Thrills, spills and muddy Mekong madness! (80km)

Short entry today cos I'm completely knackered!! Up again bright and early at 6am, ready to set off at 7.30am. Cycled out of Trah Vinh and our first stop was this beautiful Buddhist temple in the forest. Was quite a bizarre blend at times of the ancient and the modern (an emerging theme!) - the old, old temple buildings set against a Pepsi table umbrella, rock music blaring from a radio and the Buddha inside the temple surrounded by multicoloured neon lights! Apparently neon is a fairly recent thing in Vietnam (only about 20yrs or so) so they use it with gay abandon! (the Vietnamese LOVE their kitsch!)

Today's ride was pretty long at 80km. We broke it up with a fair number of stops but it was still quite tiring. It was so much my legs hurting as my wrists, hands and shoulders from being in the same position for so long. Kept trying to stretch to ease it out a bit, but I guess its just my body getting used to it, so hopefully it'll lessen off as the week goes on. Remember what I said yesterday - its only a matter of time? Well, yep - I was right! Today had two falls from the bike - the first one when we stopped at a junction and I just couldnt get my sodding cleat out of the left pedal in time (cos they're new, they're really tight, so I ended up riding with my right shoe clipped out). I was a bit bashed up but not too bad (although I think I'm in for some impressive bruises!). The next time was about 20mins later when we hit this big patch of Mekong mud (by this stage we had left the paved roads and were going through the beautiful patchwork of rice paddy fields). Having never really done mountain biking before, I had absolutely no idea of technique, so I was a bit doomed before I began really. Coupled with my cleat issue, it was pretty much guaranteed I would hit the mud, wobble, slither and then topple over in slow motion, ending up slithering down the bank with my bike on top of me! Fortunately, I stopped short of the Mekong river (that would have been bad) and nothing was damaged (neither me nor my camera, thank goodness!). The inevitable spill over, I could actually relax a little - some of the other riders also gave me some tips on how to actually ride the damn thing (its a bit like horse riding, really), so that really did help a lot too.

The ride today was very pretty and I feel I now have an intimate knowledge of how rice is produced! The stuff was everywhere - all spread out on tarps across the road to dry and, even though we were told it was fine to ride through it, you couldnt help thinking they got heartily miffed off with all these people messing up their carefully brushed and combed rice piles! Along with the rice paddies (which were the most vibrant green i've ever seen), we also saw many different style Khmer homes and temples, built in amongst the many tributaries of the Mekong. God knows how many bridges we crossed!

We kept riding til finally reaching our destination at 4pm for a late lunch of Beef Pho which was absolutely delicious (and well earned!). Again, with only about 10mins to go, we got caught in the rain and COMPLETELY soaking! Ah well - at least its warm. After lunch, we all trooped back on the vans for the 2hr drive to Can Tho, a large trading city. After all the rural quiet of the last couple days (moped horns aside), it was a bit of an assault to the senses to be back in a town! Was lots of traffic and we sat in a queue for the ferry for a good half hour. But finally made it to the Saigon Can Tho hotel around 6.30pm, so it was a long day but another very rewarding one. Dinner is in about half an hour - I could crawl into bed now, I'm so tired, so I hope I dont fall asleep in my noodles!!

Ho Chi Minh City to Trah Vinh (47km)

Up bright and early at 6am, ready for 7.30am transfer out of Saigon. Breakfast was buffet style and good, with breads, fruit, cereal, fried rice and noodles. Started off in the vans to transfer a couple hours out of Ho Chi Minh City to Cai Be - the gateway to the Mekong Delta. HCMC is a big sprawling city with a population of 8 million, 90% of whom seemed to be on mopeds! Was very interesting driving out of the city, seeing the juxtaposition of both the traditional way of life next to the new developments and huge building projects. Also fun were the goldfish farms,, which I think win the prize for the most entertaining way to use the middle bit of ground in between the two sides of the road! After about hour and half, we stopped for a bathroom break and coffee stop at this stunning place with an amazing water garden and beautiful outhouses, full of very ornate carved mahogany furniture - much better than your Little Chef or roadside diner!

