Bali

When I posted last, I was at the (amazing) Changi airport in Singapore awaiting my flight to Bali. The flight was pleasant enough and for the parts of it during which I was awake, I was content to listen to music and stare dumbly out the window. About midway through the flight, the schoolroom globe came to life as I saw the glorious deep-black ribbon of the equator unfurled under the flight path. It may have been an oil spill.

Upon arrival, I had a few hours to fill until my good acquaintance-bordering-on-friend Adam, with whom I was to spend the following four days, was due to arrive from Australia. I set about obtaining some local currency - Rupiah (a conveniently divisible 13,416 to the US dollar), chugging a rejuvenating bottle of Pocari Sweat ("Have you met the sweat yet?") and napping.

The Bali countryside is beautiful, and quite distinctive from elsewhere in southeast Asia. Initially I stayed inland, near the town of Ubud (apparently of 'Eat, Pray, Love' fame). We scootered around the countryside on the first day which was fun of itself, but also stopped at a Hindoo (sic) temple (Bali is a Hindoo holdout in mostly Muslim Indonesia) which was carved out of a rock face.

The following night, we set out at 2 am to climb Mt Batur, a still active volcano in the north of the island, in order to reach the summit in time for sunrise. The climb wasn't too strenuous and when I reached the top I stood, naked but for the clothes I wore, observing the horizon. I was transfixed by the rising sun still visible amidst the puffy clouds: my gaze was broken only by an occasional sideways glance to make sure that nobody was having a more meaningful experience than I was. We were also greeted by hot steam emerging from cracks in the crater, and hungry monkeys who were happy to pose for pictures for literally peanuts.

After four days I left Ubud and moved to Canggu, on the coast and subsequently to Padang Bai, in the northeast. I did enjoy myself swimming and enjoying the scenery of a different section of Bali, but unfortunately I've been feeling a bit under the weather most of the last few days.  Maybe because of this or mabe because of missing Chanuka celebrations back home, as well as the fact that almost five months have elapsed since I left, but for the first time I found myself counting down time a bit. In the past, the lows, especially when caused by being unwell, have faded and been replaced quickly by new and positive experiences and I'm confident that this will again be the case, but I am looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and enjoying some home comforts soon.

I'm writing this post from Gili Air, one of a group of islands tautologically known as the Gili Islands, where I'll be until just after the new year. I'm beginning to feel a bit better and hopefully I'll be up for some diving, because there are meant to be some fantastic dive sites here.

2016 has certainly been an interesting one, on both global and personal levels, I look forward (slightly apprehensively) to seeing what the new year will bring.

Love David

Temple near Ubud 

Sunrise at Mt Batur 

Feeding a monkey 

Tanah Lot temple near Canggu 

Malaysia and Singapore

On Monday I landed in Malaysia (Malaysia?! I hardly know her!), on a blessedly uneventful Malaysia Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur. When I was younger, Malaysia used to use the tourism slogan 'Malaysia - truly Asia' in adverts, and I can now confirm that this is accurate, at least in a strictly geographical sense.

At the airport, I was pleasantly relieved to discover that my Israeli-issued credit card was accepted more readily than actual flesh and blood Israelis (read: at all) and I withdrew some Malaysian Ringgit to fund the forthcoming days (later at a shop. Me: "I'd like to know how much this coke costs, could you Ringgit up for me?". Cashier: "eh?"). Armed with said cash, I set about exploring the city, and discovered that, like most places, it was kind of like Belgium and kind of different.

Kuala Lumpur was cleaner and more modern than I expected, especially in comparison to the other Southeast Asian cities I've visited - for one thing, it was a treat being able to dispose of toilet paper directly into the basin. We may have our differences of opinion when it comes to diplomacy, but I have nothing but respect for Malaysian plumbing. The city is full of glitzy shopping centres and gleaming skyscrapers like the Petronas towers, those famous twin buildings inspired by traditional Islamic architecture, which tower over the city Petronas-ly.

In terms of demographics, the population of Malaysia is comprised of three primary ethnic groups - Malays, Chinese and Indians, and Kuala Lumpur represents somewhat of a microcosm of Asia. Chinatown is within walking distance of Kampung Baru, a traditional Malay village that lies in the shadow of the central business district, while at the Hindu temple located within the Batu caves on the outskirts of the city one can feel instantly transplanted to the subcontinent. To be sure, the city feels like a part of the region in which it is located - there were still market vendors greeting me with an effusive fervour that even my parents can't muster, monsoon rains and tropical fruits galore - but compared to Hanoi it felt like a distant step-brother.

A particularly enjoyable moment, on my final night, was having a drink at a bar located on a 34th floor helipad overlooking the city. It was quite exhilarating to gaze at the panorama of an exotic place I had decided to visit only two days prior.

