CHINA:
*strawberry on a stick. Meat on a stick. Actually, anything on a stick is pretty bloody good..even the scorpions.
*spitting. the hacking and coughing before the bringing up of the spit. It’s nasty, and something that remains with you for life. Whenever anyone hacks, you will shudder inside.
*Pretty lady….pretty lady…cheaper for you pretty lady. Oh, you make me cry, pretty lady!
*no tea. no tea houses. no tea. need tea. desperately need tea. why is it so bloody difficult to find black tea in China?
*the trains rock. even if the toilets are hideously nasty.
*Oppressive. Very oppressive atmosphere. Stay here long enough and it can depress you. Will be interesting to see how it affects the Olympics.
*Great Wall is worth the trip.
*Xian Bell Tower Youth Hostel. Great atmosphere, great people, look for the roof tile with my name on it!
VIETNAM:
*lemon juice. Is legend. Is good. Want it now!
*wontons. Wontons as bruschetta. The most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.
*Halong Bay, heritage listed for a reason. Take your time kayaking to pick up after the locals, and keep the bay beautiful for everyone.
*Same same…but different!
*Hoi An – take your time. Go hard shopping, then spend a few days poolside with a tequila. You deserve it.
*Bus trips. Camobida has bad roads? Have you guys tried Vietnam? Seriously…or maybe it’s just because the drivers are still doing 140 k/h……..even on potholes and twists and turns through the mountains.If you can sleep through this ride, you could probably sleep through a war.
* Agent Orange…..why? how can you do such a thing?
CAMBODIA:
*the people are so warm and bright….amazing.
*Monks, along the streets, on the back of motorbikes, in the temples.
*Angkor Wat. Breathtaking. Watch it at sunrise and sunset.
*shooting a machine gun. Unbelievably legal, and insane. Insanity.
*I can smell pot no matter where I go.
*poverty. Orphans, overjoyed when you bring them rice. Street kids, begging for your dinner scraps, sitting at your feet shovelling it down. it’s everywhere. you can’t escape it.
THAILAND:
*my god, the beaches. The beaches……..*speechless*
*I may have to concede and admit Thais make the best damn curry in the world.
*salt. ew. Salt in drinks and on fruit to halt the sweetness. Just wrong. Remember to ask for no salt!
*Khao San Road is hell on Earth. I have no idea why anoyone would want to stay there now why they do. It’s not cheap, it’s a major tourist trap which sends you crazy and tiny voices start telling you to kill….moving on to the next point.
*tuk-tuk drivers. Ok, they need to make a living. And yes, all over Asia they constantly hassle you for fares. But when you’re walking across the road and they want to take you somewhere, or sitting down at a restaurant and they start trying to sell you a day trip for only 10 Baht, and this happens every 10 seconds…..where’s something heavy?
*the beaches. Did I mention the beaches?
*Yellow! Thailand will always remain a sea of yellow for me.
INDIA
*oh my freaking dooly. Get me out! Get me out!
*People everywhere. Constantly. The only quiet place is your bathroom, and even then, people are trying to clamour in.
*staring, always being stared at. Even in tourist attractions, as if they’ve never seen a foreign woman before. And the laughing. Slightly uncomfortable.
*train rides are fairly comfortable, if you can ignore the stares. And the guys trying to feel you up.
*Wearing loose clothing just doesn’t work. People cop a feel no matter what. And then you punch them. No, yell at them, make them aware loudly and clearly you’re pissed off. They’ll back off.
*India made me aggressive. I started wanting to punch people up for pissing me off. Not sure if that’s a good thing.
*McLeod Ganj and Dharamsala. So beautiful, little hill stations at the foot of the Himalayas. Peaceful, calming, relaxing. Catch your breath here.
*Tiger reserve. To think someone in the 20’s actually thought about animal conservation! Tigers, elephants, birds, crocodiles, peacocks, pigs, deer…we saw it all. And in a torrential downpour.
*Thought it wasn’t the rainy season. Why did it rain?
*Happy Holi! My clothes will never recover from the dye. Water bombs, coloured dye smeared over your face, hair and body. Beautiful and colourful, just stay away from the young men!
*Rajasthan – sand city, blue city, pink city. So many colours, so many forts, such variety in a country!
*Liz Hurley ruining Jodhpur. Did she have to close down the Fort and the Palace on the only day we’re in town?
*Taj Mahal. Everything’s been said before, and everything was right.
*asking a question, head nod means maybe yes, hand shake means maybe no. Whatever happened to a basic yes or no answer?
*Bollywood extra. Spend a day standing around dancing to a song which grows on you, watch the actress fuck up the dance moves while you dance them over and over in front of her, meet new friends, and get a bit of extra cash for your troubles. And then down the track, rent out the movie and hope to god they didn’t cut out your scene!
*Do I have to leave India? When can I come back? I love this country!
