Home Sweet Home

For the last few days I have been trying to write my final post. Its hard for me to put into words what I feel about my experience and how I feel about being home. It is great to be home. I can’t wait to catch up with my family and friends but I know its going to be an adjustment. I felt a little bit of culture shock just trying to get through the airport in San Francisco. There are so many things I am going to miss about Thailand and SE Asia.  Being back in America feels so different already.

Where are all the motorbikes?

What do you mean I can’t get a meal for a dollar?

Everyone here speaks English! People can actually understand me!

I no longer have to carry around toilet paper and hand sanitizer everywhere I go.

There are other tall people… with blonde hair!

What happened to all the fresh produce markets?

I am no longer a sweaty mess ALL the time! 

Things I won’t miss about Thailand

-squat toilets

-bugs!

-not being about to speak the language

-the weather. It’s too hot!

-the dogs

-not being able to buy clothes that fit!

-being stared at constantly

Things I will miss about Thailand

-the people

-the food!!

-U-Thong

-public transportation

-coconut ice cream

-drinking a 5 baht soda out of a plastic bag

-7-11

-hearing the word “farang”

-the friends I made

-beautiful beaches

-fresh fruit

-mai pen rai attitude

-simplicity of life 

My journey was absolutely amazing and I wouldn’t have changed anything about it. I am so grateful that I was able to have this experience. It is going to take a while to adjust back to life in America but for now I am happy for some clean clothes, a nice western meal, and my own bed to sleep in! J

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged the find the ways in which you yourself have altered"
-Nelson Mandela


Thanks to all of you who followed my blog!  Stay tuned for my next adventure!

Hong Kong

Hong Kong was great. One of my favorite “big cities”.   I was particular impressed with how clean the city is and how efficiently it runs. They have an amazing subway system that made traveling around the city convenient and easy. I was pretty lucky to be traveling with Olivia, who had lived in Hong Kong for a few months and is also fluent in Cantonese. She was able to show me around and introduce me to the Hong Kong hot spots

My time in Hong Kong was spent eating, attempting to shop (of course nothing in my size) and enjoying all the wonderful things Hong Kong has to offer.

Some highlights included a trip to the 55^th floor of the IFC building (the tallest in HK) to see a gorgeous view of the city, riding the star ferry across the bay, taking a day trip to see the “Big Buddha”, and seeing the beautiful skyline at night. It was also great just to sit and people watch and observe  the hustle and bustle of daily life go by.  

 Hong Kong in a way was a nice transition home. It is more modern and definitely more expensive then the other place we have been so it won’t be such a shock when I get back. I fell in love with the city and hope to have the opportunity to go back someday. 

Reflection

I can’t believe that I only have a week left in SE Asia. Time went by way too fast. I don’t think it has really set in that I am LEAVING. Two weeks in Vietnam flew by and now I am back in U-Thong attempting to pack up everything from the last 8 months. I keep thinking back to my first week in Thailand and how far I have come and how many amazing things I have done and seen. It doesn’t seem possible that it is finally coming to an end.

I have really mixed feelings about coming home. Of course I am very excited to see my family and friends. It will be nice to stay put somewhere for an extended period of time. I am pretty tired of wearing the same 7 shirts every week and smelling like sweat and dirty feet. It will be nice to be able to unpack everything and not have to live out of a backpack for the first time in almost 3 months. There are a lot of things I miss from the States that I am excited to go home to.

On the other hand I am very sad to leave. I have gotten used to Thailand. I have learned a bit of the language, made some great friends, and feel very comfortable here. It’s going to be a big change.

Olivia and I spent one final day in Bangkok. We met up with a friend and had a delicious meal, got a final Thai massage, and went shopping at JJ (chatachak) market for last minute gifts and souvenirs. It was a really great day but I got really sad when I thought about how it was the last time I would be in Bangkok. Hopefully I will be back one day.   