I left Kuala Lumpur by bus for Singapore on Thursday, pausing for a whistlestop visit to the town of Melaka (Melaka ?! I hardly know her!), as Malacca is spelled in the Malay language, and for which the eponymous straits are named. Melaka has an interesting history, having been variously, under British, Dutch and Portuguese control, and it has a diverse mix of colonial architecture to show for it. All in all, I wouldn't describe it as a must-see, but it was a nice way to break up the journey.

As I took my leave from Melaka, I reluctantly parted with my stash of pornography, chewing gum and seditious materials, and prepared to cross the border to the city-state of Singapore, the legendary Asian Tiger - all the cosmopolitan flair of a major world city, without the full raft of pesky civil liberties.

Singapore is like that shopworn cliché of the ostentatiously wealthy Asian uncle at the Passover Seder who's a bit of a stickler for the rules but is a pretty nice guy nonetheless, unless you are harbouring narcotics, in which case your afikoman present is death.

As in Kuala Lumpur, one can find multiple cultures and ethnicities represented in Singapore with each group having its own traditional quarter. The city is reminiscent of Hong Kong in certain ways - the many bank headquarters, the obsession with upscale shopping - but Singapore is cleaner and quieter. The buildings here are less dense and there is an emphasis on free green spaces such as the scenic Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay, both of which I scoped out.

There is a pervasive air of prosperity and sleek efficiency; they're so far ahead of the rest of us that we're gormless troglodytes in comparison. Twice nightly there is a free light and sound show at the Marina Bay, in which images are projected, as though by magic, on to puffs of vapour. The spectacle is exceedingly impressive, like 'vaccine for polio' impressive, though perhaps less of a contribution to the enduring good of humankind. The mass rapid transit system is spotless and punctual. The trains are fully automated, so you can stand at the front where a driver would be seated and watch the train seamlessly glide over the tracks; my ten and eight year old nephews would have loved it. I loved it.

I post this entry at the airport, as I await my flight to the Indonesian island of Bali, located in what's claimed to be the largest hemisphere south of the equator. I plan to be there for around a week before moving on to another Indonesian island.

Have a good week, hell, I'm feeling generous, have a good month.

Love David

The Petronas Towers 

Inside the Batu caves 

View from the helipad bar 

The strict policies of the Singapore MRT trains. It was particularly difficult finding flame retardant clothes so as to avoid a $500 fine 

Last Week in Vietnam

I write these words while stationary, for a change, on my final full day in Vietnam. For a variety of reasons I have elected to skip Laos and instead head towards Indonesia, with a couple of brief stops in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Since my previous post, I've spent three full days in Hanoi itself, spaced out before, between and after, respectively, two three-day side trips - one to Sapa and the other to Halong Bay.

On my first day in Hanoi, besides for doing a large amount of walking (still key, in my opinion, to getting a real sense of a city's pulse), I visited the ethnological museum, which provided information regarding Vietnam's numerous minority ethnic groups. It was particularly interesting to learn about the Hmong tribes and certain other groups, as they comprise most of the population in the Sapa region, where I was due the following day.

Many tour operators in Hanoi offer package trips to Sapa (a town and, more broadly the region including its surrounding villages), in the mountains near the border with China. However, it is much cheaper and not particularly difficult to travel there independently, and that is what I, and the people I was traveling with, decided to do. The scenery is truly beautiful, despite the fact that the rice has already been harvested from the terraces characteristic of the area, and it was refreshing to experience the clear mountain air and my first real taste of winter. I had heard that the area can be overrun with tourists, but my experience really wasn't so bad, and in fact, we were often alone on the trails - probably an advantage of arriving during the shoulder season. The trekking was not overly challenging, with the experience being primarily cultural, but with over four months having passed since I last ran, any opportunity for physical exercise was welcome.

Upon my return to Hanoi, I mostly strolled around the old quarter and read. I also visited the Hoà Lo prison, the notorious 'Hanoi Hilton' where John McCain was held, and which had previously served as a prison for Vietnamese nationalists under the French colonial regime. The exhibits were heavy on propaganda even by Vietnamese standards and, as distinct from the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, it was difficult to separate fact from fiction.

Halong Bay contains thousands of islands and limestone outcrops, the result of geological processes that I totally understand but simply don't feel like explaining. The site has been recognised by the UN (so you know it's good) and can be visited on cruises of one to three day's length. I participated on a three day, two night trip, with the first night spent on the boat itself, and the second on an island. The trip was slightly more expensive than some of the alternatives, but it was worth it to sleep in a secluded corner of the bay and to sail via a less trafficked (and consequently less polluted) route - proof again, as if any were needed, that money is the comprehensive and unambiguous answer to all of life's problems.

