Indo-China bike trip

ДОКУМЕНТАЛЬНАЯ ПОВЕСТЬ О БАКПАКЕРАХ

"Молодость, наша безвозвратно улетевшая молодость, всё золото мира не сможет тебя вернуть!", - сколько раз мы слышали и читали подобные сентенции! Вернуться в молодость трудно, но не невозможно! Достижения современной науки и техники позволили герою этого рассказа съездить в свою молодость на два месяца и даже вернуться обратно. Ниже будет приведено подробное описание, воспользоваться которым может каждый желающий повторить этот эксперимент. Как и с другим free software распространяемым через Internet, вы не должны платить за эту версию но если Вы пожелаете следующую улучшенную версию, которая будет называться "Падение в детство", то Вы должны будете внести определённую плату в kips, dongs, bhats or riels (денежные единицы Лаоса, Вьетнама, Таиланда и Камбоджи соответственно).

Вот как это всё получилось. Герой этого рассказа от нечего делать решил отправиться в поход вокруг Индо-Китайского полуострова. Приехав в эту strange land, как большинство американцев считает, он обнаружил, что оказался на избитом караванном пути backbackers. (Русское слово "рюкзак" на Западе не привелось, и здесь туристов называют не рюкзакерами, как следовало бы, а "бакпакерами". Смотри также вставку "Кто такие backpackers". Эти бакпакеры оказались просто-таки однояйцевыми близнецами тех туристов, с которыми наш герой провёл свои лучшие дни в студенческих походах, и что самое интересное, в лысоватом и седоватом американском senior citizen-e эти ребята тоже распознали своего и приняли его в свою среду как равного. Оказавшись в компании молодых людей, котоые обращались к нему "hey, brother", и хорошеньких девушек, в которых он немножечко во всех сразу влюбился, наш герой, который предусмотрительно не взял с собой зеркало, почувствовал, что он вернулся в свою молодость. И пробыл в этом приятном заблуждении до конца своего путешествия.

НЕСКОЛЬКО ПРАКТИЧЕСКИХ СОВЕТОВ ПОТЕНЦИАЛЬНОМУ ПОЛЬЗОВАТЕЛЮ ПРЕДЛАГАЕМОЙ МАШИНЫ ВРЕМЕНИ.

Как и кочевники прошедших эпох, бакпакеры путешествуют по караванным путям. Один из популярных путей - вокруг Индо-Китайского полуострова. 80% бакпакеров путешествуют против часовой стрелки, т.е. Таиланд, Камбоджа, Вьетнам, Лаос, Таиланд, остальные - по часовой. Чтобы затесаться в компанию бакпакеров, ничего особенного делать не нужно. Нужно выбрать доминирующее направление, в данном случае - против часовой, - и вы всё время будете встречать всё тех же людей. Бакпакеры легко сходятся друг с другом. Уже сама факт, что вы вместе ехали из пункта A в пункт B, является достаточным поводом для начала разговора на пути из пункта C в пункт D. Очень помогает останавливаться в guesthouse-ах (общежитиях гостиничного типа) и ходит в локальные походики и экскурсии, организуемые местными турагенствами, такими как Singh Сafe во Вьетнаме.

Согласно простой логике английского языка, все люди разделяются на тех, кто носит чемоданы и на тех, кто носит рюкзаки. Последние и есть бакпакеры. Это не туристы в том смысле, как мы привыкли понимать. У них в рюкзаках нет ни палаток ни кастрюль, они переезжают с места на место в локальных автобусах в перемежку с местными жителями и их мелким рогатым скотом. Я уверен, что никто из них не сможет развести костёр с одной спички. Зачем же они ездят? Из простого и естественного желания увидеть мир. Многие из них приехали из маленьких и благополучных европейских стран, как например три девочки, которых их родители отправили из уютной Швейцарии в годовое путешествие вокруг света прямо после окончания школы. Ведь это как же надо любить своих детей, чтобы отправить их таких маленьких и беззащитных, для их же собственной пользы, в этот суровый и опасный мир! Девочки и правда чуть не погибли в криминальном городе Каракасе в Венесуэле.