After about another hour, we arrived at our starting destination of Cai Be and all piled out of the vans, readying ourselves to start riding. Got introduced to my steel pony, a 3500 Trek Mountain Bike and Mr Phat fitted my pedals and cleat system (managing, fortunately, to get my shoe out of the pedal that I'd got it stuck in, right after I bought it!). Also fitted my gel saddle cover (a VERY good buy!) and little under-the-seat saddle bag, and I was ready for the off! It took me a while to get used to the cleats and clips on my shoes on a bike that's not fixed to the ground and I think it probably only is a matter of time before I end up in a heap on the floor! But, other than a few wobbles, it was pretty comfortable and didnt take me long to get the hang of it - just as well, really, cos you needed to have all your concentration to avoid the many road hazards and craziness in front of you!! I guess in Manhattan you dont often have to swerve to avoid chickens, coconuts and stray dogs!

The ride was simply breathtaking as it led us right into the heart of rural Mekong, pedalling through narrow roads and lanes, past banana plantations, fields of sugarcane, and through lush green landscapes of the delta. It was everything i'd imagined it to be, but in even more vivid colour (and smell!). Another thing that you hear about, but you really do need to experience it firsthand to understand, is just how friendly and smiley absolutely everyone is. It really is incredible, but as you cycle past, people smile and say hello as if seeing you is the best thing that's ever happened to them! You shout a greeting back too and can't help smiling also, wondering just how come everyone looks so happy to see you. What a wonderful national psyche to have. Cycling past one school, this big hoard of kids ran up to the road and starting waving and shouting "hello!" - honestly, when I come back to New York, I shall be devastated if I dont get the same treatment! One kid was really cute, walking home carrying this adult sized briefcase that was almost as big as he was!

A section of biking took us off road onto gravel and dirt lanes, weaving through hamlets, across rivers and through quite thick vegetation. We crossed the mighty Mekong several times today, in a variety of ferries - some rather more rickety than others!! After about 50km, a final ferry crossing brought us into to Tra Vinh, where we cycled through some verdant green rice paddies, before entering the town, a pretty tree lined place with many ethnic Khmers. Alas, we didnt quite beat the rain, so got completely soaked by the regular downpour at 4pm, but it was warm and I smelt quite bad by that stage, so I didnt mind too much! Arrived at our hotel for the night, the Cuu Long Hotel, at just before 5pm, so enough time to shower (yey!), change and blog before dinner. Which is where I'm off to now!

All in all, an amazing first day - I didnt manage to get squashed or hurt myself too badly (almost spraining my ankle stumbling on the step in the lobby of the hotel first thing this morning doesnt count!), and I think the legs held up pretty well. Saw some amazing scenery and a constant stream of rural vignettes (alas, didnt take as many pics as I'dve liked but I would get left behind if i did!) and the people were so charming and friendly. If its like this for the whole 2 weeks, I'm in for an absolutely unforgettable experience.

Tip of the Day: sushi when feeling queasy is not a good lunch choice
So only quick note because in 20mins, we’re finally off – the official start of the cycling holiday! Yesterday’s transfer to the Bong Sen 2 hotel was very smooth and – huzzah – there was a room for me, so that’s an auspicious start! I had a late lunch at a place called Sushi Bar (my original choice having been converted into a Pizza Hut!) and it probably wasn’t the wisest choice of cuisine given I was still feeling a little nauseous. There was one piece of sushi that I have no idea what it was (I think it might have been a giant marine tapeworm or something) but in my gung-ho-ness attitude I tried it anyway – big mistake! One chew in and it was clear I was eating something that clearly should never have been suggested as suitable for human consumption. It was vile. I just stopped chewing and swallowed it before it could register its noxiousness anymore on my taste buds and washed away the horribleness with a big slug of sushi. Yeeuuchh!!

