wawawa

well, writing isn't nearly as easy as it looks in the movies, and you think since I already have the blog that it would be easier, but no.

reading'riting'rithmatic

no, I'm not going back to school
I'm trying to settle back in to the states, and i"m working on a book about myadventures

home sweet home

That is it. I go home tonight.
I feel unaccountably sad

Tomorrow

I will finish this trip tomorrow.
\wow/

Now that this is the end, here are some thoughts on undertaking such a daunting endeavor.
The key, the secret, is to just keep going. I think that could be used for all of life. Just keep going.
Over all, the world is a good place. Yes there are some ugly things, and some ugly people-- but overall, the world is beautiful.
I really don't feel that different. I'm happy of course, but I don't feel that I'm any different.
Maybe the changes will be evident to others.
Thanks for all your support, and I'll be posting a few more times, as I get back home.
\till then,
be good, be happy and have fun.

Almost home

Well, past more monkeys and more jungle, past oil palm plantations I made it to Kota Tinggi, about 40 km from Jahor Bahru. I got to stay at a brand new hotel, and so cheap and clean and really good service. I'm now in Jahor Bahru, and bought my ticket home, for July 6th. I have 15 km left to go to get to Singapore. I was going to leave tomorrow, but I will have to stay here one more day to pick up the ticket.
I can't believe I did it.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun

I'm so excited

And also exhausted.
I left for Pekan, and was really looking forward to an easy day. Unfortunately it was not to be. Pekan itself seemed like a pleasant enough town, but.... the hotels were awful (neither had rooms with a bathroom, and they were both upstairs, so I would have to carry the bike up a flight of stairs) So I decided to try to get to Mersing. Well, Mersing was 145 km away and I didn't see the sign until it was almost too late. I could have turned back, but I hate hate hate to do that. Especially for a hotel without a bathroom. I made it to a small small town called Neisai, and they had a very nice motel, with a nice bathroom. The town didn't have a restaurant or cafe, but the room itself was nice. I think it was a fishing/angling place because several of the guests were getting ready near the river docks when I left to begin the journey to Mersing.
It was 100 km. But.... even though it was a bit hilly (ok a lot hilly) it was still very beautiful. The roadside isn't very developed, so although a few times I wanted a cafe for something to drink, most of the time I appreciated the unspoilt coasts and jungles. And. And. And.
I saw wild monkeys. Really. They were all fluffy and cute, but since they had teeth both bigger and sharper than mine, I decided their fluffy cuteness was better appreciated from a distance. I even saw one peeking out at me from the foliage. It was pretty awesome.
I might be able to make it to Jahor Bantu tomorrow. It depends on how I feel in the morning and how the road goes.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

hmmm what to do, what to do

I've made it to Kuantan, and am at a cross roads so to speak.(actually I'm literally at a cross roads) _- I could go to Melecca by bus, but that would kinda suck, or I could keep going south on the road I'm on. Both would get me to Jahor Bahru by July 3, and into Singapore by July 4. I'll finish on independence day. I will then have to get my ticket home.
The road has been pretty good, but it didn't rain yesterday. I've decided that rain is a good thing, in that it keeps things cool (the other day it was almost cold). Last night it finally rained but I didn't care much, because I was happily eating curried shrimp.
Good food helps make any problem seem somewhat less severe. Another lesson learned.
I still don't know what I will do when I get "home"
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

country roads

I was disappointed that the coastal road isn't really very coastal. (although there have been some beautiful exceptions along the way) However, I've changed my mind somewhat. Even without the coast it is beautiful. I'm tired though, and sometimes I can't wait to finish. But then I also am still enjoying myself very much. Sigh.
Actually the road has been very slow due to construction, but the truck and bus drivers are very courteous. Once one even followed at my snails pace until it was safe to pass me- instead of crowding me off the road. I thought that was very cool of him.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

I feel much much better now

I am now perfectly well, and pretty darn good thanks. I have money ( apparently the banks here will not accept certain serial numbers on some US dollars -CB because there were some forgeries, and I am still kinda mad a Thailand, 1st for the bad exchange rate and now for giving me money I can't change. Well, fortunately my hotel let me pay after check-out and I received the money Uncle David sent, so all is well. I am fed, cool and have something interesting to read. What more could a person want
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun

Why?Why not

I'm sorry I didn't post for the last couple of days. Since I left Kota Barhu I got a wee bit sick. I won't give the disgusting details, because, well, they are disgusting. I've made it to Kuala Terengganu, and I'm heading south. I was a bit disappointed in the road. It only hugged the coast a little bit. It was still pretty though. I still feel a bit weak, but I had a wonderful dinner at the Chinatown here. It had sweet sausages,something I haven't seen here yet.
till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Not George of the Jungle

I left Jeli early in the morning. I slept amazingly well, considering the jungle at night is NOT a quiet place. After Jeli the jungle rescinded into plantations (pineapple and banana) and then into just lush green valleys. I made it to Manchang in very good time, but the town had only one hotel, and it wasn't very nice at all. (expensive and shared bathroom) Originally I had planned to go to Kampung Raja but I knew I didn't have time, and I didn't know if it would have any hotels, so I decided to go to Kota Bharu even though it is a bit more northerly than I wanted. I'm so glad I did. I found a nice guest house, but it wasn't in the center of town. So the owner's brother drove me into the city center so that I could get some money changed, get on the Internet, do some shopping, go to the central market etc. The man was so nice, he even showed me where the museums were and told me some of the history of the place. He said if I need anything to call, and then when I wanted to pay him, he refused to let me give him "a little for gas". I'm always amazed at the kindness of most people.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

Almost Famous

I stayed one extra night in Gerik, but didn't blog about it because it wasn't special. I ate some very good roti with curry, watched a movie on hbo. But the next day I went to Banding Island. It is a man made island in the middle of a very very large lake. It was beautiful. There were monkeys and fish. I was able to get a lake view room and watched the sunset over the lake. It was just wow. I then set off on Hwy 4 to Jeli. It looks like a town on the map. ... we'll get to that later. Ok the road sometimes needed some tlc, but I wish I had my camera for the elephant crossing signs. Yep apparently elephants do cross the road. And they are wild. I didn't see any, and in a way I'm kinda glad because what would I do if I actually ran into a wild elephant?
The mountains were beautiful, and even when I got caught in the mists myself I still couldn't help but be awestruck. This is some of the wildest most fantastic country I've been to yet. (Laos comes a close second) The jungle sometimes comes right up to the road. Someone said there were tigers, but I don't believe them. I saw some cattle tied up by the road, and nobody would tie up cattle if there were any chance of tigers. There were places on the road where I just had to stop and look around.
I finally reached Jeli, but it is not really a town. It is a loose association of villages, without any hotel or motel. Fortunately one of the people I asked took pity on me. He was in charge of the bungalows they give to workers at the power plant. They had a spare one, and it is pretty (also a bit too big, and it is obvious no one has lived in it for a while, but still it was nice of him to offer it to me. ) I came into the "town" to get some drinks and food, and met a reporter. She is going to put me in the paper on Tuesday or Wednesday. So I'm almost famous
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.
I also met an English teacher, her name is Suhaida and we had a very nice chat.

hurts not so good

Baling was a very very nice town, and now I'm in Garik, another small town. I've left flat long ago. I also cut the burn on my calf with my pedal. I'm not in pain per se, but it doesn't feel that good either. I did, however, have a wonderful lunch/dinner.
Jeli is 124 km away. And there is nothing on the map between here and there. I guess I could take a bus, but.... There is some lake country in the middle that I think should be beautiful. And even though it isn't flat anymore, it is fantastic. I can actually hear the monkeys in the jungle.
I will make sure I get up early tomorrow. Hopefully it won't rain until I get there.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Sing sister sing.

