14 countries, 2 continents, 14 nights spent on trains and countless train & bus journeys later and I've made it from London to Singapore overland - Its been an amazing experience and a real privilege to see the changes in landscape, cultures and communities as I've crossed each boarder. But, tonight the over landing ends for a while as I board my first plane and make the 7hr 50min journey to Brisbane - finally I get to go to the land of Oz and see what all the fuss is about!
Being in Singapore is like living in a real life Vegas...the streets are perfectly clean, tall trees line every street, the MRT (underground train) runs to time, the platforms are spotless and people walk in an orderly fashion and it is impossible to walk for 5 minutes without coming across a shopping mal which would rival any you've ever been to anywhere in the world! It's a far cry from the other countries I've visited in Asia and although I admire their prosperity and indeed the amazing way they integrate the various people groups resident in the city, it almost feels to clean, to pure, to perfect and as a result lacks the interest or intrigue of its neighbours. however, the biggest reason for needing to limit my stay here to a couple of days is more practical - Its soooo expensive!! Yes, on my first night I did the obligatory trip to the raffles hotel long bar for a Singapore Sling, but at S$24++ a time, one was enough before heading back to the hostel for cans of tiger on the roof!
So, having done the city bus tour, river boat cruise, spent time meandering my way through the botanical gardens, rode the cable car across to Sentosa Island and visited the famous landing site of Sir Raffels and the British East India company, its time to bid farewell to Asia and reflect on the amazing journey which started at Waterloo Station back in October and has been a rolercoaster ride which is maybe best described as the longest but most informative history/geography field trip I've ever undertaken.
Now its time to click those shiny red shoes, avoid the lions, tigers and bears - I'm off to see the Wizard....
Monday 28 January 2008
Friday 25 January 2008
They say things happen in threes....
Malaysia is definitely a beautiful country, rich with jungles, tea plantations, strawberry farms and even the motorways are bordered with trees and blooming flowers.
I could tell you all about the beauty - the amazing trek through the jungle in search of the elusive rafflesia flower, which we did find; its only in flower 3 weeks a year and hides deep in the jungle, mind at a metre wide its worth the walk! -the BOH tea plantation with its traditional methods of growing, harvesting and producing Malaysia's top brand - The full moon in the sky above the Cameron Highlands stunningly illuminated by a mighty lightening storm and glistening with 5 different coloured rings circling it - The man made wonder which is the Kuala Lumpur skyline - and the Dutch/Chinese/british influenced architecture of Melaka....
...However, Malaysia for me more than anything has been a string of accidents: First I got hit by a bus (no laughing please!) resulting in a rather nasty bruised left arm (actually I'm very lucky it wasn't broken) Second I slipped in the bathroom and went flying across the hotel room landing on my right knee (also now sore and bruised!) Third I had a bit of a fall resulting in my left ankle being bandaged up (and no walking for 3 days), an infection in my left leg and I now have one less toe nail than previous.... so all in all I crossed the boarder into Singapore happy to be leaving but looking rather less fit than when I'd arrived in Malaysia 10 days ago!
For those who enjoy lists - here are my top Malaysia spots:
1) Proton cars & car dealerships are two a penny
2) Tesco is everywhere
3) A pint of ale costs a rather off putting three pounds eighty three pence!
4) Buddha is never alone, there are always multiples, usually thousands plus plus
5) Buses are always full of random packages
6) English football is on every TV screen
7) All vehicles are potential death traps!
I could tell you all about the beauty - the amazing trek through the jungle in search of the elusive rafflesia flower, which we did find; its only in flower 3 weeks a year and hides deep in the jungle, mind at a metre wide its worth the walk! -the BOH tea plantation with its traditional methods of growing, harvesting and producing Malaysia's top brand - The full moon in the sky above the Cameron Highlands stunningly illuminated by a mighty lightening storm and glistening with 5 different coloured rings circling it - The man made wonder which is the Kuala Lumpur skyline - and the Dutch/Chinese/british influenced architecture of Melaka....