After that traumatic experience, went and had a quick lie down before meeting the rest of the group at 6pm for our briefing. I’ll give you more details as the trip goes on but they seem like a fun crowd (some, on first impressions seem more lively than others) – and – relax, everyone – no single guys under the age of 50, so no chance of finding love amongst the bike spokes this time! After orientation mtg, went out for dinner at The Temple Club – a bit like Tao but without the 40ft high Buddha statue. Food was excellent but Damian, our tour guide, did warn us not to get used to the poshness of this particular restaurant. So, now finishing packing, ready for our 7.30am departure. Yep. 7.30am. And this is one of the later ones! Hang on – aren’t I supposed to be on holiday or something?!!!

Photo Ops, Unidentifiable liquids and Advanced Scooter Avoidance Skills
So very successful morning’s exploring again – didn’t get as hopelessly lost this time! Am, however, still having to take my life into my own hands when I cross the street (again, very glad Mum isn’t here to witness this!) but I think five years of living in Manhattan is proving to be very good training!! So set off this morning bound for Cathedral Notre-Dame and actually managed to navigate my way there, walking along Tran Hung Dao, one of the main roads through the city. Walking through a pretty park, 23/9 Park, a group of 6 or 7 locals stopped me, holding out a camera phone. I thought they wanted me to take a picture of them – until I realised they wanted to take a picture of me! So stood there sheepishly and smiled, even taking off my shades on request, before continuing on my way, wondering only briefly what on earth that photo is ever going to be used for! If nothing else, this holiday is already proving to be full of firsts! On my way to Cathedral Notre-Dame, happened to walk past the Ben Thanh market – wasn’t sure about going in on my own, but I took a deep breath, gathered my courage and thought “what the hell!”. I was glad I did as it was fascinating (very reminiscent of the market I stumbled across in Singapore), full of enticing wares I did very well to resist. The food stands were the most interesting of all – I still have no idea what this drink I ended up having was. I’d stopped to watch the vendor push what looked like sugar canes through a big metal press to produce a cloudy liquid, but seeing as my familiarity with sugar canes is only a passing one, it could have been anything! As it was, it was pretty tasty and I felt suitably intrepid and adventurous! (I’m hoping also this feeling of mild, continious nausea is a side-effect of the anti-malarials and not an ominous portend of gastrointestinal disaster to come… Wandering in the market, I also stumbled across the meat section – decided to be unphased and cool and go have a closer look. Good idea – until I remembered I was wearing sandals and everyone else around me was wearing big rubber booths, the reason for which became clear as a bucket of sluice and God knows what else suddenly got thrown on the floor ahead of me and oozed menacingly my way. Beat a very hasty retreat, but not before I managed to take a couple pics of this guy chopping up some hapless animal with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth – guess it just adds to the local flavour.

Continued my exploration, stopping off at a Vietnamese equivalent of Starbucks along the way for an iced coffee, before arriving in Lam Square and the impressive façade of People Committee Hall. Then wandered down Nguyen Hue (as planned! – well done, me!) to try and look for a small camera (no luck yet – they actually seem more expensive out here) before coming back up along the posh shopping street of Dong Khoi. Felt way too scruffy to go shopping in any of the upscale boutiques (not that I shop in them in NYC anyway!) so continued along to the Central Post Office (designed by Eiffel of the Tower fame!) and also the Cathedral. Bought a little fried waffle thing from a sweet old lady sitting outside the steps before checking out the Diamond Shopping centre. Just like a regular department store, so nothing very exciting but stopped off for some water and a fresh orange juice in the upstairs bit that is obviously a hotspot for young Vietnamese, as it was a bowling alley and full of video games machines I havent seen for years! All very noisy with flashing lights but kinda fun to sit and watch. Got a taxi back to the hotel (they’re not all that cheap, actually – but still cheaper than that bloody pedicab from yesterday!), caught up on my email and blog, checked out and now I’m off to go find somewhere for lunch before transferring to my next hotel and the official start of my cycling holiday!! Whoo-hooo!!!

