Thursday, April 13, 2006
Back Home
Well. It is really strange. Catapulted back in time and space. Flying in thirteen hours what took us the best part of thirteen months. It feels almost to be robbed of the experience.
All the same, it was great to get back to Bath and hook up with a lot of old friends. Well, not all of them unfortunately, but another time soon hopefully. It was even better to get back to the traffic jam that is Dublin to catch up with family again. Got in yesterday, flying Aerlingus. Ryan Air seem to have a tendency to carry pranksters and land in Military airports. It is probably because they keep getting all these RAF fighter escorts. It must be going to their heads.
Anyway, the slingshot back from Singapore was grand. A really fine flight. First time in a 747, I couldnt believe we got a window seat. Flying over Dehli at night was very memorable, as was the flight over the Himalayas. It was perfectly clear most of the way.
We had a real blast in Singapore. K Hong is a brilliant host of Impeccable taste, as is his French girlfriend Laure. We spent our last evening at the opening of the new Puma store there. It was a gentle reintroduction to the real world, or the real world as we usd to know it....
We sailed through Malaysia in a matter of days, staying only briefly in Georgetown, which is a really great town, especially for food and 'heritage' architecture. KL was interesting as well. But again we only really had a peek as we were there so short a time. The butterfly park in KL was incredible though. Apparently the national Orchid farm and Aviary are impressive too. All in all we'd spent enough time to know we definetly have to come back to Malaysia and have a proper look around. Ah well. Another life.
Prior to our 4 days in Malayasia we spent a great week on Ko Lipe, an island in the Tarutao national park in Thailand, R&R after our gruelling year long holiday, lapping up the sun with hours of snorkelling, kayaking and out on the boat, lolling around eating the finest fish sipping Sang Som and generally living in suspended animation amongst the other great characters there. Even our German maestro in the neighbouring Bungalow was cool, despite or maybe because of playing the Didgereedoo (spelling?) at 4.0 am in the morning. I am sure it is a nice way of ushering in the dawn around Alice Springs, but I am not sure he expected to usher in the adjacent residents from Bunglaows B3 and A2 ('its very good but its 4am' comment). The (second) best thing about the place we stayed was the name. Porn Resort. Porn is the name of the family/guy who owns it, nothing untoward.
There is only one year left of Ko Lipe as a fairly relaxed- or certainly the most relaxed island destination in Thailand- as Lonley Planet has listed it in its top ten things to do in Thailand, and there are various commensurate developments on the way as well. OH well. At least we weren't Like Tom, a German artist/artisan who had lived there for nearly 6 months 16 years ago. He inhabited the only bungalow on Pattaya beach (now festooned with thumping bars and the usual seeds of the Thailand Island strip. Watch out Phuket.) Himself, his girlfriend, a soldier, the soldier's wife and their kid were the only inhabitants that side of the island. The soldier used to shoot coconuts out of the tree, and Tom and hs girlfriend survived on squid and paying in fish that they caught and bartered for veg and other necesities. For him the island is long gone, and he is dismayed, not so much at the arrival of Tourism on the island, but more that others arriving there are telling him that it is the quietest and best place in Thailand. Or left in Thailand. The fact that it is also the last and nearest inhabited island to the Malaysian border would give everyone good reason to think that it is probably the last outpost of the wild Thailand so celebrated in books like the 'Beach' and a million million holiday posters. Very depressing, but entirely, us the travellers' fault.
Prior to that was a very brief sojourn in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai we met Georges, old family friend of the Vermonts, who showed us a great time. He also promised to email me loads of tips and info on learning French which I am looking forward to. I could use it, as I am on my way over there imminently.
Of course, finally it happened to me. It had happend to Sol already, having met Laure in Seoul (now in Bangkok, but we missed her unfortunately....) and realising that she had mutual friends back in France. We were in a Wat in Chiang Mai. No it was a stupa, a very large one with elephants on it. (My interest in cultural history and artefacts was waning at this stage, and the Thai's weren't at all that good at presenting it - at least what we saw of it. Its not the type of tourism they're used to I suppose). Well anyway. There was Frantisek. And Klara, over on holiday from Prague. Madness, hadnt seen them in 5 years. It was great. Unfortunately they were jumping on a flight back home to Europe that evening, but it was great to catch up with them. Apparently they always meet someone they know while away, always completely randomly, and Klara was wondering whether that would be the first time that they didnt...and then I rocked up. Anyway, it was good to see them and I am sure we'll see them in the not too distant future in Czech!
