Current Journal

OK, clearly this website doesn't see enough new material on a regular basis anymore, but the way I see it, it's better late than never. From southeast Africa to southeast Alaska, now it's time for a few tales from southeast Asia. Having recently finished her teaching contract in Korea, Alison signed up for a TESOL course in southern Thailand. Well, that set the wheels in motion, one thing led to another, and before you know it I had a round trip ticket to Bangkok - and plans to travel through Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Vietnam. Thanks to a mix up by Air China, I also ended up with a free hotel room in Beijing and a couple days to check out the city. So with six weeks and six countries to write about, I'll cut to the chase - though I make no promises of quality prose, just some quality travel stories...

On the approach into Beijing at night I expect to look down on the brilliant lights of China's capital city, population twenty million. The stars are clearly visible up above, but below I only make out a few street lights, an empty freeway, and some dimly lit warehouses - almost a post-apocalyptic scene. It seemed strange and eerie, and I pondered the reason. Perhaps communists turn off the power at 10pm? But a more rational answer appears first thing in the morning when I awake to a "sunny" day...which really means that instead of clouds we are blessed with a blanket of the perpetual yellow smog that lingers over the city, limiting both visibility and breathing capability. This is apparent as tourists, students, and businessmen alike sport the classic Asian face mask. SARS anyone?

I only have the day to spend in Beijing, so I decide to cross off a few "must see" locations and take a taxi directly to Tiananmen Square, site of the 1989 protests. I, speaking virtually no Chinese, and my driver, speaking absolutely no English, come to what some might call an understanding (in a very loose sense of the word) on a place to meet in several hours. Valuables on my person, I leave my backpack in the taxi, take a picture of the license plate (as if that might actually help), and set off into the smog. Worst case scenario I can always buy some clothes in Thailand.

Walking through historic Tiananmen Square past hordes of Chinese tourists, the first thing I notice is the presence of surveillance cameras - and no small amount of them, strapped to each lamppost and apparently covering every square inch of the surrounding area. Here is not the place for any brash antics, so it would seem. After getting my dose of modern Chinese history in the square, I head to the Forbidden City which dates back to the Ming Dynasty in 1406.

The Forbidden City lies just north of Tiananmen Square, and is now a top notch tourist destination (oxymoron?) - home to the largest collection of ancient wooden structures in the world. The palace complex is massive, and passing through each enormous doorway leads to another, equally spacious and impressive...though after a while there is certainly a sense of monotony. Throngs of Chinese tour groups pass by as I make my way through the ancient city. After a quick bit of street food, I somehow manage to find my taxi driver (patiently waiting) and he takes me safely back to the airport where I meet up with Alison in time for our flight to Bangkok. Off to Thailand!

We have just one quick night in Bangkok (passing through some minor flooding to reach our hotel) before flying south to Krabi early the next morning. Krabi is the gateway to our destination, Tonsai beach - Thailand's world class rock climbing area, conveniently located on a picturesque bay with turquoise waters. As soon as we leave the airport, the landscape takes center stage. Sheer limestone rock faces rise vertically from verdant mountains...temples are aplenty, and shining, golden Buddhas glisten in the sunlight. A quick bus ride takes us to the waterfront where a traditional longtail boat taxi brings us along the final stretch to Tonsai beach.

Four days in Tonsai finds us climbing, kayaking, and caving - not to mention drinking an absurd amount of the fresh fruit smoothies that are sold literally everywhere for about a dollar. Highlights include a full moon reggae concert, cheap and delicious pad Thai, and an hour long massage for about $3. Paddling along the shoreline and around the surrounding islands with their imposing limestone cliffs is an excellent way to explore the area, do some cliff jumping, find a secluded beach, and relax for the day. Before our sunset paddle back to Tonsai, we do some spelunking in the Pharang cave. Following a series of increasingly sketchy ladders, we arrive at another entrance (well above sea level), affording us an incredible view of our surroundings.

