In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your
knees, knees
(a little GnR for ya ... in case you didn't know it)
I rode an elephant, went bamboo rafting, trekking, swimming at waterfalls, saw a few poisonous snakes, and met some of the Karin hill tribe. Needless to say, Rang, our guide for our three-day trek did a fantastic job.
For our trek, we were only with two others and a guide, for a total of 5 people. The "others" happened to be a lovely newlywed couple from the states ~ Anna and Justin. This is part of their honeymoon. They are working their way to China where Justin will study Chinese as part of his degree. Anna just finished her undergraduate in Art History. It was nice to be in such a small group and the four of us all got along very well. We haven't met too many Americans in the other part of our travels, so it was a nice change. Justin and Anna managed to squeeze all of their stuff into one backpack which Justin carried for most of the time, there was no way Mike was carrying my stuff....
Day 1: Rang picked us up from the guesthouse and brought us to a market "in case we forgot anything" that was on the list he had given us at our pre-meeting the night before. Mike and I were prepared, so we opted for some fried noodles for breakfast at a whopping 20 baht (less than 60 US cents). Yummy. Try not to thing about the sanitary conditions.... Next up, was an elephant ride through the jungle. We all felt like we were going to fall off, when we headed downhill, but we all managed and just got a bit muddy when the elephant sprayed himself off. After the elephant ride, we had a rice-y dish for lunch in a small village. 3 weeks of eating rice everyday makes you not look forward to it at all. After lunch, we began our trek into the Jungle of Thailand. It was a good hike, but not too strenuous. We completed our hike at a spot built out for the tourists with little bamboo huts and right next to a lovely waterfall. The waterfall was our shower for the evening and really cool. It was nice after sweating continuously all afternoon to relax in the cool waterfall. Dinner was a combination of dishes (and of course, rice) and was delicious. We were camping with another group of 8 that had just completed Day 2. We got chatty with some Canadians that were headed the opposite way and gave them a few pointers about what we'd liked so far.
Day 2: Breakfast is toast! Yeah. It's not warm and there is nothing but jam and margarine to go with it. I just love it. Ah well. Today we trekked all day. We started pretty late, about 11 am, and just adventured upwards towards a small hilltribe village. Of course, it wouldn't be the jungle without a litle rain. It downpoured upon us for a good while, but the tempture also cooled considerably so we were not in a state of constant sweat. Rang is very knowledgeable about the jungle and all along the way, for three days, he pointed out various animals and plants and such to us. We saw large anthills that took years to build. He also explained to us, when we reached an abondoned field, that the US governemnt pays the Thai governement to help enforce its anti-drug policies. (We were walking through what was formerly an opium field.) The posionous snakes were a real joy to behold ~ I hate snakes. He also picked some baby mangos for us to eat (too bitter, no fleshyness). When we arrived at the place for lunch, we had some noodles with veggies ~ ala ramen noodle style. Yippie!! Of course, we ate a ton since we'd worked up an appitite. Rang took the leftovers along and gave them to the children of the village. For dinner, we had some lovely rice with green beans and some wierd dried pork. It was pretty decent overall. After dinner, the Karin people brought us some of their tribal goodies to buy. Mike & Justin bought hill tribe shirts which are quite unique, I bought two scarves, and Anna bought a skirt. The people of the village are extremely poor, so we did our share to add to their future prosperity. They also basically never leave the village. Some of them have never been into Chang Mai, where we're staying right now.
Day 3: More fantastic toast for breakfast. My favorite thing!! Off to start another trek. It was less strenuous than day 2, and we soon reached a lovely little waterfall area. We rocked our swimsuits and had fun playing around. After that, we had another short walk and reached the "jungle seven eleven" and then waited for our truck to take us into the next village. This was the wealthiest village by far, that we visited in the 3 days. We arrived at a small place and had a scrumptious lunch full of different veggies and meat. We also were encouraged to have some chili sauce with our food, as always. It was yummy! Much better than the noodles they served us yesterday. Then it was off to bamboo rafting. Bamboo rafting was the ultimate fun. My favorite part of our trek, I wish we could have done it all day. The raft is made up of very long bamboo and they fashion a bit of a seat in the middle. This is where Anna and I sat. We had a guide in the front part of the raft and then Justin and Mike stood at the back. They took turns being the man of the raft or Man of the Jungle. They had a large piece of bamboo with witch they used to push the raft downstream and away from rocks. We floated through a few small rapids and almost tipped off a few times, but overall it was a blast. Ahh jungle trekking in northern Thailand... loads of fun!!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Bangkok
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The road to Bangkok, from Siam Riep, is not paved at all. It has many ups and downs as you travel SLOWLY along. We did manage to have a flat tire to boot. They told us at the bus ticketing office that it was 4 hours to the Thailand border. I don't know how they tell time back in Siem Riep, but we left at 8 am and arrived at the border at 4 pm. Slight miscommunication I think. The first part of the journey, the Cambodian side, is infamous for being bad. It was uncomfortable, but we survived. After crossing through to Thailand, we picked up a very large, well-air conditioned bus for the trip to Bangkok. I'm thankful that we had the uncomfortable, slow journey first.
We arrived in Bangkok and stayed at the somewhat infamous Khoisan Road. It was quite busy with constant traffic, clubs, bars, and the peddlers. We found an average place to stay, but the price was more steep than it has been in the other places. The next morning, we slept in and enjoyed our AC. Then we hit the big sights of the city: the National Museum which was fantastic, Royal Palace & the Jade Buddha, and then climbed the Golden Mount for a picturesque view of the city.
Of course, we didn't stop there. We also managed to find the zoo and see white Bengal tigers and a red panda. There were also heaps of snakes and turtles and even a hippo. After the zoo, we decided to move locations and took a cab to Siam Square. From Siam Square it was easy to catch the SkyTrain (Bangkok's newish monorail system) and go out to a bar or three. The first one was a bit of a go-go bar, where the ladies are your "friends." Not too much of my forte, so we ducked out after a beer.
Saturday morning we woke up lazily again and headed off in search of the weekend market. The weekend market is huge. They sell everything. Mike and I both bought some clothing that was one-of-a-kind and the temptation to not by more is difficult. Afterwards, we worked our way back to the MKB center. It's one of Bangkok's malls. It's only 7 stories high. Ha ha ha. Bangkok has brought us back to the world we know, full of McDonalad's and American companies. We actually went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 which was decent at the movie theater since we were so hot and tired from the market. We then caught an overnight train to Chang Mai... which is where I right to you now.
We arrived in Bangkok and stayed at the somewhat infamous Khoisan Road. It was quite busy with constant traffic, clubs, bars, and the peddlers. We found an average place to stay, but the price was more steep than it has been in the other places. The next morning, we slept in and enjoyed our AC. Then we hit the big sights of the city: the National Museum which was fantastic, Royal Palace & the Jade Buddha, and then climbed the Golden Mount for a picturesque view of the city.
Of course, we didn't stop there. We also managed to find the zoo and see white Bengal tigers and a red panda. There were also heaps of snakes and turtles and even a hippo. After the zoo, we decided to move locations and took a cab to Siam Square. From Siam Square it was easy to catch the SkyTrain (Bangkok's newish monorail system) and go out to a bar or three. The first one was a bit of a go-go bar, where the ladies are your "friends." Not too much of my forte, so we ducked out after a beer.