Before all of this was Laos. Laos is great. Look out Laos. I suppose all this touristic lark is coming their way too. Already Vam Viang is a backpackers slum (although the surrounding landscape is still very special and offers respite from the alleged Simpson/Friends TV watching marathons). We were curious enough about the place to avoid it completely. Especially as the people we had met who had visited there reckon that this is the best reason to visit Laos. To lie in a hammock and watch TV. My Arse. Laos is certainly the least spoilt of the countries we visited in SE Asia (Myanmawr obviously is less developped, but we didnt get there.) And probably the most special. The French used to say of the peoples of SE Asia, that the Vietnamese would plant the rice, the Cambodians would watch it, and the Laotians would listen to it grow....
It is still a communist state, the Monarchy 'dying' out in the 70's. (Certainly the most modest monarchy we encountered in SE Asia, judging by the palace and grounds). And in SE Asia Communism means that you have a CHinese contractor to build all your roads for you.
The mighty Mekong RIver runs down the backbone of the country having spilt out of Myanmawr (Burma to you colonial types) and China and on its way down to Cambodia and Vietnam. There are so many stories and amazing things about the Mekong, I think I have to do it in a seperate post. But for the moment suffice it to say that the Chinese are making shit of this river too, damming further up toward the source and blasting rapids to make them navigable for barges. Heavy industry in Myanmawr is not helping either. This has untold consequences for everyone downstream, especially Cambodia and Laos whose cultural and agricultural life revolves around the river and its tributaries. But another post, I promise.
I enjoyed Vientiane. There is nothing to do there. There is not even that much traffic. But there are some fantastic restaurants and bakeries. What a haven as well, where we found Conchi and Troi, living out in SE Asia instead of the middle east for a change. Their stories of Yemen and Iran made me ache to get down there. Before American Foreign Policy make shit of them. (Between the American Foreign Policy and that of the Chinese, which is worse I wonder?)
In my mind regardless of what type of regime you run in your country, if you had 13 odd bases of your sworn enemy (the USA) sat on your border area, I think I'd be trying any means to insure that they wouldn't invade, or make sure they pay the penalty for invading. I dont understand. I dont understand American foreign policy. Even if it is driven by big corporations and a thirst for Oil, surely they can do a better job of it than this. I mean they must be able to. I mean who the hell is surprised when you skewer a country on the axis of evil pour 1000's of troops into surrounding countries mounted on its borders and your 'foe' turn around and develop nuclear 'power'? Surpised? Not me.
I was really moved by one of Conchi and Troy's stories of visiting Iran. Meeting a mother in a bakery (or shop or market, I cant remember exactly, but randomly in the street) who subsequently insisted on them coming over for dinner the following evening. They went of course, and had a really great time with the family. I dont remember them talking about the Dad being there, but she had some children. After dinner and over tea, the lady of the house asked them in all seriousness and near desperation, would the Americans invade Iran? Within living memory of the damage and ruin of the Iran Iraq conflict (where Iran was de facto fighting the Americans and their western buddies anyway) and the live picutes of Iraq being beamed into their living rooms every night, I cant even begin to imagine the fear ordinary Irianians are feeling in the face of the threat of American military action.
Perhaps there are some Iranians that would have welcomed the idea of liberaton by the Americans or the west. Perhaps there are people who remember the 'halycon' days of the Shah and the time before the Ayatollahs. But even then, I doubt if they savour the idea of 'Iraq style liberation' at what proved to be the inadequate hands of the Americans. In our family home in Ireland, 'to liberate' something was always a euphemism for 'to steal' something. I doubt if there are very many American families in the armed forces who relish the idea of liberating another country anyway. Theirs and the families in the liberated countries are the ones that bear the burden and the true cost anyway.
It would have been great to return to Europe through Myanmawr, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Iran. But time nor money was on our side, and we had to skirt out of Asia and coast down to Singapore for our flight home. Back to Europe, and Ireland, isolated and insulated from the real world out there. Having travelled so far it feels that Europe is really far away for most people in the world. For the powerful Asian economies it is merely a pimple on the arse of Asia. For the middle east and the Caucasus and the poor SE Asia Europe is an ineffectual aristocratic has been of once-were-warrior nations, their teeth cut on colonialism, their pensions safe on the plunder from it.
And yet still, for many people outside of it, Europe is their best hope. To get into it, or for them to reach out.
I wonder if Europe really knows?
All the same, it was great to get back to Bath and hook up with a lot of old friends. Well, not all of them unfortunately, but another time soon hopefully. It was even better to get back to the traffic jam that is Dublin to catch up with family again. Got in yesterday, flying Aerlingus. Ryan Air seem to have a tendency to carry pranksters and land in Military airports. It is probably because they keep getting all these RAF fighter escorts. It must be going to their heads.
