Barbara's Travel Blog

10 days on the path to enlightenment

I am one with the universe. I have found the path to enlightenment, and have begun walking it. I see the connectedness of every living thing in the universe, and I am but a mere speck of dust. I think I may become a monk.

Ha ha - just kidding. Had a few of you going for a second there though, didn't I?

I just completed a 10-day silent meditation course in northern Thailand, which focused on the Vipassana form of meditation, which is purportedly the path to enlightenment. The program was a bit like diving into the deep end of the meditation pool. I'm not sure how advanced (or not) the other students were in their meditation practices, but I am a relative lightweight, so 10 solid days of meditation was a lot.

As for those of you who thought I wouldn't survive the "noble silence," you were way off - that wasn't hard at all. I was especially well prepared after six weeks of traveling through southeast Asia, where I often find myself surrounded by people who didn't speak my language. Although the noble silence is more than just not talking - it's also not touching, gesturing with or even making eye contact with the other students. We also weren't allowed to read, listen to music, watch TV, write (even taking basic notes), or do anything that might create more noise in our minds (except laundry and dishes, of course), and men and women were kept separated at all times.

But the really hard part was the meditation itself. Eleven - yes, I said 11! - hours a day, starting at 4:30 in the morning. That's more than 100 hours of meditation over the 10-day course. Of course, if I'm being honest, I didn't make it to all of those hours. Especially since certain time of the day we had the choice of meditating in the main hall or in our quarters (we each had a small room of our own, roughly 6x9 feet). For the 4:30-6:30 a.m. slot, I usually chose my quarters, where I "meditated" horizontally, under the covers, unconscious.

But hey, that still left nine hours of meditation during the rest of the day, which, trust me, was plenty. Especially when on day five they introduced the "Sittings of Strong Determination," in which we had to sit without opening our eyes or moving our hands or legs for a full hour, three times a day. Gosh, that was fun!

As for what we did during those meditation hours, it's kind of complicated to explain, so I'm going to skip describing it on my blog, but if anyone's really interested, I'm happy to tell you about it privately. I didn't buy into all the philosophies they taught here, but I did find much of it insightful, and I found answers to some important questions of my own that were a big part of why I set out on this entire trip. That alone made the last 10 days worth it. In hindsight though, I probably would have been fine with a 5- or 7-day course, maybe mixed with some yoga practice, but hey - live and learn.

Today is the last day, so we got our valuables back - books, computers, cameras, phones, etc. - and were allowed to talk with each other. The environment is completely different now, with people talking on cell phones and gossiping in the hallways. We have a few more hours of meditation tonight and tomorrow morning, then I will get on a bus back to Bangkok.

It's been great to finally get to talk to all these people I've been studiously avoiding for the last nine days. Anne was the only English-speaking person on staff this week, and it turned out she actually just wanted to attend as a student, but because she speaks English, she was asked to sign up as a worker. We were allowed to talk briefly to the workers throughout the week, so Anne was literally the only person I communicated with for the first nine days.

I also spent some time chatting with Tasana, the nun who I couldn't help notice smiling all week. I had been thinking of her as a female monk, but it turns out there's no such thing, they're nuns. I also had assumed she'd been a monk/nun forever, but in fact she only became one about a year ago, and before that she was a financial planner. Talk about a career change! She said she's not sure if she'll be a nun forever, so she hasn't given up all her possessions yet. But hearing about her lifestyle was fascinating - for example, she's not allowed to spend money. So if she needs to eat, buy a bus ticket, etc., she has to rely on the charity and goodwill of others - which, it turns out, is quite abundant. She says she doesn't even have to ask for charity - in Thailand, people proactively offer it.

One other thing that changed dramatically today was the food. I was quite certain this week that they were intentionally feeding us mediocre-to-bad food (I eventually starting thinking of it as "gruel"), so that we wouldn't overeat, since a partly empty stomach is said to help with meditation. I figured if my theory was right, on the last day they would show us they really could cook decent food. Sure enough, today they brought out the good stuff - som tam (green papaya salad), green curry with rice noodles, and coconut ice cream - yay!