Saturday morning we woke up lazily again and headed off in search of the weekend market. The weekend market is huge. They sell everything. Mike and I both bought some clothing that was one-of-a-kind and the temptation to not by more is difficult. Afterwards, we worked our way back to the MKB center. It's one of Bangkok's malls. It's only 7 stories high. Ha ha ha. Bangkok has brought us back to the world we know, full of McDonalad's and American companies. We actually went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 which was decent at the movie theater since we were so hot and tired from the market. We then caught an overnight train to Chang Mai... which is where I right to you now.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Most Amazing Thing I've Ever Done
The ancient ruins date from the 9th century and you are able to climb all around them. The Angkor kingdom had its capital her and thrived from about 9th century -12th century. From the high peaks of the crumbling temples, you gaze out into the Cambodian jungle. You pass ancient trees that have retaken parts of the magnificent city that once thrived underneath. I'm not doing it all justice by attempting to describe it all, but it's true. The striking views surround you as you make your way pass monks and ancient Buddhas. While I'm not exactly Lara Croft on a mission here, I still feel like an explorer trekking through the jungle.
Angkor Wat is one of the world's greatest wonders. I am confident of this fact. It was built in the late 12th century, at the height of the Khmer power. It is still an active Buddhist temple to this day. While it is probably not as visited as the pyramids, visiting the temple complex is by far the most amazing thing I've ever done. It only costs $40 USD for a pass to enter for three days. We saw sunset the first afternoon we arrived. We climbed up the hill and while the place is packed with tourists brandishing their cameras for that perfect shot, it was still marvelous.
To enter the temple complex, you also must have transportation. The complex is not only vast, but it is important to stay in "safe"areas since the Khmer Rouge had a strong hold in this area. Thus, the threat of land mines is a very important risk of being solo. We decided to hire a tuk tuk, which is like a little rickshaw on a motoscooter. It makes the "tuk tuk tuk tuk" as you go along. We met our guide & driver on the bus from Phenom Phen to Siem Riep. He was an extremely enthusiastic and friendly guy. He said he was studying English and he spoke it pretty well. He took us for sunset on the first evening, sunrise the 1st morning we were here, and drove us all around the last two days. It's been a bit more money, costing us $15 for the tuk tuk, $40 for the pass, plus our accommodations ($5/night/person) and food (avg. spend of $4/meal). In Vietnam, we were scrapping by at $20/day. Of course, every penny is well spent here. I can't say enough how spectacular and impressive this place has been.
[Side note: Cambodia is a strangely traditional culture in some aspects. Everyone pays more heed and attention to Mike than to myself. I don't know if they assume he's paying or what... but they always speak to him and not to me. It's rather convenient when we're being stalked by the little begging children at the temples. I just walk right by them and they flock to Mike.]
Interestingly enough, we almost exclusively use American dollars here. (I don't think I mentioned this ... if I did already I'm sorry!). The only time we get Riel ~the Cambodian currency~is in amount less than a dollar since they do not use American coins. All prices are listed in USD and that is how everything is paid for. In Vietnam, we could use American dollars but they didn't dispatch them from the ATM and everything like they do here. Craziness.
Tomorrow we're off to Bangkok... the road from Cambodia to Bangkok is notoriously awful and long. It's also through the ruralest part of the area, with higher risk of catching a disease like yellow fever or malaria.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Naked Baby Count
The children of Cambodia are very friendly and smiley. Both the Cambodian and Vietnamese children run up and say hello. Some of them are trying to sell you something, others are just happy to have you talk to them. Some of them are Hawks and others are great little entrepreneurs. They loved waving to us from the boat as we traveled up the Mekong River Delta. They can also be incredibly intelligent. Right before the border crossing to Cambodia, we had a little boy of maybe 6 or 7 serve us at the little restaurant. Not only did he whisk around our table of six taking orders, bringing us food and drinks, he also collected the money at the end. Since its near the border crossing, he was so sharp he was making currency conversions and change. He is probably the swiftest moving 6 year old I've ever seen. Mike forgot his water at the restaurant when we went to go through customs, and this lovely little boy ran it over to us while we were in line.
Neither Mike nor myself was prepared for the difference between Vietnam and Cambodia. After we boarded the slow boat (which may as well have been an oven because it was so hot), we drifted our way up the river towards the capital of Cambodia. All along our way, the happy children along the banks waved and yelled to us. Most of them were naked or next to naked. The naked baby count reached to at least 27, after we decided to jokingly keep track. The poor people of Cambodia in this rural part of the country still live in wooden shacks and farm for their subsistence. We never saw this type of poverty in Vietnam.
We did eventually get on the most cramped bus I've ever been on with 22 of our new close friends and have about an hour and a half from the river to the capital of Cambodia, Phenom Phen. We snagged a room with the much needed AC (something you have to pay extra for) and since they were out of doubles, we got an upgrade to a triple room instead of a double (extra bed that mike and i don't really need). it was nice.
today, the naked baby count is 4. the poverty and disparity that exists here is extreme. the street is filled with nice, modern BMWs and Toyotas and garbage. I saw a child of about 4 or 5 sitting on a heap of rubbish and eating the carved out piece of coconut. Its obviously distressing, but the divergence of incomes is quite apparent in this setting.
after breakfast this morning, we headed to the killing fields. they are slightly outside the city and our lovely guide filled us up with the most distressing details of the Khemer Rouge genocide. The most chilling fact that she told us at least twice, was that they never found any skulls of the children that were buried (more like dumped) into the mass graves. The children were taken by thier ankles and swung like bats against tree trunks or tossed into the air to kill them. How do human beings do this sort of thing to one another? Our guide was born in 1980, after Pol Pot and his reign of terror lost some ground to an invasion by the Vietnemese. An estimated 2 million people (out of a population of only 7) died in the four years he was in power. After the killing fields, it was off to the Genocide Musuem to learn about their torture chambers.
We did have a much more pleasant afternoon-- visiting the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda (which is all gold, we didn't see any Silver), the Jade Budda, a Wat (temple), and seeing the water. Tomorrow we're off to Siem Riep and Angkor Wat...
Neither Mike nor myself was prepared for the difference between Vietnam and Cambodia. After we boarded the slow boat (which may as well have been an oven because it was so hot), we drifted our way up the river towards the capital of Cambodia. All along our way, the happy children along the banks waved and yelled to us. Most of them were naked or next to naked. The naked baby count reached to at least 27, after we decided to jokingly keep track. The poor people of Cambodia in this rural part of the country still live in wooden shacks and farm for their subsistence. We never saw this type of poverty in Vietnam.
We did eventually get on the most cramped bus I've ever been on with 22 of our new close friends and have about an hour and a half from the river to the capital of Cambodia, Phenom Phen. We snagged a room with the much needed AC (something you have to pay extra for) and since they were out of doubles, we got an upgrade to a triple room instead of a double (extra bed that mike and i don't really need). it was nice.
today, the naked baby count is 4. the poverty and disparity that exists here is extreme. the street is filled with nice, modern BMWs and Toyotas and garbage. I saw a child of about 4 or 5 sitting on a heap of rubbish and eating the carved out piece of coconut. Its obviously distressing, but the divergence of incomes is quite apparent in this setting.
after breakfast this morning, we headed to the killing fields. they are slightly outside the city and our lovely guide filled us up with the most distressing details of the Khemer Rouge genocide. The most chilling fact that she told us at least twice, was that they never found any skulls of the children that were buried (more like dumped) into the mass graves. The children were taken by thier ankles and swung like bats against tree trunks or tossed into the air to kill them. How do human beings do this sort of thing to one another? Our guide was born in 1980, after Pol Pot and his reign of terror lost some ground to an invasion by the Vietnemese. An estimated 2 million people (out of a population of only 7) died in the four years he was in power. After the killing fields, it was off to the Genocide Musuem to learn about their torture chambers.
We did have a much more pleasant afternoon-- visiting the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda (which is all gold, we didn't see any Silver), the Jade Budda, a Wat (temple), and seeing the water. Tomorrow we're off to Siem Riep and Angkor Wat...
I'm a Bit Behind...
