tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83582143022611239832024-02-21T06:06:28.901-08:00Dani & Sam OverlandThis blog will document the journey Dani and I will take from Leighton Buzzard, England to Seacliff, South Australia. It will not be a direct route.
Travel commenced May 2012 and will end January 2013.Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-57498205399364739052013-01-27T16:11:00.001-08:002013-03-19T23:50:47.601-07:00Darwin to Adelaide (The Ghan), Australia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To complete the final leg of our 6 month journey, we decided to take Australia's most iconic train journey, from north to south across the continent. The Ghan is named after the Afghan workers who supplied the original construction of the line with their sturdy camels. In this case, train travel works out to be around the same price as flying (if you get the backpacker discount - available to anyone with a <a href="http://www.hihostels.com/web/membership.en.htm" target="_blank">HI membership</a>) and is much more comfortable, but obviously takes a great deal longer. We left Darwin at 10:30 in the morning on the once-a-fortnight service that occurs this time of year.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/site/the_ghan/services/red_service.jsp" target="_blank">Red Sleeper</a> service was more comfortable than any carriage we have experienced on the trip, with seats that rotate for groups traveling in foursomes, and enough legroom for a 190cm person to stretch out.<br />
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Sunset and sunrise were particularly spectacular during the trip, with the wet-season clouds providing a stunning canvas for the vivid colours.</div>
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We had thought that sleeping would be extremely uncomfortable, as unlike almost all our other train journeys, we did not have a flat bed to sleep on (the price jump for seat to sleeper is triple). However, because we kept our bags with us instead of checking them, we were able to elevate our feet and recline enough that it was a tolerable night's sleep, though the lack of provided pillows and blankets was strange considering the cost.<br />
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Our preconceptions of the landscape turned out to be mostly incorrect, with vast areas of scrubby bush rather than the emptiness of the desert we expected. Certainly from Darwin to Alice Springs it was mostly bush, with a slow change from thicker and more tropical flora to that of the dry interior.<br />
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Alice Springs was a welcome stop, with 4 hours to stretch our legs, restock our supermarket supplies, and try to avoid burning to a crisp in the record-breaking heatwave they were experiencing. It was a mere 38 degrees centigrade when we arrived, but they had just experienced many consecutive days above 40. The rail-side gum trees provided some shade from the sun as we were locked out of the train until just before departure.<br />
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Not until rural South Australia did we experience the emptiness we had expected, though it was primarily agricultural land recently stripped bare by harvest.<br />
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Finally we arrived in Adelaide at 12:30pm two days after departing Darwin. In keeping with the beginning of the journey, we decided to catch public transportation to the house. Frustratingly, the train line that normally links the Ghan to my home in the southern suburbs is currently out of service, so we walked towards the city and took two buses to Seacliff. Once home we emptied everything from our bags and excitedly opened boxes we had sent from England and the road. Our traveling days are done... for now.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-75404374598796620482013-01-23T13:24:00.001-08:002013-01-23T22:39:31.911-08:00Darwin, AustraliaFrom England to Singapore we were able to travel overland, but due to the Australian Government's condition requiring Dani to enter via an airport for her visa, we were forced to fly. The plane covered just over 3000 km in 4 hours, but was boring, uncomfortable, and hopefully the last flight we will take for the foreseeable future. After arriving in Darwin and relaxing for a couple of days at our couchsurfing place, we decided to explore nearby <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litchfield_National_Park" target="_blank">Litchfield National Park</a> - a small but phenomenally beautiful area.<br />
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We were especially impressed with the quantity and variety of native animals. We saw Dingoes early in the morning, Wallabies and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_wallaroo" target="_blank">Wallaroos</a>, and a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goanna" target="_blank">Goanna</a> crossing the road. Our couchsurf host was also an animal lover, so I was able to handle her (non-venomous) Black-headed Python.<br />
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One type of animal we were not so excited to come across was the Golden Orb spider, which loves to build it's gigantic webs across paths. As we were the first to visit one particular forest walk, I was constantly dismantling webs and trying to stay out of their way.<br />
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Litchfield National Park also boasts a number of swimming holes, usually at the base of waterfalls. Darwin is located in the tropics and is currently in a monsoon cycle (locally called The Wet). This means that the weather stays hot both during the day and at night, the humidity is almost unbearably high, and there is torrential rain almost every afternoon. We were extremely glad to find these peaceful swimming spots that are much quieter now than in the dry season.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-67380561114139374752013-01-20T21:31:00.000-08:002013-01-20T21:31:58.842-08:00SingaporeWe were expecting a futuristic city of glass and steel, and Singapore did not disappoint. The newly-opened Marina Bay Sands Resort is an interesting assortment of architecture, not least the 'boat building' we were vaguely aware of, but unprepared for how strange it appeared - like a cruise ship dumped on skyscrapers by a tsunami.<br />
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The interior was also impressive, and was a welcome respite from the overwhelming humidity we had so far escaped. Unfortunately Singapore's abundant opportunities for shopping were completely lost on us, and we merely used the building as a refreshingly cool path to the botanical garden.<br />
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The architects had also had a hand in designing the botanical gardens, which were free to walk around, but cost an exorbitant $20 / <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">£</span></span>15 to enter the raised walkway and biospheres. Needless to say we were happy to stroll around the public areas.</div>
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While the architecture was interesting to admire, I was much more excited by the prospect of sampling as much food as was possible in 48 hours. Not far from our couchsurfing host's home was a vegetarian hotpot restaurant. We did not visit a hotpot restaurant in China because they are very meat-centric and we would have struggled to communicate our desire to avoid pig penis and other such delicacies. Here though, there was a cornucopia of vegetables, fungi, dumplings and salads, all available to take back to our table and cook in one of two boiling hot broths.<br />
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One day, we also visited the touristy Chinatown to have a look around. It was nothing like China, though the decorations for the upcoming Chinese New Year were interesting to see. Unfortunately most of the old colonial style buildings are hidden behind large signs and glitzy façades but it is still possible to see some of the old charm if you look above street level.</div>
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At lunchtime, we found our way into a very local hawker centre, with at least 100 booths specialising in a few dishes. I had heard about a must-try dish called Carrot Cake, which contains no carrot, and is not a cake. I opted for the 'dark' Carrot Cake and was delighted to find it was a mixture of egg and a gelatinous mixture of daikon (a large radish) and rice flour. It was fried in dark soy sauce and was extremely delicious. My biggest problem was that I could not fit any more food into the short time we stayed.</div>
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<br />Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-28431955800069071662013-01-17T02:20:00.000-08:002013-01-17T02:20:00.098-08:00Chiang Mai, Thailand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We arrived at Chiang Mai in need of a rest - our trip feeling like it was near it's end and instead of trying to pack a few more destinations in, we decided to spend a week relaxing and making the most of this traveller hub. The city is well-known as a fantastic place to take a course, and as I have always loved Thai food, but never gotten the knack of making it, I decided to enrol in a one-day course.<br />
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There are many different cooking courses available in Chiang Mai, but I saw an advertisement at a yoga centre and asked the owner if he recommended it. Based on that and the reasonable price, I rang the chef and found out it would only be me and one other student, which solidified my decision. The company was <a href="http://redchilicookingschool.com/main/" target="_blank">Red Chilli Cooking School</a> and had no problems adapting the recipes to be vegetarian - even swapping fish sauce for soy, and oyster sauce for mushroom.</div>
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The food was spectacular - both in appearance and taste. The Tom Yum was perhaps my favourite dish with it's very strong yet balanced flavours: sweet; salty; spicy; and bitter.<br />
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Chiang Mai is also famous for it's second hand bookstores, with at least half a dozen large shops in the city centre, plus many smaller (and often even cheaper) selections like we found at the <a href="http://www.weekendnotes.com/free-bird-cafe/" target="_blank">Free Bird Cafe</a> - a restaurant set up as part of a charity for Burmese refugees.<br />
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In addition to educating ourselves, we spent a good deal of time at café's and restaurants, making the most of the very inexpensive food and drink, and giving us a chance to get into those books.<br />
