Extending horizon and changing perspective

I have extended my horizon for my own comfort. Not extending it too much because I love my status quo.

Most of my friends have either moved into another country, got married, well established in what they do. My best buddy is now a mom (a dream come true). Someone just got two interviews for a well-compensated jobs at ADB and IRRI. Someone just bought her 2nd car. Someone is opening her own business line. Where the heck am I? Stuck in my own comfortable but "unchallenging nook".

Don't get me wrong, I love my job, I love what I am doing. I may not have (all) the money to afford a new car and or a new house...as my salary does not even compensate for my vices (photography, traveling, etc.) but I get by. It's just that, I feel like I need to be somewhere else. Did you ever get that feeling wherein you feel like you are not supposed to be where you are? But then again you do not know where you're supposed to be. Crazy shit.

Yesterday, the boss informed me about a foreign travel. "Rayts you will be our official representative for this activity." I smiled ( a formal, casual one). The same smiled I gave him when he told me I will be on a one-week official trip to South Korea.

I've been eyeing to go to this country and I have it in my hand right now. In November, if every thing pushed through, I will be there. Walking between those Great Walls, and if I get lucky, (perhaps) it will be winter when I get there.

I guess somehow, I need to change my perspective. And perhaps see what's ahead.

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I would stand in traffic just to follow you and in the middle of the street, I will cry out your name

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

~eecummings

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[postscript]

I am supposed to write an article but I could not figure out where and how to begin. I am reading Random House’s Guide to Good Writing and it’s doing me no good, at least in making me want to start to write. i need my muse.

I was you...

When I was in Suwon and we were doing a field visit at the Korean Folk Village, I saw a bunch of Korean kids wearing these cute, yellow backpacks with “EBC” written on them. I was informed that they are young students from an English Based Campus. I got caught up watching them while their teacher was telling them a story about the wishing stone. There’s this kid that got my attention the most. I tried to engage with the bunch, but she shied away. She was just looking at me from afar. I tried capturing an image of her but she looked the other way. She would not look at me. I said to myself, “goodness, she reminds me of myself when I was a kid—always feeling estranged.”

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Memories of Halong Bay

It was in 2006 that he suggested Halong Bay. In 2007, when I get to go to Vietnam the first time he again suggested that I go to Halong Bay. But I said, I was bound for Ho Chi Minh City. In 2008, I went back to Vietnam and told him that I am going to Hanoi. It was unfortunate though that Halong Bay was not part of our itinerary. This year, just last week, I was finally in Halong Bay. As I was relaxing on the viewdeck of our boat, I told myself: "Heck, I am finally here!"

But I haven't told him yet. I couldn't seem to find the exact words to describe it to him. But he was right. Halong Bay is enchanting.

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Fragile, pretty, and blue (?)

We passed by a souvenir shop along Hang Dao Street in Hanoi where an array of doll displays could be found. I remember whenever someone from the office would travel to Vietnam, they always bring home this figurine dolls as pasalubong (presents/keepsake). I bought one for myself. I was torn between the pink and the blue doll. I chose the latter. I am forever blue. ;-)

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Sunset in Hai Duong Province is

...both beautiful and complicated.

I took this shot from inside the coaster while my companions were busy getting some rest after a hectic visit at a nearby village. I've tried every possible position I could just to get a relatively "modest shot" of the sun that looked so full and yellow that late afternoon. I like how it followed and teased my window.

...fading in silence.

In Hai Duong Province, we visit a People's Committe and its members. The leader spoke in Vietnamese while a lecturer from Hanoi University, interpreted for us. It has been our routine every time we visit a village. Everything has to be said in two languages: in Vietnamese and in English for the benefits of the two groups. People in the village hardly speak English so we need an interpreter everywhere we go. But a Vietnamese speaking in English is (most of the time) difficult to understand too. While the meeting was going on, I decided to walk out without making a scene. I went at the back of the building and spotted two farmers in the field against this beautiful, orangey sunset.

...always beautiful.