Last posting I was in Hoi An. Its been a lifetime since then! (Ok, so like 5 days but it feels like a lifetime.) After Hoi An we went to Na Trang (or is Chang?). The bus' AC was broken. It was a totally crap overnight bus. I barely slept at all and was mostly uncomfortable all of the time. When we got in, we were both exhausted. After searching around for a hostel with AC, we took a quick nap and then left for a boat tour. the boat tour was $6 and included lunch and some miserable red liquid they called wine but I would never recommend as such. It was a lovely sunny day and quite enjoyable way to spend it. The only downside being that I chickened out and didn't jump off the top level of the boat ~ of course Mike managed it. Ah well..
We left Na Trang first thing the next morning for Mue Ne Beach. It's a resort type area and was absolutely fantastic. My 2nd favorite thing about all of Vietnam. We got in around lunchtime and went on a tour in the afternoon. The afternoon tour took us to the sand dunes that Mue Ne is known for. Since we had spent some time at the beach pre-sand dune tour, it was incredible to end up in the dessert just 1/2 hour later. It was magnificant but extremely hot. After the white sand dunes, we were able to visit red cannoyons. Incredibly made out of red sand, they were the best part of the tour. Then we stopped at red sand dunes and a fishing village for sunset. I think I snapped a few good shots of the sunset. :-) After dinner, we hung out at a random resort for 4 hours since our bus was coming at 1 am for Siagon. We didn't buy anything and went swimming in their pool. It was incredible fun and it just goes to show how nice they are in Vietnam. If I go back to Vietnam, I'd spend more time here. It's just so lovely.
Siagon or Ho Chi Minh City as its supposed to be called now but is not really called that by most, was crazy like Hanoi. As soon as we got in, we booked the 1/2 day tour of the Cu Chi tunnels. They were incredible. The guide was by far the most informative of all the guides and tours we've had. We then managed to squeeze in our afternoon the Reunification Palace (total crap waste of money, even if it was less than a dollar to get in) and the War Remanats Musuem. The War Musuem explictly goes on about the "war of american destruction"as they call the Vietnam War in Vietnam. The pictures are chilling and depressing, particularly the parts about Napalm bombings and Agent Orange. They kicked us out of the museum before we were done soaking it all up.
Next day, we were off towards Cambodia. There are two ways to get there for the most part -- traveling 1 day via bus or 2 days via the Mekong Delta. I wanted to see the Mekong River Delta, so we booked the 2 day tour. It was the crappiest tour we've been on. It was nice to see the river and all, but they took us from one tourist trap to another all day. Then they brought us to a totally miserable hotel that didn't have working AC, even though its promised when you book the tour. The only nice part about the tour was the two friendly couples that we got to meet. We did arrive in Cambodia the next day without any big problems and quickly found a hostel.
So that's the brief overview of the last few days ...
We left Na Trang first thing the next morning for Mue Ne Beach. It's a resort type area and was absolutely fantastic. My 2nd favorite thing about all of Vietnam. We got in around lunchtime and went on a tour in the afternoon. The afternoon tour took us to the sand dunes that Mue Ne is known for. Since we had spent some time at the beach pre-sand dune tour, it was incredible to end up in the dessert just 1/2 hour later. It was magnificant but extremely hot. After the white sand dunes, we were able to visit red cannoyons. Incredibly made out of red sand, they were the best part of the tour. Then we stopped at red sand dunes and a fishing village for sunset. I think I snapped a few good shots of the sunset. :-) After dinner, we hung out at a random resort for 4 hours since our bus was coming at 1 am for Siagon. We didn't buy anything and went swimming in their pool. It was incredible fun and it just goes to show how nice they are in Vietnam. If I go back to Vietnam, I'd spend more time here. It's just so lovely.
Siagon or Ho Chi Minh City as its supposed to be called now but is not really called that by most, was crazy like Hanoi. As soon as we got in, we booked the 1/2 day tour of the Cu Chi tunnels. They were incredible. The guide was by far the most informative of all the guides and tours we've had. We then managed to squeeze in our afternoon the Reunification Palace (total crap waste of money, even if it was less than a dollar to get in) and the War Remanats Musuem. The War Musuem explictly goes on about the "war of american destruction"as they call the Vietnam War in Vietnam. The pictures are chilling and depressing, particularly the parts about Napalm bombings and Agent Orange. They kicked us out of the museum before we were done soaking it all up.
Next day, we were off towards Cambodia. There are two ways to get there for the most part -- traveling 1 day via bus or 2 days via the Mekong Delta. I wanted to see the Mekong River Delta, so we booked the 2 day tour. It was the crappiest tour we've been on. It was nice to see the river and all, but they took us from one tourist trap to another all day. Then they brought us to a totally miserable hotel that didn't have working AC, even though its promised when you book the tour. The only nice part about the tour was the two friendly couples that we got to meet. We did arrive in Cambodia the next day without any big problems and quickly found a hostel.
So that's the brief overview of the last few days ...
Monday, May 14, 2007
Hoi An
Hoi An is sooo exciting I'm in an Internet cafe with Mike catching up on e-mails and blog entries. He tried to watch lost & I was going to watch Grey's Anatomy ~ but apparently it knows we are not in the US and won't give us access. As the Internet access is about .30/hour, its really breaking the bank.
Vietnam is so cheap that once you are here you could live off of about $7,500 for an entire year. If your retirement fund goes bust, you can still move here and enjoy a relatively nice lifestyle until you need a doctor. Our average meal runs about $3-5 a person. I did eat lunch for about $1 yesterday, and have splurged and actually spent $7 on a meal. To sleep, we've not slept for more than $3 in a "hotel". The overnight buses work out to be about $6 and that means we're traveling and saving time and not paying for a "hotel." From the other travelers we meet, it sounds like Cambodia will be just about as cheap. Thailand and Malaysia will be a bit more expensive, but seeing as we're surviving for an average of $20 or less a day, it probably won't be too bad.
Hoi An has a few old building and a bridges and things to see. We walked around for about 2 hours and saw the sights. Hoi An is also known for its tailoring shops. I bought a skirt and dress that are made from silk, custom tailored with embroidery that I picked out for $40. I am excited to see how they come out, they will be ready this afternoon. All the travelers we've met rave about the tailoring shops here. You can buy a decent full men's suit for $40. Mike decided he didn't need one and so he hasn't bought anything. I "placed my order" around 12:30 and I will go back to the shop around 5 to try on the clothes and ideally pick them up since they will be perfect. :) Shopping around town, I bought three fun bracelets for about $7. One is green-ish looking and feels like glass but I don't know what its really made of, the other two are enameled with flowers ~ one with a green background and one with a blue background (Mike thinks they look a bit hokey).
For lunch, we went to a very westernized looking place and cheated. We both got cheeseburgers at Namburger. He he he. They were yummy and served with BBQ sauce, something I haven't seen since I left NZ, but a bit on the small side. Since it was very clean looking and such, I splurged and also got a milk shake. I haven't had milk since I left NZ either, so it was nice to have milk. Unfortunately, the milk shake was only slightly thicker than milk and not really much of a shake. Ah well... I drank it anyway. It cost about $4 for the burger, fries, and shake.
Its four o'clock and I don't have anything to do for the next hour. At 5, I'll go check on my clothes and at 6 we'll wait around for our bus to leave (it probably won't leave for another 1/2 hour at least). Looking for to our next stop in Nha Trang which is the "Pho French Rivera." :-)
Vietnam is so cheap that once you are here you could live off of about $7,500 for an entire year. If your retirement fund goes bust, you can still move here and enjoy a relatively nice lifestyle until you need a doctor. Our average meal runs about $3-5 a person. I did eat lunch for about $1 yesterday, and have splurged and actually spent $7 on a meal. To sleep, we've not slept for more than $3 in a "hotel". The overnight buses work out to be about $6 and that means we're traveling and saving time and not paying for a "hotel." From the other travelers we meet, it sounds like Cambodia will be just about as cheap. Thailand and Malaysia will be a bit more expensive, but seeing as we're surviving for an average of $20 or less a day, it probably won't be too bad.
