21 mars 2011

KEP and a handsome but sad man called Bush.

Kep Crab Market













Kep, a small city situated south of Cambodia close to the Vietnamese border. A place offering scarcely nothing more then a not so interesting ”beach” and a roundabout including a row of Guesthouses, the most popular being Brise de Kep 
(a few kilometers outside Kep you have Kukuluku Gueshouse as well, which looked all right, having live music every now and then so I’ve heard) ). If Brise de Kep Guesthouse is booked up, you might find yourself staying at the guesthouse next to Brise de Kep, like I did, and my new friend Sara from France did.

And at that other Guesthouse you’ll find two very charming, handsome, in their late twenties, beer drinking Cambodian employees. It seems, as there is not much else to do in Kep, but to drink beer. So why don’t you join the guys for some beer drinking.

One of these charming guy’s called Bush (!). Bush wore a cap sayin’ something like ”music is always true to your emotions”, which makes me ask him if he likes music whereupon they tell me a heartbreaking story bout Bush growing up lovin’ to play that guitar and used to go to the much bigger city Kampot, 30 mins away to spread his infatuation for guitarplayin’ and entertain the tourists. For unknown reasons he was though later forced too move to Kep.  In Kep he continued playing the guitar for some time, ‘he used to play at that place over there, his friend says pointing in the direction of a little house with a guitar attached over the front door, but now he doesn’t play the guitar anymore. He can’t play the guitar anymore, he continues in a melancholy way.  And this breaks my heart and I ask why, but Bush just looks at me with sad, big brown drunken eyes. And I turn to his friends to seek an answer, but they all avoid my glance, staring obstinately down at the ground, ‘I just can’t play the guitar no more”, I hear Bush says with his sad, quiet voice.

And that makes me very sad. Until he, one hour or so later, reveal to me ‘aaaw don’t be sad for me, we just made that story up, I don’t play no guitar’. That was a great story!  How fun aren’t these two guys too hang out with!

So when Bush later wants to take Sarah and me to the famous crab market (where the crabs are taken straight from their little cage in the ocean) (almost as fresh as the shrimpies we fried alive in Vietnam I suppose) we agree. We drink more beer and by now Bush is getting drunk slur on his words ‘Oh no fun without beer tsss thats sad, every day I drink beer’. And then tells us the story of his love life; the cap was actually a gift from his Japanese girlfriend. The Japanese girl really loved him, but Bush didn’t love her ‘so then when I fell in love with a girl from Russia, she didn’t love me. Cause I didn’t love the Japanese girl that loved me’. (seemed as he did some thinking about that one) And Bush tells us that he might look soft on the outside, but on the inside, he is very hard. Getting real drunk by now, Bush. Looks very sad. Looks very hard on the inside. So I show him my happy tattoo. He seems to like it.

He gets us a few more beers to go, and takes us (on his motorbike), to sit in the night and just look and listen to the ocean. ‘This is where I go every night to sit by myself and contemplate’, he says. It is nice. He thinks Sarah is a Russian. It seems by now he is hammered.

In Kep, there are no streetlights. The small city is covered in dark. Making the motorbike ride, with three people on the motorbike and a hammered driver, quite a ride back to the Guesthouse.

Later when I have my last cigarette for the night, I can see him walkin’ round without his shirt slur something bout ‘fuckin fuck everyone goes away, sooo hard on the inside, everyone goes waay, fuckin.’

And the next day we leave the small city Kep, going to Kampot. Bush arranges a cheap bus for us and waves goodbye. What a character this Bush, what a nice man. And later a new bus with tourists arrive to Kep, perhaps some of them will spend one night in Kep.  






19 mars 2011

angkor what?
















yesterday i forgot to remind myself that i don't do that much drinkin' and partying. 
Hence, I soon found myself dancin on the tables at famous Angkor What? bar at (horrible) Pub Street in Siem Reap, Cambodia. 

