Just to explain this map to my new followers and also to those who may have forgotten 😂
In April 2017 I finished off walking Europe and Asia when I touched the
South China Sea in Vietnam. Please see that portion at the top of the
map. From there I flew to Perth, Australia for fifteen-months walking
around Oz and also in New Zealand. While I was in northern Australia I
decided to return to South-East Asia and walk towards Japan. So from
Darwin I flew to Bangkok, Thailand and s... See More
Two more rain-dodging days walking in Vietnam. The first produced 32 and
then today 24 kilometres when I stopped early at a nice cheap hotel.
People
continue to greet me as I walk through villages. I was even beckoned
over to an all-female construction crew and for a joke, I picked up a
shovel and shovelled some sand. That went down well and we all had a
great laugh!
That day I got to a small called Thanh
Long and went into a restaurant for dinner. There seemed to be a party
going on and next thing I'm told that my meal and drinks were on the
house. Then a man called Thuc and Luu, his twelve-year-old son who
speaks decent English kindly invited me back to their place for a shower
and a bed.
Actually, they own a karaoke bar and a visit was made!
There
were not too many songs in English, mostly the Beatles and I couldn't
keep a straight face when singing Help! Actually, I laughed my head off
as my plea for someone "To please Help me" went on deaf ears. They did
have Crocodile Rock, my party-piece, so I enjoyed that one.
Then
today I noticed that there were a lot of Vietnam flags being flown and
for sale in shops. A quick Google search told that Vietnam Day is this Sunday, September 2nd.
" This Vietnamese public holiday is celebrated on 2 September.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday may be observed as a public holiday.
National Day marks Vietnam's declaration of independence from France.
History of Vietnamese National Day
In 1887 Vietnam became part of French Indochina. During World War II, Vietnam was occupied by the Japanese.
Following
the end of the war, on 2 September 1945, following the 'August
Revolution', Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the establishment of the Democratic
Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam).
Despite
the differences that grew between Vietnam and the USA, the Vietnamese
declaration of Independence itself drew heavily from the American
version
In 1976, the two halves of Vietnam were finally united into one country, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, but 2 September remains as the key date in Vietnam's road to independence."
After crossing from Laos to Vietnam I
walked 33 kilometres that first day. The first 24 of those were almost
all downhill, what joy!
There
was no atm at the border and I was stuck for cash and didn't have my
Vietnamese sim card but I still managed to log on at a petrol stations
wifi and ate some reserve food washed down with coffee. I boiled the
water using my beverage heater.
Just as I was getting
ready to walk on it started raining heavily so I waited for a while as I
was pretty comfortable and dry at the petrol station.
Wildlife had been interesting on the road. Grazing water buffaloes and a tarantula!
There is a small town called Ha Tan which is about three-hours down the
road. Eventually, I got to a small town and an atm and was then able to
get my sim, a feed and a cheap hotel.
That day, August 27th I celebrated being on the road for two-and-a-half years.
Vietnam, a one-party Communist state, has one of south-east Asia's fastest-growing economies and has set its sights on becoming a developed nation by 2020.
It became a unified country once more in 1975 when the armed forces of the Communist north seized the south.
This followed three decades of bitter wars, in which the Communists fought first against the colonial power France, then against South Vietnam and its US backers. In its latter stages, the conflict held the attention of the world.
The US joined the hostilities in order to stem the "domino effect" of successive countries falling to Communism.
FACTS
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi
Population 92 million
Area 329,247 sq km (127,123 sq miles)
Major languageVietnamese
Major religion Buddhism
Life expectancy 73 years (men), 81 years (women)
Currency dong
Getty Images
LEADERS
President: Tran Dai Quang
Image copyrightEPA
Tran Dai Quang was elected to the largely ceremonial post of president in January 2016.
Secretary-general of the Communist Party: Nguyen Phu Trong
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
The Communist Party holds the real power in Vietnam. It appointed Nguyen Phu Trong as its secretary-general in January 2011, replacing Nong Duc Manh, who retired after 10 years in the post.