 Time to say my good-byes to U-Thong and finish packing. L   

Vietnam Part IV- Halong Bay and Tom Coc

Halong Bay was kind of a disappointment. We signed up for a two day, one night tour of the bay where we would actually get to sleep on the boat. I was super excited about the tour and it was one of the main reasons why we came to northern Vietnam. Unfortunately the tour did not go as planned

 It took us half the day to get to the Bay. Halong city is about 4 hours from Hanoi. Once we got to the pier there were hundreds of foreigners all trying to stay together with their guides and board the correct boat. Organized chaos. We finally got on our boat, which was really nice, and enjoyed a lovely Vietnamese lunch. After lunch we were informed that there was a storm moving in and that we wouldn’t be able to sleep on the boat. Bummer. I was really looking forward to waking up on the boat and maybe even watching the sunrise over the bay. So we sailed around the bay for about an hour, enjoying the nice sunny weather before the storm was expected to come in. The bay is actually pretty amazing.  The huge limestone cliffs look like a mountain range coming out of the water. Unfortunately we had to cut our tour short because we needed to dock on Catba Island where we were going to stay the night at a hotel. From the dock it was an hour bus ride around to the other side of the island. Catba island was OK. There was tons of construction going on, and not much to do in the town itself. It was kind of a let down as I was really hoping to enjoy a night on the boat.

The next morning we woke up early, only to find out that it was still cloudy and rainy and that we may not even be able to get back on the boat. Luckily after about an hour it cleared up just enough so we could board the boat and sail back to Halong city before it started down pouring. We were on the boat for about an hour but you couldn’t really see much due to the weather. We arrived back in Halong City and then immediately got back on the bus back to Hanoi. For a two day tour we spent maybe two hours on the boat. We didn’t get to see much of the bay which was pretty disappointing. Oh well. Mai Pen Rai. Can’t control the weather! 

The next day we decided to do another day trip to Hoa Lu temple and Tom Coc. The day started off with a two hour bus ride. We got off and toured the Hoa Lu temple which used to be an ancient capital of Vietnam. After seeing the temple we took an hour long bike ride through the countryside. It was beautiful. The weather was cloudy and foggy but it was actually quite a nice ride. Tom Coc is known as the “Halong Bay on Land”.  The landscape looks similar to that of Halong Bay, with the enormous cliffs, minus the water. We arrived in Tom Coc, had lunch then our group was spilt up and we each boarded a tiny row boat. Our guide took us on a two hour trip down the nearby river which was really beautiful. The guides actually row with their feet! It was crazy. The scenery was gorgeous and overall it was a really nice day trip. It definitely made up our disappointing Halong Bay trip. Glad that we were able to get out of Hanoi for a bit and enjoy the countryside of Vietnam.

Vietnam Part III- Hanoi

The bus ride to Hanoi was pretty miserable. Due to a booking error and a Vietnamese holiday we were unable to get seats on the overnight “sleeper” bus and instead ended up on the “sitting” bus. We were the only foreigners on the bus, they blasted Vietnamese karaoke music all through the night, and I was sitting next to an old lady who had no sense of personal space and had no problem making herself completely comfortable (at my expense). Let’s just say I didn’t get much sleep. The icing on the cake? When we arrived in Hanoi and retrieved our bags from underneath the bus we discovered that our bags were covered in….you guessed it... SHRIMP PASTE. If you don’t know what shrimp paste smells like, consider yourself lucky. It is the most god-awful stench you will ever smell. How our bags got covered in shrimp paste remains a mystery. Luckily after some serious scrubbing we were able to get the majority of the smell out. 555.

Hanoi, much like Saigon, is a crazy city. The traffic here is the worst I have seen. There are thousands of motorbikes everywhere. There are no traffic lights or real cross walks. Traffic is really just a free for all. Constant beeping of horns. Crossing the street is even more terrifying than Saigon. At least in Saigon they would slow down or stop for you. In Hanoi, they just honk at you and expect you to get out of their way. Insane.

Hanoi is actually a pretty interesting city. Each street in the city has a “specialty”. If you need shoes you can go to one street and you will find 30 different vendors all selling shoes. Need sunglasses? Go to another street and you will find an equal number of shops that only sell sunglasses. There are also no real “markets” in the city. If you want fruit or fresh produce, just wait for a Vietnamese woman wearing a conical hat to ride by on her bike carrying pineapple, bananas, fresh flowers, etc.   Quite convenient actually.

I didn’t really enjoy my time in Hanoi. I found the city to be dirty, crowded and noisy. The city is small enough to walk around but you can’t really walk anywhere because there are no sidewalks. I got pretty tired of trying to dodge motorbikes, cars and other obstacles along the street while trying to explore and enjoy the city.

Luckily we were able to get out of the city for a few days on a couple of day trips.

   

Eating Like A Local

One of the main reasons I wanted to come to Vietnam was for the food. I have heard that real Vietnemese food is amazing. All I really know about Vietnemese food is from the little hole in the wall place my family and I go to. I was excited to try out the real thing!

