The Itinerary: Second Leg - Indochina Loop

Sawadee! I'm a bit behind on the blog, but I wanted to let everyone know that I made it to Thailand safely from Nepal (which narrowly avoided a government coup the day before I left). I met up with my second group a couple of days ago and I'm currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand's second city, located in the mountains in the north. Tomorrow we head further north to the Laos border.

I haven't seen any signs of further civil unrest here; on the contrary, Thailand is immaculate and thoroughly modernized, especially when compared with some of what I saw in India and Nepal! I actually barely recognize the place I visited seven years ago back in college. Everything seems brand new here, in both good and bad ways (too many 7-11s and Starbucks and McDonalds for my taste, even if Ronald McDonald does 'wai' you on the way in).


I've included my itinerary for the next month below. I'll be traveling through Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia before heading back to Bangkok. I'm looking forward to sharing more adventures here, so stay tuned!

Leg 2: The Great Indochina Loop (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia) in 29 days [4/27/09 – 5/25/09]

Day 1 Arrive Bangkok

Arrive in Bangkok at any time. Your Tour Leader would have put up a Welcome Note and will arrange a meeting,normally for 6pm. Time to find out all about your trip and meet your travel companions.

Day 2 Bangkok

Enjoy a one-hour long tail boat tour of Bangkok's famous klongs, or canals. A guided visit through Wat Po will introduce you to the Thai and Buddhist culture. There will still be time for some afternoon shopping or a visit to Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keow before heading to the train station to board our overnight train to Chiang Mai (approx. 13 hours).

Day 3 Chiang Mai

Surrounded by rolling hills, Chiang Mai offers both pretty surroundings and architecture. Enclosed by a moat and crumbling walls, the old city features great cafes, shops and accommodations. An important Buddhist centre since the 14th century, Chiang Mai is home to more than 300 temples. Many visitors come here to attend cooking courses, massage classes or yoga lessons. It is also a centre of handicraft production, with a long history of silverwork, woodcarving, pottery-making and weaving. A trip out to the countryside is another option for those interested in riding elephants or cruising down a stream on a bamboo raft. Not to be missed is the Night Bazaar, a series of covered markets, shops and stalls that offer the best selection of handicrafts in Thailand.

We arrive in the early morning and have free time to explore for the rest of the day. Your leader can help organize any activities that you would like to do.

Late afternoon we set off to visit the famous temple complex of Doi Suthep about a 45 minute drive from the center of the city. If we are lucky we can witness the resident monks perform their evening chants.

Day 4 Chiang Kong

A 5 hour bus drive takes us to Chiang Khong and our guesthouse that overlooks the Mekong river. Wander the local food market or sit back and enjoy the slow pace of life as we spend our last evening in Thailand.

Day 5 Mekong River

Travel through Thai Immigration, which is only a few hundred meters away from our Guesthouse. We then cross the Mekong by boat to Ban Houaysai and the Lao Immigration. Begin your journey down the Mekong by slow boat, stopping overnight in a basic Guesthouse in Pakbeng. Please note that Pakbeng only has electricity from 6pm to 10pm and 6am to 10am. Also note that from Nov-Mar it can get cold in this part of Laos so bring something to keep you warm,especially at night.

Day 6-8 Luang Prabang

Located at the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers, Luang Prabang is without a doubt the most charming city in Laos.

On day 6, we will approach Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. We will make a stop outside of town at the Pak Ou caves. This dramatic cave houses thousands of Buddha statues and images and is considered an important spiritual sight by many Lao people. Overlooking the Mekong, the cave provides stunning views. After our visit, re-board the boat and continue to Luang Prabang, arriving around 5pm.

Discover Laos Buddhist and architectural heritage either on foot or by bicycle.Tour around the most impressive of Luang Prabang’s 32 temples including Vat Vixoun, Vat Sene, and Vat Xiengthong. Eat a picnic on Phousi Hill and watch the sun set over the horizon or rise at dawn to watch the monks walk through the city collecting offerings of food from the locals. Make sure to find the time to browse the many textile galleries and relax in the town’s many small cafés.
During our stay, we take a guided visit of the Royal Palace and a half-day trip out to the stunning Kuang Sii waterfalls.

