Of course you know, this means war-m!

Enough cold. We're on our way to Costa Rica. Kari found an adventure travel package and so off we go to white water raft, climb a volcano, zip-line back down, and paddle the waves. With a little pool and beach time tossed in for good measure. No turkey, but a damn fine way to spend Thanksgiving.

Zermatt

The word "Switzerland" brings several things to mind: time-keeping, banking, fondue, Matterhorn. The first two define the the psyche, the second pair the heart. With that in mind, we left the former to embrace the latter.

Entrance to the town of Zermatt is by train is provided a privately owned rail company. Eurail passes do not apply. (Note to self: buy ticket before boarding.) Luckily, the conductor was understanding and we did not have to pay a penalty. The sun was out and the ride up the hill was beautiful.

I booked us at the Hotel Backstage based on the recommendation of... (I can't remember--additional note to self: take better notes). It's a work in progress. Our room was stylistically modern, with accents in teak and metal. The hotel service was impeccable, the location ideal, the breakfasts expansive, and the view of the Matterhorn..., virtually non-existent. That was not the hotel's fault: you cannot really see the mountain from "downtown" Zermatt.

So be it. We sucked up the luxury and hit the town, such as it is. The town of Zermatt is to Sun Valley pretty much whatever the hamlet at the base of Sun Valley Resort is to Sun Valley. Don't know the name of that town, but at least Zermatt is known for itself. Definitely not Whistler, which is a good thing.

On the first night we rented skates and did our best Torvil and Dean impression around the public open-air skating rink. It was a lesson in ankle strength and humility to turn meager circles around the little rugrats who grew up on snow tools. Maybe we'll join the local curling group next time. They had beer and flat shoes.

The next morning we opted for sledge-redux. Our taste of the local sport at our last stop whetted our appetites for further two-railed adventures. The Gonergrat Bahn is one of several ways up the mountains from Zermatt, and offers regular stops at the bottom and top of of the sledging run. Sledging in Switzerland is nothing like a happy winter sled ride in America. They take it seriously here. The sledge run is 2km long, with turns to rival a downhill ski run. I finally got the hang of the track and sledge when I started to think of it as a Formula 1 course: you have to set up for you next corner at least two corners prior. I was on a wild machine at the mercy of only gravity, steered only by leaning and boot-dragging. I crashed a lot, always eager to get back up on the deck and hurtle downward again. Kari had the sense of the thing from the beginning. I usually started first, but she was always waiting for me at the bottom, I covered with snow from crashing, she with the glow of successful completion; together we trudged back to the train for the ride to the top. Bruised in sensitive places, I cannot wait to ride again.

And oh by the way, the view of the Matterhorn from the top of the Gonergrat in unequaled. You look across the valley directly at the mountain. It is the best view of the Matterhorn as the Matterhorn. Although the Matterhorn is not the highest peak even in the region, it stands out strikingly, and from the top of the Gonergrat Bahn you will not find a more stunning vantage.

The next day I took to the slopes for some of the local skiing. They hadn't had snow in a couple of weeks, so the conditions weren't ideal. Unless you count the perfectly blue skies and abundant sun. February is the high season in Switzerland for ski vacations, and the gondolas were full. But once you got on the slopes it was not too bad. The skiing here (and anywhere in the Alps, I'm sure) must be crazy good when there has been recent snowfall. The skiing was limited to the groomers, especially on my shorties. Anything off the groomed runs was crunchy on top, very soft under. I made do. Bummer having to ski in the sun, with no (and I mean no) wind at altitude. Maybe next time it will be fogged in and howling. Like 7th Heaven seemingly every time I've been there.

I met Kari for lunch at the top of the Klein Matterhorn, where you can almost touch the mountain. I took a long run down the Italian side to Cervinia, then back up to the top and back home to Zermatt. Over 4k vertical meters in two runs. Not bad for a guy on 99cm skiboards.

Somewhere in there we sat down to some real Käsefondue at the Cafe du Pont in Zermatt. (The link is hosed, so look it up when you get to Zermatt. It is just past the marmot fountain in the old town.) The döner kebab 25m away is a good alternative if the cafe is full.

Off to the banana belt next: Locarno. No more Schweizerdeutsch, finally Italian, a language I can at least fake.