НАЦИОНАЛЬНО-КОНФЕССУАЛЬНЫЙ СОСТАВ БАКПАКЕРОВ.

Как я уже сказал, непропорционально большой процент бакпакеров из маленьких европейских стран: Дании, Голландии, Бельгии, Швеции, Норвегии, Швейцарии. Много англичан и немцев, мало итальянцев и французов, монго канадцев и австралийцев. Пропорционально размеру страны, сравнительно мало американцев. Попадаются израельтяне, у которых принятьо отправляться в путешествие сразу после окончания службы в армии. Такое впечатление, что они так и путешествуют своим боевым подразделением. Нет совсем негров, арабов и латино?американцев. Никто и никогда не видел ни одного русского бакпакера., хотя по иронии судьбы, местные жители во Вьетнаме называют всех иностранцев русскими, а Лаосе - советскими., потому что это были последние пришельцы с Запада, которых было много. Поскольку все неазиаты на одно лицо, то и зовут их всех одним именем. Больше половины бакпакеров - женского рода, много так называемых solo traveling women. Они вполне замечательно себя чувствуют, потому что в потоке бакпакеров всё время натыкаются на тех, кого когда-то где-то уже встречали. Половина solo traveling мужчин - слегка "пыльным мешком стукнутые".

ВОЗРАСТ БАКПАКЕРОВ.

Большинство бакпакеров - люди молодые, от 19 до 28. Но встречаются и постарше, и даже совсем старые. Я встретил одного 66-летнего немца. Бакпакерам чужда возрастная дискриминация. Никого не удивляет. Что нумизматы и филателисты всех возрастов предаются своим порочным увлечениям без разделения на возрастные группы. То же самое и с бакпакерами, они все, прежде всего - путешественники, а потом уже - молодые, старые или ещё какие-нибудь.

ВО ЧТО ОНИ ВЕРЯТ.

Абсолютное большинство бакпакеров - environmentally concern and socially responsible. Я даже не знаю, как это перевести на русский язык. Большинство женщин - вегетарианки. Мой друг, велосипедист, путешествующий три года, который проезжает в день по 200 километров, тоже вегетарианец. И знаете почему? Потому что производство одного килограмма мяса требует столько же энергии, сколько производство десяти килограммов овощей. Он таким образом сберегает ресурсы земли. Самое смешное, что я верю в его искренность на 100 %. Вообще, тем, кто знает о современной молодёжи только из газет, трудно себе представить, какая она чистая, целомудренная и прекраснодушная, без кавычек!

МЕСТА СОСРЕДОТОЧЕНИЯ БАКПАКЕРОВ.

Как серьёзные туристы бывшего Советского Союза ни любили терять времени на походы по ленинградской области и отправлялись уж сразу на Памир или Приполярный Урал, так и серьёзные бакпакеры предпочитают Индию, Китай, Тибет, Гималаи, Юго-Восточную Азию. Европа или Северная Америка - это для них слишком легко. Это для них, как для нас была "единичка" (поход первой категории трудности.

20 January 2000

I arrived in the city of Bangkok Jan 19 2000. I noticed that from the time of my last visit in 1994 the assortment of consumer products sold by street vendors considerably improved. Previously it was only grasshoppers, now you can buy a big black bugs, two types of larvae and whole small frogs fried in a boiling oil. All are $0.25 per bag. Send your order to mumzhiu@yahoo.com!

Food

Statue of Buddha overgrown by Banayan tree, near Bangkok

Alex Mumzhiu
Bangkok Thailand
Jan 20 2000

24 January 2000

Road from Thailand to Angkor Wat is 100 mi. 8 hours butt torturing. These who selected this route are real hard core backpackers. They look, feel and smell like tourists from our student years, the only difference they do not sing song "Hey podryjka moia bolshaia kryjka". They are traveling on very small budget, but traveling for months or years. In Angkor Wat they stay in guest houses for $3 per night. Howard and I stay in very expensive and good local hotel for $13 per night. However we have to learn how to use paperless toilet. Angkor Wat is most significant structure I ever seen, even more impressive then pyramids.