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And as an antidote to all the sitting around, reading and getting the occasional massage, we frequented a nice little yoga studio as part of a long-held desire to do yoga each morning. The classes were very full, which may have been a result of post-NYE-resolutions, but we also know many people come to Chiang Mai specifically to attend courses and classes. It was very enjoyable, but difficult to reconcile that it was 25 per cent more expensive than massages for the same length of time.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-45876678803865513232013-01-13T04:02:00.000-08:002013-01-13T04:02:00.113-08:00North Mekhong, Laos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In order to get from Laos to Thailand, there are a number of routes available. Considering we were already in the north of Laos though, and wanted to use buses as sparsely as possible, we decided to take a boat trip from Luang Prabang to the Thai border at Chiang Kong (in Laos it is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban_Houayxay" target="_blank">Huay Xai</a>). By taking the slow boat, it involved 16 hours on the Mekhong over 2 days.<br />
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We arrived early in the morning (at 7.30 when the ticket office was supposed to open) and secured good seats away from the noisy engine, which was lucky, as the boat soon filled right up. It was much cheaper than buying a package tour with accommodation included, and we took all the details on how to do it and how much it should cost from <a href="http://seeyousoon.ca/from-luang-prabang-to-chiang-mai-an-overland-journey-on-the-slow-boat/" target="_blank">this excellent blog</a>.<br />
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We passed sublime scenery of thick jungle and admired the meanderings of one of the world's great rivers. It was especially interesting to see how local people interact with the river; using it as highway; supermarket; playground; and source of water for gardens, cleaning and washing. Some of the villages were incredibly picturesque, and appeared to be completely cut-off except for their river access.<br />
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The first night we arrived after dark, and stayed in a cheap guesthouse in Pak Beng. It was at the very edge of town, up the hill and where the houses involved in the tourist industry turned into houses for locals, with a stark difference in style and building materials.<br />
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The second morning was (relatively) cold and misty, and I regretted having given away my jumper in Vietnam. It made for a majestic scene though, the hills nestled under banks of cloud as we chugged along the river.<br />
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Our second boat was quite different from the first, as there were far fewer people - almost all tourists now instead of the equal mix of foreigners and Laotians. We managed to secure a bank of 5 seats so we were able to spread out and change our positions throughout the day, which made it much more comfortable. Yet again, this was due to our being early on the boat - at least an hour before departure.<br />
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We arrived in Huay Xai before dark and stayed at a guesthouse rather than trying to dash for the border before it closed. Had we succeeded in getting across to Thailand, we would have still had a 5 hour mini-bus to Chiang Mai, and we were sick of moving by that stage. The next morning we took the ferry across from Laos to Thailand, both borders taking less than 15 minutes each - a very dignified crossing.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-37254665449448032292013-01-09T21:28:00.000-08:002013-01-09T21:28:00.131-08:00Luang Prabang, LaosWe eventually arrived in the former King's residence of Luang Prabang after taking the ludicrously winding and vomit-inducing road up to the north of Laos. The World Heritage city sits amid the convergence of two rivers, which swells the already massive Mekhong and makes for an entertaining backdrop, especially while drinking the Corona of South-East Asia; Beerlao.<br />
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We arrived on Christmas Eve, which was evidenced only by fancy hotels attempting to cash in on homesick foreigners. Had it felt anything like Christmas we may have succumbed to homesickness, but the absence of everything we usually associate with the celebration precluded us from feeling that we were missing out.<br />
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On Christmas Day we decided to splurge financially, in an attempt to make it different from any other exciting day of traveling. We decided to visit an <a href="http://www.elephantvillage-laos.com/" target="_blank">Elephant Camp</a> that attempts to buy elephants from the logging industry, saving them from a situation where normal life expectancy drops from 80 years to around 40, and elephants are subjected to harsh and dangerous working conditions. We hoped that our feeding them sugar cane and scrubbing them in the river was a good trade for carrying our miniscule weight (equivalent to less than 2% of their bodyweight, or less than carrying a mouse for a human).</div>
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We can confirm that these elephants appeared to be well looked-after, and there was a veterinarian on site to care for them. Some had suffered injuries as a result of logging accidents - holes in ears from infections and a missing eye for one, but they seemed relatively happy and free from neuroses, which is not always the case for elephants in the tourist trade.</div>
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During our relaxing time in Luang Prabang we also visited some of the numerous waterfalls in the area, the most impressive of which was the Kuang Si falls. We rented a scooter at more than twice the cost of Vang Vieng, and drove the 27 km during a (relatively) chilly morning. There were a number of cascades, all tinted with the cloudy aqua blue that I now associate with Laos.</div>
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The fall at the beginning of the series was the most impressive, and it was also possible to hike to the top for a view over the surrounding forests.<br />
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Aside from magnificent surroundings, Luang Prabang is also well-known for it's large number of monks. We would see them everywhere in their bright saffron robes, though did not take part in the famous gifting of food, which some argue has made an ancient tradition into a tourist spectacle. We did watch and listen as they made their evening prayers, chanting in the deep rumble that is as pleasant as it is transcendental.<br />
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<br />Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-85611273684141994282013-01-04T20:14:00.000-08:002013-01-04T20:14:21.909-08:00Vang Vieng, Laos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before our time at Saelao we only spent 20 minutes in Vang Vieng, thinking it would be the worst kind of tourist trap based on what we read and people had told us. But the stories we had heard were all based on Vang Vieng pre-September 2012, when binge-drinking and making stupid, dangerous decisions were the two main activities. For a history of the debauchery, see <a href="http://www.southeastasiabackpacker.com/newsflash-vang-vieng-laos-the-end-of-tubing-vang-vieng" target="_blank">here</a>. Happily, the stunning surroundings and brilliant activities remain, while the bars along the river have been closed, which has correspondingly led to a reduction in the number of idiots present and no more deaths! We went tubing through an underground cave around 20 km north of the town, pulling ourselves along ropes and unsuccessfully trying to keep our bodies out of the frigid water.<br />
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It was an amazing experience, with the illumination of headlamps the only visible light in the cylindrical tunnel. At one point, we had to pick up our tubes and walk through shallows to reach deeper water.<br />
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While still around 10 km north of town, we started kayaking along the popular tubing route of the Nam Song river, which took us just over an hour compared to an extremely languid three. It was strange to see vast numbers of steps leading to now non-existent bars, and the sites of slides and ziplines that were the cause of so many deaths.</div>
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Aside from water-based activities, there are also a number of spectacular loops radiating out from town, going through epic limestone landscapes and poor rural villages. We hired scooters for small change, as competition is extremely strong since tourist numbers have dwindled.</div>
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The main sight of our loop was the Yui waterfall, which we inexplicably had to ourselves. It is now the dry season, but the fall was still impressive and very powerful.<br />
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In addition to the falls, there were a number of lagoons that were packed with butterflies drinking the water that had lapped onto the rocks. We sat and watched them in between refreshing dips.</div>
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-18595843958522829792012-12-30T21:36:00.000-08:002012-12-30T21:36:18.369-08:00Vang Vieng (Saelao), Laos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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From Siem Reap, we took a bus to the Thai border and a train to Bangkok. The next evening we yet again rejoiced in train travel and took the overnight service to Nong Khai, crossed into Laos and stayed one night in the capital - Vientiane. Finally, after a minibus to Vang Vieng and a motorbike ride into the countryside, we arrived at the <a href="http://saelaoproject.com/volunteer/" target="_blank">Saelao</a> project.<br />
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The peaceful location and idyllic surroundings were to be our home for the next two weeks.<br />
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The project has multitudinous objectives, and while volunteering there we were involved in a great variety of them. A major goal for the project is to become self-sufficient in organic food for the on-site restaurant, volunteers, and staff. This will require a great deal of work and the supervision of someone throughout the seasons. Dani lent a hand by resurrecting this garden that had been taken over by weeds.</div>
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All the buildings on site are made from locally sourced, renewable materials. We were enlisted to help make mud bricks for a bungalow to be built for housing future volunteers. Clay earth was dug and mixed with water, then vigorously stomped underfoot to acheive an even consistency. The outer husk from rice was added to thicken the mix and make it more robust.<br />
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After the mix was just right, we packed it into a vinyl-lined mould and released the bricks to air-dry for the next week. It was very labour intensive but used no energy apart from our own, and made incredibly tough bricks.<br />