Out of sheer luck we meet up with Alison's friend Tim, who she used to climb with in South Korea. Conveniently, Tim has his own rope and rock climbing gear, so we join up and climb for the day. The limestone rock of southern Thailand is absolutely incredible - full of caves, stalactites, and other out-of-this-world features. We climb through the heat of the day and make plans for an evening session on the other side of the beach near our bungalows. Not deterred by encroaching darkness, we don headlamps and climb Tonsai's three star Groove Tube route, overlooking the village and bay. From our vantage point we can see a crew of Australian BASE jumpers leap from the top of the most prominent, overhanging cliff face right at sunset. Not too shabby.

A three hour boat ride from Tonsai takes us to the island of Phuket, where Alison will complete her two week TESOL course. Before the classes begin, though, we have plenty of time to stroll the streets of Old Town, sample some notorious (and foul smelling) durian fruit - and spend a couple days at Kata Beach. Complete with a Club Med and tourists as far as the eye can see, it's not exactly secluded...but the soft, white sand and bathtub warm water are hard to resist, indeed. And not to mention, we found some surfing! Despite the small waves, a combinations of cheap beachside board rentals, warm water, and absolutely no crowds made for some fun surf sessions.

Alison soon left Kata Beach to begin her TESOL class, while I stayed behind for a couple days to enjoy the surf (doesn?t seem fair, right?). Soon after, I am hot on the tourist trail and headed for the islands of Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Ley. Scenes from the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach were filmed on the latter island, and as you can imagine, the place is not exactly a secret anymore. But it's absolutely stunning, nonetheless, and I spend a couple days between the two islands snorkeling and kayaking.

Back in Phuket, I meet up with Alison for the weekend, and we're immediately northbound to Khao Lak, a beachside town on the Andaman Sea and gateway to the Similan Islands. Before setting out for the islands, though, we rent motorbikes and cruise the coastline - and soon find a secluded set of beachfront bungalows with board rentals and surprisingly good surf right out front. We have an excellent evening surf session, and I even meet a fellow surfer who was born in Malawi. The Similans are a small group of islands about 50 km off the coast in the Andaman Sea - our speedboat makes the journey in two hours. Crystal clear water and granite rock formations are the name of the game, and speaking of Malawi, it actually reminded me quite a bit of Lake Malawi. Highlights? Snorkeling with sea turtles and the endless entertainment of our guide, one of Thailand's famous ladyboys.

With Alison in class for another week, I take a much needed break (for my Alaska white skin) from the glaring sunshine and fly south to Kuala Lumpur for some city time in Malaysia and Singapore. Arriving in Kuala Lumpur late at night is undoubtedly an impressive sight with the shining Petronas Twin Towers clearly dominating the skyline. Having no prior plans or reservations, the first thing I do is find a cheap room and then settle in at a nearby Muslim restaurant to watch English Premier League soccer until 2am with the locals. Malaysians are crazy about soccer! In fact, English teams Arsenal and Chelsea both played games in Kuala Lumpur during the 2011 pre-season, so the city residents are clearly obsessed with the sport. The very next night Malaysia beats Indonesia in a penalty shootout of the Southeast Asian Games finals - once again I am at the same restaurant, and once again the atmosphere is exactly the same as if I were in a rowdy African or South American soccer bar.

Having limited time in Malaysia, I spend most of it in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur (direct translation: "muddy estuary") just wandering the streets and markets while consuming copious amounts of delicious street food. Most notable, of course, are the Petronas Twin Towers and the KL tower, where arriving at the top I am treated to a panorama of Kuala Lumpur at sunset...the neon lights of the sprawling city, limestone cliffs to the north, and spectacular thunderstorms to the south. The next day I travel to the Batu Caves, a popular Hindu shrine which draws literally millions for a yearly pilgrimage. Then it's off to the coast and Kuala Selangor, where a local seafood dinner precedes a brilliant display of fireflies on the banks of the river. So impressive are the blinking lights in the mangroves that I actually think they are fake Christmas lights - before we get close enough to see the actual insects. Quite impressive, indeed. Generally speaking, I find Kuala Lumpur to be a clean, safe, and a pleasant city (albeit hectic at times). But speaking of clean cities, that very night I board a southbound sleeper train to Singapore and encounter a whole new meaning of impressive.

