That's what a Vietnamese merchant answers you when you ask him why his stuff is a lot more expensive than somewhere else. In fact, they mean "It is the same, but BETTER". Well, you should not believe him - tourist prices! I achieved a personal record and talked sunglasses from 100.000 Dong down to 20.000.
There is a lot to tell, but I can't write everything down.
We have been to Phan Thiet where we discovered, that in non-tourist areas people do not speak english. Then it is very funny to order food or drinks: You just point at what you want (not on the menu, because you can not read it, but on the market for example) and say "This!". Then they show you, with their own cash, the amount of money you have to pay, because they can't tell you even that in english!
We also did a short tour where we saw sanddunes - like in the desert! Check out the pictures.
After Phan Thiet we got to the tourist crowded Nha Trang. Very beautiful beach and a lot of tourists. When a man tried to convince us to do a motorbike tour through the highland of Vietnam to explore the "real Vietam", we could not resist. It is unbelievable how many coffee fields there are. I did not even know they grow coffee in Vietnam.
In a minority village we did an elephant ride. Well, I would not do that again because it is hard to see how the elephant guide hits the animal with a stick to make it do what he wants. I do not want to know what happens when the elephant figures out that he is a lot stronger than the man on his back.
We enjoyed having food in Vietnamese restaurants. There are no manners. What you do not want to eat, you just throw on the floor. If you burp loudly, no one cares. You want to use your fingers for eating? Why not?
"Why not?" A sentence our guides, Hai and Huy, loved to say. If you ever come to Vietnam I would recommend to do a tour with the "Easyriders" (they admit that they copied the name).
Tomorrow Johannes and I will take the SQ171 to Singapore, where some Scouts will pick us up at the airport! We are looking forward to meeting you! "Gut Pfad!"
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Friday, 25 May 2007
Some Photos from Vietnam!
Well, damn slow computer! After choosing and uploading a few new photos I am now too lazy to write a detailed post. Just check out the new album "Vietnam" with the first part of the photos we took. As soon as I forgot the nasty last 2 hours, I will publish the remaining photos!
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Ho Chi Minh City
After our unplanned 5 days stop in Thailand, we finally arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, yesterday.
The first thing we discovered was that the people here - in the majority of cases - drive on the RIGHT (yes, it is ambiguous) side of the street. I even used a seat belt the first time since Austria!
At the moment we have already shot some photos, but I will wait until there are some more different and interesting ones before I will upload them.
When Johannes took a photo of me in front of a "hammer and sickle" symbol, a smiling man showed up and stood beside me to be on the photo. After that, he took a fruit out of his bag, hit it with a big knife, put a straw (Strohhalm) into it and gave it to me. It was a coconut. I was paralyzed by his quickness so I could not refuse and had to buy it for 50.000 Dong (about 2,50 Euro). Anyway it tasted quite good.
About the money: 1 Euro is about 20.000 Dong. We withdrew about 50 Euro, so we are walking around with millions in our pockets ;)
The first thing we discovered was that the people here - in the majority of cases - drive on the RIGHT (yes, it is ambiguous) side of the street. I even used a seat belt the first time since Austria!
At the moment we have already shot some photos, but I will wait until there are some more different and interesting ones before I will upload them.
When Johannes took a photo of me in front of a "hammer and sickle" symbol, a smiling man showed up and stood beside me to be on the photo. After that, he took a fruit out of his bag, hit it with a big knife, put a straw (Strohhalm) into it and gave it to me. It was a coconut. I was paralyzed by his quickness so I could not refuse and had to buy it for 50.000 Dong (about 2,50 Euro). Anyway it tasted quite good.
About the money: 1 Euro is about 20.000 Dong. We withdrew about 50 Euro, so we are walking around with millions in our pockets ;)
Thursday, 10 May 2007
Wednesday, 9 May 2007
Thailand - Why Not?
