One year travel to South America and Asia

Marcin, 2005-09-25 13:45:52
Uwaga, awaria!
The market in Dalata.

The end of our stay in Vietnam was marked by failure and repairs. It began with our Image Tanka (a device, in which we store our pictures). Just before leaving home it was showing that, there is less empty space, than it really was. We did not bother until the time it “said” that it is full and copying is not possible (in fact a half of the empty space was occupied). We decided to remove that defect in Dalata, where we went after visiting Nha Trangu. The first day we set off on a trip to look for an Internet cafe where there is a computer with 15 GB place on the disc, the possibility to restart and also the one which, does not remove a user’s data after restarting. Our search ended in a fiasco. Instead we visited the market, where delicious candied fruit were being sold.

The right internet cafÃ? we found the next morning - 15 metres far from our hotel. But at first we walked to the city. We did not arrive to the first attraction, the second one was not present, ( at least not in the place, which the Pascal’s guidebook indicated), and to the third - The mad house - we decided not to enter, because the tickets were too expensive. So we went to repair our Image Tanka. The process of recording took about four hours and after that it occurs that Windows XP is not able to format the disc in Image Tank (the previous version Windows 2000 has not got these kinds of problems - Thanks Bill!). I tried to solve that problem and six hours later we left the cafe with the feeling of defeat.

The next day we went to Sajgon (at present Ho Chi Minhu). The city differs from Hanoi quite a lot. It is modern, noisy in the streets reigns real "Sajgon". I got down to solve our second problem here. In Nha Trangu, when I was taking some pictures on the beach, something happened to a long-focus lens – it stopped sharpening. I bought some spirit in Dalata to clean the device. I performed the whole operation in Sajgon. Unfortunately, it did not help at all, on the contrary the lens started to turn more difficult, and the washed dirt polluted the lenses inside.

We decided our problems to be solved by the experts. We started with Image Tank. We found the computer service where our device was repaired in less than two hours . We were surprised by the fact that the repair did not cost a penny! So we went to the photo service. We were told there that the spirit could melt some of the plastic parts but the experts promised to do their best, they also said that the repair would cost about 30$. The next day at noon we went to check what will be with the lens. The worst became the truth and the lens turned out to be used only as a paperweight (OK, it is round in shape so it could be well used). We got two addresses of the nearest two photo shops and after two days filled with thoughts we spent 115$ on Nikkor 70-300 1:4.5-5.6 G.

All that time we did not sit worried in our room, instead we went on a trip to the Mekong delta. During the two-day trip we ate different titbits. At first we swam to the factory where coconut sweets are produced. They were delicious especially those fresh and still warm. They were so tasty that we bought three bags there. We were also glad that we were smarter than the Vietnamese sellers. We agreed with some French tourists and together we bought 6 bags. We got one additional bag of sweets extra. Our noses were put out of joint the next day when we found the same kind of sweets but cheaper. After the sweets we were tasting wine made of honey and rice. So many years of French colonization did not change much - the Vietnamese called vodka - wine. But the tea with honey and lemon was sensational. We also liked fruit we were eating while listening to the local band.

After the night we spent at the local family house we swam to the floating markets. It should have been the most important place of our trip because on the postcards those places looked very picturesque in reality it was quite different. Well – is was not that bad but there were less boats than we expected. We admired the life on the Mekong river with all those little houses standing along its banks and canals. The houses were made of bamboo and palm leaves, some were built of bricks. The buildings often did not have any doors and we saw for example beds standing in water.

The same day we also visited the manufacture where the pasta from rice is produced later we saw a village where people produce joss sticks. That time we were satisfied with our trip. The next morning we said goodbye to Wietnam and we went to Cambodia.

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Marcin, 2005-09-19 14:42:28
Nemo World

In Nha Trang we had to rest and relax after the emotions related to Vietnam tour. We planned the beach and the see. However it started with next emotions. We traveled by night bus to the city. We were sitting in 2nd row when around 3 a.m. I woke up for a moment and saw that the bus was slowly going form one side of the road to another one. I didn't know what's going on. The driver looked as if he was conscious so I thought he wanted to prevent falling asleep. Half an hour later we were waken up by the grind and sudden bus lean. We quickly realized it was an accident. We stopped few seconds later. We weren't hurt - the bus almost OK, but its position was far from standard. We're afraid we're handing over some edge, but when the driver turned the light on inside the bus, it turned out that we are in a ditch and cannot fall anywhere.

Nobody was hurt and after a while the people started to leave the bus through windows. Registration Service quickly cover license plate and side number (we don't know why) and they called the get 2nd bus. We're standing in dark on the road and various vehicles were passing by from time to time. It looked like it was going to rain, so people started demanding to get the trunk opened. Drivers refused, but eventually gave up. They probably knew what was going to happen, because as soon as tourists got their rucksacks back, they stopped another bus and half of them left After a while the situation happened again and 6 tourists and 3 citizens of Vietnam was left on the road. One of the drivers tried to stop some passengers, but he just could hear: "half an hour before you could kill us , so shut up"

Around 6 a.m. the dawn began. Instead of waiting for a new bus, the drivers stopped passing micro bus, which took us to Nha Trang. We arrived there without any obstacles and on site it turned out that we can forget our plans, it rained . Therefore we had lunch and went to the hotel to sleep off the last night adventures.