Day 9-10 Vang Vieng

A scenic drive through winding mountains will take us to the picturesque town of Vang Vieng (approx 7 hrs). Nestled along the Nam Song river and surrounded by limestone karsts, Vang Vieng is a great place to explore the countryside by bicycle or just float down the river in a tire tube.

Day 11 Vientiane

A 3 hour drive takes us to one of Asia's sleepiest capital cities. Enjoy the highlights of Vientiane including Wat Sisaket (one of the city's oldest and most fascinating temples), That Luang (Lao's national symbol and one of its most sacred sites), and the Morning Market (an all-day affair selling virtually everything).

Day 12-13 Hanoi

A flight on day 12 takes us away from quiet Laos and in to the bustling city of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. A leisurely walk through the Old Quarter and a traditional Vietnamese meal are the perfect way to start your visit to this diverse country.

On day 13 we visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his Presidential Palace and House on Stilts. The Mausoleum houses the remains of Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of unified Vietnam (note: the mausoleum and museum are closed October-December). During the afternoon visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the Museum of Ethnology or take a walk through Hanoi's Old Quarter – a virtual maze of facinating streets, each one traditionally devoted to a different product or industry. Late afternoon or early evening we attend a performance at the famous Water Puppet Theatre.

Day 14-15 Halong Bay

On day 14, a 3 hour drive takes us to Bai Chay Harbour, the entrance of Halong Bay.
Thousands of islands rise dramatically from the waters of Halong Bay, the limestone karst formations are hollowed by intricate caves – aboard your sailing junk visit some of the islands and caves, perhaps a pre-dinner swim and a very peaceful night beneath the stars. In the morning continue the cruise past Man's Head Island and visit Luon cave by small bamboo boat. After an early lunch on board the boat, head back to Hanoi with time for shopping or further sightseeing until our overnight train to Hue.

Day 16 Hue

Arrive early on day 16 into Hue, once the imperial capital. A true highlight of Hue is the surrounding countryside. We can visit Tien Mu Pagoda and continue on to the tomb of one of the Nguyen Emperors.

Day 17-19 Hoi An

In the morning we head on our guided tour of the old Citadel.The Citadel contains the Forbidden Purple City, modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing. This was badly destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968 and significant restoration work has since occurred. Late morning we drive to Hoi An. Crossing over the Hai Van Pass we will also stop at Lang Co Beach. Just north of Hoi An is Danang, a major US military base during the war and site of an excellent museum documenting Cham art and history. We will arrive in Hoi An late afternoon for our 3 night stay.

The picturesque port town of Hoi An, once known as Faifo, was an important trading town with strong south Chinese influence and connections.Take yourself on a walking tour of this living museum,which includes the Museum of History and Culture, the Tan Ky house, the Japanese bridge, the Fujian Assembly Hall. And after all that have lunch at a riverside restaurant to sample some of the local delicacies. Hoi An is also a shopping mecca for tourists in the region – tailors can produce virtually anything overnight – clothing, silk lanterns, lacquer ware and other crafts abound. Cui Dai beach is only 4km from town for sun worshipers.

Day 20-21 Ho Chi Minh City

Drive to Danang for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the sprawling metropolis that was once the capital of South Vietnam and remains the country’s commercial center.

On the morning of Day 21 we take our guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels. A complexed network of tunnels 90 minutes from the city where the locals lived during the American War to keep safe.

The afternoon is free time to visit the Thien Hau and Giac Vien pagodas and stroll through the immense Ben Than Market. There is also the Reunification Palace, the residence of the presidents of South Vietnam before 1975, Cholon (literally translated: Big Market),the Chinese quarter and the War Remnants Museum.

Day 22 Mekong Delta Day Trip

Travel by bus down to the start of the Mekong Delta, where the mighty Mekong River approaches and empties in to the sea. Board a boat and navigate through the small canals, witnessing local lifestyle and the cottage industries of this fertile area. After a day of touring, return to Ho Chi Minh City in time for dinner.