Hoi An has a few old building and a bridges and things to see. We walked around for about 2 hours and saw the sights. Hoi An is also known for its tailoring shops. I bought a skirt and dress that are made from silk, custom tailored with embroidery that I picked out for $40. I am excited to see how they come out, they will be ready this afternoon. All the travelers we've met rave about the tailoring shops here. You can buy a decent full men's suit for $40. Mike decided he didn't need one and so he hasn't bought anything. I "placed my order" around 12:30 and I will go back to the shop around 5 to try on the clothes and ideally pick them up since they will be perfect. :) Shopping around town, I bought three fun bracelets for about $7. One is green-ish looking and feels like glass but I don't know what its really made of, the other two are enameled with flowers ~ one with a green background and one with a blue background (Mike thinks they look a bit hokey).
For lunch, we went to a very westernized looking place and cheated. We both got cheeseburgers at Namburger. He he he. They were yummy and served with BBQ sauce, something I haven't seen since I left NZ, but a bit on the small side. Since it was very clean looking and such, I splurged and also got a milk shake. I haven't had milk since I left NZ either, so it was nice to have milk. Unfortunately, the milk shake was only slightly thicker than milk and not really much of a shake. Ah well... I drank it anyway. It cost about $4 for the burger, fries, and shake.
Its four o'clock and I don't have anything to do for the next hour. At 5, I'll go check on my clothes and at 6 we'll wait around for our bus to leave (it probably won't leave for another 1/2 hour at least). Looking for to our next stop in Nha Trang which is the "Pho French Rivera." :-)
17 hours & the Wet Season
Flapping his arms exasperatedly and pointing, a crazy man on the street is alerting us to the fact that we are not where we are supposed to be to catch our bus which is leaving in less than 5 minutes. The lady at the so-called info booth had nodded and gestured we were in the correct location. The freakin' business card they gave us with the address for where to pick up our bus for Hue is a bit inconclusive. We did our second loop of the block searching for the Open Bus that is supposed to take us to Hue, Vietnam. Breaking a sweat and starting to panic, we asked the tourist girl to call the number on the card. After speaking in Vietnamese, she directs us to go further down the street about "9 minutes." We were supposed to report to our bus at 6 pm and its not 6:08 or so. Unsure of what else we could do, we headed in a brisk pace further down the street. I'm sweating and worried we've missed the bus as a bright green bus finally comes into view. It has OPEN BUS written on the front bumper in large letters and reassures us as we draw closer.
Oh the fun of the Open Bus ticket. It means that we've purchased a ticket that will allow us to hop on and off at different intervals of time bus eventually get us to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City for $24USD. Not a bad deal considering how much time we'll get to "enjoy" upon the bus ride. The bus to Hue is supposed to be 14 1/2 hours overnight. Lucky for us, the bus is no where near full and we can each take a row and layout and attempt to sleep. The bus does stop at random places for random intervals of time. It also plays some fantastic Vietnamese music and TV shows. NOT. They are so loud and annoying, I used the remains of my iPod battery to drown out the noise they made. My iPod is now officially dead until I am able to get another docking cord which I'll be able to use with Mike's charger or I find someone else willing to loan me one. Dark days ahead without my lil nano to keep me company. I digress....
At about 7 am, less than an hour from Hue, the bus stops. For no apparent reason we are in a long line with other large buses and the only traffic coming the other direction is bikes and walkers. Joy. At about 10 am, we slowly started to move again. There was some sort of accident on the only bridge crossing for a small river area. So we had nothing to do but sit and wait. It was such a blast since my pod was already dead, the bus was off so the AC was no longer on, and I was too bored to read my book. Oh where are the barrel of monkeys when you need them??
So after 17 hours on a bus, we arrived in Hue. Yippie Skippy. It's pouring rain since we are, after all, traveling during the rainy season here in Southeast Asia. Mike kindly volunteered to search for a place to stay for the night while I did the hard job of watching all of our gear at the bus ticket office inside from the rain. At $3/night, we found a little "hotel" which is really more like a hostel. After getting all of stuff over there in the monsoon, I changed clothes and unpacked all of my dirty laundry. It cost me about $1 to do a kilo & 1/2 or about 3 lbs of clothes. Not too bad of a deal and I get it back folded and dry.
The monsoon continued and Mike and I went to see the flag pole, yippie, the forbidden city (which was actually forbidden to us since it was a Sunday and was closed), and wondered around aimlessly. We managed to find two pagodas to check out and they were extremely peaceful and serene. Ancient and quiet, out of the way, just the two of standing there. It was a moment to just be in and soak up the wondrous scene. Then it started raining again and we gave up. We had some yummy Indian Curry and naan bread for dinner with a beer. The beer was $1 and the equivalent to a 40 in size. Breaking the bank over here with all of our spending ....
Hue is notorious for no night life, so we stayed in and watched Bewitched. Exciting times on the road. :-p
Oh the fun of the Open Bus ticket. It means that we've purchased a ticket that will allow us to hop on and off at different intervals of time bus eventually get us to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City for $24USD. Not a bad deal considering how much time we'll get to "enjoy" upon the bus ride. The bus to Hue is supposed to be 14 1/2 hours overnight. Lucky for us, the bus is no where near full and we can each take a row and layout and attempt to sleep. The bus does stop at random places for random intervals of time. It also plays some fantastic Vietnamese music and TV shows. NOT. They are so loud and annoying, I used the remains of my iPod battery to drown out the noise they made. My iPod is now officially dead until I am able to get another docking cord which I'll be able to use with Mike's charger or I find someone else willing to loan me one. Dark days ahead without my lil nano to keep me company. I digress....
At about 7 am, less than an hour from Hue, the bus stops. For no apparent reason we are in a long line with other large buses and the only traffic coming the other direction is bikes and walkers. Joy. At about 10 am, we slowly started to move again. There was some sort of accident on the only bridge crossing for a small river area. So we had nothing to do but sit and wait. It was such a blast since my pod was already dead, the bus was off so the AC was no longer on, and I was too bored to read my book. Oh where are the barrel of monkeys when you need them??
So after 17 hours on a bus, we arrived in Hue. Yippie Skippy. It's pouring rain since we are, after all, traveling during the rainy season here in Southeast Asia. Mike kindly volunteered to search for a place to stay for the night while I did the hard job of watching all of our gear at the bus ticket office inside from the rain. At $3/night, we found a little "hotel" which is really more like a hostel. After getting all of stuff over there in the monsoon, I changed clothes and unpacked all of my dirty laundry. It cost me about $1 to do a kilo & 1/2 or about 3 lbs of clothes. Not too bad of a deal and I get it back folded and dry.
The monsoon continued and Mike and I went to see the flag pole, yippie, the forbidden city (which was actually forbidden to us since it was a Sunday and was closed), and wondered around aimlessly. We managed to find two pagodas to check out and they were extremely peaceful and serene. Ancient and quiet, out of the way, just the two of standing there. It was a moment to just be in and soak up the wondrous scene. Then it started raining again and we gave up. We had some yummy Indian Curry and naan bread for dinner with a beer. The beer was $1 and the equivalent to a 40 in size. Breaking the bank over here with all of our spending ....
Hue is notorious for no night life, so we stayed in and watched Bewitched. Exciting times on the road. :-p
Ha Long Bay
"You go on this boat" said our second guide of the day. "this boat" was a boat that was not even touching the shabby half-crumbling cement dock. How exactly are we supposed to get over there I'm pondering....The two girls in front of me had to be the guinea pigs, which put me a little bit better at ease. We had to hop onto one boat, walk a few steps down the way, climb up the ledge of the boat, step across the slightest break in the water, and hop on the boat. I have my large pack on my back which weighs maybe 25 lbs and I'm carrying a small bag weighing maybe five. The deck is by no means dry, but somehow, we all managed to navigate the waters without falling in and climb aboard one of the tourist boats. Luckily, they have plenty of space for us to leave our packs before heading to the upper deck to sunbathe on this lovely afternoon in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.