As soon as we started speaking the universal language of $$$, we got a flight to Bangkok. Yesterday (8th May) at about 1800 local time (MESZ +5) we arrived here. Yes: HERE :)
Of course we asked when the next flight to Ho Chi Minh City departs. The problem is, that we did not use our Round The World Ticket for the flight from KTM to BKK. So we first have to go to a Star Alliance town office in Bangkok, tell them we bought the ticket extra and then reconfirm the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. It departs at 0900. The town office opens at 0900.
On the spur of the moment we decided to stay a few days in Thailand. It is a REAL city! In comparison, Kathmandu is a village.
We already had a few hours sight seeing tour with the local Tuk Tuks. Right now I am sitting in the MBK - a large shopping center (a lot larger than the SCS in Austria). In about 10 minutes we will go to the cinema an watch the movie "Pathfinder" which costs for both of us 200 Bhat - about 4 Euro.
The hotel price is the opposite. Quite expensive (1900 Bhat), but luxurious: air conditioner, TV set, minibar, breakfast included, very clean room!
Tomorrow we go the beach at Pataya, about 2 hours bus drive. We will stay there for 3 nights and enjoy the sea!
Of course we asked when the next flight to Ho Chi Minh City departs. The problem is, that we did not use our Round The World Ticket for the flight from KTM to BKK. So we first have to go to a Star Alliance town office in Bangkok, tell them we bought the ticket extra and then reconfirm the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. It departs at 0900. The town office opens at 0900.
On the spur of the moment we decided to stay a few days in Thailand. It is a REAL city! In comparison, Kathmandu is a village.
We already had a few hours sight seeing tour with the local Tuk Tuks. Right now I am sitting in the MBK - a large shopping center (a lot larger than the SCS in Austria). In about 10 minutes we will go to the cinema an watch the movie "Pathfinder" which costs for both of us 200 Bhat - about 4 Euro.
The hotel price is the opposite. Quite expensive (1900 Bhat), but luxurious: air conditioner, TV set, minibar, breakfast included, very clean room!
Tomorrow we go the beach at Pataya, about 2 hours bus drive. We will stay there for 3 nights and enjoy the sea!
Saturday, 5 May 2007
Still in Kathmandu ...
... for maybe 11 more days! All Thai Airways flights from Kathmandu to Bangkok are full until 17th of May. To get seats on this day, we would have to upgrade to business class - 150 USD each person. Do I have to say more?
Yesterday and today we were at the airport for about 3 hours (standby) and hoped for enough cancellations to get seats. Without success. Tomorrow we will go to the Thai town office and book the business class flight. It does not make sense to sit at the airport for 3 hours a day every day to get seats MAYBE.
To write about something more nice:
We met a guy from Bavaria (Bayern) called Charly - or Karl. A funny man who wants to raise (zuechten) snakes in India to sell their poison. Somehow he found out that there is a large market for snake poison to produce antidote (Gegengift). He said that more than 50000 people die every year in India because of snake attacks (which is a very small number compared to Indias population...).
Anyway, it was nice so speak to someone in German, especially a man from Bavaria, which is almost like Austria ;)
Yesterday and today we were at the airport for about 3 hours (standby) and hoped for enough cancellations to get seats. Without success. Tomorrow we will go to the Thai town office and book the business class flight. It does not make sense to sit at the airport for 3 hours a day every day to get seats MAYBE.
To write about something more nice:
We met a guy from Bavaria (Bayern) called Charly - or Karl. A funny man who wants to raise (zuechten) snakes in India to sell their poison. Somehow he found out that there is a large market for snake poison to produce antidote (Gegengift). He said that more than 50000 people die every year in India because of snake attacks (which is a very small number compared to Indias population...).
Anyway, it was nice so speak to someone in German, especially a man from Bavaria, which is almost like Austria ;)
Friday, 4 May 2007
Nepal Scouts
Well, I have to admonish (ruegen) the Austrian Scout organization (PPOE) a little bit. In their homepages list was no entry of the Nepal Scouts, and "officially" there are no Scouts in Vietnam.