Best known for its strict gum chewing laws and the caning of American Michael Fay back in 1994, Singapore is actually a modern (almost trendy) city-state where glass skyscrapers rise above the spotless sidewalks. And, according to the guidebook, Singapore is noted as a place that prides itself in remaining relatively free of western influence. They must be speaking of political influence, though, because McDonald's, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts are liberally peppered along the streets and malls. Hypocrites! But fast food joints aside, Singapore is an amazing place with incredibly efficient public transport and a skyline boasting some pretty outlandish modern architecture. The city's main drag, Orchard Road, is lined with massive malls showcasing the latest from Dior, Louis Vuitton (yes, I had to look up the spelling on that), and Ferrari.

Here, I meet up with my Danish friend and fellow pilot Freddy, who I flew with back in Malawi. He is in Singapore on a visa run for his new job flying for Susi Air in Indonesia. Unfortunately he's only in town for the day, but it's enough time to catch up on the latest aviation gossip and wander the city before a torrential downpour confines us to an air conditioned coffee shop. Despite the suppressing heat (and humidity which hovers around 100%), the streets are lined with holiday decorations, fake Christmas trees, fake snow, and the music of "Jingle Bells."

The next couple days I spend walking the streets of Singapore and enjoying the incredibly cheap and diverse food courts of Little India. I also make it to Sentosa Island, which is a horrible tourist trap, but it is also the southernmost point of continental Asia...so I take a picture next to the sign and move on.

The bus ride back to Kuala Lumpur is a monotonous six hours of the same scenery - palm plantations. Literally millions of palm trees (for palm oil, a major export) stretch as far as the eye can see, mile after mile after mile. It's definitely sad to see the massive scale of deforestation on peninsular Malaysia, and it was not unlike many of the rubber tree plantations that we noticed in southern Thailand.

One more night in Kuala Lumpur and the time had come for a much anticipated visit to Laos! I take a direct flight to Vientiane, where Alison is conveniently waiting for me at the airport with a tuk tuk and driver. She arrived from Thailand a few hours earlier, and having just finished her TESOL course, we can now spend the rest of our trip traveling together! Vientiane, built on the banks of the Mekong River, is the sleepy capital city of Laos - though it's hard to call a real city after the likes of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. There are no skyscrapers whatsoever, and the most modern thing I find is the Wi Fi connection at our hotel. In the course of our travels though southeast Asia, Laos is definitely the poorest country we will visit; however, it is also our favorite...a pleasant surprise from what we were expecting. The French influence in Vientiane is noticeable immediately with colonial architecture and numerous cafes lining the streets. There are also some impressive Buddhist temples and the picturesque sight of monks robed in bright orange walking the streets with their black umbrellas.

Alison and I spend a day on rented bikes ($1/day) cruising the streets of Vientiane, ending with a French-inspired picnic in the park: baguette, salami, cheese, and (of course) sauvignon blanc. Though a relaxing place to wind down, we are ready to move on from Vientiane and head north for Vang Vieng, Laos' rock climbing hotspot. The five hour bus ride north takes us through stunning landscapes - everything from small farming villages to steep jungle cliffs and cool, refreshing mountain air.

Let's get one thing straight...Vang Vieng is a tourist town, extremely popular among the young backpacker crowd for its party scene. Less known, however, is that the rock climbing is absolutely amazing. Our very first day in town we meet some Brits, Charlie and Kat, who are on a year long trip around the world - climbing, skiing, mountaineering, and diving. They immediately invite us to join them in rock climbing for the next several days, and just like that we are in business. Over the days we accumulate a small army of climbing friends, and by the last day our crew is a native-English speaking group of Americans, Canadians, Australians, and Brits. Needless to say, there is no shortage of jokes about each others' accents.

We spend two days climbing around Vang Vieng at the Sleeping Wall and in Secret Canyon, both requiring a short river crossing in a very unstable, not very watertight boat. At one point we have to take a serious detour after some drunk property owners try to charge us far too much for passing through their land. But the climbing is well worth it, and with three ropes and plenty of climbing gear we all get more than our fair share of time on the rock. The third day we rent a tuk tuk and head twenty kilometers north of town to climb at an enormous, white limestone wall...we are the only people around, and the climbing is excellent!