Mike has become the official photographer. He has our pictures from Ha Long Bay and the pictures will maybe help you to understand how amazing of a place it is. I really don't know if my words will ever give it justice and the pictures certainly will fall a bit short of the actual experience. It's my favorite thing we've done thus far. Ha Long Bay is about 3 1/2 hours or so towards the Gulf of Tonkin. Ha Noi is a bit more in the interior of the country. We decided to book a two day tour of Ha Long Bay and at $34 for both days, it was well worth it.
The 2-day tour included 2 lunches, 1 dinner, 1 breakfast, a bus to & from Hanoi, boat cruising around Ha Long Bay, and our hotel. Quite a deal. The lunches and dinner end up being almost exactly the same meal, which gets a bit old, but who is complaining for $17/day? The tours also seem completely chaotic, yet you manage to make it through. The entire time you are "passed" from one guide to the next guide. Somehow, amid the crowds, they are able to pick you out and tell you which boat, which bus, etc. you are supposed to be on. I think we had at least 7 different people direct us to different places and it somehow all worked. There is no ticket exchanging or showing of any proof that you paid after the initial pick up in Hanoi. Yet their crazy system somehow works.
Ha Long Bay is a World Heritage Site so it will hopefully remain well preserved. There are large groupings of islands throughout the bay and the scenery is breathtaking the entire time. It even rained a little bit but was still a wonder to behold. We were taken through a cave that had awe-inspiring stalactites. (Wikipedia definition ~ A stalactite (Greek stalaktos, "dripping") or dripstone, is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling or wall of limestone caves.) It does have a bit of hokey lighting that give the cave the feeling of a class C horror flick. The guide kept pointing out things and asking our crew what they resembled. Dragons and monks are the safe answers, but he did try to show us some other things like lions and turtles and a bride & groom. Oh well. Unimaginative bunch of western tourists are we ....
After more cruising in the bay, we landed on Cat Ba Island and were collected by a new guide to the Sunflower Hotel. AC wasn't additional and it was a clean room with a balcony. We even had a fridge and "mini bar." (Mini bar = a few beers, cans of soda, and bottled water.) It was so lovely to relax in this very average hotel and I slept well since someone wasn't complaining that the AC was too "cold." The hotel rung us for breakfast and told us that our guide we be along to collect us in 1/2 an hour. How did they know this??? Breakfast in Vietnam that is "included" is always a small loaf of flaky bread, red jam with marginal flavor, and 2 fried eggs. Mike asked for scrambled eggs and instead got no eggs. They usually give you fruit, as well, and we were given bananas.
We continued along and back through the bay, enjoying more lovely scenery. A rumor floated around that they filmed some James Bond flick in the bay. who really knows. When we reached land, we were taken to the "restaurant" and fed yet another meal that was suspiciously like our lunch yesterday and dinner the night before. There is always a green leafy veggie, a fish dish, a meat (not really sure what type) dish, rice, soup, and french fries. For dessert, they bring you a platter of fruit ~ pineapple, watermelon, or oranges.
Learning that patience is a virtue, Mike and I were the only two that came in that initial rush to hang around the little depot area for an additional hour and 1/2 before our bus left. Occasionally our guide of the moment stopped by and told us to "wait, just wait here" (as if we were going to wander away??) and then he pointed to which bus we would be taking. Eventually our guide-of-the-moment left with another bus and we were left waiting for who knows what and no longer a guide to remind us to "wait. wait here." The bus did leave, eventually, with us in tow and we made it back to Hanoi.
We had just over an hour before our next bus to Hue was leaving ....
Mike has become the official photographer. He has our pictures from Ha Long Bay and the pictures will maybe help you to understand how amazing of a place it is. I really don't know if my words will ever give it justice and the pictures certainly will fall a bit short of the actual experience. It's my favorite thing we've done thus far. Ha Long Bay is about 3 1/2 hours or so towards the Gulf of Tonkin. Ha Noi is a bit more in the interior of the country. We decided to book a two day tour of Ha Long Bay and at $34 for both days, it was well worth it.
The 2-day tour included 2 lunches, 1 dinner, 1 breakfast, a bus to & from Hanoi, boat cruising around Ha Long Bay, and our hotel. Quite a deal. The lunches and dinner end up being almost exactly the same meal, which gets a bit old, but who is complaining for $17/day? The tours also seem completely chaotic, yet you manage to make it through. The entire time you are "passed" from one guide to the next guide. Somehow, amid the crowds, they are able to pick you out and tell you which boat, which bus, etc. you are supposed to be on. I think we had at least 7 different people direct us to different places and it somehow all worked. There is no ticket exchanging or showing of any proof that you paid after the initial pick up in Hanoi. Yet their crazy system somehow works.
Ha Long Bay is a World Heritage Site so it will hopefully remain well preserved. There are large groupings of islands throughout the bay and the scenery is breathtaking the entire time. It even rained a little bit but was still a wonder to behold. We were taken through a cave that had awe-inspiring stalactites. (Wikipedia definition ~ A stalactite (Greek stalaktos, "dripping") or dripstone, is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling or wall of limestone caves.) It does have a bit of hokey lighting that give the cave the feeling of a class C horror flick. The guide kept pointing out things and asking our crew what they resembled. Dragons and monks are the safe answers, but he did try to show us some other things like lions and turtles and a bride & groom. Oh well. Unimaginative bunch of western tourists are we ....
After more cruising in the bay, we landed on Cat Ba Island and were collected by a new guide to the Sunflower Hotel. AC wasn't additional and it was a clean room with a balcony. We even had a fridge and "mini bar." (Mini bar = a few beers, cans of soda, and bottled water.) It was so lovely to relax in this very average hotel and I slept well since someone wasn't complaining that the AC was too "cold." The hotel rung us for breakfast and told us that our guide we be along to collect us in 1/2 an hour. How did they know this??? Breakfast in Vietnam that is "included" is always a small loaf of flaky bread, red jam with marginal flavor, and 2 fried eggs. Mike asked for scrambled eggs and instead got no eggs. They usually give you fruit, as well, and we were given bananas.
We continued along and back through the bay, enjoying more lovely scenery. A rumor floated around that they filmed some James Bond flick in the bay. who really knows. When we reached land, we were taken to the "restaurant" and fed yet another meal that was suspiciously like our lunch yesterday and dinner the night before. There is always a green leafy veggie, a fish dish, a meat (not really sure what type) dish, rice, soup, and french fries. For dessert, they bring you a platter of fruit ~ pineapple, watermelon, or oranges.
Learning that patience is a virtue, Mike and I were the only two that came in that initial rush to hang around the little depot area for an additional hour and 1/2 before our bus left. Occasionally our guide of the moment stopped by and told us to "wait, just wait here" (as if we were going to wander away??) and then he pointed to which bus we would be taking. Eventually our guide-of-the-moment left with another bus and we were left waiting for who knows what and no longer a guide to remind us to "wait. wait here." The bus did leave, eventually, with us in tow and we made it back to Hanoi.
We had just over an hour before our next bus to Hue was leaving ....
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Hanoi
Hot and muggy. Hustle and bustle. Beeping and motoscooters. Constantally. All day, everyday. Hanoi is what I had suspected it would be. Lots of crazy Vietnemse cruising around at high speeds without paying particular attention to any traffic signals. They do have lights and crosswalks at some of the busy intersections, but even then people just sort of do what they want to do when it comes to driving around. Mostly you see motoscooters and bikes. Occasionally you see a car and even more rarely you see a bus. I arrived after about 28 hours of traveling and plane hopping (4 different flights and layovers to hassle with) to arrive in Hanoi yesterday afternoon. Mike was waiting for me on the other side of customs and we arranged a taxi into town. We negoiated the price first, which is great because our driver drove around in circles to find the place. Ah well ...