He took over as Vietnam faced mounting economic problems, including rising inflation, a growing trade deficit and a weakening currency.
Born in 1944, he also previously served the Communist Party's chief political theorist.
Nguyen Phu Trong is seen as a conservative.
Prime minister: Nguyen Xuan Phuc
Image copyrightAFP/GETTY IMAGES
Nguyen Xuan Phuc was elected to the post of prime minister by parliament in April 2016, after being picked to succeed outgoing leader Nguyen Tan Dung at the Communist Party's congress in January.
Mr Phuc, 61, pledged to improve the business climate and crack down on corruption.
Unlike his charismatic predecessor, he is seen as a team player and a technocrat ready to stick to the party line.
MEDIA
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
The Communist Party has a strong grip on the media.
Media outlets and journalists risk sanctions for broaching sensitive topics and for criticising the government. But some press titles and online outlets do report on corruption in official circles.
There were 41 million internet users by the end of 2013, out of a population of 94 million (Internetworldstats.com)
1945 - Ho Chi Minh proclaims independence and establishes the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
1946 - French seek to regain control. Anti-French resistance war - or the First Indochina War - spreads across country.
1954 - Vietnam is partitioned between North and South. Conflict between the two rival states rages for the next two decades, in what is known as the Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War. The US is heavily involved in support of the South.
1975 - Southern cities fall one by one until communist forces seize Saigon.
1976 - Vietnam is reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands flee abroad, including many "boat people".
1979 - Vietnam invades Cambodia and ousts the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot.
Read the full BBC News Story here... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16567315
Image caption
Sunday, August 26, 2018
My world walk blog - Laos # 8 - Thank you Laos
Now I'm at the Laos/Vietnam border in the village of Nam
Phao. I was caught by surprise as there is no hotel here. I could have
found a field and pitched my tent. But hey crap, it's always raining at
night and the fields are muddy and flooded.
Thanks
to the nice immigration officers who are allowing me to sleep in a
waiting area. I was a day ahead of my plan to arrive at the border. I
allowed that day because of the possibility of bad weather and in the
end, it wasn't too bad. I had to give an arrival date for my Vietnam
visa. I hate the 'when will you' question but sometimes I have to
transit through 'Whenistan' and confirm as the two most frequent
questions in the other world seem to me to be... 'When and what time
will you..' lol
So,
it's just as well that I took my rest day back in Lak Sao and not here
as I initially planned. I couldn't have crossed early either as my visa
for Vietnam doesn't kick in until tomorrow.
I'm not sure what the man with the rifle was doing on the road
Just like every other day people gave me a great welcome to just about every village.
Thank you, Laos for a lovely time and lots of smiles. Here are the photos from today's 32-kilometre walk from Lak Sao.
Sitting
at the border I got talking to a Laos environmental engineer who spoke
decent English. He asked me why I'm doing this world walk. He though
that perhaps I was looking for publicity for myself. I explained about
the cancer awareness message... I get many interview requests and turn
most down. I wilk only do them if they can promote my message. Many
people also ask me why I rarely feature in my photos.I say my world walk
is not about me its about my messages and the people I meet. Perhaps
you have to go back a hundred pictures to find one of me. Thats the way I
want it. I dont do the ego thing, After breaking four world records in
my competitive career I set out to run around the world and called that
50,000 km expedition 'the world jog.com ' Not many serious runners want to be called a jogger. To me it was a bit of tongue in cheek and hoping that the average Sunday runners would be able to relate and join me.
Back
here at the border: But then he wanted to know a bit more about 'the
why' so I said to him to take a look at today's Facebook posting, or any
other day
That's why. This is not a collage of my
eighteen days in the country.this is just today and there are many
photos that didn't make the cut as Facebook only allows thirty photos
per post. Yes, I left many more out. This surely, is the best way to see
the world. I have a video of my comprehensive world walk route embedded
in my mind. It was the same on my world run. From village to village
and because I'm travelling in a slow mode of transport people view me in
a non-threatening manner and reach out to me. They are curious, just
look at their faces in the photos and especially the children. I'm
curious too. This is the best fun anyone can have with their clothes on,
believe me
It's
almost as if every day is my birthday, I'm so thankful and grateful to
be able to do this..And people listen to my early cancer screening
message which I translate on Google Translate.
