Hanoi Soccer Fever

We arrived in Hanoi on Christmas Eve and found a huge celebration on the streets... naturally, with the large Catholic population in Vietnam, we assumed this was a Christmas celebration... well you know what happens when you assume...

It turned out that Thailand and Vietnam played the first leg of Southeast Asian Championship Soccer tournament that night in Thailand and Vietnam won the game 2-1. There are just over 3 million people in Hanoi and I'm fairly certain we saw at least 2 million of them that night screaming at the top of their lungs in the streets of Hanoi. Luckily for us, we happened upon this scene and enjoyed a very surreal Christmas Eve with the vast majority of Hanoi.

Fast forward to a few days later and the final leg of the SE Asian Cchampionship was being played in Hanoi... we went off to Halong Bay for a few days but made sure that we would be in Hanoi for the game to hopefully snag a last minute ticket... Unfortunately, the traffic into Hanoi on Sundays is about 10 times worse than a Sunday afternoon drive on I-70 after skiing so we barely made it to Hanoi in time for the game.. no way we would make it to the stadium in time... probably a good thing.

The Vietnamese team barely held off the Thai team with a 1-1 tie which meant that Vietnam won the championship for the first time in 40 some years... This time, I'm fairly certain that all 3 million Hanoi citizens were on the streets celebrating... A scene that rivals even the Broncos first Super Bowl win. Absolutely incredible...

The best part about this is that Jodi and I had a front row seat to all of the madness because there's a multi-level KFC right downtown that overlooks the main plaza in Hanoi... armed with mashed potatoes and fried chicken, we watched the people from the second level balcony and enjoyed our delicious meal. Good times...

By the way, no one was drinking at the celebration and therefore no fights, no fires and no flipped cars... Weird.
And Asians love KFC!


By the way, Jodi got pooped on by a pigeon two days ago... I hid by amusement at the time but trust me, I was laughing inside... just a lesson I've learned from 18 months of marriage... This puts the total number that I've seen a bird poop on at 2 (Nik Fodor was number 1).
I bet no one can beat this record...

Happy New Year!

Bangkok

On the 29th we left rainy, cold, chaotic Hanoi and headed to Bangkok on a 9am flight. We arrived and were immediately enveloped by the heat as we left the plane. It was fantastic. We had 5 days of rainy, cold weather in Vietnam, and didn't really have the clothes to deal with it. It's tough to dry anything out in such a damp climate, especially when you shove it all in a bag and carry it to a new destination each morning. We've been in Bangkok for 3 1/2 days now. We were going to head north to Chang Mai, but there is a 5 day Thai holiday around the New Year, so all the Thai people are heading home to see family and the trains and buses are packed. No worries--we decided just to spend some time in Bangkok and then end our trip island hopping south.
Bangkok is a very interesting city. It's pretty sprawling, so it's taken us a few days to really get the lay of the land. We're staying near Khao San Rd, which is the infamous backpacker area. The street is closed off, and there are tons of bars and street vendors hawking goods to the tourists and backpackers. Cafe tables spill into the streets and there are people everywhere. We spent our first night enjoying the energy of it all--it's sort of like being on the old vegas strip, without the gambling. We also took a brief jaunt over to the Pat Pong Market in the red light district. Ping Pong show, anyone? They try really hard to get you in there.
You have to be careful in Bangkok, as everyone is trying to sell you something, or scam you into something. Particularly the Tuk Tuk drivers--they are horrible. You negotiate a price (which is about 3-4 times higher than what a metered taxi ride would cost, but none of the taxi drivers in the tourist areas will use their meters), and you say no stops and about 10 minutes into your ride the scams begin. "Oh, that is closed, but I know a much better place". "OK, I take you there, but first you can get information here at the government office for free. Not open tomorrow, only today". "Today is last day for no tax on the shopping here, at the export center. Very nice things, good price. Today last day." "You like discotheque? You want to go to discotheque?" Basically, these guys get a gasoline commission for bringing tourists to certain spots. One guy showed us a card that said 5 gallons of gasoline, if he brought tourists to this "information office". So it's kind of exhausting to get around because you are battling these guys alot. We figured out the trick is to walk 3 or 4 blocks out of the Khao San area and then you can find a very nice taxi driver who will use the meter to give you a fair price. Outside of the Khao San Rd area everyone is extremely friendly.
Two nights ago we ventured out of this subculture to explore the "real" Bangkok. Turns out the Thai people love Beer Gardens and outdoor concerts. We went downtown and ended up by the mall where there are 4 outdoor beer gardens packed with Thai people nightly. Live bands on 4 back to back stages--it's crazy. We've seen outdoor concert stages set up all around town. In contrast to the glamorous commercial district of downtown, yesterday we took a minibus to the floating market about an hour from Bangkok. Women sell fruit, flowers, vegetables, noodle soups, fried bananas, etc. out of wooden long boats on these river canals. It's really neat to see.
We decided to splurge on New Years Eve, and had a nice dinner on a river boat cruise. The city views at night are amazing--all the wats (temples) and the grand palace are lit up and glittering. We headed back to Khao San Road and rang in the new year with a local and international crowd on the packed streets and crowded pubs--it was a blast. Happy New Year!!
We could easily spend 3-4 more days exploring Bangkok, but today we hop on an overnight sleeper bus at 6pm and head south to the islands! What a way to start 2009!!!!

