Asia – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

The Ultimate Packing Challenge

Ultimate packing challenge??? Well, at least it is for me. I’ll be gone for a month, visiting countries that have temperatures ranging from Lhasa’s average low of 31 F to an average high of 105 F in both Delhi, India and Chitwan National Park. Fortunately, I “met” a new virtual friend via OAT’s Forum. She gave me lots of helpful hints, and most importantly, clued me into the existence of laundry facilities that are plentiful and cheap. Thanks to her advice, I am able to be safely under the airlines’ 44 pound checked luggage maximum.

In the spirit of giving back, this post is all about what I’m packing. Maybe a future OAT traveler to Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet will find my information as helpful as I found Janet’s.

There’s nothing like a visual, right?

Being your obsessive compulsive kind of gal, I start packing many days before departure, loading articles on the bed in our spare room. I use a paper list and check off as I go.

One of the many nice things about OAT trips is no one cares what you look like. No one dresses to impress–it is all about comfort and adventure, so you will notice a total absence of makeup, jewelry, fancy clothes and dress up shoes. But then, my family would tell you that’s how I normally roll.

Checked luggage:

Toiletries: toothbrush, paste, floss, shampoo, conditioner, brush, comb, moisturizer, deodorant, soap, face cloth.

I’m not bothering with a hair dryer because some of the places we will be visiting won’t have electricity. I let my hair grow just for this trip, so I can pull it back and forget about it.

Miscellaneous: binoculars, sunscreen, Insect repellant, anti itch gel, lip balm, lotion, Ibuprofen, Pepto bismol, gasex, Imodium, Hydrocortisone, Bandaids, bonine, moleskins, z-pak, granola bars, small duffel (supplied by OAT).

I’m hoping I won’t need any of the medications. Whatever I don’t use on the trip, I’ll give to the trip leader. Might as well have someone make use of it before the expiration dates.

Clothes: Rain jacket, down jacket, Sun hat, Sweater, Underwear (14 days),
socks (10 ), long underwear (2), Pajamas (2), Shorts (2), Short sleeve tops (7), long sleeve tops (5), Long pants (4), capris (1), Sneakers, flip flops, keens, bathing suit, buff, chill band.

For the colder parts of the trip, I figure I can wear long underwear beneath my lightweight pants. No need for corduroys. I’m counting on layers to keep me warm.

My goal is to get by for at least a week, maybe two, without having to do laundry. I may have packed more than I need; I will report back after the trip is over, identifying anything I took that I didn’t need, and anything that I didn’t take, but wished I had.

As with other OAT trips, we will be visiting a local family, so I packed gifts. Our guide told me that warm socks are always appreciated for the cold winter months, something I never would have thought to bring. Of course, I had to include toys for the kids, plus an inflatable globe.

On our OAT trip to Africa, we discovered that a duffel holds more than we ever imagined possible. We also learned there is no need for those fancy packing cubes. My jumbo zip lock bags work just fine, allowing me to pull out only what is needed. Take a look.

Shoes in the bottom, along with items I expect to need at the end of the trip.

Yep. It all fit and I even have a tiny amount of extra room.

I know you’re wondering, so yes, that white decoration on my teal LL Bean duffle was my very own creation. Nobody is walking off with MY bag and claiming it was a mistake!

Because I have a direct flight to Delhi, I don’t need to pack a change of clothes into my carry on. Here’s what’s going inside.

Backpack: Money, credit card, passport, etickets, travel info, camera, batteries, charger, iPad connector, iPad, ipod, Bose headset, sleeping aid, Wipes, hand sanitizer, Glasses & case, water bottle, cell phone, pens, pencils, notepad, gum, cough drops, copy of passport.

That little black bag with the white decoration? That’s my “comfort case”, which holds the small items –cough drops, pens, gum, etc. so that I don’t have to rummage through the many pockets of my back pack.

The good news? I did indeed score the first class upgrade I requested back in November, so I probably won’t need to be digging into that comfort case the way I would have if I were back in economy. United, you have been forgiven.

The sad news? Because of some late breaking events, Mike and Greg won’t be able to come on this trip. Thank heavens for trip insurance!

What a way to go!

We had to be at Hue’s airport by noon, so we started our morning early, with a boat ride up the Perfume River to visit the Beautiful Lady Pagoda and two of the Mausoleums.

Since we are the only passengers, we can sit anywhere we want.

The lady of the boat was also in charge of the “gift shop”. She’s very happy because I overpaid for a couple of items. Even Buddha is laughing at me! But she is pregnant, so I don’t feel bad about contributing to her unborn child’s well being.

