Day 174 - AKL-LAX flight

It's good to be going home, right? I'm a whirlwind of emotion, my eyes keep welling up for no particular reason. Memories of those I've met. Frisbee and cards, the staples for passing time outdoors and in. NZ has eclipsed almost every other country - the regency effect? Or because of all the people I met there?

I'm looking forward to a photo review, stir up some of the older moments, just as wonderful - the Trans-Siberian, Dom's cheeky cheery grin. The majestic Angkor Wat. Motorbiking through Vietnamese highlands with Seb and Nicci. Tubing in Laos with Jay, Diana, Tori and Team Denmark. Meeting Debbie anew in Bangkok. Pub crawling with the 4bg in Melbourne. Camping at Sandbar with Helen and Cathal and all the friendly families. Sleeping under the stars at Uluru - Dan, Erica, Lisa and Marco.

The first - Adrian. Oksana. Brigitte, Hollie, Kim. Lucas and Regine. Team Scotland. Bobby. Tess and Jess. The Dutch Brummie. Scott and Ali. Louise and Lachrissa. Lee. Kelly and Jake. Andy. Emerald, who left such and impression. Jeany. Tour guide Andy.

Reasons to visit places. These people. They are the reasons to go elsewhere. To visit their hometowns. To visit new places, to meet the people who call there home. Travel, and to be travelled. Broaden your own horizons, and help broaden others'.

To bring the world home. To bring your home to the world. To make all the world your home.

***

I've been on the plane a little less than five hours. We are flying into the night, so my body is already confused. My watch says 7.45pm, so it's 6.45am at home, but what time is it in LA? Have we crossed the international date line? I should've taken note of the arrival time... 6.35am in LAX. Then 10hrs of staying awake, then straight to sleep on the plane, get myself in sync... I hope.

***

(LAX) Jumping three time zones is a fun way to trip out. 28 hours of being awake.

Get page, woo! I'm special! They double check my documents.

Not sure what it is, or what time I'm landing. Think I may have told my parents the wrong time. Why did I think 3.30? 24hr clock must've confused me. No delays so far at least.

***

I'm not even sure how much I've slept. Which zone is my watch one? When did we leave? I've flown into two mornings now.

***

(London) A copy of the Irish Times! Joy! I read it cover to cover, finish the Simplex, and actually squeal with delight at the familiar sight of the television listings for RTE.

I'm beaming uncontrollably as I walk down to board my final flight.

Day 153 - Mt Cook

Forgot to mention that I lost my Laotian sunnies in the Sound yesterday. Slipped off my head, and straight to the bottom. Pissed off with myself. Head down early to the terminal, hoping to see the Stray gang. The Juicy desk girl tells me I can get on an earlier bus, which sounds like a flan to me. Stray bus appears - Dutch couple, Michelle, Lena, Jen and Áine, Leanne, Inge, and Rachel.

Last picture of the sunnies, with Skirts

The bus journey back to Queenstown is a contemplative one. They sky is the most perfect shade of blue here. Am I falling in love with this place? For the first time on my travels, I ponder the possibilities of never going home, in a serious manner. Could I do it? NZ seems like such a beautiful place. The people I've met in the past two weeks are among the friendliest and most genuine of anyone over the past six months.

We drive through farmlands from Te Anau to Q'town. Gazing out the window, I am struck with guild that I am only passing through. Why is Milford Sound so privileged? This area is populated by people who are ignored and neglected by tourists like me. I am not travelling here. I should be making my own way - by bike or car. Occasionally being forced to throw myself on the mercy of strangers - for mechanical assistance, or just some milk.

But I am already in debt. Flights, trains, accommodation. AIB helped pay for this, and dues must be paid. I truly doubt that I could find a job here that would come with enough of a salary to suffice  But maybe I could return in the future. Before I am 30. And therefore old. :P

***

Got back to Black Sheep around 7.30pm yesterday eve. Back in room 12. There is an Australian girl, Hannah, freshly arrived in Q'town from Auckland. She's worked on Waiheke Island for the last two years, and has eleven days to see the south island before her return to Australia. We establish a quick little bond, and I invite for her a drink. I'm meeting Sascha later on, plan is to share a shisha. Quick dinner of tortellini, and go.