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While at Saelao, I apprenticed myself to the immensely practical Ham (rhymes with palm). It seemed to me he was born wielding a hammer and machete, and I learned a great deal about the simplest and most economical way to do many things. Amongst other things, we built furniture for the restaurant together from timbers we cut using a table saw attached to a tractor engine, and re-used bamboo and nails from tables no longer fit for purpose.<br />
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Of all our jobs however, perhaps the most beneficial was the teaching of English on school nights to local children. The restaurant became the classroom and a flock of eager teenagers cycled from the nearby village to voluntarily attend, even after a day spent at school.</div>
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When asked what they wanted to learn, they surprisingly said 'grammar', so Dani created tables, games and competitions to teach irregular verbs (which we ourselves had to learn about), past participles, and when to use 'in, on, and at'.<br />
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By far the biggest undertaking during our fortnight at Saelao was the peanut field. The day after we arrived work began to convert a rice field over to peanut production, and first job on the list was digging post holes by hand in the heavy clay. Many blisters were created before the wise decided to don gloves.<br />
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As the next day was a saturday, we asked if the kids that attend English classes could come help for a couple of hours in the morning. All the holes had been dug and poles inserted, so it was time to 'clean' the field, by removing weeds and the remnants of the rice plants. It was not easy work, but the kids were used to working in the fields and chatted and joked as if they were doing something much more fun.<br />
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Later in the day a few of us went to cut bamboo in the forest, selecting a few poles per grove to cut down, removing the side branches with machetes, and launching the poles into a lagoon for later collection.<br />
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This bamboo was to become the binding element in the fence, erected primarily to keep cows away from the succulent peanut bushes. It proved to be an amazing material - flexible but incredibly strong. Once two rows of bamboo had joined the fence poles together we strung barbed wire in a further two rows, then interwove short bamboo stakes between the barbed wire and horizontal poles, creating a rigid lattice of materials that I felt confident would deter even a very persistent cow.</div>
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The next step was to use a hand-operated tractor to plough the area that the kids were unable to clean (95% of the field). It was incredibly hard work, wrestling with a machine that was continually fighting to wander. Four of us took turns in operating the beast, but all were physically wrecked by the time the field was satisfactorily ploughed and tilled.<br />
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The next job was by far the most tedious - that of hand-shelling thousands of peanuts for planting. I am sure I must have shelled a few hundred, but admit I would often find other jobs that needed doing, desperate to escape the monotony of a task that could be achieved in minutes by a machine.<br />
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Finally the time came for planting, the field pre-flooded to make the soil soft and ensure an initial water supply in the dry conditions of this season. At first a logical and somewhat rigid system was developed by us volunteers to ensure the peanuts were evenly spaced in straight lines.<br />
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This system was quite slow though, and we struggled to maintain order once the local kids arrived and set about punching holes and filling them with peanuts in a way we couldn't control. In the end, one side of the field was done the Western way, while the other was completed in less time by fewer people in the Laos style.<br />
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For us, volunteering was only one aspect of what we enjoyed during our stay. It was a pleasure to eat comunally, though the lack of chairs did take some getting used to. The food was always delicious and rarely repeated, with a talented local chef providing the meals for us and the restaurant during the day, and a guy with a particular skill for making one of our favourite dishes - wood-fired pizza, in the evenings.</div>
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A couple of children lived at the project, the founder providing a home for them and sending them to school. With so many English speaking volunteers around they spoke very good English, and always lent a hand with preparing food, fishing, planting and anything else they could help with. They especially loved to watch movies that a fellow volunteer had on his laptop.<br />
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We volunteered 6 days a week, with one free, or 'buddha day' falling on a Thursday or Friday while we were there - depending on the lunar cycle. We worked as much as we needed to though, either helping with various projects or in the restaurant, but also had a good amount of free time, especially in the middle of the day when heat prevented much outdoor activity.<br />
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We were also just a kilometer away from the famous 'Blue Lagoon' and a very impressive cave. As volunteers, we did not have to pay each time we wanted to enter, and tried to go swimming in the cool waters whenever possible. We would even wear our clothes while swimming sometimes, in a very lazy version of laundry.</div>
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One contribution I thought I could make was to teach spoon carving to people that wanted to learn. In mid-October I ordered the necessary knives online and had them despatched to Saelao, and they thankfully arrived on my third day there - 40 days after Royal Mail had estimated. The locals were very skilled with blades, having played with knives and machetes since they were small children, so my apprentice Boun was able to produce a quality rice-spoon with very little instruction, and in a quarter of the time it took for me to produce my first decent spoon.<br />
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Above all, the volunteers and staff made our stay there, and we found it difficult to leave. We will remember it as a highlight of our trip, and a place we may return to some day.</div>
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-43679368028080727262012-12-20T01:33:00.001-08:002012-12-20T01:37:58.051-08:00Siem Reap, CambodiaLike all visitors to Siem Reap, we were interested in visiting the Angkor complex, and it's flagship temple Angkor Wat. In order to get maximum use from our ticket, we arrived after 5pm the day previous to our chosen day for exploring, and were able to enter the complex for sunset. There were surprisingly few tourists and we were able to see monks strolling around, and nuns sitting in quiet contemplation.<br />
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The next morning, we left our guesthouse at 5am in order to be at Angkor Wat for sunrise, and walked with the crowds across the impressive moat and through the gatehouse.</div>
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We jostled for position at the left-hand side of the entry path, where a pond reflects the beautiful silhouette of the temple's tiers. Dani pushed through the throngs and crouched down in front securing a spot without impeding anyone else's view.</div>
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I was especially happy it was a silhouette, as in brighter conditons the facade was marred by ugly green cloth covering a restoration project. We got our money shot and decided to move on, as most people tend to explore Angkor first, leaving it nearly empty later in the day.<br />
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From the 'must-see' sunrise at Angkor Wat, we set our sights on the temple that sounded most interesting to us, the enigmatic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta_Prohm" target="_blank">Ta Promh</a>. It is home to the most famous imagery of Angkor - the eerie roots of massive silkwood and strangler figs busting stones apart and slowly destroying the temple. As the ancient trees grow and lose their footing in the shallow soil, they tear down walls and wreak majestic havoc.<br />
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Aside from the decay and destruction, the temple is still being used for it's primary purpose - as a place of worship, first for Hinduism, and now Buddhism.</div>
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Disappointingly in our opinion, much work is being done to arrest the collapse and natural degeneration of the temple. In some cases it has been done well, and structures have merely been supported so the status quo is maintained.</div>
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However, a huge resoration project in the central courtyard has removed many trees and attempted to rebuild the structure as it was hundreds of years ago. There are other places in the complex where this could be done, whereas Ta Promh is the best example of what happens when a temple is abandoned.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuP2rTPvXiGay9M9q4u9nqJtnssZ8PcdVmknYR6gdEfzVtSe_8Z0E3wgVSvoBq4DlReK-CoNkySxvuFiAsFFfrkh-6M07ZfrSjYaupTY08GD1KSVpxKIYHGcVV_oeR6bc_-BXGLLozV2gL/s1600/IMG_2553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuP2rTPvXiGay9M9q4u9nqJtnssZ8PcdVmknYR6gdEfzVtSe_8Z0E3wgVSvoBq4DlReK-CoNkySxvuFiAsFFfrkh-6M07ZfrSjYaupTY08GD1KSVpxKIYHGcVV_oeR6bc_-BXGLLozV2gL/s1600/IMG_2553.JPG" eea="true" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Thankfully, there are still areas where it is possible to witness the formidable power of trees, their miniscule roots growing over hundreds of years to move tonnes of stone, and in many cases, keep them in place much longer than if left to the elements.</div>
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We visited many temples during the day, some sprawling and hugging the ground, others climbing to surprising heights given the technology available to the builders. </div>
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As the day wore on and we gradually became desensitised to the marvels around us, we spent longer sitting and looking. The incredible heat made us seek out shade, and we tried making silly pictures.</div>
