Southeast & East Asia mixt

jiufen old street, taiwan

Lanterns are us

High up in the mountains Jiufen has hit upon a winning idea. The old lane winding its way through the village has been given over to streams of tourists running a commercial gauntlet. Shops attempting to lure you in include a variety of local delicacies begging you to sample a slice or a dollop. Mementoes aplenty, liquors galore, high-end perfumes and big-name jewellery are some of the treats proffered by store holders as you follow the throng. Nighttime is best, when visitors can shuffle along shoal-like under the glow of lanterns. Add a deluge from the heavens splattering one and all and you’ve also got a boost to the atmosphere with all the coloured macs that seem to do so well in Taipei. Worth it? Yes – just the once though.

siem Reap, cambodia

Mine clearing

At the APOPO centre in Siem Reap, HeroRATS are trained to detect landmines in the mine-strewn countryside. The training takes about 9 months and involves rats sniffing out TNT for food rewards. A demonstration at the centre is well worth a visit – you can even hold one of these huge African Giant Pouched rats. ‘Do they bite?’ I asked, ‘No, bad characters are deselected from the programme,’ came the reply! The young Cambodian guide had excellent technical English, making the visit all the more rewarding. The mines were laid during the civil war which followed the withdrawal of the Vietnamese Army.

inle lake, myanmar

Lost in time

Inle Lake in Myanmar has a magical charm. Your introduction to this unique community will likely be a 50-minute long-tailed boat-ride to reach your hotel. As you jet across the water ahead of your thunderous plume, you are passed this way and that by similarly speeding folks off to market, heads bent against the spray. The lake is shallow and full of tall freshwater weeds, hence the leg-rowing tradition that has developed to prevent oars getting tangled up. This particular fisherman was out at dawn and happily posed for me as I was being ferried to Heho Airport. Inle Lake, a place lost in time!

the great wall, china

Mind your step!

When you go to regional work conferences, they usually straddle the weekend. Sign-ups are available for a little light relief by way of excursions which are often not very tempting at all. In Beijing, this listing just said, ‘the Great Wall’, so busloads scribbled their names down, right off the end of the sheet of A4, some sneakily crossing out names above. It didn’t disappoint. Sometimes things are more or less than what was expected or contain a surprise. This was more; the way the path on top of the wall is really, really steep was an eye-opener. But why wouldn’t it be if you build a wall exactly in a line, up and down the landscape ignoring the contours. Of course, it would be steep! You can’t see it from space – urban myth!

seoul, south korea

Pageant at the palace

There is something appealing about Seoul that is hard to put your finger on. It isn’t Tokyo for sure, with its wide boulevards, large sedans and shopping thoroughfares. Perhaps it is the adjacent hills which present a great overview, or the palace grounds so close to the city centre. It may even the rather lived-in city streets and markets with rubbish waiting for collection – a stark contrast to the manicured world of Korean soaps. On this Sunday morning there was a full-on pageant outside the old palace. I am not sure if it takes place every month or on a particular occasion. We tend to think of Korea’s new-found soft power as its cultural marker, but here its heritage was laid bare and embraced in all its glory.

angkor wat, cambodia

Angkor sunrise

You are not going to be alone watching the sun rise at Angkor Wat. There are two vantage points either side of the lake in front of the wat, with strong elbows a requirement for securing your patch. Following the rather disappointing sunrise through clouds and a flat light, the crowds shuffled off towards the antiquities. Having set out in the dark at 5am, armed with the hotel's packed breakfast (always hard-boiled eggs - a universal given) and passed numerous 'no food allowed' signs, I wandered to one side looking for somewhere to sit down. Just by a row of souvenir shops were two boys fishing in a pond. The light was perfect, making up for the rather underwhelming main event. I took only two shots but luckily one of them had the boy casting his line. Warning: one of the hard-boiled eggs wasn't - don't crack them on your trouser leg!

Ubud, Bali

Cultural heart

Bali is one of those tourist destinations where unfettered development has completely taken away the charm in many places. Try getting a taxi from Kuta Beach to Seminyak Beach, the three kilometres can take an hour at peak times. But once you put some distance in from those hot spots, you can reach areas where the charm is still intact. Bali’s unique culture also pervades not just society, but also the physical landscape. You just know you are in Bali. Pictured here near Ubud is the Tirta Empul holy water temple where people undertake the purification ritual to ward off evil and create a doorway to God.

bagan market, Myanmar

Photo or not?