So at the end of it all, I didn't quite become a Buddha (i.e. a fully enlightened person), but I did accomplish what I set out to with this course. And hey, fully enlightened people are know-it-alls anyway, right? J

More photos at http://babas.typepad.com/photos/my_gap_year_2/.

A brief hiatus

FYI, I will be doing a silent meditation retreat in northern Thailand for the next 10 days, which means no blogging, e-mail or any other form of communication during that time. See you back here after the 28th!

Goodbye Vietnam

I can't believe I've left Vietnam. I'm now in the air on my way back to Bangkok. It feels unreal - after just a month, Vietnam has begun to feel like home, and it's hard to fathom returning to overly touristed Thailand.

I spent the last couple days in the Mekong Delta, where there are as many rivers and canals as streets, and the water is an intrinsic part of everyday life. It was swelteringly hot, so the most minor efforts felt Herculean, and everywhere I turned there were new and even more disturbing odors assaulting me. This is actually the Mekong's dry season, so water levels were lower than usual and what's left is stagnant with the smell of sulfur and decaying garbage.

Nevertheless, life on the river is fascinating, with many families living on boats that transport goods between the Delta and Saigon. Peering into their boats, I saw living room, bedroom and kitchen in one - but no toilet or shower - the river serves that purpose. The river is also where they wash their dishes and food; if nothing else, they benefit from iron stomachs hardened from years of bacterial abuse.

The tour group I was with visited several excessively touristy sites, including coconut candy makers, snake wine makers, rice noodle makers and native musicians. I succumbed to the pressure to buy a few things, but mostly I just tried to observe what was going on beyond the tour.

Then again, though it was clearly tourist-oriented, my favorite part of the trip was paddling in small boats down a narrow canal. A local woman in bare feet squatted at the front of the boat, steering our way through mangrove trees and other boats. This was the quietest moment I had in two days - all I could hear was the water splashing against the boat, the other boats occasionally bumping against ours, and occasionally friendly exchanges between the boat operators. It reminded me of kayaking, when you're so low to the water that you almost become part of it.

I also enjoyed the floating market, where farmers from around the Delta come to sell their crops on the river. Hundreds of boats crunch together, competing for space and attention among local buyers and tourists alike. Each family hangs a sampling of their wares from a large stick that rises up from their boat, so that everyone can see exactly what they sell. Some were like supermarkets, offering a full range of fruit and vegetables, while others specialized in just one item.

Toward the end of the trip, the tour group voted and opted to go off the beaten path to a little village and just wander around, instead of going to the rice husking factory (thank goodness). I really enjoyed seeing ordinary, day-to-day life away from the typical tourist spots, even if in all the wandering around I did get bitten by a red ant. I think they're red because they're angry. Why are you so angry, little ants?

Now that I have finished my time in Vietnam, I can't help but reflect a bit over the last month. It's always hard to say if your experience in a place is good or bad because of the place itself, or because of where you were at mentally and emotionally while you were there. All I can say is that one way or another, I have been happier and felt more like myself in the last month than I have in the last two years. Whether that's due to me, or Vietnam, or both... I guess only time will tell.

P.S. I know it's childish, but I couldn't help but take a photo of this boat (click on the photo to see what I mean)...

You call it Saigon, I call it Ho Chi Minh City

Last night I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City - formerly known as Saigon. No matter what you call it, it's the biggest city in Vietnam, and distinctly different from the rest of the country, with trendy restaurants, brand-name fashion stores and hi-rise buildings. Of course, it's still Vietnam, so there are still hordes of scooters and an active street life.

After checking out reviews on the Internet, I was slated to stay at the Bed and Breakfast Ho Van Hue. After checking in though, there was no way I was going to stay there. In fact, I'll put this in caps for people who use search engines to check out the hotel. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT STAY AT THE BED AND BREAKFAST HO VAN HUE IN HO CHI MINH CITY!

