Life on the mighty Mekong

We've decided to spend our last week in Vietnam in the Mekong Delta. Located in the far south of the country, it's where the Mekong River, which begins all the way in Tibet, spills out. The area produces most of the country's fruit, as well as rice and other crops. Overall, the past 5-6 days have been very good, although we've had our share of disappointments, as well.

The best part for us is just being in what it a completely different type of lifestyle from anything we've seen -- water is everywhere and life revolves around it -- from several major rivers to smaller branches to man-made canals. The entire region is incredibly lush with fruit trees all around. Our best experience was our second day in the delta in the city of Ben Tre. We took a boat trip which gave us the perfect glimpse to life in the region. We took a chance with an independent "tour guide" rather than take an official trip, and it was great. We cruised for 45 minutes up a narrow river passed boats of all sizes with people going about their day-to-day work, arriving at the island where the guide lives. We then rode bikes around the island for an hour -- almost all the roads are less than 10 feet wide and there are virtually no cars. The island is filled with fruit trees and most people make a living growing myriad types. We then stopped at his house where we hung out on hammocks and drank milk from freshly cut coconuts while the wife cooked us a huge meal. We ended the trip on a small rowboat going through the tiny canals on the island, ducking under small bridges that we had earlier rode our bikes over.

Our trip to get to the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City should have been an omen about the negative experiences we were going to have. After a couple great, relaxing days, we were ready for our bus trip. We needed the Mien Tay bus station, located about 10 miles southwest of our hotel. Unfortunately, we were told to take a taxi to the Mien Dong bus station, which was about 7 miles north of our hotel. We wondered why we got strange looks at the bus station when we told them where we wanted to go. They told us which bus to board, and it immediately didn't feel right. Lonely Planet said it'd be an air-conditioned express bus; instead, we were on a hot bus that stopped to pick people up constantly. We knew we were supposed to be heading southwest, but after 45 minutes we saw that we were passing through the city center, right near our hotel. At that point we knew something was wrong and realized that the bus we were on was taking its time driving across the city to the correct bus station. An hour and a half after we boarded the bus, we finally got to the right bus station. We then had another 2.5 hour bus ride (at least it was air-conditioned) to the city of Ben Tre.

We didn't have any truly bad experiences after this, but the rest of our time seemed to range from disappointing to merely "good." A part of our frustration was with our guidebook. For example, it described a city (Tra Vinh) as the prettiest town in the Mekong, with architecture reminiscent of an earlier era. So, we went out of our way to get there. We have literally no idea what Lonely Planet was talking about, unless the earlier era was 1970. It was just like every other city we visited in the delta -- big, chaotic, devoid of charm. Plus there was nothing to do.

Other experiences were OK but nothing exceeded expectations. We did a "homestay" on an island off the large city of Vinh Long -- it was nice but it was more of a simple hotel than someone's home. Both here and in Can Tho we took boat trips -- one through a tour operator and one through an independent guide (trying to recapture the magic of our first boat trip). The most interesting aspect to these trips were the floating markets, which are exactly as they sound -- large boats anchor down and other boats, from small rowboats to large ones, pull up and buy their goods. Each boat only sells one or two items and hangs a sample on a long bamboo pole, so that buyers can see what's on offer from a distance. In Vinh Long, we also visited a small factory making coconut candy and rice cakes, an old house that put on a small performance, a bonsai garden, and an orchard. We got lots of tea and fruit at most of these stops; on the other hand, the day felt contrived and dragged on. In Can Tho, with the independent operator, we wished in hindsight we went with the official tours. As we moved along at a snail's pace in our rickety boat with our driver who spoke no English, the official boats whizzed by us as their English-speaking guides gave information about the area. Visiting the floating markets was fun, but the trip ended up being 6 hours whereas the tour groups did it in 4.

At this point we were thinking it was time to leave Vietnam. But at the bus station we made a last minute decision to visit one final place -- Phu Cuoc. This tropical island off the southwest tip of the Mekong is touted as "the next big thing." So, we boarded a different bus to a port city. We didn't count on the fact that it's high season in the south and New Year's Eve tomorrow. The entire boat was filled. After some stress we found a loophole in the system -- pay twice the amount of the printed fare to a Vietnamese person who already has a ticket. That problem solved we next had to find a hotel. Alex called more than a dozen places and, finally, found one that has a room available. Lonely Planet says that the owner at this establishment doesn't always honor reservations, so we're slightly nervous about that. So, we board at 8AM tomorrow for the 2.5 hour trip to the island -- fingers crossed.

A Very Merry Tropical Christmas

Christmas in Vietnam far exceeded our expectations

This was a Christmas of firsts for us: first time away from home, first time away from both our families, and first time we wore shorts and flip flops! On the night of the 23rd we took a flight from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), arriving very late. We stayed in the first hotel we could find and the morning of the 24th we went to do a little sight-seeing. First we visited the Reunification Palace which is where the president of South Vietnam lived from about 1963 to the end of the war in 1975. We joined a tour and it was interesting to see the rooms and bunker of this modern building. It was also interesting to hear our tour guide talk about the "proud" day in April 1975 when South Vietnam was liberated from the Americans and the Vietnamese hero who bombed the palace a few days beforehand.

The entire district, including our hotel, was decked out for the season

After our visit we got some pho bo, the unofficial national dish of broth, rice noodles, beef, bean sprouts, and local herbs. It was the same shop where Bill Clinton ate and it was actually really good. We also hit the local market to get some fruit for our hotel stay: dragon fruit, passion fruit, rambutans, oranges, and guava. We finished all this around noon and took a taxi to the Sheraton Saigon to check in early and take full advantage of staying in what is considered one of the best hotels in the city. We didn't want to make the mistake we made the last time we stayed in a nice hotel on this trip (in India) --  trying to fit in lots of site-seeing when all we wanted to do was relax.  It was wonderful to have all the comforts and amenities that come with a 5-star hotel. Also, our room was on the 16th floor with a great view of the busy streets and neon signs of Saigon. Alex enjoyed a bubble bath and the pool. In the afternoon we had a great spread in our room of several types of imported cheese, a fresh loaf of bread, crackers, and a bottle of Bordeaux that we bought at a gourmet food shop.  It was awesome to finally have good wine, good cheese, plus we bought Nutella, bran cereal and fresh low-fat milk (something else we haven't seen since the States). We thoroughly enjoyed treating our taste buds to these Western foods, as well as the tropical fruits we bought, starting our Christmas celebration.