Day 23-24 Phnom Penh

On the day of 23, we cross in to Cambodia by public bus.The drive to the border takes about 2-3 hours. After processing all the formalities, we continue on by bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital arriving mid-afternoon.

After years of civil strife and political turmoil Cambodia is open for visitors. Late afternoon we take a short Cyclo ride around the city.

With our local guide on day 24, we witness the dark side of Cambodian history with visits to Choeng Ek, the site of the infamous Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng prison, the notorious Khmer Rouge prison where thousands of Cambodians perished.

Afterwards, continue sight seeing on your own.You can explore the cities many sights: the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum.There is time to visit the huge Russian Market packed with souvenirs and all the necessities of daily life. Late afternoon is a great time to visit Wat Phnom where the sanctuary for which the city is named once stood. It is a Buddhist shrine, although a Taoist goddess and numerous monkeys also reside here, and one of the pleasure spots for residents of the city. A drink in one of the many riverside café’s watching the sunset is a fitting finale to the day.

Day 25-27 Siem Reap/Angkor Wat

A short flight across the Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Southeast Asia brings us to Siem Reap. After checking into our hotel we set out for a first visit of Southeast Asia's most famous archeological sight, the temples of Angkor. The 100 or so temples are the sacred remains of what was once a much larger administrative and religious centre built between the 9th and 13th centuries to glorify a succession of Khmer kings. Most of Angkor was abandoned in the 15th century and the temples were gradually cloaked by forest until they were rediscovered by French archeologists.

Next day start with an early departure for a full day temple tour including Angkor Wat for Sunrise,Angkor Thom, the Bayon, the Gate of Angkor Thom, Baphuon, the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of the Elephants amongst others. We also visit the temple in the jungle, Ta Phrom,also know as the 'Tomb Raider' temple.

Day 27 is a free day. Options include a bicycle trip to villages and temples outside Siem Reap, a last visit to Angkor or a short trek to Kbal Spean, the ‘river of 1000 lingas’.

Day 28-29 Bangkok

A long day's bus ride takes us from the countryside of Cambodia to the modern Kingdom of Thailand. Please note that the road on the Cambodian side is mostly unsealed and very bumpy (Approx 5 hrs), the border crossing formalities can take up to two hours as well. Yet, once we reach the Thai side, the roads are smooth for our remaining drive to Bangkok (3-4 hrs). Please note that road conditions in Cambodia can deteriorate very quickly during the rainy season. We have noted approximate driving times in the itinerary above but please be prepared for possible delays. In extreme circumstances the road is impassable and we will have to fly to Bangkok.

We have time to check-in to our centrally located hotel and then its our final night meal and time to take in the local nightlife. Departure is after breakfast on day 29, when our tour ends.

“Not possible!” … Bhaktapur to Bodhnath and Back Again

Exhaust choked the road and burned in my throat. Long-idling cars turned off their engines. My taxi driver got out of the 3-cylinder Suzuki Maruti for the third time, scanned the road ahead, and got back in, shaking his head and muttering in Nepali. I looked at my watch. It had been 35 minutes since I got in the cab about 4 blocks back.

About 50 minutes into the journey, we’d moved about a mile from where I’d gotten in. A traffic police officer waved my taxi over. After some back-and-forth in Nepali, the cab driver heaved a heavy sigh and told me, “Not possible. Bhaktapur, not possible.”

It seems that the one English phrase that every Nepali involved in transportation knows is “Not possible.

Apparently some strike or accident had jammed the main road out of Kathmandu and thus to Bhaktapur, my destination, a medieval city about 13km from Kathmandu. I thought quickly, thumbed through my guidebook, and asked if he could take me to Bodhnath, a neighborhood in Kathmandu, instead. “Bodhnath possible,” he said.

Though Bodhnath hadn’t made it onto my must-see list, it turned out to be one of my favorite places in Nepal. I was skeptical at first when my driver let me out. The dirt road was full of potholes and the entire neighborhood seemed coated with dust. But then the driver pointed me down an alley and said, “Stupa there. Bodhnath.”