It all started when I ran into these two german guys that I met on the Mekong Delta trip, 
early morning around Angkor Wat (the real wat). Same night we went out for dinner. And then Sarah, the french girl that I shared room with in Kampot, came strollin' the streets of Siem Reap too! We went too have some "amok", the cambodian national food, and then for some reason that I find hard to remember like this a little bit afterwards, I wanted to have a bear at Angkor What? And since Germans are professional  beer drinkers, we got a "beertower". And after one beertower, chances high you want another beertower. ( and oh, we were lucky enough to be there on St. Patricks day! so we got green beer! craaazy!) and by then it didn't really matter that the place was packed with drunk backpackers ( and drunk backpackers only), and that they played songs like stupid "I want to be a billionaire". Dancin' on the tables seemed like a splendid idea too. But the fourth or maybe even the fifth beertower was too much for us to handle, so Jan wanted to take the remaining two litres with him home. But the beertower was almost one meter high and very very heavy,  alltough he did a very good job smuggle it out under his shirt. Yess yess he managed to take it bout 50 metres before they caught us. 

So, bein a silly backpacker with other silly backpackers at a silly backpackers only bar - check.

17 mars 2011

cambodian lady gaga version!

 

After two days in Cambodia, I stumbled upon this concert in Kampot. 
Great! Different. But great! In an interesting kinda way.
I think it would make Lady Gaga proud.

14 mars 2011

next phase

bike trip at phu quoc island.

















From now and on, I am travelling alone.
Spending my last days in Vietnam at Phu Quoc Island.

12 mars 2011

YESTERDAY SJ TOLD ME A STORY PART 2


Do you know who the first western in Korea was?

















The first western in Korea was a Dutch man. He was out sailing his ship, following in his contemporaries Vasco da Gama's and Columbus footsteps, in search for yet unexplored countries.
Unfortunately, one day his ship wrecked! The only survivor aboard was our Dutch man,  floating in the vast ocean holding on to a piece of wood from the boat.

At the same time, a Korean fisherman was collecting the days catch, when he suddenly noticed something strange appear in his net. He had caught our dutchie in his net!
- WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! said the Korean fisherman out loud while looking at the Dutch man, mesmerized by his blond hair and blue eyes.
- He must come from the Aqua world! the Korean decided.

As the Korean fisherman reached land, he brought his catch, our Dutch guy, to the Korean king, explaining he caught something that for sure must come from the Aqua world!

The Dutch couldn't make himself understood, and the king, a little bit afraid of this strange creature we can suspect, throw the Dutchie in the dungeon.

 After some time however,  the dutch man was released. And after further time, he found himself integrated into the Korean society. He learned how to speak the Korean language, he married a Korean women, they got children together and so on and so on.

Year after year passed, the dutch was happy in his new country, altough he could never completely really stop thinking, dreaming and longing for,  his native land.

So one day, he noticed some excitement down by the harbor. Driven by his curiosity, that took him out on the ocean in the first place, he went to see what the fuss was about. Turned out, another ship from the Netherlands had reached the Korean coast! Now he could make it back home, back home to the Netherlands!

But as the years had passed, our poor dutchi had forgotten how to speak dutch. He tried to speak to his fellow citizens, he tried to explain to them the tragedy with the wrecked ship so many years earlier, but they wouldn't listen. Becasue they were explorers too. They had left safe Netherlands, to face difficulties and danger, to be at the sea for days and days, sometimes without anything to eat or drink, just for the chance to find an unexplored country, and the fame and glory that would bring with it. Of course they wouldn't listen to a man like the dutch man that was claiming that he was actually first, and stand in the way for all that fortune!

The dutch ship soon returned to the Netherlands with the great news that they had discovered a new country. And they all became rich and famous.

The dutch man was not allowed to enter the ship, and go home after all these years. He lived the rest of his life in Korea. He died with a dream to once again see his native country. But he also died, as the first western in Korea.

10 mars 2011

MUI NE

A four hour, 5 USD bus ride from HCMC is Mui Ne. We had a great time in Mui Ne.

In Mui Ne I got some kicks. To SJ's delight I fell asleep like a child when we came home after a day of adventures. We were invited to a birthday party and night picnic at the beach with a Vietnamese family. We all gathered round a bonfire, drinking cold 333 (vietnamese bier) munching fried chicken claws. The day after we were invited to join another Vietnamese family on their picnic. How nice these Vietnamese people! This time, we were sipping Hanoi Vodka. Beach is supernice too. We stayed at Thai Hoa resort. Got a nice room for 25 USD/night, breakfast included, and a swimmingpool and almost a private beach.

he showed us some taekwondo skills
eating red chili to impress
sunset after a long day
beach
fishing
sunset
early in our fishing boat
such a beautiful sunset


it is definitely something about those ol' vietnamese guys..

and those koreans too.

