Hey everybody! As it turns out...we are both back in Thailand. The weather for the next week in Hanoi was going to be rainy and cold and that is just no way to end a vacation. So I caught a last minute flight with Will to BKK and we are now enjoying 90 degree weather. I am going to try and find my way to one last beach for the next four days until we have to head back to AMERICA!
Today we hit the mother load of eating. I think we would both consider ourselves adventurous eaters. Well, today we found what everybody seems to think of when they think of Asia. The dog. It was unmistakable. It was a whole dog and was roasted and on the side of the road in a small roadside eating area that we would have missed had we not been looking. We looked at it and immediately decided to pass. We then went to a fresh beer garden and drank loads and loads of beer and then, three hours later...(we were trying to kill time before we had to depart for the airport) we decided , heck yeah...we should at least try it. Especially if we were going to walk by and take a picture of it. So...we did. We walked back, took photos and sat down and ate some. There were three versions...a sausage that had lots of bone particles in it...the worst for sure. A tenderized version that was sprinkled with sesame seeds, and finally a roast version that was truly carved off the actual dog. It was all served with basil leaves and a dip that taste like....ummm I don't know...shit?! The dip had vodka mixed in with it. Honestly, the locals were happy to see us...we were far from old town and far far from the tourist haunts. The guy that was showing us how to eat it poured us a few shots of vodka straight up and I drank it willingly. I am not sure what the year was when I last drank a shot of ANYTHING but if it got the taste of dog out of my mouth I was up for it. In the end, the taste would not leave my mouth and I willingly accepted, no, actually begged Will for a cigarette to replace the taste that was occupying my mouth. UGH! Never again. The unfortunate thing about the experience was that I dropped a piece on my backpack and now all I can smell is dog flesh. Tomorrow it will be heading to laundry.
What a day! We woke up freezing and cold and I decided to drop the plans of heading to Halong Bay. I changed my flight out of Vietnam and we bought a suitcase to load up all that we have purchsed in the last month and last day. In the last 24 hours I purchased new eye glasses with my new prescription for $27 and they are Prada frames. Also, I bought five new pairs of jeans. I love Vietnam! Even more cheap than Thailand. Hanoi is a lovely city and I can not wait to come back. We both feel the same way....much more time needed. But not to eat the dog...that is for certain.
What I am certain of is that tomorrow I will have hangover as smoking a cigarette guarantees it. Also, we drank beer for three hours contemplating whether to go back and eat that dog and then when we did....we drank more beer and vodka. Sleeping in tomorrow and then running some errands like picking up tailoring and then finding my way to another beach...hopefully.
Ok, off to bed and to brush my teeth yet again. There are socks on my teeth!
adios!
willandCODY
Friday, March 6, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Rain!
Hello everyone! Will and I made it to Hanoi on our sleeping bus. What a wonderful invention! I had a bed near the bathroom. Thankfully I had a hanky to cover my face whenever someone opened the door. They provide you with a pillow and a quilt. Will said his quilt smelled like breast milk but he used it anyway. Now that is some serious oldfactory memory he has as far as I am concerned! We found a place right near St. Joseph's Cathedral....I am really enjoying the solitude of the Catholic Church in Vietnam. I went and sat in the cathedral last night and said some prayers and then a group of women showed up and they started saying/praying the Rosary aloud with a microphone. It was very moving and reminded me of being in my cabin at the monastery in Burma and hearing the nuns and monks chant into the night as I was falling asleep. Very meditative. The Pagoda's are not as nice as in Myanmar or Cambodia. As soon as we dropped off our packs we headed out to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Min. His mausoleum is amazing. We then went to the Ho Chi Men Museum and then walked all over Hanoi's old town. It is beautiful even in this drizzle and fog. The weather could not be more different than Ho Chi Men City that is for certain. The forecast for the remaining days shows thundershowers and rain and temps of less than 70 degrees. I am looking forward to it. I guess I will surrender the bikini to the bottom of my pack. I think this is about as tan as this white girls body can be anyway.