Enjoying our gourmet hors d'oeurves in our room

At night we first got a drink at the bar on the 23rd floor of our hotel, the highest bar in the city.  It had a sweeping view of Saigon and we enjoyed cocktails and scotch.  Then we went to a great restaurant for a long, delicious dinner. They had a set menu for Christmas Eve with 6 courses, including a cheese, prosciutto and ciabatta spread to start; then a smoked salmon salad with arugula and goat cheese; strawberry and champagne soup; an entree of turkey with pancetta, cranberry sauce, spinach, and potato au gratin; then a Christmas cake for dessert, and chocolates and lattes to finish. In addition to all this food we got the "free-flowing" wine pairing. We weren't sure if they were serious about the "free-flowing" idea but it was just what it sounds like: as many glasses of each wine as you want before moving onto the next one. So over 3 hours later we were completely stuffed and nicely buzzed.  It was a perfect Christmas Eve in Vietnam.

Saigon, as seen from the hotel's bar

Christmas day we pretty much did nothing but relax in the hotel.  It felt so luxurious to wake up and be able to eat breakfast in our room.  Nothing quite beats cereal with milk and bread with Nutella at this point!  We ventured out to find a place to call home and wish our families an early Merry Christmas.  Alex loved being able to use the hotel's gym, taking advantage of modern equipment and free weights, but otherwise didn't leave the room.  Chris only left at one point, to get pho bo for lunch.  We got to watch some Christmas movies, rest, read, take bubble baths, and many showers.  In the afternoon we again enjoyed our breads, cheeses, fruits, and wine.  At 5:00 we left to attend mass at the Catholic Cathedral nearby.  It was packed with local people and the service was in Vietnamese.  It was an interesting experience, similar in some ways to a service at home but also different in many ways.  Then we went to a bar at the Rex Hotel which used to be the place for war correspondents and military officers to hang out.  After a drink there we went to another nice restaurant for dinner.  The food had much more of a Vietnamese influence and was great.  Between us we had sweet pea ravioli, clams in a coconut sauce, squash risotto, Vietnamese beef stew, and tamarind braised beef.  We left completely stuffed again.

On the 26th we relaxed at the hotel again until we had to check out around 3:00 and head to the Mekong Delta for our last week in Vietnam.  Overall, we had the best celebration we could've imagined.  It felt so special to treat ourselves to such good food and wine.  Staying in such a nice hotel was incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating.  We feel so lucky to be doing this trip together and seeing what we've seen.  We also feel blessed to have such close family and friends in our lives back home (and around the world).  Even though we missed the traditions and celebrations of being there we definitely had you in our thoughts.  We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

More photos-Vietnam

Hanoi-before volunteering and after

During our "city tour" day we went to the Ethnilogical Museum and learned about some of the minority cultures that we might meet in the Sapa/Ta Van area.  Behind us is an example of a traditional building from one of the groups.

Entrance to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's oldest university, founded in the 11th century.

You have the rub the turtle's head for good luck.  Alex was a little late because about an hour earlier she took a nasty fall trying to catch the bus and completely skinned up her hand, knee, and foot.  Oh yeah, and she face-planted into a coconut that was on the sidewalk.

The bustling Old Quarter of Hanoi: full of pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes, and street vendors.

Chris enjoys one of many glasses of bia hoi, a fresh beer you can drink on the sidewalk.

A night out at a jazz club

Cat Ba Island

Taking a motorbike around the island was a lot of fun

Stopping off at a secluded beach

Catching Up on Photos

It's been awhile since we've been able to upload photos.  Thanks for still reading along without the visual support!  But now that we're done with China and done volunteering and have bought a memory card reader to replace our broken cord...here's some from the past few weeks.

Yangshuo, China

Boat ride on the Li River

Limestone karst scenery

Hanging out at night with Brent

Biking through the fields and the mist

Some weird "local specialty" that Chris had to try.  Brent is less sure about this idea.

VFCD-Volunteering in Ta Van

This is pretty much what there is to see and do in Ta Van.  Beautiful and peaceful, though.

Proof of karaoke singing.  This is another American volunteer from our group.

Part of our duties were to help with household chores.  This is one of my cooking days.  Notice how little the mother has to work with when creating a multi-course meal for 13 people every day.

Chris washes dishes with 2 of the Vietnamese volunteers.  No running water, just this corner of the kitchen with buckets.  We got good at squatting.

The area is full of different minority groups.  This woman is Red Dzao.  They all try to sell their hand-embroidered things

Chris the corn man

Happy to end a long day of shucking corn in the sun.  Notice all the husks we're standing on.

Chris attacks the ground with a hoe.  We used these to plant trees and clear a field for building.

A week in Vietnam

After Hanoi we made for Halong Bay, a few hours east of the capital.  The scenery here is gorgeous with 100s of limestone karsts jutting out water.  We arrived in the early afternoon on Cat Ba Island, where we rented a moped and rode throughout the island, visiting a secluded beach and a cave that was turned into an elaborate hospital by the Vietnamese during the War. 

We then made plans for the rest of our time in the Bay.  Pretty much every hotel and travel agent offers the same handful of tours -- sailing the waters, visiting the same karsts, etc., often with bad food, cramped conditions, and even rats on the boat.  So, it was worth it to us to seek out one of the few travel agents that offers personalized tours.  We ended up chartering a boat with a couple from Montreal (no, not Jonny and Ariella).  It was great.  We were brought to secluded areas without other tour boats.  They brought us to a cave, where we kayaked in.  At first it was a little scary paddling into the darkness.  But our eyes soon adjusted and before long we were through and in the largest lagoon we'd ever seen.  We went through a second cave into what we thought was the open bay again; we then realized that this was another, even larger lagoon that offered total seclusion.  The rest of the time we cruised the waters admiring the scenery.  The boat itself was great with a living/dining room, plus lots of great food and nice bedrooms.  Unfortunately, Alex got sick and wasn't able to enjoy it much (see below).

Our room was very nice and it's where Alex spent most of the trip

After Halong, we took a bus south to Hue (we were told it'd be a 10 hour overnight bus, but ended up being 16 hours!).  Unfortunately, our luck with the weather had run out.  This time of year is the rainy season in northern Vietnam, and rain it did.  So, despite the long bus ride, we ended up staying only a night there.  The city itself isn't charming, so the only real site-seeing we did was visiting the Imperial Enclosure, a huge complex where the emperor once lived.

Typical street scene in Hoi An

We then headed 4 hours further south to Hoi An.  We love it here.  This is one of our top three towns we've visited on this entire trip.  The rain persisted but only for about half of each day, and today is absolutely gorgeous.  The compact Old Town is situated on a harbor and is filled with neo-colonial French and traditional Asian architecture.  The town began the process of restoration in the 1990s and is now the most charming city in Vietnam, filled with shops, cafes, great restaurants, narrow residential lanes, and a large market.  We're staying at one of the few hotels located inside the Old Town; it doesn't have the facilities that similarly priced guesthouses have in the rest of the city, but the 180 year old house makes up for that with tons of character.  When not raining, we've spent our time walking around, eating (the food here is great with lots of local specialties), enjoying our small balcony, and shopping.  The town is most known for its tailors -- we put them to work having about a dozen tailor-made shirts, a trench coat, a formal dress, and a suit made between the two of us.  We bought some other things, as well, including a big purchase of a beautiful large painting done on lacquer wood.  Hopefully, all this stuff will soon be on a cargo ship en route to the U.S. 