Slept well (thanks, Ambien) and awoke to the hotel being without power. No big deal (although the Blackberry is going to die soon, so that might be a bit more distressing!) and having breakfast by the light of a paraffin lamp almost makes me feel as if I’m camping! So, ordered beef Pho for breakfast this morning (yesterday, stayed on the beaten track with the eggs (no pun intended) and toast), so we’ll see what turns up! Got absolutely eaten alive by mossies last night, so the legs are already suffering – perhaps the trick to surviving is to cover them so thoroughly in bike grease, no self-respecting mossie will go anywhere near me. I have no idea how this happened, but checking through my first aid kit, I seem to have packed for every eventuality except this one as I can’t find my anthihistamines or anti-itch cream anywhere!! So I think this morning’s itinerary is to check out some of the old, grand hotels and buildings along Dong Khoi, before also making a stop on Nguyen Hue to pick up a cheap, little camera that I can keep in my back pocket whilst I’m riding. Then will need to get back to the hotel to check out in the afternoon before transferring to the next place and meeting my fellow cycling enthusiasts/nutcases. Anyway, the beef Pho was delicious – pretty basic with bits (not sure where from ) of beef and rice noodles in a savoury broth, but very tasty nonetheless. Only downside is that I’m now sweating like crazy given that I’ve just eaten a bowl of hot soup, in a basement where the air con is not working! Ah well!!

Fun at large in Saigon!

It’s the end of my first full day in Ho Chi Minh City and am sitting in a little green restaurant just opposite from the hotel called Thanh Noi. No real idea what I just ordered but its been that kind of day – surrendering yourself to circumstance and the help of others.

So I got lost the instant I left the hotel to look for the gold shop to change money in. It was 10 metres and a whole world away. It is actually a little daunting, especially on your own – you’re completely the odd one out and who sticks out a mile and whom everyone is staring at. Stopped at a café for an iced coffee and some weird green water (its not a case really of “if” I get the squits, more just “when”) and to get my bearings. As suspected, I was heading in completely the wrong direction! With a little help from the people in the café, got back on the right track and started heading towards Reunification Palace and the War Remnant Museum. This place is insane with an unfeasible number of scooters - honestly, I’m glad Mum can’t see how you have to cross the road here! Its more a sport than a pedestrian activity – I will be truly amazed if I manage to navigate this place without getting dented! Got suckered into taking a pedicab to the Palace and heavily overcharged, but it was a fun experience even if, at one time, I genuinely did close my eyes shut in panic and whimper cos I was convinced we were about to get squashed by traffic!

My handy guide book tells me that the history of the current building dates from 1966, though the site’s relevance as a capitol winds back to 1868 when the French laid the cornerstone of a palace for the governor-general of Indochina. It was a romantic flight of Second Empire and Greek Revival fancy, with a pediment, a mansard roof, arched galleries and jutting wings. However, in a failed coup d’etat in 1962, two pilots bombed the Independence Palace, destroying large parts of the interior. In the design of the new palace, a South Vietnamese architect worked the shapes of the Chinese characters for good fortune, education and consistency into the building’s floor plan and façade. The dominant exterior motif is a stone curtain of bamboo segments that shades floor-to-ceiling windows. Inside, a grand stairway rises through the five-story core of the 95 room palace.

After my tour of the Palace, it was time for lunch at the renowned Quan an Ngon. I got there just after 12 and, because I was on my own, didn’t have to wait for a table (unlike later on when there were big long queues!). This is the best place to eat in the city where street food is king, but without having to perch on tiny stools or be engulfed in traffic fumes! The dining areas spill from a gutted French villa into courtyards and up stairways to balconied perches in adjoining annexes. Best of all, it’s ridiculously cheap! I had no idea what to order, so asked one of the waitstaff to help me choose – ended up with some very tasty rice-wrapped prawn rolls followed by a pork patty-thing on a lemongrass skewer that you chopped into bits and then ate with vermicelli noodles, basil and salady stuff, wrapped in a rice wrapper and dipped in sauce. I had no idea what was going on with the second dish, thus making for one of the most memorable experiences of the day – the waiter donning a pair of plastic gloves and constructing a roll for me! Mildly embarrassing, yet somewhat endearing at the same time – was I guess the Vietnamese equivalent of showing a child how to use their knife and fork!