Road to Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

27 January 2000

I am 3-d Russian speaking tourist at Angkor Wat, according to two Russian speaking employee selling tickets. In reality Angkor Wat is easily to reach. From Bangkok only one day and $9. There are no apples and pears here, only Durians (king of fruits), Mangosteen, Dragon fruit, Jack fruit and lots of other which I don't know names.

Best regards
Alex
Jan 27 2000
Angkor Wat Cambodia

28 January 2000

I already left Thailand. I started my trip around Indo-China peninsula from Bangkok with my American/English/Japanese friend Howard Wrathal Jan on 19th, 2000. In Bangkok we observed wide variety of local food: bugs, larvae, grasshoppers. We did not try it, but ask salesperson to show to us. Then she or he (I'm still politically correct) grabs bug by head, bend wings and bite out stomach. Then we took a train to Cambodian border and then we rented minivan which bring us to Angkor Wat. A 100 mi trip took 8 hours. During this trip we had a chance to get acquired with real world travelers, fit, suntanned guys and girls who remained me soviet tourists of 60s, but unfortunately they do not sing our songs. Normal tourists do not go this way, they fly to Angkor Wat.

Today I came on roof of speedboat to Phnom Phen. Howard left earlier to Tokyo. There is Herb's Pizza here between Club of foreign correspondents and Cambodian Tourist Agency, where pizza with marihuana is served. Herbs Pizza strongly recommended by Lonely Planet (sort of AAA approval). I tried pizza, it is good, but 40 degrees vodka is definitely stronger. There is Russian restaurant here, opened by Russians who came here to save wild life of Cambodia. Now they serve pelmeni and borsh with the meat of these animals which they saved. Telephone from here is $5 per minute, but Internet is almost free.

Your Alex.

PS. Cambodians loves fried tarantulas, Should I try?

Angkor Wat

Jan 28 2000
Phnom Phen
Cambodia

29 January 2000

Phnom Penh is considered to be the Paris of South East Asia. They really have something from the Paris here: French planning of the streets and good coffee, also menu in restaurant in French, however there are no forks, chopsticks only. But this Paris require a lot of stomach. When you arrive at the street you get surrounded by beggars (small children, invalids, mothers with children); people trying to sell you something. There is no escape unless you on bike.

I made a terrible mistake yesterday, then tried pizza with marihuana. What if I will try to get elected to public office. If they ask did I smoke marihuana I definitely can answer that I did not, even did not exhale. But what if they ask if I try it. I definitely did, they put marihuana leaves in every dish like my wife Natalya put selantra (kinza) in every dish. I did not feel any high from that pizza, I simply get sleepy and went to sleep earlier.

Alex

Jan 29, 2000
Phnom Phen
Cambodia

30 January 2000

My friend Howard Wrathal was born in England, works for United Airlines as a stuard, married a Japanese women and lives in Narita. I know him from 1994, when we did scuba diving together in Thailand. He is very good travel partner because as a stuard he knows how to treat people.

Yesterday I met guy from Holland; he is traveling already for 6 months. Through Trans-Siberia Magisral he reached Ulan Bator, then China including Tibet, then Laos, Vietnam, and now he is in Cambodia. Another very interesting guy is a pharmacist from Canada. He used to own house, but after a while he realized that not he own a house but house own him and required his constant attention. So he sold house and now he is free to travel how he wants. He is traveling for 6-8 months per year already for 20 years. People who belong to this brand of hard core travelers, backpackers principally stay in guest houses for not more then $3-5 per night. Shame on me I pay $15.

