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| December 2007 »
Back in our "nice" Jinglong Hotel, there was time for one more day trip to Menglong (about 70 kms/40+ miles south of Jinghong), only a few miles from the Myanmar border. Now 70 kms/40 miles doesn't sound like much unless you've ever ridden on one of these "roads." It takes hours to get anywhere. On one of our recent trips through India, it took close to 8 hours to drive 120 kms/80 miles. Filled with generic Dramamine, we managed to withstand all the bouncing and jostling without upchucking. Every time we got out of the car for a breather, it took minutes to adjust our "car legs" without weaving around.
It's possible that a good road and crossing point will link Thailand, Myanmar and China. I'm not sure if it ever opened and even if it did, what the current status is. As rough as this road was, the scenery compensated with jungles, rice terraces and small villages on the way...
Banna rice paddies
Continue reading "A Day Trip to Menglong/Damenglong" »
Xishuangbanna is extremely tropical and consists of rainforests, plantations and rice paddies. The 13 ethnic groups make up a sizable majority of the over 500,000 population in Banna. The Aini/Hani people are the most common minority group in Xishuangbanna after the Dai. The Bulang, Jinuo, Wa, Lahu and Aini were the main tribes in the townships of Jinghong, Mengla and Menghai and the focus of most travel around Xishuangbanna.
The Aini (Hani) people are related to the Yi, part of the Tibeto-Burman group and are famed for their river valley rice terraces. We stopped to visit two villages, one much more interesting than the other...View image...and spent some time with a husband and wife. FYI: You must have a guide because very few minority people speak English. She dressed up in a very intricate minority outfit to show me...and I promptly offered to buy the old minority hat laden with semi-silver decorations, coins and beads...no deal...boo-hoo. We've seen older hats like this for sale in Chiang Rai for hundreds of dollars. In the meantime, her husband sat around ignoring us and smoking his very large bamboo pipe.
entrance to Aini village
Continue reading "Visiting Aini Villages On The Way Back To Jinghong" »
Breakfast at this "hotel" and very grateful to leave it, we had a full day ahead of us. Scheduled was a visit to the home of a former tribe leader, Wa minority village, Lahu minority village then back to Jinghong by car, staying at the Crown Hotel for another two nights along with day trips.
The Lahu people occupy a narrow strip of land along the Mekong River primarily subsisting on rice. They are still called "Tiger Hunters" and there is also a large of Lahu population in Thailand, around the Chiang Rai/Chiang Mai area. They trace their ancestry back to the ancient Qiang people. Like so many of us (including ex-Marine and myself), the Lahu people consider black to be very beautiful...think lbd (little black dress). One of the most stupifying sights in Banna were the rice terraces and watching the people plant and harvest rice. Such amazingly labor-intensive work...preparing the field...View image... planting the rice...harvesting...separating the rice from the hull...many steps...to get the finished product into my local grocery store. And the constant worry...what if the monsoons don't come on time and the harvest is bad...
rice terraces in Xishuangbanna
Continue reading "On The Way to Jinghong: Menglian, Lahu Minorities and Rice" »
A late plane arrival in Jinghong, met by "Sam" our new guide and driver at the airport and taken to the Crown Hotel*** on the Lancang River/Mekong River. The Crown Hotel (the first *** hotel is Xishuangbanna) was very comfortable. Too bad the nice hotels seems to always be the one-nighters. Tomorrow, an all day drive would take us by private car via villages of the Aini minority and Octagonal Pavilion down to Menglian, returning back to Jinghong the following day to see some of the over 13 minority groups in this area.
The next morning, it was in the car heading south to Menglian on one of the worst roads we've ever been privileged to experience. Rutted, and bumpy for the entire day. A stop in Jingzhen for the Octagonal Pavilion, originally built in 1701. The pavilion was damaged during the Cultural Revolution but has been renovated. It was really nothing special and could easily be a "miss." By the way, I hope the roads are better now. With China's record-building pace of new roads, they have to be.