Songs are really starting to go through my head. Unfortunately I can't remember all the words.
Last night I watched Shrek 3, and thought it so-so. Not that bad, but I could have waited. I started out a bit late, but it was ok, I'm still here in Baling pretty early. There are bat caves here.
The road has ceased it's ode to flatness, but the jungles and mountains are gorgeous. And one guy bought me an ice tea (I think he felt bad because I burned myself on the exhaust of a motorcycle) and a woman stopped me on the side of the road, to ask me if she could take my picture for her class, as part of her lesson on strong women.
Yeah, things are more expensive here, but they are also a bit nicer too. One thing I think Malaysia can teach the US is how to live with many different ethnic groups. No one "assimilates" and yet they all work together and get along. The Muslims leave everyone else alone, the Hindus leave everyone else alone, the Christians leave everyone else alone. It seems to work well.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun

It's raining, it's pouring

I'm riding my bike instead of snoring.
I got caught in two rainstorms. (well they weren't really storms, but...) I'm getting ready to cross over to the east coast, but I'll be here a couple of days. Gotta do laundry.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun

Last night

I only chose that title because it is the song playing at the internet cafe. The cafe is in a shopping mall in Alor Setar. Malaysia is still beautiful, I am riding with the call to prayer being broadcast (this is a Muslim country). It sounds mournful. The road is really good so far, very very smooth and flat, but lots to see so it isn't boring. Kangar does indeed shut down pretty early (by 7:00 most things were closed) but there were a couple of pubs and restaurants keeping the darkness at bay.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

May -day

So far Malaysia is beautiful, easy, and has some pretty good road side food. I found out about that from the rainstorm I decided to wait out. I'm in Kangar, about 30 km from the border. I'd be in Alor Setar, but... In Hat Yai there was a major problem with the bike on a bus. I don't understand why Thailand has such a problem with bikes. Bangkok had the same deal. Anyway it set me back a bit.
I had read that western women (that would be me) will have a hard time here because it is mostly conservative Muslim. And I see a lot more headscarves than I do pony-tails. But no one has said anything to me or even looked at me dirty. And most of the comments while on my bike fall into the standard. Whooo whoooo and some form of encouragement, usually accompanied by a thumbs up sign. You can't believe anything you read in some of the guide books.
When we finally got on the charter van (because the bus refused even after I showed them how) I looked around and you know what? I bet it would have been ok to ride the bike. Of course I doubt the radical faction is very visible -- I doubt they wear name tags. Hello, my name is Something and I'll be your terrorist today. But it didn't seem to be dangerous, or scary. And like I said, this town is supposed to have nothing going on, and be hell for western women. I found an interesting market, walked around some, ate ice cream, and haven't been hassled at all.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Leaving isn't so hard to do

I leave tomorrow morning. I broke down and got an alarm clock, just because I want to make sure I get up on time. I'll probably get up early, but this way I can check and see what time it is. It drives me a bit crazy when I wake up in the middle of the night and don't know if I should go back to sleep, or stay awake.
I went to the movie theater and tried to buy a ticket to Shrek 3. Unfortunately, the movie is dubbed in Thai. So is Ocean's 13. The only movie not dubbed was Pirates 3 (and it was fun the first time, but I don't think it is worth seeing again.)
oh well.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

a rainy night in Hat Yai

If I'm going to be either entering a city early in the afternoon, or staying an extra day, I will need to invest in an umbrella. Just after I left the internet cafe, it started pouring down buckets. This happened in Songkhla as well.
I am happy this morning though. I found a very good travel agency, they will try to fit my bike on the bus, and they quoted a reasonable price. It was run by women, both buddhst and muslim. I liked that they were working together, and when I explained my fear they didn't laugh or say "no problem- perfectly safe" when I know it isn't. I'm glad I decided to stay an extra couple of days. Now if only I can find a t-shirt that isn't covered with tacky sayings.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

quick, quick

Made it to Hat Yai. I was going to stay a couple of days in Songkhla, but the town was really small, and had almost nothing to do but hang at the internet shop. So.... I am now in Hat Yai, and it wasn't much of a trip. They were doing road construction and that slowed me down somewhat, but I still got in pretty early. Found a niceish hotel, and tried to book a bus ticket. It was harder than it seemed. In many ways HatYai seems kinda like a ghost town, not so many people out and about and very very few foreigners. I would think that would make the travel agencies (and there are a ton of them) want to give a bit better service. Ha. I did find out that the reason they wouldn't book a bus ticket for me is that busses aren't allowed in the down town area. So. I will have to go to the s.market and try to get my bike on a bus. I do not want to go to the border by bike even though several of the travel agents said it wasn't dangerous. However if worse comes to worse I could do it, as it is only 60 km.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

a very good day

The other night I went back to my guesthouse with the mmp (mouse-poo-problem) after walking around the town. As I sat reading my book I started to notice something very nice about the place. Some parts were kinda cheap and crappy, but there were some very nice touches. The bathroom had obviously been re-done, and the cusions on the chair were new. The place needed a paint job, but there were new flowers above the very old dresser. I felt good about helping someone who was working so hard to fix the place up. It was even nicer for the fact that it was the only hotel/guesthouse in town.
The next morning I started out to Songkhla. I was happy to see the ocean from the road. On the map the road hugs the east coast, but you can't always trust that. I was right to be a bit skeptical, as the road did indeed turn away from the sea. But... I did get to eat one of the better meals of my trip. It was seafood and rice, cooked with a sure but light hand on the spices. Fairly simple, but still pretty darn good. Food is often a bit of a gamble. In the cities and where there are a lot of tourists the menus are in English or there are pictures. But on the road and in the small towns and smaller villages, there is no English, spoken or written.
The best way is to go where it is busy, and point to what looks good and smile. Unfortunately you are not always in a town with resturants during lunch or dinner times. The next best way is to go to a place that has large pots on a table. They will usually let you look in the pots and you point to what you want and smile. But what usually happens is you go in, and mime a menu but opening your hands like you have a book. Then you look at the menu and pick something in the middle (middle price, middle of the list) and smile. Then you hope for the best. Sometimes it is recognizable in a good way, and sometimes it is recognizable in a bad way (fish heads for example). But yesterday I won.
I then decided not to go all the way to Songkhla, and stopped at a very nice resort. It was nice too, right on the beach. I drank coffee and read my book and watched a family hunt for treasures and shells in the gathering dusk. Kids and dogs played tag with the waves and even thought it was on the east coast the sunset was still pretty.
I woke up early to watch the sunrise, and then went back on the road. I will have to go to HatYai tomorrow, because the banks here don't have Malyasian currency and I don't want to enter the country without at least a little bit of their money. Apparently it has mellowed some as the people said HatYai, ok, but not to the border.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

long and windy road

What a beautiful road to Hua Sai. Trees made a tunnel through most of the way, keeping me cool and happy. Which is a good thing, because I didn't get much sleep last night. I stayed up to watch Star Movies "StarWars marathon" I know, I know, I'm such a geek. I can remember when the first one came out, oh those many years ago. Back when you had to go to the movies over and over to memorize the lines.
Hua Sai seems like a nice town, but I'm having a mouse poo problem again with my guest house. Actually I haven't had the mouse poo problem for a while, so I guess I'm lucky. I'm a bit perplexed with Thailand. On one had it is much more 'developed' yet on the other, I do have to go much farther to get a decent place to lay my head. I would have thought there would me alot more guesthouses along the road, like in Vietnam and Laos. Oh well. The room feels pretty safe, the people who run the place are super nice and had me change rooms and wanted me to take some cola as an apology. I declined, mostly because cola in the room means ants in the room. I figure I have enough problems as it is.
Till I post again, be good be happy and have fun.

Random

I made it to Nikon Si, and am heading down the cost. My hotel is a large purple building that reminds me of the song "purple people eater"
They are transporting some substance that smells vaugely like a tobacco shop that has been closed for too long and everything has gone slightly sour.
The heat is still oppressive, but I don't really feel it when I'm on my bike as much as after I've stopped.
I had to break down and buy a new tire, as my old one was too far gone, now my bike feels a bit funny.
I always forget half the things I think will be cool to write about as I'm traveling. I have whole paragraphs plus soundtrack. In my mind. But. When I get to the internet cafe, I forget half of it.
They are having some kind of festival for a monk who carves these "special" icons. Everyone is selling them. Including the repair shops and computer shop. It seems a bit odd to me.
The beach is beautiful on the east coast, but I also like the little fishing coves even if they aren't white sand.
I am thinking about how far I've come. When I started, I felt good about doing 60 km in one day. Now if it is under 100 km I think it is easy peasy. My knees no longer hurt when I get off my bike. I still don't know what I want to do. I will take the bus from Songkha to Malaysia because it is too dangerous to go into HatYai.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Goodmorning starshine

Well, I didn't start as early as I would have liked, but I made it to Sichon, a nice one hotel town. The road was very very nice, not too hilly with beautiful mountains to the left. I like it when the road is mostly flat but there are beautiful mountains for eye candy. I am currently listening to the monks chanting from the temple just next door to the internet cafe. It sounds much better than most of the Thai pop. In Surat Thani I got offered a job teaching, but again, I'm not sure what I want to do. One of the 'goals' of this trip was to figure out exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, or at least next year. I still haven't figured it out. I know I should try to get something that will let me continue to travel, allow me to use my creativity, an live fairly well. Teaching did that, but ......
I guess we'll see when I get back.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