Get to the World Bar, share some jugs of ale. Sascha is busy half-heartedly fending off a drunk but friendly Australian, whom she obviously already knows. Hannah and I talk for most of the night - about family, religion, tea, NZ and Australia. Heidi appears around midnight and there is some half-assed dancing. Myself and Hannah resume our chatting, and call it a night around 1am. I have to catch the bus at 9am the next morning. Say bye to Heidi and Sascha's friends. We pass Sascha and her drunken Aussie by the Gardens on the way home. I'm out like a light instantly, only to be woken by a roommate because I am snoring. oops! Sleep on my front instead.

***

Up early, porridge, check out. Said bye to Hannah, gave her my email address. Hop on the Stray bus - HP is driving, and I recognise German Heidi, Esther and Corney. HP makes everyone stand up and say their name and favourite thing in NZ. Loads of people mention the Tongariro crossing, so I'm very glad I made sure it would be on my itinerary. I also pick up some Irish lilts, at least four of them on the bus, all girls. Lot more guys overall though.

Toilet stop, lunch stop, supermarket stop. At one point, HP reads us the story of Shrek, a Merino sheep who ran away and hid for six years. When found, his wool coat was massive, and he became an NZ celebrity.

Driving was erratic due to strong winds. I took the time to painfully write some overdue emails. I'm only with this bus for one night, so not particularly concerned with making lots of new friends. The landscape outside is spectacular - bluish-grey glacial rivers, sweeping rocky mountains.

We arrive at our hostel, I'm in a room with Irish Ríona, Dutch Martin, and Becky. HP drives us the short distance to where the Hooker Valley walks start. Dramatic is the best term to describe the mountains topped by glaciers, the river spray being whipped up by the insanely strong wind. The front of the hostel was ripped off in October by 180kmph winds. Today they're not so strong, but enough to knock me off balance, and force me to struggle. I walk with Heidi. We cross a couple of wooden suspension bridges, swaying gently despite the strong wind, rocking as we walk across.

There's a small hut about halfway along the trail for shelter, and even two toilets. We take a small break, then back out into the gale. We start to pass people coming back the other way, giving us snippets of information - warnings and hope! We round a corner, and Hooker Lake opens up before us. It's full of large chunks of ice, presumably fallen from the the heights above. They are twisted and eroded in various ways, so that the lake resembles a junkyard of ice, a graveyard of icebergs, dying glaciers.

The wind buffets us on the way back too, calm one moment, stormy the next. Meet two other hikers in the shelter, they tell us that the weather was clear as anything the day before - not a cloud in the sky, and perfect views of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Today the tip is completely obscured by mist and cloud, and it's only getting worse.

Back to the hostel for dinner, shower, quiet pint.

***

Rahotu in Piopiotahi - Mitre Peak in Milford Sound, in Māori

Day 59 - Lak

Random memory: HCMC, bia hoi. Playing asshole as a drinking game. Jake making a rule that people must accept whatever's offered to them, which leads to myself, James and Seb smoking the vilest cigars known to man.

***

Discovered in Mui Ne that my hard drive has a virus, and all my files on there were lost. Angry, frustrated for a few minutes. Up to Beijing is online. Most of those after that, in fact, all of those after that are still on SD cards, which I have saved. And files are also copied to S&N's hard drive. Not so bad. Only thing missing is my compact card, which I know Dom has. And one SD card is corrupted - from Battambang through PP, HCMC to Mui Ne - but I think it's recoverable. Always have a back-up.

***

Lying in a long house in Lak, enclosed in a mosquito net. The family who live here have been preparing breakfast for themselves since about 5am. At 6.45, some one them tries out all their ringtones. SOme things are the same the world over! The wind is blowing strongly outside, S&N are still asleep.

Spent the 27th doing nought. The others slept late, so I didn't disturb them. Got a little lost wandering around town, did our laundry, called in to Tuan. He invited us back for pool later.

When we call in, there's a hotpot of fish on the go, and a bottle of Johnnie Walker. One of our drivers, Spencer, lost a bet, and buying the bottle is his forfeit. Several shots are consumed, then some beers. Some more whities arrive - Max and Lisa whom I recognise from the bus, an American Guy [that was his name], and James from England. Conversation flows. Lee, from Mui Ne, drops by as well. Turns out he's doing the same trip as us (5 days to Hoi An), but a day later. All the while the music is fantastic - Whipping Boy, the Frames, Radiohead... did they know I was coming?

Made a racket on the stairs in the dark at the hotel, am sent to bed by the owner.

