Trekking the Rhododendron Sanctuary

The multi-coloured flower sanctuary in Southern Sikkim in India is a trekker Paradise. The Rhododendron Sanctuary at Barsey is something that provides the ideal trekking trail for the non-trekker. The best season for trekking is from March to May every year.

It took us almost two and a half hour to reach Jorethang in South Sikkim in our Tata Sumo from a place in Western Sikkim. From there again, four of us started for Sombarey, - the nearest town to Barsey. The journey was something to cherish and good enough to eradicate any anxiety at having to find accommodation.

Sombarey is a small hill town of nearly 60-70 families located at an altitude of 4, 700 ft. On reaching there, we checked into a guesthouse and ordered some refreshments.

Next morning, the trekking trail for Barsey was prepared. The locals advised us to carry a good amount of food at the Zureli Dara, the sole viewpoint of the entire Sombarey town. Unfortunately, the dense fog has prevented us from getting a clear view of the town. Our next destination was Gumha monastery en route to Hilley. This time we were lucky to attend the prayer time. We were carried away by the rhythmic tunes of the drums and musical instruments. The view was so poetic and serenity – colourful prayer flags, the integral part of any Buddhist monastery, were fluttering in the air, spreading the message of love and peace.

At last, we reached Hilley at an altitude of 9,000 ft. The Indian armies who guarded the Sanctuary asked us to purchase tickets to enter the sanctuary. The Rhododendron sanctuary is spread across an area of 104 sq km flush with alpine vegetation including silver firs, magnolias, hemlocks and pines. The hallmark of the sanctuary is the numerous species of rhododendrons – variety of wild flowers and numerous streams. The journey through the narrow foot trail was a palpable excitement. There was no chance of sunlight penetrating in the dense forest due to mist. The drifting clouds, swirling mists, slippery trails and recurrent streams ensured we must be cautious enough to enjoy a safe trekking. We gather some broken branches to guide us all along the narrow trek.

At Barsey, we were greeted with a riot of colours ranging from crimson red and violet to bright yellows. The place was filled with Rhododendron in all directions. There are 36 varieties of Rhododendron in the sanctuary. The rear blue rhododendron can also be found at Taal, a two hour walk from Barsey. The blossoming time differs according to the altitude region as well as the climatic conditions.

We were lucky enough to view Mt Kangchendzonga glittering with silver peak from Barsey. The sheer beauty of nature is charmed enough to make one decide to spend the rest of one’s life there forever. However, we hurriedly finished our packed lunch and walk another 4 km down the hills.

Reaching Barsey is either through airport, rail or by road. The nearest airport is Bagdogra and New Jalpaiguri is the nearest railhead. If you prefer the road tour, you need to alight at Jorethang from Siliguri. From Jorethang you can go to Sombarey for a night’s halt.

Book Review: Cambodian Gold Diggers

English resident Canadian-born author Geoff Ryman is in the running to win the prestigious Hugo award for best science fiction/fantasy story of 2007 for his superb short-story, ‘Pol Pot’s Beautiful Daughter’. It is truly wonderful – an entertaining tale of the eponymous vapid, wealthy young lady who hangs out at Sorya Mall.

This is the opening paragraph: “In Cambodia people are used to ghosts. Ghosts buy newspapers. They own property.”

The author uses the interesting literary device of reminding the reader time and again that this is just a fantasy; the story is not true. And yet the individual components are all real – Pol Pot does have a daughter of the same age (and with a disturbingly similar name) living in Cambodia, and in Cambodia people are used to ghosts. They do own property. Last month some hapless villagers allowed greed to cloud their judgment – and paid the price.

This true tale began in April with a group of Vietnamese soldiers on a mission to find the remains of war-dead uncovered a Khmer Rouge period mass grave in Kampot. There were no Vietnamese in the grave so the soldiers left, but a local helping them on the dig recovered a gold earring from one body. Immediately a host of villagers – many of whom had originally been enlisted by the Khmer Rouge to bury the victims - ‘exhumed’ two hundred bodies – i.e. scattered the bones around in a mad scramble to scavenge jewellery. The total haul was one gold necklace (sold to buy a cow) and 27 small gold earrings, sold for a little food. Most of the diggers dug for days but didn’t recover any booty. Many villagers subsequently returned to gather up the bones and light incense and pray for the victims – too late.

