Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Bali

November 2013

It is hard to believe that we were out there in the Far East for over three weeks and are back to our routines now. Ruminating on the experience, everything is like a dream, an exotic dream. We definitely need to re-live some of those moments, the highlights and the moments of misery, so that they are permanently etched in our memories and when we look at our pictures (we took a lot of them!) we will be able to recall more clearly, the wonderful trip we all took together.

Looking back, it is amazing the amount of flights we caught, the hours we spent on planes and the fact that we had only one delay (a long one that tilted the scales!) on the way to Bali. So, like pros we all met at Newark. Many of us had already done this twice before, so it was a friendly airport re-union. We knew exactly what to do, where to go, how to get our afternoon coffee! We were a bit disappointed to learn that Lakshmi had to jettison some of her snacks to conform to the weight limitations, but consoled ourselves saying that the others would have brought enough treats!

Cu Chi Tunnels

We arrived at Ho Chi Minh city airport with a brief stop at Hong Kong. It was late at night and we knew an earlier group of ours from JFK had already arrived. We met them the next morning. We woke up after a brief sleep, perhaps too excited to be tired. Our first day of sight -seeing had been scheduled for the Cu Chi tunnels. This was our first hand exposure to the war that was fought decades ago between the Viet Cong and the US. The Viet Cong were at that time reputed to be guerilla war experts and the tunnels, over 200 km long in various directions, gave a glimpse of their intelligence and craftiness! One had to admire the way the tunnels were dug and camouflaged. First of all the openings were so narrow, when asked to try to get in, we were afraid we would get stuck in them, given our middle-age spread! They were covered with grass, some mounds with vents helped the air in and cooking vapors out. Dogs used by the enemy were thrown off by scents of chilli and garlic deliberately put there. Whole families lived down there and carried on their routines. Meanwhile cleverly laid traps above ground got the enemy and instilled a deep fear in their hearts.

A quick tour of the city followed and we were quite thrilled to spot a Mariamman temple. Our driver was kind enough to allow us a darshanam. A board gave us the facts, it had been built in late 19C and rebuilt in 1950. Mariamman is an aspect of Parvathy, it said. It was quite like a south Indian temple with a gopuram and sannadhis, but with oriental touches like ceramic vases and elephants. It was touching to see local Vietnamese coming in for silent dedicated worship and their lighting of bunches of agarbatti sticks. We had also stopped at a place called handicrafts by the handicapped which made some beautiful paintings and weavings. They demonstrated the growth of the silk worm which died a natural death before its cocoon was used for weaving, they said. Had to admire the quality of work and the dedication of the handicapped. First taste of shopping and we were hooked. Lots of silk scarves and some shirts were bought and packed into bags

 
Next on the agenda was our flight to Danang/Hoi An which was smooth. As we drove to our hotel by bus, we could see several sea front properties owned by golf pros like Jack Nickles. Some had developed beautiful golf courses near the ocean. We were taken to an Indian restaurant, Ganesh, for dinner. We stayed at a beautiful seaside resort, several miles from the city, but wild weather took over at night. We woke up the next morning planning to walk on the beach, but instead had to view the palms swaying in the wind and waves crashing to the shore, from our balconies.

A Ride on the Dragon Boat but in the rain

This day was possibly an unforgettable one! We explored the quaint riverside town of Hoi An by foot. Not a single one of us had spent so much time in pouring rain since our childhood, we concurred. Were we glad we had brought our waterproof jackets and umbrellas as instructed! We still had to buy the “one dolla, one dolla” thin plastic raincoats in various colors, that were mostly good for only one use! The locals seem to take the weather in stride. We were taken on the Japanese pedestrian bridge built centuries ago which also had a Vietnamese Buddha shrine. We visited several old, old homes, reminiscent of our south Indian homes with a central utility area or the decorated Rajasthani havelis. As they were made of teak wood, they survived the onslaught of floods several times. The people demonstrated ingenious means of hoisting up good furniture and knick knacks to higher levels of their home when floods hit.

We visited our first full fledged Buddhist temple. It was serene and beautiful. We were impressed with the incense sticks which were in the form of huge coils hung from the ceiling and whoever wished to could light them in memory of their ancestors, sending up a wish or a message to them.

One of the early disappointments was the fact that we could not go up to the Hai Van Pass and view the scenery on as the rain was relentless. Our bus had to take a different route and a tunnel and we drove into Hue, another riverside town. At the hotel some of our group discovered that they had soaking wet suitcases due to the rain and bus ride and had to get laundry done on an emergency basis. Must mention that our bus ride had gone fast with a group of us singing every film song in memory. That’s the fun of travelling with friends, one can be free and enjoy the company. The only tense moments we had was when the flood level was really high and many roads were closed. Lucky we made it to our hotel, thanks to the skillful driver and guide.

Our next day started with a ride on the Perfume river (named for fragrant flowers that grows in it) in a dragon boat. Our guide entertained us with the story of how the emperor at that time had been guided by a celestial being on where to locate his palace according to guidelines of Feng Shui. She told him to light an incense stick and walk around with it; when it burned out, the spot where he was would be good for his palace. He later built the Thien Mu pagoda and garden to honor her as she was never seen again. We saw the beautiful garden and pagoda, all in the rain.

