26 April - 2 May 2010 - Siem Reap, Cambodia

Our Mekong Delta trip was up to Phnom Penh where we stayed for a day, and then took a bus to Siem Reap. There were many buddhist monks among us, enroute to Siem Reap. As we were told later, they headed to Angkor Wat to celebrate Vesak, or Buddha Day, a holy day observed by Buddhists in South East Asian countries (more about it in my next post). 

My favorite part of the city was French quarter. Located right in the city centre, it is a mix of Cambodian traditional daily life, and modern (sometimes upscale) restaurants and shops. Its wide streets are made of 2-storey buildings painted in pastel colours, and filled with scooters and auto rikshaws.  Some of them were particularly remarkable. 

23-26 April 2010 - Mekong delta trip. Chùa Hang Pagoda

It was day 3 of our Mekong Delta tour. I did not remember any mention of Chùa Hang Pagoda when booking the tour, so it was a pleasant surprise, especially after a few hours spent in the bus.
Chùa Hang Pagoda is located on Sam mountain, in Chau Doc, close to Cambodian border. Let me tell you, it was probably the most peaceful place I have been to...

23-26 April 2010 - Mekong delta trip, or life on the water. Rice noodles and coconut candies

During our trip along Mekong Delta, we had several stops. One of them was to demonstrate a traditional method of making rice noodles. Do you know how they are made? I had no clue. Now I do.

Once the 'dough' is prepared, it is spread in a large circular and super thin sheet:

Then it will be covered and left to be precooked for a few minutes:

23-26 April 2010 - Mekong delta trip, or life on the water. Part 2

As we were waiting for our boat, I took a picture of those boat operators enjoying their morning 'siesta'. It was already hot at 9 a.m.

Boats, scooters, and bicycles, everywhere, anywhere. Note pioneer's red scarves (hello from the Soviet Union!)

23-26 April 2010 - Mekong delta trip, or life on the water. Part 1.

Our next destination was Cambodia, and we thought that the best way to get there and explore a bit of Vietnam would be Mekong delta trip. It lasted for 3 days and two nights, and I am so grateful to Thierry for persuading me into the trip as I had some doubts due to my most-likely-seasickness. All went well! No seasickness victims onboard.
Here are some shots of what I saw. More to follow.

19-22 April 2010 - Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam

Early in the morning we took another AirAsia flight, now to Ho Chi Minh, with a transit in … Kuala Lumpur. Third time in Malaysia! Visa and passport control was smooth and quickly (we used "visa upon arrival" with a LOI arranged in advance). Welcome to Vietnam!

I was not particularly enthusiastic about going to Vietnam, and I never thought that Vietnam would become a country I will miss, and where I want to come back to. Now that the trip is over and we have 9 countries behind us, Vietnam is my No.1 in the wishlist of future travels in that part of the world.

The most amazing thing about Vietnam for me is its people. Vietnamese start their day with sunrise (where else you can find a travel agency open at 7 a.m?) and work till late, and even though they work so hard, I can’t remember an instance of seeing someone grumpy or impolite. Vietnamese are strong in spirit. We saw many people physically handicapped: they were selling cards, books, but none of them was begging for alms. I do hope that economy in Vietnam will grow, and so will the standards of living. Vietnamese deserve it.

We arrived in the evening, and I could not help taking a picture of evening Ho Chi Minh:

13-18 April 2010 – Indonesia, Bali, Kuta

We took an AirAsia flight from Singapore to Denpasar, provincial capital of Bali. After a short taxi ride we were in Kuta, a former fishing village, now a popular tourist destination, especially for surfers.

We stayed in a lovely budget mini hotel on the Poppies Lane 1, close enough to the beach and far enough from the clubs and bars not to be bothered by party noise. There was a nice swimming pool and a patio area…

8-13 April 2010: Singapore. Clarke Quay, meeting old friend and the night safari

You have seen some pictures of my favorite place in Singapore, Clarke Quay, in the previous post. We came back there again, to have a dinner at Hooters' - the food was yummy! Later, in New York, we came to Hooters' hoping to get the same delicious food - and see the girls, of course, and none of them was as good as at Clarke Quay.

8-13 April 2010: Singapore, an overview

I should tell you, I was leaving Kuala Lumpur with sadness. For some reasons, I felt so comfortable in that city. And at the same time, I was excited to go to Singapore, the country (or city?) I was dreaming of for so long. So, we finally arrived to Singapore. Chewing-gum free country. A country of 4 official languages (hello Kazakhstan, it is possible!).  A country with the lowest corruption level in Asia and the lowest crime level in the world. It is the second country in the world by population density, with at least 3 major ethnic groups and no major ethnic conflicts. 

27 March 2010 - Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia

If you are in Kuala Lumpur, make sure you visit Batu Caves, one of the most popular Hindu temples outside India. It is within a short bus-ride (and now there is a new train line available up to the cave) from Kuala Lumpur. 
The caves are located inside a limestone hill covered with trees. To enter the main cave, we climbed 272 narrow steps. Lord Murugan statue in front of the cave is breath-taking: 42.7 m high covered with gold paint, this statue overlooks the city below and makes you feel so tiny... The area around the caves is full of monkeys that are in tourist business - they love stealing things from tourists! 
Here is a valuable advice: though Kuala Lumpur is free of mosquitoes, there are plenty of flying vampires inside the caves, so a repellent is a good thing to have with you. 