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Having a guidebook with us was in this case quite valuable, as without a guide the buildings, sculptures, bas-relief and motifs can seem random and bewildering. We also had the excuse of sitting in the shade and reading about the convoluted history of Angkor and the complicated Hindu myths and historical representations that are depicted throughout the complex. We thoroughly enjoyed it, though it was a long and energetic day.</div>
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-43435122294589978932012-12-08T04:37:00.002-08:002012-12-08T04:54:13.633-08:00Battambang, CambodiaBattambang has the feel of a quiet provincial town, but its importance and previous wealth are obvious from the layout and architecture. There was many a beautiful French-colonial<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">facade hidden behind tacky signage, but in most cases it appeared that the additions were built in front of the existing building, so hopefully one day they will come to their senses and reveal the charming buildings behind.</span><br />
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After much deliberation between tuk-tuk, hiring a motorbike and cycling, we chose pedal-power and set off at dawn to avoid the brutal heat. It was the right decision, as the gentle pace allowed us to watch as Battambang woke up and breakfasted, and to admire the river and countryside.<br />
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While cycling, a butterfly flew directly into me, and looking behind to see if I had accidentally killed it I could find no trace. It turned out it had attached itself to my shorts, and I rode along for 20 minutes or so before inadvertently dislodging my passenger.<br />
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We arrived at Wat Ek Phnom temple around 14km from town and shorlty after taking this photo of a giant buddha, were approached by a fat man on a motorbike. He was wearing a helmet that said 'tourist police' and told us we needed to pay him $3 each to see the temple and buddha (which we could see from where we were standing) as well as $1 for each bicycle. This is the cost of a night's accomodation in Cambodia, so there was no way we were going to pay, and I said we didn't have money. He dropped the price to $1 each, but I stuck to my story and he soon left, so we continued unharassed.<br />
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Inside the temple there was a man chanting prayers into a microphone, which led to an enormous speaker outside, reconfirming our belief that Cambodia is the loudest country in the world, with it's complete disregard for standard volume conventions.<br />
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There was also a temple ruin in the complex, which was a small but interesting taste of things to come at Angkor Wat.<br />
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Our primary reason for going to Battambang was to take the boat ride across th<span style="font-family: inherit;">e <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonl%C3%A9_Sap" target="_blank">To</a></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonl%C3%A9_Sap" target="_blank">nle Sap</a> - an amazing lake because it drains south into the Mekong during the dry season, but the flow reverses during the monsoon and enlarges the lake to more than 5 times its previous size. In order to reach it we traveled for many hours along a winding river that flows right through Battambang, and it was a fascinating way to see Cambodians interact with the waterway.<br />
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Unfortunately, the size and power of our boat was sometimes too much for the people trying to fish and paddle on the water, and it was easy to see the damage being inflicted on the banks and the nerves of locals as they were slapped around by our wake. We had deliberately chosen a slow boat to attempt to avoid this problem, as there have been cases of capsizing and damage caused by boats traveling too quickly, but it still traveled too fast at some points<br />
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The children however seemed to really enjoy the sight of tourists sailing past, their smiles unbroken even as the wake caused their boats to dip and rock violently. They were not the only ones who ran into boat trouble though, as the increasingly narrow river was difficult to navigate on tight bends, and our driver ran into trees and shrubs on a number of occasions, nearly taking out tourists who were not paying attention.<br />
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It was very interesting to pass the 'floating villages' some of which were on stilts and others actually afloat.<br />
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We also saw a great variety of methods for fishing - the most impressive of which were cantilevered and were operated to rise and fall periodically, trapping any fish that happened to be above them at the time of ascension. It was a fascinating glimpse into life on the lake.<br />
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<br />Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-7158938990320877962012-12-02T19:50:00.002-08:002012-12-02T19:50:36.062-08:00Chi Phat, CambodiaChi Phat village is a small, rural Cambodian village near the Cardamom Mountains. The area is incredibly rich in biodiversity and until recently, was a hotspot for illegal logging and poaching. Luckily, an organisation called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_Alliance" target="_blank">Wildlife Alliance</a> stepped in, and chose Chi Phat as the site of their <a href="http://www.wildlifealliance.org/page/view/80/community-based-ecotourism.html" target="_blank">community-based ecotourism</a>.<br />
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Our first night we chose to stay with a local family in a homestay, and ate a meal with them under the house where the kitchen and dining area was located. It was a similar experience in many ways to couchsurfing, which we have been missing since coming to SE Asia, where couchsurf hosts are much harder to find.<br />
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We watched the family all take turns in swinging a hammock where a baby was sleeping, but we were much more interested in the puppies running around. There seemed to be at least one puppy at every house and restaurant, which was instant entertainment.<br />
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One day, we decided to go on a mountain biking trip to a couple of local waterfalls. The trip included a local guide, who also worked part-time as the primary school's librarian. In order to cross this swiftly flowing river, we had to carry the bikes across, and though the water only came to just past the ankles, I was shocked at the how forceful it was.<br />
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This waterfall was impressive because of its location - tucked away on a local farmer's land and hidden behind thick jungle. We were able to walk quite far behind the cascading water and see the entrance to a bat cave. Our guide also told us the Khmer Rouge killed over 100 people there, which was hard to imagine in the tranquil setting.<br />
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Our other nights at Chi Phat were spent in a guesthouse run by the family next door. It differed from the homestay in that it had a fan, a bit more space around the bed and a conventional rather than bucket-shower. We really liked the split bamboo walls and floor, which gave some relief from the intense heat, but also meant that the 5 am rooster crowing, pig squealing, and cumulative sounds of the village arising penetrated the room much more easily.<br />
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We hired a kayak one morning, as the cost seemed really reasonable compared to other places in Cambodia - $7 a half-day for a double. During our explorations we came across quite a few of these boats, where oarsmen and often oarsgirls were crossing or journeying up and down river. It was also a great way to see some of the rich bird life in the area, as our paddling was almost completely silent.<br />
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During our paddle, we saw many riverfront houses, and worryingly, river toilets. This outhouse was located just upstream from the ferry crossing.<br />
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Our penultimate day we decided to visit the reforestation nursery around 6 km north of the village. It was nice to be on foot, and for most of the morning we had good shade cover.<br />
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Along the way, we passed many traditional wooden huts, and people were often relaxing on the verandah or hanging out underneath in a hammock. Our guide knew everyone and told these ladies I really liked their house.<br />
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At the nursery we saw all the stages of tree germination and cultivation. It was amazing how long it takes a tree to grow just a couple of feet, and we understood the need for a nursery to reforest areas that were previously cleared for farming and logging.<br />
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I asked if we could plant one, and chose this tree that was almost too big for it's pot. It felt really good to be contributing to a fantastic eco-tourism project, and one that so obviously benefited many villagers directly, and the whole community through increased and sustainable economic activity.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-16893454387953339162012-11-30T20:49:00.000-08:002012-11-30T20:49:28.442-08:00Koh Ta Kiev, CambodiaFrom Phnom Penh we headed toward the coast, forced by the lack of railways in Cambodia to take a bus to Sihanoukville. This tourist town has a reputation for all night partying and cheap beer, so we decided to stay at Otres Beach, as far as you can get from the town and it's main beach, Serendipity. We were rewarded with a modest level of development and a beautiful, calm beach.<br />
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From Otres we were collected for our journey out to Koh Ta Kiev island, where the <a href="http://www.crusoeisland.asia/" target="_blank">Crusoe Island Camp Ground</a> is located. Unfortunately, as everything is just getting off the ground there, we didn't have shade for the boat trip, and everyone got a little pink under the blazing sun.<br />
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On arrival, we were led to our private bungalow along a jungle path, crossing a freshwater creek, and feeling like Robinson as he returned home.<br />
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The bungalow was a treat for us - a departure from our normal budget traveling, and we made full use of it during the next 24 hours. The shade and mosquito net were our refuge, and after swimming or walking on the beach we would return and read. I loved the bush carpentry with which it was put together, and the rough-sawn boards and round poles gave it a rustic but comfortable feel.</div>
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Meals were taken at the bar in the main camp, just off the beach. It was a very relaxing place to hang out.<br />