At one time, each of the seven layers in the tower contained a gold Buddha statue, but overtime, they all disappeared.

Also on site is the car that was used to drive Thich Tri Quang, the monk that set himself on fire in Saigon. He was protesting the persecution of the Buddhists by the South Vietnamese Catholics, led by Diem.

Once again, I learned that I can’t leave Mike alone.

Everywhere he goes, Mike attracts attention!

This guy attracted MY attention.

Yes, those eyebrows and that beard ARE made of real hair

The ruling class did not suffer from low self esteem, as evidenced by their mausoleums. No humble hole in the ground for them. Their mausoleums also functioned as parks; they were so lovely the emperors used to spend time there while still alive.

There are seven levels, and 127 steep steps to the top.

Bao Dai, the “playboy” emperor, abdicated in 1945, but before he left, he constructed this tomb to honor his father, Khai Dinh. It was quite dazzling, with all the gold.

But one statue is never enough.

The queen’s photo hangs on the top level. She doesn’t look very happy, but then, neither would I if Mike had scores of concubines.

I know that if “my girls” had been with me, THEY would have put on a costume and sat on the throne for me to photograph. Mike was not as cooperative, so I had to make do.

Time to leave for Hue’s airport. There are no jetways, so we walked down a flight of stairs, to the outside, where we boarded a bus that drove about 100 feet to the plane for our flight to Hanoi.

Yep, we DID ride that bus all the way to the plane.

The Citadel

As befitting the one time capital of Vietnam, Hue has a citadel, complete with a couple of moats, cannons and majestic gates with names like Gate of Everlasting Happiness.

If this isn't the Gate of Everlasting Happiness, it SHOULD be. — If this isn’t the Gate of Everlasting Happiness, it SHOULD be.

Gate detail. The Vietnamese are descendants of dragons and fairies — Gate detail. According to legend, the Vietnamese are descendants of dragons and fairies

We’ve all seen cannons, so you don’t need to see the whole thing, but I’ll bet you’ve never seen cannons as fancy as the ones at Hue.

The Vietnamese are incredible craftsmen. This is one of the "four seasons" guns. — The Vietnamese are incredible craftsmen. This is one of the “four seasons” guns.

The emperor lived in the Forbidden Purple City with his wives, concubines, daughters, young sons and female servants. If any male, other than the emperor, (or one of the eunuchs) attempted to enter the Purple City, he was put to death. I was quite excited about wandering thru the forbidden city, but unfortunately it was flattened during the Tet offensive or America’s response. Nothing remains of the emperor’s residence.

You'll just have to use your imagination to conjure up the Forbidden City. Here is where it stood. — You’ll just have to use your imagination to conjure up the Forbidden City. Here is where it stood.

These galleries of Hue’s citadel have been restored and give you an idea of the glorious days of old.

Our tour guide had gone to college in Hue, so he was full of great restaurant and bar restaurants. Instead Mike and I opted to have a wonderful dinner on the rooftop restaurant of our hotel, enjoying the perfect weather and the beautiful view.

The view of the Perfume River from our room

Speaking of our room, I’m not sure why the Mercure Hotel thinks showering is a spectator sport. Both of the Mercure Hotels had a “viewing” option. See what I mean?

This might have been a good idea 30 years ago... — This might have been a good idea 30 years ago…

One more day of our private tour, a day in Hanoi, then I’ll be telling you all about my Global Volunteers experience.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for–the answers to the last contest’s questions
1. We visited Halong Bay on this trip. Although Angkor Wat IS indeed a wonder of the world, it is man made, not a natural wonder.
2. Early in the morning, in Luang Prabang, the monks beg for their food.
3. The best way to tour Hanoi’s old quarter is a matter of opinion. Both Cyclo and on foot are correct, and yes, Lis, this was a trick question!
4. This question was specially for Kristy because of her fondness for the dong. The answer is Vietnam.
5. I lost my glasses once, but was able to retrieve them, because I remembered where I had left them–but Mike and his hat have parted ways for good.
6. The GI’s called the beach at DaNang “China Beach” because of all the porcelain they found there.

Next stop, HoiAn

After our Road Scholar trip ended, Mike and I started Part Three of our Asian Adventure, this time just the two of us, traveling through Central Vietnam with a guide and driver, arranged by Ann Tours.

We flew from Hanoi to DaNang, where our guide Ahn met us. Although the buses were comfortable, and air conditioned, it still felt rather luxurious to have a Mercedes all to ourselves.

What remains of the former US airbase at DaNang

Modern DaNang, with its new bright yellow serpent bridges.

