A Modern Day Grand Tour

Japanorama

2010-06-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

The last leg of my trip was in Japan. So after skipping from San Francisco to Johannesburg back to San Francisco then to New York and back to SF AGAIN, I finally made it to the land of the rising sun. I was actually here 2 years ago but my brother and his wife moved to Tokyo in March so this was a great opportunity to see what life would be out there! Without the pressure of sightseeing I could just enjoy the Tokyian experience and focus on the best part - the food!

My brother's place was fantastic! Very centrally located and a whole lot bigger than I would ever have guessed. My brother and sister-in-law were working during the day and I spent my time visiting places around Tokyo and eating as many delicious things as possible. We would meet in the evenings for dinner and merriment so it was a great, relaxing 10 days.

Check the time on the clock behind the sushi chef - that's right, sushi before 7am. Jetlag is a pain but at least it makes for a perfect way to visit the Tsujiki fish market. YUM.

See how the fat glistens on that toro? Yeah, awesome.

Fish market comes with all sorts of hazards.

I did make 1 (half-hearted) effort to do some sightseeing. I went to Kamakura, which is about an hour outside of Tokyo and features either the oldest or biggest buddha in Japan (I don't remember which. I've seen a lot of buddhas in my time). The best part was the sheer amount of old people and young kids - insights into the shaping demographics of Japan I guess. Either that, or they really like fieldtrips in Japan.

There was a ramen festival outside my brother's building - YES.

A $100 melon!

We went to a baseball game - Giants vs Dragons - though it might as well have been the Giants vs the Dodgers with the same colors and fonts. At least the mascots were different and way cuter. Baseball in Japan was definitely a different experience. All the chants were organized with bands and chants that were all sung in unison. It was incredible.

Me and my bro!

I came across the most systemic and organized beer festival in my life. There was a hug system with wristbands, tickets, renting mugs, returning mugs, eating spatzle and best of all there was actually a Bavarian band in full leiderhosen. I can't even explain it.

THANK GOD for the plastic food in the windows. I would never be able to order without pointing at what I wanted. And they were so realistic! Can you tell which one is the real deal?

I don't know, maybe they were shooting a commercial? I came across a camera crew filming these dudes in Sailor Moon outfits. Yeah, I don't get it either.

Cheetahs on the run

2010-05-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

I had to save the best for last – the cheetahs. The main reason I chose PAWS was because I would have to chance to work with these unbelievable cats. Cheetahs are sort of the underdogs of the safari. Though they are stunning animals and the fastest land animal (they can go up to 75mph), they aren’t exactly equipped to last (they lose all the time to leopards and other predators) but are also being hunted to extinction because of their predilection for farm-raised animals.

They are such inquisitive cats and will come pretty close to investigate. They are also really vocal, whistling, huffing and even purring! A cheetah purring is so loud it kind of sounds like an incoming helicopter.

We were also incredibly lucky to be there during their health examinations. Africats has about 50 cheetahs that they’ve collected from traps, as former pets and such, and release as many as they can after they’ve been rehabbed and treated. About 16 are supposed to be released in May so we got to assist in grooming and cleaning them while they were checked by vets. AMAZING!! We were really up close and personal, which you’d never be able to do with a wild animal. Especially Georgia, who will always have a very special relationship with a cat names Spud :).

They get a full workup during the exam, including teeth and eye checks, blood work, vaccinations and even sperm count.

Their fur wasn’t as soft as it looks and they actually don’t do a great job grooming themselves so we had to comb all the burrs out and delouse with flea powder.

I got to hold hands with a cheetah!

We even got to feed them though they would hiss and paw the fence when we got too close.

Team Africat! I again got so lucky with the other volunteers. They were all Brits but we had so much fun together and it was nice to have such a varied group. Thanks, guys!!

Africats roar

2010-05-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

Another great thing about volunteering with PAWS is their affiliation with Africats. Africats is dedicated to saving, rehabbing and releasing cheetahs, leopards and other big cats in the wild. Part of our work was tracking, feeding and cleaning enclosures for these cats so we got to see them as not many people do since they are so elusive in the wild.