There
are so many people in the western world who are too busy and with so
much money and no time for anything. I have all of the time in the world
and little money. I never think of looking at the time of day when I
take my phone out, or when I'm on my rest breaks, it's crazy! Time
doesn't rule me. Who is happiest I asked.. I think he understood..
Even
Buddhist monks who have dedicated their lives to a life of minimalist
existence are ruled by the clock. They get up at five, bathe, collect
food from their village folk and are back for breakfast at seven.
My world walk blog - Laos #7
I came across a sign on the road in a village called Khoun Kham and wondered what it was about. Thanks to Chris Seymour for the following explanation.
"Australian Embassy thanks Ban Khoun Kham for rescuing Australian tourist lost in jungle
The
Australian Ambassador handed over more than 15,000,000 kip to the
Hinboun Tourist Office, in Khammoune province to thank the local
community for rescuing an Australian tourist, Hayden Adcock, after he
was lost in the forests of Ban Khoun Kham for 11 days.
The
Hinboun Tourist Office will use the 15,000,000 kip grant, provided by
the Australian Embassy’s Direct Aid Program (DAP) to develop and erect
signs at several tourist sites in Ban Khoun Kham, including the Tad
Sanam waterfall where the Australian tourist was lost.
During
the handover, the Australian Ambassador, Dr Michele Forster, said “In
such a beautiful area as this, eco-tourism offers great opportunities
for economic development and poverty eradication. I was very pleased to
hear that some of the people who were involved in Mr Adcock’s rescue
have already volunteered to become local tour guides and that the skills
of all guides are being upgraded through training. This will further
encourage tourists to enjoy the natural beauty of this village, with the
benefit of villagers’ local knowledge – and in safety. Guides,
tourists, the tourism office, Ban Khoun Kham and the district as a whole
stands to benefit from this program”.
Head
of the Hinboun Tourist Office, Mr Keoyotkham said, “I promise that my
staff and I will use this grant to promote safe and enjoyable tours in
Ban Khoun Kham as well as all over Hinboun district. We will put clear
signs, in Lao and English languages at several tourist places to make
sure that visitors will not get lost in the future”.
Australian
Ambassador also took the opportunity to thank the villagers for their
efforts in searching for Mr Adcock, “Today I want also to thank you all
for your energetic contributions to local search efforts in the first
several days of Mr Adcock’s disappearance. It was very pleasing to hear
of the considerable efforts at village, district and provincial levels
to locate him – and to ensure relevant ministries at the central level
were informed”.
The
handover ceremony was attended by the Hinboun District Governor,
Thongkhoun Manivanh, Khoun Kham village head, president of the Khoun
Kham’s Lao Women’s Union, villagers and students on 2 October 2008.
The
Australian Ambassador also visited Khammoune Governor, Mr Khambai
Damlad, to express special thanks to him and his staff, the district and
the village for the considerable assistance provided to the Australian
Embassy during the search and rescue – in the village, in the air and in
the forest."
Thanks also to Shannon Pipkins for digging out this newspaper article.
One 38-kilometre day and I walked most of it in the
rain. After only a few hundred metres I left route 13 which hugs the
Thai border. I had been walking on it for a week. Turning left I was now
walking east on route 8 and into some sawtooth-like mountains. Villages
were much further apart. The road was worse, so I only made two rest
stops. There wasn't much food at those places either, so a bunch of
bananas is always a good idea.
I finished an hour
after sundown and it wasn't much fun trying to keep control of Karma on
the steep descent which lasted about five-kilometres. That took me to a
really nice guest house called Aomsim, six Euro for a lovely big room
and a double bed. Out of the rain. Let's hope tomorrow is a dry day. 94 kilometres to Cau Treo, Vietnam.
Another
rainy day and with so many stops it was hard to get into my stride.
27km and I found a pretty crappy guesthouse but just to get out of the
rain its like a palace.
