) and a day wandering around the markets and shops of Siem Reap.
The temples in Angkor truly are breathtaking in their size, scope magnitude and detail. My first siting was coming from the airport towards our hotel and seeing Angkor Wat. It appeared as though this ancient city was rising up from the past. (ok, I know it sounds melodramatic, but it really did). We spent the next couple of days seeing the biggies - Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the Bayonne, Banthei Srai (although farther away from the main site - definitely worthy of a visit) and Ta Prohm were definite highlights.
I wish I had the ability to express in words how impressive and amazing these temples and old ruins are, but I think more talented writers than I struggle with putting that into words - so I can only refer you to my pictures.
From Angkor, we went to Kep, known as the Riviera of Cambodia. A sleepy seaside town known for its crabs. And they were DELICIOUS. They definitely rival those I’ve had in Baltimore. Sweet and prepared in a wonderful white pepper sauce. (I know, blasphemy from a Baltimorean). Since it rained quite a bit while we there, we weren’t able to take advantage of the great pool and not so great beaches of Kep. While walking about town, we did see alot of hammocks. In fact, hammocks seem to be quite popular in all of Cambodia. In Kep, there were rows and rows of them in thatched roof open air buildings. And while, I not sure about why, I can only assume that the hammocks are available for rent by the hour for snoozing. Hammocks are so popular, that we saw quite a few tuk-tuks with hammocks inside for their proprietors to sleep in while not ferrying customers. It sees like a wonderful way to wile away any hazy and hot afternoons.
Although in some respects Cambodia sees like the poor relations of Thailand, with most of its population engaged in agriculture, it has a beautiful landscape - mostly fields and not lots of trees (at least the parts we drove through) and I found the people to be quite welcoming.
What can I say about Angkor that isn't better expressed by pictures. It really is one of those places where a picture is worth a thousand words. My friend George and I spent 3 and half days in Angkor, two and half of those wandering around the temples (by which time we were templed out) and a day wandering around the markets and shops of Siem Reap.
The temples in Angkor truly are breathtaking in their size, scope magnitude and detail. My first siting was coming from the airport towards our hotel and seeing Angkor Wat. It appeared as though this ancient city was rising up from the past. (ok, I know it sounds melodramatic, but it really did). We spent the next couple of days seeing the biggies - Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the Bayonne, Banthei Srai (although farther away from the main site - definitely worthy of a visit) and Ta Prohm were definite highlights.
I wish I had the ability to express in words how impressive and amazing these temples and old ruins are, but I think more talented writers than I struggle with putting that into words - so I can only refer you to my pictures.
From Angkor, we went to Kep, known as the Riviera of Cambodia. A sleepy seaside town known for its crabs. And they were DELICIOUS. They definitely rival those I’ve had in Baltimore. Sweet and prepared in a wonderful white pepper sauce. (I know, blasphemy from a Baltimorean). Since it rained quite a bit while we there, we weren’t able to take advantage of the great pool and not so great beaches of Kep. While walking about town, we did see alot of hammocks. In fact, hammocks seem to be quite popular in all of Cambodia. In Kep, there were rows and rows of them in thatched roof open air buildings. And while, I not sure about why, I can only assume that the hammocks are available for rent by the hour for snoozing. Hammocks are so popular, that we saw quite a few tuk-tuks with hammocks inside for their proprietors to sleep in while not ferrying customers. It sees like a wonderful way to wile away any hazy and hot afternoons.
Although in some respects Cambodia sees like the poor relations of Thailand, with most of its population engaged in agriculture, it has a beautiful landscape - mostly fields and not lots of trees (at least the parts we drove through) and I found the people to be quite welcoming.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Heart of Darkness
I spent Saturday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Phnom Penh or PP isn't a very large city and many people skip it or just pass through on their way to Angkor and Siem Reap. For the most part, I would agree that it isn't worth a long visit. It's a nice walking city but not really exceptional.
That being said, the one reason to spend some time in PP is to visit the Killing Fields. Most of us are at least passingly aware of the Killing Fields and the history of genocide left by Pol Pot in the mid/late 1970s. I was only aware of the barest of details of this part of Cambodian history. The Fields were "discovered" in 1980, after Pol Pot "resigned" and took refuge near the Thai/Cambodian border.
A few facts - the Fields are located only 15 km outside of PP, 17000 people were exterminated at the camp between 1975-1978, according to our guide, the camp was one of 100s around the country but was the only one preserved since it was the largest and it is estimated that 2-3 million people were killed at the extermination sites - out of a population of 7 million.
I really shouldn't call it a camp since it is different than the extermination camps used by the Nazis, it was really just an extermination site. In this case, prisoners from Prison 21 (Tuol Sleng) were brought to the site after being detained and tortued at the prison. The Khmer Rouge regime arrested and eventually executed almost everyone suspected of connections with the former government or with foreign governments, as well as professionals, intellectuals and citizens of other ethnicities and religious figures.
Once brought to the site (crammed in the back of trucks), the victims were killed by bludgeoned to save on the cost of valuable bullets. Women and children were not spared either. There's a tree at the site that was used to beat the heads of children before being flung into an open burial pit.
Walking onto the site, the first thing you notice is the stupa built there in memorial of the victims. The stupa has glass panels from which you can see the many layers of the stupa, each with skulls and other bones of the victims gathered from the site. As we walked around, the second thing that struck me was the smell. There was a very cloying almost overly sweet smell there - whether it was just due to the season, I don't know, but I had the impression that this was peculiar to this location. The tour guide pointed out the mass graves and, since it was monsoon, he also pointed out that clothing, bones and teeth that were starting to rise out of ground again.
All of it was horrifying and I write about it because it should be remembered. The parallels to the horrors of WWII cannot be emphasized enough. The guide at one point said that the townspeople knew what was happening and yet did nothing and said nothing. This was eerily the exact thing that a guide said to me as I was walking around the Dachau concentration camp outside of Munich, Germany last year.
Although it was a gruesome place to visit - I felt like I could only honor the victims by seeing it and making sure I never forget.
That being said, the one reason to spend some time in PP is to visit the Killing Fields. Most of us are at least passingly aware of the Killing Fields and the history of genocide left by Pol Pot in the mid/late 1970s. I was only aware of the barest of details of this part of Cambodian history. The Fields were "discovered" in 1980, after Pol Pot "resigned" and took refuge near the Thai/Cambodian border.
A few facts - the Fields are located only 15 km outside of PP, 17000 people were exterminated at the camp between 1975-1978, according to our guide, the camp was one of 100s around the country but was the only one preserved since it was the largest and it is estimated that 2-3 million people were killed at the extermination sites - out of a population of 7 million.
I really shouldn't call it a camp since it is different than the extermination camps used by the Nazis, it was really just an extermination site. In this case, prisoners from Prison 21 (Tuol Sleng) were brought to the site after being detained and tortued at the prison. The Khmer Rouge regime arrested and eventually executed almost everyone suspected of connections with the former government or with foreign governments, as well as professionals, intellectuals and citizens of other ethnicities and religious figures.
Once brought to the site (crammed in the back of trucks), the victims were killed by bludgeoned to save on the cost of valuable bullets. Women and children were not spared either. There's a tree at the site that was used to beat the heads of children before being flung into an open burial pit.
Walking onto the site, the first thing you notice is the stupa built there in memorial of the victims. The stupa has glass panels from which you can see the many layers of the stupa, each with skulls and other bones of the victims gathered from the site. As we walked around, the second thing that struck me was the smell. There was a very cloying almost overly sweet smell there - whether it was just due to the season, I don't know, but I had the impression that this was peculiar to this location. The tour guide pointed out the mass graves and, since it was monsoon, he also pointed out that clothing, bones and teeth that were starting to rise out of ground again.
All of it was horrifying and I write about it because it should be remembered. The parallels to the horrors of WWII cannot be emphasized enough. The guide at one point said that the townspeople knew what was happening and yet did nothing and said nothing. This was eerily the exact thing that a guide said to me as I was walking around the Dachau concentration camp outside of Munich, Germany last year.
Although it was a gruesome place to visit - I felt like I could only honor the victims by seeing it and making sure I never forget.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Ayutthaya and Sukhothai
I've spent the last two and a half days wandering around ruins in Ayutthaya and Sukhothai - both of which are prior capitals of Siam. Ayuttaya is the more visited of the two because its proximity to Bangkok makes it an easy weekend trip.
I arrived in Ayutthaya on Tuesday and really only had the afternoon to see the ruins and temples as I had to leave early on Wednesday to go to Sukhothai. Ayutthaya is set up around river with most of the sites on the inner circle and a few sites on the opposite side of the river. It is recommended that the best way to visit is by bicycle.
Sukhothai is located further north and unlike Ayutthaya, there is an old Sukhothai and a new Sukhothai. New Sukhothai is where most people stay - about 12 km from old Sukhothai, which is the UNESCO site housing the ruins of the old capital. The ruins/temples are in a historic park, spread out over 45 square kilometers - with central, north, east and west sections. It also is supposed to be best seen by bike.
Of the two, I preferred Ayutthaya - although most guide books seem to suggest that if you can only do one, that Sukhothai is the one to see. I don't want to go into each of the temples/ruins I saw - I will post pics of those later, but it wasn't because the ruins in Ayutthaya were better preserved or better explained that I preferred it.