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Dani spent as much time as possible in the numerous hammocks scattered around, but one in particular was her preferred choice. It hung from a tree on the beach and the waves often flowed right underneath, sending the crabs scurrying away.<br />
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The bar was the source of entertainment at night, where the friendly hostesses served cold beers and we chatted with other travellers about places to go and places to avoid.<br />
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Our second night on the island we said goodbye to our bungalow and switched to a tent. The heavy rain and lightning we experienced the night previous had made us wary, so we chose to stay on a platform with a thatched roof. It was a happy medium between luxury and extreme budget.<br />
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For me at least, relaxation sometimes turned into boredom, as I felt more like doing something productive than just lazing about. We decided to go for a cross-island trek one afternoon, and were led by an intrepid Dutchman on the small and winding paths.<br />
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We visited a hut on the other side of the island, where a family was living very traditionally. They were surrounded by coconut trees and a mango plantation. We asked if we could have a couple coconuts and the young girl fearlessly shinned up a colossal palm, a rope wrapped around her waist that would do nothing to slow a fall. It became apparent that she had the rope so she could haul up a big knife and cut the coconuts free.<br />
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The awestruck boys of the family were clearly impressed, as were Dani and I. The oldest boy took over the knife to shape the coconuts and pierce the top for consumption.<br />
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Returning to the camp we spent our final evening in our thatched tipi, having moved yet again, and went swimming in the perfect water.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-10554416036352243872012-11-28T00:08:00.000-08:002012-11-28T00:08:08.505-08:00Phnom Penh, CambodiaFrom Ho Chi Minh, we took a bus to Phnom Penh, crossing the Vietnam-Cambodia border at Bavet. Our passports were whisked away and the conductor took money from us too, ran away as soon as the bus stopped, and returned with our Cambodian visas. It was an incredibly speedy border, taking 20 minutes to cruise through both sides, and we could return to watching a young Jackie Chan dubbed in Khmer, the language of Cambodia.<br />
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Phnom Penh was an interesting city, not particularly pretty or dignified, but we liked it's crumbly parts much more than the conventional suburbs in which our hostel was located.</div>
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Knowing almost nothing about the Khmer Rouge or the genocide that occurred in Cambodia in the 1970's, we felt it was important to educate ourselves, and the first place on the list was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuol_Sleng_Genocide_Museum" target="_blank">Tuol Sleng Prison</a> - the Auschwitz of SE Asia.</div>
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The thing Dani and I found most perverse was that before it was a prison, the facility was a high school. The torturers even used some of the play equipment to tie people up and beat them. The classrooms were subdivided into cells and walls, knocked through to more closely resemble a prison.<br />
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The size of the cell was ridiculous, and even the dimunitive Cambodian people would have found it difficult to lay down.<br />
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Many people go straight to the Killing Fields after visiting Tuol Sleng, where 20,000 prisoners were executed, but Dani and I had lingered longer than most, and were thoroughly depressed. We decided something sweet might cheer us up, and saw a man pressing sugar cane.<br />
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It was quite sweet, as to be expected, but I was surprised at the texture - almost like a pear in terms of its slight grittiness, and seperating in a similar way too.<br />
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We explored the riverfront, and I was delighted to see monks walking in their saffron robes. I never have much luck photographing monks, as they seem superhuman in their ability to sense someone with a camera, but they must have been really engrossed in their conversation, as they did not notice me at all.</div>
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We also sat by the river and watched in awe as a group of a dozen Cambodian men played with a rattan ball. They were amazingly adept at keeping it off the ground, and a few of the guys had the amazing ability to do a kick behind their back. We stood mesmerised until it started to get dark.</div>
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-24171774111555807442012-11-25T03:23:00.000-08:002012-11-25T03:23:00.453-08:00Ho Chi Minh and Cu Chi Tunnels, VietnamAlthough Ho Chi Minh is the biggest city in Vietnam, it did not feel so, and we liked the center as much as it's northern counterpart Hanoi. The French influence was much stronger though, and it had beautiful tree-lined avenues and lovely buildings, like the opulent main post office.<br />
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The streets also had a charm about them, and amidst the colonial architecture and more modern shops there were many things to catch the eye.<br />
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From the city, we decided to arrange a day trip out to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_tunnels" target="_blank">Cu Chi Tunnels</a>, an area 3 hours outside of Saigon that is famous for having an intricate series of underground passageways, which proved extremely difficult for the Americans to capture. We joined a tour and watched the North Vietnamese propaganda film about ''American-killer heroes" before seeing the tunnels and their entranceways ourselves.<br />
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Dani and I went into the 'big tunnel', which has been enlarged for tourists, there being two levels of tunnels below it that are suitable only for crawling and slithering. It was small enough for us and we decided to take the first exit after just 20 metres. It was incredible to imagine that people spent many hours in them, while bombs dropped overhead or attempts were made to flush them out with fire and gas. <br />
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The booby traps the Vietnamese made in their defense were also quite amazing. Adapted from pre-war hunting traps they were designed to trap a person so that a number of enemies could be ambushed and killed with the minimal number of bullets being used. This revolving trapdoor with sharpened bamboo stakes looked particularly painful.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-37513946800885131622012-11-22T19:40:00.000-08:002012-11-22T19:40:00.368-08:00Nha Trang, Vietnam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Nha Trang is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfers_Paradise,_Queensland" target="_blank">Surfer's Paradise</a> of Vietnam. It has a beautiful beach, tall buildings overlooking the coast, and is frequented by many tourists.<br />
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We arrived on the overnight train from Da Nang, and shared the cabin with a family of Swedes. At first sight, we were dismayed at the sight of two small children, as we had experienced a sleepless night in China when sharing with a small baby. However, these kids fell asleep straight away and did not stir once during the night. We were greatly impressed with the dedication of this couple to international travel.<br />
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Despite the fact Vietnam is nearing the depths of winter, it was scorchingly hot, and we needed the relief of the ocean. As well as swimming, it was very pleasant to read under the palms, and walk along in the shaded esplanade.<br />
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Besides the beach though, there was not too much to see or do, save a mud-bath spa and an overpriced water park, so we decided to escape the heat and see the new Bond film - Skyfall. It had been 4 months since our last cinema experience and as always, the big theatres in developing countries are at least as good as those in the west. We laughed at the Vietnamese translation of the new Twilight film, which is perhaps more apt than the English title.<br />
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When walking home from the cinema I was able to capture one of the absurd examples of loads carried on the back of motorbikes that has become iconic in Vietnam. I especially like the delivery instructions on the side of the refrigerator (you can click to enlarge the image).<br />
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Our other main source of entertainment in Nha Trang was the excellent and varied street food. We realised that our main specification for a place to eat stipulated that it must have tiny plastic children's chairs, like this baguette stall that served the most delicious and piquant mixture of fried egg, coriander, salad and chilli sauce.<br />
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In the evening we twice visited this impressive outdoor kitchen, which was immensely popular with locals because of the price and quality.<br />
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We had a mouth-watering spicy papaya salad, and a fried potato omelette we will certainly try to emulate at home, as always served with generous amounts of herbs.<br />
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I was also able to continue my love affair with Vietnamese iced coffee, the best examples of which I have always found on the street. They prepare it by drizzling an exceptionally thick amount of sweetened condensed milk in the bottom, then mixing it with a pre-prepared cold espresso, filling the glass with ice, and pouring more espresso over the top. At the best places, it was served with a cold jasmine tea to quench the thirst before savouring the iced coffee.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-89765423177556282472012-11-19T02:46:00.000-08:002012-11-19T02:46:00.212-08:00Hoi An, VietnamHoi An is an interesting example of an old French-colonial town, and was a beautiful place to spend a few days relaxing and exploring.<br />
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It was a very touristy place, but in quite a nice way. The buildings were maintained and kept in good condition in the centre of town, and although most houses were now shops, local people were also living in them. I woke up early to take photos before they had all opened for business.<br />