Hey Hey hey, what's going on

I've made it to Surat Thani, which wasn't hard, since someone else was driving. When I got to the bus station, they didn't want to take my bike since the bus was already a bit overcrowded. I forgot about the full moon party at Ko Samui. Well, finally I told them how to re-arrange some things nad they were able to get my bike. The one guy wasn't happy but, then I don't really care.
I'm staying one night in Surat Thani because I couldn't sleep on the bus. The seats were too big to put my feet down, and too small for me to put my feet up. Plus they stopped twice.
It was good though because I got to speak to a German journalist. There have been bombings in Hat Yai, one of the places I planned to go. He confirmed my view that it was still ok to get there, but not any further south. (I'll take a train to the Malaysian border) I still want to go down the East coast. ( don't freak out, but I've been following the papers and the way I see it, they get upset, then it boils over into a bombing, then they've cooled down somewhat- so I won't expect any more bombs until next year. My journalist friend confirms this theory)
So.... Now that I have more regular access to the internet, What is going on with all of you?
Do tell me either in ej-mail or in the comments. I would love to know how you are doing.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

leaving on a big bus

Well, yesterday I got almost nothing done. It was Sunday. I thought it was Monday, but that happens when you are traveling a lot.
I did have a pretty good day for all that, I went to a bookstore and browzed for a while, had a coffee and watched people go by, ate steak, and saw Pirates 3 (a rather fun movie)
Not very exciting, but very very nice. Today I made an appointment for the dentist and got a massage, and saw some of the sights. Tomorrow I will leave on the night bus to Surat Thani, and then on to the East coast, until I can't go anymore because of the fighting.
I might just get another massage tomorrow.
I find Bangkok really strange in one thing. This is supossed to be a paradise for older "farang" men. Lots of ways to behave badly with young beautiful women and even if you aren't rich in the States you are here. So why do they all look so grumpy and miserable?
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Yeah baby, she's got it

I seem to have a weird tape loop of songs going through my head most days.
I left Korat early early early, and did indeed make it to Saraburri. It was dark by the time I found a hotel. The town had 4 hospitals and 2 hotels. I thought it a bit weird. I also find I'm a bit disappointed because I thought Thailand was more developed, so I had hoped there would be more places to stop and sleep. ( on the road to Saraburri there were a couple of resorts- one was a winery kinda like Nappa valley in Thailand, and they were all at least 11 km away from the road on a dusty dirt road.) The road wasn't too bad, except for a couple of viscous dogs and an even more viscous tree - it scratched me up! - and some serious hills, and a very large snake that was thankfully already dead.
The hotel I wouldn't have found if it weren't for a very cute kid who spoke surprisingly good English, didn't have a very beautiful bathroom. Now mind I've just gone 145 km and I am beyond exhausted. I can barely move to go back downstairs and grab my bag. Plus the lady gave me an excellent discount when she saw the bike. The shower had the best water pressure I've had since I started my trip. It was wonderful. I still didn't sleep well because I was just too tired.
I planned on getting a bus at Norburri. Ha.
First the signs were a bit confusing, so I wound up on the wrong highway. (still going to Bangkok, but not to Norburri) I am going fairly slow, mostly because I can't go fast.
I try to get a bus, but the only buses are "local" buses. And they won't take my bike because they don't have room. Then I try one of the pick-up buses. The guy who was driving wanted 1,500 baht. (this is about $ 40 US- and to put it in perspective, most hotels I've been staying at are about 350-400 baht, and you can buy a very nice sofa for 1,000 baht. I go another 5 km to another bus station. I finally find a pick-up truck taxi and get into Bangkok. I couldn't get into the city without it, not just because I was tired, but because the traffic was unbelievable. I also had a hard time finding room for tonight because no one could find a safe place for the bike.
Tomorrow I will go to the bank, go to the tailor's, go to the dentist, and the bike repair shop for another tune up. The next day I will rest. After that, I plan on getting a tourist bus - one with the big luggage compartments- to the next town, and out of Bangkok.
At least that is the plan for now.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

Against the wind

I am so tired. So far I have had to go at least 100 km, and it has been against the wind. It makes it much more difficult. Tomorrow I'm going to try to get to Saraburri in one day.
Leaving Khon Kean the road was great. Until. I saw a truck get a flat tire. I heard it first, then saw him go over to the shoulder. I thought, poor guy. Then I got a flat tire. I thought a bunch of very bad words. I was lucky though, because I very kind old man and his very kind daughter picked me up in their truck. They dropped me off at a tire repair shop. I was able to keep going.
I stoped for a few minutes a Phon, where I had originally planned to stop, but they were having major road repairs. Finding the hotel would have been difficult. I asked a highway cop if there was anything down the road. There was. So I headed down the road. I kept going, and kept going. I knew there was something supposed to be there, but I couldn't find it. Luckily again there were some highway cops hanging out on the shoulder.
They tried to explain where the hotel/resort was, but because their English was pretty bad, they gave up, and had me follow them. In their car. In the heat. After I'd already gone 100 km. I thought I was going to die. But the hotel was very very nice. And, bonus, they spoke English. Their son had studied in the US, and we had a very nice talk over lychee fruit and pepsi.
One of the things I don't like about Thailand is that instead of little fruit/sugarcane juice stands they have little convience stores. So instead of juice, I drink alot more pepsi and 7up. On the plus side, the cows here have floppy ears. It is like someone switched their ears with flopsy rabbit's ears. It makes me smile.
I'm now in Korat. A small little city that tourism kinda passed by. I'm going to get something to eat, then crash early. I have to start by 5 am if I want to get to Saraburri by tomorrow evening.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Sunshine, on my shoulder

gives me sunburn. Actually not today, I stoped about 40km from Khon Kean, but I'm here now. The stop was supposed to be 7km from the main road. The happy time resort. Although I'm not sure why they called it a resort, but it was clean, and had good air con.
the road is actually a bit boring, although I hate to admit it. It isn't flat, and I've had a head wind, but there isn't a lot to see. However the snake was special. It didn't bite me, but gave me quite a scare. Needless to say, I was disinclined to donate to the King Cobra club (yes it does exist, and I passed it yesterday, but after the snake on the road .. a small one, but nevertheless..
It is 200 km to the next big town, but there is somewhere to stop; actually two somewheres. But..it means at least one leg will be 120km. I don't know if I can do that.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

zzzzzzzzzzzz

I overslept today, so I decided that yet another day off was a good idea. I wish I had felt that way in the beautiful guest house, but.....
I'm off tomorrow, and I should be near Bangkok in 5 days. I'm not sure if I want to go into the city or not -- They have good dentists and it would probably be a good idea to get my teeth cleaned and checked. On the other hand, it is a big, sprawling, expensive city with lots of scary dogs. I don't want to get rabies when I'm so close to the finish line.
On other scary notes, apparently the three provences that are on the Malaysian border are still pretty dangerous. My plan is to go as far south as I can, then either get a train, or boat to the border (there are ferries I believe). I'll check it out as I get closer. I hate that the state department are such chicken littles. They always say "its too dangerous" even when I know it isn't, so I don't know what to believe.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun

Truckn'

Made it to Udon Thani. The road to the friendship bridge was a )long and b) seriously messed up. They were doing construction. I got to Nogkai early still, and found a very very very nice guest house right on the river. I also found a good used bookstore, one cool lady who was doing a yoga retreat, and an older retired man who told me my journey was quote "epic" unquote. I felt pretty good. Overall a very cool vibe. The road to Udon Thani was good, and I made good time, and finally found a hotel. Actually I found a few. One didn't have toilet paper. (It really wasn't that cheap) The other was nice, but expensive. I finally found one that was nice enough, and cheap enough.
Thailand is way noisier, dirtier and busier than Laos. I think I might have some culture shock today. (Nogkai was kinda Laos-ish)
Tomorrow is a big day, the next big town is 100 km again. I'm starting to get used to it. I thought about getting the Lonely Planet, but really it doesn't have much that I need. For example, where are the places to sleep that aren't in the big towns and cities, and are on the road? That is the question I want the guide books to answer. (So far, neither Rough Guide, Lonely Planet or Let's Go have this crucial information.-- I decided to save the money and have a very very nice dinner instead.)
Oh and lest I forget again, in Laos I met a guy who was cycling around the world for charity. He was very nice, and so was his girlfriend who was joining him for part of the trip.
His blog, and info on the charity is

www.cyclingroundtheworld.co.uk

Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Can't think of anything cute