In the afternoon, we all rent tubes and float down the river to get a taste of what the fuss is all about. But nothing really prepares you for how hectic the "river scene" is in Vang Vieng. Numerous riverside bars sport rope swings, zip lines, and water slides where you can try your luck in the shallow waters. When I say "try your luck," I mean it - there are already seventeen confirmed deaths on the river in 2011. So basically you tube down the river, pull off at a bar, jump off their rope swing (or other dangerous apparatus) and continue on down the river. It's extremely entertaining for a while, then downright obnoxious...fun for a day, though not necessarily our scene. The rest of our climbing crew is heading north the next day, so we enjoy one final group dinner and sit around the campfire and listening to Sabina (musically talented Canadian) sing and play guitar. Not a bad place to be, with amazing climbing and even better company.

On our final day in town, Alison and I rent mountain bikes ($2/day) and pedal through the scenic countryside to the Blue Lagoon and Poukham cave, one of many limestone caves in the surrounding hills. After some good fun on the rope swings at the lagoon (yes, it was blue) we climb up to the cave and spend some time spelunking around massive caverns filled with otherworldly rock formations, sink holes, and pools of water. Easy to get lost in here, no doubt. But after only some minor confusion, we are back at the entrance and on a sunset bike ride back to town.

Next it's northbound to Luang Prabang, UNESCO World Heritage Site! Another lengthy bus ride brings us to this quaint city, where we spend a few days before heading to Vietnam, our final destination. Here, meticulously maintained colonial buildings line streets filled with cafes, pizza shops, and (of course) tourists. Perched right on the Mekong River, Luang Prabang is the perfect place to sip coffee and watch traditional boats passing up and down the famous waterway.

On a short day trip, we visit some nearby waterfalls flowing with mineral rich, blue-green water. There is also a preserve for numerous Asiatic black bears which have been rescued from poachers in the wild. Also known as the moon bear (for a moon shaped mark on its stomach), they are beautiful animals, and we can't help but donate a little money towards their cause. Back in town, we join an evening cruise on the Mekong River in a traditional riverboat - awkwardly long, yet somehow extremely elegant craft. An incredible sunset follows, the perfect prelude to a pizza and wine dinner. Early in the morning, we awake before sunrise to watch what we now call, "the feeding of the monks." Basically, as the monks walk slowly down the sidewalk, they are given their day's food by people (increasingly tourists) sitting along the sidewalk. Mostly it's rice and bananas, though I did see some candy in there as well. Apparently everyone else got the memo too, though. There are almost as many tourists as monks, snapping away with their cameras without really seeing what is actually taking place. But it is quite an interesting experience, nonetheless, and hey - we have plenty of good photos to show for it!

And then we were off to Vietnam! ...well, kind of. Our plan was to take a sleeper bus from Luang Prabang to Hanoi - approximate time, twenty four hours. We are (more or less) mentally prepared for this, and the bus is actually quite comfortable, with full reclining seats and a flat sleeping compartment below. What we aren't prepared for is that the bus ride actually takes thirty hours, and twenty hours of that is on nonstop switchbacks, not exactly the recipe for a good night's sleep. Long story short, despite some beautiful mountain scenery along the border, it is a pretty miserable ride, and Alison and I are more than happy to arrive in Hanoi where we spend our first night in Vietnam.

Before leaving the smoggy drizzle of Hanoi, we savor our first cup of delicious Vietnamese coffee and have our first bowl of Pho, the local soup which is simply delicious when prepared with care. With only a week left to travel, we make a beeline for Cat Ba Island in Halong Bay, where we will spend the remainder of our time together. Another World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is dotted with thousands of small islets boasting sheer limestone walls rising dramatically out of the water - often denying any possibility of access to dry land. Our destination, Cat Ba, is the largest of these islands and famed for its national park, floating villages, and incredible rock climbing. One of the local ships - called a junk - brings us to Cat Ba at an incredibly slow pace, though being aboard the vessel is a rather cool experience and the scenery doesn't fail to impress as we glide past the rocky islets shrouded in evening fog.