Will is flying back to Bangkok tomorrow evening and I will be here for the following three days on my own. When I get back to Bangkok we will then have 24 hours to find a huge suitcase to get all that we have purchased back home. Have I mentioned how handsome Willis in his new suit. It is very James Bondish...skinny fit...looks great on him. How many 19 year olds have a custom made three piece suit made out of Kashmere? Well, this one does. When he got to Hoi An a day before me he texted me that "I was going to love Hoi An!" I knew he meant that I would be tortured by low cost tailoring! I had three new skirts made in less than about 15 hours. They are all linen. It was obviously warmer down there because now I am ready to have a wool overcoat made. But I won't.
I think I will spend my last three days on a boat in the Halong Bay amongst the Limestone cliffs and islands. Better run off and check in with a travel agent. Hopefully my passport shows up tomorrow with no problems! Maybe I will stop off at St. Joseph's and light a candle just in case.
Talk to you all later,
willandCODY
Will is flying back to Bangkok tomorrow evening and I will be here for the following three days on my own. When I get back to Bangkok we will then have 24 hours to find a huge suitcase to get all that we have purchased back home. Have I mentioned how handsome Willis in his new suit. It is very James Bondish...skinny fit...looks great on him. How many 19 year olds have a custom made three piece suit made out of Kashmere? Well, this one does. When he got to Hoi An a day before me he texted me that "I was going to love Hoi An!" I knew he meant that I would be tortured by low cost tailoring! I had three new skirts made in less than about 15 hours. They are all linen. It was obviously warmer down there because now I am ready to have a wool overcoat made. But I won't.
I think I will spend my last three days on a boat in the Halong Bay amongst the Limestone cliffs and islands. Better run off and check in with a travel agent. Hopefully my passport shows up tomorrow with no problems! Maybe I will stop off at St. Joseph's and light a candle just in case.
Talk to you all later,
willandCODY
Monday, March 2, 2009
Hanoi, here we come!
Ok everyone, we are boarding a 15 hour bus ride to the far North of Vietnam to the huge city of Hanoi. We have enjoyed the sleepy, mostly quiet little towns of the central coast. We have newly tailored items and tans to show for it and are ready to get in the water one last time before Will flies off to Bangkok and I stay in Hanoi for a few more days. We will be buying a new suitcase for all of the purchases. Our last stop in Vietnam will be Halong Bay, look it up, it's amazing! We will be boarding our flight in Bangkok in less than eight days! Hard to believe it is all coming to an end and that we have togo back to our lives. But, we are both excited about going back to work and family and friends, as well. So, we are in a great place and ready to squeeze out some last bits of fun. Hope everyone is taking very good care of themselves and we look forward to seeing all of you as soon as time permits when we get home.
Peace,
willandCODY
Peace,
willandCODY
Body functions
Ok, People! I promised you a blog on body functions and here you will have it. Will and I have been a bit intriqued by the comfort in releasing body functions. From Burma to Vietnam I personally have been impressed by the ability of people at any age to hawk up serious mucus and then spit it out right in front of you. I really enjoy it when the person turns out to be a tough looking little granny though. I could never imagine Grandma McCartney doing such a thing! Also, when people are done eating they use tooth picks but it a very discreet way by putting their hands over their mouths while they dig away at their teeth behind the hand. I usually see people in America doing this opening, and honestly, I think we could take a pointer or two on this one. Farting to also no problem. In fact when we were riding a bus from Ngapali Beach to Pyay, Burma there was a guy sitting across the aisle and one seat in from us, he turned, looked at who was behind him, rolled in on his opposite hip and launched one right at us. Not so freindly fire. Also, on the same bus ride sitting behind Will was a young Monk who was throwing up into a bag. I know I have written a bit about transportation and truly I could dedicate just one blog alone about bus trips and the pit falls of some and the benefits of others.
Just last night I rode the same sleeper bus that Will had the night before to Hoi An. It was the best trip yet. It was $14 and you were esentially on a bus, but in a bed. This was very comfortable for me, but, for those over 5' 5" it might be a different story. Traveling at night by sleeper bus is really the way to go. We just found out about two days ago that when we were in Ho Chi Min we could have bought an "open tour" bus ticket and it only would have cost $23 and would have allowed us onto any bus heading in the same Northern direction. We will have ended up spending less then a $100 on bus tickets between Ho Chi Men and Hanoi. Bummer. We could have saved a few dollars.