On the way, a shepherd was taking his cows back home after a days grazing. They were just in front of me, so I helped out.
Crossing
over a bridge I noticed a few so-called bomb boats, which are made out
of huge missile-shaped drop tanks that carried fuel for jets operating
overhead during the Vietnam war. These boats are now used for tourist
canoe type trips on the river. As I mentioned last week that Laos was
bombed by the Americans over a nine-year period, an average of eight
bombloads per minute.
My world walk blog Laos #5
33-kilometres took me to Phonsi. That was day 699 and 24,437 myworldwalk.com kilometres have now been walked in almost two-and-a-half years walking.
The
day was pretty much the same as other days in Laos. I walked through
about eight villages for they are only about three or four kilometres
apart. It's pretty depressing to see so much poverty and even signs of
recent floods where even fields are flooded. I walked past so many
houses where gardens were flooded and the water in some cases was only a
metre from floor level. What's so evident to me are the huge smiles as
people still continue to greet and wave vigorously at me.
Aug 21 was road day 700 and it was a pleasant ramble from Phonsi to Vieng Kham. 24,469 kilometres have now been walked.
After a sleepless night I was tired on the road and despite my 7:30 am
start I only covered 32-kilometres. Four similar distance days should
get me to the Vietnam border (132 kilometres away) on Saturday. So, I
will probably take a rest day there on Sunday as I committed myself to cross over on Monday on my Vietnam E-Visa.
Today, I stopped for breakfast in one village and had three boiled eggs served on a skewer.
Lumpy
rice, chicken and coffee finished it off for me. I haven't had much
luck ordering food here and almost always seem to end up with something
spicy for just like in Thailand the food is extremely spicy.
In
another village four generations of the same family greeted me. The
young child was wearing an interesting Buddha medal, please see photo. I
had stopped for a white bread ice cream sandwich. I kid you not, they
sell that here.
As in other poor Asian countries
and in much of Latin America small grocery stores sell petrol out of
plastic soft drink bottles to motorcycle riders. Obviously, safety for
its storage is not as much an issue as in the western world and also the
same for vehicle security. Despite so many debilitated some home-made
trailers which are often tied onto bikes and other vehicles I almost
never see an accident. Many years ago a police officer described the
dilemma for many of these governments. He said that if safety laws were
to be vigorously enforced, as in somewhere like Australia. Well, that
would prevent a lot of people from working as many people need to get to
places to trade. Many people just don't have money to buy stuff like
crash helmets and often a school run with two or three children is on
one of these bikes. As someone said to me that if a parent rode with a
minor on a motorbike that they would probably go to jail and have their
children taken off them.
Perhaps the most dangerous
thing I have seen was in India where a man was putting self-tap screws
to hold his truck tyre together! There must have been at least a hundred
screws.
India aside, strangely, I rarely see an accident in these countries.
Please remember my message that life is precious and early cancer screening saves lives.
My world walk blog - Laos #4
Just as well I'm not superstitious, I checked into a hotel near Phonxay and was given a strange room number, 666!
It
a beautiful hotel and I paid way above and twice my usual budget. Let's
just say, I wasn't happy about the place I stayed in the previous two
nights. It was crawling with ants that even got up on my bed and even
after I changed rooms it was the same, I'm easy to please, but hey not
when I took a rest day.
Then
a 27-kilometres day in which I walked some of it in the rain. It's the
rainy season and to me, the Mekong river looked pretty high. Recently
there was a flood disaster when walls of a dam under construction in
the south-east of the country broke down. Dozens of people lost their
lives and homes.
I was now in Bolixhamsai province. I walked past roadside hawkers who were etching out a meagre living by selling fruit and vegetables out of shanty constructions.
Despite
severe poverty people still, have big smiles and families continued to
come out to the road to greet me. Occasionally, I get offered some food
but I always refuse it as I can afford my own food here. I always waved
and smiled and then they smiled and waved and often laughed back. It
seemed to make their day. I love people. It may seem to some people that
what I'm doing makes me somewhat of a loner, far from it. I need my
'people drug.'
