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« August 2007 |
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| October 2007 »
(Note on the current political situation in Myanmar/Burma - I'd definitely take a "wait and see attitude" at the moment, but don't dismiss Myanmar from your mind when things calm down. Staying away will just hurt the ordinary people by taking away the few meager chances they have to supplement their income -- NOT THE GOVERNMENT. And Tourism is their only chance to have contact with the outside world increasing the opportunity for Democracy in the future.)
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Suvarnabhumi is the new Bangkok Airport and a nightmare. Multiple flights deliver luggage on the same carousel. If you are in transit, you can't get onward boarding passes until 5:00 a.m. and the lines are incredibly long...just a big mess. I hope they re-think this entire onward boarding pass procedure because it would be very easy to miss a connecting flight. And now they are discussing transferring some flights back to the old Don Muang Airport. Let's see how confusing they can make it...
We decided to gut it out and fly Chicago-Tokyo-Bangkok, arriving about midnight and stay in transit since the flight to Yangon was early the next (or same) morning. There is a transit hotel with day rooms down Concourses A & G, called "Louis Tavern." They have a limited amount of very nice rooms with bath. Four hours is the minimum time they will book, $60, and then there is an additional charge for each hour past the four-hour minimum. At first we thought of just sitting in the Thai Air lounge for the night but they close at 1:00 a.m. and don't reopen until 5:00 a.m. That's why we caved and booked a room.
Continue reading "Arriving in Yangon - A Warm Welcome" »
Tour Operators? We used Diethelm Travel once more. Diethelm has a huge presence in Southeast Asia, is extremely reliable, and has an excellent reputation - so important in this part of the world. There are many other Myanmar tour operators but we stick with Diethelm. We E-mail back and forth to make plans (leisure@diethlem.com.mm) and use wire-transfers for payment (extremely simple to wire-transfer) - credit cards aren't accepted. Diethlem usually requires a minimal deposit and they are very responsive to your needs. As a reminder - I never recommend anyone that we haven't used, receive no discounts and pay our own way.
Visas? Yes, you must have one. Diethelm obtained our Visa-upon-arrival for a small surcharge, but you can also go on-line to Embassy of Myanmar, download forms, fill out, and mail off application and passport to get a Visa. The Embassy had on-line applications for Visas in 2004, but it was discontinued. Who knows, perhaps they will reinstate it because it was so easy to do.
Continue reading "Revisiting Myanmar, New Trip Plans" »
It was time to contact Diethelm Travel for one more trip to Myanmar (formerly Burma), rescheduling the entire Sittwe/Mrauk U portion rained out on our last visit, and inquiring..."where else is unique and unspoiled that we could visit at the same time?"
It took many E-mails back and forth until Diethelm suggested --- flying up to the quiet, provincial town of Myitkyina in northern Myanmar, sightsee around there and drive to Indawgyi Lake. Then visit Pindaya Caves, Kalaw and return to Inle Lake for a little day hiking and visiting different tribes and markets. Ending with the entire Sittwe, Mrauk U itinerary that was literally "washed out" a year ago (read 1/06/07). This 21-day trip would be considered an "adventure tour" (with the exception of Inle Lake) due to bad roads, basic accommodations, iffy food and a lack of electricity.
Myanmar Map
Continue reading "Unspoiled Destinations in Myanmar" »
Off the train in the early morning and dropped our bags at the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi for one night since the Sofitel Metropole was completely booked. The Sofitel Plaza is a modern, 20-story hotel overlooking the West Lake in the Ba Dinh District. I wasn't thrilled about not being in my hotel of choice but rapidly changed my mind as we zoomed past an art exhibition in the lobby. And then, we walked by the beautiful Oriental "antique-curio" shop in the Sofitel's arcade, still closed at this early hour. The Sofitel Plaza definitely had possibilities.
Back in the car on the way to Bat Trang, on the itinerary for today. This was another stop that neither of us were enthused about but thought it was better than sitting around the Sofitel in the rain. The drive followed a road atop a dyke bordering the Red River, fairly uninteresting but surprisingly, we ended up having a great time in Bat Trang. The village is famous for its blue and white hand-painted ceramics, traditional designs, and there were some avant-garde designs. Bat Trang Ceramics even has an on-line website now. I almost had a nervous breakdown going in and out of a zillion ceramic shops but finally picked out some small paintings and little ceramic tea sets (doll-size) for young granddaughters ($1.00/set). Everything was so darn cheap and we really didn't expect looking at ceramics to be as engrossing as it was. It just goes to show .... you never know...