Thanks Alex
Phnom Phen Cambodia
Jan 30 2000

31 January 2000

This morning I flipped channels (mostly movies on Chinese) and I noticed one local movie in English. I decided it is local because it was very political incorrect and it was a lot of local animals there. Later there was melody "Flinston mister Flinston...." And I was wondering how they use this famous melody and do not afraid to be sued for breaking copy protection law. Later I saw young Liz Tailor, now eventually I understand that it is the Flinston. I newer saw it before. I watch it till very end including all these copy protection warning and I learned that this movie can be shown free of charge at prisons and oil rigs.

So these are the places we should go for the best movies.

Alex
Phnom Phen
Cambodia

31 January 2000

I would recommend everybody who will stop here in Phnom Phen this remarkable restaurant - Ponlok on the bank of Mekong river. Food is wonderful, choice is incredible. The thick, slightly soiled menu book contain 200 items with color pictures of all dishes. Price $2-3-5. Also, they treat you like a royalty, a dozen of waiters is serving you. They even remove flies from your tee for you!

Today I decided to do what was a favorite entertainment of 7 grade boys in my 30th men's middle school of Vasilii Island district of Leningrad-- play with explosive. Phnom Phen trying to attract tourists and trying to project the image of last frontier wild West city, mysterious and dangerous. It is mysterious but not really dangerous anymore. Anyhow, I went to artillery range today, issued several rounds from AK-47 (automate Kalashnikova), thrown hand grenade in the pond and targeted antitank missile (not fired, too expensive). Unfortunately they do not allow to do things which was our favorite thing to do in 7b class, to put explosive in fire.

Hug and kiss

Alex
Phnom Phen
Cambodia

1February 2000

Dear readers of my notes, you made my day today. I received eleven emails, which I attribute not only to my unique way of spelling words but also to snow storm in your part of the globe. And because most of my readers are not interested in making more babies (this is what most Americans do when the weather is so bad) they decided to sent me letters. Thank you.

I read in the Phnom Phen post today that 55 year old Englishmen David Naylor wheeled into Phnom Penh today (on bicycle) after pedaling through Thailand Laos Vietnam. His aim was to demonstrate that "newly found democracy has made the region safe for travel. His trip sponsored by TNT Worldwide Express. I do the same but nobody pay me.

Life is still tuff here. Average salary $1 per day. Mob lynch the law offenders, released by police. I watch how mob tried to get car driver who hit motorcyclist, but he escapes. There is a lot of homeless children. When you stop to buy something they rush to you like flies. Vendors chase them away with stones.

Traveling on folding (funny looking) bike give me tremendous advantages. Locals loves my bike and show their feeling very graphically. It looks like many people already recognize me. The city is small. During the day it is dusty and smelly, but after darkness certain sort of palms produces perfume and city smells like city of Suhumi on The Black see, which some of you may remember.

Best regards

Alex
Phnom Phen
Cambodia
Feb. 1 2000

5 February 2000

I am in Saigon now. It took me 10 hours and $8 to get here from Phnom Phen. I do not understand how they can keep price so low. The damage to minivan from hitting road with bottom of the car should considerably exceed $80 they collected from 10 passengers ¹⁾.

When you get to Vietnam from Cambodia it is like to Western Europe from Cheliabinskaia Oblast. (Russia). Rice fields are green, roads are paved, there are no piles of garbage along the roads. Saigon city reminds me Odessa: a lot of tries, French architecture, and the oceanic port in the middle of the city. I could see huge oceanic liner from the window of hotel. I live in the area there the moneybags live (according to Lonely Planet Tour book). My hotel recommended by LP costs $14 per day. In spite of its name "69", it enforces strong regulations on its inhabitants, and prohibit "conducting prostitutes and explosives into your room".

It is best to explore Saigon on a bicycle. I went by feet on the first day and rickshaws, motorcycle-taxi drivers, motor prostitutes, various vendors and children selling all sorts of junk hunt me down. They shout at you, stop you, touch you, grab you. In two hours you start to hate this city and its inhabitants. More or less the same as in Cambodia, but Cambodians are dressed bad, looks bad and they are really very poor. Vietnamese dressed like us and don't look hungry, so you are not ready to forgive them such an uncivilized behavior. On bike everything OK again. People loves my funny looking bike and graphically show me their excitement, but vendors cannot catch me.