Mürren

Mürren is the perfect little Swiss mountain town, from Zurich it is: 3 trains, one cable car, one more train. It is a destination without the overwhelming resort crush to it.

We spent the first afternoon wandering around the town; one lap took about an hour. The clouds had lifted and the views were spectacular. The little Coop grocery across from out hotel supplied dinner. I was most impressed: the prices here in the middle of nowhere were the were the same as in the big city.

Friday morning was perfectly clear and sunny. We rode the cable car to the summit of the Schilthorn (famous for its part in the Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"). Kari found a spot in the sun on the terrace at Birg, one stop down from the top, and I spent the day skiing in the shadow of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. There hadn't been snow in several weeks so the slopes were a bit icy. But I have never skied in a more spectacular setting. I think I spent as long gawking and taking pictures as I did skiing. This place would be as perfect as anywhere with about 10cm fresh snow. Then a sunny day.

We spent Saturday morning trying sledging (sledding to us 'Mericans), which is almost as popular as skiing around here. By the second run we kind of had it down, No steering on the sledges we had so it was pure drag turning. By the time we figured it out the Saturday crowd had invaded the slopes, and sharing the bob-run with beginner skiers and bundled rugrats became too much. We parked the sledges and hiked down to Gimmelwald, and even smaller hamlet where I'd spend a night on our world tour in 2009. The Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald is a great place to base for summer hikes.

On Sunday Kari was kind enough to let me spend the whole day skiing. She hiked down along the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren railway. I beat myself senseless on the slopes.

Zürich

We took the tram into Zürich from the airport. Not the fastest way, but it gave us a chance to watch the change from the modern outskirts, through the suburbs, into the heart of the city. Out hotel, the Hotel Bristol, was a five minute walk from Zürich HB, the central train station. The hotel is extremely convenient to the old town and central shopping district, and is very clean, and inexpensive by Zürich standards.

We spent Tuesday evening on a stroll around the old town, just getting our bearings. The weather was cool but not cold: zero degrees Celsius. It felt great after 16+ hours in planes and airports. At there were no disagreements over dinner: we dove into the first döner kebab shop we saw, and it was like we'd never left. I like a good gyro as much as the next guy, but doners bring back memories of travel and far-off places.

After a tasty breakfast we got down to serious touristing. For as old as Zürich is, it doesn't have the same ancient feeling of other European cities. The city has done an exceptional job of keeping itself clean and traditional while becoming the center of banking and technology on the continent. I also experienced first-hand something which cemented its place as the richest city in the world: a dirty Bentley. And not just dusty, but rather that "it's dirty from driving around in the snow all winter, I'll just wash it in the spring" dirty. Kinda of how mine will look.

We started our tour by riding the Polybahn funicular up the hill to the lookout in front of the Zürich Technical Academy. The sun had started to burn off the fog, and it gave us a perspective of our day's route.

We wandered down to the Central Library and Prediger Kirche to start. The library is a 19th century building which as been completely modernized inside. But still has card catalogs: haven't seen those for years. Hooray for old school. We continued on the the Rathaus and Rathaus Platz. The guard stopped my excursion to the upper floors, so we were limited to the lobby.

Just south is Zürich's oldest and largest church, the Grossmünster Kirke. We made the climb up the tower and we rewarded with amazing views of the city and the lake. A stroll through the Bürkli Platz along the lake took us to the shopping district. Rodeo Drive has nothing on Banhhofstrasse and surrounds.

We had lunch at the Restaurant Zeughauskeller, local bankers and tourists alike partaking of Swiss fare. After lunch we found the Watch and Clock museum, which is in the underground floor of a watch shop. The museum is very small but has a neat collection of timepieces. The watch shop, however, was also impressive: I probably can't afford anything where they server the customers Champagne while they peruse the wares.

We jumped on the No 11 tram and took it out to the Tram Museum. It was an interesting collection of old tram cars, housed in a former service depot. The Zürich card included both transit and entry to the museum. Seattle should do something similar, if it doesn't already. Many of the cities we visited had a similar package: museums, transit, and discounts.

Back in the old town, we found the Toy Museum and a bratwurst stand for dinner. Day one in the bag. Off to Mürren and the mountains in the morning.