What I liked about Ayutthaya was that the ruins were spread about around a town/villages that continue around them. You would visit one temple, ride around for a few minutes (and in my case, when getting lost, for more than a few minutes) until you came upon and visited the next one. It felt relaxed and I felt like I got to see the way people lived today in between these 900 year old ruins.
This is not meant to take away from Sukhothai - because the ruins there are older and better preserved in some cases (although preservation work continues in both locations). The park itself was really beautiful - trees interspersed with lakes and ruins. I had gone to the park late in the afternoon on Wednesday so I was able to enter the central area for free and as I visited the ruins and temples, I saw residents of the area come in to fish or to play some football (soccer), take a stroll, and play badminton. While it is a historic site - it is also a place that can be enjoyed by its citizens. I can imagine that when it isn't the monsoon, the park is overcrowded at night with people picnicking and gathering.
In some ways, I wish my days had been reversed, that I had had a shorter time for Sukhothai and a full day in Ayutthaya - because I felt that I could cover most of it within a half a day (you can only see so many ruins for so long) - and you can do the central portion, which has the most striking and historic temples, walking (you do, however need the bike to see the other areas as the park/site is quite spread out), whereas I felt that I almost didn't do Ayutthaya full justice by only having an afternoon to visit.
I'm ultimately glad that I got to see both - but now it's back to Bangkok on my way to Cambodia.
I arrived in Ayutthaya on Tuesday and really only had the afternoon to see the ruins and temples as I had to leave early on Wednesday to go to Sukhothai. Ayutthaya is set up around river with most of the sites on the inner circle and a few sites on the opposite side of the river. It is recommended that the best way to visit is by bicycle.
Sukhothai is located further north and unlike Ayutthaya, there is an old Sukhothai and a new Sukhothai. New Sukhothai is where most people stay - about 12 km from old Sukhothai, which is the UNESCO site housing the ruins of the old capital. The ruins/temples are in a historic park, spread out over 45 square kilometers - with central, north, east and west sections. It also is supposed to be best seen by bike.
Of the two, I preferred Ayutthaya - although most guide books seem to suggest that if you can only do one, that Sukhothai is the one to see. I don't want to go into each of the temples/ruins I saw - I will post pics of those later, but it wasn't because the ruins in Ayutthaya were better preserved or better explained that I preferred it.
What I liked about Ayutthaya was that the ruins were spread about around a town/villages that continue around them. You would visit one temple, ride around for a few minutes (and in my case, when getting lost, for more than a few minutes) until you came upon and visited the next one. It felt relaxed and I felt like I got to see the way people lived today in between these 900 year old ruins.
This is not meant to take away from Sukhothai - because the ruins there are older and better preserved in some cases (although preservation work continues in both locations). The park itself was really beautiful - trees interspersed with lakes and ruins. I had gone to the park late in the afternoon on Wednesday so I was able to enter the central area for free and as I visited the ruins and temples, I saw residents of the area come in to fish or to play some football (soccer), take a stroll, and play badminton. While it is a historic site - it is also a place that can be enjoyed by its citizens. I can imagine that when it isn't the monsoon, the park is overcrowded at night with people picnicking and gathering.
In some ways, I wish my days had been reversed, that I had had a shorter time for Sukhothai and a full day in Ayutthaya - because I felt that I could cover most of it within a half a day (you can only see so many ruins for so long) - and you can do the central portion, which has the most striking and historic temples, walking (you do, however need the bike to see the other areas as the park/site is quite spread out), whereas I felt that I almost didn't do Ayutthaya full justice by only having an afternoon to visit.
I'm ultimately glad that I got to see both - but now it's back to Bangkok on my way to Cambodia.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Kanchanaburi
As I've already mentioned, I arrived in Kanchanaburi on Sunday, the tenth anniversary of September 11. As with many of you, it is a day that I will never forget and a day that makes me proud to be an American. Since it was the bravery of our first responders that saved so many lives and the resilience of our country that allowed us to come back from such tragedy. Although I wasn't at home, I watched a bit of the ceremony from Ground Zero and also felt the history of tragedy of another war around me.
I visited the Bridge and rode the line which heads northwest to Kanchanburi, over the Bridge on the River Kwai, along the Kwae Noi ('Little Kwai') and over the Wampo Viaduct to Nam Tok. The track actually continues to Konyu Cutting ('Hellfire Pass') and into Burma (Myanmar). The Japanese used Thai forced labour to construct the section from Nong Pla Duk to Kanchanaburi, and Allied prisoners of war for the section from Kanchanaburi onwards to Burma. It was a bit eery to know the history and see the tracks with 1940 etched into one side of the rails.
Fortunately, this was only part of my day in Kanchanaburi. While the town has been built up around the bridge, there is so much more to see and do in the area. My day began with a two and half hour trek at Erawan Falls at the National Park by the same name. It takes its name from the Thai word for the mythological Hindu three-headed elephant Airavata. The triple cascade at the top of the famous seven-tiered waterfall is said to resemble the elephant's head. I was told that this was the 12th best waterfall in Thailand (who has this job? ranking waterfalls?). The walk was beautiful, lush woods and beautiful waterfalls - especially at the very top. It was truly breathtaking. Unfortunately and fortunately, I didn't see much wildlife - including the monkeys who are supposed to be terrors looking for food from humans.
After the falls and a well-deserved lunch (even if I say so myself), the tour carried on to an elephant ride and a bamboo raft ride down the river. Both, I could have passed on. I had hoped to go to Hellfire Pass - a museum set above the Death Railway, the tours were not going there on Monday. So instead, we went to Krasae Cave - on the Death Railway where soldiers were housed when sick from working on the railway. Not much remains of that past, but the views along there were amazing.
All of this and I hardly completed half of the tourist attractions in the area - it would be worth another visit - unfortunately for me, I had run out of time and was headed to Ayutthaya the following day. Maybe another time.
I visited the Bridge and rode the line which heads northwest to Kanchanburi, over the Bridge on the River Kwai, along the Kwae Noi ('Little Kwai') and over the Wampo Viaduct to Nam Tok. The track actually continues to Konyu Cutting ('Hellfire Pass') and into Burma (Myanmar). The Japanese used Thai forced labour to construct the section from Nong Pla Duk to Kanchanaburi, and Allied prisoners of war for the section from Kanchanaburi onwards to Burma. It was a bit eery to know the history and see the tracks with 1940 etched into one side of the rails.
Fortunately, this was only part of my day in Kanchanaburi. While the town has been built up around the bridge, there is so much more to see and do in the area. My day began with a two and half hour trek at Erawan Falls at the National Park by the same name. It takes its name from the Thai word for the mythological Hindu three-headed elephant Airavata. The triple cascade at the top of the famous seven-tiered waterfall is said to resemble the elephant's head. I was told that this was the 12th best waterfall in Thailand (who has this job? ranking waterfalls?). The walk was beautiful, lush woods and beautiful waterfalls - especially at the very top. It was truly breathtaking. Unfortunately and fortunately, I didn't see much wildlife - including the monkeys who are supposed to be terrors looking for food from humans.
After the falls and a well-deserved lunch (even if I say so myself), the tour carried on to an elephant ride and a bamboo raft ride down the river. Both, I could have passed on. I had hoped to go to Hellfire Pass - a museum set above the Death Railway, the tours were not going there on Monday. So instead, we went to Krasae Cave - on the Death Railway where soldiers were housed when sick from working on the railway. Not much remains of that past, but the views along there were amazing.
All of this and I hardly completed half of the tourist attractions in the area - it would be worth another visit - unfortunately for me, I had run out of time and was headed to Ayutthaya the following day. Maybe another time.
Phuket to Kanchanaburi
I left Phuket on Sunday morning headed to Kanchanaburi. There are probably several ways to get to Kanchanaburi from Phuket - a day long bus ride, maybe a train, or getting to Bangkok and then getting a minivan. I chose to fly from Phuket to Bangkok, take the BTS skytrain to Makkasan Station (35 B) and then take a bus to the Southern Bus Terminal (19B), and once at the terminal, take a bus to Kanchanaburi (less than 100B) - the journey took several hours and I arrived in Kanchanaburi at about 5pm (after having left Phuket on a 10:30 flight). Although it seems like this might make for an exceptionally long day, it really wasn't. I was really enthralled by each of the different types of transportation.
The skytrain from the airport was relatively easy to take and the people at the information desks in the airport were really helpful. The skytrain also gave me my first view of the skyline of Bangkok. From a distance it looked like any large modern city. Not the size of a New York, but perhaps a Paris or Philadelphia.
The bus from Makkasan Station to the Southern Bus Terminal, gave me a much more up close and personal view of parts of the city. Admittedly, this part of the journey was the most difficult since finding the bus station at Makkasan was a bit of a challenge since it is not well marked, but once it was found, the bus arrived rather quickly. From the vantage point of the bus (and the ride was over an hour long), Bangkok looked more organized than Delhi had. Cars drove in their lanes, so while there was quite a bit of traffic, it moved smoothly and at no point did the bus sit in traffic for endless periods (quite a relief from Delhi). The city also seemed a bit cleaner than Delhi - there wasn't as much rubble on the sides of the road nor did there seem to be as many hovels.
