Thoughts

Now that I've caught up on our activities over the past week (see the post below), I'm going to unload with a couple of opinions.

First, Lonely Planet has a seriously shoddy operation here in China. Their guide's timetables are off, hotel reviews and prices bear little resemblance to reality, and the only useful advice it has on dining relates to "places to be seen" on the backpacker circuit. In the guide's notes on Tiger Leaping Gorge, it neglected to mention anything about the gorge-bottom path, arguably the most spectacular part of the entire eighteen mile trek. Sean, see below, said that he met one of their writers here in China who admitted that the writers tell hotels and restaurants that they write for the guide and trade favorable mention in return for plush service and discounts. That may explain some of the problems.

I'm enjoying China far more than expected. With the exception of Dali, the cities have been fantastic, the people friendly and helpful. Prosperity seems to be reaching even out into the farming villages: Most of the buildings are well-built, if cramped for a large family, and electricity and satellite TV dishes are ubiquitous. Most of the roads appear to be newly macadamized and travel, aside from the truly godawful driving, is a cinch. I hope now that the rest of the countries we'll visit live up!

The only real dislike I have, aside from the abysmal toilets (I'll let Meryl cover that one), is the touts. After getting badly ripped off today on a shoe-shine, I'm swearing them off altogether and vowing to be rude so that they stop following me. Hopefully, Meryl will keep me to that pledge - at least to the being nasty and rude part. Otherwise they grow relentless. A smaller complaint is the food: I'm getting used to it, but I wish that they didn't have to fry everything. As an amateur chef, I can vouch for the fact that it is possible to cook without dropping food into woks full of boiling oil, a concept wholly lost on this country's kitchens. And I thought southerners like myself knew how to deep-fry!

Vietnamese noodle soups, which I liked only tolerably well in the States, sound better and better.

We're thinking about going to Laos. Every one we have met who has been there says that the place is enchanting, with far fewer tourists and far more traditional Buddhist culture than anywhere in Southeast Asia except Burma. People also like Burma, except for the nasty, brutal, arbitrary authoritarian government, but I don't think we'll have time to make it there. Maybe if I were in the gem business.

The only problem with Laos is that the State Department warns against travel along some of the main roads, and Meryl and I made a bit of a pact with our parents that we would not violate State Department travel warnings. However, I may try to book air tickets from Bangkok to Luang Phabang, an old colonial city that sounds truly marvelous, and avoid the dangerous parts. Anyway, a few long bus journeys and the prevalence of repulsive Chinese cigarettes on public transportation have disabused me of my notion, coming over, that it would be romantically adventurous to travel entirely overland.

We're also trying to figure out our summer plans. Currently, we'll be in Africa until June 30, but we don't want to come back until about July 15. Perhaps Ireland - our flight from Europe to Arusha is likely to be through London, which makes Ireland plausible....I need to book tickets soon!

Still working on getting some pictures up for you all...