Today I had the wonderful experience of parting with my passport and $100 US dollars because my visa had expired and Vietnam has very stringent rules about this sort of thing. I could have gotten angry but I honestly don't have the energy to be and it came out of the stash of emergency money even though its not really an emergency. It is a well paid for lesson in paying attention which I had not been and was just lazy. But, it did afford me the wonderful opportuntiy to meet Drem...a young Vietnamese lady who was at the consulate in Hoi An dropping off passports for others, heard me explaining my problem to the immigration officer who said I needed to go to DaLong to fix it. DaLong is the next town over, about 40 km away. Within a few moments we had negotiated a price, I hopped on her moto, we stopped at her house to pick up a helmet for me and we were off for a three hour moto ride! When we got there the immigration office said they could not deal with me directly and that I had to use a travel agency. She found one and I surrendered my passport and the $100 cash and they agreed to send it up to Hanoi when I got there. Whew! It was not the experience I was looking for but having it with Drem made it worth while...while we were driving there it started to rain and she pulled over and bought us both a rain poncho and then when we took off she reached back and grabbed my hand and pulled it around her waist and said hold on...I yelled "there is nothing to hold onto!" and she laughed and said Yes, I am very small. She was. And she was wearing heels. I love how all the women in this country are all decked out in there sexy clothes driving their motos in high heels and fighting through traffic. Its a great visual.
When I finally got back to Hoi An I met up with Will and it was time to go try his new suit on! Yup, he got a new suit as well and he looks super dapper in it. Not to top him, but I also ordered three new skirts and they will be done tomorrow at 930 am. Then we have to get the hell out of here because tailor made clothes are even less expensive here and I could use more retail therapy so we simply have to get out as soon as possible. We are leaving tomorrow at130 and will be on a 15 hour bus trip to Hanoi then onto Halong Bay then Will flies off to Bangkok on the 6th and I follow him on the 9th. We are winding things down and it feels good. Even just having the one day apart and my mini breakdown yesterday was just the ticket.
Hoi An is a beautiful town and I wish we had more time to be here but Halong Bay is calling me more.
Ok, lets see, did I cover body functions...oh, lots of people have seriously bad coughs and I wish I had some phlegm relieving Lung formulas with me because I think I could really help people here. Did I mention nose picking? Totally acceptable to do so anywhere, on your front porch, when you are taking someones order, just before you reach in your pocket to pull out someones change...no worries. It is a dry and dusty place and boogers are inevitable.
Public Urination! How could I forget this one! If you are a man, all you have to do is stop your car or moto on the side of the road and whip it out. Nobody cares.
Oh! When we were finishing our beer before picking up Will's suit I noticed a man who looked familiar from Santa Fe. I walked up to him and asked him if he was from Santa Fe. Sure enough, he was. I recognized his face from Wild Oats. He actually lives in Pecos but I usually see him at Wildoats. His face is distinct. We laughed about it and he mentioned that he had just been in Cambodia at a Cock fight and met some young folks from Santa Fe. Apparently New Mexico and Cambodia are the only two places that this is still legal. Probably not, but it was yet another reminded that real life is bleeding through and that it is time to start tending a little bit to the business of getting home and all the decisions that await me there.
Ok, off to find some cold beverage and air conditioning!
willandCODY
Just last night I rode the same sleeper bus that Will had the night before to Hoi An. It was the best trip yet. It was $14 and you were esentially on a bus, but in a bed. This was very comfortable for me, but, for those over 5' 5" it might be a different story. Traveling at night by sleeper bus is really the way to go. We just found out about two days ago that when we were in Ho Chi Min we could have bought an "open tour" bus ticket and it only would have cost $23 and would have allowed us onto any bus heading in the same Northern direction. We will have ended up spending less then a $100 on bus tickets between Ho Chi Men and Hanoi. Bummer. We could have saved a few dollars.