Like Thailand, some of the best food can be found at street food stalls. Unfortunately it can be quite intimidating for a foriegner to eat at a food stall. For one, food stalls don't look that appealing from the outside and are usually located in alleys or small streets away from the main action. Second, they usually don't have menus. You kind of have to figure out what they have to offer (usually you can tell by the ingredients placed in the window of their cart). Ordering usually involves a lot of pointing and gesturing and you hope they understand what you want.

The food stalls in Vietnam are a little different. For starters, they have minature sized tables and those bright red plastic kiddie chairs to sit on. You know the kind that are meant for 4-5 year olds. Not exactly meant for a giant like me. Usually you are ushered to sit at a table that is already crowded with locals who stare at you awkwardly as you try to squeeze in and sit down. I tend to get a lot of stares as I eat and it can be pretty uncomfortable to be sitting across from random strangers as you attempt to eat your food. I get a few nods of approval as I add the right ingredients to my bowl of Pho. A little fish sauce, some fresh lime, a few greens, maybe a little sugar or red pepper flakes. I guess I must be doing something right.  I have not yet mastered the art of chopsticks, so I get a few giggles as I dribble soup all over myself. Hey, its not my fault. I blame the super tiny furniture. It wouldn't be a problem if I wasn't so far away from my food.

Although it can be intimidating to eat like a local, sometimes you just have to suck it up and get over your fear of looking like a fool (and maybe having an upset tummy). If you do you will be rewarded with some of the best and cheapest food you will ever eat.

Vietnam Part II- Nha Trang and Hoi An

Nha Trang, a small beach town on the coast, was not high on our list of cities to visit in Vietnam. However, there was no direct bus to Hoi An. Well there is but it takes a full 24 hours to get there! So, we decided to stay overnight in Nha Trang to break up the journey. The town of Nha Trang was pretty unremarkable. The beach however was quite nice, scattered with more locals than foriegners. A nice change. Overall an OK pit stop.

Hoi An is great. It is one of the only cities in Vietnam to have escaped any damage during the war. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to all of the buildings having the original French architecture. It was such a cute town. You can definitely feel the French influence. Lots of really cute cafes and resturants along the river. A great town to just wander. I enjoyed being in a quieter city for a few days.

Time for overnight bus number 3. Ugh.  Vietnam is a huge country! Off to the experience the craziness of Hanoi!!

Vietnam Part I -HCMC

Motorbikes, motorbikes everywhere! Ho Chi Minh City is craazzyyy.  Also know as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh was our first stop on our whirlwind 2 week tour of Vietnam.

After a grueling 15 hours bus ride from Cambodia we finally arrived in the heart of the city. I was immediately overwelmed. The traffic here is worse than Bangkok, and I never thought I would say that. I have never seen so many motorbikes in my life. Its a constant stream of thousands of bikes, all of them beeping their horns and weaving their way down the crowded streets.

Crossing the street here is quite terrifying. As there are no real stop lights or cross walks you just have to take a deep breath, step off the sidewalk, and make your way slowly across, praying you don't get hit.

Who knew that motorbike helmets could be such a fasion statement??

The food so far in Vietnam is amazing. I have had delcious steaming hot bowls of Pho, fresh spring rolls, tons of fresh fruit and some of the best ice coffee. Yum!

While in Saigon we decided to take a day trip to see the Cu Chi Tunnels. Again, I know nothing about the history of Vietnam and know very little about the war so I was looking foward to learning a little bit while I am here. The tunnels were pretty fascinating.

Cu Chi is a network of tunnels that runs about 250km long. It consists of 3 levels, the third being 10m below the surface. The tunnels were all hand dug. 16,000 Vietnemese lived in the tunnels for almost 20 years to avoid being killed by the American soilders. Only 3,000 survived.

We were able to go into a small section of the tunnels. I could not believe how small the tunnels were! . The tunnels were built in clay soil which protected them from water and flooding, bombs and even American tanks. The entrance to the tunnels were very also very well hidden. Even if the tunnels were discovered the Americans would have a really hard time fitting through the small openings. We also got to see some of the weapons that they used against the American soliders. Visiting the tunnels was really interesting and I am so glad that I was able to learn a little bit about the war.

I have honstely had enough of the hustle and bustle of the big city and ready to try something smaller. Off to the beach town of Nha Trang.!

Cambodia Part II- Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Siem Reap is great. A really cute city. I especially  liked "Pub Street", a great little walking street with lots of restaurants, pubs, cafes and shops. Siem Reap also has a really great night market, and lots of good shopping!