...However, Malaysia for me more than anything has been a string of accidents: First I got hit by a bus (no laughing please!) resulting in a rather nasty bruised left arm (actually I'm very lucky it wasn't broken) Second I slipped in the bathroom and went flying across the hotel room landing on my right knee (also now sore and bruised!) Third I had a bit of a fall resulting in my left ankle being bandaged up (and no walking for 3 days), an infection in my left leg and I now have one less toe nail than previous.... so all in all I crossed the boarder into Singapore happy to be leaving but looking rather less fit than when I'd arrived in Malaysia 10 days ago!
For those who enjoy lists - here are my top Malaysia spots:
1) Proton cars & car dealerships are two a penny
2) Tesco is everywhere
3) A pint of ale costs a rather off putting three pounds eighty three pence!
4) Buddha is never alone, there are always multiples, usually thousands plus plus
5) Buses are always full of random packages
6) English football is on every TV screen
7) All vehicles are potential death traps!
Monday 14 January 2008
Down the Khao San Road...
They say Bangkok and more to the point the Khao San Road is where backpacking all began... and if you've ever been there you'll know this is probably true - its backpacker heaven! Shops and stalls selling T-shirts, Tattoos and every type of food you can imagine - the cocktails are served in buckets and it seems nothing ever closes. I think if you arrived there as a first time, 20-somnething traveler you would probably go totally nuts....ofcourse I was far more sensible :-)
After 2 days in the city, travel buddy shelley said goodbye and my journey has continued via Kanchanaburi, the town made famous by the "death railway" I spend some time in the mueseum which told of the horrific way the japanese treated their prisoners of war during WWII and specifically how 61,000 of them were forced to build the death railway which was to link Thailand with Burma - most of them were British, Australian, Dutch and American. The way they were treated was awful and many thousands died of disease and starvation. Next to the museum is the cemetary where many of them are burried, it was really moving to read the names of so many English men so far from home. I never knew about this, it was a real shock to learn about this part of the war. The most famous bit of the railway is the bridge over the river kwai, so next I boarded a train and traveled the 1.5hrs up the track and over the bridge on the river kwai. Having just read about the construction of the railway it was then amazing and emotional to be traveling on the death railway.
Next and final stop in Thailand before I leave tommorrow for Malaysia is Ao Nang a beautiful beach in Krabi province in the south of Thailand. Its been great to spend time just lazing on the beach and finally working on the tan, we are surrounded by lmestone rocks and just a short trip away from where "The Beach" was filmed. I spent yesterday Kayaking on the sea and through the amazing mangroves, its a real paradise, such a tranquil place, yet the tranquilty can so easily be destroyed - we stopped in a cave and the guide I was with spoke about an hour about his experience during the Tsunami - It brought tears to my eyes....when the wave hit he was out fishing in deep waters in his friends boat, they had left early in the morning and came home to Phi Phi Island (v.close to Ao Nang) around sunset, they heard or saw nothing whilst they were out fishng it was only as they approached the island they realised something was wrong. There were no lights on as there usually would be, then they noticed many of the trees standing tall when they left that morning were no longer there and when they reached the shore dead bodies were everywhere. At this point they still didnt know what had happend... I just can't imagine coming home to that scene. He found some petrol, got back in the boat and sailed to Krabi where people then told him that a big wave had hit. He then very emotionally continued that he lost his entire business that day, 2 speed boats and his staff, the boat drivers. He also lost his home and 47 of his family and friends - like many of the people in this area he wont go back to Phi Phi island he now lives in Krabi and is trying to rebuild his life.
For those interested in environmental issues and effects on the poor, drop me a note and I can bore you with some thoughts on palm oil v sugar cane and the conspiracy to keep the poor poor.
