Hi! I'm in India!

India is full of contradictions. You can be walking down the street, holding your breath to keep the urine fumes at bay, and when necessity forces you to inhale, you find an abundant, pure and beautiful scent, sometimes unidentifiable, other times sweet rose or jasmine flower. It encompasses you in that instant, such that you cannot find any fault in India. Similarly, you'll find a hand-pulled carriage parked outside of a modern tech store, or a beautiful woman clad in a brightly colored sari standing beside a pile of poo.

India is dirty. Trash litters the streets and beaches, people bath in puddles in the street and you have to be alert so as not to walk into someone's line of spit. Men pee wherever is convenient.

I flew into Calcutta (Kolkata) and took a yellow 50s cab to a Buddhist association guesthouse. My cab driver had to stop three times to ask for directions, despite telling me he knew where it was. I spent a couple of days exploring the streets, the markets, the food and the Victoria Memorial- a marble structure surrounded by ponds and parks, housing art inside.

I took an overnight sleeper train to a coastal town, called Puri. Many Hindus consider Puri a holy place due to the Jagannath temple. I wasn't allowed in since I'm not Hindu, but I surveyed the area from the terrace of a cafe. I didn't spend much time on the beach due to all the trash and annoying touts, but long enough to wish this cow wasn't eating trash.

Since cows are considered sacred, they are allowed to do whatever they want, including relaxing in the middle of the road.

From Puri, I took a day-trip to Chilika Lake, the largest salt-water lake in Asia. I took a 3-hour boat ride on the lake and admired the many large birds inhabited there. The best part was the dolphins. Luck was with us and we saw a lot of dolphins, a rare kind with flat snouts instead of pointy ones.

I decided to plunge right into the street food cuisine and have enjoyed some of the best meals at street stalls and tiny eating houses. Some of my favorites include momos (dumplings), dal (lentils) with chapatis (thin wheat flat bread- still warm!), masala dosa (thin pancake stuffed with potatoes and served with sauces and chutneys) and thalis (an assortment of dishes, pickles, relishes, breads, and/or rice). In Calcutta, the chai is served in tiny ceramic cups everywhere you turn. mmmm!
From Puri, I spent the day in Bhubaneswar waiting for another night train. I visited a handicraft village and a handicraft festival- so many bright colors and beautiful wares. The train ride to Chennai took 20 hours (highlights included diarrhea, vomiting out my nose, and sleeping the rest of the time).

To read my last adventures in Vietnam, click HERE.

War History in Saigon

Cu Chi Tunnels

It started out like any tour-bus nightmare. We didn't leave the city until an hour after departure time. The tour guide made terrible jokes into the silence of our sleepiness. She repeatedly elicited audience participation despite little-to-no cooperation. We stopped at the "happy house" - aka, the bathroom- after only an hour on the road. She informed us that we would have 30 minutes. The extra time turned out to be for purchasing overpriced souvenirs made by handicapped individuals.

Then it all changed as we boarded back on the bus in the company of an extra tour guide who addressed us collectively as "hey buddy." He had a weathered face, long hair and sideburns and fought during the American war. He gave us a brief history and informed us that the Viet Cong were friendly and beautiful people, despite the fact that they imprisoned him after the war for fighting on the losing side. At the Cu Chi tunnels, we saw bunkers, well-concealed tunnel exit-points, and all kinds of deadly booby traps, mostly made of natural materials such as bamboo spears. We squat-walked through some of the tunnels. Although they were widened for tourists, there was barely enough room to maneuver and some patches were completely dark. When we emerged, panting and relieved by the first possible exit, we learned we had only managed to cover 15 meters of the tunnel. It felt like at least 50. The option remained to continue on for 100 meters, but I didn't have it in me. We saw some tunnels that remained their original size, and I'm almost certain my hips and shoulders wouldn't fit through. The entire visit was made a little more realistic by the sound of shots being fired at the tacky (yet popular) shooting range, where for the price of bullets, tourists can fire a number of different war guns.

During the war, the network of Cu Chi tunnels spread over 250 kilometers, linking up to Siagon. Some sections had three levels. Kitchens, meeting rooms and sleeping quarters were all underground, housing 18,000 VC troops. They had elaborate ventilation systems, including a way to release the kitchen smoke almost invisibly. We saw a few craters made by the American B-52 bombs that caused many of the tunnels to collapse, leaving only 6,000 of the troops to survive. The tunnels had no support beams- the clay soil was so strong that the carved tunnels held secure (until the bombings, of course). At the end of the tour, we ate tapioca root steamed in the original kitchen with tea.

Back on the bus, the tour guide liked to see us cringe when he pointed out the cages of dogs riding to the market on the back of motorbikes. "One-way ticket!" he would say with pleasure. As cute as can be, the dogs were about to become someone's dinner.

War-Remnants Museum
War tanks and aircraft sit parked outside the War Remnants Museum, which details the atrocities of the American war. Most of the museum consists of photos telling the story of devastation. I saw dozens of photos of deformed babies, burned skin and bodies reduced to ashes- all victims of Agent Orange. My guts twisted as I looked at photos of women and children taken moments before they were shot to death. I cringed at civilians being interrogated (aka- tortured) by groups of US soldiers, some wearing a slight grin as they watched. My eyes teared up as I read the account of a family torn to shreds by a squad of men led by Bob Kerrey- a man later to become a US Senator. The grandparents' throats were slit and children as young as 6 were killed and disemboweled. Soldiers glared proudly at the camera while holding up the detached head of a VC soldier. Dead bodies were dragged behind tanks. Of the 3 million Vietnamese killed during the war, 2 million were civilians (many women and children). Villages were burned and destroyed. Crops were sprayed with napalm.

