Not missing my Mac

I've been a faithful Apple computer user since buying my first Apple II in about 1983. I switched to a Mac Classic in 1992 and have had probably a half dozen other desktops and laptops since that time, the most recent a MacBook Air I bought 9 years ago that died last fall. But when I found it would cost $600 to fix my trusty Air, I decided not to replace it.

Instead of $1300 Mac, I bought a reconditioned Samsung Chromebook for $130. (We old retired people on a fixed income have to conservative. Oh, I am also cheap.) So far, it's done everything i need it to, including being my go-to device for my 3 month backpacking trip this winter and giving slideshow presentations as needed.

Now I will freely admit I am not a power user. I write in GoogleDocs, spend too much time on Facebook, and read and send emails. Facebook Messenger has been the go-go means of communication with the rest of my traveling family this trip. I can do rudimentary photo editing. All my documents are in the cloud. I can use the hotspot on my phone if wifi is not available. And as you can tell, I can still bore people senseless with my blog posts.

Were I a graphic designer, serious photographer, movie editor, hardcore gamer, or actually understood the value of pivot tables in a spreadsheet, this would not be the right machine. But for most people, the simplicity of the ChromeOS, especially its background system updating, should be a blessing, not a curse.

As a former tech director, I often observed that it was not the lack of features in a technology or computer program that people struggled with, but with too many confusing choices. The drop down menu on Microsoft Word, the system updates, the virus protections, and the printer configurations on regular PCs created great job security for technicians, but I don't think they ever helped the educators with whom I worked be more productive.

When my iPhone and iPad die, I may well replace them with machines that are more simple as well. I may also upgrade this small, cheap Chromebook to one with a bigger, perhaps flip screen.

But the OS? I'm staying with Chrome, thank you.

P.S. Most of the locals I've talked to here in SE Asia only have a smartphone, not a computer of any kind. I don't think I would ever be able to make a phone, or even a tablet, my primary device. My concern about the "only phone set" is if reading long, complex text would be discouraging. I can, but dislike, reading the newspaper on my phone. But then, who but me reads the paper anymore?

Hiking the Sapa Valley of Vietnam

Can you spot the tourist in this photo?

My friend Heidi and I spent the last 4 days hiking the "remote" Sapa Valley in northwestern Vietnam. About 5 hours from Hanoi, the region, noted for its rice terraces and hill tribe peoples, is rapidly developing. A few photos and observations below...

We took day hikes from the lovely Topas Ecolodge, perched on a mountain high above the valley floor. This was a much fancier place than I am accustomed to staying. Spa, dining room and bar, infinity swimming pool, and individual cabins with king size beds were all welcome after hiking. Disposables of any kind (plastic water bottles, straws, etc.) were not present. We were given water bottles we refilled from large jugs in the lobby.

The altitude made for interesting weather with clouds moving around the hotel. Some breathtaking views and sunsets, however. We were very lucky with the weather - warm and dry. Our final day here it is raining - but we are not hiking.

Our guide each day was Chung, who spoke good English and thought himself quite the comedian (at least he laughed a lot at his own jokes.) But he was well informed and had a good relationship with the tribal peoples we encountered. And he knew the trails and roads. In the photo above, Heidi is being helped by a Black Hmong woman who accompanied us the first day of hiking.

Each day we hiked about 4-5 hours, covering 6 or 7 miles at a rather slow pace. We traveled paths through the forests, along the rice terraces (see above), and often on one-lane concrete roads. We shared both the paths and roads with motor scooters carrying wide loads and villagers going about their daily business. On only a couple occasions were the paths steep and slippery.

The valley's mountainsides were almost completely terraced, with scattered wooden buildings among them. The two-story houses were temporary shelters for the farmers during the growing season on the top floor with space for water buffalo, chickens, ducks, and pigs below. We visited during the cool dry winter so saw few people working in the fields. 

The soulful gaze of this water buffalo was pretty typical. The buffalo only work during the growing season so this guy had a few months off. Chickens, goats, pigs, cattle, and of course, dogs and cats, ran loose in the towns and countryside.