When I arrived, it was located in an alley and there was no sign out front indicating that it was even a business. The taxi driver rang the doorbell, and a guy came out and greeted me by name, so at least I knew I was in the right place. But then after going through his introductory spiel, he took me to my room - which was in entirely different building three blocks away. The hallways weren't lit, and my room was a green industrial color with fluorescent ceiling lights that looked distinctly prison-like, and bore no resemblance to the photos on their web site. The web site also said they had wi-fi in the guest rooms, but in fact they only had it in the "service center" (where I checked in), three blocks away from my room. And the whole time I was checking in and getting to my room, I never once saw another guest. The whole thing just felt not right.

So, after a quick Internet search that revealed few hotels to be available that night, I decided to pay out the ass and booked a room at the Sofitel. It was way over my budget, but I'd been saving with $7 a night hostels and $2 meals for much of the last three weeks. Needless to say, the Sofitel is delightful, with fabulous restaurants, outstanding rooms and a rooftop pool.

Today I explored Saigon a bit, but didn't take many photos, as big cities aren't particularly photogenic. I was very pleased, however, to find an excellent sushi restaurant, where I got a fabulous dinner for US $17 that would have easily cost me $40 at home.

Tomorrow I will head to the Mekong Delta on a boat that will wind through narrow canals and floating markets to see life in the deep south of Vietnam. And as hard as it is for me to believe, on Tuesday I leave Vietnam to head back to Thailand. Where has the time gone?

Dune day - give me a dollar!

My butt is numb, there's sand wedged in the zoom lever of my camera, and I've got backpack straps sunburned onto my back. Can you guess where I've been today?

This morning I headed out with three Australians from my hotel - Michael, Paige and Cameron - to check out Mui Ne's two sets of dunes, one red and one white. We rented a couple motorbikes and set off around 9am.

First up was a stop at a nearby fishing village, where we were accosted by some very lively children, who, like so many kids in Vietnam, had their hands out and knew a few English phrases: "Hello," "What's your name?" and "Give me a dollar." I really wish someone would send these kids to school, because there will come a point very soon when people are no longer willing to pay them just because they're cute and demanding. Our group was already at that point.

Next on the agenda was the red dunes, which sounded cooler to me than white dunes, but according to the hotel staff are far inferior. They were right, but I still enjoyed seeing the striking red sand against the vivid blue sky. I did not, however, enjoy the constant pestering of the kids who wanted me to pay to slide down the dunes on their plastic mats.

Finally, we set off on what was supposed to be a 35km drive to the white dunes. We went a bit too far (about 15km too far, in fact), but eventually doubled back and found them. En route, we shared the road with goats and cows, and stopped for a drink where I was pinched and patted by locals who wanted to feel my white skin and compare it to their darker tones.

When at last we got to them, the white dunes were worth the trip - massive, striking, surreal and isolated - not just another tourist in sight. Finally, here was a place that was genuine, with no tourist facilities and no one trying to sell me anything.

Of course, that's about when we all started to realize we were getting sunburned. And the prospect of 35 more kilometers on the motorbike to get back to the hotel wasn't exactly thrilling. Today I learned that after an hour on a motorbike, your butt continues to tingle for about 10 minutes, and your arms feel like they have ants crawling all over them.

But don't worry - it's nothing a $10 full-body massage couldn't clear up.

More photos at http://babas.typepad.com/photos/my_gap_year_2/.

P.S. More fun with menus...

Trusting my life to Italian electrical engineers

My hotel has electric showers, which actually work quite well, especially after suffering through small hot water tanks throughout Vietnam. If you haven't tried one before, it essentially heats the water as you go, vs. using a tank of stored hot water.

Which is all well and good, but despite their effectiveness, I still have some lingering doubts about the combination of electricity and large quantities of water.

So imagine my pleasure when this morning I noticed the sticker that says the shower is based on Italian technology. Because really, when one thinks about engineering marvels, who doesn't think of Italy?