Xishuangbanna lunch order
Continue reading "Jinghong and Menglian in Xishuangbanna (Banna)" »
The Yunnan Nationalities Village (located on the shore of Dianchi Lake) will consist of 25 villages when finished. Each village represents the 25 ethnic minorities in Yunnan. Thirteen villages were completed at the time we visited and there were song and dance performances. However, my focus was on the gift shops located in each of these villages. Some really wonderful arts and crafts at cheap - cheap - cheap prices.
We were also taken to the obligatory tea shops to taste the high quality green and black teas that Yunnan is known for. Neither one of us are really tea drinkers but patiently sampling cup after cup, we did find something that we loved. A peanut-brittle type of candy made with sesame seeds. From that point on, we bought candy instead of tea and munched our way through Yunnan. (Around $1.00 for a huge package.) Kunming is also noted for "Across The Bridge Noodles" (a long story about the origin of that name). This is a noodle dish like any other noodle dish varying just by what ingredients are added in, but an interesting name. I think it's the oil slick usually floating over the noodles that turns me off. Restaurants in China have other "unique" food if you are really adventurous...fried grasshoppers...dog...elephant trunk...to name a few....none of them tried by us!
guide and ex-Marine
Continue reading "Kunming and Minority Villages" »
Kunming (pop: 5,000,000+) is the capital of Yunnan Province and set at an elevation of 1,900 meters/6,200 feet. With mild weather all year, Kunming is often called the "City of Eternal Spring." It is surrounded by gorgeous snowcapped and tropical mountains and home to many ethnic minorities (tribes). Kunming is also a university city. A very clean, flowery city.
We arrived without any problems from Hong Kong (except the omni-present jet lag) and were promptly transferred to the Pinnacle Hotel***, our home for two nights. The Pinnacle Hotel was adequate at this time but now there are many 3*** to 5***** hotels to chooose from. Then.....no other choice. To sleep in preparation for the next day's intense sightseeing...
energetic Kunming fan exercisers
Continue reading "The Stone Forest of Shilin Outside Kunming" »
The final itinerary consisted of 15 days: beginning and ending in Kunming, And then, you always have to add the 2 days spent actually getting to China and one day returning home!
Air? We used Hong Kong as our gateway into China and flew United non-stop to Hong Kong and then Dragon Air to Kunming the following day. Dragon Air was a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific at that time (may still be) and is a very nice airline. There were many other options flying to China and onward to Kunming but this was the easiest for us. Farecompare lists every airline currently flying to Kunming including: China Eastern, China Southern, Thai Airways, Dragonair, Malaysia, etc.
Health? Malaria pills again. Our drug of choice is Lariam, (Mefloquine is the generic). We prefer the once-a-week Lariam to the once-a-day Malarone - but it's your decision. All other innoculations are always kept up-to-date. Check the Centers for Disease Control updates to see what they suggest.
detailed Yunnan map
Continue reading "Planning A Trip Through Yunnan" »
It is impossible to cover all of China's highlights (let alone the more remote locales) in two weeks, two months or even two years. If you've already done a "beginner" highlights of China trip (usually a two-week trip visiting Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, and Xian), it's time to get a little off-the-beaten trail that is rapidly becoming more "beaten" by the day. That is what ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I try to do. With a little research, you'll find many different tour operators organizing trips to Yunnan for 2008. Keep in mind that the Summer Olympics take place 8/8/08 in Beijing and will produce a mob scene through China. Not only will the Chinese be traveling but millions of tourists from all around the world.
The most-sees in Yunnan are: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Xishuangbanna (pronounced "Shish-E-Banna"), and Zhongdian (now labeled Shangri-La by the Chinese Government). But when we visited in 1999, Yunnan was still a relatively unvisited area in China for Western tourists. The Chinese tourists consider Yunnan their own version of Thailand.