Wow. I walked down a narrow alley, making sure not to hit the yak butter and prayer flag salesmen with my bags. The alley opened onto a large square surrounding the Bodhnath Stupa, the most holy place in Nepal for Tibetan Buddhists. It’s a beautiful and inspiring place, with thousands of prayer flags catching the breeze and dozens of monks walking clockwise around the stupa spinning the prayer wheels, all under the watchful eyes of Buddha. The neighborhood around it, Boudha, is Nepal's “Little Tibet”. It’s the center of activity for Tibetans in Nepal, and many of Nepal’s 50,000 Tibetan refugees live here.

I wandered off the square, looking for a guest house, and smiled to myself as I passed several maroon-robed Tibetan monks who were sitting around enjoying Cokes and chatting at the neighborhood cold drink stand just outside the gates of the monastery. I quickly dropped off my bags, and then spent the rest of the afternoon taking pictures of the stupa and prayer flags from every angle, visiting a couple of Tibetan monasteries, and browsing in the cute shops that surround the square.

Young Tibetan monks

As afternoon turned into evening, I climbed up to the terrace of one of the multitude of rooftop restaurants on the square for some tasty fried rice and twilight pictures of the stupa.

After dinner, I walked around the stupa one last time before bed. The crowds had thinned, but a few monks were still making their quiet rounds, and several women were selling butter candles to be lit as offerings.

The next morning I was awoken early by crashing cymbals, thumping drums, and the chant of “om mani padme hum” – first prayers at the monastery next door. Sleeping in was impossible, so I got up and walked around the stupa one more time and had breakfast on the roof terrace of the appropriately named “Beautiful View Restaurant.” My fried eggs and toast definitely tasted better with a view of the stupa.

I headed back to the road and asked a taxi driver if he could take me to Bhaktapur today. “Bhaktapur yes!” he said, so we set off. I became a little nervous as we headed away from the city on a rutted dirt road that got worse and worse. He must have sensed my confusion because he said something like “Road bad, yes, but no traffic jam!” I suppose it was the back way. I thought it a miracle that the tiny tires of the Maruti navigated the giant potholes and wash-outs.

About 30 minutes later we arrived in Bhaktapur, a timeless medieval city that dates from the 12th century. The old city is closed to most vehicle traffic, so aside from the odd motorbike, there’s not much to remind you that you haven’t really time-traveled to 15th century Nepal.

I was in Bhaktapur no more than an hour when I ran into some of the girls that had been on my group trip, so we agreed to meet for dinner. I spent the rest of the day wandering the cobblestone streets and making friends with the local puppies and baby goats. (I’ve learned on this trip that goats are really misunderstood. They’re so sweet, and will be your best friend if you give them a little scratch under the chin!)

Milk pails for sale in Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur is known for its hand-thrown pottery

A fruit seller with his vegetable cart/bicycle

In the late afternoon I found a roofdeck cafe for a cold drink and some photos (yes, it became kind of a tradition in Nepal!)

Tachupal Tole (Square) in Bhaktapur. Check out the huge chariot used for festivals!

The next morning, I caught up on e-mail in a hobbity 15th century building whose ceilings were barely higher than my head. Can you believe this place has broadband?

After breakfast, I met up with the girls again to head to Dhulikel, a town out on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley. It’s popular for its views of the Himalaya, but unfortunately the smog still hadn’t cleared and the mountain views were nil. It was fun to take the local buses out there and back, though, and I managed to snap this photo of a passing bus:

See, I told you you don’t want to ride the bus in Nepal. Especially on top. With the goats.

This is what you get for $4.50 a night in Dhulikel:



Finally, here are a few random shots from Nepal that I wanted to share but didn't really warrant their own blog post.

A sadhu (Hindu holy man) dressed as Lord Hanuman at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu

A man tending his rice fields at sunrise in Chitwan, Nepal

Women crossing a small river with their water buffalo at sunset in Chitwan, Nepal

How to board an elephant: Chitwan, Nepal

Finally, a common sight on Nepal's roadways: an overturned truck. I'm so glad I didn't experience this firsthand!

