From Bangkok's Blandness to Hanoi Heaven

I'm doing my best to see a bit of the world I have always wanted to travel to, and today it feels like I hit the big league.  If I'm honest, Bangkok was a bit of a damp squid, a very large damp squid.  The city is far from the glamorous vision of the East I had.  True, it served as a great introduction and a good place to acclimatize to the urban intensity in this part of the world. But, it's usefulness ended there.  Some beautiful temples were on offer and they proved a great calming relief to the cities heat, and it's noise.  And yes, there will be many a voice that disagrees with me, but Bangkok  is just not fun.  The depravity of the sex scene was on the one hand quite amazing, but at the same time, incredibly creepy. You'll find the Nana 'Entertainment' plaza at the heart of Bangkok's largest tourist area.  See it, but perhaps only in daylight. You can have fun in Bangkok, but limit yourself to 2-3 days, anything more is better spent in other parts of Thailand.

So, now I find myself in Hanoi's Old Quarter on the shore of Hoan Kiem Lake. The Lake of the Returned Sword, and its rarely seen population of giant tortoise, enigmatic as they are.  I do not know how to say this any more forcefully, COME HERE AND COME HERE NOW.  It has been mere hours, but I am already in love. 

The chaos and noise combines perfectly with the old colonial architecture and the cities symbols of socialism.  The first and perhaps scariest test of any Westerner in this city is the dreaded need to cross the road.  You can wait for the traffic to stop, but believe me, your  visa will have expired by then and immigration officials will be looking for you.  Step into the road, put one foot in front of the other and go.  Hesitate at your peril though.  Move confidently and the hordes of motorcycles and cars will move  around you like a  water coursing down a river.  Get over that ordeal and your task is simple, enjoy yourself.

It helps that I arrived on a night when stages appeared around the lake.  No dilly dallying here, the stage I'm watching form a terrace bar only went up about 4 hours ago.  The general impact on traffic seems irrelevant as acts from military choirs to aerobatic performers delight the gathered ranks of mopeds and their seemingly unwitting passengers.  It only serves however, to reinforce the fact that after years in the hinterland, Vietnam is waking up and the deep pockets of the west should take notice.  In my very short time here I have come to one conclusion, this place is a jewel if ever there was one.

No Pictures of Elephants I'm Afraid...

A quiet day in Bangkok's suburbs

The 'Sleeping Buddha'

I bet he hates this...

Down river side

Tuk-Tuk!

 

"Must get money" in Bangkok

Imagine you're walking along the side of small lane.  Mopeds and cars are flying past you, there are more street stalls than you can imagine, and your senses are working overtime.  You're looking around, at everything and nothing - the cacophony from the road, the glare of headlights, the Deep smells from street food vendors and the myriad of faces are a delight to the senses.

And the next thing you know you nearly walk into an elephant. Yes, an elephant.  A real live, swaying, grey chunky elephant. RIght there, in the middle of the sidewalk.  No, it's not minding it's on business, but working. And it will walk the streets, night after night after night.

Bangkok is a city of contrasts.  Throw into the mix young Thai urbanites, the 5 star hotels and condos, the vendors, the hoards of tourists, the working girls, the lady boys, and one smallish elephant.  But then add an ample measure of poverty. There are beggars on the street who have maimed themselves (i.e. limb amputation being extreme but nonetheless a fair example)  to appear as being in greater need of your coinage, and the mothers who bring their children to the street to beg, some still infants.

That elephant represents the hoards of rural Thais who leave the country side and come to the city in the hopes they can break out of the poverty that has followed them since birth.  The elephant is a revered creature in this country. But to the mahout (handler) who brings his animal into the city to walk the streets of Sukhumvit each night, that elephant is a source of income.  He sells smalls bags of food to the tourists so they can feed the animal.

Animals being used in this way is truly shameful.  But the greater sin is poverty, were it not for it, the elephant would be in the country where it belongs. 

Come here and spend your money, and spend a lot of it.  But spend it with a conscience.

Ever feel like a cat in a washing machine?

So, can you say, mind blown??  Yes, I think you can.  I found myself in Sunny Bangkok (though today is like a rainy day in Cumbernauld - if you add on 30 degrees that is) battling a major case of jet lag and a sense of culture shock that feels a little bit like raw oysters sliding down your throat.  You want to do it but feel slightly sick as a result.

In a city where almost anything goes, I can't help feel like I've been parachuted into a mad social experiment and have no idea what will happen next. But, this is not a bad thing.  Its been said that if its your first time to SE Asia, then this is the place to start. It's a fusion of western and Asian culture, instantly recognizable but most certainly not what you expected.  The initiation is definitely worth it.

In 24 hours, the jet lag has abated but only slightly, and the attack on my senses is only just beginning. 

Spot on.

The Portland Adventure. And the Invisible Mountain too.

Portland has a secret.  Everyone has heard the rumour, but many don't believe it to be true.  Apparently, there is a large Mountain overlooking the city.  My immediate reaction was 'no, you must be kidding.  That's preposterous.'  But, if you ask the locals, they will all swear by the fact that Mt. Hood, does in fact, exist.   The only problem is, I never saw it and consequently, I can't be sure.  But, that said, I did visit Mt. Hood's  Timberline Lodge, famous for being the setting (but only the outside I grant you) of 'The Shining. The snow was so heavy, the lodge seemed but an afterthought, in keeping with the film itself. Who said Spring had arrived?

 

Mt Hood has been described to me as being not dissimilar to Mt. Fuji in Japan.  It's conical and snow capped reach overlooks (apparently) a city awash with micro brewery's and restaurants of every conceivable origin. You will find a world of gastronomic pleasures in this city, and don't be surprised if you find yourself sitting in a period home that has been gloriously maintained and now serves as a small enclave  where the stomach is king..  This is particularly evident in and around Portland State University, with its tree lined avenues and coffee houses, the area is a haven for students and intellectuals, so I couldn't help wondering, 'What am I doing here?'

 

A short stroll away you'll find the Portland Art museum. along with its permanent exhibits on both the inside and outside of the building.  Go now if your passion is Impressionism and you'll be able to enjoy the works of Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec amongst others.

Enjoy a latte, stroll down towards Pioneer Square and pop into one of the many shops that envelop it.  I dare you not to walk into Macy's.  A walk down to Portland's China Town might not feel particularly Chinese but you'll find ample distraction in the 4 floor Goliath that is Powells Books.   It is without doubt, the largest bookshop I have ever been in (and America's biggest).  If you like to read, Valhalla awaits you in the state of Oregon.

 

You can fly to Portland, like most cities.  But you shouldn't. And don't take the train either.  Drive. Yeah, you'll probably be in the car for a while, but you'll never be bored.  And unlike airplanes, you can stop, get out and enjoy what has to one the most beautiful corners of the US.

 

Boring Oregon is not, despite what the sign says...

 

Its a compliment when...

It was nice of Simon / Molly and at TravelBuzz to take an interest, though I may have caused some controversy by describing New York as 'Past it' - Perhaps I was a bit unfair to NYC, after all, I said it myself, I avoided the things I like the most about it, the 5th Avenue glitz. So, I'll eat my words somewhat, but the East Village is no longer for me.

Go to NYC and indulge in the things you love, for it has something to satisfy any taste. Just think twice about what you tell your Mum!

Polygamists not only drink beer, they have a sense of humour too...