Making handmade embroideries was a major pastime of the Hmong and Dao women. The pieces were detailed and finely crafted.

Of course the sales pitch for those pillow cases, purses, bags, and wall hangings was constant. This small group of ladies camped along the path we took each day from the swimming pool to the main lodge. I ignored such pitches. Heidi got her souvenir shopping done.

It was often hard to distinguish where a village began and ended. Built along the steep mountain sides, the little towns were strung out for a quarter mile or more. The larger ones had small schools and clinics, a couple homestays, and sometimes a small shop.

Toward the end of our hikes, we had lunch at a small restaurant or homestay. (Locals are rapidly adding second floors to their homes to rent to tourists.) Rice, veggies, tofu, and fruit for dessert was the standard fare. Rather healthy.

Chung, our guide, was very proud of the schools throughout the area. Each village had an elementary school and we saw many middle schools as well. The buildings were relatively new and seemed quite large. The kids seemed to behave like kids everywhere. We did see a lot of little truants running around the villages as well.

The elderly women of the Hmong and Dao tribes wore the traditional dress. Many of the women we saw were in their 80s and still doing needlework or childcare. I don't remember seeing a single old man. When asked why there were no old men, Chung replied that men all die young because the drink too much. And then laughed like crazy.

Not all the kids were in school or wore clothes. These boys seemed very happy in their natural state to play while their mom gathered herbs.

Hydroelectric dams provide over 70% of Vietnam's electricity. Villages have electricity and internet and each home we visited had a flat screen TV. Smart phones were everywhere and I never lost my 3G wireless connection. The big dams are scarring the valley and the area's rustic appeal is waning. Good for the people, I am sure; sad for the tourists.

But until the place is totally developed, enjoy the views!

Link to all my photos, including those of Hanoi city tour and Halong Bay.

Off the tourist path in Vietnam

 

I wandered away from the tour - t-shirt saying.

Over the past two weeks, my new daughter-in-law, Nhi, and her family have been hosting my family in southern Vietnam. Her family's homes are in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) District 5 and in the rural Dong Thap province about 3 hours west of HCMC. My son, Brady, and his bride had a lovely wedding in HCMC and we stayed a few days before and after the ceremony, This experience has made me realize just how little I've strayed from the typical tourist path despite having travelled extensively.

 

Vietnam's culture is about as different from that of the United States Midwest as one can find. Although we share values about families and education, our tastes and habits and etiquette diverge in many ways. Very little English is spoken by the Vietnamese people (Nhi and her sister Van were our translators) and my family speaks no Vietnamese. Very little signage is in English and few restaurant menus have English translations.

So, when one wanders off the tourist path and one may find...

Lodging. We stayed in a small hotel in District 5 HCMC near the house Nhi's parents own there. About a 30 minute drive from District 1, the main tourist area, it is in a neighbor of, ahem, "love hotels" in which rooms could be rented by the hour or by the day ($14). Despite there being a basket of condoms on the check-in desk, our place was quiet and seemed quite respectable. There were dozens of similar hotel in the area, but I saw no sleazy activity when I was there. The room was comfortable, had hot water, and good wi-fi. Toilet paper was provided - not always the case in hotels in Vietnam. The desk clerk, when not asleep, spoke no English. 

 

More interesting was staying in Nhi's family homes. Both the houses in HCMC and in Dong Thap were narrow, deep buildings 4-5 stories high. The main floor featured an entry way and kitchen area. The home in Dong Thap also had the small jewelry store which the family ran on the main floor. Each floor, accessed by a large open staircase, had a couple bedrooms, en suite. There was no "living room" like we would have. The homes were spotlessly clean and both had housekeepers who cleaned and cooked. Shoes were traded for slippers on entry into the house. I had expected a room down the hall and shared bathroom when I heard we were "staying with the family." Despite the language barrier, we were very comfortable and felt quite welcome. Should Nhi's parents come to the US, I don't know I can show the same level of hospitality were they to stay in my small guest room/office.