Morning of departure: hurry to the train station...split up to get tix and food. I go to the Coop for travel snacks; and on the way back to the station I see the final nail in the 'MOVE TO EUROPE NOW, TIM" coffin: some dude walking to the Zurich train station in SKI BOOTS, carrying his skis Not carrying his boots, walking in them, kinda like walking from the parking lot to the lift. In down-effing-town Zurich. This is good.

Back on the road again: Seattle to Zürich

I can't believe it's been almost a year since we returned from our World Tour. The wanderlust was getting pretty bad. I have been to Switzerland several times, including our last swing through Europe, but Kari never has. Some leftover airline miles gave us the perfect opportunity to fill that gap: a couple of tickets in the Affaires cabin, courtesy of Air France, and away we go.

The flight from Seattle to Paris was very comfortable and smooth (and fairly empty). Transit through security upon arrival was bizarrely fast: no paperwork, no grilling at passport control, no long customs queues, nothing. Under a minute in line, a quick stamp, and "Welcome to France". (An unspoken welcome, but I knew she was thinking it.)

Both the landings in Paris and in Zürich were through very low cloud cover, so even though we arrived in daylight we didn't get to glimpse either city coming in. The Zürich airport is fairly compact which meant the bags were quick to arrive. And for the first time in my life, my bag was the first off the plane! I hope that won't be the highlight of the trip.

More as we move along.

Our Trip in Print

Just for fun, I published a couple of books about our trip. Blurb's preview is not all that great, but check them out online if you're interested.

Notre Sabbatique by Tim + Kari Dreyling | Make Your Own Book

The Flora Collection by Kari Dreyling | Make Your Own Book

Fun of Getting Lost

I've moved my musings on hiking, orienteering, urban scrambling, and the general enjoyment of getting lost to a new blog. http://funofgettinglost.blogspot.com/

Daily WTF Recognition

We have been readers of the Daily WTF for a while so during the first phase of our trip, we decided to send Alex some souvenirs and see if we made it on the site.  Sure enough, he posted a photo of our trinkets and even sent us some great stickers in return.

--
Kari Dreyling
http://notresabbatique.blogspot.com

Adjusting to Life at Home

We have been home for a couple of weeks now and it is taking some adjusting to get used to life in a single place.  The hardest part has been trying to get back to a semi-normal schedule without any external reasons to do so.  We have a lot to do around the house, but without jobs, it is difficult to create a daily routine.  The job search is going slower than I'd hoped, but I'm optimistic that things will pick up over the next month.  Until then, we are keeping ourselves busy around the house and networking as much as possible.

We're Home

We made it home and now get to dig through a year's worth of mail and look for jobs.

Plain of Jars, Phonsavan

We read awful things about the bus trip from Hanoi to Phonsavan, Laos, so we went ahead and booked a flight from Hanoi to Vientiane and then caught the once daily flight to Phonsavan. It turned out that the flight had been cancelled the previous few days due to weather so we felt lucky to arrive when we did. With only a few weeks left in our trip, it was worth it to fly.

Phonsavan, Laos, is completely different from anywhere we have visited in SE Asia so far. The city is a 9,022 ft ( 2,750 m ) so the afternoons are warm, but it got quite chilly in the evenings. We stayed at the Vansana Plain of Jars hotel and had a real log fire most nights to take the chill out of the room. Phonsavan is still somewhat unknown so there are not that many tourists. The city is growing and there are a lot more hotels going up, but the infrastructure for tourism is still visibly in progress. The Plain of Jars is on track to become a World Heritage Site in 2012 so I would expect tourism to pick up a bit as awareness of the region increases.

The main attraction in Phonsavan is the Plain of Jars. No one quite knows why these giant, sandstone jars were created or how they ended up where they did, but they are a beautiful mystery to ponder. Many of the existing jars were damaged or destroyed during the Vietnam War and only a handful of the 400+ sites are accessible due to unexploded ordinance (UXO) danger. It was a bitter sweet experience looking across a beautiful landscape of mountains and valleys covered in rice paddies, pine trees, and cluster of jars, that were also scarred by bomb craters and trench lines. UXO Laos or the Mines Advisory Group offices are great places to learn about the ongoing impact of the wars in Laos. In addition to clearing UXO, these groups provide education to villagers regarding the dangers that exist as well as job training and treatment for victims of mines and other hazards.