Today I had the wonderful experience of parting with my passport and $100 US dollars because my visa had expired and Vietnam has very stringent rules about this sort of thing. I could have gotten angry but I honestly don't have the energy to be and it came out of the stash of emergency money even though its not really an emergency. It is a well paid for lesson in paying attention which I had not been and was just lazy. But, it did afford me the wonderful opportuntiy to meet Drem...a young Vietnamese lady who was at the consulate in Hoi An dropping off passports for others, heard me explaining my problem to the immigration officer who said I needed to go to DaLong to fix it. DaLong is the next town over, about 40 km away. Within a few moments we had negotiated a price, I hopped on her moto, we stopped at her house to pick up a helmet for me and we were off for a three hour moto ride! When we got there the immigration office said they could not deal with me directly and that I had to use a travel agency. She found one and I surrendered my passport and the $100 cash and they agreed to send it up to Hanoi when I got there. Whew! It was not the experience I was looking for but having it with Drem made it worth while...while we were driving there it started to rain and she pulled over and bought us both a rain poncho and then when we took off she reached back and grabbed my hand and pulled it around her waist and said hold on...I yelled "there is nothing to hold onto!" and she laughed and said Yes, I am very small. She was. And she was wearing heels. I love how all the women in this country are all decked out in there sexy clothes driving their motos in high heels and fighting through traffic. Its a great visual.
When I finally got back to Hoi An I met up with Will and it was time to go try his new suit on! Yup, he got a new suit as well and he looks super dapper in it. Not to top him, but I also ordered three new skirts and they will be done tomorrow at 930 am. Then we have to get the hell out of here because tailor made clothes are even less expensive here and I could use more retail therapy so we simply have to get out as soon as possible. We are leaving tomorrow at130 and will be on a 15 hour bus trip to Hanoi then onto Halong Bay then Will flies off to Bangkok on the 6th and I follow him on the 9th. We are winding things down and it feels good. Even just having the one day apart and my mini breakdown yesterday was just the ticket.
Hoi An is a beautiful town and I wish we had more time to be here but Halong Bay is calling me more.
Ok, lets see, did I cover body functions...oh, lots of people have seriously bad coughs and I wish I had some phlegm relieving Lung formulas with me because I think I could really help people here. Did I mention nose picking? Totally acceptable to do so anywhere, on your front porch, when you are taking someones order, just before you reach in your pocket to pull out someones change...no worries. It is a dry and dusty place and boogers are inevitable.
Public Urination! How could I forget this one! If you are a man, all you have to do is stop your car or moto on the side of the road and whip it out. Nobody cares.
Oh! When we were finishing our beer before picking up Will's suit I noticed a man who looked familiar from Santa Fe. I walked up to him and asked him if he was from Santa Fe. Sure enough, he was. I recognized his face from Wild Oats. He actually lives in Pecos but I usually see him at Wildoats. His face is distinct. We laughed about it and he mentioned that he had just been in Cambodia at a Cock fight and met some young folks from Santa Fe. Apparently New Mexico and Cambodia are the only two places that this is still legal. Probably not, but it was yet another reminded that real life is bleeding through and that it is time to start tending a little bit to the business of getting home and all the decisions that await me there.
Ok, off to find some cold beverage and air conditioning!
willandCODY
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Some tidbits and other observations
Because my Virgo mind is chained to forever view life through the practical critique of all experiences (not to be confused with criticism as Virgo's are also known for), I spend a lot of my travels looking for similarities to my usual life back home. What we have witnessed here in Nha Trang is that when the garbage truck comes down your street, people are also caught off guard and will run after it to dispose of their trash. This was probably the most comforting thing to witness yet. I had made the comment to Will on the way to dinner that I thought that trash day may be tomorrow because there were piles of trash on the side walks that had not been there before earlier in the day when I was walking. Then as we were eating dinner I noticed the garbage truck pull up in front of us and it was shortly after that that noticed the flurry of activity around us as the girls in the restaurant collected the trash and ran out after it. Other businesses were doing the same. To the town of Nha Trang's credit they appear to take anything in their trash pick up including building materials and big items. I wonder what their monthly water/sewage charge is?