Pictures!

Pho in Saigon--awesome way to start the trip!













Market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where we had
lunch--food was amazing!








National Palace in Phnom Penh.












Heading out on Motobike to explore the villages around Battambang, in Northern Cambodia.














Bo getting the history of an ancient temple and the story of its sacred elephant from our 10 year old, impromptu tour guide.

Halong Bay

On the 26th we headed to Halong Bay in Vietnam. It's about 3 hours from Hanoi. We booked a 3 day tour which had us staying in a hotel on Cat Ba Island on the first night, and staying on a Junk Boat in the bay on the second night. Halong Bay is truly amazing. There are tons of limestone karsts and islands jutting up into the bay. Ufortunately, we had crappy weather the entire time we were there, so we really couldn't gain the full perspective of just how many islands there were in the bay. But the ones we could see were spectacular. We also explored an enormous cave inside of one of the islands. It was raining and socked in with fog, but we remained in good spirits. We had a good group of travellers to commiserate with, particularly a German couple that we ended up spending alot of time with. Our hotel was less than spectacular (read: sketchy), but as our booking agent told us "you pay for what you get for, you understand?" Our itinerary had us trekking up a mountain in the National Park on the island that 2nd day, so we decided we'd stick to it. The Germans joined us, and we hiked in the pouring rain. The visibility was extremely limited, but it was still a pretty amazing hike. After the hike we spent about an hour trying to find some dry pants to purchase, as it was cold and we had just soaked our only ones. I am now the proud owner of a $6 pair of hideous Adidas knock-off track pants.
The night on the boat was awesome. The food they provided throughout the trip was basic, but plentiful and pretty decent. We spent the night on the boat playing cards and drinking beer with our fellow travellers and the captain, who was lucky he didn't fall overboard by the end of the night. At one point, somebody tried to buy him a beer, and he comically replied "my company does not let me drink". He was a jolly fellow with a huge smile and a matching belly. We had a great time that night. The next morning we got up and kayaked around the bay. It was misty and foggy, but not raining, and the water was really warm. The views were incredible.

Christmas in Vietnam

It's been awhile since I've had a chance to jump on here, so here's a brief update: We flew from Luang Prabang, Laos to Hanoi, Vietnam on the 24th. We definitely would have loved to spend a few more days in Luang Prabang, it's such a sleepy city, with so much to do in the surrounding mountains and rivers. We loved it! Hanoi, in contrast, was bustling and chaotic. We got in around 6pm on Christmas Eve. Vietnam was playing Thailand in the second to last game of the SE Asian Suzuki Cup, so people were congregated in shop doorways watching the game. We got a hotel room and headed out to explore the city. About 8pm, the city exploded into the streets, as Vietnam won the game. People were waving flags and driving their motobikes through the streets, honking more than normal. We walked to the lake in the center of town and watched as the number of revellers quickly increased. Much to our surprise, there was also a giant, outdoor pop/christmas concert going on. People were everywhere, and vendors were selling Santa Balloons, vietnamese flags, etc. You could barely move through the crowd, yet somehow people were still driving motobikes through. Unreal. We walked over to St. Joseph's Cathedral, which is a giant, beautiful catholic church in the middle of Old Quarter, Hanoi. They were going to have an outdoor midnight mass and broadcast it on a big screen in the church yard. We went to grab a bowl of Pho (vietnamese noodle soup) and wait. We went to a really authentic place (read, we were the only Westerners around) and it was awesome. We headed back to the church yard about 11:30, and it was absolute and utter chaos. Not only were there masses of people that had shown up for the church service, but the crowds were also pouring in from the concert, and there were soccer fans to boot. At one point we had to back out of the crowd, because it was just too crowded, it was literally like sardines and we were all pushing against each other, yet people were still attempting to move through the crowd. We watched as the clergy sang silent night in Vietnamese, and thought of everyone we were missing back home.
The next day we enjoyed exploring Hanoi and it's culinary offerings. We also caught a water puppet show, which I really enjoyed. Marionettes on sticks that move through the water--it's fun to watch. All in all, it was a great Christmas, though as different a Christmas as I could have imagined. I missed the tree and family and traditions, but it was a great experience, just the same. I have learned that the Vietnamese people love a crowd, and aren't afraid to pack as many people/motobikes/cars into one area as is humanly possible. It's pretty funny.

why I love Laos...

besides the monks, temples and buddhas (oh my), i love th e lao way of life. the owner of our guest house is from laos, by way of madison, wisconsin. He says that Lao PDR actually stands for Lao "please don't rush". so true. I really love the atmposphere here--everyone is so laid back, and despite my east coast roots, i think i am adapting very well. the real focus of this blog entry, however, is the waterfall that we visited today. first we saw some gorgeous temples, and then we were off to the Kwang si waterfalls this afternoon. this place is AMAZING. picturesque, idyllic setting with waterfalls cascading down into soft, green pools of water. we hiked in flip flops, beer in hand, to the top of the falls. the "stairs" along the route were pits dug into the clay by the river as it overflows it's banks in rainy season. i love that you can hike this route and swim in these pools, and there are no guardrails or restrictions. there was one area that was considered a "do not swimming area" because it was right next to a giant drop, but that was it. free reign to damage yourself at will. so refreshing. after the long, slick hike the pools were refreshing. we plunged into the deep, green water and ate up every second of it.