The Cham Museum contains sculptures from My Son, a religious sanctuary dating back to the 4th century. When an area was conquered, the invaders cut off the heads and hands of the religious statues to decrease their power.

Lakshmi's hands were originally holding a lotus blossom — Lakshmi’s hands were originally holding a lotus blossom

But more interesting to me was this frieze, showing the art of massage dated back more than 1600 years in Central Vietnam.

I can't let all those years of expertise go to waste. There will be a massage in my future! — I can’t let all those years of expertise go to waste. There will be a massage in my future!

We made a quick stop at DaNang’s beach, better known by the American soldiers as China Beach because of all the porcelain found buried in the sand. Here’s one of the few “G” rated photos from that stop.

Last stop before HoiAn was in the Marble Mountains. We climbed well over 100 steps that were carved into the mountain, all with different sized steps (steep, steeper, steepest).

The lady in blue decided I would make a dandy handrail, so she grabbed onto me as she climbed down

At the top of the first "staircase", smiling Buddha (happiness), with a fat belly (prosperity) and long ears (longevity) — At the top of the first “staircase”, smiling Buddha (happiness), with a fat belly (prosperity) and long ears (longevity)was waiting to welcome us.

As we climbed higher, the view got better.

But the most awe inspiring experience was when we entered the huge cave.

Sunlight from holes in the roof of the cave gave the interior a very spiritual feel

.
Our hotel was fantastic–my very favorite of the entire trip.

Welcome drink and fruit at the HaAn Hotel

Check out the shower. You can see the plants hanging on the back wall if you look in the mirror. And yes, there were flowers scattered at the bases of the shower and the toilet.

Stones in the shower. You stand on that white platform under the shower head.

Our tour company booked us here for three nights. Great choice!

Why I Love Road Scholar!

Mike and I are now traveling on our own, after our whirlwind tour with Road Scholar, through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. And what a tour it was!
My blog couldn’t keep pace with our activities and even now, this summary will only provide a taste of those incredible 20 days.
Here are a few of the many reasons I love Road Scholar.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
Road Scholar made contributions on our behalf to the two village schools and hospital we visited.

One nurse per 500 children at the outpatient clinic of this free hospital

Look who else visited the hospital--but not while we were there. — Look who else visited the hospital–but not while we were there.

While traveling in Cambodia a few years ago, the Spitlers asked their guide to suggest a worthwhile project. The end result was this village school.

Sarin, a Cambodian tour guide, and head of the Spitler School — Sarin, Cambodian tour guide, and head of the Spitler School

Prior to the Spitler School, children in this village had no opportunity for education.

JAW DROPPING EXPERIENCES

Mike, taking in the majesty of Angkor Wat

The demons guarding the bridge to Angkor Thom

One of the many faces of King Jayavarman 7

Good guys on the left, demons on the right, churning the sea of milk with Jayavarman 7 gazing down on it all

And of course, the many Buddha images in Laos and Thailand were unforgettable and impressive.

WONDERFUL LECTURES

Tony Zola, another former Peace Corp volunteer who settled in Asia, was a fascinating lecturer. He spoke to us in Thailand and Laos.

Tara (an American)and a local Lao woman created the Museum of Art and Ethnology.

We had an amazing lunch at Fabian's stilt home in a Laotian village, followed by a lecture. — We had an amazing lunch at Fabian’s stilt home in a Laotian village, followed by a lecture.

GREAT COMPANIONS
Fantastic experiences are even better when shared with like minded companions.

Showing off our Baci Ceremony stringe — Showing off our Baci Ceremony strings

CULTURAL IMMERSION

Ancient musical instruments. That IS an elephant carved on the end of that bow

One of the marriage stories in the museum of Art and Ethnology

From night markets... — From night markets…

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

INCREDIBLE FOOD

Judging from their rounded bellies, I think these apsaras just finished a Road Scholar trip!

I’ll give your eyeballs a rest, and stop with the photos.
You’ll just have to take my word for it, this trip was AMAZING!

Halong Bay

For this post, the pictures will (mainly) speak for themselves.
HaLong Bay is about 4 hours by bus north of Hanoi.

The surrounding area is starting to get built up, with lots of hotels across from the beach.

We, however, spent the night on the Emeraude.

Take a good look. Can you find the shower? What about the “closet”?

Great views from the top deck (and the middle and the lower decks)but the top deck has the bar!

I didn't expect penguins in Vietnam — I didn’t expect penguins in Vietnam

My sister Sue always wanted a pet monkey. I tried to convince this one to come home with me. Check out her facial expression for her answer.

We took a tender to the Surprise Cave. The third cave was enormous!

We climbed over 100 steps (I lost count) to an opening that gave us this wonderful vantage point.