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The riverfront aspect of the town also gave it real charm and interest, with boats waiting to take people on trips, but also transport goods from downriver and ferry people across to the islands and opposite coast.<br />
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Hoi An is also famous for it's tailors, and their shops abounded the streets. As our hotel was a bit out of town, they seemed to forgo the ridiculous first-price that many were quoting in the centre, and Dani purchased a couple of items to take back to Adelaide. The women joked with her that she had a Vietnamese model's frame.<br />
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Exploring the abundant local market I was greatly enamoured with the local people and their traditional woven hats. I could only guess at this woman's age as she prepared a huge vat of tea. Whenever we see people older than 50 we always wonder at their experiences of the war, though obviously lack the communication skills and opportunities to ask.<br />
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In order to get from our hotel to the town centre and the beach - each a few kilometres away, we had considered hiring bicycles for around $1 USD a day. However, the quality of the machines were extremely poor, so we decided to rent these amazing electric bikes much-loved by locals. It was a great relief to choose when we wanted to pedal, and when we wanted assistance to fly up hills or just enjoy the cooling breeze.<br />
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They were also useful for us to travel further afield, as we decided to visit a neighbouring 'vegetable island', where locals work the fields communally and produce an abundance of vegetables and herbs, with complete disregard for the seasons of the northern hemisphere. We watched this man use an ingenious system for watering the crops, which needed to be done daily in the scorching heat.</div>
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Seeing this market-garden also helped me understand how the Vietnamese can use herbs such as mint on the scale they do, and that is by growing fields of them.<br />
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Later that day we explored the coastline, and finding an undeveloped section we marvelled at this abandoned house and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coracle" target="_blank">coracle</a>, which I had previously thought was a uniquely British method of water-transport, but we later saw many of them on the Vietnamese coast.</div>
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It was a particularly nice coast, with beaches shaded by palm trees and balmy water. We preferred to visit in the evenings when the heat of the day had subsided somewhat, and were pleased to see so many Vietnamese doing the same, obviously enjoying the place as much as us foreigners.</div>
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-29777953488627096782012-11-16T22:29:00.000-08:002012-11-16T22:29:00.079-08:00Phong Nha and caves, VietnamAfter reading a <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/01/largest-cave/jenkins-text" target="_blank">National Geographic article</a> last year about incredible caves in Vietnam, we knew it would be a worthwhile stop to make as we traveled down the coast. Unfortunately, the largest-yet-discovered cave is not open to the public until later next year (unless you are willing to pay a $500 bribe). The national park that houses it has other equally impressive caves that are slightly smaller, but the one we decided to focus on has the honour of being the longest in Vietnam. In order to get there we took an overnight train from Hanoi to Dong Hoi, and then hired a scooter to ride the 35km to Phong Nha - a beautiful ride on extremely good quality but unusually quiet roads.<br />
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Phong Nha is on the precipice of becoming a very touristy town, but at the moment only has a handful of hotels and the same number of restaurants. The view from our hotel window was typical of the vistas seen from the village.<br />
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Because there are still so few tourists, the locals were even friendlier than we had experienced before, with every child saying hello and old people smiling as we rode past.</div>
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The riverfront was almost completely without development, and we had a real sense that everything would soon change, hopefully bringing some good to the local community, as well as the obvious consequences.</div>
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But we had come to see the legendary cave formations, and not wanting to spread ourselves too thin, we decided to only visit one - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thien_Duong_Cave" target="_blank">Paradis</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thien_Duong_Cave" target="_blank">e Cave</a>, Thiên Đường in Vietnamese. We had read that it was very tastefully managed, with timber boardwalks and superb lighting. The entrance betrayed nothing of it's interior, and we ducked under a rock to descend the stairs.
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<span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Once the eyes had time to adjust we were confronted with a prodigious cavern and massive formations. The scale was hard to comprehend as there were few reference points. I took a picture looking back toward the entrance and stairs to give some perspective.</span></div>
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The limestone walls and ceiling were richly adorned with stalactites and columns, that had formed when a stalactite (c for ceiling) and a stalagmite had met. Also impressive were fallen stalactites that had become too heavy for their anchor points.<br />
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It was stupefying to think that all this intricacy had been formed by the deposition of minerals dissolved in water, but the evidence was plain to see as we witnessed and heard constant dripping.<br />
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What I couldn't understand was how some of these drips could form the kind of structures we saw - ribbons of rock and walls of rippled ridges.<br />
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The presence of water also created some wonderful optical illusions. Some of the pools were so still and clear, from one angle they appeared to show a hole as deep as the ceiling above, while from others they created perfect reflections, more vivid than any mirror.<br />
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Luckily, we took our time exploring, and obviously, taking photos. We arrived early - at 8.30, which unfortunately coincided with two noisy tour groups and took away from the ambience slightly. By around 11 though, we had the place completely to ourselves for around 30 minutes, and it had a powerful effect. This has certainly been one of the highlights of our trip.<br />
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</span>Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-79179321083370033152012-11-13T04:29:00.000-08:002013-03-19T21:46:17.612-07:00Hanoi, Vietnam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hanoi was not at all what we expected. I had thought Vietnam would be quite overbearing due to the number of tourists that have flooded the country in recent years, but the people have been immensely friendly, quick to smile, and much easier to communicate with due to the relatively high level of basic English spoken. There are touts, and people trying to sell you stuff, but even they can be playful and seem to bear no grudges.<br />
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It was certainly chaotic though, and we witnessed a scooter crash within 2 days of arriving. Luckily, it was at slow speed, and the scooter was merely scratched whilst the driver drove away uninjured. It was endearing to see people stop and rush to help, though it must be a very frequent occurrence in the city.<br />
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To see so many drivers on the road at once, some on the wrong side of the road, and none obeying standard road rules was mind boggling. It is amazing that more crashes do not happen, though people seem to expect anything, and therefore drive in a graceful kind of anarchy.<br />
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Beyond the chaos, Hanoi also had some very picturesque spots. There was a surprising number of photo-shoots occurring in various locations around the city, presumably for advertising and magazines.<br />
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Some people may spot that the first three photos are of a different quality and colour than the last. This is because my faithful old DSLR - a Canon 30D, finally decided to croak. This is the last photo I was able to capture: the view from the building of our couchsurfing host.</div>
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As the presence of other images would indicate though, I managed to find a replacement - a Canon 60D, so that I am still using the same lenses. The new camera is particularly good at taking fast-speed night shots, which allowed me to capture some of the strange exercises that go on at night next to Hoan Kiem lake, such as this massage-chain.<br />
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Hanoi had many alluring features, not least of which was the availability of excellent coffee - inherited from French occupation I presume. I ordered one the first morning, and was rewarded with this brew, so rich and full of flavour it faintly tasted of liquor. I switched to iced coffees thereafter though, as the flavour was just as good, but also quenching and rejuvenating.<br />
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Other culinary triumphs abounded - especially from street vendors, which always seem to offer the most local of food, catering almost exclusively to residents rather than tourists. Hanoi will always remind me of delicious noodle soups, with self-serve limes, chilli, soy and vinegar. Delicious to the last slurp.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-12013194554831018462012-11-10T20:22:00.000-08:002012-11-10T20:22:00.993-08:00Low impact living, Train travelThis is the third article of a series I am writing for the <a href="http://lowimpact.org/" target="_blank">low impact living initiative</a> about trying to live in a low impact way while traveling . It is a great website full of interesting information, and I would strongly encourage having a look around.<br />
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If you are interested in learning more about why we have decided to travel overland and eschew flying, you can check it out <a href="http://www.lowimpact.org/blog/2012/Nov/trans-siberian_railway.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-24133898352588768182012-11-07T20:13:00.000-08:002012-11-07T20:13:31.915-08:00Xing Ping, ChinaXing Ping is a stunning little (by Chinese standards) village on the river Li, not far from Guilin. It is famous in China as being the location of the '20 Yuan note scenery', and we happened to stumble across this location that fit the bill very well.<br />