Our hotel was right near the market

We are LOVING Vietnamese food.  Here we still manage to enjoy some cheap stall food in the rain.  It costs less than 2 dollars for us to eat.

This is the specific well that everyone in Hoi An uses to get water for the local specialty, cao lau.  It's a noodle dish with beef and greens, it's very cheap, very good, and Chris has had a lot of it.

Inside one of the old homes in Hoi An

A river view of Hoi An.  You can see the typical mustard-colored French colonial buildings.

It's a dragon face-off

So, the plan for the rest of Vietnam -- originally, we were going to cross into Laos from Hoi An; however, we've decided to keep heading south.  We were thinking of  taking a long-ass bus ride to Dalat, another charming town, this time located on a hilltop.  But we wanted to time our trip to spend Christmas in Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon, another 10 hours south from Dalat.  The timing didn't work unless we wanted to cut short Hoi An, so we're skipping Dalat and flying to Saigon tonight (thus skipping about 28 hours on a bus).  We've loved having all this time in Hoi An, are excited to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas in a 5-star hotel in Saigon, will then head south into the Mekong Delta, and cross over for a quick trip into Cambodia (since Alex has been dying to see the Angkor Wat temples).  From Cambodia, we'll go overland or fly to Laos.

Alex: Through this wonderful experience I got really sick. It started like a regular cold while volunteering: sniffles, sneezing, slight sore throat, occasional cough. Then I developed a blocked left ear which began to hurt. The night of the 15th I was struck with horrible chills then major sweating and the most violent cough I've ever had. It was like my body was rejecting itself. Lots of wheezing, couldn't lie down, and I was coughing up lots of phlegm with some blood in it. The next morning we were scheduled to take the overnight boat, we'd already paid for it, and I was feeling a bit better although my ribcage and chest were so sore it hurt to breathe. I took it easy on the boat and felt okay until the evening. Again I had the violent, uncontrolable coughing fits, could only take short, shallow breaths, and added vomiting and a loss of apetite to the mix. Now I was getting scared because I didn't know what was wrong. I spent our 2nd day on the boat in the room. It was still 2 days until we'd be in a town with an English-speaking doctor. So when we returned from the boat Chris bought me some antibiotics and we boarded our 16-hour overnight bus to Hue. I did okay and slept more than I thought (which I hadn't been able to do lately since lying down made me cough). I spent the 1st day/night in Hue in the room, missing sight-seeing, to recover a bit. The next day I ventured out into the rain to see the Imperial Enclosure. On our bus to Hoi An I got major chills again, even though everyone else was hot, and could tell my face was burning up. I started to see blood in my phlegm again. We went to the doctor right after dropping our stuff at the hotel. It was 7pm and he came from home to see me. I had a fever of 103.6 (!) and what he thinks is bronchitis. It had been 4 days since it started. He prescribed 5 medications which have helped a ton but I'm still recovering. The ears haven't changed so I might need to see him again because I can't hear.  It was scary to be sick and not know what's wrong in a 3rd-world country where you don't know where the next quality (and English speaking) doctor will be.

VFCD

We just got back from two weeks of volunteering with the VFCD. This technically stands for the "Volunteer for Community Development," although Alex gave it the more apt name of "Very Fucking Crazy and Disorganized."

Our trip in general to Vietnam got off to a rocky start. As we were checking in to our hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, we realized Chris had left his small backpack in the taxi. This had his iPod, Blackberry, and, most importantly, his journal from the past two years' traveling, among other things. Luckily, the taxi called our hotel at the end of the night and was willing to return the bag. Our hotel owner was in disbelief at our good luck, telling us he's never heard of a taxi driver actually returning a bag (although he demanded a reward, which we were happy to give).

The next morning, we were ready for the VFCD to pick us up at 11AM, this having been confirmed by email a few days earlier. Our workcamp was in a village near Sapa, 10 hours from Hanoi. The area is known for its many ethnic minorities and beautiful scenery among the Tonkinese Alps. There we were to contribute to various aspects of community development for the village, inhabited by Giay people.

Eleven o'clock came and went. The phone number on the website didn't work. We emailed but no response. At 2pm we decided to take a taxi to the address listed in the website. After the 30 minute drive we were brought to a place on the outskirts of the city. We searched the apartment building but VFCD wasn't there. We took another taxi back. By 4pm we were making new plans and trying to forget volunteering. We were disappointed and frustrated, especially as the past 7 months of email contact had already been frustrating for Alex. Finally, we got an email with a correct phone number and were soon picked up with a feeble apology from the 18 year-old "international coordinator." He took us in a taxi to the VFCD guest house 22 km north of the city.

We were now ready to leave the next morning. However, later that night we were told we wouldn't be leaving until the following night on the train. We told him that if we'd known this we would've stayed in the city another night to sight see. His response: "But it's so much fun here!" The next night we finally left, although they didn't buy train tickets in time, so we were stuck taking a bus.

The next two weeks had the same level of disorganization. We would discuss the plan at night, when we'd get up, etc., and then the next day we'd do something totally different. They organized trips during our free time, which never lived up to expectations; e.g., going to an eco-tourist center was actually just walking around in the fog of a resort. Even more baffling, one morning we woke up to find our coordinator was gone -- he had gone back to Hanoi for a couple days without telling us! We were left with no plan for work and no idea when he'd return. It was unbelievable to us that he wouldn't think this was a problem. Especially after all the problems we'd already had.

Despite the problems with the organization, overall the two weeks were positive. We lived with an extremely friendly family in their modest home. The nine of us volunteers shared the one primitive bathroom (in the kitchen, no running water in the house) with the family of four, helped cook the meals over the open fire in the kitchen, and slept on thin mattresses in the loft above their main room. The mom loved to feed Chris, probably trying to fatten him up -- after two weeks of heaps of rice and meat at every meal, mission accomplished. We spent a couple memorable meals enjoying the local tradition involving lots and lots of home-made rice wine. It is customary to greet new guests with shot after shot of this liquor. Once you've done had a drink together you shake hands and become friends. It is rude to turn down an offer to share a drink so 2 meals involved over 25 shots for Chris for the 50 proof alcohol, prompting one man to call him Superman. Luckily for Alex, the same quantity wasn't expected from women. But it was a great way to feel part of the village and to be welcomed by the locals. It was also a great way to finally get Alex to wholeheartedly enjoy karaoke in the adjoining room. Turns out she's awesome at it. (That is by drunk Vietnamese standards.)