Current reading material: First they killed my father - A daughter of Cambodia remembers by Laung Ung
Current iPod tunes: Jeff Searles
After 2 days in the city, travel buddy shelley said goodbye and my journey has continued via Kanchanaburi, the town made famous by the "death railway" I spend some time in the mueseum which told of the horrific way the japanese treated their prisoners of war during WWII and specifically how 61,000 of them were forced to build the death railway which was to link Thailand with Burma - most of them were British, Australian, Dutch and American. The way they were treated was awful and many thousands died of disease and starvation. Next to the museum is the cemetary where many of them are burried, it was really moving to read the names of so many English men so far from home. I never knew about this, it was a real shock to learn about this part of the war. The most famous bit of the railway is the bridge over the river kwai, so next I boarded a train and traveled the 1.5hrs up the track and over the bridge on the river kwai. Having just read about the construction of the railway it was then amazing and emotional to be traveling on the death railway.
Next and final stop in Thailand before I leave tommorrow for Malaysia is Ao Nang a beautiful beach in Krabi province in the south of Thailand. Its been great to spend time just lazing on the beach and finally working on the tan, we are surrounded by lmestone rocks and just a short trip away from where "The Beach" was filmed. I spent yesterday Kayaking on the sea and through the amazing mangroves, its a real paradise, such a tranquil place, yet the tranquilty can so easily be destroyed - we stopped in a cave and the guide I was with spoke about an hour about his experience during the Tsunami - It brought tears to my eyes....when the wave hit he was out fishing in deep waters in his friends boat, they had left early in the morning and came home to Phi Phi Island (v.close to Ao Nang) around sunset, they heard or saw nothing whilst they were out fishng it was only as they approached the island they realised something was wrong. There were no lights on as there usually would be, then they noticed many of the trees standing tall when they left that morning were no longer there and when they reached the shore dead bodies were everywhere. At this point they still didnt know what had happend... I just can't imagine coming home to that scene. He found some petrol, got back in the boat and sailed to Krabi where people then told him that a big wave had hit. He then very emotionally continued that he lost his entire business that day, 2 speed boats and his staff, the boat drivers. He also lost his home and 47 of his family and friends - like many of the people in this area he wont go back to Phi Phi island he now lives in Krabi and is trying to rebuild his life.
For those interested in environmental issues and effects on the poor, drop me a note and I can bore you with some thoughts on palm oil v sugar cane and the conspiracy to keep the poor poor.
Current reading material: First they killed my father - A daughter of Cambodia remembers by Laung Ung
Current iPod tunes: Jeff Searles
Thursday 10 January 2008
Angkor What?
Cambodia is a country I knew very little about... in fact other than the genocide of the Pol Pot regime and something about a big old temple called Angkor Wat I knew nothing. From the second we crossed the boarder from Vietnam into Cambodia I loved it. The difference was so apparent, the people look different, the food is different (and amazing by the way), the houses are different and the poverty is unbelievable - yet the people are so friendly and so open to talk.
Our week was a real mix of emotions, the day spent at Angkor Wat began at 4:30am to ensure we made it in time for sunrise; it was amazing to arrive in pitch black and gradually watch the temple appear before our eyes, and boy is it spectacular! We here so much and see so many films and pictures of Rome and the pyramids, yet Angkor Wat is probably even more amazing, the scale and richness of the Angkorian period is in such contrast to the way Cambodians live today - the main temple (the one you will have seen if you've ever seen a picture) was stunning and our guide gave us huge amounts of information concerning the history and development of this old capital, however for me it was the temple used as the backdrop for the Lara Croft Tomb Raider movie that was the most impressive - the trees left to grow through the walls of the buildings and the faded green colour give it a mysterious feel which transports you back in time to the 12th century, to a time when Cambodia was the dominant force in south east Asia and London was a mere 50,000 population town still in the dark ages!