Coming Together in Kathmandu

Timbuktu. Zanzibar. Marrakech. Kathmandu.

To me, Kathmandu has always been one of those mystical ends-of-the-earth places, so impossibly exotic that it can’t possibly exist in reality. So of course it was one of the cities I was most excited to visit on this trip, and the more I learned about it, the more excited I became. Like my own San Francisco, it’s also one of the greatest melting-pot cities in the world, its history, culture, and people a blend of Central Asian ethnic groups, Tibetan Buddhism, and Indian Hinduism. It has also influenced other cultures more than I previously realized. For example, the pagoda, seen throughout Asian architecture, originated in Nepal.

Getting to Kathmandu involved a 6-hour bus ride which wound through misty Himalayan foothills carved into rice terraces and dotted with traditional Nepali villages. The scenery was serene and beautiful; the ride anything but. In a previous post I described the horror of Nepal’s roads and driving conditions. I’m just glad that I didn’t know then what I happened to read in my Lonely Planet guidebook today during a leisurely lunch: you are more than 30 times more likely to die in a bus accident in Nepal than you are in a western country. I absolutely believe it, but I’m happy for the false sense of security (ignorance) I had during those bus rides. I’m equally happy that my bus riding in Nepal is now over for this trip.

Once safely in Kathmandu, our guide led the group on a walking tour of the old city of Kathmandu, a medieval warren of hobbit-sized buildings on narrow winding lanes which open onto neighborhood squares with open air spice, tea, and vegetable markets and Buddhist and Hindu temples. The buildings look ancient, and many of them are more than 500 years old, with some of them up to 800 years old. Most are built in the traditional style, with a small shop on the first floor, several floors of living space above, and a terraced roof which occasionally has a pagoda-style small temple on the top. Distinctive, intricately carved wooden screens cover the windows. Each building nearly stops me in my tracks. In any other country I’ve visited, any of these buildings would be moved into a museum or at least cordoned off and visitors would be charged admission. In Nepal, it’s just another home and sari shop.

Vegetable market & fruit stall in Old Kathmandu

After our quick visit to Old Kathmandu, we piled into the ubiquitous white 3 cylinder Suzuki Maruki taxis for a ride up the hill to Swayambunath Temple. (Yes, I said 3 cylinder, and yes, I said uphill. The taxi I rode in stalled out on the hill no less than 10 times in about half a kilometer. Did I mention that just getting around in Nepal is adventure in itself?)

Swayambunath (pronounced swa-YAHM-boo-NAHT), one of the most important Buddhist temples in Nepal, is also known as the Monkey Temple because a troop of mischievous monkeys inhabits the hill on which the temple stands. The site dates from at least A.D. 460, though it has evolved over time under the various Nepali empires. It’s a beautiful place, set on the hill overlooking Kathmandu. We were there just before sunset, and a beautiful light spread over the city below us.

The eyes of Buddha on the Swayambunath stupa and the view over Kathmandu

Spinning prayer wheels and prayer flags for sale at Swayambunath

Tibetan Buddhist monks and a monastery at Swayambunath

Swayambunath Temple, seen from Durbar Square, Kathmandu at dusk

The next morning was the official end to my first group tour, and also was the morning of my mountain flight around the Himalaya. I was incredibly excited about the flight, especially because it’s been very hazy in Nepal since I arrived and I had only caught the barest glimpse of the Himalaya in Pokhara, Nepal’s resort town, which is set on a beautiful lake that usually reflects incredible views of the Annapurna range. Apparently this is the second-best time of year to see the Himalaya, before the monsoon starts, but the drought this year has depressingly reduced visibility. I described the flight in a previous post, but as promised, here are a few more pictures of the mountains:

Makalu, the 5th tallest mountain in the world and my personal favorite of the Himalayan peaks

In the afternoon, I checked out the other main attraction in Kathmandu: Durbar Square. Durbar means ‘palace’, and every major city or town in the Kathmandu Valley has a Durbar Square, where the local royalty lived. The square generally consists of a palace and dozens of temples, usually including some lotus bud-shaped Hindu temples, pagoda-style temples, and small shrines dedicated to the Hindu deities Shiva, Vishnu, and Ganesh. Durbar Square in Kathmandu has literally dozens of these, so there’s lots to see. It’s also the popular hang out for young, cool Kathmanduites, who sit and chat in groups on the temples’ steps.