Hanoi map
Continue reading "Bat Trang Excursion and Back to Hanoi" »
Downtown Sapa...if you want to call it a downtown...was fascinating. Nasty, rainy, cold weather but still fascinating. Minorities everywhere dressed in distinct outfits, carrying those woven baskets on their backs. Narrow, muddy streets with people buying and selling, outside and indoors. The people were primarily Black Hmong wearing embroidered indigo-dyed clothing and wrap-on leggings. There are also Red Hmong, White Hmong, Flower Hmong and Green Hmong tribes. It all depends on the color of their costume The Red Dao (or Dazo) women we saw yesterday were taller and wore red cloth and turbans on their heads.
Walking around the market, I was struck by the difference in sizes when this tiny woman carrying a baby on her back, walked by ex-Marine. If you graphically want it driven home what hard work and malnutrition does to a person, this is it. ex-Marine is only 5'11" so imagine how little this fully-grown woman was!
Flower(?) Hmong woman and ex-Marine
Continue reading "More Sapa/Sa Pa Villages and Lao Cai" »
The Hanoi - Lao Cai train stops at Valley Lao Cai, just 40kms/24 miles from Sapa. Off the train with all the other Westerners, guides milling about holding up signs, and looking for their clients. Found our Guide and driver who were waiting with some bad news. It had been raining for days and was raining even as we spoke. This meant that the all important Bac Ha Market, held only on Sunday (today), was impossible to reach. Just too much mud and the roads were impassable even for our 4-WD vehicle. Very disappointing because the Bac Ha Market is "The Big Market" for the Flower Hmong to buy and sell their goods.
Not only was it currently drizzling, but cold and foggy - completely unexpected by us. Cool yes, cold no... With absolutely no choice in the matter, the guide suggested we eat a fast breakfast, head immediately to another small market before all the other tourists got the same good news as we and headed there also. Good plan and off we went.
Continue reading "Visiting Sapa/Sa Pa, In Vietnam's Hill Country" »
An early morning flight from Saigon to Hanoi, new guide and driver, and off to the Perfume Pagoda complex. Perhaps luck enters into it but ex-Marine and I have never not been met and greeted on every single independent tour ever taken. If you use reputable tour operators, this is a given. Guides and/or drivers have been late occasionally because of traffic but have eventually shown up. A very long day was planned culminating in an overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa (Sa Pa), almost on the China/Vietnam border, the main focus of this return to Vietnam.
The Perfume Pagoda, 50 miles south of Hanoi, is the bigest pagoda complex along with Buddhist shrines built into limestone cliffs, and took two hours by road through small Vietnamese villages. The wharf area was lined with row boats waiting to take us to Trinh Tru Temple/Pagoda along the Yen Stream (not a river). There were two kinds of boats - an iron boat that could hold 3-5 people and large wooden boats for up to 20 locals. The Yen Stream is edged by elaborate rice fields, grass, small paths, and temples. Almost all the row boats were rowed by women...strong people...and the row out was the most interesting part of the trip. Every now and then the women rowers would put on a spurt, racing their friends to break up the monotony. We passed shrimp fishermen with their nets, and other fish farms on the river.
women rowers
Continue reading "Perfume Pagoda (Huong Pagoda) and Victoria Express to Lao Cai" »
Mount Elephant was about nine miles south of Dalat, an eco-tourist site. ...View image... We reluctantly checked out of the Sofitel Palace (what is there not to like about staying in a palace) and headed for a one night stay in a house on stilts. But first, to Mount Elephant for some elephant riding.
The area was very forested, predominantly pine trees, and our elephant lumbered off on designated trails through the forest, and across streams with both of us holding on for dear life. As incredible as it sounds, we personally know someone who fell off an elephant in Thailand when the entire saddle loosened. It hadn't been tightened enough and, fortunately, he was unhurt. The falling off part didn't concern me as much as what could happen if I did fall off and the elephant either fell on top of me or tromped on body parts. That was not a pleasant thought.