***

Yesterday morning we were greeted by our drivers/guides/interpreters/mechanics. Spencer is mine, a speed-loving stoic type, though he comes out of himself after a beer and some cards. He takes coners skilfully and with apparent ease, and appears to be in charge - himself and Tuan were in college together.

Spencer outside the train station

Seb rides with Uncle Sinh, an older veteran, full of tiny details and wisdom. He cackles often, though is mostly silent at the dinner table. Late fifties?

Uncle Sinh with Peter

Nicci is on Peter's bike. A family man, he is full of smiles and laughter, teaching her snippets of Vietnamese - "this is the 'yessir' road". Yessir being scary.

Peter with Nicci

We stop at Dalat train station, the crazy house (a mixture of Dali and Escher, in Alice in Wonderland), a flower farm, elephant waterfall, a 'happy water' (rice wine) house, a silk factory, a silkworm farm, past a floating village... lunch is delicious, dinner more so. I have to stop myself over-eating, everything tastes so good.

Silkworm cocoons

Silk

>

Sinh and me at Elephant Falls

Lunch with a view

Silkworms

The roads vary from rough trails of rocks, to potholed dirt tracks, to smooth tarmac. All the while I am entranced by the reflections in the back of Spencer's helmet - scenery rushing by, being hoovered up into a vortex behind my grinning visage. When I lower my visor, there are reflections of reflections.

Sitting on the back at 60kmph, there's plenty of time to take everything in. Swathes of coffee plantations, lush greenery everywhere. As we pass through small hamlets, piglets amble across the road like stray dogs. We pass Lee and a Dutch guy several times - Less on a day trip, the latter on his way to Saigon.

>

Peter and Uncle Sinh

We arrive at Lak, in a 'tourist' village - the only place where foreigners are allowed stay in homes in the highlands. It is a small peninsula jutting into Lak Lake, and we sit on the shore with a beer and watch the sunset. Simple pleasure.

***

I must narrate a conversation I had with Crystal in HCMC, while discussing religion. She explained the communal view of life in China. That the view of the individual self does not matter, except in the eyes of the community. There is development nor encouragement of the sort of self-entitlement that exists in the west. It sounds like the only way a society that dense and crowded can get by, but the more I consider it, the more I prefer it. The greater good. It was something about the earnestness with which Crystal explained it.

It's most obvious in Asian road behaviour - constant flouting of the rules, but nobody gets angry. As long as the general greater good is preserved, all is well, and no horns are used in anger - zero road rage.

***

The Vietnamese countenance is one of innocent vulnerability. I find it hard to see how Americans, Japanese, French, etc., all came here with a hard enough spirit to not only dominate, but try to completely obliterate these people. The children are cute nd friendly, and the women attractive. There's something innately becalming and joyful toi them, so much so that it baffles me they suffered civil war.

***

Homestay is an odd term for what we did last night. I mean, we definitely stayed in a home, but zero contact with the family. Overnight we heard a neighbour's party, pigs squealing, baby crying, someone testing their ringtones, but no visibility bar the silhouettes through the dividing sheets.

When we went for breakfast, there were elephants loitering outside. At the first stop of the day, a hill overlooking the village, we could see an elephant crossing the lake. Second stop was a brick factory (at long last!). It was actually quite fascinating - from wet clay they have a giant play-doh machine that squeezes out a long brick shaped tube, which is then spliced by wires. The bricks are left to dry in the open, then in a shed, and finally they oven baked, turning them red.

We paused at a burnt out church next, and Spencer told us of the Catholic dictator Diem, and the self-immolation of Buddhist monks in 1963, protesting their lack of freedom of religion.

Two pythons next (less said the better), before a visit to a coffee plantation, and a strong blended cup. After that was the highlight of the day - a shower in a waterfall in the jungle, and a swim in a pool of the Serepok river. Amazing! Just the waterfall was a breath-taking experience, but to swim as well. Felt like I was Mowgli. Saw the Dray Sap falls then - massive, before heading on to Buôn Ma Thuột for our hotel.

Coffee berries

Me as Mowgli! With Uncle Sinh, and Seb behind

The turquoise pool is where we swam

Dray Sap Falls

Dinner of frog and more, though Nicci wasn't feeling well. Watched some footies afterwards with the lads to socialise a bit. Man U vs Everton (1-0) and Chelsea vs Arsenal (3-5). Back to the room to do nought, but hear Michael D Higgins is now President of Ireland. Happy days!