The history was briefly outlined and my last stop was the section on torture. No details were spared here either and by the time I walked away, I was heartbroken and exhausted. The visitors were foreigners and Vietnamese alike, and I was grateful for a truthful exhibit, not watered-down or littered with propaganda. Of course a place like this only provides more questions than answers and I'm eager to learn more.

Saigon

Saigon itself is a huge city, with a population of 9 million. According to the tour guides, there are an estimated 4.5 million motorbikes within the city. After crossing the streets here, I believe it. It's hot and humid, the people are pretty friendly and there are always loud noises, people to watch and markets to explore.

From Saigon, I flew to Bangkok where I spent two days saying goodbye to SE Asia (I miss you already!).

To read up on the Mekong Delta, click HERE.

Water time! - Nha Trang and the Mekong Delta

Nha Trang sits on the south central coast, right on the South China Sea. I didn't plan to spend much time there, but ended up staying a few days. It's a lazy place with a moderate traveler scene.

Aside from sunbathing and braving the choppy waves, I explored the surrounding area on foot and bicycle, taking in the Giant Seated Buddha,

the Giant Reclining Buddha, the Cham Hindu temple, the rocky beach north of the city,...and the aquarium where I saw a fully assembled whale skeleton, small sharks and rows upon rows of preserved sea creatures unceremoniously stuffed into jars. I met up with James-from-Texas, who I travelled with in Laos. We set off to the Mekong Delta. Ben Tre is known for it's thriving coconut candy business and we stopped in a factory before hopping on a boat to tour the delta. We floated through tiny waterways and stopped on a marshy island that felt like a true jungle. We admired the beautiful flowers, durian fruit trees and water coconuts- a brown, spiky coconut that grows at the base of palm fronds. Apparently, it's only worth eating with ice and sugar.We didn't see any tourists in Ben Tre and rarely came across English-speakers. I bid goodbye to James and headed deeper into the detla, staying in Can Tho for 2 nights. I took in the bustling riverside night life (complete with a giant statue of Ho Chi Minh) and woke at 5am to hop on a boat headed for the floating markets. The markets were a bit anti-climactic, but full of busy commerce and beautiful wooden boats. We stopped on a small island for breakfast, and walked around looking at the passionfruit, papaya and lemon trees.

My final stop in Vietnam was Saigon... coming up next!

If you missed my adventures in central Vietnam, click HERE.

And if you like pretty things, click below.

Flowers of Vietnam

Hue and Hoi An: getting central

Hue
Hue is much smaller than Hanoi, yet tourism seems to make up a larger percentage of the local economy. After ordering food in a restaurant, the server would often sit down at my table and try to sell me motorbike tours, silk paintings or bus tickets. Walking down the sidewalks was an open invitation for harassment ("excuse me! buy something!"). Each region has it's own special cuisine, and in Hue, my favorite was roll-your-own spring rolls with veggies, shrimp, salad and green figs dipped in homemade peanut sauce.

I also had a light, nutty local beer called Huda. On New Year's Eve, dragon dancers performed in the streets.

Within city limits, the ancient citadel is quite the place to explore, with emperor quarters and remains of buildings that survived American bombing.

Over a crispy baguette breakfast, I met Thoan, a motorbike tour guide. He promised to take me to four sites outside the city for an unbeatable price of $5. We started at the Thien Mu Pagoda, a beautiful temple with a tower overlooking the Perfume River. It's also the home to the car Thich Quang Duc drove to Siagon in 1963 to burn himself to death in protest of religious restrictions imposed by the government.

Next was Tuc Duc tomb, a sprawling set of monuments and tombs dedicated to the emperor Tuc Duc and his family. The most impressive part was the landscape.

We stopped in a village known for making cinnamon and sandalwood incense, and watched it made by hand.

We arrived at Tu Hieu Pagoda in time to watch the monks sing, strike singing bowls and pray.

The final stop was an American bunker used during the Vietnam war with spectacular views of the river.

Here's me in front of the citadel:

Hoi An

Hoi An sits 4km from the beach and is well-known for it's French colonial architechture and superb tailor shops. The old quarter is charming, albeit touristy, with red and white silk lanterns lining the streets and hanging from the trees. The river lights up at night, a truly magical sight of colorful lights reflected in the glassy water, floating lotus lanterns and, in my case, a full moon.

I stopped in an art gallery housed in traditional 2oo year-old home and met a wonderful tourguide. He gave me lots of information about the art, the home and Hoi An... without trying to sell me a thing! And he smiled! I also toured a gallery of Agar wood sculptures and products. Agar wood comes from the resin of certain trees after the sap hardens over several decades. It's believed to have healing and aphrodisiac properties. Wearing the wood is said to draw toxins out of the body.

I rode a bicycle to the beach, taking in beautiful views of fresh, green rice fields. At the beach, I sunbathed, braved rough waves and walked along the shore watching local fisherman.

Hoi An boasts amazing food and a plentiful market. Two local specialities include "white rose" and Cau Lau. White rose are tiny shrimp dumplings dipped in sauce.

Cau Lau is fresh chewy noodles, sprouts, pork (or tofu) and salad greens served in a thick savory broth made with water from the local Ba Le well. Other treats include lemongrass pho (see below) and plenty of stir-fries. All over Vietnam, you can get strong coffee, usually served with sweetened milk on the bottom of your glass.

After Hoi An, I made my way south (if you look on a map, you can see how long Vietnam is!) to Nha Trang- more beaches!

If you missed my account of Hanoi, click HERE.