Anyway, the slingshot back from Singapore was grand. A really fine flight. First time in a 747, I couldnt believe we got a window seat. Flying over Dehli at night was very memorable, as was the flight over the Himalayas. It was perfectly clear most of the way.
We had a real blast in Singapore. K Hong is a brilliant host of Impeccable taste, as is his French girlfriend Laure. We spent our last evening at the opening of the new Puma store there. It was a gentle reintroduction to the real world, or the real world as we usd to know it....
We sailed through Malaysia in a matter of days, staying only briefly in Georgetown, which is a really great town, especially for food and 'heritage' architecture. KL was interesting as well. But again we only really had a peek as we were there so short a time. The butterfly park in KL was incredible though. Apparently the national Orchid farm and Aviary are impressive too. All in all we'd spent enough time to know we definetly have to come back to Malaysia and have a proper look around. Ah well. Another life.
Prior to our 4 days in Malayasia we spent a great week on Ko Lipe, an island in the Tarutao national park in Thailand, R&R after our gruelling year long holiday, lapping up the sun with hours of snorkelling, kayaking and out on the boat, lolling around eating the finest fish sipping Sang Som and generally living in suspended animation amongst the other great characters there. Even our German maestro in the neighbouring Bungalow was cool, despite or maybe because of playing the Didgereedoo (spelling?) at 4.0 am in the morning. I am sure it is a nice way of ushering in the dawn around Alice Springs, but I am not sure he expected to usher in the adjacent residents from Bunglaows B3 and A2 ('its very good but its 4am' comment). The (second) best thing about the place we stayed was the name. Porn Resort. Porn is the name of the family/guy who owns it, nothing untoward.
There is only one year left of Ko Lipe as a fairly relaxed- or certainly the most relaxed island destination in Thailand- as Lonley Planet has listed it in its top ten things to do in Thailand, and there are various commensurate developments on the way as well. OH well. At least we weren't Like Tom, a German artist/artisan who had lived there for nearly 6 months 16 years ago. He inhabited the only bungalow on Pattaya beach (now festooned with thumping bars and the usual seeds of the Thailand Island strip. Watch out Phuket.) Himself, his girlfriend, a soldier, the soldier's wife and their kid were the only inhabitants that side of the island. The soldier used to shoot coconuts out of the tree, and Tom and hs girlfriend survived on squid and paying in fish that they caught and bartered for veg and other necesities. For him the island is long gone, and he is dismayed, not so much at the arrival of Tourism on the island, but more that others arriving there are telling him that it is the quietest and best place in Thailand. Or left in Thailand. The fact that it is also the last and nearest inhabited island to the Malaysian border would give everyone good reason to think that it is probably the last outpost of the wild Thailand so celebrated in books like the 'Beach' and a million million holiday posters. Very depressing, but entirely, us the travellers' fault.
Prior to that was a very brief sojourn in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai we met Georges, old family friend of the Vermonts, who showed us a great time. He also promised to email me loads of tips and info on learning French which I am looking forward to. I could use it, as I am on my way over there imminently.
Of course, finally it happened to me. It had happend to Sol already, having met Laure in Seoul (now in Bangkok, but we missed her unfortunately....) and realising that she had mutual friends back in France. We were in a Wat in Chiang Mai. No it was a stupa, a very large one with elephants on it. (My interest in cultural history and artefacts was waning at this stage, and the Thai's weren't at all that good at presenting it - at least what we saw of it. Its not the type of tourism they're used to I suppose). Well anyway. There was Frantisek. And Klara, over on holiday from Prague. Madness, hadnt seen them in 5 years. It was great. Unfortunately they were jumping on a flight back home to Europe that evening, but it was great to catch up with them. Apparently they always meet someone they know while away, always completely randomly, and Klara was wondering whether that would be the first time that they didnt...and then I rocked up. Anyway, it was good to see them and I am sure we'll see them in the not too distant future in Czech!
Before all of this was Laos. Laos is great. Look out Laos. I suppose all this touristic lark is coming their way too. Already Vam Viang is a backpackers slum (although the surrounding landscape is still very special and offers respite from the alleged Simpson/Friends TV watching marathons). We were curious enough about the place to avoid it completely. Especially as the people we had met who had visited there reckon that this is the best reason to visit Laos. To lie in a hammock and watch TV. My Arse. Laos is certainly the least spoilt of the countries we visited in SE Asia (Myanmawr obviously is less developped, but we didnt get there.) And probably the most special. The French used to say of the peoples of SE Asia, that the Vietnamese would plant the rice, the Cambodians would watch it, and the Laotians would listen to it grow....