Saigon is very computerized city. Internet cafes are everywhere, $1.20 per hour ²⁾. Many businesses have extension .com* or .lan*. For somebody who is nostalgic for communism Saigon is the city to visit. A lot of red flags with yellow star and with hammer and sickle. Red placards across the streets. Vietnamese use Latin letters, and most words are three or four letter words, so as you expect it is a lot of funny coincidences. How do you like beer bar named "tyt mat" or restaurant "xep vam"?

There is certain area of city devoted to backpackers. When I got there I felt that I in the miracle way get to tourbasa Spartak or Dynamo. A lots of young people with backpacks, some families with small children, even few oldfarts, but non of them on bicycle. Price for room is about $5, a dinner is $2. If government crack down on aggressive behavior of its inhabitants then Saigon can be first class tourist city.

Knowledgeable person explained to me that (.com) means "with rice". So (pho.com) means soup with the rice. According to this morphology yahoo.com should mean Yahoo with rice. Lan also is not the local area network as I thought, it means hot dog(?)

With best regards Yours Alex Mumzhiu

1) Vladimir Kelman: Exactly! In our recent trip to Peru we also were wondering about it.
2) VK: It is everywhere and a bit cheaper in Peru, 3 soles (about 86 cents) per hour.

8 February 2000

My dear Subscribers,

I moved to backpackers ghetto, and feel very comfortable here. There are more then a dozen of Internet cafes here, hotels, restaurants and travel agencies specializing on backpackers. I took two day trip to Mekong delta. Mekong is serving as a garbage dump, sewerage, and in the same time as source of drinking water for the China, Vietnam, Burma, Laos Thailand and Cambodia. So, delta itself did not impress me, but our tourist group was very interesting. The queen of our group was 24 year old English social worker Linda who was travelling alone already for one year. She said that actually she never felt lonely because she was constantly bumped to the same people. I also constantly meet the same people, who travel abound Indo China peninsula counter-clock-wise, like me: Thailand Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand.

Snakes are favorite cuisine of people living in Mekong delta and the menu of our first dinner, contained wide variety of snake dishes and snake vines. I ordered simple cobra with macaroni (po flotski). Somebody sent around a bottle of snake vine, I sent around bottle of local vodka, which is (y nas s coboi bilo) - the non translatable idiomatic expression. This place is an alcoholic paradise, bottle of local vodka (pretty decent) costs the same as bottle of water: around $1. I use it for the teeth brushing. A local tap water is not recommended for this application. So we had pretty nice evening. All these guys are environmentally safe, even these who pierced and tatted, socially responsible travelers, and vegetarians. The best vegetarian restaurants are usually located in backpacker areas. I ordered the other day a lotus salad and a coconut milk soup with local vegetables. It was so-o-o good, I decided never o eat a corps of dead animals anymore. So, it was very nice to be in the company of these world travelling enthusiasts. They are mostly Australians, Canadians, Netherlands, Hollandians*. These guys don't believe in the strict American hygienic and can sent coconut with drinking stray around or use the same spoon. That remarkable lady Linda even drank vodka directly from my bottle. And it looked like nobody noticed that I can be father for most of them or even grandfather for some of them. So, it is better to order tour from backpacker travel agency even if you don't have to do it for saving money; you will be in a good company. If you will order your tour from the agency from which you should order it according to your age and tax bracket, you will end up in a company of elderly American ladies in pink pajamas.

*Oops may be it is the same. If it is the same, why do they keep different names?

Your travelling reporter Alex Mumzhiu

Snake vines

12 February 2000

I am in Nga Trang. Right from the train I rushed to the diving shop and went to scuba trip. On the same boot I met orientologist from the Moscow, Illia and his beautiful oriental wife Irina. I completely understand why he selected his profession. He is digging periodot (xrizolit) here on the border with Laos with the help of local hill tribes people, who uses elephant teeth as a digging tool. He hired bulldozer to improve productivity. Now he need geologist help to find more of these semi-precision stones. Ed, can you help? I am in rush to bar with Moscowits.

