How my journey began

Leaving St. John's HQ in Ipoh

In Front of my old school (Clifford K.K.)

At Taiping St John HQ

Addressing St John Members in Taiping

With St John members in Penang

With St John members leaving Alor Star

At the border of Thailand

On my own in Thailand

Home and already getting restless

Hi Guys
Sorry for the silence for quite a while but I had to take stock of what the 2 months had done to my physical as well my mental state before going on to something new. Since I came back I managed to catch up on the local news reading some of the back issues of the papers and talking to friends who are eager to listen to my stories. For me , I am quite surprised to know that the political scene hasn't changed much. The political parties are still at each others' throats instead of getting on with administering the the country as they promised in their election campaign.

After coming back from Cambodia and having visited the 'killing fields' and the Toul Sleng Genocide museum, I am disgusted to read about Tony Blair's coming here to give a lecture on 'The rule of law and good governence'. I can't help but to agree with Tun Mahatir who termed Blair as a war criminal. The 'war' in Iraq has killed more than a million people and everyday Iraqies continue to die, for what ? It took 12 years to finally arrest Radovan Karadzic and he will soon be tried as a war criminal, while here Blair and his friend Bush are walking free and talking about democracy and human rights. And what's wrong with University Malaya?. Grrrr!!

And then you have this guy who claimed to have been sodomised by Anwar. Do you have to wait until you find difficulty to 'pang sai' after several days before you make a police report? I am no supporter of Anwar but think of other ways if you don't like him. Well, Malaysia Boleh.

After staying idle for a week, I went back to my exercise routine yesterday and I must say that I am happy to be able to enjoy doing it. While going out I spoke to a petite young girl in my neighbourhood whom I have seen jogging and working out several times before. To my surprise, she tells me that she is training for the World Wushu competition in China in October. Wow.
She is a student in UTAR .

I am now in he process of viewing all the shots I took during my adventure and hope to be able to share them with you soon. I need to get one of my sons to help me to post it on the blog. I have yet to learn how to do it . All in I took about 2,000 shots but only about 60% are ok. When my first camera' kaput' and I bought a new one, I did not set the camera to the correct settings, so many of the shots are not of the desired quality.

It won't be long before fasting starts and I am thinking of going on a 4x4 into Asli country in Perak for 2-3 days . I make the trip about once a year and I usually take along useable clothes, childrens' toys , books and foodstuff to be distributed. If you have something to contribute please call me at 012 6369227. Better still, if you have a 4x4 you may want to join me .
Only condition is you have to be self sufficient and I can only take 2 vehicles. Be warned that if road conditions are bad ( you don't call it road really) your vehicle will take a lot of beatings. Ask Dr Amir Lee.