Clive, the leopard whisperer. For research, many of the cats are radio collared so we spent a lot of our afternoons tracking them and monitoring where they go.

MJ, a female leopard, taking it slow.

Mufana on the hunt. Leopards really are the king of the jungle and the most ferocious and intelligent hunters. They are just built to take down anything.

Wahoo used to be a former pet and now can’t be released back into the wild due to his affinity for humans. But we got to watch him play and eat, which was so amazing.

Sadly, wild dogs are coming very close to extinction because they hunt so much cattle. These guys are just about to be released and will be hunting on their own.

That’s Pooh, a spotted hyena, lounging after a kudu kill. We didn’t get a good look at him but hyenas are amazing creatures. Not at all scavengers, they hunt and are just as ferocious as leopards and bigger too. On one tracking trip, we were caught between a hyena trying to steal a kill from a leopard! It was a little scary.

p.a.w.s.

2010-05-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

For this holiday I didn’t want to just vacation like a tourist but also wanted to do some good for the world. I found this really great organization called PAWS (People And Wildlife Solutions) in Namibia that is working to reverse the damage that cattle farming has done and restore the land for cheetahs, leopards and other animals to roam freely. Sadly, cattle farming has destroyed the soil, left behind dangerous wire fences and rusty traps, and introduced endemic plants like thorny sickly bush that have pushed animals out and overtaken everything.

Clive and Roma have created a fantastic program that not only has us busting our butts but incorporates phenomenal access on game drives and detailed information on the land, animals and the nomadic San people that used to roam, all in the most beautiful setting surrounded by bush and a great camp (best showers EVER). Every morning we worked, fence rolling, bush cutting or maintaining roads/camp. It was actually pretty grueling – think huge thorns on everything, unruly rusty wire fences and unrelenting African sun – but it felt so good to be doing manual work.

See how big those trees are? Now add the sharpest, stickiest thorns that covered everything and you get the idea. But it was so satisfying when they fell.

Peter and Felix work for PAWS and they’re so hard working and patient with our ineptitude but also fun to be around. Peter loves Akon and is definitely the party type while Felix is much more introspective and always asking philosophical questions. Really great guys!

See that pool? Its like an oasis or mirage hanging out in the middle of Namibia. I was there everyday to escape the heat and it was just perfect, maybe a tad too cold but very refreshing!

I could get used to this…

The afternoons were spent going on game drives and learning about the land. It made for a good mix of work/holiday and some great animal shots:

How weird does this bird look? It’s a yellow-billed hornbill but looks almost prehistoric.

Oryx are everywhere! They would just stand and stare at you with those huge horns.

I LOVE giraffes. They are hysterical with their heads sticking out of the trees. They’re even better when they run, it’s a wonder they don’t fall over.

We were incredibly lucky to see this guy! Aardvarks eat ants and termites and look kind of fleshy.

We had porcupines pretty much every night to eat our food scraps. They look like ballerinas with all those quills, right?

Wildebeests are ugly. Sorry, but they really are.

Another favorite! These are dik-diks and they are just as cute as their name implies. They are the smallest antelope at about 12lbs but don’t tell them. Dik-diks are quite proud and will stamp their teeny feet when they stand their ground.

I can’t imagine that’s comfortable.

The cape of good hope through foggy wine goggles

2010-04-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

I flew directly from Zambia back to South Africa so I could spend 5 days in Cape Town and the nearby winelands. After a week of roughing it, staying at An African Villa was a complete relief. The villa was so charming with really hospitable owners and best of all, the best hot showers and full English breakfasts (!!).

Cape Town is a really fantastic city. The complete opposite of Jo’Burg, it reminded me a lot of San Francisco with its laid back feel. Best of all, a friend of mine from NY also happened to be there on vacation so we met up. The world really is so small that I can catch up with friends on the opposite end of the world.