What I did notice were all the street markets - which reminded me a bit of Mumbai (in the Colaba area). There were tons and tons of food stalls. Which made me think that the Thais and Indians must get along famously since we both love our food! There also appeared to be vendors of all kinds of wares just set up on certain blocks. I can see why Bangkok is thought to be a shopper's paradise. I'm looking forward to spending more time in Bangkok over the next few weeks.
One other point of note when it comes to shops - there are a ton of 7-11s in Thailand. In each of the places I've been so far, it seems like there's a 7-11 on each street, with everything from the usual slurpees and other cold drinks to cards to top up your cell phone. It's enough to make me want to write to the writers of the Simpsons to have them add a competing 7-11 in Springfield owned by a Thai family.
Finally, I arrived at the Southern Bus Terminal. It was unlike any other bus terminal I've ever seen. I walked up several flights of stairs - each floor contained shops and vendors of clothes, food, shoes and other various household goods - but not set up in stores, but more like a set up for a flea market. Finally on the top floor were the stalls for buying bus tickets. You can't just go up to an open booth and buy a ticket to your destination. You must find the booth for your destination and then purchase the ticket. Fortunately, each attendant I asked was very friendly and helpful in directing me to the Kanchanaburi stall.
When I got to the bus, there was an attendant, who showed me to my seat! The buses aren't fancy by any means, so this seemed a bit out of place to me. The ride was about 2 hours long with several stops along the way - which were not marked as bus stops so I have to assume they are just known to the town's residents. The scenery was pretty but not remarkable. Fields and small towns, no different than you might see in the Caribbean or other tropical location - with the random Buddhist temple.
I had expected Kanchanaburi to be a small town. It is known for being the location of the Bridge over the River Kwai. It seems that this has generated an entire tourist industry and the result is that Kanchanaburi is bustling small city. Full of guest houses, restaurants, massage shops - anything and everything to cater to the tourist - at a bargain of a price.
So, while it took me a while to get there, I'm glad I took the long route.
The skytrain from the airport was relatively easy to take and the people at the information desks in the airport were really helpful. The skytrain also gave me my first view of the skyline of Bangkok. From a distance it looked like any large modern city. Not the size of a New York, but perhaps a Paris or Philadelphia.
The bus from Makkasan Station to the Southern Bus Terminal, gave me a much more up close and personal view of parts of the city. Admittedly, this part of the journey was the most difficult since finding the bus station at Makkasan was a bit of a challenge since it is not well marked, but once it was found, the bus arrived rather quickly. From the vantage point of the bus (and the ride was over an hour long), Bangkok looked more organized than Delhi had. Cars drove in their lanes, so while there was quite a bit of traffic, it moved smoothly and at no point did the bus sit in traffic for endless periods (quite a relief from Delhi). The city also seemed a bit cleaner than Delhi - there wasn't as much rubble on the sides of the road nor did there seem to be as many hovels.
What I did notice were all the street markets - which reminded me a bit of Mumbai (in the Colaba area). There were tons and tons of food stalls. Which made me think that the Thais and Indians must get along famously since we both love our food! There also appeared to be vendors of all kinds of wares just set up on certain blocks. I can see why Bangkok is thought to be a shopper's paradise. I'm looking forward to spending more time in Bangkok over the next few weeks.
One other point of note when it comes to shops - there are a ton of 7-11s in Thailand. In each of the places I've been so far, it seems like there's a 7-11 on each street, with everything from the usual slurpees and other cold drinks to cards to top up your cell phone. It's enough to make me want to write to the writers of the Simpsons to have them add a competing 7-11 in Springfield owned by a Thai family.
Finally, I arrived at the Southern Bus Terminal. It was unlike any other bus terminal I've ever seen. I walked up several flights of stairs - each floor contained shops and vendors of clothes, food, shoes and other various household goods - but not set up in stores, but more like a set up for a flea market. Finally on the top floor were the stalls for buying bus tickets. You can't just go up to an open booth and buy a ticket to your destination. You must find the booth for your destination and then purchase the ticket. Fortunately, each attendant I asked was very friendly and helpful in directing me to the Kanchanaburi stall.
When I got to the bus, there was an attendant, who showed me to my seat! The buses aren't fancy by any means, so this seemed a bit out of place to me. The ride was about 2 hours long with several stops along the way - which were not marked as bus stops so I have to assume they are just known to the town's residents. The scenery was pretty but not remarkable. Fields and small towns, no different than you might see in the Caribbean or other tropical location - with the random Buddhist temple.
I had expected Kanchanaburi to be a small town. It is known for being the location of the Bridge over the River Kwai. It seems that this has generated an entire tourist industry and the result is that Kanchanaburi is bustling small city. Full of guest houses, restaurants, massage shops - anything and everything to cater to the tourist - at a bargain of a price.
So, while it took me a while to get there, I'm glad I took the long route.
Hello Phuket
My last two weeks in Delhi felt exhausting. Saying good bye to friends, getting everything ready to be packed, getting Jai ready for his solo trip back to the US, and did I mention, the last Sundays of brunches and drinks with friends and visits with family. Needless to the say the stress was causing me to become a bit of an insomniac.
So when I arrived after a whole night's travel from Delhi to Phuket, I was ready for a nap. On the beach. Under an umbrella. It was awesome. Phuket is region unto itself made up of different areas, and I was staying in Kata (much much quieter than Patang, for those of you who know Phuket). Since it is currently low season because of the monsoon, the beach wasn't crowded, but it was still beautiful. I remember sitting up in my beach chair, staring out at the Andaman Sea and feeling tears stream down my face. I was just overwhelmed with the idea that I was sitting on a beach in Phuket, Thailand. I don't know that my younger self could ever have anticipated that my life would take the twists and turns that would bring me here. Obviously, since I'm not usually this sappy in real life, I needed sleep.
I was lucky, both Thursday and Friday turned out to be gorgeous days (other than the brief downpour that went on while I went for a run on Friday) and I was able to really take in the beach. Saturday, I had booked a tour to see the caves in some of the islands in Phang Nga Bay and do some sea canoeing. While the weather didn't hold up, it was still a great day. It rained while we were in the boat going to the islands but mostly while we were canoeing the rain held up. It's a beautiful Bay, well worth visiting.
a bit of a safety share for my work colleagues - and a reminder to me to be extra careful, especially while traveling on my own - be careful on the ladders on boats - they get slippery - as one of my fellow travelers learned when she fell and apparently broke some bone in her leg and had to be whisked away in the middle of our tour.
All in all, Phuket was fabulous!
So when I arrived after a whole night's travel from Delhi to Phuket, I was ready for a nap. On the beach. Under an umbrella. It was awesome. Phuket is region unto itself made up of different areas, and I was staying in Kata (much much quieter than Patang, for those of you who know Phuket). Since it is currently low season because of the monsoon, the beach wasn't crowded, but it was still beautiful. I remember sitting up in my beach chair, staring out at the Andaman Sea and feeling tears stream down my face. I was just overwhelmed with the idea that I was sitting on a beach in Phuket, Thailand. I don't know that my younger self could ever have anticipated that my life would take the twists and turns that would bring me here. Obviously, since I'm not usually this sappy in real life, I needed sleep.
I was lucky, both Thursday and Friday turned out to be gorgeous days (other than the brief downpour that went on while I went for a run on Friday) and I was able to really take in the beach. Saturday, I had booked a tour to see the caves in some of the islands in Phang Nga Bay and do some sea canoeing. While the weather didn't hold up, it was still a great day. It rained while we were in the boat going to the islands but mostly while we were canoeing the rain held up. It's a beautiful Bay, well worth visiting.
a bit of a safety share for my work colleagues - and a reminder to me to be extra careful, especially while traveling on my own - be careful on the ladders on boats - they get slippery - as one of my fellow travelers learned when she fell and apparently broke some bone in her leg and had to be whisked away in the middle of our tour.
All in all, Phuket was fabulous!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye to Delhi was harder than I had thought it would be. I had always anticipated that I would only be there for one year, so the fact that I would be leaving didn't exactly sneak up on me.
Moving to India was a bit more of a challenge than I had anticipated. Moving to a new city, much less to a new country, is never easy, but finding my groove in India took me longer than I than I expected. But, by the time the new year had come around, I felt more and more like I had slipped into Delhi life. I had begun to make friends, gotten to know some of the neighborhoods in Delhi and Gurgaon and I had really ramped up my travel.
I think that in some ways, for me, the expat life was an opportunity to live more carefree than I ever had before. I had little responsibility when it came to maintaining my home (having a daily house cleaner and a driver/dog walker will do that!) and since my apartment was part of my employment package, I had the luxury of being able to hang out with friends and travel more often than I ever would have or will be able to when I am back in the US.
What struck me the most when I was leaving though, was not giving up this "expat" life, but rather that I was going to miss the friendship that I had made both at work and outside of work. It isn't as easy as getting on short flight or driving to visit your old hometown or just randomly picking up the phone to ring someone (not with a 10 hour time difference). Leaving friends and colleagues, just when you are really starting to know each other, get comfortable with each other - that's what really hit me as I was leaving.
I believe that I will be in touch with many of those friends and colleagues as the years go by - or at least I hope that's the case - but I know that even if we lose touch, I will carry with me memories of our time in Delhi.
Moving to India was a bit more of a challenge than I had anticipated. Moving to a new city, much less to a new country, is never easy, but finding my groove in India took me longer than I than I expected. But, by the time the new year had come around, I felt more and more like I had slipped into Delhi life. I had begun to make friends, gotten to know some of the neighborhoods in Delhi and Gurgaon and I had really ramped up my travel.