Food. I like Asian food. The Americanized versions. On occasion. But off the tourist trail, one experiences Vietnamese food period. The eating establishments in District 5 were street vendors, coffeeshops, and cavernous open spaces lit by florescent lights and concrete floors with small plastic chair around steel tables. Ubiquitous bowls of rice and steaming bowls of veggies and meats in broth were happily consumed by the masses. Street vendors sold bahn mi - French baguettes filled with veggies, meats, and hot peppers. Breakfasts were pretty much like any other meal - vegetables, rice, and meat. Sometimes you could get fried eggs (very sunny side up) and bread. I found breakfasts more of a challenge than anything. Somehow a pork chop, rice, a runny egg covered in hot sauce, and sliced cucumbers just didn't appeal.

Ordering tended to be for the group, with everyone eating from shared dishes. Food from the common platter was whisked (by some) with chopsticks into one's bowl. This worked for when the dishes are not snail, fatty duck, mussels, or eel. Happily, my friend Heidi is a vegetarian and her dietary preferences were honored. We shared. My son and grandsons are much more adventurous eaters than I am.

The markets here sold live fish, frogs, mice (rats), and raw meats. The fish were right off the boat. Fresh vegetable stalls were everywhere. What a difference from our sterile, plastic wrapped meat and produce from Cubs and Hy-Vee!

 

Transportation. In HCMC, the motorbikes (small motorcycles) outnumber the cars 10 to 1. A 100% tax on private cars places them out of financial reach of most Vietnamese. (Nhi's parents used a hired driver, although I am sure they could have afforded a private car.) These swarms of motorcycles ruled the crowded streets of the city and non-aggressive driving etiquette prevailed. Slowly, very slowly, cars and motorcycles turned, changed lanes, merged, and crossed packed intersections without hostility or aggression. Amazing. In a similar fashion, we pedestrians crossed the busy streets by simply crossing the road, with the faith that motorbikes and cars would veer around us. An extended hand to the side, palm out, seemed like a magic way to part the tide of bikes. Like squirrels crossing a street, the worst thing we could do was hesitate!

 

The SE Asian version of Uber is called Grab. We used it extensively. Again, the drivers seemed to have no English, but they nearly all had GoogleMaps on a phone mounted to the dask. Taxis were also plentiful, but when they needed to be used, there was always the uncertainty of whether the driver actually understood were one wanted to go. (Addresses were confusing to me in this city of 1.5 million people.) We carried cards from our hotels that we could give to drivers that helped. 

I don't think I saw a single traffic cop during my stay - and I was told several times that they are corrupt. If stopped, pay them, not the ticket. Not much different from a lot of countries where I have traveled.

 

As I reflect, quite a number of "differences" surprised me. On low door ways, I often bonked head on this 6'4 body. Bills ran from 500,000vd ($25) to 500vd ($0.25) and selecting the right number of zeros could be tricky. Chop sticks were used most places with forks only rarely available. 3G cell data service was better and never unavailable, even in the countryside. Coffee was very strong and often served on ice or smothered in cream and sugar. Very short chairs were the rule. The home of Nhi's cousins had a friendly pet family pig. For the wedding, we dressed in the traditional ao dai shirts (expect for Nhi's dad who wore a regular dress suit.)

 

Now that Heidi and I are back on the tourist trail taking a guided tour of the northern part of Vietnam, we again have access to English speaking waiters and restaurants that sell pancakes for breakfast and pizza for lunch. Our very nice hotel (Topas Ecolodge) definitely caters to western tourists. I pity the Asian tourists to the United States who wish to be accommodated with food, language, and customs similar to their home countries.

Perhap most of all, I appreciate the challenges that Nhi must have faced as a new student in Mankato, Minnesota. While there was a small group of international students at her university and one or two "Chinese" restaurants in our small Midwestern town, how overwhelming it must have seemed to not to get a familiar breakfast, cross the street using a walk/don't walk sign, and shop in a supermarket. Let alone face an environment in which no one speak the native tongue. How I have under-respected the courage of our country's immigrants!

I can't say the two weeks I spent in authentic Vietnam were the most comfortable of my life, but they were among the most instructive. Try it some time - wander off the tourist path...

Oh, no disrespect is meant to the Vietnamese for any of these observations!