Well, that's all for now, Regards.
Adnan

Home Sweet Home

Hi Guys,
I am Back Home.
Sorry for having neglected you for so long, the reason is I wasn't sure what to do when I reached Phnom Penh that I just wasted a lot of time staying in the hotel room watching TV and catching up on some local news (Malaysian News) on RTM 1. Yes, Cambodia has RTM1 aired.
Anyway, let's go back to HCM City (Saigon). I must admit that of all the cities I visited so far, HCM rates at the bottom of my list, not because it has not much to offer but because I was already travel weary after almost 2 months away from home. The city is too big to see in 2 or 3 days but having been in Vietnam for more than 2 weeks I have a pretty good idea what Vietnam generally is today. I did not visit the VC tunnels but with so much publicity through TV and the print media I don't need to experience it first hand.
District 1 in HCM is where most of the travel agencies are located and you see tourists from all over the world. I saw a couple of Malaysians and even met a middle aged couple and their daughter from Penang busy bargaining with a street peddler over some stuff. En Shamsuddin (60) , formerly of Penang Sports Club, his wife Puan Zainab and daughter Fariza, a MAS ground staff on their final shopping before flying back to Malaysia. We do get many Malaysians now travelling to destinations where MAS and Air Asia Fly. Many Muslims travelling to non Muslim countries complain of the difficulty of finding halal food, but then, that in itself is an adventure - coping with adverse situations. At the 'Highlands Coffee' outlet I saw 'Nasi Goreng' and Malaysian Red Curry Biskit on the Menu - halal or not is anybody's guess.
I toured HCM on a motorbike with my guide - a Vietnamese who once worked in Klang for 3 yrs. - Le Van Chinh. He now works in a restaurat in Dist. 1 and speaks quite good Malay. People like him made my stay and movements easier. In HCM peddlers along the streets harass you wherever you go and that can be a real nuisance. On top of that you have the street children, beggars, shoeshine boys and a host of pimps trying to entice you - not a friendly place for the weak. There are many parks and gardens that are well tended with manicured plants that I enjoyed where I went for brisk walks on several occasions. All over Vietnam you see lots of manicured plants in big pots done in the same style as bonsai ,the difference being, these plants are much larger to be termed bonsai. They are seen adorning frontage of buildings and streets and parks - something we should emulate.
I left HCM on Tuesday 22nd by bus and reached Phnom Penh around 3 pm. We also had to cross the Mekong river on a ferry before reaching PP. I checked into a guesthouse by the riverside where a lot of construction was going on to cope with the increase of tourists. However, you see a lot of people just idling because of lack of employment. Besides motorbikes and taxis for transport there are some 3,000 tuk-tuks available in P. Penh, but only about 5% are seen moving along the roads. Petrol price is the highest in ASEAN at 5,700 riels (about) RM4.50 per liter, so most tuk-tuk just can't afford to move around looking for passengers and instead stay stationary and wait for passengers. I am told that most Cambodians earn less than USD 50/- per month. However you see a lot of Luxury cars and SUVs on the roads in the city.
Throughout the day you see young children, men and women going through the piles of rubbish all over the city streets collecting whatever is recyclable. It is indeed a depressing sight. Just about everybody is trying to sell you something or other, children with trays of cigarettes, travel guide books, women with babies sleeping on the streets stretching their hands for handouts and the handicapped , if you are seen giving to one the others are sure to follow you, so how do you deal with such situations. You tell me.
I also had the good fortune to witness election preparations before I left P.P. In a show of strength, the political parties go on a motorised procession that stretches for many kilometers with thousands of motorcycles, cars and lorries waving party flags and shouting slogans and banging drums as they pass. It is like a festival.
I visited the 'Killing Fields' and the Genocide Museum , The 'Russian Market' and the Royal Palace, and the Old Market over 2 days while in PP. I was tempted to go to Seam Reip again but having to lug the bicycle again I decided against it. I visited Seam Reip last year.
On the morning before I left P. Penh I was cycling around taking photographs of some of the sights when I bumped into some cyclists in cycling gear and on their training rounds. After the introductions, I regret for not meeting them earlier. They were 2 Cambodian national cyclists and their coach . We had breakfast together and exchanged news on cycling and of course they were surprised to know what I had done. They revealed to me that as a national cyclist one receives an allowance of USD30/-per month, and as assistant national coach he is paid USD200/-per month. Unbelievable, isn't it. To supplement their income they act as cycling guide for about 20 days in a year. With that they earn another USD250/-. I don't know how much our national cyclists are paid, but I am sure it is adequate. I spent the rest of the day with them until it was time to leave for the airport. As a parting gesture the 2 cycliss received my official Beijing Marathon t shirts which I was only too happy to part with, thus reducing some weight of my baggage. For the excess baggage (bicycle) I had to fork out USD 40/-.
Well, now that I am back home, it doesn't mean that I will stop blogging . I shall continue sharing with you whatever activities I undertake after some rest. I shall also share with you more insights into my experiences throughout my journey the last 2 months.
I am truly sorry to hear of my Thai friend Somchai who lost his camera and the bad experience he had in Vietnam. So, I consider myself lucky because even after 2 months in 4 different countries I only have pleasant experiences to share with you. One reason , perhaps is because of my advanced age and the other because I travelled alone. When abroad luck also plays a part.
Thanks 'Bandit' Puteri Kamaliah, Jimbo, Dr.Amir Lee, Kama, Ann, Hassan, Sook Ying and Jason, Kishab, my friends at Warung Rus esp. Datuk Johan, Cikgu Mat, Din, YB Edward, Stanley, JJ , Datuk Jaafar, Lee B. Leong and others who have been keeping track of my movements and the support and encouragements and to Tey I am happy that you have got the Visa to China .I'll see you when you come back.. It is still possible that I continue my cycling to China from Hanoi some time in the future - after the olympics.
I have registered for the S'pore Marathon in early December and I need to go into the preparation soon. There are many other things that I'd like to do in the near future but I need to make a thorough research to ensure any undertaking ends in success.
Well guys, call me if you like, we can meet up some time. Regards and take care.
Adnan