This morning, I paid a visit to the final remaining site on my Hanoi wishlist, the mausoleum containing the body of Ho Chi Minh. I had never thought that a visit to a cold, stone edifice housing the embalmed corpse of a long-dead Asian leader would be a bit bizarre, but, believe it or not, that's exactly what it was. It was like a macabre, communist Madam Tussauds, with a queue to match; still, I'm a sucker for cults of personality and I also now know the fashion in which I would like to be preserved upon my death.

Well that's a wrap on a great month in Vietnam, up there with Japan as my favourite country on the trip so far.

I hope to update soon.

Much love,

David

Hanoi street scene

Sapa scenery 

Small village in Sapa 

Eiffel-designed bridge in Hanoi 

Halong Bay - where we moored for the first night 

Central Vietnam and beyond

As so often seems to be the case, I find myself updating this blog while traveling between cities - on a train for a change - able to utilise a distraction-free window to gather my thoughts. I'm traveling between Ninh Binh and Hanoi, which, besides for being Vietnam's capital and second largest city, is also a jumping-off point for the country's northern provinces and the legendary Halong Bay - plenty to fill the ten days until my visa expires.

Since I last posted, I've graced Hoi An, Phong Nha----, Hue and Ninh Binh with my presence and I will briefly describe my experiences each, showing my calculations.

Hoi An was... nice. I liked it just fine, but it had been hyped up to such gargantuan proportions that it was almost inevitable that it would underwhelm. The old city, which boasts endless colonial and pre-colonial architecture, really is very attractive, particularly at night, but is just a tad too disneyfied for my tastes. The beach near the city is quite presentable too, but the weather on the day I visited was not conducive to sunbathing or swimming. The town specialises in cheap tailoring but I ultimately opted not to indulge in any bespoke clothes because I have renounced consumerism/look great in everything, even regular old off-the-shelf clothes/am lazy.

After Hoi An came Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. One of the main reasons to visit Hue is actually for the journey from Hoi An which is via the Hai Van pass. Unfortunately the day I made the journey was exceptionally stormy and at the summit I was treated to sweeping views of my forearms and the immediately adjacent 1-2 metres, and little else. We did stop at a creepy abandoned waterpark in the outskirts of Hue; it was particularly atmospheric in the mist and rain. Hue itself was quite pleasant and, though close in distance to Hoi An, had a very different feel. The imperial palace complex, much of which was destroyed during the war, is quite impressive, if unfortunately lacking in context and information. The town also hosts a charming pagoda with an equally charming 0 VND (US$0.00 Nov 16) entry fee. Walking between the two takes one through the streets of a typical Vietnamese city, with citizens unconnected to the tourist industry unhurriedly going about their ordinary business.

A short four hour minibus from Hue is Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park - a national park containing some of the largest caves in the world. In contrast with places such as Dalat, Hoi An and Halong Bay, I hadn't heard of the region before I arrived in Vietnam and began to hear glowing reports from backpackers moving in the opposite direction. To reach the caves, one can rent a scooter and circumnavigate the ring of roads around the park, through lush, jagged, mountains, small villages and rivers, woven together into a tapestry of scenery unlike any I have ever seen. On my first day I visited the dark cave (does exactly what it says on the tin), the entrance to which has Vietnam's longest zip line and which contains thick mud pools where one can wade, eerily suspended in the viscous goop. The main destination for the following day was the Paradise Cave, discovered only in 2005, the longest dry cave in Asia. Besides for being immensely impressive in its scale, the cave contains numerous natural rock formations that look like intentionally created works of art. I really fell in love with Phong Nha (in a platonic way); the two days I spent there were a highlight of my time in Vietnam so far, and indeed of my entire trip.

Ninh Binh (putting the 'beyond' in the title of this post), a night bus away from Phong Nha, is only a couple of hours south of Hanoi. I had heard mixed things about Ninh Binh, but the day and a half I spent was fantastic. The town itself doesn't have much to see, and is rather a base for exploring the surrounding countryside, home to a spectacular lookout, the largest pagoda in southeast Asia, and a boat ride through terrain described as Halong Bay on land. It's been quite interesting to see how people's opinions of destinations can vary so greatly, and I suppose the takeaway is that the only way to develop an informed impression of a place is to see it for oneself.

As I noted, the plan is to spend the coming week and a half in the North before moving on to another country (Laos?). I shall endeavour to update the blog along the way.

It's hard to believe it's been over four months since I left home and the heat of a Tel Aviv midsummer - over here it's beginning to feel a lot like Hannukah. I'm still enjoying myself but I'm definitely looking forward to catching up with everyone when I get back.

Love David

The old town of Hoi An 

Lake at the abandoned waterpark 

Paradise Cave, Phong Nha 

Rock formations in Paradise Cave 

Phong Nha 

Lookout near Ninh Binh 

Boat ride near Ninh Binh