Our volunteer activities varied each day. We spent most days helping to plant the 500+ trees VFCD bought for local families. This will help prevent soil erosion on their properties. It was tiring upper-body work. Another full day was spent harvesting a field of corn. Chris helped the family pick the corn and cut down the stalks while the rest of us spent the day in the sun shucking hundreds of ears of corn. This was very boring but the family will be able to use the corn for feeding their animals, making corn wine and food. One day when we were supposed to help build a house, we found out they didn't need us because they had to wait until the afternoon to start since that was the time deemed auspicious to start. Instead we helped drag bundles of long logs down an incredibly steep and muddy slope. The local children do this job and we had seen them running with a long tree trunk tumbling behind them on a rope. We were not as graceful or fast. On our last day of work we used hoes to help clear and flatten a patch of land that will be used to build a house. All the families were so grateful for our help and we had opportunities to share tea, rice, and lunch with them. Our other volunteer work was to teach English to local children at night. They would usually show up around 7 pm and stay until about 8:30. This fizzled towards the end of our time with only a few showing up. We didn't mind much, though, as we were usually pretty tired by that time.

We had our afternoons free most days and we spent this time either relaxing at the house or going on walks in the village and to the surrounding towns. The area is full of small villages inhabited by the minority groups. Our village, Ta Van, has mostly Giay and Black H'mong people. It is a hilly area so trekking was tiring but beautiful and peaceful. The hills are full of terraces, bamboo forests, and small rustic homes. One day's excursion found us caught on the wrong side of the river which then required an exciting and slightly dangerous river crossing on the rocks. We had one full day where we drove to see another town nearby. It was quieter than ours and interesting to see the different building techniques used by different groups.

We're now in Hanoi, a city we love far more than we expected. We're staying in the old quarter, a chaotic area that somehow retains lots of charm, despite the endless stream of motorbikes. The city currently has over 2 million! Crossing the street is a test of nerves as they swerve all around us as we cross the street; the trick is to be slow but deliberate. And the food is great, from simple stalls with small plastic chairs to great restaurants. Cafes are everywhere, as are the bia hoi joints. These are simple roadside restaurants selling the ubiquitous draught beer. It's brewed daily without preservatives and meant to be consumed immediately. They're always packed and with good reason. The beer is good and a pint only costs 17 cents!

Life on the Road

We've been traveling well over 2 months now and the time seems to be flying by.  Our usual posts focus on the places we've recently seen, interesting sights, and the cultures we're experiencing.  These fun aspects of traveling account for about 95% of our time.  However, there's still some things about constantly being on-the-go that aren't quite as exciting.  This post is about some of the less glamorous aspects of life on the road.

 

Planning while on the road:

Before we left we had a general outline of our route.  We knew roughly which countries we wanted to visit, an approximate amount of time in each place, and the general areas we wanted to see in each country.  We purchased a couple major flights but the rest was pretty much unplanned.  Basically, when we're getting to the end of being in one place we start thinking ahead about the next week: what nearby towns/cities we want to see, how many nights we'll probably need in each place, and using the guide book to look at general logistics about transportation.  This constantly gets revamped as we find that we'll want to spend more time in one place or less time in another once we get there.  Then a day or two before we move to each new town we figure out the logistics, such as bus times, etc.  When we get into a new town we first find lodging.  We rarely book our hotels ahead of time but just showing up and seeing the rooms has usually worked out.  If a place is booked or too expensive (or too gross) we just try another.

The constant planning and moving around can get a little tiring.  But one thing that has been nice for us is that we're able to move at a slower pace than we would for a normal-length vacation.  Places where we'd often spend one day, we often will spend two or more.  This allows us to catch our breath and get to know a place better.  It makes the traveling feel a lot more enjoyable and less tiring.

 

Errands

We only spend a small amount of our time doing "errands and chores" but we quickly realized we needed a notebook to keep track of our to-do lists.  Most of these involve sending various emails, checking and paying bills, writing the blog, buying replacement toiletries, medicines, etc., doing laundry, and buying snacks.  It's stuff we've never really had to do on other, shorter trips.

 

Living Out of a Backpack

Alex: I was concerned about the idea of living out of a backpack for so long: 2 pants, 3 t-shirts, and 2 long sleeves don't leave a lot of options for a variety of outfits.  Plus, there was the daunting thought of having to repack the bag every 2-3 days as we moved around.  However, I've gotten used to it.  Having practically no clothing choices makes getting dressed very simple: "What did I wear yesterday?  Is it still clean-ish?  Did I wear the day before, too?  No--great, I'll just put that back on!"  Laundry days involve a lot of forethought, though, as I try to wash as much as I can while still having something to wear.  I've managed to arrange everything in my bag so that I can get to everything that I use daily quite easily.  Re-packing is quick and I've been really pleased with the things I brought.  It's not too much (as in, it all fits) but I also have everything I really need.  Two purchases that were definitely worth it: the sleep liner and my full-zip microfleece.  The first has saved me from many gross beds and the second has saved me from the freezing cold. 

 

Chris: We both put a lot of time into thinking through what we wanted to pack.  Some of the more random items that have turned out indespensable include:

• ear plugs -- for all the barking dogs, thin hotel walls, honking cars, and generally loud places we've been
• mini ipod speakers -- Having music in our hotel room that we can both listen to at the same time has been a lot fun I wasn't sure if it'd be a waste of space but it's only a few inches long and weighs a few ounces
• sleep sheet liner -- absolutely necessary for the sometimes less the perfectly clean bed sheets; it also adds some warmth in the colder places we've been
• headlamp -- this was especially important for trekking, where there's often no electricity at night, but also for places like Kathmandu, where nightly power outages occured
• water purifer -- this was our effort to cut down on plastic bottles, especially in places like India and Nepal where there's no recycling.  It was tough to use at first; it's one thing to use the purifier in a rushing river in New Hampshire but I realized there was a mental hurdle to using it from a gross faucet in India.

Keeping in Touch:

Alex:  Internet access is widespread, making it easy to keep up with people through emails.  As long as we have internet every few days it doesn't take much time and I love hearing about everyone's lives back home. I've even been able to call home a couple times when we found particularly cheap phone rates.  Sometimes I feel a bit removed which is hard but a part of being away for 6 months that I anticipated. Having the blog also really helps me feel connected.  I've loved hearing back from people who comment on it or just send a note saying they're reading along.  It's great picturing what friends and family are thinking about when they read it and it's another way that helps me feel connected to "back home."

 

Comforts of "Home"

Alex: It is definitely difficult at times to never have a permanent home.  We have stayed in such a range of places with: hard planks and soft beds, clean sheets and those scattered with someone else's hairs, Western toilets and holes in the dirt outside (I will spare most of you the details), showers with and without sandals for protection.  For the most part it doesn't faze me but every once in awhile I just ache for my regular bed with sheets I washed and a bathroom that I know is clean because I cleaned it.  (Wow, now I'm missing cleaning!)  On the other hand, I've been surprised by how easy it is for me to adapt to all these different situations. 