When traveling I really love to run and do some type of physical exercise. I have encountered some of the most fit older folks here than anywhere. They have a passion for badmitton and while I can tell these folks are well into their seventies they all have the best heads of jet black hair. The Asians may have more issues with hair vanity that the Westerner's. Black hair is truly the color of vitality and these folks where showing just how much they had at 5:30 in the morning! When I was running three days ago this older dude rode up next to me on his bike (we were both on a paved path at the top of the beach). He gave me a sweet smile and said "ok, now you run faster" I quickly took him up on his challenge and yelled "lets race" and took off sprinting. He totally stepped it up and chased me down. I think we only went on for about two blocks worth and then we were at the end of the path and my run was over anyway. We both then did our calisthenics together...he did a version of some Qi Gong movements and I did some push-ups and jumping jacks. I then moved out onto the beach and did some yoga and had a quick audience. About a dozen older dudes who were done working out sat close by and talked amongst themselves on the beach while watching me. When I was done I ran right into the sea! It was very refreshing and I wished every run could end that way. I grabbed my shoes and headed for the hotel to wake up Will and get some breakfast. We have a shared love of Vietnamese coffee! Iced or hot! I never allow myself this in America. It makes me positively crazy it is so strong. We have both suffered for my indiscretions with Vietnamese coffee for the last two weeks, I am certain of it.
Later I will write a blog about body functions...one of my favorite topics.
Off to pack and get ready to leave this wonderful paradise. Can hardly believe I am going to go but I have to. I guess.
Later aligators...
willandCODY
When traveling I really love to run and do some type of physical exercise. I have encountered some of the most fit older folks here than anywhere. They have a passion for badmitton and while I can tell these folks are well into their seventies they all have the best heads of jet black hair. The Asians may have more issues with hair vanity that the Westerner's. Black hair is truly the color of vitality and these folks where showing just how much they had at 5:30 in the morning! When I was running three days ago this older dude rode up next to me on his bike (we were both on a paved path at the top of the beach). He gave me a sweet smile and said "ok, now you run faster" I quickly took him up on his challenge and yelled "lets race" and took off sprinting. He totally stepped it up and chased me down. I think we only went on for about two blocks worth and then we were at the end of the path and my run was over anyway. We both then did our calisthenics together...he did a version of some Qi Gong movements and I did some push-ups and jumping jacks. I then moved out onto the beach and did some yoga and had a quick audience. About a dozen older dudes who were done working out sat close by and talked amongst themselves on the beach while watching me. When I was done I ran right into the sea! It was very refreshing and I wished every run could end that way. I grabbed my shoes and headed for the hotel to wake up Will and get some breakfast. We have a shared love of Vietnamese coffee! Iced or hot! I never allow myself this in America. It makes me positively crazy it is so strong. We have both suffered for my indiscretions with Vietnamese coffee for the last two weeks, I am certain of it.
Later I will write a blog about body functions...one of my favorite topics.
Off to pack and get ready to leave this wonderful paradise. Can hardly believe I am going to go but I have to. I guess.
Later aligators...
willandCODY
The Color Purple
Is truly magnificent when viewed as a lovely silk wall hanging in a Catholic Church half way round the world from home. Today I went to church. It is Sunday after all. I have spent so much time getting to know the Buddha and the Tao here in SE Asia that I thought it might be time to get back to my roots and see how the Christians were doing it. It was truly like coming home. The Church itself is just kn0wn as the Nha Trang Cathedral. It was built in 1912 of cement block but in a simple French Gothic design. A true classic. Reminded me much of St. Brigid's back in Midland, MI where my spiritual path would start so many years ago. For the most part the internal elements were the same...there was J. C. (Jesus Christ) hanging from the cross above the alter. Only difference is that the cross was outlined in red neon lighting which I think was a nice addition and want to recommend for the West. There were pews and a place to kneel in front of the pew. I took a seat on the left (but really its the right hand if you are taking directions from JC's perspective) half way up. Kneeled and said my prayers and waited for the service to start. The 9:30 mass was a good choice as the choir was singing today and while I am not certain which song they had chose for the day they sounded so lovely. Honestly, everything was the same although some parts of the mass that we would speak they sang them. Like the part where the Priest is holding up the body of Christ and we respond "lord I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed....they sing that part and it was lovely. I stood and took communion with the other parishioners. It was a powerful experience to say the least. I realized half way through the mass that I have not actually sat through services since my mothers funeral almost seven years ago. March 28th 2002. When I walked up the Priest looked a little startled to see me there in line. He was able to get out in English "the body of Christ" and I said Amen back to him and he put it in my mouth. There was no blood of Christ to be offered so I obviously passed on that. Such a moving experience. I cried all the way through mass. Pretty sure it was enough of a strange experience for my fellow parishioners to see some blond woman but then to have her weeping and wiping her eyes with her hanky is quite another. We all made it through though. It was nice to feel so at home in this cathedral and not get too caught up in what the church represents to me now and what I represent to the church for that matter. I was just open for an experience and I got what I came for. And I gave a generous tything too. I loved sitting there and knowing the experience so clearly despite the fact that it was all in Vietnamese save for the AMEN. I realized while sitting there that the Purple sashes worn by the two priests and hanging from the wall represent the time of year. It now must be lent by my calculations since Fat Tuesday is all about being followed by Ash Wednesday.