I couldn't resist posting two shots--one framed,one not. You get to choose which you prefer. — I couldn’t resist posting two shots–one framed,one not. You get to choose which you prefer.

These ladies were waiting for us to return to the ship so they could sell us some of their handmade goods.

How lucky were we, to see night fall on Halong Bay

And with an almost full moon.my photos don't do it justice. — And with an almost full moon. My photos don’t do it justice.

East coast girl, hanging out, enjoying the view.

We cruised for a while, enjoying the effect the changing light had on the seascape (bayscape?)

Time to return to Hanoi for our farewell dinner and the end of this phase of our Asian Adventure.

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

The elephant ride in Thailand was tame, compared to our cyclo excursion through Hanoi’s old quarter. Imagine 22 of us oldies but goodies being pedaled through narrow crowded, crooked streets. Actually, you don’t have to imagine, because through the magic of digital photography, we captured this thrilling adventure for you.

One of my Pennsylvania buddies was right in front of me, so I was able to get a couple of shots of her, and she returned the favor.

Linda, relaxed and happy at the start of the ride.

Linda, after riding for a few minutes...check out the expression... — Linda, after riding for a few minutes…check out the expression…

I wasn’t looking behind me, so didn’t see how close the car and motorbike were to my fearless driver.

Photo by Linda. Please note. I am wearing the scarf I dyed, and the skirt I purchased at the night market in Laos

Mike was following close behind.

And mom always thinks he's got more sense than me! — And mom always thinks he’s got more sense than me!

It actually was a great way to see the city. I could check out the shops for later purchases. Hmmm, which sister or cousin will be getting something from the “Toxic Shop”? Or would a propaganda poster make a better “prize”?

One more shot to make sure you got the full effect of Hanoi streets, then we will move on to other highlights.

You can’t visit Hanoi without paying your respects to Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh's embalmed body lies in this mausoleum. — Ho Chi Mihn’s embalmed body lies in this mausoleum.

This French colonial governor’s mansion was very briefly Ho Chi Minh’s home until he was able to settle into something more to his taste.

This house on stilts was where Ho Chi Minh preferred to live.

Ho Chi Minh's bedroom — Ho Chi Mihn’s bedroom. Personally, I prefer a sleep number bed.

On to the Temple of Literature, which was beautifully decorated for New Year. Like many Americans, they are not in a big rush to take down their decorations, giving the Temple an even more festive look.

The Vietnamese do amazing things with flowers and plants

Turtles are VERY important to the Vietnamese. Unfortunately, I was in the “happy” room when our guide was explaining the significance of these turtle sculptures, so I missed that part, but I know it had to do with education. Google it, if you want specifics–or you can just enjoy the photos.

We have an early morning tomorrow, so that’s all for today. Hugs to all and a big hello to all Sue’s co-workers. Glad you are following along!

One day you’re hot, and the next day you’re not.

We spent our last morning in Cambodia cruising to the Tonle Sap Lake. During the dry season, the tributaries leading to the lake drop to a depth between 3 and 5 feet, but during the rainy season, the area floods, with the water level rising to between 24 and 30 feet, which explains why the houses are on stilts.

The children were all very cute and friendly, waving from the banks.

These tykes were too close to the river for MY comfort level.

It was slow going, getting to the lake, because we were quite a bit larger than the average Cambodian (an understatement), weighing the boat down in the already shallow passageway. That gave us plenty of time to take in the sights.

As usual, our excellent guide took good care of us, bringing along more snacks than we could eat. I’ve developed a very strong attachment to mangosteens, which are rightfully known as “the queen of fruits”.

Tonle Sap Lake was quite beautiful. I particularly liked the floating restaurants.

On the way back, Man tossed fruit and snacks to the kids. This little boy was delighted with his catch.

Time to move — to another country and another climate. North Vietnam is quite a bit cooler than the other three countries we visited, as you might guess from our wardrobe.

"Well, east coast girls are hip, I really dig those styles they wear". -- the Beach Boys — “Well, east coast girls are hip, I really dig those styles they wear”. — the Beach Boys

And now a preview of coming attractions…tune in again for the Hanoi version of “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”.

Road Scholar, here we come!

I’m so glad we arrived in Bangkok a few days before the Road Scholar tour started. Doing so gave us an opportunity to adjust to the time difference (although if truth be told, I STILL haven’t completely switched over to Asia time) and to slowly savor this magnificent city. Bangkok is amazingly affordable, so the extra days didn’t increase the cost of the trip by much. Four nights at the Bangkok Loft Hotel, for example, cost $175 TOTAL, and that included airport pick up, plus great breakfasts. The Loft was an excellent choice–within walking distance of the SkyTrain, just two stops from the river. It was quiet, clean, very comfortable, with all the amenities that are important to us: firm mattress, good water pressure, plenty of hot water, free wi-fi, perfect temperature control, excellent free breakfast, and helpful, friendly English speaking staff. Thank you, Trip Advisor!