Hug Alex

The continuation of the story:
At the bar we met another Moscowit, ihtiologist Dimitry, the friend of Illia, who is studying Vietnamese fresh water fishes for the Germans. He is world known ihtiologist, to such degree that the Japanese emperor Hirohito the Second asked his advises on classification of Japanese bichkov (bullhead fish). It is his hobby. I thought bichki are classified only on sea's and bay's (morskix and limanskix). At least they are classified this way at Odessa's fish market (Privos). Oh, I forgot bichkiv v tomate (bullhead fish in tomato paste). Both man (Illia and Dimitry) keep fidelity to their lovable professions: ihtiology and vietnamology, which they studied in Moscow university. They do not switch to software development as many of us did.

Interesting incident happened when I bought ticket to the train from Saigon to Nga Trang. It was one person in front of me in lane. I did not press my belly to back of that person and kept some distance, as American should do. Suddenly a man jumped into this space. I did not react, then one more and more. They treated me as if I was a piece of furniture. So I realized that I would never get a ticket. So I remembered how it was back in Russia, and got my way to cashier window using my elbows. Illia, who is vietnamologist explained to me that it is not something unusual, it is a normal behavior. They simply coldly calculated that polite foreigner will not react and they wanted to use this situation to have little advantage for themselves. With me they are miscalculated (ne na togo napali). On the other hand during our trip to Mekong delta the children all the way greeted our ship with smiles, waved hands, and shouted "hello longsaw". The longsaw means Russians. Our tour guide explained that Russians were last foreigners which they remember (Russians were here from 1975 to 1985, after Americans and French). And because all non Asians looks the same for them, (as well as all Asians looks the same for us) they call all of them Russians.

With best regards,
Alex Nga Trang,
Vietnam Feb. 11 2000 3 pm

On scuba diving trip instructor encourage us to harass the wild life, probably in compensation for the not very clear water. I harassed lion fish, scorpion fish, toad fish. I touch sea anemones and they gently touch my hand and try to pull it, like Vietnamese children. A things which consider in America as a harassment is pretty common here. People are constantly touching each other. For the first time I was shocked and now I got used to it. I also put my finger inside giant tridakna shell and it almost bites it out. Next day I was punished for the disturbing of ocean life. Dead barracuda bite my leg. I walk along sea food market and accidentally touched barracuda with my leg. Even dead, she had her mouth wide open with sharp teeth inside. Tomorrow I am planing to take a train to Han Oi (Hanoi). Train depart at 3pm and it takes about 24 hours to Han Oi.

Best Regards,
Alex Mumzhiu
Nga Trang
Feb 12 2000
9:15 pm

14 February 2000

An interesting guy I met yesterday at local restaurant. He looked like 150% Italian, but Italians do not travel. They think there is nothing in the world more interesting then Italy. And he was very tall not like most Italians. We both struggle with do-it-yourself bar-be-que at next to each other tables. So we started to talk. He actually was an Italian - Marco from Verona. He told me that Italians in his town completely unmoved by Romeo and Juliet story. Whole story is sucked from the finger by Shakespeare, and has nothing to do with reality, only names of Montekki and Capuletti are real, he told me. In spite of his age, he is 40, he is not married. He think he should watch a behavior of girls which are potential candidates to a position of his wife for at least a year. But he like to travel so much what he never stay home for a year. Now he is in around Indo-China Peninsula trip for two months, on budget of $2000. In exchange, I told him story which happened to me in Verona. On the central plaza, a tourists were buying some kind of food from local vendors. I bought it too and started to eat it. It was something hard just like a stone. I went back to vender and complained that this food is not good. Vender had a lot of fun, it was corn for pigeons. I cannot go to Ha Noi today because railway accepts only dongs, no dollars, but bank is closed today (in Sunday). Tomorrow I will go and get another couple millions of dongs ($130).