After lunch, I walked over to the War Remnants museum but it was shut til 1.30pm, so I rested my feet for a bit in a nearby café and had another iced coffee. The War museum was very harrowing with many, many disturbing photographs. I spent just over an hour looking at the exhibits and left in a reflective mood. I didn’t take many photographs as it just didn’t seem right somehow. As I was leaving, the heavens opened (a sign of things to come on my bike trip, perchance?!) so I took a covered pedicab back to the hotel (and this time paid 1/5th of what I’d paid the first time!). Had a very emotional reunion with my backpack (it promised not to go wandering off again), then crashed out for a quick snooze. Got up around seven, showered and figured out where to go for dinner. Considered going to one of the posh, old French colonial hotels but honestly, just was too knackered. I keep forgetting there is a 12hr time difference and that might have something to do with me feeling a bit spaced out! So here I am, having a very quick dinner – have since discovered I’m eating Bun Thit Nuong (BBQ pork with rice noodles). They’re OK but not a patch on the lunch! At least it was quick and cheap!! After dinner, it’ll be time to just come back to the hotel to crash and get ready for tomorrow’s fun to begin!!

Miss Saigon
Really knackered but I made it. Irrational visa fears proved completely unfounded as went very easily through Vietnamese immigration. Am now ensconced in the Saigon Mini Hotel, a perfect little place in the centre of town (thanks, TripAdvisor!) – very comfortable, modern and clean. Unlike me, at the moment, after a long day’s travelling!! Unfortunately, my backpack is on even more extended a trip than I as it didn’t make it to HCMC on the same flight! It should be here first thing tomorrow morning, so no stress (unfortunately, though, it does have my bugspray in it and I can already see a couple of hungry mossies circling with intent, just waiting for me to turn the light off so they can chow down on some Western meat….). Too tired to write much else right now, but I can’t believe I’m actually here! After all the waiting! Whooo-hooo!!

Seoul sistah
Hello from Seoul!! Have now landed at Seoul airport and am now sitting in the First Class lounge of Korean air (somehow got upgraded but alas, only have 10mins to pretend I belonge here before I've to board!). Fortunately the pilot turned out to be a good aim - the runway strip seemed to appear out of the ocean from nowhere, just you were convinced he was about to try and land this puppy on water! The view was stunning - again, my pics dont really reflect how gorgeous it was, but the sunset was a stunning red-orange which bathed the lush and verdant Korean mountains below. It's a shame I wont get to explore more (and the rules of my country collecting are very strict in saying that airports dont count!!) but I think this is a part of the world that I'm very likely to come back too, so maybe next time.

As you'd expect, Seoul airport is very clean and its people are VERY short!! The only people I'm not towering at least a foot over are the other tourists! Now I know how Gulliver felt! OK - gotta run, time for Phase 2 of the Incredible Journey awaits.....

Are we there yet?
I’m finally off!! Did most of my last-minute leaving chores yesterday night, so only had a couple bits and bobs to do before heading off at 10am – until, that is, Izzie very helpful hacked up an unbelievably large quantity of Whiskas kibble onto the duvet. So an emergency trip to the basement laundry was needed – there’s just no way I’m coming home to THAT after 2 and a half weeks! What the hell is it with my cats and my bed? Are they trying to tell me something?? Why don’t they just write me a note?