The Lao people are some of the friendliest we have met in SE Asia. This is definitely an area we would like to come back to for some trekking or possibly even a motorcycle tour.

Where you from? How long you stay?

Everywhere you go, people ask you "What's your name?", "Where you from?", "How long you stay?", often in rapid fire.  One tourist must have finally gotten fed up with the repetitive questions as he had a T-shirt made providing the answers.

 

The Vietnamese are also great salespeople.  You will never hear someone ask you how they can help you or if you are looking for something in particular.  Even before you get to a store, you are greeted with, "Hello, come here please."  If you are already within browsing distance, it's "You buy something."  Vietnamese women may be small, but they can be quite intimidating when they command you to buy something.

 

Another one of our favorite sayings is "same same, but different."  We got this a lot when ordering shoes or asking about product comparisons. 

 

Me:  I want the boot to look just like this one you have in the window.

Cobbler:  OK, no problem. I make same same, but different.

Me:  Huh, what do you mean different?  Different how?

Cobbler:  No, no, same same...but different.

Me:  Uh, OK. 

 

You can pick up a "same same" T-shirt pretty much anywhere and look for restaurants advertising as "same same, but better."   

 

 

Welcome to Hoi An - Meet your new wardrobe

We went to Hoi An with the intent of purchasing a couple of suits and maybe a pair of slacks or two.  Several suits, tons of slacks, jeans, jackets, a couple of winter coats, and 10 pairs of shoes later, we ended up having to buy two suitcases in addition to shipping a decent sized box just to get everything home.  When youcan get a pair of jeans custom made to fit for $20, it's hard not to go overboard. 

 

Nhan from 52 Clothes, pulled us into the fabric market shortly after we arrived and we ended up ordering a few suits, some shirts, and some jeans that day.  Each day after, we did not leave a fitting without adding to our order.  We actually ended up extending our stay by two days just to get a few more things made and Nhan took us out to dinner our last night to say thank you. 

 

When getting clothes or shoes made, do keep in mind that you are getting a great deal for very quick service so the quality of every item is not going to be the same as a high end store at home.  Be prepared to try things on at least twice to get a good fit and do not be afraid to tell them what you want tweaked. For the most part, Nhan and her staff had our clothes pretty much dialed in after the second fitting. Overall we are quite happy with what we got and just have to get it all home.

 

Second Indochina War

Our visit to Ho Chi:Min City, or Saigon as they still call it in South Vietnam, provided quite a different perspective on the Vietnam War than we get in school in America.  Most Vietnamese refer to the war as the American War or the Second Indochina War, not the Vietnam War.  Getting your head around the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( communist ) as the good guys, and the Republic of Vietnam ( allied with the Americans ) as the bad guys takes a while.

We visited Reunification Palace, previously named Independence Palace, and were able to see meeting rooms, dining areas, living quarters, and bunkers used by the Democratic government before the North Vietnamese Army took over the palace to end the war on April 30.1975, or Liberation Day.  It was strange reading captions on photos and descriptions of the war and realizing that when they talked about the allies or the enemy, you had to first determine the regime making the statement before you knew if the Americans were good or bad in that context.  The photos of the North Vietnamese Army crashing through the gates and the American troops being evacuated were pretty amazing.

The War Remnants Museum was basically a memorial of the atrocities that Americans committed against the Vietnamese during the war.  The display on the effects of napalm and Agent Orange on the general population was particularly gruesome.  While no one asked where I was from, I had a general sense of unease touring the exhibits as if I would be held guilty by association for being an American.

For a demonstration on the ingenuity of the Vietnamese people, a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels is worth the long battle with traffic.  The people who built, lived in, and fought from these tunnels are considered heroes of the war.  They were able to live below ground without detection for long periods of time and build traps and weapons with materials either found in the forest or recycled from unexploded ordinances dropped by the Americans.  The propaganda film you watch at the beginning of the tour is extremely negative towards Americans, but the organization that runs the tunnels is thinking of toning it down a bit as the focus is now on friendship with the West.

The opinion of Americans in South and Central Vietnam, especially in the younger generations, has been positive so far.  We have been told that some of the older generations in the North may not be friendly towards Americans because their memories of the war are still fresh, but for the most part, the Vietnamese have been very friendly and eager to sell you something no matter where you come from.  We've decided that if it becomes obvious Americans are not welcome, we'll be Canadian for the day.