Here on Cat Ba, we settle in and promptly rent some motor bikes to explore the island - a cheap and fun way to travel. We motor into the Butterfly Valley to scope out some climbing routes, then zip along the coast, passing by small farming villages and green fields where water buffalo seem to bear the brunt of the manual labor. Crossing through lush, jungle mountains into the heart of the island, we stop at the Cat Ba National Park for an evening hike. Our final destination is a rather sketchy, rusty observation tower which rewards us an uninhibited view of the surrounding area.

In the morning, we soon find the best way to balance two people and two backpacks of climbing gear on our poor, underpowered motorbike. Despite the fact that we barely make it up the steeper hills, we arrive without incident at the climbing crag in Butterfly Valley. Our expectations about climbing on Cat Ba are soon exceeded, and we spend the entire day climbing extremely long, dynamic routes on limestone of top quality. To finish off the day, we eat dinner on a nearby farm and sample the local honey and honey wine, both delicious!

Kayaking time! The next morning we set out on a two day sea kayaking trip with our local Vietnamese guide, Henry, and a nice French couple (yes, I said it). It becomes, without a doubt, one of the major highlights of our entire trip. First we paddle through a floating village of 1,200 people, where daily tasks are done without the stability of dry land - there is a boat that collects garbage, a boat that brings fresh water, and a traveling "mini mart" boat which sells fresh supplies. Well-fed dogs patrol the porches and alert homeowners of approaching foreigners in strange kayaks - it is an altogether impressive sight to see. We pass under an arch into a small bay that is only accessible at low tide, then across a channel to a beautiful two sided beach.

Even after eating lunch and dropping some gear at our beachside cabanas, there is still one more adventure planned for the day. Henry tells us that we will be going through a cave which leads to a secluded lagoon where we can actually paddle our kayaks. Sure enough, we paddle to the entrance of the cave where only a small stream is flowing out of the pitch black tunnel. We swap sunglasses for headlamps and drag our kayaks behind us into the cave. In the darkness our LED lights shine through the crystal clear water and play some interesting tricks on the eyes. Fifteen minutes later, we emerge at the other end of the tunnel to a secluded lagoon which we explore in our kayaks - definitely the most impressive experience we've had on our trip!

We wake to a bright and sunny morning (a rare thing in hazy Vietnam) and paddle past more islets and floating houses to another entrance of Cat Ba National Park. Switching modes of transportation, we hop onto bikes and pedal into the park before climbing the highest "peak" on the island, which is a mere 900 feet. But it rewards us with excellent views of Halong Bay, all the way to the mainland. Back in our kayaks, Henry takes us to another lagoon which is accessible through an arch, but only at low tide. The multitude of places to explore in the bay is really overwhelming, and one could certainly spend a lifetime doing so.

What else? I give Alison a quick lesson in rolling the kayak, we share some chocolaty coffee with Henry, and we eat an extremely expensive (by southeast Asian standards) crab for dinner. Another day of epic climbing in Butterfly Valley follows, and our time on Cat Ba is coming to an end. On the final day, the tides finally cooperate and I am able to go out on the boat for some deep water soloing (or DWS, as those in the know like to call it). Basically, this is climbing without any rope or protection, and when you fall (or decide to jump because going any higher is incredibly scary), you land back in the water. Being in the ocean, it is extremely tide dependant and at low tides it is either impossible to access the rock or too dangerous because of the shallow water. But everything works out, the morning is sunny and warm, and our group of climbers is particularly fun - just another unforgettable day of climbing in Cat Ba.

Before we know it, our time is up...it's time to head back to Hanoi. From here, Alison will fly home to the USA for the first time in over two years, and I will briefly head back to Bangkok and Beijing before flying to California. Fortunately, we have one full day in Hanoi to just relax and enjoy ourselves...and drink lots and lots of Vietnamese coffee. Arriving in the capital city by bus, we are reminded just how much of an urban sprawl Hanoi appears to be. Smoggy and run down on the outskirts, we aren't particularly impressed. However, we stay in the Old Quarter, which is a pleasant sector of town full of well restored colonial buildings and a very bustling street scene. The food is delicious, the streets feel safe, and in a short amount of time we are actually quite impressed by Hanoi - or at least this area. One last bowl of Pho, one last amazing dinner, one last coffee, and it's time to send Alison off to the airport. An amazing trip it was! Early the next morning I'm on a plane bound for Bangkok.