Mount Elephant
Continue reading "Tuyen Lam Lake, Fairy Rock and Daroah Ethnic Village" »
Dalat is cool all year-round, set at 4,900 feet (1500m) and is a mixture of hills and European alpine resort. The town was established in 1897 as a resort for the French and there are still many colonial mansions around Dalat. There are a few ethnic minorities, Lat and Koho, living in the hills surrounding Dalat. It is also a top resort destination for Vietnamese couples to have their marriage ceremonies and honeymoon.
Dalat was a 200-mile ride from Saigon with a stop on the way to visit a tea factory and the community of "Chicken Village." Chicken Village is part of many all-day tours around Dalat because there is an enormous cement statue of a chicken at the town entrance - how very funny! It's impossible to know the true story about why there is a giant chicken there. Everyone has a different version but, supposedly, the giant chicken is supposed to scare predators away from the real chickens. I'd think that real predators would catch on after a while that this giant chicken never moves and lose their fear. Foreign tourists come here every day but we didn't spend much time. Stopped to photograph the chicken, a short walk and left.
giant chicken
Continue reading "On The Road to Dalat" »
A Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Saigon (only 1-1/2 hour trip). Don't think I'm being insensitive but the majority of the Vietnamese people still refer to this city as Saigon, not Ho Chi Minh. Met at the airport and transfered to the Legend Hotel with free time over the next two days. The Legend was located facing the Saigon River within easy walking distance of Old Saigon, its restaurants and shops. Saigon has an estimated population of over eight million and it seemed that at least half of this population were riding smelly, noisy motorbikes. After 10 minutes on the streets, I had a sore throat and sinus infections are also very common. The motor bike pollution is so terrible that the people on the bikes wear face masks to keep from inhaling the fumes. A hectic and dirty, but exciting, city.
We stayed at the Sofitel Plaza Saigon the last time, just across from the former U.S. and French embassies. Who will ever forget scenes of the evacuation from the rooftop of the U.S. Embassy with the helicopter pilots trying to get just one more person out to the U.S. carriers. After stays in both hotels, I still like the Sofitel Plaza better. There is now a Park Hyatt Saigon, Sheraton Saigon, and Caravelle Hotel to choose from in the luxury range. FYI, luxury room prices are nothing like the prices in other countries...still quite reasonable.
Saigon map
Continue reading "A Return To Saigon (Ho Chi Minh)" »
Air? We flew Chicago to Bangkok via Tokyo on United (our airline of choice). You have many, many airlines to pick from since almost every major airline flies to Bangkok. For example: Aeroflot-Russian International, Air France, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Cathay, China Southern Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysian Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, United Airlines, VietNam Airlines just to name some.
Hotel? Flying via Bangkok meant misconnecting to Vietnam. Decided to spend two days in Bangkok and checked in to the The Peninsula Bangkok. On the opposite end, we flew back to Bangkok, stayed at the Amari Airport Hotel for one night - across the landbridge from Don Muang Airport - a flew home early the next morning. This information is no longer relevant with the opening of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. and United now connects via Hong Kong directly to Saigon.
Continue reading "Planning A New Vietnam Trip" »
Our first trip to Vietnam was over the Millenium and included Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City - but it will always be Saigon to me), the Mekong Delta, Nha Trang, Danang, Hue, Hanoi and Vietnam's first capital, Hoa Lu. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I couldn't get over the friendliness and lack of animosity towards Americans. Of course, America is not the only country responsible for dark periods in Vietnam. The Chinese conquered parts of the region in 111 BC and ruled for over 1,000 years. The French colonized the country in 1887 and controlled the emperors. And then came the Vietnam War from 1959 to 1975 with North fighting South over reunification. Over 1,400,000 Vietnamese died and close to 2,000,000 wounded which made this tolerance of Americans and Westerners even more amazing.
It took a trip to Vietnam to really personalize and make all those televisions images from the 1960's meaningful. We visited the "Hanoi Hilton" where Senator John McCain, spent five and a half years. Drove by Tan Son Nhut, and vividly remembered watching Bob Hope's annual Christmas show and hearing him say...welcome to Tan Son Nhut Air Force Base... We crawled down into the very narrow, claustrophobic Cu Chi tunnels that ran for over 120 miles underground at one time, watched a propaganda film and saw horrific booby traps. The tunnels were used by NLF guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, and served as communication and supply routes, and hospitals. The Cu Chi tunnels, more than anything else made us understand the futility of fighting the Vietnamese. And ex-Marine and I only went down into the foreigner tunnel, also known as the "fat person" tunnel, not the the deeper layers of tunnels. A very sad, enlightening experience.