In Saigon and the Chaos‏

I am in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) now, but I want to write more about Nha Trang before writing about Saigon. Nha Trang has a lot to offer the visitor. The sea-front is about 6 km long and with beautiful palms and well tended trees and gardens. Like most parts of Vietnam, there are stone sculptures everywhere especially in parks and gardens .There are hundreds of them, some sculptured by artists and others in its natural form.
The other interesting feature of Nha Trang is that there are many tandem bicycles. There must be hundreds of them. I have never seen more of them anywhere else. Families and couples and children happily ride all over the place and enjoying themselves .
I met a couple, a doctor and his new bride from Hanoi riding tandem along the beach enjoying their honeymoon. Nha Trang also has a port that serves the central region.
Among other tourist attractions are the Po Nagar Cham towers built in the 7th century as a Hindu place of worship and now used by Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Then, there's Nha Trang Cathedral built by the French. Bao Dai's Villa, residence of the former President and the Prime minister, is now a resort for tourists. Long Song Pagoda and the Pasteur Institute are also popular.
Many basket boats are also seen north of the city. These are round boats made of bamboo strips 2 meters in diameter and are used by fishermen in the area. It can sit 4 people.
Near the port is a station that serves the cable cars that take visitors to Vin Pearl Island 10 km away. I am told that it is the longest cable car ride in the world.
A lot of seafood is available in Nha Trang and I managed to sample some with my 'Guides' along the beach at a very cheap price because I was among the locals. In a restaurant, it would cost at least double.You do get beggars and children tugging at you asking for money, and it's difficult to deal with such situations, to give or not to give. Some are handicapped and some with young babies.
Another thing I noticed about Vietnam is the presence of very fine furniture in all establishments and houses and although the place may look shabby, the furniture is always fine, many with mother- of- pearl inlaid. This is seen all over the country.The only difference with the Chinese version is that they are lighter in colour.
I arrived in Saigon around 7 pm and if you think Hanoi is bad, Saigon is even worse, as far as the traffic is concerned. I am told the city has 8 million people, just imagine it. This afternoon I was shown around by a local guy who had worked in Klang for 3 years. He speaks quite good Malay and now he works in a restaurant. Saigon is not a place I like but, I'll do some cycling around, tomorrow, before moving on to Cambodia.
I am staying at a small hotel in the heart of the backpackers haunt in District 1 and the place is full of tourists from all over the world.The room costs US$15/-and there is no lift in the building, I need the exercise under the present circumstances.
In Saigon everybody seems to be selling something. Along the roadside, peddlers go round with a tray full of wallets, tissues and just about anything and they can be a nuisance when they keep following you all over. Shoe-shine boys bother you in restaurants, even children as young as 6 would come round selling something or begging. There was some rain yesterday and an hour ago, something not seen elsewhere. It is a welcome change.
Well, I now look forward to go to Cambodia, meet new people perhaps, different in some ways.
Regards to all and take care.
Adnan

In Nha Trang B4 moving to Saigon

Hi Guys, Arrived at Nha Trang at around 7 am after about 12 hrs, but I managed some sleep as I had the 'sleeper.' Checked into a small hotel and will discover the place later.

Yesterday before leaving Hoi An I had the whole afternoon after checking out so, I went back to the ancient part of Hoi An again and I met the most number of people from different places in a single day.

While taking some photos near a stone sculpture I met 2 ladies and after some introductions one of them said that she's from Thailand and that she remembers seeing me pass her house about a month ago. Can you believe that? It's a one in a million chance, I think. Then at the same place I met an Australian middle aged couple and had a photo taken with them. Later I met an American couple-Trent Szakail (Hungarian American ) and Monica Gonzales (from Guatemala) who met in Spain as students 14 yrs ago and now married for 9 years. They now live in the USA.Then a group from Paris. Then some Japanese, and later still a Chinese from China who had the misfortune of having to hear my complaints about his country. Then I met again the Swiss couple whoI met in Hanoi, a young couple from Denmark and also a Korean who has been away for 9 months visiting India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia and now Vietnam. Next he visits Thailand.The number of people from all over the world is endless, but other than in Hanoi and Ha Long Bay I have not met a single Malaysian in all the other places in Vietnam.