Our little hostel is called Bodega Hang Bong Hotel and is located in the 'old quater' district of Viet Nam. Their slogan is that they are "your family in Viet Nam." Cute. The place is a whopping $3USD a night and is alright. It's reasonably clean, breakfast is included with your stay, and they have free internet which is why you're getting a nice installment on the blog about my adventures. Our room does have AC but it doesn't run constantally and the last girl to get in last night turned it off for some insane reason. Whatever.
This morning Mike and I were up really early -- about 7 am, since we were so exhausted and in bed early last night. We scoped out the breakfast (2 eggs, bread, and jam with coffee or tea) and then headed out into the city. The hostel offered to book us on a tour for $18/day, but we figured we'd just do it on our own which I think is much better. We tracked all over town. We started out heading towards Ho Chi Minh's Moseleaum and we apparently arrived too late. You may only go see Uncle Ho between 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM. We got there at 10:20 and they wouldn't let us go even though we said we'd be quickie. Total bums. Apparently, it's the same with the Presidential Palace which we only got to peer inside the gates.
There are loads of people every where offering to sell you something, give you a taxi, or a ride on the motor. They are usually not too bad and you can send them away with a simple no thanks once or twice. You are constantally saying no but people aren't too in your face about it which is lovely. I hope that it is not worse in other parts of SE Asia.
We ended up getting to see a beautiful lake with Paragoda in the middle, the military citiadel musuem, the vietnamise history musuem, and the infamous "Hanoi Hilton." We actually saw two Hanoi Hiltons. One is actually a modern Hilton Hotel, the other is an old prison that has been turned into a musuem. The prison was orginally opened by the French Colonists in the 1890s and remained active until about 1973. Initially it held Vietnemese dissidents. They turned the tourterous place into a revolutionary hot bed school. Many of the leaders of the Vietnemese rebellion with the French spent time "in training" here. After 1954 when the North Vietnemese declared their independence and created a seperate country, it transferred hands and the Vietnemese Communist put political prisoners in of a different nature. After the "War of American Distruction" (as this is how the Vietnemese labeled what we call the Vietnam War in the different exhibts) began, POWs were detained here until 1973 when they negoiated for their release. It was quite a moving experience to see all the different areas and to know for years tourture of many types was oppressed upon a variety of different peoples.
It's evening time and we haven't yet eaten, but so far we've found very filling food for under $8 a meal and bought some bottled water for .50 at a shop. They have all those great knockoffs all around and a versache belt would run you about $9USD. SO tempting to buy some fake Prada or D&G... but this is only the first day! I have barely been in Vietnam for 24 hours ... this could get dangerous ....
Our little hostel is called Bodega Hang Bong Hotel and is located in the 'old quater' district of Viet Nam. Their slogan is that they are "your family in Viet Nam." Cute. The place is a whopping $3USD a night and is alright. It's reasonably clean, breakfast is included with your stay, and they have free internet which is why you're getting a nice installment on the blog about my adventures. Our room does have AC but it doesn't run constantally and the last girl to get in last night turned it off for some insane reason. Whatever.
This morning Mike and I were up really early -- about 7 am, since we were so exhausted and in bed early last night. We scoped out the breakfast (2 eggs, bread, and jam with coffee or tea) and then headed out into the city. The hostel offered to book us on a tour for $18/day, but we figured we'd just do it on our own which I think is much better. We tracked all over town. We started out heading towards Ho Chi Minh's Moseleaum and we apparently arrived too late. You may only go see Uncle Ho between 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM. We got there at 10:20 and they wouldn't let us go even though we said we'd be quickie. Total bums. Apparently, it's the same with the Presidential Palace which we only got to peer inside the gates.
There are loads of people every where offering to sell you something, give you a taxi, or a ride on the motor. They are usually not too bad and you can send them away with a simple no thanks once or twice. You are constantally saying no but people aren't too in your face about it which is lovely. I hope that it is not worse in other parts of SE Asia.
We ended up getting to see a beautiful lake with Paragoda in the middle, the military citiadel musuem, the vietnamise history musuem, and the infamous "Hanoi Hilton." We actually saw two Hanoi Hiltons. One is actually a modern Hilton Hotel, the other is an old prison that has been turned into a musuem. The prison was orginally opened by the French Colonists in the 1890s and remained active until about 1973. Initially it held Vietnemese dissidents. They turned the tourterous place into a revolutionary hot bed school. Many of the leaders of the Vietnemese rebellion with the French spent time "in training" here. After 1954 when the North Vietnemese declared their independence and created a seperate country, it transferred hands and the Vietnemese Communist put political prisoners in of a different nature. After the "War of American Distruction" (as this is how the Vietnemese labeled what we call the Vietnam War in the different exhibts) began, POWs were detained here until 1973 when they negoiated for their release. It was quite a moving experience to see all the different areas and to know for years tourture of many types was oppressed upon a variety of different peoples.
It's evening time and we haven't yet eaten, but so far we've found very filling food for under $8 a meal and bought some bottled water for .50 at a shop. They have all those great knockoffs all around and a versache belt would run you about $9USD. SO tempting to buy some fake Prada or D&G... but this is only the first day! I have barely been in Vietnam for 24 hours ... this could get dangerous ....
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Hawkes Bay Wine Tour: Day 2 ~ The Lazy Way
I arose this morning to legs that were still aching. I am too young to be tired from all of yesterday's cycling (which I still haven't determined how many kms it is, but I'm thinking it was about 30 kms or more). I actually walked to the tourist information center, a whopping 5 minute jaunt, and decided today I'd hire a car. A much lazier way to run around Hawke's Bay Winery region than the cycling method I tried yesterday.
The rental car company scooped me up at the info center and I was on my way, route 2 south to be specific. I picked up a Canadian hitchhiker on my way, quite a friendly kid but still working on his mastery of english, French is his first language. [Yes, I picked up a hitchhiker. No, he wasn't a scary axe murder as I'm still alive right now.] I had always figured that the French part of Canada (Quebec area) was bi-lingual with most people speaking both French and English; not just French. Ah well, you learn something new everyday.
I headed in the direction of Cape Kidnappers ~ odd name but no doubt a beautiful area. First off was Clearview Estate. The vineyard is a nestled in a flat region, but has a beautiful little eatery and cellar room. (If I haven't mentioned previously, cellar rooms are for tastings and off-site or take-away sales.) They walls were lined with riddling racks -- yet Clearview Estate does not make any Champagne. I was able to sample several of their wines including a Gewurztraminer which I've been learning to love as of late. Yummy.
Just a minute up the road is Kim Crawford Wines. Kim Crawford is the 4th largest vineyard in New Zealand producing approximately 80-100,000 cases per year. They export around the world including throughout the US. So be sure to look for `em. KC is not an old vineyard, only about ten years and produce lower-priced and mid-range wines. Originally founded as a "virtual" winery with no offices, vineyards, or facilities. Kim was all about buying grapes from other harvesters throughout New Zealand. The facility was pretty and leaves had a beautiful color on this lovely fall afternoon.
After a long and lovely scenic drive through the countryside, I arrived at Craggy Range Winery. It was so long that I was a bit nervous I'd veered off track ~ especially after yesterday. Cragy Range is extremely monumental. Between their two labels they produce around 160,000 cases in a given year. Craggy Range is owned by an American who made his money in waste management but decided he rather have a legacy to pass on to his children. While enjoying my tasting, a couple came in and the lady just so happened to be a URI graduate who still lives nearby. Quite coincidental and all its a small world afterall .... i <3 Te Mata Chese company. Cheese addicts unite! It was sooo yummy. Te Mata Cheese is a small "artisan" company. I was invited to sample a variety of brie, blue cheese, and a softer creamy type cheese. I then ordered a "cheese plate for one" (vs. the full sized one recommended for 3) which was a bit much for just little ole me. I picked a scrumptious soft, goat cheese and a Gouda for my plate. Both were the type of cheese you want to savor with fine wine (which I'd already had enough of for that minute). I couldn't finish them, so I decided to take the Gouda and apricots along to enjoy later.