Anyway, despite the cats best efforts to throw me off my schedule (I think they were conspiring to try and prevent me from leaving), I managed to leave the apartment on time at 10am, allowing plenty of time to get to JFK for my 12.50pm flight. It was a bit busy leaving Manhattan but we got to the Midtown tunnel fairly smoothly, but then a few mins later, we pretty much stopped, prompting the following internal dialogue: “Oh bugger….. Traffic…... Well its OK – no problem…… I’ve got plenty of time……... Hmm.. this traffic is really bad, but its still OK……… Oh no, its started to pee it down with rain – this isn’t going to help. ...... I wonder what’s going on anyway……. OK… I hope this clears soon…. Its starting to get a bit tight now…. No, don’t panic…. There’s nothing you can do about it…. Stay calm, it’ll be OK…..GET A BLOODY MOVE ON!!! COME ON, PEOPLE!!!...... *breathe*… I wonder if my insurance policy covers this?.....Oooh – what are those flashing lights ahead?....OK – hopefully see whats going on in just a minute…...IS THAT IT?? …A whole bloody lane closed off to park a truck in??... No spectacular pile-up or shedding of lorry’s loads? ….What is this world coming too?......OK traffic moving now…..Phew… I think I’ll still make it…”

After all of that, I was 5mins later than originally planned arriving at the airport.

So am flying with Korean Air, out of JFK’s Terminal 1 and I’m usually here waving Mum off, as it’s also the terminal for Turkish Airlines too. But, this time, its just me, my very unbusinesslike backpack and camera tripod ready to take on the world! I’m flying to Ho Chi Minh City via Seoul – the first flight being 14hrs long, the second another 6hrs. I’m due to land in Saigon at about 10.20pm local time and hopefully there will be a little man with my name on a sign waiting for me to take me to my hotel in the city! Checked in all fine at the desk (so my Vietnamese visa has at least past first muster!) and went straight through airport security as there were no lines. Am pleased to report there are still some residual effects of the Obama lovefest that engulfed the city yesterday – as my rucksack was going through the security X Ray machine, one of the security guards exclaimed “Hey, an Obama pin!” prompting smiles all round. And eye contact again. Usually, you share eye contact with an airport security officer, the next thing you know you’re bending over a table listening to the sound of latex gloves being snapped on. Apparently.

First time flying with Korean Air on business class and have to say am impressed so far. Was a bit concerned, given they are code share partners with Delta that it all would be a bit crap, but its actually very nice. Am writing this about half way into my 14hr flight to Seoul and so far its been a very pleasant experience. The seats are pretty roomy, I’ve already managed to get some sleep so am feeling peachy and my personal mission to eat as many forms and types of Asian food (non-moving) I can over the next 2 and half weeks has already started!

For lunch, had this traditional Korean dish called bimibibap (or something) and it came with a little instruction sheet to tell you how to construct the dish! I can actually boast a little here and say that I already knew what to do - I’d been to a little Korean place on my street called Do Sirak (see – I was taking my training for this trip very seriously!), so already knew about the “dump it in and stir it up” concept! It must be great to be a kid in Korea – its part and parcel of the dining experience to play with your food! The meal also came with this great pair of silver chopsticks that are totally going to get added to my airline flatware collection on my return journey! (alas, no teaspoon yet!). However, I’ve also discovered that (unlike my Aer Lingus trip!), the Koreans don’t have a heavy hand when in comes to the inflight beverage service as I’ve just had the tiniest glass of champagne I’ve ever seen! I didn’t know champagne came that small! The hostess also passed me over initially for a glass of port with my cheese too – I’m thinking “not so fast honey, I’m paying for this ticket out of my own pocket so it intend to get my full money’s worth!!”

But so far, so good. Also lucked out with the guy sitting next to me – very nice chap called Yves who also happens to be a pilot. Result!!! Means my totally uncool and irrational fear of turbelence can be happily set aside for this flight – if he’s not worried, I’m not worried! If, though, he does start to look uneasy at any stage of the flight, at least I’ve now written my will!

Just been fed again. Korean beef stew this time and very tasty.

And – hey! – I can see Russia from my window! (does this mean I’m now qualified to run for public office?)