But an attempted visit to a palace based on the style of the Forbidden city, had to be cancelled and we turned back with soaking wet sneakers as the rain and resulting flowing water on the paths was too much. It was disappointing as we missed a big chunk of the sightseeing. Some of us were the target of the raincoat sellers as we were looking pretty much tattered by then! We did hit upon the hotel for lots of plastic laundry bags and tons of napkins to dry our shoes. Must say they were nice to put up with us as we had already checked out earlier! On arrival in Hanoi after a short flight, we also got a taste of local food at dinner and a beautiful water puppet show. This was unique and entertaining and we enjoyed it very much. As for the local food, no comments from me, but others seem to have enjoyed it!

Hello, Ha Long Bay! Goodbye wet, wet, clothes, sneakers, etc. From here on the sun shone down on us and the powers that be, smiled. We were welcomed on board with drums and an impromptu dance by the staff and our own group! The sandstone rock formation, the locals say, are a part of the descending dragon, Vietnam itself being the parts of the mythical creature. We were delighted to find the cruise ship to be really nice with beautiful rooms and wood floors and a super friendly staff on the sunny deck. It was not too big.

They had a spread of good food for us including delicious soups and Indian dishes. None of their meals disappointed. The boat sailed short distances smoothly through the inlets and we could see up close the rare and beautiful limestone formations at almost touching distance. We were taken in a smaller boat to see a floating market (they use a rope and basket to deliver the goods, mostly beer, and collect the money!) and some caves within the formations which we were to explore the next day. Oh what a break it was after the hectic 6-7-8 AM  schedules.

Halong Bay Cavern Visit

The cavern visit was amazing too. Huge!! The ceilings were super high and the locals had singled out rock formations like a turtle which is a good luck sign.

Convenient steps were carved to walk around. Among the high stalagmites and stalactites, we were able to discern some of our own designs, including a Radha-Krishna formation. The next morning a boat ride to a “secret” lagoon through a cave like opening in the rock further brought thrills and a sense of “shristi” of the higher power, evident everywhere in the world.
We had a cooking demonstration of spring rolls on deck which even our husbands were willing to participate in.

Enjoyable cruise at Ha Long Bay

My zen moment was when we were invited to attend a Tai Chi class at the break of dawn on the open upper deck. Though the moves were not that simple, the mind quieted down to a meditative state in the setting of Ha Long Bay and its beautiful sunrise and left the cares of the world far behind. Should have stayed a few more days to reflect on the Vietnamese philosophy that all is nothing and nothing is all. Deep!
This reverie would not be complete without an observation on the Vietnamese people. They are so humble, smiling and friendly. There is hospitality and goodwill everywhere. Most of them were young too, something about the war killing many of the older citizens. The girls were so slim and pretty with lovely features. Small wonder as they subsist on the local cuisine which consists of a lot of watery dishes and absolutely no deserts except fruits! There was no animosity by the people of North or South Vietnam for each other. They consider themselves one and are not at all fazed by political beliefs. Maybe the season was not right, maybe it was the rain and fog, but Vietnam did disappoint a little by way of scenic sights. We had expected miles of terraced rice fields of the greenest hue with peasants in conical hats working and waving to us, but alas, we could only see this in paintings they had made.

Laos: Serene scenery, Cave of Buddhas

Next destination – Luang Prabang in Laos. After a very short flight we found to our delight that the airport was also very close to our hotel. We had food at the only Indian restaurant called Nazim. Turned out that the owners were south Indian Muslims settled in Laos for many years. They provided us with some delectable meals including “vetral kuzhambu”! The popular brand of beer here is Beer Lao – very convenient if you are ordering beer in Hindi, for as everyone knows, “lao” means bring!  Bring beer!  The highlight of the next morning tour was a visit to the Royal Palace, now a museum. It was actually built by the French in 1903 as a gift. Beautiful red Japanese glass enamel work adorned the walls. It also had a room of life-like paintings by a French lady artist depicting the life and times of the monarchs in the hey days. With change in regimes, the last emperor, it is said, was taken away with his sons and never heard from again. The prince’s coronation never took place, the throne still stands a silent witness, as if waiting for the event to happen. The Prabang Buddha housed in the museum came from Sri Lanka and a new temple is now under construction on the premises to house it. Gifts from all over the world including some nice carvings from India are displayed and one “out of the world” gift, a moon rock from President Nixon!.
We were fortunate to see Xieng Thong, the city of Gods, the only original temple built in 1560 that was untouched by wars. So many beautiful Buddhas, housed in lovely small temples, some in standing, sitting or reclining poses. The lovely sweeping architecture of Laos where the roof almost touches the ground was very noticeable here. Also a ratha to transport the main Buddha in the days of yore. We next climbed Phousi hill (believe it or not 329 steep steps!) to see another shrine, aerial view of the city of Luang Prabang and a beautiful view of the Mekong river.
Highlight of the trip was a visit to the the cave of the 2,000 Buddhas. It was a long ride to the river and we took a boat to cross it. But the scenery was spectacular, the river surrounded by mountains and fog at the confluence of the Mekong and the Hu rivers. The cave was amazing too. As soon as we climbed up the steep steps to the natural formation of the caves, our senses were assailed by Buddhas in every size, shape and color, most of them small. It seems one king had brought a Buddha to the cave and now many of the locals do the same when they visit.

We got a taste of local food as well as culture at the dinner show that evening. All through the region Ramayana is very popular and this was briefly depicted by three young girls in Laotian attire, swaying to gentle live music. The food was light with plenty of vegetables. The night market nearby was wonderful too with hundreds of local vendors and all locally made knick knacks. One of the best shopping on our entire trip. As we bade goodbye to Laos the next morning, we saw young monks waiting for alms along the route.

All males go through the experience of being a monk, the duration is up to them. What a wonderful way of teaching humility and spirituality,  something that will stay with them for a lifetime.