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We decided to stay 5 days, as we were tiring of big cities and felt the need to stop and explore one place for a little while. We liked the relaxed atmosphere of the village, with it's small streets and reduced traffic. I particularly liked the edge streets, which ended abruptly before becoming orchards and vegetable plots.<br />
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We decided to spend one of our first days cycling, and set off with an American couple we befriended on the bus into town.<br />
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We rode through acres of agricultural land, which was intermingled with natural vegetation, bamboo groves and orchards of gigantic citrus fruits called pomelo's.<br />
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It was harvest time, and we saw many groups of people collecting them, and were even given one for free. It was like a grapefruit, but with a much thicker skin and a bit less flesh.<br />
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The scenery was impressively epic, with huge towers of limestone amidst fertile valleys. It meant that even though a lot of tree cover had been removed for food production, it still had the feeling of a natural area.<br />
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The river Li also provided a beautiful focal point in the area, winding around the mountains and providing local people with endless opportunities to offer us bamboo raft rides, though the bamboo has long ago been replaced with look-a-like pvc piping.<br />
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I preferred to watch the locals on the original bamboo rafts, though going upstream would have been a much more arduous task.<br />
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As well as stunning natural phenomena, the village also had a twice-weekly market that was very interesting to visit. All manner of things were being sold, most fairly standard, but these reptiles preserved in a strong-smelling chemical boggled the mind for what they could be used for.<br />
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In addition to goods, services offered included open-air haircuts, and dentistry for all to see.</div>
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We refrained from any rash purchases, but did buy some insoles for our shoes, because this friendly old lady had taken the initiative to provide them in sizes bigger than the standard. I spent a great deal of time looking for shoes bigger than a European 44 and was only successful after extreme persistence, so we were very excited to see this woman providing size 45 from scraps of fabric and card. She sold at one price, with no haggling.<br />
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As our last location in China, we felt we had chosen well with Xing Ping - it's relaxed atmosphere and cornucopia of walks and cycle opportunities were exactly what we needed after the string of interesting, albeit similar cities we had visited.<br />
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<br />Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-58272684000739351752012-11-03T00:50:00.000-07:002012-11-03T00:50:02.191-07:00Kunming and Heijing, China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Kunming is a very relaxed city, with large pedestrian areas and tree-lined boulevards. It doesn't have the big ticket sights of many other places, but would be high on our list of places to live in China.<br />
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We stayed with a Norweigan working in China, in a very nice apartment complex that was typical of the grand and spacious style we have come to associate with ex-pat living.<br />
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There is not anything particular to see in Kunming, but it is a nice place to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. We did notice quite a few blind people offering massages, and as we were both intrigued and had sore shoulders from carrying too much stuff, we decided to employ their services. It was an interesting but difficult situation, as we usually point to phrases in our book and use hand signals to work out prices, but we succeeded eventually and were well-rewarded.<br />
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Our host and her friend joined us for a weekend getaway to a small World Heritage village called Heijing. We took a train and as we were late in booking tickets, could only manage to buy a 'hard seat'. The carriage transported peasants returning to the countryside after they had sold their wares in the city, and a multitude of goods were transported, from a bedroom wardrobe to live piglets in baskets. At one point the carriage doubled as a market as pieces of raw meat were laid out on cardboard, some accidentally touching the spit-covered floor.<br />
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We were approached by friendly young Chinese who were part of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) group and decided to join them on their tour of Heijing, as we had organised nothing. We shared a big meal on arrival and it was very interesting to talk with them. <br />
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Heijing itself was a beautiful town, exactly what we were hoping to see from rural Yunan province. The noise, crowds, and traffic of the cities were noticeably absent, and people seemed to be living much as they had for generations. We watched this old couple preparing traditional Chinese medicine, having laid plants on the ground to sun-dry and now collecting them for use.<br />
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The town appeared to be practically self-sufficient, with all available space given over to vegetables and keeping animals.<br />
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Our hotel used to be a rich merchant house, the town being famous for producing excellent quality salt, which until sea-salt was widely imported, generated a lot of wealth for the inhabitants. It was an amazing building, with many traditional architectural features and symbolism.<br />
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We especially liked the roof, with its multiple layers and beautiful tilework.<br />
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The group was given a tour around the building, with anecdotes and stories related to it's long history and design features. We were lucky to have a great translator in the form of an anthropology Phd student.<br />
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Being in a big group was a strange experience for us, but it was a great opportunity to see the inner-workings of the ubiquitous Chinese tour group. They certainly packed out our time, with walks to temples between copious eating. Early in the morning we visited one temple high on the hillside.<br />
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It was a peaceful place, with three religions in the one place - Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. We loved this massive sign that says 'buddha'.<br />
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It was a very enjoyable foray into the countryside, made all the more interesting by having shared it with such a different group of Chinese, that we had yet come into contact.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-26032291509229353972012-10-31T23:16:00.000-07:002012-10-31T23:16:00.779-07:00Cheng Du, China<div>
Couchsurfing hosts became less numerous as we continued south in China, and we feared we would be confined to hostels from here until Singapore. <a href="http://www.mixhostel.com/mixhostel/homepage_eng.htm" target="_blank">Mix hostel</a> was a nice place to stay though, and had good information on the things to see in town. They recommended visiting a nearby Buddhist temple to hear the monks chanting at 6pm. We went for a walk and decided to have a look at a Buddhist nunnery beforehand.<br />
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They were chanting already, and it was a beautifully sonorous sound. Dani and I stood mesmerised as we watched them sway and perform acts of worship.<br />
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The experience was so unexpected and amazing that we decided not to visit the temple, and went for dinner instead. We continued our exploration of the cheap eateries that locals visit daily, but as usual, our only guide was a list of chinese characters and prices on the wall, which let us know it was around our budget: 70 pence / $1 per dish.<br />
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To communicate our dietary needs, Dani copied this Chinese script out of a phrasebook, and so far we have not been given anything meaty. However, we had a time period of continually getting boring noodle soups, so have since had to add more script about fried noodles and spicy sauces.<br />
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Cheng Du is home to the <a href="http://www.panda.org.cn/english/" target="_blank">Panda Breeding and Research Centre</a>, which actually seems to be doing a lot of good in terms of in situ (within captivity) work, but we saw nothing of their acheivements ex situ (in the wild), which is surely where the most important work needs to be done. Nevertheless, the large site had none of the cheesiness or disneyfication that we had seen elsewhere in China, instead opting for subtle enclosures and growing forests of gorgeous bamboo.<br />
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It was as funny to watch the Chinese tourists as it was to observe the pandas, as the animals are held in the highest esteem. I joked with a guy on the train that maybe we could taste some panda in Cheng Du, but he explained that this would never happen, because the Chinese love them too much. They are the perfect example of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagship_species" target="_blank">flagship species</a> - wildly popular with the public, and therefore useful as a ralling cry to conservation.<br />
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To see a pandas life-cycle, it became very obvious why they are so critically endangered; mating so infrequently, producing so few offspring, and having such incredibly vulnerable cubs that of the two normally born one almost always perishes, and frequently both die when very small. We got to see this one-month old cub in an incubation chamber, removed from it's mother because it was the second of two cubs.<br />
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The teenage pandas were the most fun and lively, constantly playing and fighting, and with a penchant for climbing trees. These two noiselessly battled for 15 minutes, rolling down the steps, mock-biting and chasing each other.<br />