I think that in some ways, for me, the expat life was an opportunity to live more carefree than I ever had before. I had little responsibility when it came to maintaining my home (having a daily house cleaner and a driver/dog walker will do that!) and since my apartment was part of my employment package, I had the luxury of being able to hang out with friends and travel more often than I ever would have or will be able to when I am back in the US.
What struck me the most when I was leaving though, was not giving up this "expat" life, but rather that I was going to miss the friendship that I had made both at work and outside of work. It isn't as easy as getting on short flight or driving to visit your old hometown or just randomly picking up the phone to ring someone (not with a 10 hour time difference). Leaving friends and colleagues, just when you are really starting to know each other, get comfortable with each other - that's what really hit me as I was leaving.
I believe that I will be in touch with many of those friends and colleagues as the years go by - or at least I hope that's the case - but I know that even if we lose touch, I will carry with me memories of our time in Delhi.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Moving Day
No matter how many times I've moved and how much I plan in advance, moving day always brings some surprises and stress. This past moving day was no different.
Last Monday the movers were to arrive at 9 am to pack up my belongings to be shipped back to the US. Surprise number one, the movers arrived on time! While this was great news, the guards at my front gate wouldn't let them in because the person in maintenance who was to go ahead was late to work. After a few phone calls, a visit to the maintenance office and a few choice words to the late arriving employee (really, is it so hard to leave a note?) the movers were finally allowed inside the complex.
Although this occurred at 920, they somehow didn't make it to my flat until 945. When they finally arrived, there were two packers and a supervisor. Hmmm, enough people to pack and get everything out by 1 when I was due to go to work? I didn't think so and when I asked the supervisor, he responded that this was an all day pack. Unfortunately, I had been told that it would only take a half day and that was all the leave I had taken (and had left!) so I told him they needed to be finished by two at the very latest. This was not just because I needed to get to work, but because, for most apartment complexes, there is a blackout period in the middle of day where truck are not allowed to go in or out (a two hour lunch break if you will).
He acquiesced, and the movers got to to work. Now, here's the kicker. Despite the time constraints, the fact that there were only 3 of them there, and the fact that I was packing and moving some of the boxes, the supervisor did NOTHING. He stood over the other two workers while they packed. His only job was to get me to sign a couple of papers and then write the contents of each box on the box.
Even after a year in India, this type of division of labor still surprised me. I can't imagine that this would have ever happened in the US. Luckily, the other guys had it together enough to get everything done on time.
Last Monday the movers were to arrive at 9 am to pack up my belongings to be shipped back to the US. Surprise number one, the movers arrived on time! While this was great news, the guards at my front gate wouldn't let them in because the person in maintenance who was to go ahead was late to work. After a few phone calls, a visit to the maintenance office and a few choice words to the late arriving employee (really, is it so hard to leave a note?) the movers were finally allowed inside the complex.
Although this occurred at 920, they somehow didn't make it to my flat until 945. When they finally arrived, there were two packers and a supervisor. Hmmm, enough people to pack and get everything out by 1 when I was due to go to work? I didn't think so and when I asked the supervisor, he responded that this was an all day pack. Unfortunately, I had been told that it would only take a half day and that was all the leave I had taken (and had left!) so I told him they needed to be finished by two at the very latest. This was not just because I needed to get to work, but because, for most apartment complexes, there is a blackout period in the middle of day where truck are not allowed to go in or out (a two hour lunch break if you will).
He acquiesced, and the movers got to to work. Now, here's the kicker. Despite the time constraints, the fact that there were only 3 of them there, and the fact that I was packing and moving some of the boxes, the supervisor did NOTHING. He stood over the other two workers while they packed. His only job was to get me to sign a couple of papers and then write the contents of each box on the box.
Even after a year in India, this type of division of labor still surprised me. I can't imagine that this would have ever happened in the US. Luckily, the other guys had it together enough to get everything done on time.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Benefits of being an American
I've always been proud and grateful to be an American. I grew up admiring the spirit of America and the rights of privileges of being a US citizen. I was reminded of this just yesterday.
As you know, I'm going to be taking off soon for a stint in Southeast Asia, including some time in Laos. In order to enter Laos, I need a visa. So yesterday, I took some time at lunch to apply for my visa at the Embassy of Laos. First off, the Embassy doesn't really look like an embassy but it really more of a large house/estate and isn't located on Embassy Row in Delhi (a/k/a Chanakapuri).
I arrived around 2 pm (post lunch) and waited about 15 minutes for the Embassy to open back up. Apparently, they've adopted IST as well. I gave the representative my passport, a copy of my passport and visa to be in India, two copies of my application and two visa photos. He looked at the paperwork and asked me for copies of my airline tickets. Now, I was a bit prepared for this since I had been asked for ticket copies at the Vietnam Embassy - but I explained to him that I didn't have tickets because I was flying into Thailand and then driving into Laos and out of Laos (into Vietnam) by bus. He then asked me for my tickets to Thailand. I looked at him puzzled and asked him how that would help since they were tickets to THAILAND! He pondered this a moment and then asked me for my bank statement.
WHAT? I protested. Sharply. I told him that I wasn't giving him a bank statement and that I had never been asked for one before. He said it was part of his rules - I of course asked him where this was written. As we stared each other down (and I told him that I would just wait and get a visa at the border where I wouldn't need to provide this), he looked back at my papers and said, oh, you have a US Passport, are you part Indian? are you visiting here? I told him that with that passport I was 100% American. Lo and behold, he backed down.
He advised me that for other countries (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and others) a bank account statement was required but not for the US. I assume it is because the countries want to know that their visitors have the means and desire to return to their home countries and that if you are a US citizen (and I'm assuming this is true for other European countries) that you would of course want to return. I can't imagine turning over such sensitive statement to a foreign country (with no obligation to maintain the information as confidential). It once again reminded me how grateful I am to be an American - with all of the rights and privileges that follow.
As you know, I'm going to be taking off soon for a stint in Southeast Asia, including some time in Laos. In order to enter Laos, I need a visa. So yesterday, I took some time at lunch to apply for my visa at the Embassy of Laos. First off, the Embassy doesn't really look like an embassy but it really more of a large house/estate and isn't located on Embassy Row in Delhi (a/k/a Chanakapuri).
I arrived around 2 pm (post lunch) and waited about 15 minutes for the Embassy to open back up. Apparently, they've adopted IST as well. I gave the representative my passport, a copy of my passport and visa to be in India, two copies of my application and two visa photos. He looked at the paperwork and asked me for copies of my airline tickets. Now, I was a bit prepared for this since I had been asked for ticket copies at the Vietnam Embassy - but I explained to him that I didn't have tickets because I was flying into Thailand and then driving into Laos and out of Laos (into Vietnam) by bus. He then asked me for my tickets to Thailand. I looked at him puzzled and asked him how that would help since they were tickets to THAILAND! He pondered this a moment and then asked me for my bank statement.
WHAT? I protested. Sharply. I told him that I wasn't giving him a bank statement and that I had never been asked for one before. He said it was part of his rules - I of course asked him where this was written. As we stared each other down (and I told him that I would just wait and get a visa at the border where I wouldn't need to provide this), he looked back at my papers and said, oh, you have a US Passport, are you part Indian? are you visiting here? I told him that with that passport I was 100% American. Lo and behold, he backed down.
He advised me that for other countries (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and others) a bank account statement was required but not for the US. I assume it is because the countries want to know that their visitors have the means and desire to return to their home countries and that if you are a US citizen (and I'm assuming this is true for other European countries) that you would of course want to return. I can't imagine turning over such sensitive statement to a foreign country (with no obligation to maintain the information as confidential). It once again reminded me how grateful I am to be an American - with all of the rights and privileges that follow.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
What's next
I've just met with two moving companies about moving my things and bringing Jai back home. It is making it more and more real that I will be leaving India in about 30 days. A year has just about passed. I can hardly believe it.
So, what's next? Hmmmmm. Well, I can only answer that in the short term. After leaving India, I am going to travel in Southeast Asia for about 7 weeks. In fact, I will be finishing my last day of work on September 7 and getting on a flight to Phuket, Thailand that night. Yippee! After spending a week in Thailand, I'm going to Cambodia for a week with a friend I've met here in India.
I'll then return to Thailand to join a tour of about 23 days, visiting Bangkok and Chaing Mai in Thailand and then touring Laos and Vietnam. After the tour is complete, I'll fly to Malaysia for a day, meet another friend and spend a weekend in Singapore and ending my trip in Malaysia. At which point, I will finally be flying back to the US. I am really excited about being able to spend some time to see this part of the world. I certainly never expected to be able to visit so many places at once, but, since I don't have a job waiting for me in the US, it seemed opportune to take advantage of the break. and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't be unemployed for too long. (if only that were enough to find a job).
I'm of course a bit nervous that this may be the wrong economy to take a break from job hunting, but, I figure, you only live once, and who knows if and when I'll have the opportunity or time to come back and travel here - so I'm chucking my normal practical nature aside and taking a leap. I've not regretted taking leaps in the past and I hope to look back on this in the same way.
I'll try and keep posting as I travel!