Tropical paradise, part 2

I'm back in tropical paradise again, this time in Vietnam. But much like Thailand, I doubt I'll have much to write about for the next four days, since my time has been and will continue to be comprised of sleeping in, swimming, tanning, eating, and drinking. The hotel grounds are of course lovely, it being a tropical paradise.

My big effort of today was riding a bike to a nearby shop to buy replace my broken deodorant. I intended to also bike to a pizza restaurant down the road, which, according to the map looked not terribly far.

The bike, unfortunately, was a bit wobbly and ill-fitting, and featured only one gear, so the ride was not exactly relaxing. I found a store selling deodorant (which I'm sure everyone around me will be grateful for), then continued down the road for what felt like an eternity, fighting wind, dust and passing vehicles.

I was having no luck spotting my restaurant of choice though, so I stopped to check my guidebook, thinking maybe I had gone too far - after all, I'd been riding forever. To my horror, upon looking at the map, I realized I was only about a fifth of the way there. After long and serious deliberation (about two seconds, in all), I turned my bike around and headed back to my hotel. After all, paradise isn't supposed to involve torture!

The long and winding road

I can't tell you how good it feels to be not sitting on a bus. Last night I spend 20 hours on a bus getting from Hoi An to Mui Ne, a sleepy beach town on the coast of southern Vietnam. The bus ride was hot, stuffy, crowded and featured some of the bumpiest roads I've ever had the displeasure of cruising over.

On the upside, I don't have to get on a bus again for four days, and when I do, it will only be for four hours to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

I know I'm a total tech-addict, but I'll tell you, I don't know if I could have made it through without my laptop. I had downloaded The Pursuit of Happyness, and the latest episodes of The Office, Ugly Betty, and Law & Order SVU. Considering that most of us on the bus got maybe two hours sleep total, and there were no reading lights, I was so grateful to have some mindless entertainment.

So here's to laptops and to iTunes and to Morpheus. Technology rocks.

A darling city

After my day of R&R, yesterday I was feeling reenergized and excited about exploring a new city. I didn't know much about Hoi An beyond that it comes highly recommended by everyone who's been here, and it's known as the place in Vietnam to get custom-tailored clothing.

Though my travel-weariness had abated, the rain hadn't, so I found myself slogging through puddles and exchanging sympathetic glances with the rare fellow tourists I encountered. It was well worth it though - I quickly became enchanted with Hoi An's narrow, winding streets lined with quaint shops and cafes, which reminded me surprisingly of a quaint Italian town.

After meandering through the central market and visiting the best-known tourist spot in town - the covered Japanese bridge - I made my way to a tailor that had been recommended to me, and proceeded to order not only the two tops I had planned, but also a skirt and three pairs of pants - all of which they said would be ready by 5pm.

Sure enough, at five everything was done, and I liked what they'd done so much, I ended up ordering two more pairs of pants, a dress, another skirt, and two more tops. The prices are similar to what you'd pay for clothes at Old Navy, but using quality fabrics of your choice, and all custom-made to fit your exact measurements. It was difficult not to order even more, but it's already hard enough as is to fit everything in my suitcase each time I move.

I also ordered a pair of custom-made shoes - something cute and strappy and completely unsensible. Because for $12, unsensible shoes suddenly don't seem so unsensible.

On top of the general cuteness, great shopping and of course my fabulous hotel, Hoi An also seems to have consistently great food. I haven't had a bad meal here yet, and many of the restaurants have a nice view of the river that runs through town. They also offer some interesting services - for a fee, of course (see photo).

I really hope I have a chance to come back and spend more time here some day. Two days just don't do it justice, and I can only imagine how lovely it must be when it's not the rainy season.

P.S. Since writing this, the rain has dried up, so today I was able to use one of the hotel's free bikes and pedal around town. It was not the best bike for me - it would have been a better fit for my friend Kim or my aunt Pat - but I still had lots of fun dodging the "moto-bikes" and the many pedestrians. I tried on my second round of clothes and ended up ordering even more. Help, I'm addicted to tailored clothing!