I think I've stayed too much at the back that one of my colleagues spotted me from where I stood and informed me that we're leaving already. The place was too beautiful to ignore. And this shot could not even justify what I've seen. I look at my arm and saw the orangey reflection of the sun on my skin.

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Roadblocks

On our way to Nam Dinh Province we passed by this long and narrow road. We were riding a coaster that must pass through this one way road to get through to the next village. Along the way we passed by several roadblocks. Our Vietnamese driver kept on pressing the horn because a woman carrying 4 sacks of rice on her bicycle was blocking our way. Then she looked at us with the kind of expression that says something like: "What do you want me to do?" Good thing there was an extended road on the next corner so she was able to maneuver her bike. Not far ahead, we encounter another roadblock.

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Traversing the North of Vietnam

Most of my time in Vietnam were spent inside a moving vehicle traveling from one province to another; from one city to one district and small villages. Taking photos was more of a luxury than an opportunity. Three provinces, two cities in three days.

Road on our way to Hanoi. On the left is the Red River Delta.

Traffic jam on our way to Vinh Phuc Province, 50 km from Hanoi.

A moto dominated street on our way to Nam Dinh Province, a province in the Red River Delta.

Motos waiting for the green light going to Hai Duong Province, one of the most prosperous cities in North Vietnam.

Hang Dao Street in Hanoi where motos, cars, and cyclos are coming from every direction.

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[Postscript]

Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and some other various parts.
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess,
and to stop the muscle that makes us confess.
And we are so fragile, and our cracking bones make noise,
and we are just, breakable, breakable, breakable...

~ Ingrid Michaelson (Breakable)

Sai Ngam Park: Where the beautiful figs abound

One good thing about having to join a study tour is that even though we have an itinerary to follow and a series of events to cover, the host country will bring you to places where tourists would likely to go. But since they are “unscheduled” they tend to be “fillers” meaning, you’ll be given (a very little) amount of time to look around and for my case, to take (good) photos. Also, because our hosts do not talk a lot, they didn’t even tell us that they brought us to Sai Ngam Park. They’d probably thought we could understand Thai calligraphy.

The roots of a Banyan tree hang down from its branches.

Sai Ngam Park is located at Phimai District, about 59 kms from the city of Nakhon Ratchasima. Later I learned that “sai ngam” actually means “beautiful banyan trees” which pretty much tells a lot about the place having been known for its 350-year old banyan trees.

Sai Ngam passes through an irrigation project which has a dam built across Moon River.

The branches and roots of banyan have become so intertwined that it is impossible to identify where one tree ends and the next begins. The only way to be sure that there is more than one tree is by counting the trunks under the canopy providing shades and covering the island on which the grove is situated. The Thais believe that this may be the biggest banyan grove in Asia.

One of our Thai companions informed us that visitors could walk underneath these interwoven trees taking in the scenic views and the tranquility of the place. Since we had very little time for that, I didn’t even bother going inside.

Further along the road there are souvenir stalls.

Standing tall are lines of tamarind trees offering shades to visitors.

Tamarind and mango vendor. She selling fish powder too with chilli of course.

One thing I enjoyed though are the huge tamarind trees which I languidly stared at while we are having our lunch at the park. They are so huge and the fruits dangled from the branches as if they were teasing me.

Anyhow, there were vendors selling all sorts of processed tamarind food.

They don’t call this country “The Land of Smiles” for nothing

I should have been a better storyteller highlighting only those that my reader would be interested of (say, the most bizarre things that happened, meeting interesting people, eating a cockroach or whatever that is worth telling), but being a chronological writer and a habitual for that matter, I usually start everything with airports.

I never told you but I love airports (or at least the idea of it). Some would have to disagree with me because they find it as one of the most depressing places to be in especially if you’re leaving a loved one from that place/country. I love it for the simple reason that it means I’d be away for awhile and I get to places (whatever the circumstance is) and the chance of coming back (the easiest possible) is always bright.

NAIA from the window of our boarding gate. I like the way the Thais pronounce the name, "Ninoy Aquino" when I am onboard.