Bagan has over 4,000 temples scattered over a huge area. You need a driver or an e-bike to get around. Or even a hot-air balloon if you are up for it. The market though is much more traditional and a place where you will find locals going about their business. This lady was nonchalant and completely unfazed. I regretted not giving her a small donation - that old chestnut - does it encourage and debase at the same time? Having said that, it would have cost me next to nothing.

vientiane, laos

Warm work

Sitting under the shade of an umbrella or three, a monk suddenly came along. Just what the picture needed - a subject! Luckily my camera was on the chair next to me. Vientiane is spread out over a huge area, so if you are ticking off temples it is hot work. You are likely to need a taxi or a tuk-tuk, followed by several sit-downs. Starducks, a local coffee shop, is a good place to start.

Central market, phnomh penh

1930s redux

The delightful Art Deco indoor market was constructed in 1937 on the site of the original market in what was then Chinatown. After much neglect the French Development Agency funded its renovation in 2009 to the tune of $4.2 million. The concrete foundations and supports were strengthened and all were finished in the original yellow. Inside are jewellery and electronics showcases, while in the wings are the usual wet market stalls, as well as flowers, fruit, and clothes. Compared to Ben Thanh in Saigon it is an extremely soft sell walking through, with no more than a polite suggestion to look at the wares.

penang, malaysia

Street art

Penang is renowned for its street art; in fact, you can make an itinerary in George Town of just wandering round taking pictures of walls. Wander is perhaps not the right word, because it is often too hot for casual walking. But the bright sunshine does give a chance for the old colonial buildings to strut their stuff, often repainted in pleasing hues, and re-fashioned as modish restaurants and coffee houses. Expect to wait in a queue for your turn to pose in front of the well-known walls. Not so much 'pose' as 'join-in'.

Royal Palace, Phnom penh

Yellowy calm

The Royal Palace is a comparatively recent building when you consider Cambodia’s long history, being constructed between 1866-70. The walled compound serves as the residence of the royal family, originally King Norodom but later King Sisowath who demolished the old buildings and replaced them in 1912. The Silver Pagoda and surrounding gardens are open to the public and at $10 per head must net thousands of dollars per day. There is something very calming about the palace, partly no doubt due to both the refined interiors and the tasteful Khmer style architecture, but also the soft yellow colouring throughout. In contrast, the bright yellow-brick road leading to the entrance announces that your visit is not going to be disappointing.

the DMZ, north-South Korea

Stare in silence

The Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea is a fascinating day trip about 60 kms north of Seoul. You can look out over the no-man’s land of the DMZ while taking photos and a panned video of it all, next to the sign that says, ‘No Photographs’. You can stand on the platform of pristine Dorasan Station waiting forlornly for trains between the North and South. Finally, you can walk a good way down one of the North’s infiltration tunnels which was discovered and blocked.

ximending, taipei

City lights

The walking street hotspot of Taipei is in Ximending. As always, the neon-blitz pokes and excites your senses at the same time. Once you have criss-crossed the streets and intersections a few times the novelty might have worn off – there’s only so much kawai that you can take as you seek out a promising eatery. It is a kind of mini-me of any Japanese thoroughfare, but it somehow manages to be not-quite-me for reasons that are hard to put your finger on. Having said that, the crowds were out, so something was working, with folks jauntily strutting their stuff, managing to create a midweek buzz.

the bodhnath, kathmandu

Just draws you in...

Sitting with a beer on the balcony of a third-floor hostelry overlooking the Bodhnath and the circling pilgrims, I noticed a procession approaching. I dashed down to join the crowd just as the head monks were leading the ceremony by intoning the key scriptures. All around were novice monks who looked a little bewildered to be honest. But at that age you don’t question what is going on, you just take it in your stride and try to be good at whatever the elders are asking you to do. Circling the Bodhnath were folks attending to their devotions - it is such a holy place and you seem to end up there regardless of where you were wandering to. Nepal not exactly SE Asia, I know, but the Bodhnath just calls...