Well, tomorrow I head to Thailand. It will take about 3 hours total. I had some chocolate chip cookies and one of the best lattes ever. Life is good, but ....Laos is such a jewel. I'm sorry to leave it so soon. However, I have mixed feelings about Thailand. On the one hand, I won't have to worry about 100 km days if I don't want them, as Thailand is much more developed. On the other hand, Thailnad is much more developed and therefore doesn't have the endless empty roads. Sigh.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Hurts so good

I was told that the road from Pakxan to Vientiane was boring. It was long, but not boring.
I stayed one extra day in Pakxan, because when I woke up, I felt every single kilometer of the 300 I did to get there.
The road was gorgeous. Mostly hugging the river, and when it cut into the jungle you could see the tops of temples and once a giant golden Buddha set into a cliff carved from the mountain. Bridges cross rivers that snake through the jungle. It is a different green than Vietnam, darker, richer.
I stayed in Thabok, about 50km from Paxan, and it was a charming little village. My guesthouse landlady spoke English well, and her daughter went to the market for me and got meat balls and veggies. Laos is often so quiet you remember just how noisy nature can be. Geckos laughing for a sweetheart, crickets singing, a symphony of various insects and lizards, and other unidentified thingies. I still slept good. It was cloudy when I woke up, a good sign (although I prefer sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon-- the heat here weighs )
I set off in good time - Vientiane is only90 km. Despite the day of rest, and a "short" day, it seemed as if the kilometers were stretched out. Then it rained. Hard. The water felt bruising, and there was nowhere for me to stop. I could barely see the road. Oh when I finally find a little drinks stand, you want to know what happens. Of course the rain stops. After I got soaked.
Well, I finally made it to Vientiane, tired & hungry. I found a nice enough hotel, and took a shower, got dinner, had a banana shake, and found the Internet. Tomorrow I will get laundry done, look for a bookstore, and hang out a bit.
The next day, I go to Thailand.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Spring is in the Air

I will be in Vientien in 2 days. Wow. The last three days I've been cycling 100 km. That's right.
I left Savahnaket and went to Xeno. It was not very exciting, but I did get to catch up on my reading. (ha) Then from Xeno to Thakek. 100 km. On the way I stopped at a market, and found the most interesting thing to date. Bats in a basket. Yes that is right, here you can eat some grilled bats for lunch. I declined. (I also declined the grilled weasel, and the crickets on a stick)
In Thakek I did treat myself to a very nice room at Traveler's Lodge, a place that was built up by a guy from Denmark (I think). The room was beautiful, and they had a garden restaurant. I guess I could have gone out and explored some, but it was sooooooooooo nice. So I drank lots of banana and orange shakes, and talked to some ex-pats who live here and didn't leave.
From Thakek I went to a small town called Namthone, and if you would blink you would miss it. The guest house was pretty nice anyway, even though it was the only one. The next morning, I was on my way to Pakxan, where I found an Internet place (finally).
The reason for the title, is because every one has babies all over the place. It is cute overload Laos style. Baby people, dogs, cats, goats, cows, pigs, ducks, chickens. Even that ugly bird I still don't know the name of (and even the chicks aren't that cute) Every time I stop for a break there is always a cute overload somewhere close by.
(ok I break a bit too often, but.....I did 100 km in one day! so sue me)
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

four is the magic number

Four flat tires in one day. Can you believe it?
Ok let's start from the beginning. I woke up in Pakse raring to go, but for one small itty bitty problem. It was raining. Hard. I decided that if it didn't let up by 7:00 am I would stay in Pakse for one more day. By 6:30 it had quit. By 7:30 it started again. I kept stopping for coffee and letting the rain ease up, but by 10 I had enough and got the cutest little guesthouse near the airport. (I paid an extra dollar for T.V. because it was rainy and I thought I'd be bored. Unfortunately it had CNN in English, and Discovery and Animal Planet dubbed in Lao. Sigh.)
The next day was cloudy, but no rain until I got to Kongshedone (where I planed to stop anyway) My guesthouse was not the cutest. But it was ok, and as it started to rain the rest of the day.....
I went on to Paksong. The next town with a guesthouse. The road was nice and it was overcast for most of the day. A bonus because it meant that it wasn't too hot. Paksong was 100 km from Kongshedone. Whew. I was so tired when I got there. My guest house however had a mouse. It was in my bathroom, and I really had to pee. I looked at the mouse. The mouse looked at me. I really had to pee so I threw a soap at the mouse. The mouse left. I woke up and noticed that my front tire was flat. Again. I was very lucky because there was a repair shop right next door to my guesthouse, and the guy was open, and he was cute. I had him change my inter tube. I now don't have any spares left, and I don't know if I can find one in my size. Then, about 20 km away, I had another flat on my front tire. I am upset to say the least. Plus it is only open road. I don't see any villages on my map, and I kinda lost a bit of hope. Fortunately there was a tire repair shop ( in the middle of nowhere). I got my tire fixed and was feeling good, plus I thought I've been very lucky, as my back tire has been good. Then my back tire gets a flat. I get it fixed by a cute kid who spoke a bit of English. I'm only 20km away from Savanahket, so I think if all else fails I can walk there. As soon as I got into town, guess what happened. If you guessed that my back tire had a flat, you would win the prize. Sheese. Lao, land of mellow, land of smiles, land of relaxation, land of hidden charm, land of flat tires.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

Off to see the wizard

I am glad I decided to stay in Pakse one more day. I found a good map of Laos, and got some very good information on where to stay on the way, including how to do a home stay at one of the villages if I can't find a guest house by evening. Apparently it is not a problem and all I have to do is ask the headman of the village. I still would rather either arrange a home stay in advance, so that I know I'm not intruding, or stay at a guesthouse. I also walked around a bunch, read my book by the river and generally goofed off and drank lots and lots of banana shakes. I also found a ....sugarcane juice stand.... There is hope that as I travel further north I will find more.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

slow hand

After writing my blog entry, I went back to the little riverside cafe to watch the sun set. I sat and watched a cloud shaped like a laughing whale slowly sculpted by the wind to resemble a Chinese dragon. A ginger cat jumped up on the table and watched with me. The next morning I woke bright and early and caught a boat to the mainland. The sunrise was as spectacular as the sunset.
I couldn't make it to Pakse, so I stopped at a guesthouse by the road in Phaifay. And no, I'm not really sure how to pronounce it either. The guest house seemed very charming at first. It was set off from the road, but you could still see it between the trees. It was also very very quiet. (I think the whole country is an island of silence in the general chaos of the rest of S.E.Asia)
It seemed clean enough until I went into take a shower. Upon the ledge were three things that I think were mouse poo. At least I hoped they were mouse poo, and not the poo of the mouse's larger cousin. I took my shower and rinsed off the poos, because really I had no choice. There was no way I could make it to Pakse, and I wasn't sure there would be another guest house before it got dark. I put the rabies and bubonic plauge out of my mind. As I steped on to the porch it began to rain. I was like three drops then someone in the sky turned on a faucet. Sheets of rain. I got the chair from my room and decided to sit and watch the rain, and as I did I saw a small black bug dying. It looked just like a mouse poo. I decided then and there that on the ledge of my shower were dead bugs. The rain stoped after only 5 minutes. I went to the little resturant at the cross roads and then went back to my room where I sat and watched the world go by. There were ants passing messages upside down on the eves of my portch, and two butterflies dancing in circles on the breeze. There were some ugly birds doing a strut, and children taking turns pushing each other on a wagon. The cows wandered home, and some goats chased a dog. Oh yeah and two cars, a bus, a monk on a motorcycles, and a stretched out tractor thingy went by on the road. It is not exactly exciting, but kinda nice none the less. I slept well despite thoughts of plague before turning in.
The next morn I went into Pakse, and found a decent enough hotel ( I could have gotten the fancy dancy one for 20.00 us, but ....it always disappoints me when I treat myself with the hotels)
I found a book exchange and drank some watermelon juice. ( there wasn't any sugar cane juice on the road, and it breaks my heart.) But maybe there is some as I go more northerly. I'm going to have to decide if I want to stay one more day. I like Pakse, but I haven't really been on my bike much. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Blue river