The 4 Nobel Peace Prize winners from South Africa with Table Mountain in the background and an old apartheid sign. I went to all the requisite tour sites (Table Mountain, District 6 Museum, V&A Waterfront, etc) but really just took it easy and soaked it all in.

The best part of Cape Town by far was the drive down to Cape Point on my way to the winelands. The drive was also great because you get a better sense of the land and people. Being in cities and on tours, you can easily forget the problems South Africa faces with racism and poverty. As I left Cape Town I passed endless townships with destitute tin shacks and appalling crime/unemployment/poverty rates.

The coastal views were even better than Hwy 1 at home with turquoise water, white sand beaches and amazing coastal cliff views.

Welcome to the end of the world.

Got this recommendation from a friend and it was amazing. The best seafood pasta I’ve ever had!

Me and my ride! The thing was easily the smallest car I have ever been in. Also, they drive on the wrong side of the road, which took some serious getting used to.

I ended my time in South Africa with a couple of nights in Franschhoek. Its the culinary capital of the winelands so you can imagine the incredible food I had. Every time I thought it couldn’t get any better, the next meal would just blow me away. And of course, the wine! Being the responsible lush that I am, I decided to join a tour to go wine-tasting and it was so fun to learn about the wines from our guide while getting totally sloshed. Loved it!

It’s a beautiful little town in the valley surrounded by these incredible mountains. And then include rolling fields of vines and you have Franschhoek.

Yum, wine. South Africa is really known for its sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc and pinotage.

Dr. livingstone, I presume?

2010-04-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

Our safari ended at Victoria Falls in Zambia, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. And a wonder it definitely is. It was also "discovered" by David Livingstone, the great British explorer. We were there during the end of the rainy season so the falls were an incredible force of nature with the water barely containing itself. Livingstone (the town) was also a great place to end our tour with a relaxing campsite complete with a nice restaurant, full bar and a booze cruise to celebrate the end.

What a site! But what was even more incredible is that from the Zambian side we were really only seeing a fraction of the falls.

Because of the heavy water mist we could barely see anything at all. But it was fun to run along all the trails, soaking wet, and catch the incredible glimpses when we could. And the rainbows!

At the top of the falls there are no gates or fences and people actually swim up there. It’s a little scary to think of what could happen, definitely not like at home.

They say the best way to see the falls is from the air and I decided to go on what is basically a motorized hang glider. It looks a little precarious but such amazing views! You can see on my face how thrilling it was.

Our great guides, Jimmy and Geoff!

Thanks for a great week, guys! I really could not have asked for a better group. Mostly Aussies and Americans with a couple of Irish thrown in, we had a fantastic time. I’ll never forget putting up/taking down camp, long talks on the endless road, awful sandwich lunches and so many laughs around the campfire fueled by all those cans of terrible beer.

Crikey, we're on safari!

2010-04-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

For the safari, we were in the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in Botswana. The delta is incredible with the rivers from Angola flooding into the Kalahari Desert. We did an overnight trip into the delta, traveling in mokoros (traditional canoes with polers as guides). The delta trip was really special and so peaceful since there’s nothing out there but these small canals surrounded by tall grass and water lilies. The stars out were also so amazing since there was no moon and definitely no competing lights and we saw so many shooting stars.

Look, its Safari Jane! That’s our guide, Michael, in the background.

What a peaceful ride in the canoes, watching the reeds and lilies float by.

That’s one of our Intrepid guides, Geoff, taking advantage of the transport. Life is so hard :)

While we didn’t actually see any animals on our game walk we got to soak in the beautiful landscapes. The grass, trees and views were just incredible, even the land looked so wild. And we got to hear from our local guides how to track animals and what plants the bushmen used to use when they also roamed the land.

Enjoying a few beers after a tough trip into the delta! I think we could have flooded the delta with all the Windhoek Lagers we drank on the trip. But what a great group to laugh and share beers with.