And so it is a time to renew. According to the Catholic faith, but also by the law of nature. Which I am certain the catholic/christian holidays all follow from the Pagan celebrations. The fall noted the dying of the season and everything returning to the land, and now the land is becoming ripe again...getting itself ready for the thaw and spring and the birth of all new things...birds, flowers, trees, and so it goes. Anything with a life cycle is effected by these laws of nature. Even our human bodies. I think it is right that I chose to travel at this time of the year. For many reasons it is obvious, to avoid the cold but during this time of traveling so far away I feel like I have finally arrived at home and a greater level of peace within myself. The last fews day since arriving at the beach I have struggled with an inner turmoil that was becoming quite unpleasant for myself and surely for Will. I finally asked for some time alone and it was decided that he wanted to just go ahead to Hoi An and I would meet him in another day or so. From the minute it was decided I could feel the tides changing inside of me. I had wanted this journey to be more than just seeing what the rest of SE Asia had to offer. I wanted it to be about the further excavation of myself. I wanted to be more clear about the direction of my life and what I wanted to let go of and to also draw more near. Will could never have known he was hitching his wagon onto such a trip but he has done unbelievably well and I do believe he has come to know himself that much better as he had to navigate his own way through this trip.
After church today I went back to my hotel and had the best cry I have had in years. I honestly do not recall crying that much or that hard for almost seven years. it was beautiful and cleansing to say the very least. I feel like that is what I have been waiting for for far too long and the room it has created inside of me feels good. I see where the elements have been trying to line up to make it all possible and at every moment I have felt supported by the universe to get to this very moment. I was able to make it to this wonderful beach where I was not able to do anything but rest and stop fighting myself. And then the rain came yesterday, the night after Will and I spoke and seemed to wash everything away that we were holding collectively between us and for others. Although I can only speak for myself I am certain that I also noticed a shift in Will and we both felt better for it. I went for a long run on the beach in the rain and it felt wonderful. I had the biggest cheesy smile on my face that I could not have even tried to wipe off and I was so damn happy. I was so thankful for Will's unfailing companionship on this trip and his ability to be gentle with me at times when everything in his yang-filled 19 year old male body tells him to do other wise with his energy. His is a good balance for his age.
In the afternoon before he left we rented a moto and headed off to find the church for me so I could find out the times of mass today. Then we just took in the town of Nha Trang. It truly is beautiful here, the perfect balance of mountains and water. We drove into the foothills unsure of how far we should go because we did not know how much gas we actually had...either we had no gas or the gas indicator was broken. It turned out that we actually were low on gas and eventually we would run out of gas and then I would push us to buy gas where while buying a liter of gas we would be offered marijuana and "blow" very cheap, good stuff....we declined. Later after Will left I walked to the store and was offered marijuana twice more in the short distance of one block. Can these people smell my pot-a-holic days of youth? Or are they simply just trying to make a sale like those folks selling books, jewelry...etc. These guys just looked a little more shadey. Anyway, we drove out to the foothills past the ship yard and I think we encountered the naval academy? All I know is that there were about two hundred young men running along side of the road in matching uniforms with back packs and guns and when we rounded a curve and we saw each other at the same time they all waved and yelled "hello!" It was pretty sweet and for the first time someone was saying hello to us just because they wanted to not because they wanted to sell us something. Unless they were arms dealers.... It was great and just what we needed. Will got on the sleeping bus bound for Hoi An at 7pm. He texted me an hour later telling me that it was a huge party and the bus was over booked and he was fine. I guess we both got what we needed.