It was the visit to Tual Sleng and the killing fields though which has left the biggest impact for me - Toul Sleng, now the genocide museum, once the Khmer Rouge S21prison and before that a school, and the killing fields are still very much kept how they were, nothing fake here. The blood is still on the walls of the classrooms come prison cells and when you walk through the killing fields there are still bones poking through the ground beneath your feet and clothes of the dead still scattered on the ground. To say it was moving is an understatement. This is such recent history, its my lifetime and everyone alive in Cambodia today is and has been affected. Half the Cambodian population died at the hands of Pol Pot. Liang, our guide for the day spent 12 years living in a refugee camp - it was amazing to hear her speak first hand about when and why they escaped the regime and how people like her were only allowed back in the country in 1993 for the elections. There is a monument at the killing fields which holds the skulls and bones of the people excavated from the mass graves, its so awkward looking at layers and layers of skulls and realising that each was an ordinary Cambodian killed at the hands of another Cambodian. There is a tree at the killing fields which was used by the Khmer Rouge to beat young children to death in order to save bullets - the scale of the evil is just unreal and you come away with so many questions: What would bring a man to the point where he could do this to his own people? Who was Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and why were they ever allowed to get into such a position of power? Why did the world not intervene sooner? At Toul Sleng as well the cruelty was just pure evil - I walked upstairs to the top floor and being in the stairwell reminded me of our stairwell at school and all I could hear in my head was the voices of happy children running up and down to their lessons and at home time - suddenly and abruptly stopped by the sounds of toture and pure evil. The scale of the evil is overwhelming and at both places you can physically feel it in the air, yet our guide Liang through all her personal suffering seems to have moved on and when you meet Cambodians there seems to be a real peace and hope about them. Their resilience is amazing The impression you get of the people is that they are very calm and peaceful - even with the immense poverty there are a lot of smiling faces - Its a very humbling experience.
Leaving Cambodia was hard, I desperately wanted to stay longer, see more and learn more, the only consolation was our method of transport from Siem Reap to the Thai boarder... the back of a 4x4 sitting on top of our rucksacks being thrown about by the pot holes and covered in dust from the road. But what an amazing way to see the countryside and the way of life for so many Cambodians today - Every second felt like an adventure, a truly amazing journey!
Our week was a real mix of emotions, the day spent at Angkor Wat began at 4:30am to ensure we made it in time for sunrise; it was amazing to arrive in pitch black and gradually watch the temple appear before our eyes, and boy is it spectacular! We here so much and see so many films and pictures of Rome and the pyramids, yet Angkor Wat is probably even more amazing, the scale and richness of the Angkorian period is in such contrast to the way Cambodians live today - the main temple (the one you will have seen if you've ever seen a picture) was stunning and our guide gave us huge amounts of information concerning the history and development of this old capital, however for me it was the temple used as the backdrop for the Lara Croft Tomb Raider movie that was the most impressive - the trees left to grow through the walls of the buildings and the faded green colour give it a mysterious feel which transports you back in time to the 12th century, to a time when Cambodia was the dominant force in south east Asia and London was a mere 50,000 population town still in the dark ages!