Continue reading "A Return to Vietnam and Its Hill Country" »
It was difficult deciding what resort and/or island to stay on and once that decision was made, there were multiple beaches with different price accommodations to choose from. We picked the Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort about a 45-minute ride from the airport. The Sheraton had hourly transportation into Krabi Town (not free), big health club, extensive grounds, and we basically hung out around the pool under a big umbrella reading and taking walks up and down the long white sand beach. The fishermen brought in their daily catches on this beach with the women sitting on the sands drying them in the broiling hot sun. Fortunately, this particular area was downwind and some distance away from the Sheraton. IT STUNK!
The hotel also had excellent food. Gigantic breakfast buffets with everything imaginable and theme buffet dinners every night. You could also eat ala carte in one of their other restaurants. We dined...no, demolished...a seafood buffet one evening. This buffet had a gigantic bounty of seafood including rock lobsters that ex-Marine and I single-handedly and systematically ate our way through (at least 5-10 each). Along with that was an array of Thai food, soups, freshly carved meats and dessert buffet. We ate ourselves into a food stupor but it worth it.
map of Ao Nang beach area
Continue reading "In Krabi, Thailand, A Perfect Place to Escape The Snow and Cold Weather" »
It's hot and steamy right now but before you turn around, winter will be here. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I spent five days in Krabi Province last winter, one of Thailand's upcoming resort areas. Looking for a place to tan the darkest brown under a scorching sun? Swim, fish, snorkel and scuba dive in aquamarine, bathtub temperature water? Rock climb the limestone karst? Eat delicious Thai and/or Western food? Want a ultra-deluxe hotel or guesthouse? Krabi Province is the place.
Krabi Province, split into eight districts, is on the southwest coast of Thailand, about 500 miles from Bangkok.
Continue reading "Visiting Krabi Province In Thailand - A Winter Resort Destination" »
The last hike through pine forests to Govedartzi village and on to Sofia. It was the weekend and there is a big flea market on Saturdays and Sundays in Alexander Nevski Square. Don't miss the flea market...there was everything from antique cameras, coins and medals to old jewelry and kitsch. The group was heading on a walking tour of Sofia but I kept it in mind for tomorrow. The group was leaving but we were staying for one more day. To the side of the Cathedral were all the older ladies (babas - grandmothers) selling beautiful hand-made lace tablecloths and doilies...not of particular interest to me since I've given up throwing big dinner parties for the duration of my life.
Of much more interest was the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the most spectacular building in Sofia and able to hold 7,000 people, The National Gallery for Foreign Art, Opera House, Vassil Levski Monument, and the St. George Rotunda.
St. George Rotunda
Continue reading "Back to Sofia" »
Teodor was going to lead us on a all-day hike through the beech forests on Mt. Rila to a high plateau with several glacial lakes. Packed our lunches and I don't know what possessed me, but I also took a card from Gornata Zemya (Upland) Hotel in Panichishte (by this time, who could keep track of where we were staying in Bulgaria). Backpacks on, hiking poles in hand, it was out on the road in front of Upland Hotel, gently heading up. Past the Rila National Park Visitors Center and leaving the road, we all headed into the beech forest. Up...up...up...finally arriving at a small lodge on this small river surrounded by mosquitoes. Here we go again...bites all over legs and arms, one last time. Directly in front of us was a small ski hill and I could see people zig-zagging across it, still going up. I asked Teodor if that is where we were headed and he brusquely answered, "No." Throughout the two weeks, Teodor and I simply did not mesh. I love to ask questions...he hated to answer them. ex-Marine and I have been hiking for years and if that wasn't a trail in front of my eyes....
Rila Trail Map
Continue reading "Seven Rila Lakes Hike" »
This was our last monastery and THE most famous one in Bulgaria, Rila Monastery. We drove past the Village of Rila and made a short hike through dense forest to the chapel and cave of St. John. St. John of Rila, was a 10th century hermit who chose this valley as an escape from feudal-era savagery. He and his followers established the small cave hermitage and lived there in search of enlightenment. (I felt nothing...not a drop of enlightenment.)