So, what's next? Hmmmmm. Well, I can only answer that in the short term. After leaving India, I am going to travel in Southeast Asia for about 7 weeks. In fact, I will be finishing my last day of work on September 7 and getting on a flight to Phuket, Thailand that night. Yippee! After spending a week in Thailand, I'm going to Cambodia for a week with a friend I've met here in India.
I'll then return to Thailand to join a tour of about 23 days, visiting Bangkok and Chaing Mai in Thailand and then touring Laos and Vietnam. After the tour is complete, I'll fly to Malaysia for a day, meet another friend and spend a weekend in Singapore and ending my trip in Malaysia. At which point, I will finally be flying back to the US. I am really excited about being able to spend some time to see this part of the world. I certainly never expected to be able to visit so many places at once, but, since I don't have a job waiting for me in the US, it seemed opportune to take advantage of the break. and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't be unemployed for too long. (if only that were enough to find a job).
I'm of course a bit nervous that this may be the wrong economy to take a break from job hunting, but, I figure, you only live once, and who knows if and when I'll have the opportunity or time to come back and travel here - so I'm chucking my normal practical nature aside and taking a leap. I've not regretted taking leaps in the past and I hope to look back on this in the same way.
I'll try and keep posting as I travel!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Visiting Family
I've just come back from spending 5 days in Ahmedabad in Gujurat, India. It's a state in Western India where my family is from. It is not high on the list of tourist vacation spots - only partly because it is a dry state (and I don't mean that it doesn't rain).
For me, however, it is where I think of when I think of India. While Delhi may now be the India of my adulthood, Ahmedabad will always be the India of my childhood.
My family used to come to India every couple of years when I was young so we could visit relatives. On my father's side of the family, there are 3 brothers (other than him) and two sisters. Each of whom has had two kids, and each of whom are or have been married and now have one or two children. On my mother's side, I have one aunt and her son's family. That's alot of people to visit in 5 days but I managed to visit with each of them. It was exhausting. and that's just from spending 5 days doing nothing but eating.
In reality, although I spend a lot of time "complaining" about my family, visiting them often brings me back to my childhood. From the smells and tastes of food or the city to recognizing the streets of the town, or remembering visiting my grandfather in the heart of the city. It reminds me in part of whom I or at least from where I've come.
Although I often feel like there is so much distance between us - not just of space, but of experience, I also feel a closeness to them. That they understand and know a part of me that can only be known because of our shared history and heritage.
I'm fortunate that I've had the opportunity to see each of my cousins over the years, share experiences, and attend their weddings. And while I'm not ready to see their children get married (since that would make me old), I know the time for that is rapidly approaching (I've already been told that my eldest cousin is "looking" for a bride for her son) and I look forward to seeing the history and heritage of my family grow.
For me, however, it is where I think of when I think of India. While Delhi may now be the India of my adulthood, Ahmedabad will always be the India of my childhood.
My family used to come to India every couple of years when I was young so we could visit relatives. On my father's side of the family, there are 3 brothers (other than him) and two sisters. Each of whom has had two kids, and each of whom are or have been married and now have one or two children. On my mother's side, I have one aunt and her son's family. That's alot of people to visit in 5 days but I managed to visit with each of them. It was exhausting. and that's just from spending 5 days doing nothing but eating.
In reality, although I spend a lot of time "complaining" about my family, visiting them often brings me back to my childhood. From the smells and tastes of food or the city to recognizing the streets of the town, or remembering visiting my grandfather in the heart of the city. It reminds me in part of whom I or at least from where I've come.
Although I often feel like there is so much distance between us - not just of space, but of experience, I also feel a closeness to them. That they understand and know a part of me that can only be known because of our shared history and heritage.
I'm fortunate that I've had the opportunity to see each of my cousins over the years, share experiences, and attend their weddings. And while I'm not ready to see their children get married (since that would make me old), I know the time for that is rapidly approaching (I've already been told that my eldest cousin is "looking" for a bride for her son) and I look forward to seeing the history and heritage of my family grow.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
I'm blaming the whole thing on Bunty - or why Amritsar and I will never be friends
Yesterday, I finally made to Amritsar - but all things do not go smoothly. No, quite the opposite - perhaps my travel jinx is back just before I leave on my tour of Southeast Asia (I'm praying otherwise).
I arrived in Amritsar bright and early, without any problems, and made my way to the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is the holiest temple for Sikhs and includes a temple surrounded by a sacred pool called the Amrit Sarovar and gilded with 750 kg of gold. It's breathtaking. After visiting the temple, I also walked around the complex - listening to the chanting by the priests being broadcast to all of us, it's strangely peaceful and soothing.
The Sikhs have a long history of inclusion and charity. Each temple, including the Golden Temple, includes a kitchen and eating hall - anyone who wants to be fed is fed for free. At the Golden Temple, this means 60-80,000 people daily - and the cooking, cleaning is all done by volunteers - it's truly awe inspiring. (pics to be posted).
After hanging out at the complex for a while, I went in search of food. Despite the free food available at the temple, I had been told about this really great Dhaba - or local diner - called Brothers Dhabha - which I had to check out. and I wasn't disappointed. The food was really yummy - but of course it had to be, since there was probably about a pound of butter in it. I was definitely steered in the right direction when given this recommendation.
After lunch, I needed to walk around so I went to visit Jallianwala Bagh. Jallianwala Bagh is a park near the Golden Temple which is the site of a massacre of Indians by the Britishers in 1919- the Brits, in an attempt to strike at sedition sent in a Brigadier General who opened fire on over 5000 Indians at a peaceful rally - killing over 1500 people - including women and children. The park is now a memorial to the fallen where bullet marks can still be seen as a reminder of the event.
I stayed at the park for some time - both to sit in its quiet and take in the scene while it was briefly drizzling. After a bit, I received a call from a couple of other tourists who I had met at Brothers - with whom I had discussed sharing a ride to the Wagah Border.
What is the Wagah Border? It's a border between Pakistan and India where nightly there is a flag-lowering/border closing ceremony. The ceremony, by the way was pretty cool - involving a bunch of goose-stepping and pomp - with soldiers walking along this short march to and fro the border in what can only be described as walking forms reminicent of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks. The event is worth seeing for its patriotic air and ceremony.
But I digress, I went to meet these new found friends at their hotel, when the skies opened up and despite my having (and using) my umbrella - I got soaked. and my blackberry then suffered an early death (I'm still hoping it's a coma and it will wake up again). Fortunately, I was still able to meet my friends and we got in the auto rickshaw to go to the order. And this is where Bunty comes into the picure. Bunty was our illustrious rickshaw driver. Never get into a rickshaw with a man named Bunty. Now, normally, I wouldn't have taken an auto-rickshaw to the border - the guidebooks suggest they aren't supposed to leave the city, but at this point, my new friends had arranged for this and it was too late for anything else. So, off we went in the rickshaw and, to Bunty's credit - we did make it to the border. Of course, a ride that would have taken 45 minutes took far longer. I probably should have paid attention to how much longer, but I didn't. I figured there would be plenty of time after the border ceremony to make my 10pm flight. (intentional foreshadowing....)
The ceremony finished at about 715 - giving me about 145 to get to the airport. Plenty of time. Except I forgot Bunty does not drive at the speed of light, or even the speed of 30 km an hour. So, by the time we are getting towards town, it looks like by the time he drops the others off, and then takes me to the airport - it will be cutting things too close. and it turns out that Bunty has taken a liking to me. So, he kicks out the my friends and tells them to take another rickshaw so he can take me to the airport. I'm not in a position to argue so off we go - and I make it back in time for my flight - and in time for Bunty to ask me for my digits. Yes, my friends, this is what it has come down to - me telling the auto-rickshaw driver that he's not getting my number. I finally get away to the safety of the airport.
This my friends, is not the end of my adventure. As I told you earlier, my blackberry died that afternoon, which means that I had no idea how I was going to call my driver to pick me up when I got back to Delhi. Oh, and did I mention he had my house keys since he was watching Jai during the day?
When I left in the morning, I had told my driver that he I would be arriving back around 11. It was now 1130 and I knew he would be waiting for my call. Normally, I called when I landed and he met me outside. Hmmm, what to do? I tried putting my SIM card in another phone - and it turns out the phone numbers were saved on the hardware not the SIM card. I tried a new battery in the phone - no luck. And, no, I didn't have his number anywhere - it was in the phone! I walked up and down the area where Madan normally comes to pick me up. no luck. I walked up and down the aisles of the parking garage for three floors - for about 40 minutes. no luck.
I am just about out of ideas at this point. So, I decide to take a cab home and see if the guards at the apartment have 1. either Madan's number or 2. they have an emergency key to my flat. yes, you guessed it, no luck! AGHHHHHHHH! What now? The guards try to call management and then I remembered that my friends in J Block are back from their trek and must be home - it is after all 130 in the morning. If I can get to their computer, I can get Madan's number! Fortunately, they were home and woke up after some scary pounding on their door. I was so relieved! and within another 30 minutes, finally made it into my flat (where I found Jai resting in bed).
So, what is to be learned from this? First, carry the number of whoever is giving you a ride home from the airport in a secondary location; and second, and most importantly, don't get into a rickshaw with anyone named Bunty.
I arrived in Amritsar bright and early, without any problems, and made my way to the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is the holiest temple for Sikhs and includes a temple surrounded by a sacred pool called the Amrit Sarovar and gilded with 750 kg of gold. It's breathtaking. After visiting the temple, I also walked around the complex - listening to the chanting by the priests being broadcast to all of us, it's strangely peaceful and soothing.