Once again, my great Chinese tour operator, Shi Ming (Cindy) of Shanghai Far East Expeditions (e-mail her at: fareast@shfareast.com) had responded to our request for someplace "different" to visit in China and concocted a complete Yunnan experience, starting in Kunming and exploring the South of Yunnan to begin with. The majority of Yunnan is very tropical (the South especially so) and would be hot and humid when we visited in June. However, the Northern Tibetan areas of Yunnan would be higher in altitude and cooler. Never cold but cool.
Yunnan map
Continue reading "Visiting Yunnan - South to North" »
Today is my favorite holiday of the year - Thanksgiving. A time to be grateful for family, friends and Good Health. My time to stuff a scrumptious turkey, concoct fattening appetizers and serve even more fattening desserts to the family. At least that would be the usual routine but today... Thanksgiving, 2007 is a little more exotic. ex-Marine and I will be on the "Orlova" in Antarctica celebrating his 68th Birthday. (I hope we're celebrating, and not spending time in the stateroom toilet...sick from the extremely rough Drake crossing.)
Thanksgiving this year also happens to be Josh's (grandson) 16th Birthday. Have a great Birthday, Josh. Get that driver's license and be careful on the road...
Continue reading "Happy Thanksgiving" »
This was our third trip to the St. Moritz, Pontresina, Engadine Valley area, one of the highest in altitude in Europe. With Global Warming, etc., snow levels are no longer reliable and it is important to pick a high-altitude destination to ensure good quality snow. The snow levels were great in this area and we still had one more day to walk and snowshoe around.
A short 3-4 block walk downhill to the main Pontresina train station to wait for the train heading towards the Bernina Pass. The buses from Pontresina also go to these two lifts. It just depends what form of transportation is more convenient at the time you choose. On the train to the base of the Diavolezza lift. It was another gorgeous sunny day and I don't know whether I love the Swiss Alps more in the Winter or Summer. The big Summer advantage is that prices drop around 50% at most hotels. You can still hike up and over mountains, come down in another town and bus or train back. The same ubiquitous yellow signs are everywhere, pointing you in the right direction at each trail intersection along with average time to your destination. Even I have trouble getting lost...
yellow directional hiking/biking/x-country signs
Continue reading "Pontresina's Diavolezza and Langalb Areas" »
On the little Rhatische Bahn train heading up in altitude to the Morteratsch valley for today's snowshoeing. These trains also continue past the Morteratsch, stopping at the Bernina-Divaolezza lift, and Bernina Lagalb lift. From there it is over the Bernina Pass down into Poschiavo, Italy which would make a great day trip. Poschiavo is the main village in this area situated on Lago di Poschiavo and known for its churches and Palazzi. You could also continue on to Tirano, Italy. The Bernina Pass is the highest altitude open railway crossing of the Alps and the Glacier Express leads from Piz Bernina straight across the Alps to the Matterhorn.
At the opposite end of the Engadine Valley, you can take the Swiss PostAuto coach down to Lake Como and on to Lugano. In Switzerland, it doesn't take very long to get almost anywhere opening up infinite opportunities for touring and sightseeing. But today's destination was most definitely the Morteratsch valley...nirvana for walkers, cross-country skiers and downhill skiers.
Morteratsch map
Continue reading "Train From Pontresina To The Morteratsch Glacier" »
St. Moritz is the home of the rich and famous. The main bus stop was just inches away from Escada, Prada, Bally, Rolex (the real thing - not knock-offs) along with many other name brands. Very expensively dressed women walked by in furs and expensive duds. Some were obviously "trophy wives" (or "trophy friends") on the arms of "older" (equally expensively dressed) men. (If I were ever to remarry, I'm going looking for a man between 90-100, carrying an oxygen cannister with mega-bucks.) There was no one in the vicinity dressed like ex-Marine and myself, in non-matching clothes and probably reeking of sweat.