During
the Vietnam war, America dropped an average of eights planeloads of
bombs a minute over a period of nine years over Laos.
The
Americans have also spent hundreds of millions of dollars on unexploded
bomb (UXO - Unexploded object) cleanups. Laos is the most bombed
country in world history. People are still being maimed and especially
children who are attracted to unexploded devices which sometimes look
like colourful toys.
Why did America do this I
wondered. Is Trump really the first crazy American president or will he
be the first to make peace with North Korea? How many bombs will he
drop? Yes, I know he is an idiot but most politicians are.
My world walk blog - Laos 3
Another day I walked 32-kilometres and it threatened to
rain all day, but it didn't. It ended up being slightly overcast and was
pretty much ideal walking conditions. Near Nongkeun and a half-hour
before dusk, I got to a remote restaurant with a long covered deck which
must be over 100-metres long. Should I push on and look for somewhere
to stay? Unsurprisingly my tummy won out and I figured there was a
decent chance that I would be allowed to camp there.
After I finished my dinner the owner whose name sounds like Ham Pie said
that I could pitch my pop-up tent on a large bed/table. That was a
stroke of luck as just then the weather which kindly held out for me
broke, it rained torrentially, and lasted all night long.
I wanted to sing, so I grabbed a pen and soon it was my microphone. I pretended I understood the Lao karaoke script!
Then a microphone was tossed in my direction and I have no idea what kind of crap was coming out of my mouth
Hey, Lao rock stars make some great music. And as we know music is the
language that everyone understands and we are having great fun. I miss
live music so much
Just
as I was getting ready to go the waitress pulls up a picture of me from
my world walk page and I have no idea how she knew as I never said
anything about it!
Oh and that day I walked
31-kilometres to get to near Pakxan and the Suvanthong guesthouse. After
a scrub up I plunked myself in the adjoining karaoke bar. Most of that
day's effort was in the rain. Six-Euro a night which was discounted to
five, I planned a rest day the following day as I had a big chaffing
issue going on. I needed to find a big tin of Vaseline. This always
happens to me with serious humidity.
My Vietnam E-visa
was being processed at that moment. I applied only that night and there
is a Vietnamese holiday weekend coming up, but I should still be okay. I
had to download a selfie passport photo, so the process was interrupted
for a shower, a shave and a change of clothes!
I planned to cross at Cau Treo border post on the 27th August.
That was about 225-kilometres away. It's a 30-day visa, so that will be
a nice ramble on up to Mong Kai and cross into the Peoples Republic.
Slow boot to China, part-two, a further 625-kilometres away. Last time I
walked through the middle of.China. From Mongolia to Vietnam. This time
I will meet up with my old route and continue on towards Macau, Hong
Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.
Earlier that day, I
walked down to the Indochina market. I sat down for a chat and ate a
sandwich and drank a coffee at a stall where a camera-shy woman told me
that she is married to a Canadian man. They met twenty-five years ago
and have three children aged 21, 17 and 6-years old. He is in Canada now
and she prefers to sell snacks here at the side of the road rather
than to battle cold Canadian winters.
My world walk blog - Laos - 2
Laos
National Route 13 snakes its way along the Mekong river and for much of
the way it parallels the Thai border. It passes through vibrant
villages which are dotted not too far from the river.
I
walked past open doors of one room houses and shops that reveal shady
interiors where people and dogs sometimes rest from the heat. Most days
were around 33C and with high humidity.
The
hard-shoulders white line has long since faded which effectively widens
the road for motorists and narrows it for me. Despite its dilapidated
state and with so many potholes this default makes the roads wider than
most Australian and New Zealand roads. I walked along it and towards the
traffic and around deep puddles from the days of frequent rain. Many
times I had to push Karma well off it and towards a ditch to let
impatient drivers pass. As in Thailand, it's not uncommon to see young
children riding motorcycles and if there is a helmet law it's not
enforced.