The villagers were soon reporting numerous instances of the angry souls punishing them for such disrespect. Many report being unable to sleep due to hearing screams coming from the grave site. For all that, it is interesting that the older villagers knew – and in many cases personally buried – many of the deceased, yet still adopted the mentality of the sixty-year-old farmer who stated, “People say, ‘This goose has no owner’”. Youk Chhang, who heads the Documentation Center of Cambodia said, “I think it has become a memory, rather than a physical thing any longer,” speaking of the pain of the past. “There will be no more tears. There are no more feelings to express - only a flash of memory when you see a piece of bone.” For younger Cambodians, who know remarkably little about the Khmer Rouge period, he said, “It’s just a dead person.”

What the youth of today need, clearly, is moral guidance. Thank goodness, therefore, that the vice-prime minister and Minister of the Council of Ministers, was officially declared last month as the president of the National Scout Association of Cambodia. Good to see a senior (in both senses of the term) politician taking a hands-on role with such an esteemed non-government organisation – and very fetching he looked in his pink scarf and woggle too. I couldn’t find out how many knots he knows, but hopefully his wise leadership will result in a reduction of scenes like that at Spark last month where a staring contest culminated in a gun fight, and arrests of princes – the latest on charges of armed robbery and possession of a samurai sword. Getting young hoodlums busy working towards their ornithology badges can’t come soon enough.

Hangovers in Asia: Tips to avoid Them

Hangovers can often be a big problem in Asia, often due to the low cost of booze and the sheer amount of fun and naughtiness that countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and others offer. I have combined a list of hangover cures that some people swear at and some people swear by, only some of them I endorse. Some of them focus on prevention and others on damage control.

1) One beer, one water. It seems like a good way to keep hydrated In practice this never works for me as my bladder cannot cope with matching every alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic equivalent.

2) Beer with ice. This is my favourite way to rehydrate and keep my beer cool at the same time.

3) Stay off the spirits. Spirits in Asia are dangerous. The worst hangovers in my entire life have taken place here after sessions on no name vodka. If you order a spirit in Asia make sure to order it by brand otherwise you get the cheap, nasty stuff. Even if you do order by the brand in some countries like Cambodia and Vietnam there is no telling whether the bottle is genuine or counterfeit.

4) Choose your beer wisely. If you are an established Asian beer drinker like me then you already know which brews are good and which are god-damned terrible. Chang is my alcoholic nemesis while Anchor is my Cheap Charlie’s beer of choice. If I had it my way then I would drink Draft Guinness and John Smiths but they are expensive and really don’t store well in the tropics.

5) Go to bed with water and an aspirin. My mate swears by this but it is no good for me because if I am already hopelessly drunk then a litre of water and a painkiller will most likely make me vomit.

6) Eat something before you pass out. Often harder than it seems if you are in a less developed country. For some reason a lot of Asians like to go to bed really early and then rise with the sun. Because of this it can be hard to find anything decent to eat at 3am. Emergency stashes of food should be kept in your hotel room or apartment at all times. Eating really only works for me before I pass out.

7) The hair that bit the dog. This is not my ideal way of beating a hangover but on occasion it has helped to provide some relief. A glass of beer mid-afternoon has helped delay earth-shattering hangovers before but I have found that it just buys you a bit of time rather than taking care of the problem.

8) English Breakfast in the morning. I think people that eat English breakfasts to cure their hangovers are insane. It just does not work for me. If I did I would vomit. People that can do this are mentals.

9) Coffee. The breakfast of champions. Nothing gets me moving more than a cup of hot, sugary, black coffee in the morning. Sugar and caffeine really do work miracles for me and have helped to bring me back into the world of the living on many an occasion.

Intangki National Park: Ecological degradation

HIAPIERAI PEREN

Nagaland is one of the fastest deforested states in North East India. All the virgin forests have been deforested within two decades. Most of the forests in Nagaland belong to village communities and only few forests have been reserved by government. It is very unfortunate to see that many villagers have sold their forests to log operators without knowing the value of forests and the consequences of deforestation.