The Sikhs have a long history of inclusion and charity. Each temple, including the Golden Temple, includes a kitchen and eating hall - anyone who wants to be fed is fed for free. At the Golden Temple, this means 60-80,000 people daily - and the cooking, cleaning is all done by volunteers - it's truly awe inspiring. (pics to be posted).
After hanging out at the complex for a while, I went in search of food. Despite the free food available at the temple, I had been told about this really great Dhaba - or local diner - called Brothers Dhabha - which I had to check out. and I wasn't disappointed. The food was really yummy - but of course it had to be, since there was probably about a pound of butter in it. I was definitely steered in the right direction when given this recommendation.
After lunch, I needed to walk around so I went to visit Jallianwala Bagh. Jallianwala Bagh is a park near the Golden Temple which is the site of a massacre of Indians by the Britishers in 1919- the Brits, in an attempt to strike at sedition sent in a Brigadier General who opened fire on over 5000 Indians at a peaceful rally - killing over 1500 people - including women and children. The park is now a memorial to the fallen where bullet marks can still be seen as a reminder of the event.
I stayed at the park for some time - both to sit in its quiet and take in the scene while it was briefly drizzling. After a bit, I received a call from a couple of other tourists who I had met at Brothers - with whom I had discussed sharing a ride to the Wagah Border.
What is the Wagah Border? It's a border between Pakistan and India where nightly there is a flag-lowering/border closing ceremony. The ceremony, by the way was pretty cool - involving a bunch of goose-stepping and pomp - with soldiers walking along this short march to and fro the border in what can only be described as walking forms reminicent of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks. The event is worth seeing for its patriotic air and ceremony.
But I digress, I went to meet these new found friends at their hotel, when the skies opened up and despite my having (and using) my umbrella - I got soaked. and my blackberry then suffered an early death (I'm still hoping it's a coma and it will wake up again). Fortunately, I was still able to meet my friends and we got in the auto rickshaw to go to the order. And this is where Bunty comes into the picure. Bunty was our illustrious rickshaw driver. Never get into a rickshaw with a man named Bunty. Now, normally, I wouldn't have taken an auto-rickshaw to the border - the guidebooks suggest they aren't supposed to leave the city, but at this point, my new friends had arranged for this and it was too late for anything else. So, off we went in the rickshaw and, to Bunty's credit - we did make it to the border. Of course, a ride that would have taken 45 minutes took far longer. I probably should have paid attention to how much longer, but I didn't. I figured there would be plenty of time after the border ceremony to make my 10pm flight. (intentional foreshadowing....)
The ceremony finished at about 715 - giving me about 145 to get to the airport. Plenty of time. Except I forgot Bunty does not drive at the speed of light, or even the speed of 30 km an hour. So, by the time we are getting towards town, it looks like by the time he drops the others off, and then takes me to the airport - it will be cutting things too close. and it turns out that Bunty has taken a liking to me. So, he kicks out the my friends and tells them to take another rickshaw so he can take me to the airport. I'm not in a position to argue so off we go - and I make it back in time for my flight - and in time for Bunty to ask me for my digits. Yes, my friends, this is what it has come down to - me telling the auto-rickshaw driver that he's not getting my number. I finally get away to the safety of the airport.
This my friends, is not the end of my adventure. As I told you earlier, my blackberry died that afternoon, which means that I had no idea how I was going to call my driver to pick me up when I got back to Delhi. Oh, and did I mention he had my house keys since he was watching Jai during the day?
When I left in the morning, I had told my driver that he I would be arriving back around 11. It was now 1130 and I knew he would be waiting for my call. Normally, I called when I landed and he met me outside. Hmmm, what to do? I tried putting my SIM card in another phone - and it turns out the phone numbers were saved on the hardware not the SIM card. I tried a new battery in the phone - no luck. And, no, I didn't have his number anywhere - it was in the phone! I walked up and down the area where Madan normally comes to pick me up. no luck. I walked up and down the aisles of the parking garage for three floors - for about 40 minutes. no luck.
I am just about out of ideas at this point. So, I decide to take a cab home and see if the guards at the apartment have 1. either Madan's number or 2. they have an emergency key to my flat. yes, you guessed it, no luck! AGHHHHHHHH! What now? The guards try to call management and then I remembered that my friends in J Block are back from their trek and must be home - it is after all 130 in the morning. If I can get to their computer, I can get Madan's number! Fortunately, they were home and woke up after some scary pounding on their door. I was so relieved! and within another 30 minutes, finally made it into my flat (where I found Jai resting in bed).
So, what is to be learned from this? First, carry the number of whoever is giving you a ride home from the airport in a secondary location; and second, and most importantly, don't get into a rickshaw with anyone named Bunty.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Driving Madam
So, this morning, I walked to my trainer's studio. What's the big deal, you say? Well, in most cases, this would not be novel - I walked everywhere in Baltimore, to the drugstore, the supermarket, the movie theater, the wine store (oh, wait, those are all on my block!). And that's just it, in Gurgaon, I don't really walk anywhere - mostly because nothing is really in walking distance.
However, what was novel about walking this morning is that normally my driver takes me to the trainer (I usually go at 7 am right and need to be home quickly to get ready for work). Last night, however, I decided that I would walk so I didn't have to have my driver come get me so early.
Now, I know he "works" for me and so its his job to pick me up and take me places regardless of the time of day, but I feel really guilty about having him get up really early on a Saturday, drive an hour to come get me to go to the gym and then wait around the rest of the day until I need to go out again. Usually, I try and plan my day so that I have a bunch of driving related stuff grouped together. But today, I didn't really have a lot planned between going to the gym (at 830) and going to a party tonight (at 8) other than needing to get some groceries. So I thought it was rude for me to ask Madan (that's his name) to come get me at 8 and then sit around all day. Is that odd? Am I the only one who does this? (this is obviously geared to expats)
Having a driver has been an interesting experience for me. First, let me say this, Madan is great - he isn't late, he never grumbles (no matter how early I ask him to come or how late he has to be out) and he loves Jai. He not only drives me around, but he also serves as Jai's dog walker during the week so Jai gets time out of the flat at least twice during the day. Naturally, Jai loves him too.
Madan is also a great driver. He's aggressive in a way that I could never be here and yet I never feel unsafe in the car with him AND he knows where everything is located. He's the driver the other drivers look to for directions. Then there's the added benefit of never needing a designated driver when I'm out with friends. Having a driver is a luxury I never imagined having.
All that being said, I don't really love it.
The thing is, I am an American and that means I love to drive - myself. I really miss the freedom of driving myself where I want when I want. Which can't happen if I've told Madan that I'm done for the day and he leaves and I realize an hour later that I need to go to the store for milk. I also really kind of find it weird that someone knows my whereabouts, what time I was out until, where I went this morning - all the time. It's kind of like checking in but with a total stranger.
Sure, its convenient to have someone else drive so you don't have to stop and park the car, but I've found that being stuck in traffic as a passenger is just as bad a being stuck in traffic as the driver.
Then there's the whole Madam thing. Madan will not call be by my first name. I tried. I insisted - but it was a no go. So it's always Good Morning Madam, Good Evening Madam, Where to go Madam? - I'm too young to be called Madam! I obviously would prefer to have him call me by my first name as I do him, but I've come to accept, it's never gonna happen. It just bothers me that the culture imposes this class division.
I'm sure there will be times when I'm back in the US that I will very much miss having a driver - but as a whole, I don't think I'll be too sad about giving it up.
However, what was novel about walking this morning is that normally my driver takes me to the trainer (I usually go at 7 am right and need to be home quickly to get ready for work). Last night, however, I decided that I would walk so I didn't have to have my driver come get me so early.
Now, I know he "works" for me and so its his job to pick me up and take me places regardless of the time of day, but I feel really guilty about having him get up really early on a Saturday, drive an hour to come get me to go to the gym and then wait around the rest of the day until I need to go out again. Usually, I try and plan my day so that I have a bunch of driving related stuff grouped together. But today, I didn't really have a lot planned between going to the gym (at 830) and going to a party tonight (at 8) other than needing to get some groceries. So I thought it was rude for me to ask Madan (that's his name) to come get me at 8 and then sit around all day. Is that odd? Am I the only one who does this? (this is obviously geared to expats)
Having a driver has been an interesting experience for me. First, let me say this, Madan is great - he isn't late, he never grumbles (no matter how early I ask him to come or how late he has to be out) and he loves Jai. He not only drives me around, but he also serves as Jai's dog walker during the week so Jai gets time out of the flat at least twice during the day. Naturally, Jai loves him too.
Madan is also a great driver. He's aggressive in a way that I could never be here and yet I never feel unsafe in the car with him AND he knows where everything is located. He's the driver the other drivers look to for directions. Then there's the added benefit of never needing a designated driver when I'm out with friends. Having a driver is a luxury I never imagined having.
All that being said, I don't really love it.
The thing is, I am an American and that means I love to drive - myself. I really miss the freedom of driving myself where I want when I want. Which can't happen if I've told Madan that I'm done for the day and he leaves and I realize an hour later that I need to go to the store for milk. I also really kind of find it weird that someone knows my whereabouts, what time I was out until, where I went this morning - all the time. It's kind of like checking in but with a total stranger.