The gate to the caves:

18 March – 9 April 2010: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I fell in love with this city immediately. When I hear its name, it sounds for me like a melody coming from a xylophone, “Ku-a-la-lum-pur”. And when I look at the buildings near Merdeka square or close to China town, I think of sweets - those caramel colors are... mouth-watering. Add modern buildings made of glass and steel, and you will have an idea of this vibrant city. 
We stayed in Little India (yep, could not say goodbye to India!), which is only a few blocks away from China Town. Kuala Lumpur has a very efficient public transportation network, including metro and monorail lines. However, if you stay close to the city center, you may not need public transport that much, as the city is fairly walkable. English is widely spoken, and we had no problems at all (even a lady at the post office was fluent in English). 

March 13-14, 2010: Kerala backwaters

If you happen to be in Kerala, you can’t lose an opportunity to take a boat trip along the lakes and channels, known as Kerala backwaters. The area parallel to Arabian Sea, it includes 5 lakes  linked by channels,  and I did not hesitate to call it ‘the Venice of India’.

What made this trip very special is that it was Thierry’s birthday present to me, absolutely unforgettable one…

So early in the morning we left for Alappuzha (or Alleppey) where our boat trip would start. The boats are actually floating houses, able to accommodate up to 8-10 people, not including the crew.  For the next 24 hours we had a comfortable cabin and a cosy area on the deck, and own captain and chef!

We spent a very relaxing day, drifting down the channels, enjoying the views of the calm water, reflections of the sun on it, palm trees. The scenery is truly amazing! We saw local people bathing, boys playing in the water, women doing their laundry and men transporting goods on canoes.  Thierry was offered to sail the boat, and he certainly took his chance to practice his sailing skills.

In the evening, before the dinner with a cake, a surprise was waiting for me. A pair of cute earrings with aquamarine was lying on the bed, a present from Thierry.  Yes, I agree with you – my boyfriend is such an amazing guy!

I have already mentioned that I love food in Kerala. It is not as hot spicy as northern Indian cuisine is, but it is so delicate and full of flavours as almost every dish is cooked with coconut milk. 

25 February-18 March: Trivandrum, Kerala

Trivandrum, or Thiruvananthapuram (an official name that I still cannot memorize) is a capital of Kerala state in India.  It is within 37-km train ride from Varkala.

Even though Trivandrum is not a touristic city at all, there are a few things that are special and I should tell you about them.

It was the first city where I had seen a mosque, catholic and orthodox cathedrals and a temple to Lord Ganesh, all on the same street: Palayam Juma Masjid,  St. Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral, St. George’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, and a temple to Lord Ganesh. It is amazing that all these religions co-exist in the city so closely, and it is the perfect example of the religious tolerance in Kerala.

And for the first time here in India, we saw a street protest (unfortunately, I cannot tell you what it was against or for. Maybe someone will read this and tell us what it was about?). It seemed to be very well arranged and controlled as well: no signs of violence or riots.

There is an interesting stadium in the city centre, Chandrashekaran Nair Football Stadium. Hold on, it is not just the name that makes it interesting: it is semi-circle and host even international level matches.

People in the south of India, and in Kerala in particular, look so much different from those living on the north of the country. While Europeans go to solariums and stay on the beaches for hours to get tanned, people in Kerala protect their skin and walk with sun umbrellas. Women usually wear saris, while men may not wear trousers but dhoti, a rectangular piece of cloth, wrapped around and knotted at the waist. It must be the best clothing for a hot and humid weather!

We have visited a museum of science and technology, which was surprisingly good (it would give many points to the National Museum of India back in Delhi!), definitely a must-see if you are in Trivandrum. Give a miss to the 3D-movie theater close to the museum if you have ever seen any movie in 3D (read the sign: feel the effect of 3D, which you have heard but never experienced!).

25 February – 18 March 2010 - Varkala, Kerala - the town and places around

Varkala, the town, is noticeably cleaner than any other Indian city on the north. It is also very colorful and I may not be objective, but I think that Varkala buses are the most colorful! Some architectural items and signboards on the streets had made me smile quite a few times... 

One day we made a tour around the town. There is a beautiful lake within a few kilometers from the town and we saw picturesque fishermen houses around it, built just between the palm trees. 

Also between the palms is St. Sebastian's church, beautiful and big enough to admit all Christians of Varkala town. 

Back at North Cliff, we took a cooking class one evening. So now Thierry knows all the secrets of fish molee!

I did not mentioned in my previous post that I visited a homeopath doctor (as he calls himself) at North Cliff. Note the only book on his table, the Lonely Planet Guide... 

Soon we will leave Kerala and India. And like many other places we have been to, people we met in Varkala will always stay in our minds. 