Yesterday we have been to the Nepal Scouts National Headquarter. It was great! They showed us around their Scout museum, we got some Nepal Scout patches and they even told us that we could get accommodation there! Unfortunately they have their meetings at the weekend, so we could only meet some Scout leaders who accidental were at the office when we got there.
We exchanged e-mail adresses. So if any other Scouts want to visit Nepal: tell me, I can give you contact details!
We are not going to make the same mistake twice. So a few minutes ago I wrote an e-mail to the Vietnam Scouts, and we will try to meet them as soon as possible.
Now something about the Thai Airways :)
The whole story began about 2 weeks ago, on April 17th (one day before our Langtang trek started), when we went to the town office for the first time. We were told to come back after the Trek, because we are on the waiting list for the flight on 04.05. to Bangkok. Well, we even tried to call them during the trek but this was not possible. First both phone numbers I got were wrong (and I do not think I made TWO mistakes while copying them). Somehow we managed to get a correct number but even that did not work because their telephone was always busy and they did not hold you on. So we gave that up after 3 days.
Then we came back from the trek. On the next day (29.04.) we went again to the town office. I already posted what happened. Closed. Nobody knows exactly why, nobody can tell you when they open again.
We found out, that our Trekking Agency can also help us with booking flight tickets. So we gave the tickets to them during our 2 days absence for rafting.
After that we were told: "You will get the flight on the 4th of May with 90% chance", but we should go to the town office again on 03.05. in the morning. We did that, and the result was that all flights until 15th of May are full! And we are still on the waiting list for 4th of May. Imagine that we went to their office about ONE WHOLE MONTH before 15.05.! How is that possible?
Well, somehow our Trekking Agency managed that we can talk to a more important man at the town office who could possibly help us in the afternoon. Result: Come back on 04.05. at 9 o'clock.
Now its 0821 ...
Yesterday we have been to the Nepal Scouts National Headquarter. It was great! They showed us around their Scout museum, we got some Nepal Scout patches and they even told us that we could get accommodation there! Unfortunately they have their meetings at the weekend, so we could only meet some Scout leaders who accidental were at the office when we got there.
We exchanged e-mail adresses. So if any other Scouts want to visit Nepal: tell me, I can give you contact details!
We are not going to make the same mistake twice. So a few minutes ago I wrote an e-mail to the Vietnam Scouts, and we will try to meet them as soon as possible.
Now something about the Thai Airways :)
The whole story began about 2 weeks ago, on April 17th (one day before our Langtang trek started), when we went to the town office for the first time. We were told to come back after the Trek, because we are on the waiting list for the flight on 04.05. to Bangkok. Well, we even tried to call them during the trek but this was not possible. First both phone numbers I got were wrong (and I do not think I made TWO mistakes while copying them). Somehow we managed to get a correct number but even that did not work because their telephone was always busy and they did not hold you on. So we gave that up after 3 days.
Then we came back from the trek. On the next day (29.04.) we went again to the town office. I already posted what happened. Closed. Nobody knows exactly why, nobody can tell you when they open again.
We found out, that our Trekking Agency can also help us with booking flight tickets. So we gave the tickets to them during our 2 days absence for rafting.
After that we were told: "You will get the flight on the 4th of May with 90% chance", but we should go to the town office again on 03.05. in the morning. We did that, and the result was that all flights until 15th of May are full! And we are still on the waiting list for 4th of May. Imagine that we went to their office about ONE WHOLE MONTH before 15.05.! How is that possible?
Well, somehow our Trekking Agency managed that we can talk to a more important man at the town office who could possibly help us in the afternoon. Result: Come back on 04.05. at 9 o'clock.
Now its 0821 ...
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
Photo Update 2nd May
(Just) one new photo in Kathmandu, and new album Nepal Scouts!
EDIT 03.05.07:
Against what the PPOE told us, there ARE scouts in Nepal and Vietnam!
EDIT 03.05.07:
Against what the PPOE told us, there ARE scouts in Nepal and Vietnam!
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