Forests have very vital roles in maintaining a balanced ecological system. The forests have preserved the soil, protected from flooding and silting of rivers, canals and dams were held under control. It also plays a vital role in regulating the earth's temperature and helps balance the carbon dioxide and oxygen for all living creatures - both human and animals. The destruction of forests possesses critical treats to the people, increasing erosion of irreplaceable soil, creating greater water shortages and contribution to drought and desertification. Even in Nagaland we can see the climate change and every year it has become warmer and warmer.

Almost all the private virgin forests are gone now. Government forests are the only reserved forests in Nagaland but now even government reserved forests are becoming hot spots of deforestation. Intangki national park is the biggest reserved forest in Nagaland. Intangki is a virgin forest, a paradise for wild animals and enchanted forest of Nagaland. Our only hope of having forests in Nagaland are the so called reserved forests protected by government but today, Intangki National Park is encroached and the encroachers have established a new village within Intangki National Park.

We have heard and seen logging, cutting down virgin forests to establish villages, putting poison in the river, fish and wild animals are dying in the Intangki forest. Today, Intangki National Park is a hot spot of ecological degradation in Nagaland due to encroachments and rampant logging is taking place within Intangki National Park. The encroachers are justifying themselves that this Intangki National Park is nobody's land.

Who will then protect and preserve the Intangki National Park? We have already lost much of the pristine forests; Intangki National Park is the pride of Nagaland and it is our only preserved forest to attract tourists in Nagaland. Therefore, we need to conserve National Park by all means. If government reserved forests such as National Park, geological park and wild life sanctuaries cannot be protected by government then forests would go forever.

The Zeliangrong students' union and Zeliangrong Hoho had raised their voices to evict the village and to protect National Park. The government has assured to talk to the National workers since National workers are very much involved in this affair, but government has not taken any action to protect Intangki National Park so far. M.M. Thomas, the former governor of Nagaland has stated that "Politics should certainly speak of freedom from alien powers, but it should also speak of what freedom is for 'freedom from' should be set within the context of 'freedom for' that is the socio-political vision and purpose which makes freedom meaningful."

It is true that fighting for the political freedom without concern for the integrity of creation is no value. Then the question we need to ponder is 'what is the use of freedom after all the natural resources have gone?

The government and the NSCN (IM) had recognized the importance of integrity of creation and encourage the people for tree plantation with the slogan, "Plant ten trees while felling one" the government of Nagaland has declared the year 1999 as "plantation year." We appreciate the good work and for the ecological concern. But what are they doing to protect Intangki National Park?

If the present ruling government and the national workers cannot protect government reserved forests then we need to think who will protect our Intangki National Park. Thomas Berry gives thoughtful question, "after we burn our life boat, how will we stay a float? What will then be the need of religion, Christianity or the church?" when our lands become uninhabitable place for human and nature against us, what will be the use of religion, government and freedom?

There was a time when we thought that ecological crisis is not a serious problem but now ecology crisis is a reality in Nagaland. For so long the church has become silent spectators and escapist from ecological concern but now the church needs to involve and care for the earth.

The time has come for all the environmentalists, churches, NGOs, overground and underground, ruling and opposition parties need to realize the seriousness of ecological crisis and come together to work and protect our forests in order to maintain ecological balance. I appeal to encroachers to retreat from Intangki National Park and preserve the Intangki National Park for common good.

If the present trends of deforestation continue, environment catastrophe is eminent. Therefore, let us preserve our forest and let every village has a reserved forest and protect government reserved forests for maintaining balance ecological system and for the sake of future generation.

BEER BAR GIRLS

Our research showed that the beer promotion earnings were only about half of what was needed to support their children and extended rural families. Most had second jobs, and about 56% accepted some propositions for sex for money.

Beer promotion women (called locally, beer girls) exclusively sell one brand of beer in bars and restaurants. It is usual for them to have to sell one case of beer per night in return for a monthly salary averaging approx $US55 - about half the income needed to support their family. To suppliment their income, about half accept propositions from tourists and local beer drinkers and exchange sex for money.