On the next day it brighten up. So we rent motorcycle and drove to the beach in next village. In guide opinion it was supposed to be the most beautiful one. We wanted also to see and make photos of salt collected out from see water. On site it turned out that salt is already gone, and the beach, although nice, it was not sensational. On the other hand the weather was better. As soon as we arrived the sun shined through.

On the very same day we also purchased diving - for me with complete outfit, for Gosia just tube, mask and fins. I was a bit anxious, because the last time I went under water 5 years ago, but I decided to try. The more, that until then I was just diving in polish silty waters, but tour was not expensive.

First diving was not too good. I didn't hurt myself, but I behaved nervously, I could not blow the mast and I used all of the oxygen too early. Gosia was doing much better and she was rapturous (very very happy :) As soon as she got back to the boat, she started to gabble: "Marcin, I saw fishes thaaaat big They were big and colorful. And corals and starfish...". Second diving (in another place) was much better and worse at the same time. This time I was breathing calmly, but the mask got moistened, so I saw as much as in polish lakes. Gosia was again delighted and when next time we're together in internet cafe, she told me to check the prices of diving courses. Last day in Nha Trang we spend as we planned - means swimming and laying on the beach.

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Marcin, 2005-09-12 12:02:09
From Kaczki Srednie

I am getting less and less nervous about Vietnam. It is not because I become used to the situation but just to ignore it. I am pretending not to notice the Vietnamese who pester us at every turn. While we are walking along the streets, several dozen of times per hour we are offered to rent a bike or a motorbike, to buy drinking water or fruit, trips, articles of clothing, Chinese lampshades, chopsticks, and hundreds of unnecessary items, also some people offer to give a lift by a rickshaw or a scooter, or invite us to dinner or breakfast. It is the lesson of incivilities and discourtesies. If I were to refuse politely every time I was pestered, I would get mad.

It usually starts with greetings, and "Hallo!" is our answer which can be repeated a few hundred of times within an hour. It is not that bad if we only hear the offer. That time it is enough to say "No, thank you!". Sometimes after our refusal the offer is repeated once again. Quite a lot of people got smarter and first try to make friends with us. They ask questions about names or origin. All that is tiresome. So after twenty-minute march I just shake my head and say "No." and I donÂ?t even listen to what they want to offer. When I feel more energetic and hear the question Â?Where are you from?Â? I replay "From Kaczki Srednie". I have also noticed that the good method to get rid of the pester is answering in my native language Â? Polish. I am not behaving politely but I am outnumbered and this is my excuse for being rude. I hope my good manners will come back in Poland.

The instinct for shoppinghas awaken in Gosia, unfortunately little bit too early. She spotted a dress in Hue. It was very nice and the price was two times lower than in Poland, so we bought it. The next day we arrived to Hoi An Â? the city of the dressmakers. It turned out very quickly that almost the identical dress costs three times less. We felt like having a kind of hangover but the dress was Â?almostÂ? identical and that saved the whole situation. There is a load of pretty clothes here and the prices are reasonable and you can have them fit for free. Certainly if we were to buy all those clothes we should buy an additional bag for them but our budget for the shopping has been used up in Hue. We promised to each other to come back here when we win a lottery (Lotto).

The day before yesterday we escaped the tourist mafia and the attractions of Hoi An we visited on our own we rent a motorbicycle,because My Son was about 45 km far from our accommodation place. We were afraid how I would manage with that steel steed with the capacity of 110 cm3. Last time I was riding a motorbike it was twenty years ago and I travelled 2-3 kilometres altogether. It wasnÂ?t that bad as we expected. The little motorbike had an automatic clutch and only the second gear was difficult to manage. I have not got my driving licence here, but nobody has asked about it.

As we did not have a map we had a bigger problem. We got lost and we travelled additional 50 kilometres. The traffic was quite big, and it looks like no laws are respected by the drivers Â? overtaking more than one car at the same time or drying rice on one half of the roadway seems to be normally accepted. To the ruins of the city which was built between 4th and 12th century we arrived happily. As we were travelling longer we were at our destination later than we had planned. We didnÂ?t have much time to explore the place but the whole area was only for us. All historic buildings are located in a small area but they are very picturesque.

We rode back to Hoi An when it was dark and we could learnt how it is possible to travel when there is dusk and when a half of the vehicles on the roads move with headlights off. We were both very satisfied with our trip. We have also promised to each other to rent a motorbike every time if there will be a chance.

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Marcin, 2005-09-09 15:19:31
Big cheating
Not translated yet

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Marcin, 2005-09-02 14:59:54
Chengdu, 22.47
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