 

Chris: Pretty much the same as what Alex wrote.  The time is flying by and I'm having the time of my life.  But there are times I wish we could be on our couch drinking wine, going to get pizza at Upper Crust, going to Mike's video to rent a movie, running along the Charles River, hanging out in the Public Garden, etc. 

 

Food and Exercise: The Quest for Healthy Living

Back home we both go to the gym regularly, eat healthy home-cooked meals, and only eat out once or twice a week.  This is fairly easy as it's part of our routine.  All this flies out the window while traveling.  One of the things we both miss most is being able to cook (Chris misses that, Alex misses eating it) and just having healthy options for meals and snacks at the ready.  We're particularly craving fresh salads with good olive oil and balsamic, yogurt (Chris), and cereal (Alex).  Eating at restaurants for every meal can get old.  We try to eat the local foods as much as possible (except for breakfast) but definitely have cravings for Western foods.  Therefore, when we get to really touristy towns we'll take advantage of their "international" menus once or twice.  This often means disappointing pizzas, etc. but sometimes it's close to the real thing.  The other problem with always eating out is the temptations.  There's the slew of unhealthy, but tasty, entrees as well as desserts and drinks.  Also, we constantly are tempted by the loads of cookies and bisquits in the snack aisles and the many bakeries with sweets that we pass.  When you haven't seen a good looking chocolate dessert or a real Snickers in a long time it becomes very difficult to pass it down.  Who knows when you'll see the next one?  (Unfortunately, it's usually too soon.)

 

Also, we are doing a lot of walking and some hiking but other forms of exercise are difficult to fit in.  We have a band so we try to do strength exercises in our rooms but without any regular schedule we've found it hard to either remember to do it or find the time.  This is something we're making a better effort at doing regularly.

 

So that's a bit about the "unseen" parts of our travels! 

The Case That Wraps the Body

Dragon's Backbone
Our last week in southwest China was a perfect way to end our trip. First we flew to Guilin, heavily advertised for its surrounding scenery, but we didn't care for the city itself. After spending weeks in quaint towns Guilin came off as garish (neon lights everywhere) and skeevy. This feeling wasn't helped when we found out that our hotel room also rented rooms by the hour.

We got out of there the following morning to go a few hours north to an area called the Dragon's Backbone Terraces. The name comes from the endless terraces that cover the steep hillsides and wind their way around all the curves of the valleys. This is the off-season, when the fields are already harvested and cleared, but it was still incredibly beautiful and mind-boggling. Plus, there were far less tourists around. We stayed in a nice village called Ping'an for two nights and spent our time following the trails that follow the terracing, providing views of this engineering feat for as far as you can see. The terracing is so extensive that one day we walked 3 1/2 hours each way and were still constantly surrounded by it. The trail also leads through a few small towns which are inhabited by the Zhong and Yao minority groups. The Yao women are known for their long hair which they grow about 5 feet long; unfortunately for us, they've realized that they are a photo-worthy site and now charge tourists money to unwrap their hair. The Yao, in general, always seemed to be in "sales mode." The other interesting thing about these minorities is the way they construct houses. Using the abundant pine wood, they interlock beams and wood into each other without the use of any nails. Since harvest is over, we got to see a lot of this building going on. While the men built, women, some in their 60s, carried huge logs and materials on their backs up the hills. Overall it was a peaceful visit (although our 7 hour walk was strenuous) and we were definitely glad we made the effort to come.

Yangshuo and a visit from Mr. Harris
Our next, and last, stop was the town of Yangshuo. This backpacker town is touristy, but it was nice to end our time here. We stayed in a hotel that was one of our best this whole trip. We had the softest bed (after many many nights of hard board-like beds) and a clean, hot shower with a rain shower head. Plus a big TV and free DVDs. It felt like a 5-star place to us for about $11.50 a night. The landscape around the town is filled with huge karsts. These are rather bizarre looking limestone mountains that rise suddenly from the earth. They almost look like stand-alone mountains that rise sharply like a cliff rather than gradually sloping up. But they're very cool and almost eerie looking as they recede into the haze. There are two rivers near the town, the Li and the Yulong, and it's popular to ride bikes around the area and in the fields or take boats along the river to enjoy the unique scenery.

After a day of riding bikes through villages and along the river, we had a Thanksgiving dinner of "beer duck" for Chris (because it was the closest thing to turkey) and fried eggplant stuffed with pork for Alex (because it sounded good). For dessert we got delicious apple crumble with vanilla ice cream to have something American. We stayed up late to wait for one of Chris' closest college friends, Brent, who lives in China and flew to meet up with us for a few days. It was awesome to see a familiar, friendly face and to have a chance to catch up with him. He also became our hero by bringing us much needed peanut butter, a cheesy Doritos snack mix, real Tostitos, and even a bottle of legitimate Shiraz. That last surprise really made Alex's month.

We spent two fun, full days with Brent. The first day we went for a boat ride down the Li River. The scenery was incredible and so different from anything we've ever seen. The karsts make it feel like you're in another world. It was also nice to be on the water. We stopped after an hour and a half at a small quaint town and got lunch. Then we decided to hire another boat back to Yangshuo rather than take the bus. The second boat ride was even more peaceful than the first. We saw men using commorants (a type of water bird) to fish, an old tradition that's not practiced much anymore. It is a popular tourist activity to see commorant fishing at night but it was neat to see people doing it as part of their regular lives. When we finally got back to town we had wine, beer, and chips in the room before going out for dinner and then drinks. We spent the rest of the night on a rooftop bar that was filled with Westerners, beer, and weed. It felt sort of like a European frat party but we made a few friends, and had a great time together.

Our second day we rented bikes and rode along the Yulong River in the opposite direction than we'd done before. We got lost many times but that just made it more fun. (Brent's fluent Chinese also helped keep us going in the right direction.) At one point we were able to cross the river at a shallow point at one of the dams. This landed us in the middle of the fields where there was no longer a path and we had to do some exploring to find a trail. Soon after that Chris got a flat back tire. We eventually found a man who fixed it at his house while we watched a women's weightlifting competition on TV. After that adventure we rode the main road back into town. The boys got haircuts and picked up some pizzas and enchiladas. We stayed in to eat and watched DVDs in our room. This felt like such a luxury for us as we haven't really had a "night in" while traveling. We always have to go out to eat and we've never been somewhere with a DVD player.

Goodbye to China and Big Brother
Sadly it is now time to leave China. Both of us have loved our time here and it exceeded our expectations. The aspect that bothered us the most were the human rights abuses and curbs, especially evident in Tibet. Crossing over the border from Nepal, security confiscated people's Lonely Planet Tibet books (because of an intro by the Dalai Lama), LP China books (because Taiwan is treated as a separate country), and thoroughly went through each person's belongings, looking for any sign of Tibetan freedom sympathies. They even went through our journals and cameras.