Condom use following beer drinking is low; HIV/AIDS prevalence averages 20% for the past 7 years. While, they may sell $13,000 worth of beer annually for their company, they are paid $600-$800 and cannot afford the yearly $360 cost for life-prolonging anti-retrovirals. Death follows from 3 months to 2 years after diagnosis; beer girls are replaced with new young women from the countryside, often with less than 1 hour of training.

In 2000, we began with students and members of a Cambodian NGO called SiRCHESI (Siem Reap Citizens for Health Education and Social Issues) to develop prevention programs for women and others at risk for HIV/AIDS in Siem Reap, Cambodia. One group at high risk were the underpaid “beer promotion women”, who wore the costume of an international beer and sold that brand exclusively, often to meet a quota of a 24-can case per night. We systematically interviewed beer-girls, distributors, and surveyed women at risk coming for voluntary HIV/AIDS testing. Twenty percent were HIV+ and most, local doctors told us, would die in less than 2 years following diagnosis.

Among the international beers being marketed in Cambodia, Heineken is the most expensive, premium beer; the exclusive local distributor, Attwood, has successfully niche-marketed Heineken, along with Hennessy Cognac, Johnny Walker, etc. Asia Pacific Breweries markets several brands as well, including ABC Stout, Anchor and Tiger Beers. Since the 1930s, Heineken has owned about a one-third stake in APB. In addition, Angkor beer is a popular lower priced beer produced by Cambodian Breweries (Cambrew) , which also bottles the APB beers. One other Dutch brand, “Three Horses” from Breda, also uses “beer girls” to sell its brand, in competition with other international brands from Interbrew ( Stella Artois, Beck’s, Labbatt’s, Hoegaarden), as well as such other breweries as Fosters, Boon Rawd (Singha, Leo), San Miguel, Carlsberg, Budweiser, etc.

Heineken reportedly already has 1200 beer girls operating in China. Will 20% of this workforce, which might be expected to expand in the coming year, also die of HIV/AIDS, as has been the Cambodian experience. On the death of Vee, a Foster’s “beer girl” who was HIV+ and had been cared for by other “beer girls” when she got too sick to work one evening; when they came after work to feed her, she was gone. She had died that morning, and with no employer or relative to arrange the Buddhist cremation ceremony, her body had been “discarded” by the police. Srei Neamb, one of her colleagues, shared her emotions and feelings of existential crisis with us during the follow up July interviews. Others also joined her in expressing dismay at the corporate disrespect, after working exclusively for one Beer Company, of suddenly becoming a “throwaway beer girl”.

In a very forward-looking document about Heineken's intended response to HIV/AIDS in its workforce, H. P. Bart de Jonge, Director Corporate Human Resources, has stated in his forward: "We sincerely hope that Heineken will set an example for both international businesses and governments to jointly fight this pandemic...that the salaries dispersed each month to the "beer promotion girls" were reimbursed immediately as "promotion and advertising costs" from Heineken's. ... . We do not know how Heineken accounts for these monies in its annual reports or whether discussion is ever made of the issue of "promotional sales workers" in various countries. We do know that in Siem Reap a Heineken's beer costs $1.50 US (compared to $1.20-$1.30 for other international brands) and that some of that retail price ultimately will flow back to Heineken International, it's shareholders and investors.”

Among the proactive steps discussed locally that Heineken could take to stem the high rate of seropositivity among its employees/sales promoters might be the following:

Heineken already realizes that the consumption of alcohol can in some cases increase the risk of unsafe sex and HIV transmission. In other countries, bar promotion women who drink with customers (e.g., trying to meet their sales quotas) often have available either alcohol-less mixed drinks or alcohol-free beers.

"Beer girls" require about $100 monthly income; they generally make $40-60 as Heineken's saleswomen. An immediate improved salary structure of $5-6 dollars per day (rather than industry-standard $2) or a commission of $6 per case (rather than $2-3 current industry rate) would more than meet the income needs of these women (who often are single mothers, and who always support extended rural families with their salaries). The pressing financial need for occasional indirect sex work activities would for the majority of cases simply cease, as our interviewees have told us.