Continuation of the story. As I wrote before, the members of our Mekong Delta tour as well as long and bumpy ride from Thailand to Cambodia developed some kind of camaraderie, so when we accidentally met each other again, we behave like close relatives which didn't see each other for many years. Yesterday I went to see some local tourist objects at north of Nga Trang city on bike and met Azel, 24 year old, 1.8 m tall girl from our Mekong Delta trip. She also was on bike. So we continued our trips together. It was nice to have a company of so young and long beauty. Azel is from Pretoria, South Africa. She is traveling already for a year. Her father support her trip morally but not financially. And he is wondering where she gets money for so long trip. Did she rob a bank or something? These traveling kids remind me the tourists from our college years. We were not promiscuous (at that time) and they are not. She earned her money by working as a waiter in Australia, in a middle of her trip. We had lunch together. On our way back, a group of young local men jump in front of us and demanded her camera. They said "Your camera, your camera" I prepared to defend young lady and her property. In fact they did not want to rob her. They wanted to be photographed with her by their own camera. I also used this opportunity to be photographed with Azel. Finally we have to accomplish one humanitarian mission. An English lady (Vietnamese English translator) from our Mekong trip supports two homeless, orphan children here, and sent them money from time to time. She asked Azel to deliver the money. Children sell post cards on beach. Begging is prohibited, so children sell post cards instead. It was not difficult to find them.

Everybody who is brave to get suntan on local beach is approached by children, and food vendors about two times in minute, and all these locals know each other. My hotel is across the road from the beach. Every morning I go to swim, then I buy some local fruits and seafood from these food vendors (they grill it while you wait) then go to my hotel and make a tea with portable water heater (kipiatilnik)

Best wishes Nga Trang, Vietnam Feb. 14 2000 2:14 pm Alex Mumzhiu

17 February 2000

As I wrote before, these world travelers are really socially concerned people. Once, I was lectured for giving money to begging children, because these children who get money by the begging will never work in their life. So these world travelers play with children, instead of giving them money. Linda pretend that she accepts chewing gum as a present from the boy. Eventually these games end up in giving them a little bit of money.

Tomorrow I will go to Xyi An city (it is funny in Russian). I did not invented this name, take a look on a map, it is just south of Da Nang. This city (I avoid repeating its name) "is considered to be the ancient Champa Kingdom capitol. Champas (ancient Vietnamese) always fight with Cambodians over communication protocols. Cambodians used very many letter words (VMLW) protocol, which create even more difficult problems then year 2000 problem. For example the name of king sponsoring the construction of Angkor Wat was Tribhuvanadityavarman. After many bloody wars Champas win, the Angkor Wat was abandoned for 6 centuries; and Champas enforces their own rules which disallow to use any word longer then 4 letter. This rule applied even to western words. On the wall of my hotel it's name announced as "HO TEL".

Alex Mumziu
Nga Trang Vietnam
Feb 15 2000 1:28 pm

ERA OF GREAT GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES IS NOT FINISHED

I thought that my ability to be surprised was saturated. It was not. Welcome to a city of miracle (strany chydes)-- Hoi An (Hyi An). To avoid confusion I will call it by its ancient name FaiFoo. FaiFoo was biggest port of Indo-China 150 years ago and got conserved (canned). It is the same as 150 years ago. City has a lot of characters and charm. In spite of considerable amount of tourists it is not a touristy city as these American cities build for tourists with standardized and sterilized souvenirs shops, boutiques and McDonalds. This city has its own character. Local people go to pagodas and Buddhist temples and sing with on purposely unpleasant voices (gydnosimi golosami) There are no McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Holiday Inns, nothing. FaiFoo is famous for its tailoring shops. They make 3-pieces suit in 24 hours for $20-$30. All girls from my previous contacts bragged about their new trousers for $8, suits (bru4nii kostom) for $15. And it is high quality stuff, as experts say. Here is a consumers paradise. I also was grabbed from the street and dragged to one of these shops and ordered silk short for $7 and suite for $25. What will I do with them? There is no space in my backpack. City is small, but different parts of city was build under different influence: Chinese, Japanese and French. I live in Chinese stile hotel in filthy luxury (v poshloi roskoshi) for $14 per night. Even spoons and forks are made from the gold. May be not gold but in yellow color. I met here the same people who are travelling around Indo-China counter-clockwise, as I am. Also I met here English gay who is travelling on bike for 3.5 years. I only read about such people. He is carrying tent and camping gear with him. He went through Himalayas, used to be Soviet Middle Asian republics, Pakistan, India, all Indo-China countries... Amazing guy. His name is Philbike see his picture from China in attachment.