25 February – 18 March 2010 - Varkala, Kerala

Another overnight train and here we are, in Varkala, North Cliff.
Varkala is a small town of about 40,000 inhabitants in the state of Kerala. But our final destination was so-called North Cliff, a purely touristic spot on the top of a cliff adjacent to the Arabian Sea, about 5 km off from Varkala town.
The first line on the cliff is a chain of hotels, shops, cafes, restaurants and Internet cafes. Behind them you will find various guest houses, jewellery shops, drum and joga classes, and numerous ayurvedic spas. Life here is quiet. Unlike Goa with parties-all-night, Varkala is for families and health-conscious people. As our Lonely Planet book says, “It seems like every man and his dog has an Ayurvedic-related product to sell”. This is so true!
For me Varkala smells
Ocean….
Incenses from the shops…
Fresh fish and sea food in the evening from nearly every restaurant…
And it sounds
Reggae music (and don’t ask me why it is so popular here!)
Coconut fall that can make wake you up in the middle of the night
Invites from the shops with an unforgettable accent, “Have a look! Come to my shop!”
I should admit that food in South India is the one I prefer the most. It is less hot than in the north but still full of mild spices like coriander, fennel, cinnamon and a lot of coconuts. The specialty of Kerala is fish molee, fish stew with coconut milk, and for me, fish has never tasted so sophisticated! If you did not manage to go to Nepal, here in Varkala you will have a chance to taste Tibetan food as many restaurants here are hold by Nepalese.

17-21 February 2010 – Udaipur, Rajastan

With curved, airy palaces, narrow streets, lakes, trees in blossom, Udaipur is called ‘the most romantic city’ in India. I totally agree. Udaipur is fabulous. We spent 4 days there and in spite of forthcoming trip, we did not want to leave.

15-16 February 2010 – Jaipur, Rajastan

Having arrived in Jaipur, we immediately realized that we were in a completely different part of the country. The city is cleaner and greener, and the traffic is not as crazy as it is in Delhi. Once we got off the bus, a rickshaw driver approached us.

AMAR

I should admit that it is him who will always remind me of Jaipur. He has been living in Jaipur all his life and knows the city like the back of his hand.

On the way to Atithi Guest House Amar proposed be our driver for tomorrow. Amar showed us not only those places that were not even listed in the Lonely Planet but also guided us against tourist traps (‘do not take a guide, there are plates in English everywhere and you will understand easily”, “do not buy water there, it is not safe”).

­­So in the morning Amar started our tour. Long time ago Jaipur got the name of ‘Pink City’, so are all buildings in the old city center. The most beautiful architecture is certainly in the City Palace:

CITY PALACE

14 February 2010, Agra - St. Valentine's day at Taj Mahal

We left Delhi with a morning train. At first, we confused the trains (got into 2002 instead of 2002b) but kind local people noticed a big number of foreigners (that are not supposed to be on this train, or at least not in this quantity) and sent us to a correct one.

3 hours later we were in Agra. We made a mistake by not booking a room in advance (for example, in Delhi there is no need to book a room without having a look at it as rooms are normally available). So we had to accept what was available. The room in Taj Mahal was quite dirty, with no glass in the bathroom window and with a swarm of mosquitoes. However the guest house manager was a nice man and we got our bed clothing changed, a fumigator. The window in the bathroom was securely closed with a plastic bag and scotch tape that I took from home. Result: all mosquitoes were dead.

In the afternoon we headed to Taj Mahal. The security check at the gates was fairly serious, every person should be inspected as well as his or her belongings. No guns, knifes, laptop accumulators, any food and chewing gums are allowed. The last two points are aimed at keeping the territory clean.

Taj Mahal is fascinating. So far it is the most beautiful building I have ever seen. Officially, no photography is allowed inside the tomb. Unofficially, everybody were flicking with their cameras. It was shocking to watch people taking pictures with the graves on the background, kids laughing, and all that noise.

There are lawns in front of Taj Mahal with the plates “no entry to the grass” that are totally ignored by people. There were families and companies of friends on the lawn. So we did too for a couple of minutes to take some pictures. Sorry grass. 

February 11 to 13. Delhi, India

My feelings about Delhi are so mixed. Right now all I need is to leave the city. It is not because I disliked Delhi but during these 3 days I got so tired of noise, dust, smog and people screaming. And also people peeing EVERYWHERE.

Fairy India for me started with Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb. The architecture was such a pleasure for my eyes that are used to Soviet blocks. President’s House and Ministry of Finance are fabulous.

February 10: Almaty-Delhi

Here I am, sitting in Almaty airport and waiting for my flight to Delhi. Again taxi hassle and rudeness of the airport officers (were they specially trained for that?). My flight is 40 min delayed.

…

Few hours later I was in Delhi. I have no idea how they manage to get luggage ready when you are still standing in the line to go through passport control with so many flights! I exchanged some money and booked a pre-paid taxi. No hassle this time! The taxi driver brought me to the place and even walked me up to the hotel as the access was closed for cars. What can I say about the hotel? Beyond my expectations. Very cosy a clean, a perfect place to rest after a long flight.