The flight attendant will always make you choose: "Pasta or rice?". I am a rice eater (never a pasta lover) so I never had to think twice.

The Suvarnabhumi Airport is perhaps one of the biggest airports I've seen so far. It took us quite awhile from the tarmac to the immigration to get our passports stamped.

This is my third time in Thailand. The first one was official, the second one was a stopover on our way to Cambodia, the third one is (again) official. I had to accompany three senior researchers to a study tour. Sounds fun, isn’t? Everything will be paid for from the airlines down to the accommodations and other expenses. I get to take photos too. Well, some things look beautiful on the surface. I still want my budget trips and backpacking adventures if you asked me. Don't get me wrong, official trips are good too. It's just that everything has to be fed to you.

It was raining when we arrive in Bangkok.

When we arrived in The Land of the Smiles, it was raining. I asked our driver if it’s been raining in Bangkok the whole week and he said “only now” (while pointing down his fingers and nodding more than twice). He barely speaks English so I had to mime all the time. He survived my frantic act out. I am good with charades. :-)

Facade of the hotel

The comfty bed

After 30 minutes or so, we finally got to our destination. The host of this trip booked us to a three star business and tourist hotel in Soi Sukhumvit 22, Klongtoey. I got to the reception holding our passports for the registration. My companions were waiting for me as I tried talking to the lady in silk dress. She got us registration forms and our keys. She spelled my name wrong (which happens all the time, considering it's short and easy to remember). They always write my name with an “L” instead of “R”. Geez. Sometimes, “dele” instead of “dela”.

We were booked at the 21st floor which has a good spot of the cityscape at night.

From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the chancy traffic of Hanoi…finally I am back!

Nothing beats Manila traffic. Bangkok is simply a walk in the park. I was trying to get used to Thai's right hand drive and opted to sit beside our very friendly driver/host, Vitchu who will take us to our hotel at Rachadaphisek. I noticed how he tried to throw some glimpses at my enthusiam to take home some souvenir photos of their city.

But while I could take the Bangkok traffic at an ease, crossing the street in Hanoi is like a suicide (well, almost). These motos drive me crazy. The rule is...the motorcycle drivers will adjust to the pedestrians and not the other way around. This shot was taken in one of the hustling streets of Hanoi on our way to Vinh Phuc Province.

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I will try to post 'a little of everything' about this trip in the next few weeks. The trip lasted for a week but it felt like 'forever'. Hehehe.

View of Kota Kinabalu from the Signal Hill

Town center with the view of the South China Sea at the background

Atkinson's Clock (left side) is barely seen amidst the skyrocketing hotels and buildings.

This was taken during a fine Saturday morning (around 9am), thus the smooth traffic.

Prior to our climb to Mount Kinabalu, Charl and I stayed in Kota Kinabalu (KK) for three nights. We roamed around the city during our first day and visited some of its landmarks.

Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah, Malaysia which is located in the northwest coast of the Borneo Island. Formerly, the city was called Jesselton. It’s not appropriate to say Kota Kinabalu City because “Kota” means “City” according to our travel guide/companion, Rahim who provided us some historical insights about the city. I failed to hear some though because I was busy taking photos.

Our first stop was the Signal Hill Observatory (Bukit Bendera), a roofed platform where you can see the Kinabalu City and the South China Sea. Rahim said that the Signal Hill is the best place to introduce KK to tourist, as it offers a bird’s eye view of the town center as well as distant look of the Tanjung Aru and Likas Bay areas.

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You are a looking-glass world.
You are the hidden place that opens to me on the other side of the glass.
I touch your smooth surface and then my fingers sink through to the other side.

I started reading Winterson's Powerbook last night and found myself engrossed to it. I poured myself into it until my eyes gave out. Her facility with the language amazes me, a keen intellect that shows in the way she presents new ideas and describe what I thought was indescribable. It has been a long since a book affected me this way. Maybe, she eats words for breakfast.