Day 49 - Phnom Penh (bus)

Early morning bus to HCMC, Vietnam. Will meet Jake there, do some laundry, chill out. Hopefully end of illness. Then maybe Mui Ne, meet Brigitte. Then north.

Left the hostel at 6am, place reeking of hash again! I suppose it masks the rubbish in the alley outside. Ended up in a Cambodian guesthouse after a mix-up with our reservations at the hostel. $6 a night for a/c and a private room is okay though. Very chilled atmosphere here. Cambodia seems to have that effect on people. Rosy's was the same.

We've stayed in some stuffy spots - Royal Asia, Sant Asar, Jin Jiang Inn. Unfailingly, the staff have always been helpful and personable. The only places they weren't was at Godzilla's and in Listvyanka. And Sant Asar after we broke the mirror (then everyone chipped in to pay for it!), and the Fenghe Xi'an "IYH" for the bed pollution.

The ger camp was the most fun environment, but there'll always be a special place in my heart for the Apple hostel, and Cloudland. Such nice places. Rosy's too, but that was more upmarket.

Hostels often act as a Western enclave - insulating the traveller from the local food and people. Definitely met more Chinese people on the train than anywhere else. Any Russians were guides or from Apple. Since Bangkok it's nearly all been ex-pats.

I think I need to get away from S&N. Not that they're not good company, I just don't have much opportunity for spontaneity, nor for getting out and about with others. Haven't met any lovely girls yet, which disappoints me. Still, 4.5 months to go.

***

Random memory #1: the Milky Way stretched across the sky in Mongolia. So many stars that familiar constellations were unrecognisable.

#2: Andy being mistaken as our guide/interpreter in China, and being spoken to in rapid-fire Chinese on the bus.

***

Arrived in HCMC a little after one, walked to the hostel without much hassle. Bus was alright - ferry crossing, lunch stop in Bravet. Thor on the telly, conductor managing the border crossing. Rather pleasant!

HCMC isn't hotter than anywhere else (at least, not especially so), but it's infinitely more humid, and sweatier. Sitting down is a sweaty activity. Walking induces small rivers of sweat. Anything beyond that... well I haven't tried yet.

Pottered around the Reunification Palace, getting my Khmer and Vietnamese histories mixed up. Impressive place, lots of marble and stately furniture. Now is showering time, and recharge before dinner and beers.

Reunification Palace

Bust of Ho Chi Minh himself

After some initial scepticism, Seb decided to be a plane too!

***

A note on religion: most people in Asia seem to be Buddhists, though Paean described himself as Hindu-Buddhist. Perhaps he was identifying with Angkor Wat. Originally, the Khmer of pre-medieval times adopted the Hindu gods of Indian traders. Shiva (the destroyer), Vishnu (the protector), Ganesh. The temples of Angkor Wat and Thom were originally built to worship these. It was only from 1181 that Buddhism began to replace it. Thus the architecture and sculpture of the original buildings are all relating to Hindu legends. Later, statues of Buddha were inserted.

Hinduism and Buddhism (and Taoism and Confucianism) do not seem to be mutually exclusive at all, and aspects of each are probably observed in Cambodia today.

Across SE Asia, special treatment is still give to monks, and natives are reverent even at the most touristy of shrines and temples. Mongolia too is Buddhist, but Dawa said it's in decline there.

***

Lashing rain again now. Doesn't bother natives for the most part. most of life happens outside - shops are mostly stalls, garages and workshops are open to the street. No a/c for the majority, just grin and get on with it. very social, very... enduring? Hardy maybe. Come what may, life goes on, they'll find a way to get by.

Foot-volleyball in the park

So many mopeds!

Day 26 - Beijing

Still haven't managed to process news of Mrs C's death. Reread M's email - they took her off life support yesterday. Not sure when the funeral is, nor how I can best be there for L. Sent her a text late on Sat, and emailed last night.

Was up 'til 4.30 this morning. Sat by myself in the dark with a whiskey. Sent a few proper emails, including a big one with snippets from this journal. Found an email from L from last week, when everything was fine, and she was looking forward to her US holiday with P.

Fuck. I don't know the right thing to say, to do, to write. I can't imagine what she must be going through. And there's nothing I can do to make it better. No hope that she'll pull through, no potential for a miracle. It's death. Fuck.