Flight path is quite interesting – leaving New York, we flew over the Finger Lakes (hello, my old campsites and crap wineries!), up past Chicago and over the Great Lakes. I then fell asleep, so by the time I woke up, we were flying over the Artic Circle. As you’d expect, very white, lots of snow and lots of disturbingly large looking cracks in the ice. I think we are truly all buggered by global warming. Currently we’re now flying over Russia – I’m trying to take some good pics but, as any photographer knows, it’s almost impossible to get the focus right but, even if they’re a bit blurry, you’ll get the general idea. The landscape below reminds me a lot of Patagonia – very desolate and empty but hauntingly beautiful.

OK – enough of this. Time to check out the inflight entertainment. Next time I write, I’ll probably be in Saigon! Whooo-hoo!!!

The wait is almost over!!....

After months of waiting and slowly building excitement, its almost over.  No - am not talking about the election this time (although I can't stop grinning today!) but my uber-trip to Indochina!!  Have just about finished all my preps - the washing, packing, cleaning, emptying out the fridge, taking out the rubbish, stocking up on cat food and cat litter, so all I have left to do tomorrow is a little last bit of work before saying goodbye to the boys and heading off to the airport!!  Dylan and Izzie know that something is afoot as they've been extra clingy this evening but, as long as they don't manage to lock themselves in my bedroom whilst I'm away, I'm sure they'll get over it pretty quickly! (thanks, Conor!)

Its funny - as you already know, I travel A LOT for work and, when its a work trip, I don't usually give a second thought to what could go tits-up (other than the recurring plane crash nightmare, but thats another story!).  BUT when I'm travelling exclusively for pleasure, on holiday, I suddenly start to worry about stupid things like "I hope my ticket is OK" and "what if my Visa isn't right?".  I know its not logical and everything will be fine, but I guess you're more on your own, rather than having the work safety net to fall back on.  My only genuine mild concern is about my visas and hoping they were processed correctly - but again, I'm sure it's all going to be fine, so am trying not to worry!  

So, just an additional note on the election - walking home from Union Square last night was a very surreal experience, as complete strangers became friends and high-fived you in the street and cabbies and truck drivers tooted their horns as they drove past, matching your cheers of celebration.  The feeling persisted into today when, walking to work, again, everyone was smiling at each other, making *shock horror* eye contact  and basically behaving the complete opposite to how New Yorkers usually behave!  Everyone had somehow come together - just for a few more hours to continue to revel in the shared experience of being a part of history in the making, united by our hopes for a better future for America and the world.  

YES, WE DID!!
OMG - what a night! . I just had to register just how historic tonight has been. Tonight, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States of America. A truly, truly amazing day. After months of anticipation and nervous monitoring of the polls, he actually, finally did it. I've just got home (at 2am) after a night out with friends (and strangers!) celebrating and sharing the evening and really feel privileged to have been part of such an historic event. Walking back through Union Square, with the enormous crowds that had gathered there to chant, sing and celebrate was just amazing. I spent most of this evening in, or close to, tears - Barack's speech was so moving and profound. What an incredible night - truly one of those "can you remember

when?" type of moments!

  

Almost ready for my SE Adventure!

I am getting sooooo excited!  I love it when a plan comes together!!   My holiday is just over 3 wks away and I've already started packing - pretty much unheard of as I'm usually still doing laundry an hour before I'm due to leave for the airport!!

Anyway, all the various components of my holiday are coming together nicely.  I think I realised a few weeks ago what an endeavour this adventure is - triggering a mild anxiety attack right after I got back from Cyprus!  Actually more things to think about than I'd probably anticipated but I've made good progress in the last couple of weeks and think things are almost there!

So, flight is booked - 22hrs via Seoul (ugh!) but at least business class with Korean Air (huzzah!).  Vietnamese and Cambodian visas obtained and passport back in my possession in record quick time (thanks, Pfizer travel desk!).  Life insurance (in case I get squashed by an elephant or other Asian hazard) - done.  Travel insurance almost done (still farting about shopping for policies!).   Hotel for extra 2 nights in Saigon - booked.  Hotel for extra 2 nights in Bangkok - booked.   Transfers to and from the airports - reserved.  Cycling gear (shorts, shoes, shirts, gloves, socks, helmet) tried on and bought (padded shorts are deeply deeply unattractive!).  Only one more pair of gloves plus SPD cleats and pedal set left to get.  I'm deliberately packing light (as they helpfully reminded me in the pre-departure briefing document, its a cycling holiday, not a fashion parade!) as i'm sure there will also be lots of great stuff (silks etc) to buy whilst I'm out there!