Alex Mumzhiu
Faifoo, Vietnam
2-17-2000

Azel (described in the previous letter)

Linda (from Mekong trip) teasing local boy

Philbike

18 February 2000

WHO NEED THAT AUSTRALIA!

I went yesterday to the Champa's holy site called My Son. I already wrote you about Champa. Some of my emails get lost, so I will repeat.

My Son is considered to be the ancient Champa's Kingdom counterpart to the grand cities of SE Asia's other India-influenced civilizations: Angkor (Cambodia), Bagan (Burma), Ayuthaya (Thailand) and Borobudur (Java). My Son became a religious center in the 4 th. century and was occupied until the 13 th. century. This site survived Chinese and Khmer occupations in the past. However it did not survive B-57. When I came to My Son site I saw few reminds of Champa religious temples surrounded by huge holes in the ground from exploded bombs. Communists decided to use these natural fortress during Vietnam-American war, and Americans, who always concern about GI's life, applied air power. General who ordered to destroy My Son was probably an American equivalent of that Russian general who said "who need that Australia". These who forgot this joke may see it below *. It will be good if during wars, people would be able to know how their military achievement will be judged after that wars. The main military achievement of general Mac Arthur (for example) during W.W.II was saving Kyoto Japan. Well, I was glad that nobody asked me there "what country are you from?"

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* On May Day everybody was drunk at Intercontinental Missile Command Center. And somebody accidentally pressed red button. Next morning angry general rushed in the bunker and asked who fired the missile. Nobody remembered, everybody was drunk. Who fired the missile? - he asked again. No way to find it out. Eventually general calmed down and said philosophically "O.K. Who need that Australia anyhow".

19 February 2000

One of my subscribers (who is not a backpacker) was so exited about my trip that he decided to repeated it. I should warn him and other potential copycats that in order to have as much fun as I have, a several conditions have to be met. Let me describe them. You can order a tour to SE Asia from reputable travel agency. You will be guaranteed 5 stars hotels with luxury rooms including single supplement (whatever it means). Three times per day meal in superb restaurant in a company of elderly American ladies and hotel to airport transfer. Is this fun? No, it is not. A fun is to travel in a company of young and enthusiastic boys and especially girls and being accepted as equal (or almost). In order to have it, you have to stay in hotels they stay, eat in restaurants they eat, go to bars they go, and stay there till sunrise ( this is especially difficult for me because music is loud and I do not hear what they say, and even when hear I do not understand, because they say it in English).

Best way to get accepted is to take a bumpy ride as I took from Thailand to Ankgor Wat, because real camaraderie is developed in difficult situations. If such ride is too much for you, you can go to one of these tours recommended by Lonely Planets book "SE Asia on shoestring" and booked by Sinh Cafe, a travel agency specializing on backpackers. A tour I took to Mekong Delta was one of them.

Generally, it looks like this: less money you spent, more fun you will have. And main thing you have to have the same spirit as they have. Do you remember the story from Ilf and Petrov's book "Golden baby cow" where the main hero, Ostap Bender gets into the train and ends up in the rail car with group of students returning from the summer practice. They accepted him as equal. But later he opened his famous cardboard suitcase and shown them his millions. One by one they left and leave him alone.

Alex Mumzhiu
Faifoo, Vietnam
2-19-2000 11 p.m.

19 February 2000

Alex Mumzhiu
Faifoo, Vietnam
2-19-2000 11 p.m.