Conquering Mount Kinabalu

As of the moment, I am still worn-out and exhausted, but I am back from my Mount Kinabalu adventure. And I’ve reached the summit. Yehey! And even though I was hammered and beaten to death because of the exhaustion from those endless stair trails, it was all worth it. As they say, no guts no glory!

Climbing Mount Kinabalu, one of the highest mountains in SE Asia (4,095 meters or 13, 495 feet) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a feat in itself. This trip is extra special for me as I celebrated my birthday there.

I’ll be writing a series of entries on this little adventure to Mount Kinabalu including the 3-day tour around Kota Kinabalu (formerly known as Jesselton), the capital city of Sabah, a state in Malaysia.

Personally, I would like to thank Ferdz for all the tips and for lending to me their itineraries during their trip to KK. It helped us plan our trips. Also for those out-of-the-blue inquiries which he never failed to correspond conscientiously. Salamat Ferdz!

I was faced with at least a hundred reasons not to go on with this trip (i.e., flight cancellation, Laban Rata bookings, people backing-out, money transfer problems, etc.) and had only one reason to go (which I will not say anymore, hehe) but I am just glad I went through all the troubles.

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment

To get away from one's working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one's self;
and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.

~ Charles Horton Cooley ~

I will be gone for a few days...

Ho Chi Minh City: At first sight

"Vietnam is a country any serious traveler should visit at least once in his/her life.
The country has a vast offer of places to visit."

~Virtourist.com~

This travelogue should have been over by now. But because I am a natural slack and a topsy-turvy person, I guess I have an excuse why this series has not been posted yet. I wish I could put this blog in an auto-post mode, but even the most quickwitted machine couldn’t compose a narrative for me or at least recall a story that was.

Anyhow, the story continues…

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon which provided us enough time to look around and discover the city. Our official city tour would not commence until the next day. But before that, we searched for a place to eat and fill our growling stomachs. Our hotel was located in Bui Vien Street—a busy, commercial street chock-full of skyrocketing buildings and houses. Everything is expanding vertical which rallied me around of my fond memories when I was in Hongkong amazed by the tall buildings here and there.

I tried looking up every now and then worrying to my heart’s content if those tall buildings would crumble down and fall on me, just as I was crossing the street. How unfortuante and an absurd talk.

Congested houses, a mix and match of colored, tall buildings, narrow street, traffic--This is crazy but it looks pretty much like Manila from here.

See the electric wires? Even that looks familiar. But at least they are not as loopy and convoluted as we have back home.

We are staying in a 7-storey building and the manager put us in the 7th floor, which could be both a curse and a heaven sent. Tell you later about the 'curse' but right now, let us focus on the advantage: a nice spot for photography. I can see the whole of District 1 from our window.

We found this Italian resto called, Cappuccino which is adjacent to our hotel. It’s very easy to remember and they serve pasta and pizza and coffee. The tag says something like Gastronomia Italiana: Traditional Italian Cuisine. I was hungry and my stomach wasn’t ready for any Vietnamese food yet so I ordered one of their combo meals (which included fried rice, egg, veggies, and fried chicken) plus a glass of mango juice, which cost me around 57,000 dong ($3.56 or P185).

In Vietnam, one pays by the thousand, which I find really funny because I feel like I am rich. In the Philipines, holding 16,000 pesos is a thrill in the bin. Jesus, I could buy a lot. In Vietnam, holding 16,000 dong is almost a zip (it’s equivalent to a dollar).

Here's the Cappucciono Gastronomia Italiana resto. It's convenient as it is just adjacent to our hotel. We ate here a couple of times I think.

For a food adventurer like Oki, this would be the 'most mundane' lunch ever in Vietnam. For me though, this is the most appetizing especially with a growling stomach.

After appeasing our stomach and resting a bit, Oki and I went for a stroll around the city trying to familiarize ourselves with the new environment. Not really new though. I loved the frill.

Ho Chi Minh City, usually abbreviated as HCMC, is NOT the capital city of Vietnam (like Toe mentioned in her blog). It’s actually Hanoi. But HCMC is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta. I used to think it is the capital city (stupid me!) which I think is understandable because under its former name, Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina, and later of the independent state of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975.