I just had a short ride in Nha Trang and to describe the place, I'd say it somewhat resembles Penang where the beachfront is concerned, but the stretch of beach is right where the city (town?) is with its many 4-5 star hotels, and the development is still frantically going on.

The sandy beach stretches for miles and miles and the activities include water skiing ,paragliding, and other water-based sports. It also has a backdrop of mountains that has a sign something like that of HOLLYWOOD.

I see may senior citizens just lazing around and chatting away with their friends and of course like everywhere else couples sitting together or strolling. A lot of foreigners stay at the posh hotels just across the road from the beach. Most elderly people speak French but youngsters are learning English to cater for the increase in tourists from all over the world.

Two students studying tourism will be my guide this evening to show me around Nha Trang for free. When I asked why they are doing it , they say that it is because they'd get a chance to learn and practice English. Things look promising for me in Nha Trang so, I'll leave you now and perhaps blog again later tonight.Regards

Adnan

In Hoi An and moving on to Nha Trang‏

I left Hue for Hoi An around 2.30 pm yesterday and arrived at Hoi An around 6.30 pm. This is a small town but is supposed to be the oldest with a very ancient history. It goes back to a time BC. and has strong links with China, India, Japan , Thailand and some others.
The journey from Hue to Hoi An is about 150 km and I am glad I took the bus as there were stretches of very high hills, before Danang which has a harbour. Before Danang there is a road tunnel that is more than 16 km long, and the scenery throughout the journey is very scenic with a view of the sea.
The weather has been very hot and the temperature is around 37C. Apparently the school is on vacation for the summer for 3 months. there is still 1 month before the school reopens.
Today at breakfast I bumped into the Canadian girl who also stayed at the same hotel as I did in Hue and we went sightseeing together in the old city together with a guy from the hotel in Hue. There are several sights and you have a choice of five locations for a fee. Basically they are old houses of the early Chinese traders, ceramic museum, the earliest Chinese temples and such. It is more for students of history. There is also a beach nearby which I may go before leaving Hoi An for Nha Trang. I also met a couple whom I met in Hanoi at the ancient city, looks like most people use a similar itinerary while in Vietnam.
From Hoi An I move to Nha Trang some 500 km away and I'll be traveling by bus with a 'sleeper', for a journey that takes about 12 hours. Nha Trang is a seaside town famous for its beaches. The Miss Universe is just over I think. It was showing on TV over several days.
Vietnamese beaches will soon rival our beaches and those of Thailand, being more liberal than us they will surely attract some of beach buffs away from Thailand and other Asean countries.
That's all for now. Till next time, regards and take care.
Adnan.

Two Days in Hue then on to Hoi An

Hi, Today I went to visit some of the tourist spots in Hue. First I visited the Citadel, the old walled Palace of the ancient Vietnamese rulers. The complex is huge, walled all round and the wall is some 15 ft thick and 20 ft high. It is very impressive compared to the 'A Formosa ' in Malacca. Surrounding the wall is a moat filled with lotus (flower) plants.I didn't go to see the inside as I have to pay an entrance fee and it was too hot to see such a big complex at this time of year. Next, I visited a Pagoda which is also very impressive. Lastly I visited one of the tombs of Vietnam's ancient rulers. Hue has several of these tombs. This place would be a favourite for historians.
Hue is scenic with the river called 'Perfume River' adding to its charm. The riverside is a favourite with tourists and locals. You can stroll all along the riverside on the concrete walkway. In the evenings traders would spread their wares which include souvenirs, fruits etc.There are two bridges for vehicles and another for the train. At night the riverside is lighted and provides a beautiful scenery. There are a big number of Europeans, especially French tourists, around, the French being Vietnam's former colonial masters. There all kinds of transport available for hire here - cars, motorcycles, bicycles and trishaws. There are even some tandem bicycles for hire.
Hue has a tremendous tourist potential and there are lots of construction going on to cater especially to the tourists. There are two 5 star hotels and more are being built.
I am moving off to Hoi An tomorrow. I don't know what lies in store but I am assured by the hotel staff that I won't be disappointed. They are making the arrangements for me. Hoi An is about 150km from here.
Thank you Thoa from Hanoi who made all my travel arrangements and made my stay in Hanoi very pleasant. Do keep in touch. That's all for now guys, take care.
Adnan