Viva la Mexico

As I have said before, throughout our travels the one thing I have really missed is Mexican food.  Now, in the place I least expected it, I am surrounded by Spanish and Mexican options.  I heard you could get anything you wanted in Saigon and now I believe it.

Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

We had two options for traveling overland from Siem Reap to Phnom
Penh: bus or boat. They both take about five and a half hours so we
figured we would splurge and take the speedboat. Inside is very
cramped so you are better off sitting on the roof of the cabin if it
is a nice day. The views of the villages along the river are
different from what you would see from the road. I would take the bus
if I had it to do over again as it is much more comfortable and about
a third of the price. Do not even think of taking the boat on a rainy
day as you do not want to be cooped up inside.

--
Kari Dreyling
http://notresabbatique.blogspot.com

Getting to Siem Reap

The adventure to Siem Reap from Bangkok began with a five hour bus
ride to Aranyaprathet. The bus was air conditioned and not too
crowded so the trip was fairly comfortable. We got off the bus and
had to walk to the border to clear Thai cuastoms. This is one of the
busier border crossings so the lines were quite long.

After officially leaving Thailand, we followed the crowd of other
confused looking tourists to Cambodia immigration. i was surprised at
how little signage or direction there was between the two checkpoints.
If you do get lost or just tired of fighting the crowds you can
always go to the casino between the borders.

Anoyher long line and we were finally officially accepted into
Cambodia. It took about two hours to walk through both checkpoints.

We knew we had a taxi waiting for us from the hotel so we resolutely
ignored all of the touts fighting for our attention. Little did we
know, in all of the confusion we walked right past our driver so he
was now at the trasnportation depot. A quick phone call and some help
from the local tour agent sorted things out and we climbed aboard the
free shuttle with everyone else and their luggage and caught up with
our driver.

After another two and a half hour taxi ride, we finally reached our
hotel. It was a long day, but I think we did it with only a small
amount of confusion.

I highly recommended the Khmer Inn Angkor as a base for visiting
Angkor Wat. The owners are very friendly and can arrange everything
for you.

--
Kari Dreyling
http://notresabbatique.blogspot.com

Floating Market

We took a tour to the floating market outside Bangkok the Monday
before we left. It took an hour and a half to get there so we only
had about an hour to spend at the market itself. Hiring a boat to
paddle you around the market came highly recommend, but we soon found
out that if you were not buying, your trip was not all that
interesting. I say give the floating market a miss and go to the
regular weekend market instead.

--
Kari Dreyling
http://notresabbatique.blogspot.com

Elephant Rides

We woke up at the crack of dawn this morning for our tour to the bridge over the river Kwai. The bridge is a two to three hour drive from Bangkok depending on traffic. On the way we stopped in Kanchanaburi for a visit to the Allied War Cemetery where British, Australian and Dutch prisoners of war are buried who died while working on the railway. The bridge itself is somewhat rickety, but pedestrians and tourist trains still cross regularly. After the bridge, we boarded a traditional bamboo raft for a short trip down Khwae Noi to the elephant farm. Kari got to play mahout and ride on the elephant's shoulders. Lunch was provided at a local restaurant before we boarded the Iron Horse for a hot and dusty trip along a section of the original Death Railway. Another long, but air conditioned ride back to Bangkok rounded out the day. A great opportunity for a nap after all the excitement.

Travel Planning for Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos

We spent happy hour by the pool attempting to plan out the rest of our travel through Cambodia, Vietnam and Loas.  Airfare can be pretty expensive so we are going to try to fly only when it makes more sense in terms of time and go overland the rest of the time.  Right now it looks like we are going to take a bus, tuk tuk, and taxi to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap to visit Anghor Wat.  From there it looks like a bus to Phnom Penh and then another bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City.  Trains look pretty regular throughout Vietnam so that looks like the way to make our way from Ho Chi Mihn City to Hanoi.  Then off to the Plain of Jars in Laos via plane to Vientiane and then a long bus ride to Luang Prabang.  Most likely we will take a train back to Bangkok from Vientiane and then fly on to Hong Kong for our last stop before heading home.  We have quite an adventure ahead of us.