My perfect homebody day

Yesterday I found the perfect antidote to the "traveled-out" feeling I mentioned earlier this week.

Earlier this week I had arranged a hotel in Hoi An based on the stellar reviews given to the Ha An Hotel on TripAdvisor. At US $45, it's a lot more expensive than your average hotel in Vietnam, but of course still quite cheap compared to US hotels.

Upon checking in, I was delighted to learn what $45 gets you in Vietnam. I was greeted with delicious ginger tea, as well as fresh flowers and a fruit basket in my room. The room is beautifully decorated, with high-quality bedding, fluffy towels, a TV with DVD player and a selection of DVDs, free wi-fi, and even flower petals on the bed! I can see why past guests said their stay here was the highlight of their Vietnam trip.

With rain pouring down outside, and a days-old desire to be a homebody, I gave myself permission to do nothing for the rest of the day. I lazed around in bed, took a hot bath, watched mindless TV, surfed the Internet, and eventually tracked down a bottle of wine and got a little drunk while watching a movie.

Ah, to do nothing...

Get on the bus, Gus

So far on this journey I have spent plenty of quality time on planes, trains and motorbikes - but not much thus far on buses. Then the fates stepped in, and more than corrected that in the last two days.

Upon arriving in Hue on Wednesday, I found a tour company recommended in the Rough Guide to see what I should see while in Hue. I'm not a fan of big group tours, but since I only had one full day there (Thursday), I booked a whirlwind, see-it-all-in-a-day bus tour. It cost a whopping US $7, including lunch. Gotta love the value of the dollar in Vietnam.

In the morning we saw three tombs of former Vietnamese kings, two of which were very peaceful and park-like, and the other quite opulent and ornate - no surprise, since that one was for the gay king. I especially liked the painted ceiling, which made it worth climbing more than 120 stairs to get there.

As always, there were entertaining signs, this time revealing an apparent distaste for lying. I'm trying to imagine who goes to the trouble to go to visit these tombs (which are pretty far outside of town), then decides they'd like to nap on top of them.

Next we visited a village where handicapped people make incense and conical hats. Both were interesting, but I was especially fascinated by the incense, which it turns out is rolled from a large lump of scented clay-like substance, which is not at all how I would have imagined it.

The afternoon was consumed with a trip to the old Imperial City, where the kings of the former monarchy used to live. Most of it was destroyed during the French and American wars, but they are in the process of rebuilding it, and it should be done in about 13 years (be sure and mark your calendars). I was excited to find out there were elephants there, but opted not to take a ride on one, since upon closer inspection, they didn't seem very happy.

We finished off the day with a visit to one of the more dramatic of Hue's many pagodas. I was amused to spy a herd of cows trotting down the city street in front of the pagoda, competing with motorbikes and cars.

As I write this, I'm getting more quality bus time, in the form of a five-hour trip to Hoi An, where I will spend the next two nights. Today I woke up to pouring rain, which is making it less-than-appealing to get off the bus at the various viewpoint stops. There are two little Vietnamese boys who are entertaining me though. They are fascinated with my laptop and headphones, and are now rocking out to Beck, which I'm finding quite amusing.

Last but not least, is it just me, or all these dolls a bit disturbing?

More photos at http://babas.typepad.com/photos/my_gap_year_2/index.html.

Hue to go

This morning I arrived in Hue (pronounced like "way," but with a bit of h at the beginning), after a tiring 12-hour overnight train ride. Hue is about midway between Hanoi in the north and Saigon in the south of Vietnam.

For the last couple days, I've felt a little traveled-out, so I'm hoping the change of scenery will help. More later, after I've had a chance to poke around a bit.

Crossing the road in Hanoi

Here's a video my friend Bryony took while crossing the road in Hanoi (and yes, this is a typical road-crossing experience):