Sure, its convenient to have someone else drive so you don't have to stop and park the car, but I've found that being stuck in traffic as a passenger is just as bad a being stuck in traffic as the driver.
Then there's the whole Madam thing. Madan will not call be by my first name. I tried. I insisted - but it was a no go. So it's always Good Morning Madam, Good Evening Madam, Where to go Madam? - I'm too young to be called Madam! I obviously would prefer to have him call me by my first name as I do him, but I've come to accept, it's never gonna happen. It just bothers me that the culture imposes this class division.
I'm sure there will be times when I'm back in the US that I will very much miss having a driver - but as a whole, I don't think I'll be too sad about giving it up.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
a happy accident
Yesterday, my plans to go to Amritsar were thwarted and I ended up staying in Delhi instead. It turned out to be fortuitous and a great day.
I came home from the airport and caught a nap before heading out to do some touring in Delhi. Notwithstanding that I've been doing a lot of traveling in India, I have been delinquent in seeing all the sights in Delhi. I think it's because it is so easy to put off being a tourist in your own city, but I don't want to leave here without having at least visited most of the key sights. So, now that I have only 2 months left in India, I'm focused on making sure I spend more time sightseeing.
Yesterday, I focused on visiting memorials. I saw the Gandhi Smirti (the place where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last days and was assassinated), the Indira Gandhi Smirti (the place where Indira Gandhi lived her last days and was assassinated - with a memorial to her son Rajiv Gandhi - who was killed in a terrorist attack) and the Nehru memorial and museum (the place where the first prime minister lived/worked and died). Is there a theme here? I also went to Safdarjung's Tomb - a tomb built in the mid 18th Century built by his son (I guess this isn't doing anything to dispel the theme).
Each of the sites were on beautiful grounds and were interesting in their own right. I probably spent the least amount of time at the Gandhi Smirti since I've visited a few memorials to Gandhiji already and they each seem to contain the same information - yet I still get chills visiting places where Gandhiji had been.
Indira Gandhi's memorial gave me the impression of a family that had sacrificed so much for their country. In a way, the family history reminds me of the Kennedys. Father (Nehru) is Prime Minister of India, subsequently his daughter Indira is Prime Minister, the first son, Sanjay, probably groomed to follow in his mother's footsteps, died in an airplane accident, forcing Rajiv, the second son, into politics, only to be killed. His wife, Sonia is now the head of the Congress Party and their son Rahul is active in politics as well. A family legacy that lives on.
The Nehru memorial was not as well established as I would have expected for the first Prime Minister of India. I didn't find it as informative about the man himself and his struggles, but it was informative about the revolutionary movement here.
I'm glad that I got to visit these sites yesterday, but it was more than being able to be a tourist in Delhi that made yesterday a great day.
I stopped in at the Italian Cultural Institute for a bit of lunch and lo and behold ran into a couple of friends. After I left them, but before I left the Institute, I ran into another couple I knew. Now I know like 10 people in Delhi - it was so strange and yet so sweet that I would run into 4 people at one place (and seriously, Delhi is not a small place).
Later in the evening, I joined some friends at the Alliance Francaise (like the French Cultural Center) for some music. The amphitheater was full so a number of us (like 150 people) were standing outside listening to music (watching it on a screen) while sipping wine, eating pizza or some grilled chicken). It was such a nice evening, meeting new people, enjoying being outside and taking in some culture.
I'll take these change in plans any day.
I came home from the airport and caught a nap before heading out to do some touring in Delhi. Notwithstanding that I've been doing a lot of traveling in India, I have been delinquent in seeing all the sights in Delhi. I think it's because it is so easy to put off being a tourist in your own city, but I don't want to leave here without having at least visited most of the key sights. So, now that I have only 2 months left in India, I'm focused on making sure I spend more time sightseeing.
Yesterday, I focused on visiting memorials. I saw the Gandhi Smirti (the place where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last days and was assassinated), the Indira Gandhi Smirti (the place where Indira Gandhi lived her last days and was assassinated - with a memorial to her son Rajiv Gandhi - who was killed in a terrorist attack) and the Nehru memorial and museum (the place where the first prime minister lived/worked and died). Is there a theme here? I also went to Safdarjung's Tomb - a tomb built in the mid 18th Century built by his son (I guess this isn't doing anything to dispel the theme).
Each of the sites were on beautiful grounds and were interesting in their own right. I probably spent the least amount of time at the Gandhi Smirti since I've visited a few memorials to Gandhiji already and they each seem to contain the same information - yet I still get chills visiting places where Gandhiji had been.
Indira Gandhi's memorial gave me the impression of a family that had sacrificed so much for their country. In a way, the family history reminds me of the Kennedys. Father (Nehru) is Prime Minister of India, subsequently his daughter Indira is Prime Minister, the first son, Sanjay, probably groomed to follow in his mother's footsteps, died in an airplane accident, forcing Rajiv, the second son, into politics, only to be killed. His wife, Sonia is now the head of the Congress Party and their son Rahul is active in politics as well. A family legacy that lives on.
The Nehru memorial was not as well established as I would have expected for the first Prime Minister of India. I didn't find it as informative about the man himself and his struggles, but it was informative about the revolutionary movement here.
I'm glad that I got to visit these sites yesterday, but it was more than being able to be a tourist in Delhi that made yesterday a great day.
I stopped in at the Italian Cultural Institute for a bit of lunch and lo and behold ran into a couple of friends. After I left them, but before I left the Institute, I ran into another couple I knew. Now I know like 10 people in Delhi - it was so strange and yet so sweet that I would run into 4 people at one place (and seriously, Delhi is not a small place).
Later in the evening, I joined some friends at the Alliance Francaise (like the French Cultural Center) for some music. The amphitheater was full so a number of us (like 150 people) were standing outside listening to music (watching it on a screen) while sipping wine, eating pizza or some grilled chicken). It was such a nice evening, meeting new people, enjoying being outside and taking in some culture.
I'll take these change in plans any day.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Paging Dr. - oh, wait, I don't need one
I've had my fair share of visits to the doctor while I've lived in India - 4 in the last 7 months. In the US, I generally don't go to the doctor for a cold and usually don't take any medicine. I'm more of the "it's a cold and will go away on its own" type. It seems however, that my immune system is not bouncing back the way it usually does. My last cold lasted over two weeks. So about a week into the cold, I did what every reasonable expat does - I went to one of my colleagues at work and asked what I should take.
He asked me what my symptoms were and told me what he recommended. No, my colleague is not a doctor, med student or even scientifically gifted. He's a lawyer. It doesn't seem to make any difference though. He gave me a list of about 6 items to take for my cold and that evening, I went to the drug store - without any sort of prescription - and picked up these items - including some antibiotics. All for about $4.
I took these drugs and lo and behold, I got better - quickly. It's not uncommon for people to self-prescribe and even more importantly, to know what to self-prescribe. I would have had no idea what drugs to take (since at most I would go to the store and pick up Advil Cold and Sinus), but everyone here seems to.
Two things about this. First drugs are crazy cheap here. It kind of makes you wonder why they are soooo expensive in the US. The manufacturing costs are the same, they've already gone through FDA approval - and yes, I know there's all kinds of research and development costs to consider, but still - I can't get OTC drugs for $4, much less antibiotics. It makes no sense to me.
Second, most meds do not require a prescription and most people seem to know how to prescribe the right stuff for themselves. Sure, they may ask a doctor friend or relative, but after a bit, they just figure out on their own what they want, go to the pharmacy and pick it up. I don't know that this is the best thing - after all, from what I can see, this seems to lead to a tendency to over rely on drugs - so they become less effective over time and superbugs get created. Notwithstanding that it would have been a bit inconvenient for me to have to go to a doctor and get examined before getting medicine - it probably would be better to have someone tracking what drugs I'm taking over time to see if maybe, just maybe, they aren't the rights ones for me and/or I don't really need them.
All I can say is that I hope for my remaining time in India, I can avoid another doctor's visit and/or a referral from my colleagues for more meds.
He asked me what my symptoms were and told me what he recommended. No, my colleague is not a doctor, med student or even scientifically gifted. He's a lawyer. It doesn't seem to make any difference though. He gave me a list of about 6 items to take for my cold and that evening, I went to the drug store - without any sort of prescription - and picked up these items - including some antibiotics. All for about $4.
I took these drugs and lo and behold, I got better - quickly. It's not uncommon for people to self-prescribe and even more importantly, to know what to self-prescribe. I would have had no idea what drugs to take (since at most I would go to the store and pick up Advil Cold and Sinus), but everyone here seems to.
Two things about this. First drugs are crazy cheap here. It kind of makes you wonder why they are soooo expensive in the US. The manufacturing costs are the same, they've already gone through FDA approval - and yes, I know there's all kinds of research and development costs to consider, but still - I can't get OTC drugs for $4, much less antibiotics. It makes no sense to me.
Second, most meds do not require a prescription and most people seem to know how to prescribe the right stuff for themselves. Sure, they may ask a doctor friend or relative, but after a bit, they just figure out on their own what they want, go to the pharmacy and pick it up. I don't know that this is the best thing - after all, from what I can see, this seems to lead to a tendency to over rely on drugs - so they become less effective over time and superbugs get created. Notwithstanding that it would have been a bit inconvenient for me to have to go to a doctor and get examined before getting medicine - it probably would be better to have someone tracking what drugs I'm taking over time to see if maybe, just maybe, they aren't the rights ones for me and/or I don't really need them.