9 mars 2011

Acoustic Bar - emotion talks. It is a different kind of fun said SJ. But Lonely Planet are wrong.













At #5 out of 2199 "Entertainment in Asia" is Acoustic Bar ( Acoustic Bar – Emotion talks actually). At #55 we find Club FF, Seoul. Another category, "live music in Asia", ranks Acoustic Bar #1, and FF, first Seoulie to represent, ranked #5. Maybe I was just there at a bad night. (but it was a Friday night and the place was packed, and it seemed to be some kind of house band performing).
Some of the covers: 

  • Travie McCoy- I want to be a billionaire
  • Dan Ill- Sometimes when we touch
  • Sum 41 - Still waiting
  • Red hot chili peppers - Can't stop
  • Lady Gaga -Pokerface (terrible version
  • Maroon 5- She will be loved

At one point some old dude, that could have been an old Vietnamese rock n’ roll hero, sang some bluesie Vietnamese songs that was really good. But what about the rest? I just wanted to take the young Vietnamese and put them in Club Spot for one night, they would've been blown away, it would change their life! And then maybe they could go back and compose some of their own music, Let their emotions talk. I mean, who's feelings were talking at Acoustic Bar yesterday? I want to be a billionaire so fucking bad? Ridiculous!

It is a different kind of fun, said SJ. And yes, I am not judging anyone for doing what they are doing. I just wish that maybe they could sing about themselves instead. And I was definitely expecting something else. And I prefer and recommend YOKO over Acoustic Bar, cause at least they have the sense to play Jimi covers. And don't trust Lonely Planet, they are wrong ranking Acoustic Bar #1.

4 mars 2011

Allright, I give myself 2 out of 10 on the backpacker scale, living at a hotel in the VIP-room must be considered a backpacker failure.

WOW, we have been in HCMC for over a month now! As soon as we arrived here we decided to apply for a visa that would let us stay another month, in addition to the 15 days you "get for free" (oh sorry, not for US citizens). The prospects of staying in a vibrant 7, 2 million city and get to know the people, the city and their culture suddenly seemed so more appealing then lug a heavy uncomfortable backpack from place to place. 

It does however takes some time to do the research and find the places you prefer. But after a month I feel that I am starting to understand this city (my crossing the street skills are even improving. The trick is to simply say; Allright guys, enough is enough, I am crossing this street! And then, as you slowly let go of the safe sidewalk and put your feets on that street, it is important to show them that YOU ARE NOT AFRAID, and then, simply put up your hand as a stop sign, and walk, be confident, believe in yourself. Most often you will never have a free passage, rather you have to take em on one by one, and remember, when you half way, they will immediately start coming from your other side, full speed, so quick, look the other direction, and then, raise your hand - the stop signal - I AM CROSSING THIS STREET! and then, take em on one more time, and the hopefully you are on the other side).

So, if you want to now what is going on in Ho Chi Minh City, visit anyarena.com. There you can find (some) Street Style, and Photos at the handsome, happy clubbing people. as well as an Eventcalender. Me, myself don't do any clubbing, so I can not recommend any clubs. 

HCMC street style from anyarena.com
























We have though seen some live music shows, at Vasco's and at YOKO. I didn't really understand Vasco's, but YOKO was allright, it was the kind of place that have Jimi-posters on the walls and the guitarist makes sure to play you some Jimi-covers too. Both places were pretty fancy though, I can't seem to find no shabby basement venue. Acoustic Bar is another live music venue that we will visit tonight. 

As you start your day drinking your morning coffee, checking your mail and reading the news, I really recommend doing that at one of HCMC many Cafés. Vietnam is one of (if not the), largest coffee exporter, so you can guess the coffee is quite good. It is. It is the best coffee I have ever tried. But drinking it with condensed milk (!) (and ice), as they do here is a dangerous habit and have made me slightly addicted. 

the morning coffee cafe'. with wifi and all.
























I could also develop an addiction to PHO' (vietnamese noodle soup). So simple, but really as good as everyone says. You can find Pho' everywhere, at every price range, but I really do recommend the Street Pho'. For a bowl of Street Pho', including little plastic chairs at a little plastic table seating, you pay between 10.000 and 20.000 Vietnamese Dong, which is approximately 0.5-1 USD. 
street pho'.




















Now enjoy your day,
Emmy.