It was the visit to Tual Sleng and the killing fields though which has left the biggest impact for me - Toul Sleng, now the genocide museum, once the Khmer Rouge S21prison and before that a school, and the killing fields are still very much kept how they were, nothing fake here. The blood is still on the walls of the classrooms come prison cells and when you walk through the killing fields there are still bones poking through the ground beneath your feet and clothes of the dead still scattered on the ground. To say it was moving is an understatement. This is such recent history, its my lifetime and everyone alive in Cambodia today is and has been affected. Half the Cambodian population died at the hands of Pol Pot. Liang, our guide for the day spent 12 years living in a refugee camp - it was amazing to hear her speak first hand about when and why they escaped the regime and how people like her were only allowed back in the country in 1993 for the elections. There is a monument at the killing fields which holds the skulls and bones of the people excavated from the mass graves, its so awkward looking at layers and layers of skulls and realising that each was an ordinary Cambodian killed at the hands of another Cambodian. There is a tree at the killing fields which was used by the Khmer Rouge to beat young children to death in order to save bullets - the scale of the evil is just unreal and you come away with so many questions: What would bring a man to the point where he could do this to his own people? Who was Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and why were they ever allowed to get into such a position of power? Why did the world not intervene sooner? At Toul Sleng as well the cruelty was just pure evil - I walked upstairs to the top floor and being in the stairwell reminded me of our stairwell at school and all I could hear in my head was the voices of happy children running up and down to their lessons and at home time - suddenly and abruptly stopped by the sounds of toture and pure evil. The scale of the evil is overwhelming and at both places you can physically feel it in the air, yet our guide Liang through all her personal suffering seems to have moved on and when you meet Cambodians there seems to be a real peace and hope about them. Their resilience is amazing The impression you get of the people is that they are very calm and peaceful - even with the immense poverty there are a lot of smiling faces - Its a very humbling experience.
Leaving Cambodia was hard, I desperately wanted to stay longer, see more and learn more, the only consolation was our method of transport from Siem Reap to the Thai boarder... the back of a 4x4 sitting on top of our rucksacks being thrown about by the pot holes and covered in dust from the road. But what an amazing way to see the countryside and the way of life for so many Cambodians today - Every second felt like an adventure, a truly amazing journey!
Wednesday 2 January 2008
The motorcycle diaries
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam Ho Chi Minh.... for a country that has been through so much pain and suffering both in its recent past and since time began, Vietnam is on first appearance and after 3 weeks and numerous cities, towns and villages a wonderfully forward looking, hopeful and friendly society. Before arriving I wondered whether there would be bitterness towards the western world and indeed western travellers, whether the museums and historic sites would be full of anti-Americanism and the same (or more) levels of propaganda which filled the text books I once studied (although of course on the other side of the fence) but nothing could be further from the truth. From Hanoi to Ho Chi Mihn we have experienced amazing hospitality, smiling faces and people desperate to talk.
We arrived in Hanoi 3 weeks ago and to cut a long story short have been slowly (or speedily, depending on your view of the world!) been meandering our way south. Hanoi grabs and you and wacks the senses from the moment you get off the bus, and if your not careful one of the 3 million motorbikes on the road at any given time might also whack you! Carrying on my new tradition of visiting the embalmed bodies of dead communist leaders, our first stop was the Ho Chi Minh morssaleum - the complex is massive and although it didn't feel half as weird as Lenin in Moscow the level of beurcarcy involved in seeing him was high! Leaving the city behind the next 3 days were spent trekking through the mountains to the north in Hoah Binh province. The scenery was fantastic, so relaxing to walk through the paddy fields and experience village life first hand, staying with two different families. Next stop was Halong Bay, over 3,00 islands are a feast for the eye and probably the best way to enjoy it was an afternoon of kayaking - in a slight change to my usual way of travelling the boat we were staying on was luxurious... shelley and I had a twin en-suite cabin and sea food was served at each meal in the restaurant - um...so far Vietnam really hasn't been much about backpacking :-) Next stop was Hue, which used to be the capital, but all that remains now of the once impressive Citadel is a few towers and temples, it deserves its UNESCO status, but is just one more reminder of the damage done by war. One of the most difficult yet memorable days was spent visiting the DMZ - the so called no-mans-land at the 17th parallel, we visited various museums and places of military significance during the American war. The countryside is exactly how you imagine it to be; jungle, green and rich with villages of wooden houses dotted around. We walked along the Ho Chi Minh trail and walked through the Vinh Moe tunnels where countless men, women and children had survived for up to 18 months and more cooped up in the smallest of spaces with such little air and only allowed out on days when the bombing was lighter to collect food and supplies - being down there for just 10mins was hard enough, seeing it brought home the truths of war and the suffering to ordinary people and the cruelty of human beings - several days and several more cities later, the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is the ultimate reminder of the effects of war, not just at the time but for years to come. Over a quarter of the Vietnamese population lost their lives or were injured during the American war and still today babies are born with deformities caused by the use of agent Orange and other chemical weapons and 300 people a year are inured by land mines. Yet to end where I started, through all the pain and suffering, Vietnam is developing at a fast pace - its now the worlds second largest exporter of rice and has a flourishing tourist infrastructure, this surely is a country which has grabbed its freedom with both hands and wont let it go in a hurry.