All I can say is that I hope for my remaining time in India, I can avoid another doctor's visit and/or a referral from my colleagues for more meds.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
No Internet!
About two weeks ago I came home from work to discover that my internet wasn't working. I called the residency company that deals with all my apartment stuff and didn't get a response for a couple of days. I can't say I waited patiently. I found out about a week later that my internet had been shut down when my landline was turned off by my telephone company. When the residency agency complained and asked to have the line reinstated they were told they would need to wait until the 20th of June so the company could investigate the issue. That was last Monday, so on Tuesday, the agency provided me with a data card to use. Unfortunately, the card only worked some of the time.
Being without internet doesn't seem like a big deal. and when I'm in the US, it probably wouldn't be. But here, where my internet access is blocked at the office and where I want to be able to communicate with friends and family when they are actually awake, or check in on facebook to see what people are up to - it felt very isolating. I never realized how much I rely on my computer to stay in touch and feel connected to my other world. Needless to say, when my service was turned back on today - I was elated!
Being without internet doesn't seem like a big deal. and when I'm in the US, it probably wouldn't be. But here, where my internet access is blocked at the office and where I want to be able to communicate with friends and family when they are actually awake, or check in on facebook to see what people are up to - it felt very isolating. I never realized how much I rely on my computer to stay in touch and feel connected to my other world. Needless to say, when my service was turned back on today - I was elated!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tiger Spotting
This weekend some friends and I went to Ranthambore to visit the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve to see if we could spot a tiger in the wild. There are about 35 tigers in the reserve which is about 200 square miles - so the odds aren't great that you'll see one.
We set out at 5:30 am on Sunday morning for our first foray into the park. Six of us in a gypsy jeep with a naturalist/guide and a driver. It was really a beautiful morning, not too hot, well, maybe it just didn't feel too hot (I may be getting used to this wretched heat). We entered the park enthusiastic and feeling optimistic about seeing a tiger. We had been told that lately the gypsy had about a 70-80% success rate in seeing a tiger and we knew it was a bit easier this time of year since we could stalk the tigers at the few watering holes available to them.
The park is actually set up in zones and we had been assigned to zone 1. Our driver drove to various watering spots looking for tracks. Along the way, we came across spotted deer, sambar deer (which I think resemble small horses rather than deer), rabbits, and tons of peacock. I have always thought peacocks were endangered, or at least in small supply - like the bald eagle. That is so not the case. There were peacocks and peahens everywhere. At one point, we actually saw a peacock start to strut his stuff - shake his booty and unveil his plumage - he did a couple of turns so that all the peahens (and us) could admire him. I'd never seen that before and it was truly magnificent. It helped to soften the blow that by the end of this trip into the forest we had not come across a tiger.
We went back to our hotel for breakfast and a break before our afternoon trip. The afternoon trip proved to be quite different than the morning. We set out around 3:30 and our guide was able to get us into a different zone. We were feeling optimistic again. The terrain for the afternoon trip was different from the morning. It seemed less green, far more dessert like. While we still came across wildlife, our guide told us that he wasn't stopping for anything but tigers. After driving around for about 45 minutes, we came across 3 other gypsy jeeps - a couple with professional photographers (or at least it appeared so from their cameras) - settled by a cave. It seems that a tiger had been spotted earlier in the day entering the cave. It was expected that the tiger was napping and would be coming out - any time now - to get a drink of water. So we decided to sit and wait.
Only about a half an hour later, we heard some deeping growling. The tiger was waking up. For about 15 minutes you could see him licking his ginormous chops, stretching and hear him growling. And then all of a sudden he decided to exit the cave - I nearly dropped the binoculars I was using to watch him. He was so much larger than I expected - nearly 500 lbs. While we had been waiting - another 6 or so gypsies had joined us - the tiger couldn't have cared less if there was one gypsy or 50. He walked out of the cave as if he owned the world. And in a way, he really does. He's king of this part of the forest and we all knew it.
At this point, we and the other jeeps were scurrying around trying to give chase - and follow him. We made it to a clearing to see that the tiger had settled in by a rock - apparently not thirsty enough yet. So we sat and waiting. And waited. After about 45 minutes the tiger arose again - again astounding me with his size - and walked toward all of us on his way to the watering hole. It was at this point that I was able to really appreciate his size and amazing physique as well as the designs on his face and body. For some strange reason I didn't expect to see lines on his legs or tail - but there they were. Again, he acted completely unfazed by the fact that there were about a 100 people clamoring to take his picture. He simply sauntered past us to his watering hole.
I have to say, this was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced in my life. To see a tiger in his natural habitat, up close and personal, it took my breath away. My pictures don't do it justice. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to take this trip and was lucky enough to actually come across a tiger.
We set out at 5:30 am on Sunday morning for our first foray into the park. Six of us in a gypsy jeep with a naturalist/guide and a driver. It was really a beautiful morning, not too hot, well, maybe it just didn't feel too hot (I may be getting used to this wretched heat). We entered the park enthusiastic and feeling optimistic about seeing a tiger. We had been told that lately the gypsy had about a 70-80% success rate in seeing a tiger and we knew it was a bit easier this time of year since we could stalk the tigers at the few watering holes available to them.
The park is actually set up in zones and we had been assigned to zone 1. Our driver drove to various watering spots looking for tracks. Along the way, we came across spotted deer, sambar deer (which I think resemble small horses rather than deer), rabbits, and tons of peacock. I have always thought peacocks were endangered, or at least in small supply - like the bald eagle. That is so not the case. There were peacocks and peahens everywhere. At one point, we actually saw a peacock start to strut his stuff - shake his booty and unveil his plumage - he did a couple of turns so that all the peahens (and us) could admire him. I'd never seen that before and it was truly magnificent. It helped to soften the blow that by the end of this trip into the forest we had not come across a tiger.
We went back to our hotel for breakfast and a break before our afternoon trip. The afternoon trip proved to be quite different than the morning. We set out around 3:30 and our guide was able to get us into a different zone. We were feeling optimistic again. The terrain for the afternoon trip was different from the morning. It seemed less green, far more dessert like. While we still came across wildlife, our guide told us that he wasn't stopping for anything but tigers. After driving around for about 45 minutes, we came across 3 other gypsy jeeps - a couple with professional photographers (or at least it appeared so from their cameras) - settled by a cave. It seems that a tiger had been spotted earlier in the day entering the cave. It was expected that the tiger was napping and would be coming out - any time now - to get a drink of water. So we decided to sit and wait.
Only about a half an hour later, we heard some deeping growling. The tiger was waking up. For about 15 minutes you could see him licking his ginormous chops, stretching and hear him growling. And then all of a sudden he decided to exit the cave - I nearly dropped the binoculars I was using to watch him. He was so much larger than I expected - nearly 500 lbs. While we had been waiting - another 6 or so gypsies had joined us - the tiger couldn't have cared less if there was one gypsy or 50. He walked out of the cave as if he owned the world. And in a way, he really does. He's king of this part of the forest and we all knew it.
At this point, we and the other jeeps were scurrying around trying to give chase - and follow him. We made it to a clearing to see that the tiger had settled in by a rock - apparently not thirsty enough yet. So we sat and waiting. And waited. After about 45 minutes the tiger arose again - again astounding me with his size - and walked toward all of us on his way to the watering hole. It was at this point that I was able to really appreciate his size and amazing physique as well as the designs on his face and body. For some strange reason I didn't expect to see lines on his legs or tail - but there they were. Again, he acted completely unfazed by the fact that there were about a 100 people clamoring to take his picture. He simply sauntered past us to his watering hole.
I have to say, this was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced in my life. To see a tiger in his natural habitat, up close and personal, it took my breath away. My pictures don't do it justice. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to take this trip and was lucky enough to actually come across a tiger.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Baby, It's Cold - Inside
When you think of India, you think of blistering hot summer days, monsoons, humidity but not frigid temperatures. But I'm here to tell you that Delhi gets cold. I'm not entirely sure on any given day how cold it is (but that's more of a Celsius/Fahrenheit thing), however, I can tell you that today the minimum temperature is 6.8 degrees Celsius or a balmy 44 degrees Fahrenheit with a maximum temperature of 14 degrees Celsius or 58 degrees Fahrenheit. \
Hardly worth mentioning to you east coasters who are facing below freezing temperatures and snow, snow and more snow. and that would all be true, if houses had central heat. Being built for 9 months or so of very warm or monsoon like weather, houses seem to retain the cold. It is often colder inside the house than outside. And offices aren't heated either. So most days, I come to the office armed with a sweater and a shawl. and we huddle around the 4 or 5 radiators that we have been provided.
I'm sure you will remind me of these complaints when spring/summer come along - but for now, Baby, It's Cold Inside.
Hardly worth mentioning to you east coasters who are facing below freezing temperatures and snow, snow and more snow. and that would all be true, if houses had central heat. Being built for 9 months or so of very warm or monsoon like weather, houses seem to retain the cold. It is often colder inside the house than outside. And offices aren't heated either. So most days, I come to the office armed with a sweater and a shawl. and we huddle around the 4 or 5 radiators that we have been provided.
I'm sure you will remind me of these complaints when spring/summer come along - but for now, Baby, It's Cold Inside.
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