From the cave, it was downhill on a trail to Rila Monastery, the greatest Orthodox sanctuary in Bulgaria. NOW, we saw tourists. Lots of tourists. Rila Monastery was a renowned Christian pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages, founded in 1335 and is famed for its architecture, murals, fortress-like walls and mountain setting.
Rila Monastery
Continue reading "Rila Monastery and Panichishste" »
Rozhen Monastery was only a five-hour, five-mile hike directly from Melnick. ("Only" is relative to the degree of difficulty.) Up through hot and sandy areas set amid sandstone pillars. Rozhen is the only monastery restored during Ottoman rule which has survived to this day. It was built during the 12th or 13th century, but the present appearance dates back to the 16th century. Rozhen was a regional center of Orthodox Christianity in the 19th century and owned quite a bit of land in this area. The gorgeous murals were painted from 16th-18th centuries and unique wood-carved altars and hundreds of icons have also been preserved. Some of the most important 17th century paintings include the external southern wall with Doomsday, and Jacobs Ladder. The inside walls of the main church were painted in 1732 with more than 150 subjects matters, all beautifully illustrated. Monks, hermits, historic personages, complicated compositions and Biblical themes...a riot of color.
easier trails to Rozhen with only about a 260-foot altitude gain
Continue reading "Up To Rozhen Monastery" »
Bansko was a two-night stay. An interesting town but not quite as charming as some prior stays in Bulgaria. Would you like to hear a few interesting facts about Bulgaria?
- Bulgarian roses supply 10% of the world's rose oil.
- Bulgaria is the third largest exporter of herbs in the world.
- Bulgaria's yoghurt culture can only be grown in Bulgaria, and
- The red wine from Melnik was Winston Churchill's favorite wine.
It was time for a more serious roundtrip hike to the top of Mt. Vichren, the country's second highest mountain, at 9,558' in the Pirin Mountain range. Mt. Vichren has 176 mountain lakes and over 100 varieties of rare plants ...View image...including Edelweiss. (As many times as Edelweiss has been pointed out to me, I still have trouble recognizing it when I see it. But...I can sing all the words to Edelweiss from "The Sound of Music"...that should count for something... ) There is a strong Mediterranean climate influence which creates this beautiful landscape. Up and up across meadows filled with wildflowers and terrific panoramic views of the entire Pirin range at the top.
hiking through more wildflowers
Continue reading "Hikes In The Pirin Mountains and Melnik" »
Too many places to see...it will cost too much money...no time to go...just not enough of anything...I'll wait until the kids are grown...Maybe when we retire.......The plane trip is way too long...Why bother...? Excuses, excuses...
If any of the above reflects some of your thinking - reconsider. Asia, Africa, South America and others are loaded with friendly, warm, winter destinations that WILL NOT...repeat...WILL NOT...cost an arm and leg. Look back at some of my prior published articles on cost-savings in different countries. I'm even going to break it down a little further starting with the least expensive countries to visit:
Ranked in order of "cheapest" is --
- #1 Laos - It is almost impossible to find an Asian destination with friendlier people, phenomenal sights and rock-bottom prices, including $3.00 massages and delicious food.
$1.50 worth of food in Laos
Continue reading "A Collection of Winter Destinations - Asia and Beyond" »
A new day...a new hike through the Pine woods and plateaus via Osikovo Village to Ribnovo. Ribnovo has about 2,600 residents populated by Bulgarian Muslims who speak an ancient dialect. The Bulgarians were forced to convert to Islam during the 1623-1625 period and later. The Bulgarians that didn't want to accept conversion, left their homes and went elsewhere.
Ribnovo is the most biggest village in this area. There is almost no migration to other villages or towns.and the people intermarry. Most of the women wore traditional clothing here - shalvars ( multicolored trousers), aprons and headcloths. Weaving is the local specialty and that included kilims, rugs, goat's hair rugs, etc. Unfortunately, I already have enough rugs, kilims, etc., to open my own shop...difficult to resist each region's colorful output...but ex-Marine was giving me filthy looks and mouthing..."don't even think of it"...
last breakfast at Kapsazov's Gueshouse
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