Maybe a little more later
willandCODY
And so it is a time to renew. According to the Catholic faith, but also by the law of nature. Which I am certain the catholic/christian holidays all follow from the Pagan celebrations. The fall noted the dying of the season and everything returning to the land, and now the land is becoming ripe again...getting itself ready for the thaw and spring and the birth of all new things...birds, flowers, trees, and so it goes. Anything with a life cycle is effected by these laws of nature. Even our human bodies. I think it is right that I chose to travel at this time of the year. For many reasons it is obvious, to avoid the cold but during this time of traveling so far away I feel like I have finally arrived at home and a greater level of peace within myself. The last fews day since arriving at the beach I have struggled with an inner turmoil that was becoming quite unpleasant for myself and surely for Will. I finally asked for some time alone and it was decided that he wanted to just go ahead to Hoi An and I would meet him in another day or so. From the minute it was decided I could feel the tides changing inside of me. I had wanted this journey to be more than just seeing what the rest of SE Asia had to offer. I wanted it to be about the further excavation of myself. I wanted to be more clear about the direction of my life and what I wanted to let go of and to also draw more near. Will could never have known he was hitching his wagon onto such a trip but he has done unbelievably well and I do believe he has come to know himself that much better as he had to navigate his own way through this trip.
After church today I went back to my hotel and had the best cry I have had in years. I honestly do not recall crying that much or that hard for almost seven years. it was beautiful and cleansing to say the very least. I feel like that is what I have been waiting for for far too long and the room it has created inside of me feels good. I see where the elements have been trying to line up to make it all possible and at every moment I have felt supported by the universe to get to this very moment. I was able to make it to this wonderful beach where I was not able to do anything but rest and stop fighting myself. And then the rain came yesterday, the night after Will and I spoke and seemed to wash everything away that we were holding collectively between us and for others. Although I can only speak for myself I am certain that I also noticed a shift in Will and we both felt better for it. I went for a long run on the beach in the rain and it felt wonderful. I had the biggest cheesy smile on my face that I could not have even tried to wipe off and I was so damn happy. I was so thankful for Will's unfailing companionship on this trip and his ability to be gentle with me at times when everything in his yang-filled 19 year old male body tells him to do other wise with his energy. His is a good balance for his age.
In the afternoon before he left we rented a moto and headed off to find the church for me so I could find out the times of mass today. Then we just took in the town of Nha Trang. It truly is beautiful here, the perfect balance of mountains and water. We drove into the foothills unsure of how far we should go because we did not know how much gas we actually had...either we had no gas or the gas indicator was broken. It turned out that we actually were low on gas and eventually we would run out of gas and then I would push us to buy gas where while buying a liter of gas we would be offered marijuana and "blow" very cheap, good stuff....we declined. Later after Will left I walked to the store and was offered marijuana twice more in the short distance of one block. Can these people smell my pot-a-holic days of youth? Or are they simply just trying to make a sale like those folks selling books, jewelry...etc. These guys just looked a little more shadey. Anyway, we drove out to the foothills past the ship yard and I think we encountered the naval academy? All I know is that there were about two hundred young men running along side of the road in matching uniforms with back packs and guns and when we rounded a curve and we saw each other at the same time they all waved and yelled "hello!" It was pretty sweet and for the first time someone was saying hello to us just because they wanted to not because they wanted to sell us something. Unless they were arms dealers.... It was great and just what we needed. Will got on the sleeping bus bound for Hoi An at 7pm. He texted me an hour later telling me that it was a huge party and the bus was over booked and he was fine. I guess we both got what we needed.
Maybe a little more later
willandCODY
Thursday, February 26, 2009
maybe just a little more...on transportation
Good evening everyone! We have just finished dinner. Yet another bowl of Pho and beer and spring rolls. Entire dinner for two with stuffed bellies equals just over $6. The food on this trip has been amazing. And again, still want to thank the country of France yet again for the early colonization of Vietnam, as well. Not ready to give up my baguette quite yet.