So really, I think I'm pretty much done.  I've been training like a nutcase recently (although for some unknown reason its been a very slow week for me so far this week), so hopefully I'm not going to be the unfittest person there!  All i've got to do now is try and get through the next 3 weeks at work, try and remain focused on what I'm doing whilst attempting to contain my excitement!!  

Back home - to a surprise gift!!

So now back home in Manhattan, refilling my lungs full of fresh city air, after a lovely weekend with the gang.  Today we got up around 8am (after a night's sleep disturbed by a chirping smoke detector) and, after a little light yoga stretching to wake my body up, Iain and Rachel cooked an ENORMOUS English brekkie for everyone.  I was uber-healthy and stuck to my nice and clean oatmeal - yum!  After breakfast, we wandered into town for a mosey round - I bought a ceramic red apple for the kitchen (perfect for putting my brillo pads in!) and Rachel splurged and bought an etching (bargain at $900!).  After a soy cappuchino in town, we then headed back to the house to check out and head back to Manhattan.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous - beautifully clear and sunny, so the drive back through the Catskills was stunning, with the vibrant colours of the autumn leaves on the trees.  Felt a bit sad driving past Woodstock but I guess to be a little expected, so I'm not going to give myself a hard time or get too wrought up.

So got home about 7pm to find that the boys had accidently locked themselves in my bedroom.  God knows how long they'd been in there but i'd wager quite a while, by the squeakiness of their meows and how pissed off they were.  Dozy sods - I guess I'm going to have to start wedging the bedroom door open now too.   Started my unpacking (both from the weekend and from Cyprus!) and found that the little darlings had peed in my suitcase.  Oh joy.  But I guess it could have been worse - at least they hadnt peed on the bed.  So I chucked out the clothes they'd peed on and counted myself lucky (perfect excuse to replace my semi-knackered suitcase anyway!).  Then re-counted as I discovered that they had, indeed, peed on the bed.  Oh double joy.  So now I'm sleeping on the blow-up bed in the lounge until I can buy some pet urine remover tomorrow - I just hope it works as replacing the mattress will turn this into a very expensive little weekend getaway!!!  *sigh* 

Friends, frolics and giant marshmallow yoga in the Catskills!

So, no sooner have I got back from Cyprus, then am off again - this time for a weekend with friends in the Catskills! There are 6 of us (5 girls and 1 guy - brave soul!) and we've rented this amazing place called Turquoise Barn for the weekend. Its about 3hrs drive from Manhattan (I drove this enormous tan caravan thing but managed not to crash into anything!) and is in the heart of the forest, so we're surrounded by beautifully coloured autumnal trees.

We arrived last night around 5pm after a fairly easy drive up (although Iain and Mandeep got a bit lost in their car!) and Michelle, the owner of the place, met us and showed us around. Its absolutely gorgeous with more space than any of us know what to do with, and is all beautiful wood and rusticness! There's a river and little lake out back (along with a meditation hut - alas, a bit chilly to use right now though!) and this morning, was all covered in a thin layer of frost and looked stunning, with the mist rising up from the ground.

This morning, after Iain manfully chopped more firewood, we headed into the nearby town of Delhi for coffee, breakfast and to buy food for supper tonight. Afterward, we came back to the barn, vegged out for a bit reading the papers before finally rousing our lazy arses to go for a walk along the river. Was a bit of a slog through the quarry and overgrowth first, but we finally found the trail and ambled along quite happily for an hour or so. Found some humungous bales of something whilst walking through this corn field, thus prompting some spontaneous giant marshmallow yoga by Rach, Iain and Mandeep!