The tonle sap, cambodia

Picnic with a view

The Tonle Sap inland waterway is a lake with a seasonal variation in depth of some eight metres. From barely a swamp in the dry season, to a nine-metre-deep lake in the wet season. Uniquely, the flow of water also reverses between the seasons. In May during the monsoon rains the Mekong River flows back into the lake from the direction of the sea, then in November it flows out the other way. Just south of Siem Reap is a small hill, Koh Krong, which is popular at weekends. The half-hour walk up the hill, was mainly to visit the Khmer ruins and photograph the sunset, but also being a Sunday, to share the view with local picknickers. The sunset wasn’t much, but a little tableau presented itself on the way down.

Gwangjang Market, seoul

Seoul Food

Gwangjang food market is one of the oldest, if not the biggest in Seoul. There are 5,000 shops which can expect 65,000 customers per day. If you have ever eaten Korean food, it was likely bindaeteok (a kind of pancake filled with meat and veg); meat barbecued at the table, or else a hot pot of some sort with meat braised in a rich, pungent gravy. Do not eat that last one if you are wearing a white shirt! Swill all that down with a beer or a soju and you are speaking the language already. There is something very overpowering about Korean food – possibly the spices, or maybe just the sheer volume of the servings. Note the suspended toilet rolls in the photo – it’s going to be messy, folks!

luang prabang, laos

Just chill!

With its old French colonial buildings and compact lay-out, this former capital and UNESCO World Heritage site is perfect for walking around. You will likely be taking in the night market, sampling the coffee or just chilling by the Mekong River. It used to be a bit of a slog by bus from Vientiane along the single lane Highway 13 (the reverse trip on my bicycle took me four days with stops). Now the Laos-China railway makes it a three-and-a-half-hour journey. Imagine that, whatever next?

silk island (koh dach), phnom penh

Smooth as...

Koh Dach is an island which lies between the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. Most of the houses seemed to have individual looms set up downstairs, with the lady of the house propelling the shuttle rhythmically back and forth. The main silk centres are bigger, with looms lined up in rows, operated by widows, we were told, in some sort of cooperative. The mulberry trees grow on site and the caterpillar-cocoon-moth lifecycle is carefully managed to ensure a constant supply of silk thread. The sarong patterns and complicated loom operation are a thing to behold. The lady simultaneously operates foot pedals, pushes the shuttle across and changes the drawstrings that create the sequential wefts (I looked that bit up). And lo – some intricate gold pattern materialises against a blue background, tiny row at a time.

singapore

Formula One

The Formula One event in Singapore is usually held over the last weekend in September. It is a night-time event on a street circuit. I read somewhere that 20,000 lights are installed just for the weekend. The circuit encloses various performance areas for top bands and acts, who play before the on-track action. People fly in for the weekend from all over, ​which creates a huge buzz along the quays and throughout the city. One for your calendar, but make sure your wallet is fit and healthy.

chiang kai shek memorial, taipei

Grand plaza

The grandeur of the plaza flanked by museums on either side lets you know that you are approaching something of substance. Taking the steps up to the mausoleum and entering the cloistered marble interior you have arrived. All stand in silence in front of the huge statue of the seated Chiang. Outside, the changing of the guard on the hour draws a crowd who are treated to synchronised precision, faultless from start to finish. Toy soldiers all, brought to life in their shiny silver helmets and odd white bootlaces, pausing mid-step from time to time to extend the hush.

Yangon, Myanmar

Botataung Pagoda

The last time we were in Yangon we decided to visit a pagoda by the river as there was a three hour wait for the next flight. We hadn’t reckoned on the traffic though, the journey with the airport taxi took an hour just to cross town. Botataung Pagoda is especially famous amongst Thai people for some reason. The entire queue seemed to be Thai, chattering excitedly as they patiently waited their turn for a personal blessing before lodging an appropriate Thai baht donation. (Shwedagon pics also shown here.)

Tuol Sleng S-21, Phnomh penh

Harrowing

I had been to S-21 primary school converted into a Khmer Rouge interrogation centre a couple of times before. That didn’t stop it from being just as harrowing this time around. Particularly haunting are the photographs, each one a person, and most with a story that will never be told, but all with a shared tragic ending. Every room in the building played host to unimaginable wickedness. Pol Pot conceded later, ‘We made mistakes…’ glibly glossing over pure evil! Four children survived there; two of them were standing in the compound grounds as adults. The elder one was able to describe in English his memory as a nine-year old when they took away his mother and father.