Ho Chi Minh City is named after the leader of the Viet Minh Movement whose face I have become utterly familiar (long scrawny face and the goatee). I bought a couple of souvenir shirts with his face on it. HCMC is one of the most populated metro areas in Vietnam with more than 7 million people living in there.

Today, HCMC is a frequent destination among tourists all over the world (mostly those from the West). And why not? The city is popular for its great architecture. The city is adorned with wide elegant boulevards and historic French colonial buildings from their magnificent halls down to every corner of their city hall, theater, post office, banks, people's court, and brilliant churches. It’s like the old and the new meet and converged to harmonize and be an attraction aside from their main functions.

So at first sight, what was HCMC looks like?

If there's one thing that greatly differ Metro Manila from Ho Chi Minh City, it's the number of motorcyles and scooters on the street. Jesus Christ, they have at least thousands of them roaming the city everyday. It's the most common and easiest way to get around the city, according to the locals.

Here they come! And some of them were even wondering, what the heck I am doing at the side, taking their photos.

Another high angle shot of the long and narrow Bui Vien Street. At the other street is Pham Ngu Lao Street, the backpackers' area.

It’s congested but it’s easy to find your way out especially if you know how to ask. Language is not much of a problem either as most establishment-owners and vendors understand English (if not, one could always do the mime). Least to say, the city is foreigner-friendly. In fact, from above if you look down at the crowd you’ll see a mix of blonde hairs along with the black, silk long ones. You know what I mean.

The traffic is nerve-wracking especially with all the motorcycles coming from nowhere but it becomes easy to appreciate once you get used to it (give it a few days). Money exchange is not a problem as most establishments take payments in dong or in dollar. But it’s easy paying in dollars because you don’t have to by the thousands and I am awful in math. Food is pretty much cheap. There is no Jollibee but at least they have the Lotteria.

A lady clad in Ao Dai, their traditional costume, completed with the conical hat which is almost synonymous among us, Asians.

I found him napping at the side of the street. Looks comfortable to me.

Ho Chi Minh City pretty much feels like home. Need I say more?

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Ho Chi Minh City, here we come!

"The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences."

~Chris McCandless, Into the Wild ~

I should have given up on this travelogue as they are piling up in my desktop but I know I promise someone I would post our little Vietnam adventure so, here we go.

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I love going somewhere with my backpack. That is the truth.

If I could do what Chris McCandless a.k.a Alexander Supertramp did in the movie, Into the Wild…I would. Although, I can't promise I would also burn my money so as not to make people cautious. I know that money can make people cautious but at least I have something to be cautious about, say, buying my own meal? I don't like to die because I got poisoned eating weeds. :-/

Anyway, the next morning, we decided to embark on a new adventure. Our next stop?

Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam which is located near the Mekong Delta.

This time, we chose to ride the Mekong Express bus and forego on experimenting for other rides like the GST Bus, Capitol GH or Angkor Express. We wanted the most recommended bus line. A little expensive than others but at least we're getting what we paid for. We purchase our tickets ($12 each) a day before from the lobby of our guesthouse in Phnom Penh so on the day of our departure, we’re all set.

This is the Mekong Express station. The woman is one of the couple we met inside the coaster who were with us all the way to Mocbai border. They seem to be a nice couple but we never chat, just little gestures. I also noticed that they brought their own food so that they don't have to buy anything during stopovers.

A few minutes after seven in the morning, a coaster fetched us from the guesthouse and brought us to the station. Inside the coaster was a White couple who gave us a smile and a nod. I was sure they meant to say "Good morning!" but since we look like Cambodians and they had probably enough of the looking locals, they forgotten to say what's on their minds. Okay that was just me and my wild interpretation of things.

I had my heavy backpack getting on my nerves (it usually does as the travel progresses) and managed to smile back. There were just the four of us inside the coaster and we got to the bus station before 7:30am. There was this guy who took our backpacks and gave us claim numbers. Then we went inside.