Cambodia is really cheap. Everything is paid for in US Dollars. It is weird for me to think about everything in dollars again instead of Baht. I am in real trouble here because everything seems so cheap. Nice meals are $2-3, a tuk-tuk into town $2, scarves and souvenirs $1. Its crazy. I'm in real trouble when I go back home to the States because everything will be so expensive!

We hired a tuk-tuk driver for three days to tour Angkor Wat. Our driver, Mr. Na, was awesome. The first day we toured a lot of the smaller temples and ended the day with sunset at the top of the mountain of Phnam Bakhen temple. Day two we woke up super early to see sunrise over Angkor Wat. Unfortunately it was cloudy as it had rained the night before. Bummer. Angkor Wat was stunning nonetheless. We hit the major temples including Bayon temple which is famous for the faces carved into the rock and Ta Prahm temple famous for the ruins that look like they are being swallowed by tree roots. Both were amazing.  I really can't get over how ornate and detailed everything is. On the third day we went to a few of the older temples. We went to Banteray Srey and a few others located about an hour outside the city. It was really interesting to see how the architecture evolved from the older temples to the more "modern" ones. It was wonderful to be able to spend three days touring ruins!

As much as I loved Siem Reap and Angkor, there were a few downsides. I had a really hard time with the kids at Angkor. As soon as I arrived at a temple I was bombarded with little kids trying to sell trinkets and sourveniors and begging for money and candy. These kids were little too. "Just one dolla ladyyy" they would repeat as they followed us around. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable because I could actually very much afford to give this kid a dollar in exchange for a scarf, but I know that it would just encourage the kids to keep begging and perpetuate the problem. The kids were so cute and it was really hard to say no. Breaks my heart.

As friendly as the people here seem, it feels like it all comes down to money. Even our driver would stop at his "friends restaurant" even though we weren't hungry or stop at touristy places along the way and tell us we should buy something. They seemed very offended when we said no we didn't want to buy anything. I got really sick of the vendors yelling at me "Please ladyyyy, buy something".  I understand that Cambodia is still incredibly poor and trying to rebuild, but I got pretty frustrated with so many people asking me for money.

My overall experience in Cambodia was great. I am so glad that I was able to learn so much about the country and its history and visit one of the most incredible places on earth. I feel so lucky to have been able to visit Cambodia on this trip and I learned a lot from my time here. A week in Cambodia went by so fast and I can't believe its already time to head off to Vietnam!

I took SO many pictures at Angkor Wat. I posted a few randoms until I get a chance to really look through them.

Cambodia Part I: Phnom Penh

Wow, what a difference a couple of hours can make.

When I left Thailand the Songkran water festival was still raging. A few hours later I arrived in Phnom Penh. Cambodia is also celebrating its New Year but upon arrival I never would have guessed. The city looked pretty deserted. All the shops were closed and other than a small gathering of people at the park near our guesthouse, I never would have guessed it was New Year's. The celebration was nothing like Thailand, which turned out to be a good thing. After three days of getting soaked every time I set foot out of our hotel, I was ready to dry out.

The spiritual rituals for the New Year are similar to Thailand. The people go to the temples to pay respect to their ancestors and also to wash the Buddha statues with holy water. In Thailand and Cambodia water is supposed to symbolize the washing away of all the evil things from the previous year. Cambodia apparently has not caught on to the awesomeness of a 3 day water fight in the streets.

I have to admit that I know nothing about Cambodia and its history. Its not something I ever learned about in history class. I decided that while in Phnom Penh I had to go see the "Killing Fields" in order to better understand the country.

The killing fields of Choeng Ek is the place were thousands of prisoners of the Khmer Rouge were taken and executed. There was a lot of information about what happened at these fields and we were able to walk around and see the mass graves that were discovered. Pretty intense stuff.

After that we went to the Tuol Seing Musuem, also known as the S-21 prison. S-21, which used to be a high school, was converted into a prison and torture chamber for those who disagreed with Pol-Pot, one of the leaders of the Rouge.  On display at the museum were some pretty haunting photographs of all of the victims of the prison. You could also walk through and see the cells and chambers where they held the prisoners.

Even though it was a pretty depressing day I am so glad that I went to those places. Going to the museum really shaped my outlook on Cambodia and the people. Although Phnom Penh is still very much a developing city, they have come a long way in a very short amount of time. It was not that long ago that the city (and the entire country) was in ruins.