***

A few of us walked home after the market yesterday. Taking in Beijing by foot. Came to Tienanmen Square, and spent an hour or so there. Lots of police, security checks - in fact, one at every subway station. The square itself is massive, biggest in the world apparently. Lots of people milling around, including a few who wanted photos with us whiteys. Strangest of all are the two giant video screens, showing images of Chinese landscapes and Mao. Propaganda? Brain washing? Tourist campaign?

***

New hostel is a very hip backpacker place. Cheap pub in front, 10RMB for a big beer, nice food. Come to Beijing and never leave your hostel. Was exactly what we needed last night though - a chilled night. Jakes's leaving today actually, I hope I see him for a goodbye. We had a nice chat last night, I know we're not the same kind of person, he's far more of a leader, but we have a good understanding. I should look him up for a pint in Perth.

Pub played cheesy music like "I will survive" and a Grease medley. Pseudo-karaoke with Brigitte was good fun. Then all went to bed.

***

I think I have too much of a dependence on being needed. A need to be helpful. The great Catholic guilt, putting others first, even at the expense of my own well-being. Give away money, food, clothes - if someone else needs it, then why not?

This is why I'm find it so difficult with L - I have no idea how to help her, to make things better, to protect her. Instead I'm enjoying my holidays, drinking and sightseeing. It seems so callous, like I should be in mourning here.

All of which meant I wasn't great company this morning. Myself, Dom and Kelly went to the train station to book our tickets for Xi'an. The sleeper on the train we wanted was full, so we opted for "standing" tickets. Looking forward to seeing what that entails!

We took the subway out to the Summer Palace then, and had a wander around. It was like a giant collection of Oriental follies, but of course they are temples. There was so much potential for beauty, but the smog here just smothers all the colour. Every view is choked with grey. It's rather disgusting really - the back of my throat burns. Possibly also explains why the Chinese spit so much.

***

L just texted to say her mother passed peacefully.

***

Sitting in a Brazilian bar at the moment. Was aiming for an English pub, but it closed a year ago. Had to wander around the embassy district to try find it. Benin, USA, Japan, Slovenia... I was moved on from standing outside the Irish embassy!

***

http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/10/day-116-beijing.html

Day 25 - Beijing

We're wandering around the huge Pearl Market, a collection of stalls and traders, all hawking knock-off goods at sellout prices. Decided to leave before I spent any more money. Got a watch for 55RMB, two memory cards, two memory sticks and a gorillapod. Very tempted to buy prescription sunglasses too.

***

Spent this morning pottering around the Temple of Heaven, which is a vast garden, containing several imposing buildings. Some of the most impressive wooden structures that I've ever seen.

There was also the Alter of the Circular Mound (what it sounds like) with one round stone in the middle on top. There was a queue of people waiting to stand on it for a photo, but a big tour group arrived and started jumping on the stone. Pushing and shoving ensued, with a few raised voices. It was the first time that I've seen angry Chinese people.

Also had a random woman want a photo with me. Thought they were offering to take a picture of me, or wanted me to take one of them, but instead I was a zoo attraction.

***

Big night last night - last one of the official tour. We had a hotpot - a Chinese tradition, much like a fondue party. There are two halves to the pot - plain and spicy. Then you order small plates of meat and veg, and throw them in the pot to cook. We had beef, mutton, golden needle mushrooms, some sort of artificial seafood called haggis, and sheep pizzle. Yep, pizzle was on the menu. Sheep penis. Very tough meat, not pleasant to eat at all really, though most of the table got into the spirit of it, and tried at least some. Never has the word 'penis' been used so much at dinner.

Went back to the hotel for a quick drinking game - Pyramid, and then to the reggae bar again. There was some impromptu dancing - Scott and Ali were both impressive and entertaining!

Found a club afterwards, and danced for a couple of hours. Sadly I only recognised one or two of the songs, made me feel a little older than I am. Had fun dancing with the girls though, and Dom joined us for one.

***

Bit sad now, with the group breaking up. We seem to have already lost Team Swiss. Today is Regine's birthday, so hopefully they're celebrating somewhere.

***

Text from home - 62-12 in the Russian game. M emailed last night as well. Himself and S have broken up, and L's mam had a brain haemorrhage. Not sure what the prognosis is, but haven't managed to send a comfort text yet - network is not letting me.
So far on this trip I've had good news of a pregnancy and an engagement. Bad news has been L's mam, S's father, and M&S's break-up. Email/text is not a nice way to get bad news. Emphasises the isolation of being away from home.

***

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