Not to be confused with the cheese company, Te Mata Estate is right next door. The design of the facility is interesting and I particularly enjoyed the pools with goldfish that surrounded the main sight. This vineyard is on the older side and you can enjoy your "holiday" in their accommodations ~ they have 2 or 3 different vineyard houses.
It's now late afternoon but I have not given up just yet. Next up is Black Barn. BB reminded me the most of Cable Bay. They produce about the same amount as CB does on Waiheke and they were very sleak and modern. They also featured some artwork by the same artists as we have on display at CB. Added bonus, I got to try some deliciously sweet dessert wine. :-)
Needing another break from the vineyards, I stopped into "the" honey shop. At Arataki Honey you are able to do a "honey tasting." You get to try mild, medium, and strong flavored honies. NZ is all about producing various types of honey and they are quite unique. Manuka Honey is a stronger variety that NZ is probably most well-known for and Arataki is a company label I've seen throughout NZ. Besides sampling a bit of honey, you can see some of the bees, learn about the honey making process, and test out a wide variety of their other honey products. They have everything from soap to ice cream. I looove sugar and this was quite a fantastic stop. As I'm almost out of my bert's bees, I had to buy some of their lip balm.
As the afternoon rolls towards evening, I managed to squeeze in Askerene Vineyards and Vidal Wines. Amazing that I was still on the trail.... but alas, I had a goal and I was out to accomplish it. Askerene was a small, family vineyard. The tasting was done by one of the owners and he told me that he and his wife had started the vineyard because they like to drink wine. Not a bad idea, aye? Vidal wines, on the other hand, is another very old vineyard founded in 1905. Their claim to fame is being the "oldest boutique winery." They had a variety of wines from several vineyards throughout Hawkes Bay and their facility was very well-planned. Unfortunetly, the suburban area that has grown up around it means that there is no idealic view. However, there are very many old barrels and pretty pieces about to enjoy over dinner or a tasting. Delicious!
It was now about 5:15 pm or so and the sun was getting ready to set. To finish off my day, I drove up to a peak, what I believe was called Te Mata Peak. As I raced visciously in the direction that the signs were pointing, the sun was disappearing beneath the horizon. It was a scrumptous sunset and I wish I'd made it to the top sooner. The last pics in the album are of the fleeting light and then I decided to stick around and eat my Gouda cheese with my apple for a snack and watch the nightlights for a bit. It was a very lovely day.
Google is having an error with posting of the albums the pretty way they nomally look. So here's the direct link to `em: http://picasaweb.google.com/esmith2/HawkesBay
The rental car company scooped me up at the info center and I was on my way, route 2 south to be specific. I picked up a Canadian hitchhiker on my way, quite a friendly kid but still working on his mastery of english, French is his first language. [Yes, I picked up a hitchhiker. No, he wasn't a scary axe murder as I'm still alive right now.] I had always figured that the French part of Canada (Quebec area) was bi-lingual with most people speaking both French and English; not just French. Ah well, you learn something new everyday.
I headed in the direction of Cape Kidnappers ~ odd name but no doubt a beautiful area. First off was Clearview Estate. The vineyard is a nestled in a flat region, but has a beautiful little eatery and cellar room. (If I haven't mentioned previously, cellar rooms are for tastings and off-site or take-away sales.) They walls were lined with riddling racks -- yet Clearview Estate does not make any Champagne. I was able to sample several of their wines including a Gewurztraminer which I've been learning to love as of late. Yummy.
Just a minute up the road is Kim Crawford Wines. Kim Crawford is the 4th largest vineyard in New Zealand producing approximately 80-100,000 cases per year. They export around the world including throughout the US. So be sure to look for `em. KC is not an old vineyard, only about ten years and produce lower-priced and mid-range wines. Originally founded as a "virtual" winery with no offices, vineyards, or facilities. Kim was all about buying grapes from other harvesters throughout New Zealand. The facility was pretty and leaves had a beautiful color on this lovely fall afternoon.
After a long and lovely scenic drive through the countryside, I arrived at Craggy Range Winery. It was so long that I was a bit nervous I'd veered off track ~ especially after yesterday. Cragy Range is extremely monumental. Between their two labels they produce around 160,000 cases in a given year. Craggy Range is owned by an American who made his money in waste management but decided he rather have a legacy to pass on to his children. While enjoying my tasting, a couple came in and the lady just so happened to be a URI graduate who still lives nearby. Quite coincidental and all its a small world afterall .... i <3 Te Mata Chese company. Cheese addicts unite! It was sooo yummy. Te Mata Cheese is a small "artisan" company. I was invited to sample a variety of brie, blue cheese, and a softer creamy type cheese. I then ordered a "cheese plate for one" (vs. the full sized one recommended for 3) which was a bit much for just little ole me. I picked a scrumptious soft, goat cheese and a Gouda for my plate. Both were the type of cheese you want to savor with fine wine (which I'd already had enough of for that minute). I couldn't finish them, so I decided to take the Gouda and apricots along to enjoy later.
Not to be confused with the cheese company, Te Mata Estate is right next door. The design of the facility is interesting and I particularly enjoyed the pools with goldfish that surrounded the main sight. This vineyard is on the older side and you can enjoy your "holiday" in their accommodations ~ they have 2 or 3 different vineyard houses.
It's now late afternoon but I have not given up just yet. Next up is Black Barn. BB reminded me the most of Cable Bay. They produce about the same amount as CB does on Waiheke and they were very sleak and modern. They also featured some artwork by the same artists as we have on display at CB. Added bonus, I got to try some deliciously sweet dessert wine. :-)
Needing another break from the vineyards, I stopped into "the" honey shop. At Arataki Honey you are able to do a "honey tasting." You get to try mild, medium, and strong flavored honies. NZ is all about producing various types of honey and they are quite unique. Manuka Honey is a stronger variety that NZ is probably most well-known for and Arataki is a company label I've seen throughout NZ. Besides sampling a bit of honey, you can see some of the bees, learn about the honey making process, and test out a wide variety of their other honey products. They have everything from soap to ice cream. I looove sugar and this was quite a fantastic stop. As I'm almost out of my bert's bees, I had to buy some of their lip balm.
As the afternoon rolls towards evening, I managed to squeeze in Askerene Vineyards and Vidal Wines. Amazing that I was still on the trail.... but alas, I had a goal and I was out to accomplish it. Askerene was a small, family vineyard. The tasting was done by one of the owners and he told me that he and his wife had started the vineyard because they like to drink wine. Not a bad idea, aye? Vidal wines, on the other hand, is another very old vineyard founded in 1905. Their claim to fame is being the "oldest boutique winery." They had a variety of wines from several vineyards throughout Hawkes Bay and their facility was very well-planned. Unfortunetly, the suburban area that has grown up around it means that there is no idealic view. However, there are very many old barrels and pretty pieces about to enjoy over dinner or a tasting. Delicious!
It was now about 5:15 pm or so and the sun was getting ready to set. To finish off my day, I drove up to a peak, what I believe was called Te Mata Peak. As I raced visciously in the direction that the signs were pointing, the sun was disappearing beneath the horizon. It was a scrumptous sunset and I wish I'd made it to the top sooner. The last pics in the album are of the fleeting light and then I decided to stick around and eat my Gouda cheese with my apple for a snack and watch the nightlights for a bit. It was a very lovely day.
Google is having an error with posting of the albums the pretty way they nomally look. So here's the direct link to `em: http://picasaweb.google.com/esmith2/HawkesBay
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Cycling Wine Tour in Hawkes Bay
While I never had the chance to really get "island fever," I've left Waiheke. It's so wonderful and was such a great time, I knew it'd be a bit tricky to board the ferry and leave it all behind. Alas, I caught the ferry to Auckland and waited for my bus to take me onwards to Naiper.