Alex managed to get through the excellent book, "Out of Mao's Shadow -- the search for the soul of China" by Philip Pan (2008 Economist book of the year). This nonfiction gave great insight into the Communist party's grip on power and its abuses. One of the stories was about a doctor who exposed thecover-up during the SARS epidemic (he was later illegally imprisoned for drawing attention to the Tianamen Sq massacre). While we were in Dali we saw, yet again, he was in the news for exposing another coverup, this one related to H1N1.

Finally, the lack of freedom of press and speech, is everywhere evident (such as how we were blocked access to our blog the entire time). Reading the paper or watching the news is almost comical if the propaganda weren't so effective.

But, overall, we loved China and even got to enjoy, or at least tolerate, it's quirks (the penchant for boy bands, how people talk loud enough to wake the dead, the way the Chinese pose for pictures, etc). We also loved taking note of their attempts at writing things in English. This Chinglish is often funny, surreal, or just plain baffling (such as the title of this blog, for a luggage store). Some others include:

• No allowed to stay unkind things to other people and disturb their rest time after you drink beer (Rule #5 at guesthouse in Tibet)
• Removes horniness (on the label of a skin-whitening cream)
• Then the scenery is that frosty leaves in autum are redder than flowers in February, making visitors forget to leave (on a plaque)
• City branch network of large ants welcome (the only English at an internet cafe)

Now we're heading to Vietnam. From December 1-15 we will be in a small town in the hills north of Hanoi doing volunteer work so we will mostly likely not have access to a computer. We will update when we get back!

Probably sounds a lot like the last post

We've spent the past week sort of like our first week in mainland China: we spent a few days in a popular, touristy city and the rest of the time in less-visited villages.  The same adjectives to the cities and villages always apply: cobblestone streets, walkable, quaint, traditional architecture...but each place is unique in its own way and we haven't tired yet of visiting these places.

 

Dali

People seem to speak of Dali in the same sentence as Lijiang, as another beautiful city that has become overrun with tourists.  So, we were expecting to arrive to a similar to city to Lijiang, but it's actually seemed completely different.  Dali's walled Old Town has a totally different feel.  Rather than narrow walkways, canals, and all traditional architecture, Dali has wide boulevards, many modern buildings, and vehicles are allowed in most of the city.  There are a few pedestrian streets but they don't have the old-world charm as Lijiang.  On the other hand, whereas Lijiang caters more to Chinese tourists, Dali is a haven for western backpackers.  The Chinese still come in droves; but the government has built a new "old" town outside the western gate and that seems to be where they all congregate.  Inside the old town, it's been pretty quiet, probably since we're out of high season.

 

The big draw to Dali is it's surrounding area, a couple miles from mountains on one side and the third largest lake in China on the other.  We rented bikes and spent a day riding along the lake, stopping in at the farming and fishing villages that dot the area.  We were only several  miles from Dali, but felt worlds away; it was an easy way to get off the beaten path.  People went about their daily business tending the fields, children played games and rode their bikes, and old men played mah jong.  Some villages were quaint with old architecture and some were more modern.  But what struck us was how friendly everyone was everywhere we went, even though our Chinese vocabulary is limited to a couple dozen words.

 

Nuodeng

We've made an effort, especially in China, to get off the main tourist trail when possible.  Our visit to Nuodeng was probably the apex of our efforts, even more than Shaxi.  After a 3.5 hour bus ride to the nearest city, we boarded a 3-wheeled motorbike, crossed a rickety wooden bridge, and traveled 5 miles until the road ended.  Here were a few sets of uneven stairs that marked the entrances to this village.  It's called the 1,000 year old village, but has been in it's current form for the past several hundred years, when it was a major salt mining center.  The village in front of us rose along the hillside.  All we knew was that one of the two guest houses in the villages was near the top of the village.  After about 10 minutes of ascending the narrow pathways of uneven stairs and stones, asking people to point us in the right direction, we found the guesthouse.  The proprietors gave us a simple room off the courtyard.  They were extremely nice but the facilities were as basic as could be.  The "bathroom," consisting of simply a hole in the ground, was outside the courtyard, next to the pig stye (and one of the pigs' bretheren would be our dinner that night).  We spent a lot of time "playing" Charades because the cheerful owner didn't speak any English and we speak very (very) little Chinese.

 

We spent the day as we often do in these villages, just wandering about and admiring the old architecture.  A couple people even invited us into their homes, one of whom turned his home into a mini museum.  We came upon old temples, one of which we found by accidently walking through someone's home.  At times it almost felt like we were the first tourists to see these sites in years.  We also took a long walk in the hills opposite the village, through farm fields and along donkey paths, where we got great views of the entire area. 

 

Whereas Shaxi is attempting to develop its tourist infrastructure through restoration and adding guesthouses, restaurants, etc., Nuodeng seems content to remain a farming village, just one that happens to be beautiful and have a rich history.  There's literally  no restaurants in town, not even the hole-in-the-wall noodle shops we normally find.  So, we ate with the owners who gave us a feast of rice, fried pork, bacon, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, a squash-like vegetable, and beans.

 

Weishan

From Nuodeng we went to another village called Weishan.  This was our first place in China that was a disappointment for us.  It wasn't nearly as charming, had limited and overpriced accomodation, and didn't have much to do.  There was a nice site 7 miles away near the top of a mountain that had lots of temples and palaces to wander around.  Spending a few hours there helped make the trip more worth it, but we were ready to get back to Dali and have a few western comforts (like the best French toast at our guesthouse!). 

 

Tomorrow we fly a few hours east to the Guangxi province for our last week in China.

The tourist capital of southwest China

Lijiang
From Tibet we flew to Lijiang. Being the most touristed city in southwest China (maybe all of China?) it's the city that people love to hate.  And they do have some valid points.   China is 92% Han (the ethnic majority that is in power), but there are dozens of other ethnicities, the majority of which live in the Yunnan province, where we are.  Up until recently, the city was almost completely inhabited by the Naxi, one of China's ethnic minority groups.  But now, the majority of Naxi have moved out to the suburbs, where they rent out their space to Han entrepreneurs.  This has hurt a lot of the city's former character.  Plus, busloads of Chinese tourists descend everyday on the city, clogging the cobblestone streets from morning through the evening.  At times, it feels more like Disneyworld than an actual city.  A bar-owner told Alex that the government forced her to change her decor to "make it look more old."

