[Please note that there was a problem with Blogger that prevented me from posting for the last month -- that and I've been in the middle of nowhere (e.g. no internet access) for much of the time]

Hué, Vietnam:

I've come to realize that I certainly write alot about my experiences aboard different sorts of public transportation. That being said I've just spent fifteen hours on a bus that most certainly has not a single iota of suspension left in its sad little life. To say that the trip was bumpy -- I started in Savannakhet, Lao and finished in Hué, Vietnam -- would be an understatement. The opportunities to sleep were very limited, and you can be sure that the woman who shared the bench seat to which I was assigned quite forcefully by the bus crew before departure was not very happy with the restlessness of her seat-mate.

As comes in handy in siutations like this, I was not the only foreigner on the bus giving us all the chance to properly vent. The phrase "Welcome to Vietnam" became a mantra and reached a feverous climax when we were dropped on the side of the highway on the outskirts of Hué only to find ourselfs trounced upon by a blood-thirsty group of motodrivers. [How we bargained them down to the resultant low fair will forever be a mystery.]

I spent the last few days in Lao in Savannakhet with my local friend from the previous visit. While there was no repeat of the karoke adventure, this time was another good experience for me in the life of the Savannakhet-ers [I think not.] This time I spent several hours with some beginning english speakers and spoke at length about the geography of the US and New York to a blank-face audience for at least an hour. Generally, I find that my speach cadence is way-too-fast for anyone who is not a native English-speaker, and in these lengthy conversational situations this realty becomes very clear.


- posted by Unknown @ 4:46 AM

 
Savannakhet, Lao:

During the prior visit to this town, I was fortunate enough to be adopted by a number of locals -- I determined later that I had met a group of what I will call "middle-class kids"; whose parents are part of the shop-owning class in town. Of course, these sort of things start innocently enough. I was looking for a bicycle in order to peddle around town for the day I had alotted for the capital of the second-largest province in Lao, when I was approached by a pair on a motorbike. The typical questions began the exchange that I neither encouraged not discouraged. Eventually the pair proved to be very helpful, and accompanied me along on a few errands of which I had to take care. Following the completion of my short agenda, the pair having continued to accompany me about town offered to show me around a bit. Without any other things to do, I was not about to decline the invitation.


- posted by Unknown @ 7:48 AM

 
Pakse, Lao:
After making a short loop though the unconnected world of Si Phan Don (the four thousand islands) I have returned to the exiciting [not really] town of Pakse before making my way into the wilderness that is south-east Lao. I've got in it my head to make a loop through the provinces of Salavan, Sekong and Attapeu over the next five days, and I think I might be able to pull it off. Albeit, at the price of overstaying my visa -- does anyone notice a trend here?
- posted by Unknown @ 5:04 AM

 
Savannakhet, Lao:

I've spent a number of days in and around the Vientiane province. After my brief overnight in the capital, I headed up to Vang Vieng for a few days. For a number of reasons, I found that place to be less exciting than I wanted to be -- though I turned it into a destination while most people just use it as a stop over.

One afternoon, I did rent a bike and take a gander about town. I crossed the stream-turned-river in a small boat -- bicycle balenced in the bow -- and set out toward a cave that I'd read about. I took a turn off the "main road" and started down an alternate path that was marked with a hand painted sign for the cave I hoped to find. Actually, I just followed the signs to the first cave that sounded like the one I had aimed to find. The road degraded into a dry stream bed [picture: medium sized round rocks that are not all that much fun to peddle though] but I pressed on. After a while -- the signs said the cave was two kilometers off the main road -- I came to a point on the stream bed that was filled with large boulders so I was forced to leave the bike behind.

There had been some rain during the time I was in the boat, and during the beginning of my ride. This is the only explanation for the deserted cave entrance. There was a snack kiosk [empty] and a several signs noting the importance of paying the entrance fee, but not a soul in sight. To tell the truth it was a little scary other there in the middle of nowhere. I was convinced that there was going to be a big snake or something.

Since I was there I thought I should take a look at the cave. I pulled out my torch -- now, let's imagine the torch that I'm carrying: it takes two double-A batteries, and I've not changed them since I've been over here which means that there was not an excess amount of artifical light, nor was I extremely confident about the longevity of the light -- and ventured up the rotting ladder that led to the cave entrance. Once I was inside the mouth of the cave, I started to become a bit hesitant about venturing any further. Of course I did, but when I reached the true point of no return [no more natural light possible] I decided that my little spelunking adventure had gone on long enough. My advice: bring a proper light source and a trusted companion.

The other thing that happened in Vang Vieng -- so it was a little more exiciting than I made it out to be -- occurred as I walked down one of the main streets [there are two main streets] on my second morning. As I walked I noticed motion on the ground in front of me exiting a shop. There was an animal -- actually a pig -- coming out of a store. Small, black, a little furry. Then I realized it was not a pig becuase the motion was all wrong. It looked like the creature was rolling. Then I realized.... it was a baby monkey. I had stopped walking, and I was standing in the middle of the street while I tried to figure out a proper course of action. When the monkey began to run directly in my direction, I wondered if I should try to catch it. I continued to stand still. After a moment, it became clear that the animal was not running simply in my direction but directly for me. Somewhat frozen in the middle of the partially paved street, I stood waiting for something to happen. My eyes were on the monkey, as it approached. Then, about a half-meter in front of me, it lept from the gound the grabbed hold of my right leg.

I was looking directly down at this point, and the big eyes of the little animal were fixed in mine as it continued to maintain a hold on my leg. Just then a women ran out of the shop and noticed the two of us in the street. She ran over and plucked the creature off my leg and expressed her gratitude before disappearing into the shop. I continued my wander down the street, and tried to figure out what had just happened.

I just left Vientiane after several days with a friend where we spent a bit of time wandering about the capitial, and taking advantage of the mellow atmosphere that the town offers. One of the best placing to hang out is by the river [my favorite, the Mekong]. In one section there are tables and chairs lined up on the river bank where beverages are available. Further afield, there are some restaurants on stilts that serve a full complement of sustinence. The locations are situated just perfectly to provide a pleseant view of sunset.

Here in Savannakhet I had hoped to embark on a [insert word here] into one of the national park, but alas, the option no longer exists. I'm not sure if I will stick around here for another day or leave first thing tomorrow morning. I'm sure everyone will be waiting with baited breath for the answer.


- posted by Unknown @ 6:14 AM