Naiper is a small city in Hawke's Bay. It burned in the early 30s so all of the building were rebuilt in the Art Deco style. It's pretty interesting to look at and the lights are pretty funky that decorate all the different buildings. I arrived on the bus at about 8 pm, meaning it was dark on the lovely Friday evening. Naiper showed itself to not be to wild of a town on a Friday night, since I didn't see much traffic as I headed to Wally's Backpackers. Wally's is actually nice and clean and I've enjoyed staying here.
Since I had decided to travel to Hawke's Bay to check out some of the wineries produced in this region, I opted to do a bike tour. There are 2 or 3 companies that operate them around here. Bike D'Vine picked me up from the hostel, suited me out in a bicycle with a helmet, and gave me a map. The owner had picked me up along with 3 other Americans, who are studying abroad at Victoria University in Wellington. We ended up all doing the same route, so I sort of stuck with them for the day which might not have been the greatest idea.
Our first stop on the biking tour was The Filter Room. We did veer slightly off course before getting there, but we made up the time and arrived by 12:15 ready to sample some of what they have to offer. The Filter Room is a brewery and a cidery. For $8, you get to sample 6 of their many options and I have to admit that I found them quite delicious. The facility is also brand new, it's only been open for 2 or 3 months and its has a very lovely layout. I'd recommend it thoroughly and wouldn't be disinclined to go back.
Our second stop was not all that far from the first, and we found it very easily. Brookfields Vineyards is nestled nicely amid some of their vines and has a beautiful stone entryway that leads into the tasting room. We were offered samples of six of their different wines. They produce several varieties and we had a Sav Blanc, Chardonnay, Viogney (sp?), Cab Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec. The cab merlot was my favorite... i think.
Next up was Park Estate Winery which had a lovely rustic type feel to it. They also have a fugery, which we got to sample after we tried some of their wines. At this point, Bill, Danielle, Sarah (my traveling companions), and I were feeling quite happy and enjoying the lovely sunny afternoon. I think it was a little after two when we left.
We made a disastorous detour and took a left instead of staying on the road that we were meant to continue upon. The maps that they gave us were a bit too vauge for our crew. This resulted in about an hour of traveling the wrong way and having to correct ourselves. By the time we got to where we were supposed to be, it was already after 3:30 and we were all a bit tired and not quite so happy anymore.
We finally made it to Church Road Winery (at about 4ish pm) which is the 2nd oldest in New Zealand. They have a very lovely facility, but its not really nestled in with their vineyards. It has much more the feel of a wine shop with a cafe, which is nice; but it's in a suburban area and you don't get that lovely vineyard feel to it. Bob, who helped us with the tasting, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The kids I was with haven't developed the most sophisticated tastes (which is totally understandable ~ I remember what I was like in college) and so we ended up sampling about 5 or 6 whites and then I tried another to reds. The reserve Cab Merlot that Bob offered me was my favorite red and had a very full bodied and excellent taste.
Feeling the need to complete our tour, we went to Mission Estate Winery. This one is by far the most beautiful of the vineyards we visited. The facility is up on a hill and over looks a large vineyard. This is New Zealand's oldest vineyard and was founded by some French missionaries that were wanting to grow their own scaremental wine. It's still owned by the Catholic Church and overseen by a board of trustees, which I found interesting. We arrived at about 4:45 and they were preparing to close up, so we were rushed a bit through which was our fault for arriving so late. The view was absolutely wonderful and as we were leaving, a wedding party was begining. It was a miraculous sight.
As we left and headed back to Bike D'Vine ... we got off track for the 3rd time that day. We were all very annoyed and exhausted. We did make it back at about 6 pm which is already dark here since fall is almost over and we're headed to winter. Monique gave us a lift back to our respective hostels but all four of us were so exhausted from the ride and swearing under our breath about how sore we were from riding bicycles all day.
I wish I had some pictures from my adventures but like a total space cadet, I took my camera along and forgot to bring along my fully re-charged battery. Better luck next time...
Naiper is a small city in Hawke's Bay. It burned in the early 30s so all of the building were rebuilt in the Art Deco style. It's pretty interesting to look at and the lights are pretty funky that decorate all the different buildings. I arrived on the bus at about 8 pm, meaning it was dark on the lovely Friday evening. Naiper showed itself to not be to wild of a town on a Friday night, since I didn't see much traffic as I headed to Wally's Backpackers. Wally's is actually nice and clean and I've enjoyed staying here.
Since I had decided to travel to Hawke's Bay to check out some of the wineries produced in this region, I opted to do a bike tour. There are 2 or 3 companies that operate them around here. Bike D'Vine picked me up from the hostel, suited me out in a bicycle with a helmet, and gave me a map. The owner had picked me up along with 3 other Americans, who are studying abroad at Victoria University in Wellington. We ended up all doing the same route, so I sort of stuck with them for the day which might not have been the greatest idea.
Our first stop on the biking tour was The Filter Room. We did veer slightly off course before getting there, but we made up the time and arrived by 12:15 ready to sample some of what they have to offer. The Filter Room is a brewery and a cidery. For $8, you get to sample 6 of their many options and I have to admit that I found them quite delicious. The facility is also brand new, it's only been open for 2 or 3 months and its has a very lovely layout. I'd recommend it thoroughly and wouldn't be disinclined to go back.
Our second stop was not all that far from the first, and we found it very easily. Brookfields Vineyards is nestled nicely amid some of their vines and has a beautiful stone entryway that leads into the tasting room. We were offered samples of six of their different wines. They produce several varieties and we had a Sav Blanc, Chardonnay, Viogney (sp?), Cab Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec. The cab merlot was my favorite... i think.
Next up was Park Estate Winery which had a lovely rustic type feel to it. They also have a fugery, which we got to sample after we tried some of their wines. At this point, Bill, Danielle, Sarah (my traveling companions), and I were feeling quite happy and enjoying the lovely sunny afternoon. I think it was a little after two when we left.
We made a disastorous detour and took a left instead of staying on the road that we were meant to continue upon. The maps that they gave us were a bit too vauge for our crew. This resulted in about an hour of traveling the wrong way and having to correct ourselves. By the time we got to where we were supposed to be, it was already after 3:30 and we were all a bit tired and not quite so happy anymore.
We finally made it to Church Road Winery (at about 4ish pm) which is the 2nd oldest in New Zealand. They have a very lovely facility, but its not really nestled in with their vineyards. It has much more the feel of a wine shop with a cafe, which is nice; but it's in a suburban area and you don't get that lovely vineyard feel to it. Bob, who helped us with the tasting, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The kids I was with haven't developed the most sophisticated tastes (which is totally understandable ~ I remember what I was like in college) and so we ended up sampling about 5 or 6 whites and then I tried another to reds. The reserve Cab Merlot that Bob offered me was my favorite red and had a very full bodied and excellent taste.
Feeling the need to complete our tour, we went to Mission Estate Winery. This one is by far the most beautiful of the vineyards we visited. The facility is up on a hill and over looks a large vineyard. This is New Zealand's oldest vineyard and was founded by some French missionaries that were wanting to grow their own scaremental wine. It's still owned by the Catholic Church and overseen by a board of trustees, which I found interesting. We arrived at about 4:45 and they were preparing to close up, so we were rushed a bit through which was our fault for arriving so late. The view was absolutely wonderful and as we were leaving, a wedding party was begining. It was a miraculous sight.
As we left and headed back to Bike D'Vine ... we got off track for the 3rd time that day. We were all very annoyed and exhausted. We did make it back at about 6 pm which is already dark here since fall is almost over and we're headed to winter. Monique gave us a lift back to our respective hostels but all four of us were so exhausted from the ride and swearing under our breath about how sore we were from riding bicycles all day.
I wish I had some pictures from my adventures but like a total space cadet, I took my camera along and forgot to bring along my fully re-charged battery. Better luck next time...
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