Occasionally, some chickens clucked
along and dazed cows sometimes walked in search of fresh pasture. It
seems that councils don't waste money on grass trimming, why worry when
there are so many shepherds ready to take their stock to the long
grass.
At the end of my
29-kilometre day, I came to a building under construction. There didn't
appear to be anyone protecting it and as there was sufficient shelter
from the road I decided to pitch my pop-up tent inside on a dusty tile
floor. I was thankful that I had bought an extra sandwich at an earlier
break stop. Such extras never go to waste.
Next
morning out on the road I enjoyed a lot of banter with the children.
They get so much fun listening to me and repeating such phrases as
"Hello, hello, hello!"
Unfortunately, many young
children also smoke cigarettes and perhaps this is because the cost of a
packet of ten is no more expensive than a Coco-Cola.
That
day I walked steadily and after 36-kilometres came to a village just
south of Saysavan. It had a cheap guest house and I stopped for the
night. Unlike in Thailand, one good thing about Laos is that such places
are easily identified as signs are in English as well as the Lao
language.
My world walk blog - Laos 1
I crossed into Laos on a thirty-day US$35
visa on arrival. So, I have plenty of time to walk across the country. I
was in no rush as it was pretty hot at that time. Time to play the
clock down and hopefully towards a cooler September. I planned to walk from west to east and cross into Vietnam which is 368 kilometres away.
Vietnam
offers an e-visa, meaning I just apply online and get a confirmation by
email three-days later. I present this at the border and my passport is
stamped. However, on the Vietnamese e-visa application form, they ask
for my proposed entry date, which I didn't know then. If I arrived after
my proposed date that would it be days off my 30-day visa and I didn't
want to lose any of my thirty-days as Vietnam will be circa 650
kilometres. That's almost identical to my route across Thailand and I
had to keep an eye on the clock there. Currently, I'm walking about 200
kilometres a week. I can walk much more if need be, but why bother!
Anyway, I'm just thinking out loud. Normally, I have to plan two or three countries ahead.
Thanks
to Tina King-Garde and Scott Richards who normally update this
Myworldwalk Facebook page and also to Scott who updates the myworldwalk.com website.
So
Vientiane with a population of around 900,000 is the capital and the
largest city of Laos, on the banks of the Mekong Vientiane the border
with Thailand. Vientiane became the capital in 1563 due to fears of a
Burmese invasion but was later looted then razed to the ground in 1827
by the Siamese. Vientiane was the administrative capital during French
rule and, due to economic growth in recent times, is now the economic
centre of Laos.
That first night I made it to a
backpackers hostel and stayed for four nights. I had a problem with my
atm card as my bank had issued me another one six months prematurely. I
was grateful to my sister Ann who sent it by DHL courier and it arrived
here in the hostel in less than 48-hours. One of my biggest advice to
people who want to do stuff like I'm doing is to get as many bank cards
as possible and to put a trusted family member or friends name on your
account so as they can deal with any hassles. I would be lost without my
dear sister
That Monday
after a late start I walked 24-kilometres out of the capital and I
found a cheap hotel in Ban Khoksivilai village and stopped a bit early.
It was back to work for me after my three day holiday weekend!
Nothing strange that day, just another bog-standard day, Oh! I did see a lime-green and grey snake that was over a metre long.
Landlocked Laos is one of the world's few remaining communist states and one of East Asia's poorest.
A
French colony until the 1953, the power struggle which ensued between
royalists and the communist group Pathet Lao also saw the country caught
up in the Vietnam War. Communist forces overthrew the monarchy in 1975,
heralding years of isolation.
After the fall of the Soviet Union
in the 1990s, Laos began opening up to the world. But despite economic
reforms, the country remains poor and heavily dependent on foreign aid.
Most
Laotians live in rural areas, with around 80% working in agriculture
mostly growing rice. The state has made no secret of its huge hydropower
ambitions and its desire to become the "battery" of Southeast Asia.
The
government anticipates that by 2025 hydropower will become the
country's biggest source of revenue. But neighbours Vietnam, Thailand
and Cambodia have raised concerns about the environmental impact of its
dam building projects along the Mekong River
😂