Before I give a summary about travel I must say a little bit more about the food and beverage. I can only eat vegetarian in my travels. Well, at least when I am doing the ordering. When I am having a dinner in my honor as with my students I have to eat what is served. It would be rude not to. Will and I had the opportunity to be walking in the beach side town of Kep (with the disappointing beach) only to see a little piggy all "hog-tied" so to speak and on its way to market on the back of a moto. The only problem was that it was till alive and you could here it crying ( I honestly cannot recall the word for the sound a pig makes....it this not a sure sign of a senior moment or what...) I could hear something that sounded a little odd, said something to Will, and sure enough, a moto passed us by with this huge hog all tied up on the back of the moto. It was in this moment that I was certain of my decision. I only eat (for the most part) organic steroid free flesh in America....and this is a far cry from it here.
Plus, after you have walked through a market in any developing nation only to witness the flesh laid out with tons of flies all over it and no refrigeration it cures your desire for it. Or at least for me it does.
With regard to travel...we did an estimation on modes of travel and total hours spent enduring and it appears the total looks like the following...although there did seem to be a disagreement about adding...having two virgos together makes details highly scrutinized...
Boat: 10 hours
Car: about six
Bus: aircon and no aircon... somewhere over 70.
Airplane: maybe five hours...not including the marathon it takes to get to Bangkok from ABQ.
And we have a few places yet to go. We decided today that Laos is out. I think we are both tired and honestly I am having a hard time leaving the beach. I feel for Will, he has nothing to do and having nothing to do at19 is a lot different than having nothing to do at 39. He has contented himself with the tv and air con room. We will be heading out at some point for Hoi An....we need to go there because our visas for Vietnam will expire before we leave and there is a large penalty for this...so we must stop off in Hoi An and get to the consulate. We were going to go there anyway as it is a natural half way distance between Nha Trang and Hanoi.
So, that is what is up with us. A whole lot of nothing but time to think about stuff that you have no control over, like for instance, the future...and read some books now that we both have a few after last night!
good night,
willandCODY
Before I give a summary about travel I must say a little bit more about the food and beverage. I can only eat vegetarian in my travels. Well, at least when I am doing the ordering. When I am having a dinner in my honor as with my students I have to eat what is served. It would be rude not to. Will and I had the opportunity to be walking in the beach side town of Kep (with the disappointing beach) only to see a little piggy all "hog-tied" so to speak and on its way to market on the back of a moto. The only problem was that it was till alive and you could here it crying ( I honestly cannot recall the word for the sound a pig makes....it this not a sure sign of a senior moment or what...) I could hear something that sounded a little odd, said something to Will, and sure enough, a moto passed us by with this huge hog all tied up on the back of the moto. It was in this moment that I was certain of my decision. I only eat (for the most part) organic steroid free flesh in America....and this is a far cry from it here.
Plus, after you have walked through a market in any developing nation only to witness the flesh laid out with tons of flies all over it and no refrigeration it cures your desire for it. Or at least for me it does.
With regard to travel...we did an estimation on modes of travel and total hours spent enduring and it appears the total looks like the following...although there did seem to be a disagreement about adding...having two virgos together makes details highly scrutinized...
Boat: 10 hours
Car: about six
Bus: aircon and no aircon... somewhere over 70.
Airplane: maybe five hours...not including the marathon it takes to get to Bangkok from ABQ.
And we have a few places yet to go. We decided today that Laos is out. I think we are both tired and honestly I am having a hard time leaving the beach. I feel for Will, he has nothing to do and having nothing to do at19 is a lot different than having nothing to do at 39. He has contented himself with the tv and air con room. We will be heading out at some point for Hoi An....we need to go there because our visas for Vietnam will expire before we leave and there is a large penalty for this...so we must stop off in Hoi An and get to the consulate. We were going to go there anyway as it is a natural half way distance between Nha Trang and Hanoi.
So, that is what is up with us. A whole lot of nothing but time to think about stuff that you have no control over, like for instance, the future...and read some books now that we both have a few after last night!
good night,
willandCODY
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