Back in Thailand, I seize the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping, then wander the streets of Bangkok taking in a multitude of temples and interesting architecture. There are still some signs of the flooding (mainly leftover sandbags in front of shops), but life seems to truck on as normal. A point of pride...I successfully go two full days without eating at a sit down restaurant - subsiding entirely on the plethora of street food vendors is a much more interesting and economical way to go. Bags packed, ready to go, I board my flight back home, bound for San Francisco. But wait, no - of course, I have a ten hour layover in Beijing from 6am to 4pm.

For a stay of less than twenty four hours, China doesn't require a visa, so I take advantage of this to the fullest. Using the incredibly clean and efficient public transport, I jump on a train to downtown Beijing, connect to the subway, then hop off at the Olympic stadium - all for about $3. My first impression? It's freezing! I'm no longer in Thailand, that's for sure, and the temperature is a brisk six degrees, not exactly ideal for my thin rain jacket. Time to get walking. First I check out the site of the 2008 Olympics, which is surrounded by plenty of decorated Christmas trees. Back on the subway to warm up, then off to see the Summer Palace. Despite the name, though, the lake is frozen over and the leaves on the trees long gone. But the architecture is still amazing, and I spend a few hours wandering around the complex, accompanied only by hundreds of other Chinese tourists. Freezing cold again, I can't help but to stop into a Chinese Starbucks and warm myself up while listening to some American Christmas music. With no fear of traffic, the subway-train combo gets me back to the airport with plenty of time, and before I can even comprehend the fact that I was just wandering the streets of Beijing, I'm airborne for SFO.

Some very brief observations about southeast Asia? Here goes, some random clips from my journal:

It's a very touristy place...but for a good reason. Friendly people and a relatively high percentage of English speaking locals make travel quite easy. The beaches are gorgeous, the landscape impressive, and there are an unlimited amount of activities to enjoy: rock climbing, caving, kayaking, diving, surfing, mountain biking, BASE jumping, the list goes on. Thailand is certainly the most tourist oriented place, although Vietnam and Laos aren't too far behind. Kuala Lumpur is clean and modern, while Singapore goes unrivaled as the region's best city. Aside from the roads in Laos, the infrastructure is quite good, public transport is cheap and easy, and Air Asia is a low cost airline that operates throughout the region. What impressed me the most compared to places in Africa and South America was how very little I was hassled by the locals. It's virtually impossible to go to any city in Africa without being swarmed by hawkers or beggars, likewise but to a lesser extent in South/Central America. So that was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps they realize the importance that tourism plays to their economies and are embracing this fact? Beats me. I also felt extremely safe, everywhere I went, at all times of day and night. Of course this was using some common sense and not walking down dark, sketchy alleys late at night, but still...

But something that needs to be considered is where we spent our time...for the most part we were in tourist places doing tourist things. With no van like I had in South America, and no plane like I had in Africa, it is much more difficult to access remote areas off the beaten path. Thus, I imagine these generalizations won't hold true once you are away from the crowds and out in local villages. But I can say with certainty that for the unseasoned traveler, a tourist destination in southeast Asia will leave you feeling much more comfortable than one in Africa. Whether or not that's a good thing is up for discussion.

But on to more important things: the food is generally delicious and cheap! Highlights include Pad thai and curry in Thailand, roti in Malaysia, street pancakes in Laos, and Pho in Vietnam. Also, fresh fruit and fruit smoothies are readily available at streetside stands throughout all of the southeast Asian countries. The coffee in Vietnam is especially worth mentioning! Accommodation ranges from dirt cheap to Club Med, though it's rare to spend more than $10/night if you look around a little (Singapore excluded). And on to sports, southern Thailand is a mecca for rock climbers, though my favorite place for climbing would have to be Cat Ba Island in Vietnam. Favorite country of the trip? Tough call, but I think that one would probably have to go to Laos. One thing is for sure, though...there is certainly plenty more to go back and explore.

Happy New Year, and thanks for reading!

Jeremy