I went on a flight over the delta. I’ve never been on such a small plane before and it was definitely an experience with all the bumps in the air but the views were spectacular. We saw a few animals but they were mainly dots on the landscape.

But the real animal bonanza was really Chobe National Park. We did a sunset boat cruise and an early morning game drive and saw so many amazing animals! They look so strange in comparison to what we have back at home. But it is a bit like a live amusement park for animal lovers. We were in national parks and private reserves where the animals are confined to a certain area and acclimated to humans and cars. They are still very much wild but not the way Africa used to be with animals free roaming across the continent.

Gratuitous animal photos. Just imagine jaw on the ground at seeing them so close. Cueing Toto...:

Cry, the beloved country

2010-04-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

What was I expecting when I arrived in Johannesburg? Hmm, tough question. First of all, its considered to be dangerous where the chances of getting mugged are pretty much next to certain. Second, South Africa has such a complicated history with race relations and the apartheid so I really wanted to learn more. Finally, I was also meeting up with my Intrepid tour group, which can be such a gamble. After all, I’m stuck with this group for 8 whole days so they better be good!

Luckily, my time in Jo’burg was amazing. I saw Soweto (a fascinating township with a tragic role in the apartheid history), went to the Apartheid Museum and met a fantastic group of people for my safari tour.

Welcome to Soweto, one of the major townships outside of Jo’burg. Townships are suburbs of the cities though they can be nothing more than shanty towns. They also historically were the areas that Africans were segregated to during the apartheid.

Kids playing soccer in the shanty areas of Soweto. World Cup fever has definitely taken hold here. Go Bafana Bafana!

I visited both the Apartheid Museum and Mandela House, both incredible museums.

A quick word about the tour. Its an overland trip from Jo’burg through Botswana and ending in Zambia at Victoria Falls. Which means, on top of the loads of animals we’ll see, its going to be one looooooonnnnnnggg road trip. I don’t really mind because I love watching the road pass by plus we’re riding in this gigantic truck so we’ll be riding in style.

On the road and my first wildlife sighting! There was actually a hippo just hanging out at the petrol station. How funny does it look? But be careful, hippos kill more people than any other animal in Africa.

Back on the road

2010-04-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

So after all this time I've decided to revisit the travel blog and post about my travels. Even after all these years, I love looking back at my "modern day grand tour" and remember all the great places I've been and the amazing things I've done. As I (sadly) grow older and have less time for such adventures these memories are even more important! Even since my world trip in 2005-06 I've been to some really incredible places so I'm going to have to go back and document them at least with some pictures.

I don’t think this will surprise anyone but I love to travel, and the stranger and more far-flung the better. But some things do change. As I get older and get better jobs, I find I can live without the hostel dorm rooms, budget overnight border crossings and poorly self-cooked rice and bean dinners. Not that its 5-star travel but I appreciate showers with hot water, quick and efficient plane rides and the occasional taxi. But don’t worry, I’m still keeping it real.

So to the present day. Now as a working stiff, its harder to find the time for any type of extended travel but I always do seem to find a way. I'm in the middle of transitioning my career and with a new job comes time before having to start it all up again. This time I really hit the jackpot, not only with a great job I'm thrilled about, but with a start date 3 months away! So, of course, I immediately started researching plane tickets and destinations. So for the next three months, I'll be in Southern Africa on safari and doing volunteer work (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia), Cabo San Lucas for a good friend's birthday (not the same type of travel but international nonetheless) and then to Japan where my brother and sister-in-law have recently moved to. Whew, busy.

So where am I now? I'm currently at Heathrow awaiting my flight to Jo'burg. I’m ridiculously excited to be back on the road and to see Southern Africa but not looking forward to my 11-hour flight Jo’burg since it already took me 11 hours to get here. I love to travel but why does everything have to be so far away?