Despite these drawbacks, we've loved Lijiang.  It's more picturesque than we could have imagined: no vehicles, flagstone streets, canals everywhere, traditional architecture.  It's like being inside Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.  Being outside of high season the crowds weren't as bad as we expected.  While the main squares and streets off them got packed, it was easy enough to leave the hordes behind -- the Old Town is very large, and we were able to find authentic markets, residential areas, and "normal life" just by walking 10 minutes away.

Tiger Leaping Gorge
Chris: We were both planning on hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the most famous trek in the region.  Unfortunately, in Tibet Alex slipped while walking to the sacred lake (the Tibetan gods didn't protect her) and re-injured her ankle.  This made the 2-day hike impossible for her, so I went on my own while Alex explored more of Lijiang.  The trek, a 2-hour bus ride north, was great.  There used to be two trails, the high and low, but the Chinese love to build roads and have now paved over the low trail.  I started the high one but got very confused as after 15 minutes the trail met a paved road.  Did I somehow veer towards the low trail?  No, the Chinese have now decided to pave part of the high trail as well.  The were working on it as I walked and yelled at me as I almost walked on the freshly poured concrete.  Luckily, a real trail appeared after 30 minutes, I left the trucks behind, and ascended the trail.

In some ways it was like Nepal's trek with guesthouses along the way (although the scenery wasn't nearly as dramatic).  After the one hour-long difficult section, I came to a guesthouse, where a puppy found me.  I loved this dog.  He didn't have an owner and literally followed me for the next 2 hours as I walked along the trail.  He even slept outside my door when I stopped at a guesthouse for the night.  I seriously considered keeping Tashi (yes, I named him -- he looked like the Tibetan dogs and I named him after the Tibetan word for "hello"). But then I realized Alex might not love it if I showed up to Lijiang with a dog in my arms.  (However, she also fell in love with him after seeing my pictures.)

The night I returned, we had without question the grossest meal we ever ordered.  We stopped at a restaurant where people had clay pots with a large flame underneath.  It looked like a fun meal so we ordered the chicken version, thinking it'd be a safe bet.  It was not.  In no way do we believe that what we were served was chicken.  Inside the pot was a clear broth with chunks of something floating in it. This something consisted mainly of bone with dark grey scaly gelatinous things attached to it.  It looked disgusting.  Alex went to the manager thinking there was a mis-translation of "chicken."  She even started imitating a chicken to the manager, and I had visions of Gob Bluth from Arrested Development doing his chicken impression (anyone who's seen the show will know what I'm talking about).  It was also ironic that we had decided to splurge on our most expensive meal but couldn't bring ourselves to eat it.

Baisha
Chris: The worst part of the night was that Alex somehow got really sick.  We were supposed to leave Lijiang the next morning but Alex needed the day to rest rather than travel.  So, I rented a bike and rode an hour north to the charming village of Baisha.  It was a nice way to spend the day in this small, traditional Naxi village.  I also visited the famous Dr. Ho.  He's now almost 90, but his son is taking over his business of using local herbs to help solve people's ailments.  But Dr. Ho is no quack.  He's been written up by every major paper.  The Mayo Clinic has even written a case study on his work and worked with him, because he helped a man with prostate cancer.  Without any radiation treatment the man, who's American, has been in remission for 15 years now.  I got Alex some mixture of ground herbs for her stomach.  Whether it was the mixture, or just time, we were amazed (and relieved) that she was completely better after a few doses of the concoction.

Shaxi
Now that Alex was better, we traveled the 4 hours south by bus to the little town of Shaxi, this one inhabited by the Bai, southwest China's largest ethnic group.  This town -- again charming with no vehicles, flagstone streets, and traditional architecture -- was even less-toursited than Baisha.  (We were literally the only tourists in town and were treated to private tours of several major sites.)  This was once a major stop on the Tea Horse route, which once stretched from Tibet to Burma.  Since 2001 a Swiss group has created a master plan to help revive the city.  We found it extremely interesting to read about this comprehensive plan -- restoring and preserving the ancient buildings, poverty allevation by developing a diversified and sustainable economy, improving sanitation and environmental awareness for the inhabitants, linking Shaxi to other potential tourism areas, and increasing awareness of the town's historical imporance.

There wasn't a lot to do in the town and only one restaurant where we had some tea, but it was a nice place to stroll around.  The surrounding farm fields was also a nice change from being in a city so much, especially for Alex.  Our guesthouse was very simple, but it felt like we were part of the family.  For lunch and dinner there was no menu; we just ate what they had on hand (which, fortunately, was delicious).

The next morning a movie crew was shooting a Kung Fu movie in the main square, and the producer, who went to Middlebury College, asked us to be extras.  Unfortunately, we had an early bus so our Chinese
big-screen debut will have to wait.

Rooftop of the World

Nihou from China!  Our blog is blocked here (along with our website, Facebook, YouTube, and other sites) so this posting is actually being put online with help from Alex's sister, Eliza. (Unfortunately that means we can't post pictures for awhile.)  We will definitely write more about the "Big Brother" effect that we've encountered once we are out of China.  For now, it's enough to say that it's a pretty crazy feeling knowing that things are watched and censored so much.  It's so different from anywhere else we've been.

We recently finished a great 8 day visit to Tibet that we arranged in Kathmandu.  We left very early on the morning of Nov. 3rd to meet our group of 28 people (after we'd been told the group would be 10-15 people).  We drove to the land border crossing which was a pretty nerve-racking  experience.  (Our bags were individually checked twice in order to make sure we didn't have any contraband literature/maps.)  Then we switched to Jeeps. The road has been blasted through some of the world's highest mountains and the whole trip we were above 10,000 feet.  Some passes were above 16,000 feet which is actually higher than Annapurna Base Camp and the towns we stayed in were only slightly lower than ABC.  A lot of people felt the effects of the altitude.  Obviously, because of the altitude the Tibetan plateau is also very cold.  Our first night felt like we were trekking again--sleeping in our coats, hats, mittens, and several layers of clothes. None of the hotels had heat.  We barely ever took off our fleece jackets. During the day we were more comfortable because it was always sunny.

Our first 5 days involved a lot of driving through the mountains on the winding road.  The landscape was gorgeous with large arid, barren hills and small Tibetan villages every once in awhile in the valleys.  On one day we got to see Mount Everest.  Another day we drove around a stunning turquoise-green sacred lake.  In many ways the landscape felt a lot like the Wild West.  The towns where we ate had markets with hanging skinned goats, people rode around in small horse-drawn carriages, and the surrounding land was empty and desolate.    Even now there is virtually no grass for the herds of sheep, goats, and yaks.  Also, it is already bitterly cold.  It's hard to imagine how they survive such harsh living conditions.

The Tibetans themselves look and dress just as we had pictured: women weave colorful thread into their long braids and wear a striped apron over many layers of clothes.  Their faces are rough and dark from the sun and cold. There is a lot of poverty so we also encountered a lot of begging.  Uneaten food in the restaurants gets carried outside to feed others.  Tibetans use a large variety of yak products in their cooking.  Yak butter and yak milk are particularly pungent and strong.  Yak butter tea is a local specialty: tea with a big glob of yak butter plopped on top.  It's apparently an acquired taste.  Yak meat was also very common on menus.