Left early in the morning. As I was waiting for the ferry to cross the Mekong to get to the road to the border, I sat and watched the sun rise over the water. It had rained last night so the clouds and water made a spectacular showing. The road from Strung Treng was either paved and pretending to be gravel, or gravel pretending to be paved. I couldn't decide. It was fairly green near the river, but then as I got further away and closer to the boarder, I could see more and more of the red dirt, now grateful for the rain. There were craters waiting to be lakes and ponds and a village of 6 houses. (is that enough to be a village?). I got a flat about 1/2 way to the boarder. I tried to pump it up, then my pump broke. Fortunately a van that was to pick up some tourists from Lao stopped. I had to pay 15 dollars, but I not only got to the border, but to a town on the Laos side (the driver of the other van going home.)
I found a person to fix my tire, then took a boat on to one of the islands (of the 4,000 island fame). I am now at a Internet cafe after spending some time at a small riverside restaurant. I watched some logs drift by, some fish dart across, and a tree that looked rather like a picture dictionary entry for tree, with its branches outstretched over the river. There was a rock just under the water that reminded me of Shrek's face before it was quite finished. Why do we always want to put a face on things I wonder? The pace here is beyond slow.
Tomorrow I'll head to Paxie, but it will probably take about two days.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

blah

I'm in Strung Treng. I took the bus, and I'm glad I did, the road was a) boring, b) long, and c) there was nothing, no where to stop and get a drink, let alone find a place to sleep.
Then in Strung Treng I caught a cold. I don't know if I''ll head to Laos tomorrow morning or the next day. It depends on how I feel.
Blah
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

pigs and dogs and cats oh my

The main road is paved, but the rest of the roads aren't. I was exploring a bit when I came to the funniest sight. Three dogs were trying to harass a pig, but the pig was nonplussed and continued rooting around in the garbage bags. This seemed to upset the dogs quite a bit. They were jumping up and down, barking. The pig ignored them. I had to laugh.
I'm going to Strung Treng tomorrow by bus (actually the overcrowded mini-van) I am anticipating 3 hours of hell. I'm pretty sure I can't do it by bike. I will also be volunteering for one hour at a school, teaching English. That should be fun.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

a take on two cities

Leaving Kampoog Cham on highway 7 to Memot was very pleasant. Except for the heat. It is oppressive to say the least. However I did have a very pleasant reprive when on the road, two monks stopped me and asked me some questions. They then invited me to their "pagoda" (it wasn't really a pagoda, it was a very nice temple, with brightly painted walls depecting the life of Budha) He was very proud of the new ceiling. And I learned that Buddha didn't attain enlightenment until after he ate rice. I like that story. I also learned that a lot of monks become monks to be able to study. It is a system like the Catholics in previous centuries. After the pleasant repose, I traveled on to Memot. A very pleasant city. I found a nice guest house, that was clean and pleasantly furnished, and had dinner at a very nice resturant around the corner. (I had rice and two dishes, for only 2,000 reils-- a fact that becomes important later.)
The next morning I started early, and went to Snol. Now, I arrived in Snol quite early, only 11:30, but, I knew I couldn't go 80 more kilometers that day, and that is how far Kraitie was. I could have gotten a bus to Kraitie, but I decided to stay because I didn't know if I would have to get transport from Kraitie to Strung Treng (Strung Treng is 130 km from Kratie) -- ok in Snol there was only one guest house, and it was dirty. And became scary when I found a largish ugly bug crawling out of the drain in the bathroom. I know I've been doing this for too long because I didn't scream, and I didn't stop what I was doing. When I'd finished my business, I took said largish scary bug outside. No muss no fuss. I went to dinner. The place wasn't nice, but I was hungry. I had rice and two dishes for 4,000 reil. When I said something the woman became very unpleasant. Now keep in mind this was the worst time since I've been here, and it wasn't that bad. Plus Snol is a bus stop town. The only industry that I could see is the bus stop. But still.
I left as early as possible.
The road to Kraitie was long. And there were fewer villages. And only two sugar cane juice stands. I hope this doesn't mean that in Laos there won't be anymore sugar cane juice.
Although the road was flat flat flat, and dusty till now, it is now getting more hilly. Not anything huge, but not flat either. Plus it is getting green and junglish. And the villages although farther apart are looking quite prosperous.
I am staying here in Kratie today and tomorrow. I have to decide what to do about getting to Strung Treng. I don't know if I can make 130 km, and there are no towns big enough for a hotel on the road. There may be temples though. And I might be able to push myself.
Right now there is a sudden storm. I look out the door of the cafe, and the wind is blowing the awnings and non-tied down things all around the street. But the wind, feels soooooooo good. It has a touch of chill.
I should probably get off the computer now.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

rolling by the river

I'm in Kompoong Cham now. Prey Veng was the smallest big city I think I've ever been in. So far the roads are good, the bugs are huge, and you can still get some pretty nice sugar cane juice. I'm such an addict now. I think because it is cold and sweet and they add salt to it, so it is probably like the sports drinks but tastes sooooo much better.
The villages are very friendly but in one, the kids didn't quite get the concept of begging. They knew they were supposed to ask for money, but they just didn't quite get it. They would yell Hello!Dollar!Hello! while waving. They didn't even try to get near.
It isn't the same green as Vietnam, and the scars of war are still visible, and sometimes they are still bleeding. But there is hope, the road is very new, and I see a re-forestation project (the shade was so very very welcome.)
With the new road, there is no longer boat service to Kratie, or Strung Treng, but that is ok. Although, I was kinda hoping that the road from Kratie would be too terrible and I would have to take a boat. The highway 7 going up from here is the long way, and it doesn't follow the Mekong, so I asked at one of the travel places, and there is a road that follows the river. But.....
it is very bad. And there is no place to stop. And my only fear really is that I won't find a place to stay before it gets dark.
So the highway it is. The road to here had no shoulder to speak of, but that was ok, because there was no traffic to speak of. Most of the traffic are these vans that serve as long distance buses.
They are so packed that you have 10 people more than is comfortable in the van, and about 20 more people on top of the van. I think the top would be a bit more comfortable, if only for the wind.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

dusty roads, take me home

I arrived in Bavet, the first city from Moc Bai. (The border crossing) at 9am this morning. Bavet is kinda boring, mostly a bunch of casinos on the side of the road, then dusty little shops then nothing. The road isn't nearly as bad as I expected. I'm on the road to Phenom Pehn, but I'll turn off when I reach the Mekong and follow that to Kratie. I've found a mildly frightening guest house, but it feels fairly safe because it is run by women. Most of the scary is because there are small holes in the upper wall where I know creepy crawlies can invite themselves in. (it is part of the structure, not from disrepair.)
The road itself seems almost finished, but they left the very last smoothing layer for later. It isn't as green as Vietnam, and it is more dusty, but the people are friendly. The only problem I had was when I stopped for my sugar cane juice. I was surrounded by lots of kids, and several old women and two younger women. We were talking, and I said I came from Vietnam. This enraged the drunken uncle (who was about 90) and he decided to come to where I was sitting. All the girls & women leapt to my defense so I was not even mildly perturbed.
So far so good.
Until I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.
PS the reason I didn't answer any e-mails today -- the Internet is very very very slow

leaving saigon

The hotel staff are still asleep on the floor. Although I'm ready to go, I'm not sure I have the heart to wake them. I am on my way to Cambodia, and kinda excited about the prospect. I have a plan, a bad map, and a bit of luck.
till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

another one bites the dust

I actually quite like Saigon, but I also like Hanoi. I read somewhere that most people either like one or the other. What does it mean when you like both?
I guess I'm just weird.
I also found out I'm not a real cyclist.
I met a Belgian, he cycles in Asia. We were talking. Apparently, I'm not doing it right.
He:"What kind of (thing I don't know what it does) do you use?"
Me: "What is that?"
He: "It regulates your gears. You haven't adjusted it?"
Me:" I didn't know I had it"
He:" Do you have GPS?", Me:" Uh, no" He: Do you have (spacial) pedals?" Me:"Uh, no"
HE: "Do you have the proper shoes?" Me: "Uh, no" He: "Do you have a cyclist swiss knife" Me: "What?" (it actually is kinda cool, it has every tool you would need) He: Do you have ... cycle shorts, underwear?" Me: "They have special cycle underwear?" (well, since I have a hard time finding regular underwear that fits, I don't think I'll find the special underwear anytime soon)
He: " How did you do this, you need ( a long list of things I'm sure were in English, but I don't know what they are)
After he left, I felt a little bad. I am not a cool cyclist, but then...
I realized I am The Woman. I did all of this, China and Vietnam, without any toys, and without any special equipment. I don't need all that stuff, and although a few were cool toys, they were just that, toys.
I feel good.
Till I post again, be good be happy and have fun.