Beached in Barbados

2010-01-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

After 18 horrendous months in the worst financial crisis my company basically decided to shut down my division. That sucks. But I wasn't happy there anyway and had already started the job hunt process. Its funny, after all the the self-promises and proclamations that I wouldn't go back to finance that's exactly what happened. I know, what? But in my defense, I really really enjoyed my work. I like working the deals, running the numbers, deciding what to invest in and beating up bankers and lawyers :). But what I hated about my job was the culture. Its a problem in the industry really but anyway it isn't worth it to stay in such a toxic environment so I'm on the move.

After all this went down the first thing I needed was a break. Luckily, one of my good friends happened to be heading to Barbados for a week where her parents had retired. PERFECT.

It took about 5,000 transfers but I finally made it to Barbados. It was the best week of relaxation and beach. My friend's parents have a house on a golf course and we spent most of our time hanging by their pool and sipping rum cocktails. We worked out, cooked dinner and checked out a few of the beaches. My friend and her parents were just amazing for hosting me! I don't have many photos but this one really just captures our week:

Tranquila

Eating through taiwan

2009-12-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

My younger brother married a fantastic girl and the best part was we got to go to Taiwan! (j/k, of course the best part of was seeing my baby bro marry the love of his life but going to Taiwan was pretty high up there) They had a ceremony at home but continued the celebration in Taiwan because that's where my (new) sister-in-law is from and they wanted to include all her family and friends. It was a whirlwind of activities from meeting new in-laws, insane wedding receptions, sightseeing and sooooo much eating. And eating. The food is INCREDIBLE. I think we ate like 5 times a day, starting with the HUGE breakfast buffet at our hotel and it escalated from there (Din Tai Fung!!). I should also probably say a word about Taiwanese weddings. They are so amazing and ridiculous at the same time. Its a 4-5 hour extravaganza of food and drinking. But how is that different from American weddings, you ask? Well, dinner is like 12 courses and the drinking just flows, like chugging full drinks anytime anyone raises a glass (which happened a lot). And all wrapped in this glitzy production (confetti, parading children, multiple costume changes, a CHAMPAGNE TREE). Its a real industry out there.

Anyway, my family had a really great time. I would love to go to another Taiwan wedding just so I can do it all over again!

Words really can't describe what it was like. It was so amazing and insane at the same time! I loved it!!

My brothers! The one who got married got pretty drunk as the night went on. Its not hard to guess which one that was :).

I actually don't know where we went but it was so pretty with these weird rock formations. Taiwan is a very beautiful country though we didn't see much besides Taipei.

Mom and Dad also had a great time.

I can't believe my baby brother is married!

My sister-in-law's mom, husband and uncle. They were so great and welcoming and took us around everywhere. I love that they're family now!

Back in the motherland

2008-07-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Though this trip included Japan and the Stans, the heart of it was to visit Korea. I haven't been back here since I was a teen so I was keen on seeing it now, brushing up on my korean and eating some great food (and drinking soju!). My parents were with me for the first week and then I was left with my wonderful cousin, Esther.

Living in Korea was fantastic. It was great to spend a month there so I really got a chance to see what life is like there. I met some really great friends and just soaked it all in. I also got to see a lot of my extended family and old family friends that I don't see very often so it was nice to be in the family fold. I also took a class at Seoul National University. I did spend a lot of time at the library like a nerd but it was actually really fun. What can I say? I love to learn!

With my parents, we visited some of the major sites, including the ancient royal cities in Seoul and the amazing Seorak-San (mountain) a few hours away. It was really great to visit the motherland with my parents.

I should have taken more pictures while there but I just wanted to take it all in rather than be a tourist.

The view from my room. Korea is a very mountainous country and Seoul is very large (something like 30% of Korea's 50mm population lives there) so its like an urban mountain, lit up.

My friends, Aram and Kyung! I wish I had better photos of them. It was nice to have local as well as ex-pat friends so I got the full experience. And they were so great to show me around and take out to some really great food!

Most of my fellow classmates were straight out of college but it was fun to remember what it was like to be 18 when I wasn't completely horrified. They were so funny... kids these days!

School can be so boring sometimes! That's me yawning on the right side of the picture.