It is still a communist state, the Monarchy 'dying' out in the 70's. (Certainly the most modest monarchy we encountered in SE Asia, judging by the palace and grounds). And in SE Asia Communism means that you have a CHinese contractor to build all your roads for you.
The mighty Mekong RIver runs down the backbone of the country having spilt out of Myanmawr (Burma to you colonial types) and China and on its way down to Cambodia and Vietnam. There are so many stories and amazing things about the Mekong, I think I have to do it in a seperate post. But for the moment suffice it to say that the Chinese are making shit of this river too, damming further up toward the source and blasting rapids to make them navigable for barges. Heavy industry in Myanmawr is not helping either. This has untold consequences for everyone downstream, especially Cambodia and Laos whose cultural and agricultural life revolves around the river and its tributaries. But another post, I promise.
I enjoyed Vientiane. There is nothing to do there. There is not even that much traffic. But there are some fantastic restaurants and bakeries. What a haven as well, where we found Conchi and Troi, living out in SE Asia instead of the middle east for a change. Their stories of Yemen and Iran made me ache to get down there. Before American Foreign Policy make shit of them. (Between the American Foreign Policy and that of the Chinese, which is worse I wonder?)
In my mind regardless of what type of regime you run in your country, if you had 13 odd bases of your sworn enemy (the USA) sat on your border area, I think I'd be trying any means to insure that they wouldn't invade, or make sure they pay the penalty for invading. I dont understand. I dont understand American foreign policy. Even if it is driven by big corporations and a thirst for Oil, surely they can do a better job of it than this. I mean they must be able to. I mean who the hell is surprised when you skewer a country on the axis of evil pour 1000's of troops into surrounding countries mounted on its borders and your 'foe' turn around and develop nuclear 'power'? Surpised? Not me.
I was really moved by one of Conchi and Troy's stories of visiting Iran. Meeting a mother in a bakery (or shop or market, I cant remember exactly, but randomly in the street) who subsequently insisted on them coming over for dinner the following evening. They went of course, and had a really great time with the family. I dont remember them talking about the Dad being there, but she had some children. After dinner and over tea, the lady of the house asked them in all seriousness and near desperation, would the Americans invade Iran? Within living memory of the damage and ruin of the Iran Iraq conflict (where Iran was de facto fighting the Americans and their western buddies anyway) and the live picutes of Iraq being beamed into their living rooms every night, I cant even begin to imagine the fear ordinary Irianians are feeling in the face of the threat of American military action.
Perhaps there are some Iranians that would have welcomed the idea of liberaton by the Americans or the west. Perhaps there are people who remember the 'halycon' days of the Shah and the time before the Ayatollahs. But even then, I doubt if they savour the idea of 'Iraq style liberation' at what proved to be the inadequate hands of the Americans. In our family home in Ireland, 'to liberate' something was always a euphemism for 'to steal' something. I doubt if there are very many American families in the armed forces who relish the idea of liberating another country anyway. Theirs and the families in the liberated countries are the ones that bear the burden and the true cost anyway.
It would have been great to return to Europe through Myanmawr, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Iran. But time nor money was on our side, and we had to skirt out of Asia and coast down to Singapore for our flight home. Back to Europe, and Ireland, isolated and insulated from the real world out there. Having travelled so far it feels that Europe is really far away for most people in the world. For the powerful Asian economies it is merely a pimple on the arse of Asia. For the middle east and the Caucasus and the poor SE Asia Europe is an ineffectual aristocratic has been of once-were-warrior nations, their teeth cut on colonialism, their pensions safe on the plunder from it.
And yet still, for many people outside of it, Europe is their best hope. To get into it, or for them to reach out.
I wonder if Europe really knows?
// posted by Dub @ Thursday, April 13, 2006 
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Hi Kevin and Solene - Congratulations on your safe return home! What a great trip - I'm envious! After spending the fall with my parents in Maine, I'm now in Washington DC trying to cobble together a life of sorts. I recently got some good news which I will post on Marmot Power soon - I've neglected it for several months while I've been down here doing the job-hunting thing. And I'm finally getting ready to write up my travel notes (I keep saying that but I really mean it this time...) Anyway, congrats again on such a great experience!
-AMP, a lone marmot amongst the weasels of Washington...
-AMP, a lone marmot amongst the weasels of Washington...
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