We had just finished snowshoeing up a slope by the Suvretta House Hotel, one of the Leading Hotels of the World, just oozing class and money. However, despite a few dirty looks, we did walk through the lobby to use the bathroom trying to look as if we belonged. R-I-G-H-T! And then it was snowshoes on, and start up the run (fairly bare in spots - Spring skiing)...
snow-shoeing up
Continue reading "St. Moritz In The Engadin Valley" »
There is a famous Olympic Bob Sled run in St. Moritz/Celerina. The only remaining natural ice bobsleigh track made with only snow and water. There are national and international races every weekend for 2-men and 4-men bobs. If you are a thrill-seeker (I'm not) take a guest ride with an experienced pilot. You get a certificate, photo and pin (about $140 for the thrills and chills). Or for experienced bob sledders, you can get a temporary membership and speed down the Cresta Run yourself on a small racing tobaggan. (Around $360 for 5 runs.) All this may sound expensive but if this is your sport, it's worth every dollar. For people like us, just stand around this course and watch the pros zoom by.
The various Engadin villages maintain and prepare over 100 miles of paths and promenades in the winter. We snowshoed into the Val Roseg along with too many walkers of all ages to count. Everyone out for a stroll in the sun. There were also cross-country skiers, horse drawn sleighs, parents pulling children on sleds, all headed to the Roseg Glacier Restaurant about 9 kms/6 miles each way. A private sleigh there and back runs around $120. (Nothing is cheap in Switzerland. Nothing has ever been cheap in Switzerland but what fun to actually take a horse-drawn sleigh ride.)
Val Roseg sleigh ride
Continue reading "Engadin Valley Sports and Entertainment" »
When you travel, "it's always something"...and this trip to Switzerland was no exception. On the United flight from Washington, DC to Zurich, I was the unfortunate person who had the only defective entertainment unit in coach. The overhead light went on and off at will, the monitor screen brightness level would suddenly appear on the screen in the middle of the movie and brighten up the entire film to oblivion, the sound levels went up and down shattering eardrums, and the monitor would fall every now and then from its upright position into my shin.
The Zurich airport compensated with its very easy navigation. You get from Terminal C to A where baggage and immigration is located by a spanking new people-mover. The doors shut and background mood music begins, "Swiss style." The clanking of cow bells, some yodeling and even a cow mooing. Fun. A fast showing of the passport at Customs and wait for your bags at a carousel with two illuminated signs. One showing exactly how minutes it will be before your baggage appears (it keeps counting down) and another giving information about every train whisking through the Zurich Airport along with its destination during the next hour.
Continue reading "Arriving At The Zurich Airport" »
It's no secret how much ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I enjoy Switzerland. Whether it's summer hiking, visiting the many picturesque towns or snowshoeing in the winter on crispy snow, there is no easier place to visit and travel around. Their train system has to be the world's best. (For detailed information on training around Europe, Sheila's Guide to European Train Travel is filled with money-saving tips.)
Last winter's destination was Pontresina. Originally, we'd planned on snowshoeing in St. Moritz but couldn't find a hotel whose prices suited us. Our solution - stay in Pontresina, only a few miles down the road from St. Moritz and connected by both trains and constantly running buses. It pays to be flexible. The Pontresina Tourist Bureau will send oodles of information including hotels, maps, etc. or just get whatever information you need off their website.
Pontresina area in Switzerland
Continue reading "Pontresina, Switzerland In The Winter" »
We are only going to discuss ordinary massages, not the "happy ending" or "extras" massages that Thailand is noted for. I have personally never had a relaxing Thai massage. They are brutal. Cheap and brutal. They run (on an average) about 500 bahts ($13) for a decent one-hour massage. It's not that I'm masochistic but you do feel great after the pains go away.
If you have tight muscles and after a long flight, an intense Thai massage (with or without oil) fits the bill. The masseuses use lots of elbows, knees, palms...digging in and kneading those muscles.... I was sore for two days after one but felt great once the pains went away. They ask, "is that too hard?"...laugh when you say "yes" and just keep applying pressure. I promise...you will not fall asleep during one. It's impossible to walk more than three feet down any Bangkok street without passing a massage parlor...look for a clean one and take your chances. The nicer ones also offer body treatments, facials, waxing, manicures/pedicures and one place even had an ear spa (whatever that is).
