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Chaos at the Hanoi Railway Station
Posted On 2009-07-21 , 2:44 AM
Finding ourselves only partially stunned in the streets of Hanoi North Vietnam with cook ups and sweet smells wafting from alley ways, pre school tables and chairs out on the pavement luring customers to sit down- yeah and break their chairs- and eat their noodles.
Mass motor bikes powering along the roads in unison the drivers gloved and masked. Finding the prescribed travel agent who was to escort us to the railway station was a synch on a tuk tuk. A bit in awe of the need for an escort we soon found out why it was totally essential, the Hanoi railway station was total mayhem, we were lead like babes in the woods through the seething throngs of humanity to our allotted carriage on the overnight train to Sapa.
How this agile quick thinking, know everyone guide knew where he was going was one of life’s great mysteries. We were poked onto the train stunned beyond help. The fierce guards opened and slammed flimsy doors that we were advised to lock, checking and double checking tickets, the bunk beds were suspect, two other tourists shared the sleeper with us, the linen a subtle shade of gray, the bathroom and toilets awash, food was hawked through the carriages. The train rocked and rolled out of Hanoi 260kms into the mountains of the North West.
We hunkered down for a nights sleep which simply didn’t happen, the higher we got the colder the carriage got, so at day break the best option was rather than fawning sleep, to brave the bathroom and absorb the passing vistas. Wise move, the train climbed steadily to 1600m passing bamboo stands, terraced gardens, paddy fields, corn crops and small railway villages supporting assorted livestock, no caged animals here. Every living thing had complete freedom of the mountain side. Industrious farmers out tending crops at 5am seemed extreme, but held us in raptures with our noses pressed against the window of the train.
It was wonderful to pour off the train at the city of Lao Cai, and who knows how anyone knew but every mini bus driver had a mission and knew who his clients were, and off we went on the last lap of the journey winding up the mountain side to Sapa at 1600m above sea level.
I started mentally preparing myself for the return journey, was there a better way out of this mountain retreat? I happily forgot the mission and immerged into the culture of the place, who wouldn’t, it was great.
Returning to Hanoi by train was a complete contrast for the same price, whiter than white bed linen, a red rose on the pillow, a dainty tray of bottled water snack biscuits, fruit and juice. The bathroom was pristine and no fierce guards. Had I been dreaming – no - arriving at Hanoi at 5am, the place was unrecognisable. Nothing open, the streets were clean and empty, we did find some breakfast and board a coach for Ha Long Bay, but that’s another story.
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Monkey Business in Borneo
Posted On 2009-07-13 , 7:11 PM
We packed the shorts and togs, caught the Petra Jaya bus 6 out of Kuching, Sarawak, to the tiny sea side town of Bako Bazaar, the plan was to catch a boat out to Bako National Park. It is a 20 minute very peaceful boat ride out to the park which is surprisingly very close to Kuching but leaves you with a feeling of being a long way from any form of civilization.
We landed in a small water taxi at a beautiful pristine white sandy beach where we waded ashore, hey - this is surely what our colonial ancestors did in long billowing frocks with babies on their hips. Walking up from the beach we found the Park HQ, a small restaurant and shop that sold a few tinned and dried foods and had some over cooked unappetising dishes sitting under the lights in a Bain Marie. Being wary of food that has been sitting around in the heat we opted to buy several tins of fish, beef, sardines and noodles of many makes and flavours.
Bako National Park is famous for its assorted wildlife, rainforests, four different species of Pitcher plants, trekking trails, the rare Proboscis monkey and the ultra friendly but more plentiful Macaque monkeys; these cheeky friendly guys we were to discover are entrepreneurs with a capital E.
We were staying a few days at the small huts which were very basic and clean and had large visual warnings to close doors and windows to keep the monkeys out.
So off we went to explore, follow trails, and find the wild life. Wonderful Macaque Monkeys swinging in the lush rain forest nurturing babies on their backs and spotting the rare Proboscis monkey, also magnificent bird life and best of all the sunset.
Our trail took us high up into the rain forest and eventually coming out at a stunning white sandy beach as the sun was setting, so with not a human in sight we stripped and plunged into the balmy South China Sea.
Wandering back to our humble abode we found a scene of devastation the thieves had been in, our back packs systematically emptied and contents strewn all over the floor. Swear to god someone had been after our money and credit cards. Monkeys can’t use credit cards or access ATM machines – yet - our tin food had gone!!!! The tins of tuna, bully beef, sardines, just vanished - spotting the wide open window, it dawned the brilliant monkeys had prized open the not 100% secure window and went shopping, - Yum!
Not a morsel left, so out into the forest we marched ready to claim our property back yeah - our friendly thieves were high in the trees mocking us; yes we did find some of the loot obviously dropped from high in the trees when they discovered they simply didn’t own a can opener. We were told later, they are experts with the finger lock cans they’re made for monkeys.
Gone are the days of banana eating monkeys swinging from tree to tree, no they sit on a branch wrenching open tin lids, devouring the non organic reconstituted protein and dropping the non biodegradable can on the forest floor to slowly rust..jpg) After retrieving a few dented cans we also managed a meal that night.
No monkey business after that, we made sure the doors and windows were properly secured. You do have to be alert when taking photos of them as they entice you to come closer, then extremely quickly they’ll snatch your camera out of your hands. We had that feeling that 'we' were being photographed as we was walking around!
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