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The adult pandas on the other hand were generally sedentary and only interested in eating. We anthropomorphised this one into a fat slob on the couch, stretching for food just out of reach but never getting up.</div>
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While in Cheng Du we also explored the beautiful tea gardens located in People's Park. A group of musicians who had met up to play gave us their rendition of Auld Lang's Syne, and bizarrely, Jingle Bells, all played on traditional instruments. We really enjoyed watching the Chinese relax and drink tea as they whiled away the day.</div>
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-82281797954042167712012-10-27T17:24:00.000-07:002012-10-27T17:24:53.146-07:00Xian, China<div>
Xian is famous for the Terracotta Warriors, but we had heard mixed reviews of the site and did not want to go just because it is on the tourist checklist. It was also ludicrously expensive compared to the cost of everyday living, like many of China's sights. As it turned out, there were lots of warriors all over the city, at museums, parks, and the city wall.<br />
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It was good to see some examples of them, and also be as close as we wanted.<br />
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The city wall was an impressive piece of engineering, and gave an insight into the historical wealth and paranoia of the inhabitants. We tried to walk around the entire length, but it was too long and hot for us.<br />
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The moat and area just outside the wall is now used as parkland, and provided an oasis around the city.<br />
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To get a better understanding of this ancient city - once the biggest in the world, we visited the Xian musuem, which was very well done, and free if you show your passport / ID. The model of the city as it stood 500 years ago was particularly interesting, showing the rich merchant houses around a central courtyard, the pagodas and peasant plots.<br />
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Xian also felt like it was very proud of its history and culture, even employing people to stroll around in traditional garb and talk to the public at key sites like the wall.<br />
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For us though, it was a city of amazing food. We visited tiny eateries, judging them on atmosphere and popularity with the locals. One of our favourite dishes was this peanut sauce on rice noodle.<br />
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Near our couchsurf host's place, outside the walls but still within the busy metropolis, I relished shopping at a phenomenal indoor market for dinner ingredients. Everything was loose and I took exactly what I needed for the meal, including a thimblefull of spices that the shopkeeper thought easier to give away than to try and measure.<br />
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Having a large Muslim population, the city's food and culture was even more diverse than we had experienced in Beijing.<br />
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Our amazing couchsurf host, who grew up in the Muslim quarter, showed us around this amazing area on a Sunday. We toured various food and goods markets, watched as a kitten was sold for <span class="st">£</span>3.50 / $5.00, and were given no less than 7 street snacks to try, from egg omelette-crepes to a fried mashed persimmon. One of the least familiar though was these rice cakes, made from finely ground rice flour and a jam flavouring, then steamed until the consistency becomes extremely glutinous.<br />
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Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-39344478046626756942012-10-24T19:02:00.000-07:002012-10-24T19:02:05.616-07:00Beijing and Great Wall, ChinaOur time in Beijing began with days of sun through the smog. Though we missed seeing blue skies, the smog gave interesting backdrops to the cit<i>y.</i><br />
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One morning we set off early to visit <a href="http://en.tiantanpark.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">Tiantan Park</a> where older men show their skills on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_yo-yo" target="_blank">Chinese yo-yo</a> (diabolo). After displays of their talent they would often help out younger apprentices.<br />
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The sound of Chinese pop music rang out over the park as crowds participated in dance classes. They seem to be daily or weekly classes as everyone knew the dance steps.<br />
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In the park's covered walkways people played games, hung out and enjoyed their pastimes together.<br />
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One of the gaming areas was designated for a version of scrabble with English letters and words.<br />
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At the centre of the park was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Heaven" target="_blank">Temple of Heaven</a>. It was an impressive building, with stunning colours as a backdrop, although Sam grew impatient being the model instead of the cameraman.<br />
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Our home in Beijing was in the Hai Dian district. The back streets in the area were particularly busy in the evenings, with shops and restaurants opening up on the pavement. Our favourite place to eat was this grill where we could choose sticks of food to be cooked up, covered in flavourings and put in a bun (for only 10p/15c a stick).<br />
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We decided to visit the painting of the big man and upon arrival were greeted by a large-scale water and music show, the rainbow added perfectly to the Disney-fication.<br />
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One of the few major tourist sights we did want to see was the Great Wall, and it didn't disappoint. We walked the section from <a href="http://www.backpackingchina.com/detail.aspx?id=6" target="_blank">Jinshanling towards Simatai</a>.<br />
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Walking the wall allowed us to appreciate the structure itself and the stunning surroundings; misty mountains in all directions.<br />
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The wall itself was more complicated than we expected, with tunnels, passages and towers. Some of the towers were three floors high and used to house the people who guarded the wall.<br />
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Sections of the wall were remarkably flat, whilst others were steep; it felt good to be working our legs hard again.<br />
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Later in the day the mist and thunder subsided, and the sky turned blue. It was wonderful to look back at where we had walked, and to see the towers stretching into the distance.<br />
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As the sun came out it shone on the trees, showing the autumn hints of yellow and red.<br />
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Visiting the wall was one of the best days of our trip so far, as the numerous photos show.<br />
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<br />Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17018333957494789856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358214302261123983.post-67831493541614147992012-10-14T18:21:00.000-07:002012-10-14T18:21:00.144-07:00Ulan Bataar, MongoliaWe arrived in dusty, chaotic UB early in the morning, but were helped by friendly Mongolians to negotiate the bus and ensure we found the right stop, near the edge of the city in the ger district.<br />
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The ger, or yurt, is a felt and canvas tent supported by an ingenious system of collapsible walls and poles leading to a central circular support. We had the opportunity to help prepare our couchsurfing host's ger for winter by taking it apart and adding extra layers of thick felt as insulation. It was a fascinating way to see how everything fit together.<br />
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The children of the family warmed to us quickly, as they are very used to having couchsurfers to play with, and I soon became a climbing frame.<br />
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Our couchsurfing host made us feel very welcome, and his wife made us a traditional breakfast of bread rolls and orom -a thick cream they had produced from their dairy cows. We tagged along one day as he walked the cows to the hills nearby to forage on the wild grasses there.<br />
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We soon felt like part of the family, and really enjoyed making dinner one night on the hearth. I usually make enough for 7 when I cook for 4, so this time I made enough for 12 when there were 8. Luckily, they invited the grandmother and a couple of neighbours around to help finish it off.<br />
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The children were very talented, and treated us to a few Mongolian dances.<br />
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And we also got to listen to the horsehead fiddle played by the eldest son.<br />
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As for the city itself, many travelers we met did not like the dust, the sloppy footpaths and messy construction. We thought it was an interesting place, though our experiences in the ger district certainly influenced our views. There was a lot of history and culture to be seen, like these guards staring unflinchingly into the sun in Sukhbataar, the main square.<br />
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It was also fascinating to see the layers of history in UB, with new skyscrapers being thrown up with mining money alongside gigantic buddhist statues and communist relics.<br />
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I really liked this communist mural with fantastic views over the city. The Mongolians don't seem to harbor any bad feelings towards Russia, with the written alphabet they introduced still being used today.<br />
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What really made the city though, was staying with this kind and generous family. The great-grandmother would drop by and even slept over one night. When I asked if I could take her picture she dressed up in her finest clothes.<br />
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Our last night we spent with two new couchsurfers who had just arrived in Mongolia. There were 12 of us in the cosy ger.<br />
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<br />Dani and Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567632746725149304noreply@blogger.com