Inside the bus. That is our little, skinny and able English-speaking lady attendant on the microphone informing us that we will be departing soon.

I like riding the Angkor Express but Mekong Express is better. It’s not as new as the first bus we rode on the way to Phnom Penh but at least there’s this lady attendant who was always right on the dot telling us everything we needed to know. Like, where are we now, when is the next stop over, how many minutes we have stay before the bus leaves, even tidbits of history about the place. These information are crucial I think, it helped us in so many ways.

Our attendant is a little, skinny lady who seems to know her craft. She speaks in English with thick accent but we understood her. She talked fast and I had this feeling that she had everything memorized. She looked at the ceiling every now and then and said the magic “ahhh” and "ohh" everytime she gets lost with her words (which I find cute). She reminded me of someone (before when I still lived in the province).

Locals looking at the bus while our bus board on the cargo ship.

Going to the Ho Chi Minh City, our bus boarded into a huge boat so that we could cross the Cambodian boarder. The idea was like a ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) but it was for a short time only. Then we traveled again by land.

As usual, we had stopovers for eating, drinking, pissing or just hanging out and feeling the land on your feet once again. The whole travel would take eight hours so I really appreciated these stopovers because it also gave me the opportunity to step down on the bus, look around, chat with the locals and take photos. The most important of all things, yes, taking photos otherwise, I'll have nothing to share with you and everything would just be a nonsense blabber.

This is the stopover.

We got to this one stopover. It has a huge eatery shop with a bunch of fruit vendors on one side and a little resto on the other. People were flocked into the huge eatery shop that I went there myself to get something (I dunno what). Oki was somewhere buying herself some food, I believe.

I don’t know what will I have so I went to the vendor selling all sorts of drinks. On the queue was this French guy who ordered black coffee. I wanted one too but knowing my experience with stopovers, I don’t think I will be able to enjoy my coffee. So I bought a soda instead. I don’t know why I bought it, as I don’t even feel like drinking anything.

Fruit vendors selling pomegranate, orange, banana, etc.

So anyway, I decided to just look around and take photos. I met this woman who asked some money. I told her, “I don’t have money, but I have a Sprite!” and modeled the soda to her like one of those soda commercials. She seemed to like it, (the soda) so I handed it to her. I went to the other side and found two White young couple smoking. I wanted one too but opted not.

She looks like she's irritated in this picture but she's not. In fact, she was happy that I was there butting in her business. She's the recipient of my cold, icy Sprite. The boy could be her child.

Instead, I decided to go inside the bus and found Oki eating a grenade! That sounded a bit off, but granada is actually a pomegranate, a local fruit which we also have in the Philippines. I believe I bought some of that when I was in Sagada in Mountain Province.

Oki eating the grenade!

To our relief, we arrived in Mocbai, the Cambodia-Vietnam border to have our passports stamped. When we got the border, there was this long queue. Imagine batches of buses full of people coming in and out of the boarder. Our able lady attendant took all our passports and asked us to wait at the other line, which we did. I have imagined the long line of people but hardly I imagined that it would take long to wait. My shoulders were giving up on me. I had troubled enduring the whole seven hours but what’s 45 minutes more? Yea, that long!

We saw batches of passports held by a man passing us by. I asked Oki what’s the deal here because I felt like something fishy is going on. These people going in and out of the line were like pimps going straight in front of the line and to the counter where a man was stamping passports. One of the guys was smoking too. I thought smoking was prohibited inside. Grr.

This is the other part of the couple who was with us from the coaster in Phnom Penh all the way to Mocbai. He looks pissed here. And so am I. The person stooping down in front is Oki. I believe she's also pissed. Ha!

The couple we met in Cambodia who was also inside the coaster and the Mekong Express looked tired waiting. I was snorting already but it’s not as if I could do anything about it, right? We’re just foreigners trying to have our passports stamped. We don’t want any trouble.

At the Mocbai where you get your passports stamped. Boy, was I glad to see the outside view.

After the hullabaloos and the long wait, I think that the most important thing to say is that, we arrived in the city. Tired but safe.

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