Besides driving and enjoying the scenery we did some sight-seeing which mostly involved visiting Buddhist monasteries.  Our visits focused mostly on seeing the chapels and temples of which each monastery has at least a few. The larger ones have dozens.  The chapels are all ornately decorated with mural paintings on the walls, hanging silk ties, and at least one central figure, often the Buddha, that is large and covered in gold.  We saw A LOT of Buddhas.  Some rooms have up to a thousand sculptures (usually gold-plated) of a particular boddhisatva or god.  There is a constant stream of local people who come to make offerings in the form of prayer, yak butter (for the candles), food, and money.  Many temples also had chanting monks which really added to the atmosphere.

We spent our last 3 days in Lhasa.  Much of the town is quite modern and it is obvious that it's build up recently.  However, the old town was much more charming and we spent most of our time in this area.  Our hotel was in the old town and at night food stalls would set up right outside our door.  We enjoyed two delicious and cheap dinners here.  All the food is placed on the table on kebab sticks.  You choose whichever kebabs you want for 1 yuan each (about 15 cents).  (Alex stuck to the veggie and tofu ones but Chris got
some chicken and didn't get sick.)  Then the lady pops them into a boiling wok of oil and they get quickly fried.  Afterwards she dumps on a bunch of spices and sauces.  We ate them right at the stall on small plastic stools in the cold and it was some of the best food we've had.

Besides eating at the stalls, the other major highlight was visiting Potala Palace, the home of the 5th-14th (currently exiled) Dalai Lama.  It sits up on a hill and it's absolutely massive and solid looking.  Architecturally
it's a beautiful building.  We visited the central red section which is where all the chapels and holy areas are.  Normally this would be off-limits to visitors if the DL was allowed to live there.  It was definitely awe-inspiring and beautiful and people are still allowed to pray here. However, the visit was also tinged with a sadness that this is not how it's meant to be used.

Overall we loved having a chance to see the scenery, remoteness, spirituality, and people of Tibet.  It was an interesting way to be introduced to China.  A nice thing about being on a group tour was that we had almost no decisions and plans to make or logistics to figure out. However, we all found our guide to be quite frustrating as he did not get the concept of letting everyone know the same information.  (Even for simple
things like our departure time or meeting place.)  Sometimes the visit was hard knowing the history of the region and disagreeing with the way people have been treated here.  But we also know that the only reason many of the historic (religious) sights are being preserved is for tourism so we are glad that at least some things are being saved, even if not for the right reasons.  At the end of our time we flew from Lhasa to Lijiang in Yunnan province in southwest China for a few days which is where we are now.

Around the Kathmandu Valley

The past week we've spent in the Kathmandu valley.  There are many legends about how this valley, which was covered by a huge lake 10,000 years ago, was created.  One popular myth is that the Bodhisattva Manjushri, a Buddhist spiritual leader and the god of wisdom and knowledge, used his sword to cut the mountains allowing the water to drain, leaving the fertile land of the valley.  He also uses this sword to cut ignorance and he holds a Book of Knowledge in any representations.  We bought a bronze statue of him in Patan, a city known for it's local artists who use the "lost wax" technique of statue making and their delicate and detailed designs.  We think having the god of wisdom and knowledge in our home will be a nice reminder of Nepal as well as welcoming these traits into our home.

Our first stop was the busy city of Kathmandu.  After the tranquility of Bandipur it came as a bit of a shock.  It was back to a land of pollution, incessant honking, and touts.  We chose to stay in the very touristy and backpacker-oriented section called Thamel, mostly for convenience.  It was easy to do souvenir shopping here and there are plenty of restaurants.  However, it is completely devoted to catering to Western tourists.  One day we took a nice walk through the city, ending in their famous Durbar Square (main square).  The city is littered with temples, shrines, and stupas everywhere you look.  Most are hundreds of years old but they're just a part of life here.  People dry their laundry or sell goods from the base of the temples.  At one point we passed a 5th century statue that was in front of a dental office with the sidewalk built around it.  Nothing to protect it.  The temples in Durbar Square were definitely impressive and beautiful.  Most date to the 1700s but some are older.  However, we were disappointed that traffic is allowed through the squares because it makes it hard to enjoy the atmosphere.  The countless offers for a guide, flutes, and handbags don't help either.  We were ready to leave for quieter towns after 2 nights.

We spent the next 4 days in the nearby towns of Patan and Bhaktapur.  Most tourists visit both places as a day trip from Kathmandu so it was wonderful to have it nearly to ourselves in the mornings and late afternoons/evenings.  Patan is known for its particularly impressive Durbar Square.  The absence of traffic made it even more beautiful.  The temples are built from brick but have tons of intricately carved wooden window screens, doorways, and roof struts.  Many of the temples are built in a pagoda style (an architectural contribution from a Nepali who then brought it to China).  Some of the larger ones are 4 stories tall and tower over the rest of the buildings in town.  We also enjoyed exploring the back streets as we continue to walk by countless shrines and temples in courtyards.  It is cool to see them in use today.  The reliefs of the gods are covered in red paint, flowers, rice, and other items of blessing and offering.  The main temple in Patan had a huge line of women waiting to pray and offer something to the gods.  We spent a lot of time just watching the life of the locals.

Bhatkapur had a beautiful Durbar Square, as well, but it was slightly emptier because many of the temples were destroyed in the 1934 earthquake that hit the valley.  There was also the ever-constant presence of shrines, temples, and stupas.  However, we enjoyed this town the most because of the way it's been preserved.  The streets are all paved in brick and almost no traffic is allowed within the city limits.  (Of course, motorcycles don't seem to have to follow these rules.)  The streets are lined with traditional Newari architecture which have balconies and windows with delicate wood carving.  We were also lucky to be there during the big rice harvest.  Most of the people are farmers and live off their nearby land.  At this time every available inch of sunny road/courtyard was full of tarps covered by drying rice.  The women spend hours and days constantly raking through the grain and sifting it.  The process was pretty fascinating to see in addition to providing just one more thing to take in on our walks around town.  One day we did a 2 hour walk on which we didn't run into a single other tourist.  It's nice to see how real people live and what the non-touristy parts of town look like.

Now we're off to Tibet.  We spent a lot of time weighing our options.  We found out that the flights to Bhutan on the days we were available are booked.  We contemplated going straight to China but we both felt like it would be worth it to visit Tibet.  We're not really sure what to expect.  Tourism is very restricted right now, requiring you to be with a small tour group and stick to a pre-defined itinerary.  Hopefully we'll still get to see everything we would if we were on our own.