We have also discussed recently with local management the "morale problem" among the women who believe they are working for Heineken's-- they wear the Heineken's uniform, exclusively sell that beer, and compete with all the other companies' promotion teams in each restaurant for Heineken's market share. When they sell a case worth $36 US and receive $2-3 in recompense, Heineken's may want to rethink the balance between the portion of each sale going to the overall corporate profit statement and to the shareholders and investors, at the expense of a possible 16-23% of the sales-force succumbing to HIV/AIDS.

The CARE “Selling Beer Safely” program it is hoped will come quickly and fully on line in Phnom Penh and then expand throughout Cambodia, if evaluation shows that it is effective in changing behaviours. It can then perhaps be “sold” to the other beer companies, as well; perhaps, in months or years, as the case may be, we may begin to measure a decline in infection and mortality rates for beer-girls from its constant 20% rate of the past 5 years. But the brief CARE Australia web-site description only mentions prevention, not treatment. Will Heineken not step in and offer anti-retrovirals to any of its sales force now in need? Or will there be other “throwaway” beer girls, paid for by that same “advertising/promotion” budget line in the annual shareholders reports as are the throwaway coasters and posters?

The infections (and consequent deaths) of beer-girls from HIV/AIDS has been annually tracked by the Cambodian government for the past decade; in 2000, the Wall Street Journal highlighted the problem in Cambodia for breweries and their shareholders. Other journalists have also written about this and NGOs have stepped in to try and deal with this problem. But not the beer companies themselves. They continued to use a system which puts its female sales force at risk of death before the age of 30. These women bring in about $13,000 in sales each year they are healthy and alive, are paid no more than $800, and cannot afford the additional $360 per year for clone anti-retrovirals to stay alive.

We have asked Heineken and other international and local breweries using “beer promotion women” to make money in Cambodia to act fairly towards these womento provide them with adequate income to preclude the necessity of additional indirect sex work e.g., $5 per day and/or a monthly salary of $120; to provide health education and HIV/AIDS prevention information and behaviour change strategies and to provide health benefits including anti-retrovirals and other medications should the person be HIV+ and require them.

Nathu La-Changu Lake:Lifeline of Sikkim tourism

After two months of overflow in tourism in the state beginning from April with different tourist hotspots locked in a fierce battle, the mountainous Nathu La-Changu corridor still stands out as the lifeline of Sikkim tourism.

Nowhere in the world can one travel from an elevation of 5,000 ft (Gangtok) to the surreal heights of 14,400 ft (Nathu La) within two hours flat, tourism stakeholders basking in the after-glow of a bumper season said here.

According to the figures provided by the State Tourism Department, around 1.7 lakh domestic and 6763 foreign tourists had already arrived in Sikkim in the past four months. The figures of the peak month, May have yet to be accounted by the department.

Among these tourists, especially the domestic tourists, a visit to Nathu La-Baba Mandir-Changu Lake axis is a must. Fifty tourist vehicles are permitted by the Army per day to visit Nathu La border, while a visit to Changu Lake and Baba Mandir carries no ceiling.

Around 300 tourist vehicles make it to the last two destinations every day creating a festive look.

''It's all about the snow and the breath-taking view of the mountains that attracts tourists in huge numbers to these areas,'' said Lokendra Rasaily, senior tour operator and a member of Travel Agents Association of Sikkim.

Despite an unusually warm summer here, the Nathu La corridor still exhibits an unparalleled beauty covered with the last remains of snow.

Apart from getting a glimpse of the mighty Chumbi valleys from the Nathu La border, the tourists are fanatical of getting their pictures taken with an official of the Red Army posted on the other side of the fence.

A few kilometers down the border, tourists make a detour towards the temple of the legendary Baba Harbhajan Singh at Kupup. The Indian Army had set up a cafeteria, a gift items shop and other facilities for the tourists in a professional manner that only the Army can at an altitude of 13,000 ft. Those desirous of getting an extra kick can also draw cash from an ATM at the site which is the highest in the country.

Further, the pristine lake of Changu is another attraction where a yak ride around the lake is must for the tourists. Rows of shops selling food and gift items at the lake premises are another attraction.