Family Fun in Laos

We spent the last 5 days visiting Bo's family in Vientiane, the capitol of Laos. They are so nice and were so incredibly welcoming. And everyone is so laid back in Laos--nobody wants to worry about anything or offend anyone. It was very relaxing after the whirlwind of temples in Siem Reap. We visited with family, checked out the city a bit, and spent ALOT of time eating. Which was perfectly fine by me, as I love the food. It was quite amusing at Bo's Uncle's house. There were 9 of us staying there--Bo's Aunt and Uncle that own the house, 3 of their 5 kids, us, and Bo's Aunt and Uncle visiting from Germany. Bo's cousin Phi moved to Laos from Germany about 6 weeks ago, and was around quite a bit. Now stick with me here, of these 10 people 7 speak Lao--Bo and I don't speak any, and Phi is just learning. Phi, Phi's parents and Bo speak German. Phi, Bo, and I speak English, as do two of Bo's younger cousins--Thuy and Lang. Phi was the translator, and when he was not around, or if Thuy was at school, the scene went something like this: Aunt we are staying with says something to Aunt from Germany in Lao, Aunt from Germany asks Bo something in German, Bo talks to me about it in English, and responds in German, German Aunt translates back into Lao. It was hilarious. Mostly we talked about food and eating. Phi took us to a couple really great places in Vientiane. It's amazing how much you can actually get to know someone, even if you can only say "Hello", "Thank you", "It's Good" and "I'm full" to them. The Aunts especially loved that I eat all the Lao food (except the chicken foot soup, I didn't really dive in on that one, but I don't think they noticed).

This morning we took the bus from Vientiane north to Vang Vieng in the mountains. It's kind of a touristy resort of a town, but so much fun. We are staying at this cute little place on the river--all bungalows. We got in around 1 and headed out to go kayaking on the river around 2. The river is pretty slow this time of year--class I or II rapids. (Justine, April and I could definitely manage it in a canoe, upright). I love being in foreign countries and experiencing the differences in safety requirements and instruction. There were 6 of us kayaking together, and after getting off the truck the guide asked us if we'd ever used a paddle before and he never really spoke to us again, except to gesture us over to a bar on the side of the river. He was behind us the entire way. So funny. So there are tons of tubers on this river, as well. And as you float down the river there are tons of bars on either side. You can bar hop your way all the way back to your hotel. The spot we stopped at was by far the best. Imagine Spring Break, in Laos, and that's sort of what was going on at this place. We just came from a family visit--I didn't even really wear a tank top the whole time, as Laos is a very traditional country, and here are girls dancing around in bikinis. We can only imagine what the locals think about the Falang ("tourists"). There were people playing soccer, volleyball, lounging in thatched-roof cabana-type buildings, everyone is drinking Beer Lao, and the absolute best part....you have three options in which to fling yourself into the river: zipline, swing, or slide. The waterslide dropped from a platform about 30 feet up in the air, and had a ramp coming off the bottom at about a 45% angle up into the air--people were getting launched. I opted for the zip line. Twice. It was awesome. Again you climb about 30 feet in the air, grab the handles and hang on until the line stops dead and you get launched about 15 feet into the water. So fun! The other members of our kayak group were older folks from Switzerland and I don't think they really appreciated our enthusiasm for the spot. We had a great time. We pulled back up to our bungalow as the sun was setting behind the mountains and sheer, limestone cliffs. It was gorgeous.

I would like to briefly mention the "Friends" phenomenon here in Vang Vieng, as it is very amusing and quite bizarre. There are 8-10 restaurants that play back to back episodes of Friends all night, non-stop. And it is blaring out into the streets. So you're walking around in Laos, looking for dinner, and passing Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Ross and Phoebe in tons of restaurants. Laugh track is your background music. Other restaurants have capitalized on this, and expanded into movies and other tv shows, and some to soccer games. So all the tables and booths are facing the tvs. And all the booths are raised platforms with lap tables and pillows to stretch out and relax on. It's hilarious. I think the locals quickly figured out that people are wiped out from the drinking, swimming and sunning all day, and just want to crash at night. So that's what everybody does--eats dinner and relaxes in front of the tv. There are a bunch of bars, so I'm sure there is nightlife, as well--but I have to say the crashing is a nice option.

And since I know you're all having such charming weather back in the states, I'll take this opportunity to mention that we had to buy $5 sweatshirts tonight, as it has gotten quite cool here--it's in the low 60s right now. Brrrrr.

We're still deciding if we'll go tubing all day tomorrow, or head up to Luang Prabang by bus. We have booked airline tickets out of Luang Prabang into Hanoi, Vietnam on Christmas Eve.