Before leaving home, I had gotten $250 worth of Bhat from our bank. Had we steered clear of the resort hotels (lunch at the Mandarin Oriental, drinks at the SkyBar, dinner at the Shangra-La), that amount would have been more than enough for our transportation, entrance fees to attractions and food during our stay.

Rama lX is featured on Thai money. — Rama IX’s portrait is on Thai money. He looks pretty good for an 86 year old man. But why does one denomination have a different portrait?

The hotel chosen by Road Scholar, the Majestic Grande was also quite lovely, in the business section of town.

Thursday night, we met our fellow travelers. The group is composed of 5 Canadians, 8 from Washington state, 2 from California, 2 from NY, 3 from PA, and the two of us from NJ. As with other Road Scholar Trips we’ve taken, the women outnumber the men, 14 to 8. I love making new female friends! In fact, one of the reasons we keep choosing Road Scholar is it seems to attract interesting, friendly, curious travelers who are fun to be with. Mike and I are looking forward to getting to know everyone better over the next few days.

Friday was an action packed day, with visits to Wat Po and the Grand Palace, followed by lunch at the Supatra River House. After a lecture on Buddhism by Jim Lehman, we returned to the hotel. By then, all we wanted was some cold water and some cold air on our sweaty bodies!

Here are some visual highlights from Wat Po.
The Reclining Buddha is enormous–150 feet long by 50 feet high.

It's hard to get all of him into one shot. — It’s hard to get all of him into one shot.

This gives you an idea of the size of both the Buddha and the crowd at Wat Po. The place was mobbed!

Do you think these qualify as “Happy Feet”?

The bottom of the Buddha's feet are covered with mother of pearl. Talk about having big shoes to fill! — The bottom of the Buddha’s feet are covered with mother of pearl. Talk about having big shoes to fill!

The Wat Po grounds are filled with gold Buddhas, temple guards, and interesting statues. This temple guard is clearly Chinese.

But what about him? To me, he looks like a cross between Charlie Chaplin and John Wayne.

Our return to the Grand Palace was a different experience. We traveled by bus, which gave us a chance to get a different glimpse of the city. Road Scholar provides ear pieces, so that we can easily hear the guide. What a godsend in these crowded sites! Mike and I were glad that we had been able to spend time on our own, and leisurely wander the grounds; having a second go-round with a guide allowed us to see things a little more deeply, and catch some of what was missed the first time. For example, the gallery surrounding the religious section of the Grand Palace is painted with scenes from the Ramayama, and the yellow “paint” in the scenes is liquid gold.

My blog is lagging behind our activities, but I need to end this so I can get myself together for the start of our day. More to come!

Recycling in the old days

Question: What do you do with your defective porcelain?

Answer: If you are Chinese, and it is the 1800’s, you use it as ballast in your cargo ships; however if you are Siamese, you realize it makes ideal building materials for your next temple.

Although Wat Arun is called the Temple of the Dawn, supposedly it is best viewed at sunset, when the light makes all of the porcelain glow, and the temple slowly turns into a silhouette against the crimson sky. Mike and I had another location in mind for our sunset hours, so we visited in the morning. The view from across the river was spectacular enough for us, even without a dramatic sky.

If you are game enough to climb the steep steps (check out the relationship between that guy’s leg and the step behind him to get a feel for it), you are rewarded with a spectacular view.

Oh wait–those weren’t the steep steps, these are the steep steps, and someone thoughtfully left a bottle on one of them to provide scale. They are SHALLOW, steep steps, not designed for big western feet!

Going up was like climbing a ladder; coming down was a bit harder, but the view was so worth it.

On the top left, you can see the rooftops of the Grand Palace.

The view looking up was pretty great too. Erawan, the elephant that the Hindu god Indra rides, is standing on the ledge above us. (Don’t see Indra, though).

The grounds surrounding the temple, normally lovely, are even more so, because they are being decorated for Chinese New Year with red lanterns everywhere. Can you see the two Yakshas guarding the entrance? These spirit “monsters” were at the grand palace and also had green and white faces.

I’ll end this post with a question:
What do Thais have in common with the Brits, Aussies, Kiwis (New Zealanders), Indians, Japanese and South Africans? This is a hard one. The answer will be in the next post.

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