Cambodia: The New Phuket

With pristine beaches rivalling Asia's best holiday destinations, a five-star hotel, a reopened airport and a golf course in the pipeline, Cambodia's beach town of Sihanoukville is poised to jump into the global tourism arena. SAMANTHA BROWN supports her claim here.

Thousands of tourists are already lured to Cambodia by the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex, but few other sights attract their attention or their desperately sought-after dollars. Sniffing opportunity, the government and private investors are lining up to position the southwestern port town of Sihanoukville as a tropical getaway, competing with the likes of Thailand's Phuket and Indonesia's Bali.

"If we compare, the potential is better than Phuket because of the quality of sand, it's white and the water is clean. The offshore islands have coral reefs, there's fishing," enthuses city tourism director Teng Huy.

A port town established in the 1950s, it remains Cambodia's youngest city. Sihanoukville became a popular resort among the elite until the rise of the Khmer Rouge, which embarked on a genocide that decimated the country.

It was re-discovered by backpackers in the 1990s and today retains a sleepy, faded charm, with the occasional cow wandering through the streets and ramshackle restaurants on many of its beaches.

The locally-owned Sokha Hotel has extended Sihanoukville's appeal beyond backpackers to well-heeled travelers by opening its 15-hectare, 180-room hotel in April, the first five-star operation here.

"The beach product is excellent, it's top class. Great sand, great sea, that's a great start, we're out of the gate and running well," says general manager Anthony O'Neill, a 12-year veteran of the Asian tourism industry.

More government help however is needed to rebuild the infrastructure shattered from conflict that only ended in 1998, as well as better attractions, to secure Sihanoukville's place on the international circuit, O'Neill says.

A nine-hole golf course being developed by Malaysia's Ariston Holdings along nearby Ocheteaul beach is one such crucial drawcard, he says.

"The golf course concept has to be raced along... because if you can't get core features you simply can't contain people in a holiday resort and even think you're going to challenge your competitors in Asia," he says. "I'm competing with Bali, Phuket, even Pattaya. It's these markets we keep an eye on, can we do it here?"

The quirky art-deco Independence Hotel, which drew fashionable crowds in the 1960s prior to the 1975 rise of the Khmer Rouge, is due to open by September, while a 120-room hotel is packaged with the golf course project.

Scheduled flights, also seen as vital to Sihanoukville's rejuvenation, are on the horizon with the reopening of its airport in April to chartered flights. A runway extension is slated to be completed before year end, making it a potential destination for regional airlines. Martin Standbury, the project manager for the golf course due to open within the coming year, says Sihanoukville may be sleepy for now, but its potential is enormous.

"For now tourists get a bit bored. There's the beach, cheap beer, seafood and they probably need a few more attractions," he says. "I reckon there is huge potential here over the next three to five years, not just for foreigners but the locals," he says, noting that Cambodia's emerging middle class has begun holidaying here again.

Business owners, many of them foreigners who were traveling through but decided to stay, captivated by the landscape and laid back lifestyle, say they have noticed a steady increase in numbers.

"Despite the anti-Thai riots (in Phnom Penh in January 2003), SARS, (the terror attacks in) America and the elections, my trade has increased in the last year as has everybody else's," says hotel and bar owner Richard Blackley.

Teng Huy's office puts the number of tourists who visited last year at just over 114,000, six percent less than 2002 due to the regional SARS outbreak, but for the first three months this year the figure jumped by 29 percent on 2003. Blackley, who moved here four years ago, says the town was once awash with small arms, like the rest of the country, but has normalized and authorities are making an effort to renovate the town.

"Infrastructure is being repaired, government buildings are being repaired, you can see improvements with parks and gardens... And the race for land on the beaches is phenomenal," he says. "I'm extremely optimistic. Every day something new is being done." Li Li, a Chinese technical worker on a hydropower plant in a nearby province, comes here every few months with a half dozen colleagues who are drawn by the seafood and scenery. "Sihanoukville is very, very beautiful, the water, the sky," he told AFP after a beach side seafood feast. "I think more and more people will come to Cambodia and here."