what a beautiful day

Yesterday was a very good day. I found an English speaking guide, (he can speak French too) and we were off. First he took me to the bank, and I am now feeling very good about Cambodia &Laos. I then gave my passport to the visa people for the Laos visa--I'm told it is just as easy to get the visa for Cambodia at the border and it is cheaper too). We then started the day with Notre Dame cathedral, where my guide introduced me to his patron saint Joseph- he was named after him. My guide couldn't tell me about the seriously ugly chicken like birds I've seen around, but he was able to tell me about a lot of other interesting things. I didn't want to see pagodas or the tourist stuff, so we went to an art museum and to the zoo and botanical gardens (Saigon doesn't have an aquarium or we would have gone there) . Then we went to a wonderful lunch, at a place I would have never been aware of -strictly local. The huge shrimp were divine, and I even ate frog. It is nice when someone is with you, it allows for a certain amount of adventurousness. After lunch we went across the river by ferry (I love ferries) and it was so different, just like the country side. We sat at a small coffee hut buy the side of the river and watched the small boats, motor boats, dingies, barges, trawlers, and freighters go by. I love boats so it was very cool for me. We talked about philosophy and family and life. At first I felt a bit sorry for him, here he was tri-lingual, smart and ambitious and all he was was a moto guide. But he told me how much he loved his job. He meets people from all over the world, gets to practice his language skills, and spend time with his family. I then envied him a bit. We also talked a bit about the war. He was in his late teens. They call it the American war here, not the Vietnam war. He said he was lucky because he had majored in electronics so he was in the background for most of the fighting. His graduating class had 54 people, and only 4 are alive today. I thought that very very sad. He said the American soldiers brought both good and bad in equal measure. We talked about the nature of luck, and he said that I shouldn't get an office job when I got home. I should get a job that makes me happy and has new things everyday. I agree. After we left he showed me a real market, and then told me that they were going to have to move as a new commerce area was going to be constructed. I said" it already is a commerce area" but not profitable enough and realized that my guide and I were both very very lucky. When we got back to Saigon, we had some ice-cream and said good-bye. I have his e-mail. I then went to a nice dinner and slept very very well.
Today I plan to read my new book, take a nap, and just kinda hang a bit.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

house of the rising sun

My birthday was pretty nice. I got a very nice room, watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on HBO and then had chocolate ice cream for dinner. Ok not a very healthy dinner, but .....
I was happy. The next morning I had the best breakfast sandwich ever, and a mostly uneventful day of travel. I've noticed that the jungle coffee shops have given way to these tent like things, with hammocks instead of chairs. It is quite nice, but I have to be careful not to fall asleep.
I found a semi-nice place for the night by the side of the road, It was getting late and I didn't know if there was another town near by, and Bien Hoa was too far to make by dark. It was a special hotel, where you can rent the company as well as the room, but since every one left me alone I figured it was ok.
The next day I got to Bien Hoa, a very large city. With no hotels. Ok they had two that I found. But really two? and like I said it is a big city. I road around for one hour looking for a room, and was shocked by the dearth of accommodation. However the city did have a plethora of dentists. Usually the dentists here look very scary ( try open air, and not much light) I am surprised at how beautiful the smiles are, considering how scary the dentist offices look, and I figured they just took very good care of their teeth because they didn't want to go there. Now I think they all go to Bien Hoa, and leave that day. It was kinda sad, because there was a beautiful lake front, and instead of coffee shops, cafes or hotels, they had a recycle dump, and almost a slum like neighborhood. Maybe the city planners think, hmph who needs tourists, when we have all the dentists.
I did find one hotel room, and the old lady running the place was very nice. And the next day (today) I came into Saigon. I now understand when they say Hwy 1 has "interesting" traffic. Oh.My.Goodness.
Now I'm happily ensconed in an ok guesthouse, I'll look for something better tomorrow, as well as getting my Western Union. I will then get my visas for Cambodia and Laos, and I'm going to see if I can find an English speaking guide for a day.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

blowin in the wind

Today is my birthday!
yeah
I will be in search of ice cream after writing this post.
The road to here has been different. It reminds me a bit of Texas, very dry desert and with lots of scrub and even some cactus. I know, I never would have guessed that Vietnam had cactus. There aren't many trees and only a few hills so the wind is extraordinary, I almost got blown off the bike. Really. But I think it is getting more lush. There are more trees and fewer cows or goats.
Did you know that goats will try to eat all of your baggage. It is true. One goat thought my bag was so delicious he followed me along for two kilometers.
Oh and by the way I reached over 1,500 km in Vietnam. wow.
I also experienced the most interesting bathroom yet. It was a pretty standard bathroom, what made it interesting was the large spider on the wall. It was just sitting there, and since I really had to go, I did. The spider didn't move, so I decided that it wasn't dangerous, just kinky.
And then about 10 km later, a butterfly hit me. Yeah. Who knew they could be so vicious. I was just riding my bike, minding my own business, when a butterfly fluttered along. Then it hit me, and fluttered on by. I was stunned.
However I am currently in a very happy mood, because there was a fruit stand with avocados, and I'm going to get some ice-cream, and maybe find a nice restaurant for dinner.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

decisions

I've made up my mind. I'm going to continue to bike to Saigon, then bike to Cambodia, Laos etc. I think it is best, because the thought of getting on a bus here is kinda scary, and this is supposed to be a bike trip.
I stocked up in NaTreng, and even went to the beach for a few minutes. I was surrounded by hawkers selling everything from sarongs to massages to baubles and to be honest, the beach cafe on the side of the road was better. But I did go on a major shopping spree, got antiseptic ointment in case I fall off my bike again, spf 81 sunscreen (I hope this helps) and various other needful things.

The way to NaTreng was pretty interesting. Mostly hilly (up,up,up, down,down,down, flat,flat,flat, up,up,up, down,down,down, flat,flat,flat etc.etc.)but there was a beautiful cafe right on a beach with small fishing boats, that I had to stop and take a break at. And the view! up up up and then seeing the white rocks emerge from turquoise water. wow.

That is one of the reasons I don't make very good time. For example the coffee shops/cafes here can be very beautiful. They are large, have lots and lots of plants and even a fountain or fish pond.There was one that looked especially cool. (literally, cool and breezy, with lots of flowering plants in terra cotta planters.) I decided to take a break. I get my orange juice followed by several boys. I'm tired so I don't really want to deal. But I smile anyway. They huddle and wisper. Now, I know that you know, when several boys start to wisper and huddle, it usually means trouble. I think to my self, oh no. Then one boy breaks off from the group and runs inside. I start to worry. He comes back with a dictionary. We go back and forth with the dictionary teaching each other new words. It was fun, and when I left one of the boys helped me get rid of a spider that wanted to stow away on board my bike.
I don't really want to quit.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

Christine the red nosed human, had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it, you could even say it glows.

I have problems.
As you can guess by the title, one of the problems is the sun. I'm beginning to resemble my grandmother's patchwork quilt, I keep burning and peeling. I even got blisters on my thighs. Plus the heat, it is so bad. I met another cyclist on the road, he was a young guy from the Netherlands, and I didn't feel so bad when he mentioned the heat the first thing. ( he was trying to do 110 km a day, was really decked out, even had the front wheel bags and gloves, the whole nine yards)
I'm hoping that in Na Trang (a beach town) I can get some stronger sunscreen. I'm really starting to worry a bit.
Which leads me to my second problem. Every other day I want to just quit. (thanks Joe, for the pick me up) Don't get me wrong, Vietnam is beautiful, China was beautiful. I want to see Laos, I like seeing the world roll by, farmers stopping in the field to wave hello, school girls in their white uniform laughing and shouting and flying a red kite, rice drying gold on the side of the road, a french colonial house set back and painted an impossible pink, drinking sugar cane juice from a stand on the side of the road, under a broad leafed shade tree. Not things for the tourist books or postcards, but still, they make the trip worthwhile. (although I have been known to take a break and 'forget' to lock the bike in the hopes it might get stolen, giving me a face saving way out)
And for me it is the journey, not the destination that is important. Which leads me to my third problem. Hue really did a number on my budget. I have a few options, I can get money sent again, I can change my route and go from Na Trang to Laos, from Laos to Thailand, Thailand to Cambodia, Cambodia back to Thailand, Thailand to Malaysia, Malaysia to Singapore. There are a couple of problems with this plan. One is that I won't get to see most of southern Vietnam. Two is that I will have to back track and go over the same route in Cambodia. I could also just go through Cambodia and skip Laos, but since Laos is one of my favorite countries here I really don't want to do that.
I stare at the map as if it had answers. I don't know why, it isn't that good a map anyway.
I'll probably stick to the original "plan" if you can call it that, and get money sent. I want to splurge on the mineral mud bath massage in Na Treng, and I want to take a detour into Dalat.
This trip although not exactly meticulously planned, is going to take a wee bit longer and cost a wee bit more than originally anticipated.
I'll figure it out. Meanwhile, there is a beautiful coffee shop right on the ocean, calling my name.
So, till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