Pagodas in Durbar Square, Kathmandu

Rickshaw drivers gossiping in Durbar Square

The temple I was most interested to visit was Kumari Chowk, the home of Kumari, a young Newari girl who is considered a living goddess. She lives in relative seclusion (but with her family), appearing at certain times in her screened window and at annual festivals. She becomes mortal again when she bleeds for the first time, whether at puberty or by skinning a knee, and a new Kumari is chosen. The current Kumari, recently chosen, is just three years old. I didn’t see her during my brief visit to her courtyard, but I did see two young girls who ran down the steps that led up to Kumari’s apartment to play badminton under Kumari’s window. I was really curious about who these two girls were: her sisters? I wondered what it must be like to be the sister of a living goddess. It’s probably better than being the goddess herself, who I’m sure isn’t allowed to play badminton.

After my brief but exciting visit to the city, I was excited to head out to the countryside in the Kathmandu Valley to see the even older medieval city of Bhaktapur and hopefully catch a glimpse of the Himalayas from the ground out in the Newari town of Dhulikel.

Mt. Everest!

I'm going to get a little out of chronological order here because I just have to share a photo from yesterday.

It was a good reason for an early-morning wake-up call: I got up before sunrise and headed to the Kathmandu airport to board a little Buddha Air plane to fly around the Himalayas.

The plane cleared the thick haze of pollution over the Kathmandu Valley at around 9,000 feet, and the stunning mountains came into view, looming high above us. We flew eastward, parallel to the range. Peak after peak after peak appeared in the crystal-clear sky. Each was absolutely breathtaking. It was awesome, in every sense of the word. Soon we reached our cruising altitude of 30,000 feet, about the typical altitude of a cross-country flight. The crazy thing was, we were still at eye level with the tallest peaks!

Mt. Everest, or Sagarmatha in Nepali, was the second-to-last large peak. It was a distinctive peak because it forms an "M" shape with its sister mountain, Lhotse. As we flew by, I wondered if anyone was attempting the summit at that moment. It's the most-climbed mountain in the Himalaya, and according to Wikipedia, by the end of the 2008 climbing season, there had been 4,102 ascents to the summit by about 2,700 individuals. 210 people have died on the mountain. That makes it one of the less deadly Himalayan peaks, however; K2 claims 27% of those who try to climb it.

There really aren't words to describe the majesty of the Himalayas, so instead I'll share a photo (and there are more to come, I promise!)

Mt. Everest (left) and Lhotse (right). Click on the picture to view it larger.

Pictures of... me

I've had a couple of requests for some pictures of me, so please forgive me this vain post dedicated to pictures of... me :)

One thing that has really surprised me is that frequently, we tourists become the tourist attraction. On several occasions, a friendly Indian or Nepali has motioned to their camera and then to me and said, "Photo?" I usually reach for their camera expecting that they want me to take a picture of them in front of whatever monument we happen to be visiting, but almost always what they mean is that they want a photo of me, usually with their family. It's very touching, but a bit odd to think that there will be photos of me in half a dozen Indian and Nepali family photo albums!

Taking pictures at the Taj Mahal at sunrise

With a local photographer's son at the Taj Mahal

With a baby elephant at the Elephant Breeding Center in Chitwan, Nepal

With an official mailbox outside the Pokhara, Nepal post office

Snuggling with a Nepali woman's baby goat (the owner is the woman in the orange sari)

I named him "Tenzing"

Drinking Diet Coke (I think that's what it says, anyway!)

It's all about the Gandhis

Showing off my fake henna (an ink seller on the street in Orchha, India grabbed me by the arm and painted me up before I could really protest)