Continue reading "A Thai Massage In Bangkok and The Grand Palace" »
We stayed at the Royal Hotel in an older part of town on this trip to meet up with our tour group. The Royal is an adequate "tourist" category hotel with rates starting at $32 US/night for a double with breakfast. At that price, no wonder the Royal was extremely crowded with Thai people and Westerners. There is an old section and new section in the Hotel. Save your money and stay in the old section, just as nice as the new. The Royal Hotel had two major upsides...location, location, location - we could see the Royal Palace and Museum from the breakfast room, and - Khaosan Road was only two blocks away.
TIP: Don't hire a taxis inside the Hotel, walk outside and hail one. If you make arrangements inside, the price is double.
Khaosan Road area map
Continue reading "The Chao Pra River, Bangkok and Discovering Neighborhoods" »
In Bangkok on a weekend, it was time to revisit the Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of my favorite places. Chatuchak operates on Saturday and Sunday only, selling practically everything under the sun. Tools, food, trendy fashions, "antiques" and "new antiques," intricate wooden carvings, masks, fluffy dogs, fish and singing birds. There are approximately 9,000 individual booths filled with clothes, food stalls, restaurants and entertainers. This is not a "just-for-tourists-only" market but crowded with locals buying, eating and window-shopping. Since we had jet lag, it was easy to breakfast early and hop on the skytrain.
Chatuchak Market is easy to reach on Bangkok's clean, safe and efficient skytrain (or take a taxi, very inexpensive). The skytrain has English speaking personnel on hand in each station to answer questions. Don't be timid about using the skytrain...you'll find the ticket dispensers user-friendly and there is always someone to ask.
Bangkok's skytrain
Continue reading "Exploring Bangkok's Chatuchak Market" »
It doesn't make any difference how many times we've visited Bangkok...there is always a new area to discover and places to revisit. The last trip was no exception, and began at Bangkok's spanking new Suvarnabhumi Airport built to replace the very old Don Muang Airport. A gorgeous new complex that presented some major challenges beginning with an 11:30 pm arrival. Almost every international flight arrives in the late night/early morning creating a madhouse. A few of the many challenges included:
- Surviving the unbelievable confusion and mayhem around the baggage carousels when luggage from at least three flights are off-loaded on the same carousel. We are talking about up to 1,000 people muscling their way to the front, trying to identify their bags out of the masses slowly circling on the carousel, yanking the bags off onto free carts and finally making their way out of the customs area. A free-for-all, and all you can do to keep from getting killed by suitcases.
Suvarnabhumi Airport at night
Continue reading "Suvarnabhumi Airport and Bangkok Revisited" »
A fast evening flight from Al Mukalla to Sana'a, and our Yemen trip was almost over. There was one more day in Sana'a with additional time to shop, revisit museums or do nothing before the farewell lunch. With the exception of Bill's appendix, we had no other traumatic story to relate to friends and family about Yemen. The kidnapping incidents aren't really kidnapping as we think of it. Rather, it is a Bedouin tradition and not terrorism. The Bedouins use it as a "bargaining chip" in their disputes with the government. Kidnappings usually only take place when Westerners venture into the desert without a Bedouin guide. Whether it has been in Mali or Yemen, it is foolhardy to venture into these deserts without native guides for security and navigation. To watch these amazing Bedouins navigate across the sand dunes and open expanses without one marker is nothing short of miraculous...
It was wonderful to revisit the suq /souk again and take photos of Bab el Yemen, one of the six adobe brick gates in the old city wall, and we learned one more interesting fact about Yemen. Over Yemen's long history, the land has been occupied by many but none of the civilizations ever succeeded in controlling the Yemeni people.
ex-Marine giving longing looks at the djambias in the suq
Continue reading "Back in Sana'a and Some Yemen Thoughts" »
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