back in the saddle again

It felt sooooo good to finally leave Hue, and be back on my bike. For the first couple of hours. It dawned on me that I probably should have ridden my bike a bit more. Then I got sunburned, despite spf 30 sunscreen. I was wearing my new shorts, and my poor thighs haven't seen the sun in a long time. They were a wee bit ill prepared.
There were hills and mountains as well. The first mountain pass was fairly easy, and pretty small and short. The second mountain pass was a bit more steep, but it didn't last that long. The third mountain pass was more difficult and a bit higher and steeper. When I got to Lang Co, I decided to stop. It is a beach resort town, but I really didn't want to sit in any more sun. I'm a bit, how can I put it, not too happy with sunshine right now. I sat on the balcony of my hotel and watched the world go by instead. There was no electricity again, I think it its a nation wide problem.
I'm so glad I waited till morning to start the last mountain pass to get to DaNang. It reminded me of the mountain that wouldn't' end in China. Only this one did end. Apparently I'm inspiring to a couple from Chicago. They couldn't get over that I was doing this by myself. That made me feel good. Especially since on the way up the mountain I didn't get any spectacular views, because that morning it was spectacularly foggy.
On the away down I did get a glimpse of the bay surrounded by the fog shrouded mountain. It was worth the trip.
I then headed out of Da Nang, and on to Hoi An. I thought Hoi An was on Hwy 1, but again, I was wrong.
But I now know how to get to Hwy 1, my hotel has a deck overlooking the river (and I'm about to go and have a coffee there after I post this) and I had a wonderful fried noodle w/pumpkin for dinner.
Life is ok.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

leaving

Well, apparently my visa will be ready tomorrow morning. I mailed my winter clothes ( it cost more than I thought it would) to Aunt Veda, got my bike fixed up (it cost less than I thought it would, but not enough to make up for the mail) sewed the rips in my bike bag, and started the packing.
I did meet two interesting young women, who were here on a Buddhist pilgrimage. We are going to meet later, I can't wait to hear about their adventure.
I can't wait to get started again.
I know that sometimes it is a bit boring, and sometimes it is hard, and many times I want to quit, and I whine about the b.s. But.
I can't wait to get started again, see Da Nang, see some of the coast line.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

hey

The word is Wednesday morning. I will get my visa on Wednesday. It is for Vietnam, and I really really feel frustrated. But. I will go on, and Damn It, I am going to Singapore.
I think I might have to rush through Cambodia though, but that is ok, according to my map, the road from Kratie to Strung Treng is "interesting"
I'll see when I get there, and since I have to go the rest of the way through Vietnam, and get the new visas in Saigon (for Cambodia and Laos),
I'm not quite sure why I'm doing this.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

sigh

I'm still in Hue
I can't go to another town and have them send my passport because I need the visa for the hotels.
I can't hurry the government. (and since I offered to pay even more for a hurry-up and she said it was impossible, I tend to believe her more that it really is a government thing and not a fraud thing)
The electricity keeps going off in my neighborhood.
I don't want to see another pagoda.
I am obviously not a "good" tourist. I find most of the touristy sites to be profoundly boring. But I thought some of the dusty not on the map towns to be pretty interesting.
My front tire has another flat, but I think I'll wait till Monday to fix that and mail my winter clothes.
On the bright side:
I found a restaurant that has a beautiful avocado salad. I love avocado.
The riverfront park is beautiful. I like sitting by the river, watching it lazily meander downstream while on the bridge everyone is hurrying and scurrying across.
Till I post again be good, be happy, and have fun.

Who'll stop the rain

Or why my life is the new definition of suck.
It is rainy. Yesterday it rained all day. Which overall would be ok, since I wanted to rest, and I had done a day of business on Monday. but....
The lights went out. It wasn't the hotel's fault, it is the whole neighborhood. And there was a problem with extending my visa. I'm still not sure if it is a rip-off by the agency or a regularity problem with the government official (here in S.E.Asia, and parts of E.Asia, that is a factor when dealing with any official agency). It is going to cost me 40.00 us more, plus I'm stuck here for 6 more days. On the bright side, my hotel will give me a discount for a long term stay, and I do like them. (except for the creepy guy that was in the hall, whose first question was Do you stay here? *duh, I'm going into one of the rooms- and whose second question was Are you alone? * I answered sharply -none of your business. Don't worry, he left this morning and I am bigger than he is anyway.
I thought seriously of getting my passport back, going to HoChiMihn on the bus and getting a ticket home.
I keep thinking about the things I miss: Going to a store and buying clothes, without any hassle, finding my size.... Eating food that I know... (and "don't ask don't tell" may be debatable as military policy, but is excellent food policy here)... Being able to talk to people without cultural and language barriers... knowing the price of things at the store....Not being accosted by 20 moto/cyclo/taxi/tuck-tuck drivers when I walk down the street. I keep thinking about home.
But....
I'm already committed to the visa extension/new visa thing. And although it puts a crimp in my budget, it isn't the end of the world. And if I go to HoChiMihn after this, I might as well go into Cambodia. If I go to Cambodia, I don't want to miss Laos. (Laos is one of my favorite S.E.Asian countries) And if I go to Laos, I'm more than half way to Singapore, so I might as well finish. If you want some of the stories, you have to buy the margaritas.
And.
Even though it is rainy, and I'm in a grumpy mood, and my hotel doesn't have electricity so I don't have hot water for a shower, and I really don't want to stay here so long, I know that overall, the journey is a good one. And it is the journey not the destination.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

Tales to tell

The whole sordid tale:
Well, I thought I could get a visa extension in Vihn. It is actually a bigger city than Hue. But. They don't have much in the way of the backpacker tourist things that Hue does. And Hue is pronounced whey as in little miss muffet and her curds. Even my coffee mix was hard to find. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I'm starting to like coffee mix....I don't really want to talk about it.
The fact that Vihn doesn't have a tourist office that does visa extensions leaves me in a small bind. I have to really push it to get to Hue before my visa expires.
I leave Vihn early, and keep going Ky Ahn is the next town according to the km markers. I hoped it would be big enough for a hotel. Before Vihn there were a lot of towns and even hotels that were on the side of the road, but after Vihn not so many. It was miles of not much but lots of bright green broken up occasionally by the darker green of trees. They have almost finished planting the rice and there are so many shades of green here. I think green should be Vietnam's national color.Very beautiful but a bit worrisome when looking for a place to stay for the night.
I finally get into Ky Ahn, and they do have ONE hotel, with karaoke. I am so tired I don't even care. I get up early yet again and head for Dong Hoi. (95 km) I make it to Dong Hoi, and get a room, but I'm so tired I can't tell you much about the town. It seemed nice enough. And I had a great view of the rice fields in the sunset. I get up early and head for Dong Ha (90km)
On my way to Dong Ha I get two flat tires. They were easy enough to fix, but I was worried about the time. I think there is something about the roads that are bad for tires here. Sometimes there are more tire repair shops than cafes by the side of the road. Anyway. I moved on and moved on. About 30 km from Dong Ha I'm going slowly because I'm in a crush of other bikes, mostly school kids. A woman makes a right turn and crashes into my back tire. She is angry because she thinks this is my fault ( I think that is what she was yelling about.) Meanwhile I'm dusting my self off assessing the damage: skinned elbow and knee, and a chain that will need a real mechanic to fix- I just don't have the tools. So I leave the woman who has since gotten back on her bike, and I start walking because I know eventually I will find a Hon Da shop and they can fix the bike. The school kids of course follow (what's your name? where are you from? how old are you?) annoying but... I do find the shop, I do get my bike fixed, and I do keep going. I get to Dong Ha. ( I am going to have to watch for dehydration, I think that was part of the problem)
I think it is Saturday. I have to be in Hue by Sunday so that I can get my visa extended on Monday.
It is not Saturday. It is Friday.
Hue is only 60 km away. I sigh in relief. I still head out early, but I have time for a little more leisurely breakfast. I teach the cafe guy to make eggs with tomato. And then I'm off. I even stop at the cool little cafe for some sugar cane juice (not as sweet as it sounds and very refreshing).
I get into Hue and get into another minor spill on my bike. And by the way, sunburn on a skinned elbow, is the new definition of suck.
I decide, I really need a nice place and a rest. So I go to a "nice" hotel, and pay 30.00 us for a room. ( a quick note, most rooms I've been staying in were 6-8 us) but I wanted a treat. Hmph.
Well, the room didn't have a window (ok because I wanted to sleep in, and I usually wake up at first light) The hot water was over before I could shave my legs. ( I admit it takes a bit longer with all the dings and scrapes to my legs, but...) I go downstairs because I don't want to go anywhere for dinner. I decide I want a drink. They don't have Kahlua. They don't have rum. I want to cry. Dinner was so-so. I ask for an 8am wake up call.
7:30 the maid asks if she can clean my room. The cable had only one English channel. ( usually I don't care, but that night, ...treat...) :( I leave.
I do find another hotel. This one is 8.00 us. It has hot water long enough to shave my legs and get a few kinks out of my shoulders. The staff are really friendly. And the tv has way more channels in English. This is very good because I am in Hue until Friday morning.
I found a place to get my visa extended, (60.00 us *sigh*) and I found a post office to mail my winter clothes I started with. I will find some good shorts, I found a bike repair shop to get my bike tuned up again.
Actually I think the break will do me good. I don't even want to look at that bike until Friday.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun

bad blogger, no biscut

I'm safe in Hue, and at yet another hotel computer. I promise to tell the whole sordid story tomorrow. (it isn't that sordid, but ....)
I did 95 km a day for 3 days straight and so I'm about to crash tonight. But the hotel is nice and has HBO. I'll try to stay awake for a movie or something. I don't feel too guilty. I'll be here in Hue for a few days getting my visa extension.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.
*and let's face it, the motorcycle boys ARE fun

ohh my

Well, I rolled into Hanoi, about 5pm, found a hotel near "swan lake" and wandered around. I should feel a bit guilty, as the next day, when I should have been looking at cultural sites etc, I spent the afternoon drinking chocolate martinis and listening to jazz. I like Vietnam because they like coffee almost as much as I do. The big difference is they like it much stronger than I do, and they put sweetened condenced milk in it. It makes for quite the rich brew.
The Vietnamese are for the most part very friendly, and the motorcycle boys are similar to the ones in China: 3 or 4 piled on one bike, shouting and laughing and ready to say something encouring. At least that is what I think they are saying.
I've also managed to make friends with a waterbuffalo/oxen type animal. It was interesting.
I'm now in a small town called Phu li. They say Highway 1 has too much traffic, and maybe because I am used to China I don't really feel it. Yeah going into and out of the towns or cities there is traffic, but it isn't THAT bad. I didn't find a really good map in Hanoi, so hopefully in Hue I will. I think I'm also going to have to get a visa extention. I don't think I'll make it to Ho Chi Mhin city by the 20th.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

Vietnam

I made it. I had to go on the express way, and at first I was nervous, but then since like the bridge near Gangzhou, everyone was ignoring the no bikes no pedestrian sign, I kept going. The border crossing was pretty easy, I'm in a nice border town, and I am about to eat my first real Vietnamese meal.
I had all of these thoughts I wanted to put down, about the flower trees, and bundled babies with their butts poking out, and lazy dogs watching the world go by, and and and, the words are all lovely in my head, while I'm on my bike, but ... when it comes to writing it down, once I get on the computer, the words drift off, like butterflies and my head is empty.
I feel kinda sad to leave China.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.

I made it!

I made it across China. I did it. Yeah I think I'm cool.
I will enter Vietnam tomorrow.
Wow
All in all, except for a few small problems, it has been a great trip. I've seen some beautiful sights, eaten some very interesting food, and met some great people. (I've even seen ox drawn carts. How cool is that? It got a bit interesting when trying to avoid both the ox ploppies and the trucks, but it was cool seeing oxen napping by the side of the road.)
I'm excited about Vietnam, but at the same time a bit sad to leave China. It was wonderful.

Easy like Sunday morning

I only wish I had come here sooner so that I could enjoy this province more. I got into Naning yesterday. Wow what a nice city. It just felt so relaxed, and everything was easy. As I was leaving Yunfu, I realized that I wasn't alone in my ordeal. So many people were tense, and part of the problem was of course the bad guys. I took a bus into Naning, because I was tired and I don't have much time left. I could tell the difference when we went through Cenxi. This has got to be the most tidy place in China. Even the trash dumps are tidy. It is kinda amazing. Naning can only be described as lush. It was a very pretty city. It took me a long time to get out of the city, not because I got lost (I didn't for once) but because I kept slowing down to enjoy the place. Even changing money was easy compared to everywhere else. If I ever come back to China, I would consider Naning. The only problem was about 15 km outside the city, the 322 just disappeared. I asked how to get to Baoling- the next city, and apparently you go along one road, then you have to go up a dirt ramp, then you are back on the 322. I was a bit nervous about the proposition, but after I went up the dirt ramp I saw a truck that was stopped. I asked the driver and he said, go on the road. Then I saw the kilometer marker and I was indeed on the right road. Unfortunately it is not a very good road with a very very narrow shoulder, and there was a lot of wind. I only made 50 km today. I'm staying at a very interesting rooming house (only 10 yuan for the night so I can't really complain) in a very friendly small town. Tomorrow I will be in Baoling, and on the 4th I'll be in Pingxing. I will then have finished China. I will post a retrospective of the journey then.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.

And so it goes

I'm having a very bad day today.
While I was enjoying the beauty of this area, two motorcycle boys came up behind me and took my waist bag. I tried to fight them, but they cut through the strap and ran off. I didn't lose much, but I did lose my camera. And all the cool pictures I have of China. And my room-mate Jane, and ... I don't really care about anything else in the bag, most of it can be replaced with varying degrees of ease, but the camera is a major bummer. I think for the rest of the journey I will get those cheap disposable cameras. I don't really love them because of the pollution problem, but at least I won't be heartbroken if I lose it.
Sigh.
I am going to take the bus to Cenxi, because to be honest, I'm a bit tired of this province, and I want to see some of Yunan. I only have 5 more days in China, and then on to Vietnam. According to Lonely Planet, the kind of theft I experienced is more common there, so I will be more careful. I almost hate to post this, because it make China sound dangerous or bad. That is so not true. OK it isn't always safe, but then your own bathroom is fraught with dangers, like slipping and molds etc. And really, I haven't had much of a bad time, and for everything bad that happens, so much more good happens.
Till I post again, be safe, be happy, and have fun.

Can't think of a cool title at the moment

The next day, it had rained so the shoulder situation was much much worse. I peddled, thinking zen, peddle peddle, think zen. Then the road widened and life was good. I made it to Dangguang and I must say it was a lovely town. I wanted to stop but it was only 12:30 and I know I kinda have a deadline now. I did find a map however. And I only got lost a little bit, and that led me to the book shop with the map. It is a beautiful little city, clean, lots of parks, and a good atmosphere. Like I said, there really isn't much difference between cities, just that each one has its own personality. I liked this cities personality a lot. But I kept going.

I stopped at a little roadside stand a few miles away, and got dive bombed by bird poop. They got me twice. I swear it was like they had smart bomb bird poo. It didn't get my bag (bright yellow target that would have been) it got me. I decided it was a sign to move on.

I found a cheap little hotel, and the people were quite nice, but the bed was not comfortable and they had mosquitoes. So I didn't sleep very well. But at 7:00 am I was happy.
I was just outside of Guangzhou, and I thought I could get onto the next road by noon. Ha. I didn't even get lost!! It was just that Guangzhou is a huge city. Spread out huge. The road I was on led almost to the road I wanted to go to, but .... I kept going and going. I thought the city was pretty cool, and I did get a picture of a bike with baskets of chickens and ducks (I wanted one because it is so very China) and I did get a nice lunch of roast duck, but... The road kept going, through exurbs and suburbs and this nightmare of a train station. I kept peddling and thinking zen peddling and thinking zen. By 3:00 I wanted to cry. I turned off where the police said I should, and there was a sign before a very long bridge. No bikes, No pedestrians. Everyone was passing me on foot and on bike, ignoring the sign. I saw another police booth and asked the police man (thinking he was going to wave me away)- and he pointed over the bridge. I guess the sign wasn't valid anymore.

I crossed the bridge, next to the train tracks ( I even got to see two trains pass very close by) and got into a small town. (not quite on the road yet) I kept thinking- will this city never end?
It is a nice enough city, but....
This morning I woke up early, and decided that if the city didn't end by the end of the day, and I didn't get on the right road, I would quit and take a bus. But the road did show up finally and the city did kinda end. I felt pretty good. I got into Sanshui by noon. Sanshui was another really nice little city. Busy and clean and friendly. So many people smiled at me. I went into a little shop to buy something and the three boys running the shop insisted on giving me tea. They were watching a basketball game between the Boston and Huston. They were fans of Boston. (I think).
I didn't make it all the way to Zhouqing, but I'm in a very nice little town, with very nice people and some very good food. Tomorrow is another day. Peddle peddle, think zen, peddle peddle, think zen.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.