A few highlights:Beer corner in Hanoi - The beer was really tasty and only 9p (yes 9p) a glass!
Treking through the mountains of Hoah Binh province
Hoi An - What a chilled out town
Whale Island - Except for the weather was absolute paradise
New Years Eve in the big street party which was Ho Chi Minh city
Chartering a dragon boat up the perfume river
The DMZ...
Current reading material - So dull I can't even remember the title!
Current iPod tunes - Anything related to Vietnam...
We arrived in Hanoi 3 weeks ago and to cut a long story short have been slowly (or speedily, depending on your view of the world!) been meandering our way south. Hanoi grabs and you and wacks the senses from the moment you get off the bus, and if your not careful one of the 3 million motorbikes on the road at any given time might also whack you! Carrying on my new tradition of visiting the embalmed bodies of dead communist leaders, our first stop was the Ho Chi Minh morssaleum - the complex is massive and although it didn't feel half as weird as Lenin in Moscow the level of beurcarcy involved in seeing him was high! Leaving the city behind the next 3 days were spent trekking through the mountains to the north in Hoah Binh province. The scenery was fantastic, so relaxing to walk through the paddy fields and experience village life first hand, staying with two different families. Next stop was Halong Bay, over 3,00 islands are a feast for the eye and probably the best way to enjoy it was an afternoon of kayaking - in a slight change to my usual way of travelling the boat we were staying on was luxurious... shelley and I had a twin en-suite cabin and sea food was served at each meal in the restaurant - um...so far Vietnam really hasn't been much about backpacking :-) Next stop was Hue, which used to be the capital, but all that remains now of the once impressive Citadel is a few towers and temples, it deserves its UNESCO status, but is just one more reminder of the damage done by war. One of the most difficult yet memorable days was spent visiting the DMZ - the so called no-mans-land at the 17th parallel, we visited various museums and places of military significance during the American war. The countryside is exactly how you imagine it to be; jungle, green and rich with villages of wooden houses dotted around. We walked along the Ho Chi Minh trail and walked through the Vinh Moe tunnels where countless men, women and children had survived for up to 18 months and more cooped up in the smallest of spaces with such little air and only allowed out on days when the bombing was lighter to collect food and supplies - being down there for just 10mins was hard enough, seeing it brought home the truths of war and the suffering to ordinary people and the cruelty of human beings - several days and several more cities later, the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is the ultimate reminder of the effects of war, not just at the time but for years to come. Over a quarter of the Vietnamese population lost their lives or were injured during the American war and still today babies are born with deformities caused by the use of agent Orange and other chemical weapons and 300 people a year are inured by land mines. Yet to end where I started, through all the pain and suffering, Vietnam is developing at a fast pace - its now the worlds second largest exporter of rice and has a flourishing tourist infrastructure, this surely is a country which has grabbed its freedom with both hands and wont let it go in a hurry.
A few highlights:Beer corner in Hanoi - The beer was really tasty and only 9p (yes 9p) a glass!
Treking through the mountains of Hoah Binh province
Hoi An - What a chilled out town
Whale Island - Except for the weather was absolute paradise
New Years Eve in the big street party which was Ho Chi Minh city
Chartering a dragon boat up the perfume river
The DMZ...
Current reading material - So dull I can't even remember the title!
Current iPod tunes - Anything related to Vietnam...
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