As part of the language program, we got to visit the DMZ. That's North Korea! The military presence was insane. I stood right next to this soldier and he didn't even move an inch. Those sunglasses were practically impenetrable.

I went on a trip to Busan with my cousin, Esther, and her friends. It was so much fun though its a weird place. Its right by the water so its a major beach destination (and it felt like the entire country was right there on the beach) but had this creepy, B horror movie amusement park/bar/noraebang area that was all lit up at night. We hung at the beach, sang karaoke, ate (and ate) and even went to a jin-jil-bang, which is my absolute favorite (sort of sauna/spa/cafe but so much more and way less classy that it sounds).

The crew to Busan! And that's my awesome cousin in the blue sunglasses. My uncle (her dad) lives close to there so it was great to spend time with my extended family as well. I know, not enough pictures of my family! I will do better next time.

Lost in translation

2008-06-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

After graduation I headed out on a mini-grand tour, this time to Asia. I had 3 months before joining the real world again so my parents and I planned on going to Japan and then Korea. After they headed back to home, I was to continue in Korea, hanging with cousins and friends and brushing up on my Korean, and then on the the Stans with my bestie Ang (Stans as in Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Uzbek - I'll explain later).

We had a great time in Japan! We started in Tokyo, went to the Ito Hanzu peninsula for the onsen experience and finally to Kyoto. Japan really is a different place and we had a great time, seeing the sights, soaking in the hot springs and best of all, eating our way through the country!

Shinjinku at night. Its just as bright during the day, maybe even a little more blinding.

English is not necessary at least when ordering food. Just point! The food was so good in Japan, even down to the little ramen stalls on the street.

The fish market in Tokyo. We went there at some awful hour in the morning to see the fresh catches come in. We also had sushi at this little shack and it had to be the best fish I've ever had. Yummmmm....

Japan is into everything perfectly packaged and delivered, even beer in vending machines. YES.

Right after the food was all the temples/gardens/castles are the things to see. They were as beautiful as they were plentiful.

Irrigation system in Japan. Genius and simplicity in one, the only way the Japanese will have it. And cute too!

Hey! Geisha are just girls too!

After 4 action-packed days in Tokyo we were ready for some serious hot springing. We headed to a traditional ryokan in this teeny town on the Ito Hanzu peninsula. It had to be the best couple of nights with outdoor hot springs, amazing massages and best of all, a traditional kaiseki meal. I would recommend it to everyone! The best japanese food I've ever had all in these beautiful tiny dishes with the most beautiful presentation. The meal also takes about3 hours because of all the courses. Food was a theme if you haven't noticed already.

The only way to travel in Japan is definitely on the shinkensen. We took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, which goes almost 100mph. The scenery just flies by.

Kyoto is definitely all about templing. Kyoto is a beautiful old city with amazing sites and a truly laid back feel. Just don't tell my mom who was a little freaked to be so close to the deer (they just roam around Nara).

And of course the food! We were so glad to find this teppenyaki place after (what felt like) hours of walking.

We were sad to leave but at least we were far from over...

Bschool blitz in the philippines

2008-03-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

Spring break! 2 weeks is a great amount of time for travel. I would say that a month is perfect if you want to go somewhere remote but 2 weeks is perfect for fun, sun and everything else in between. There was a group of about 20 of us (I know, big!) in the Philippines but we were on slightly different itineraries so we were all just sort of cris-crossing and island hopping all over the country. We were like a swarm of business school students partying it up, blitz-style. The Philippines never knew what hit it.

My BFF Melanie and I were together the whole time and we spent the first few days swimming with the whale sharks though the water was murky and all we saw were huge spotted things that would just appear in the abyss. Pretty spooky but cool to see. The funniest part was that we were in the boat trolling for whale sharks and since the visibility was low it was a frantic scramble to get in the water the second the boat guys saw one.

Snorkels on, at the ready at all times. Whale sharks!

With the greater group of 20 we rented this crazy house in Puerto Galera that was on a cliff overlooking the beach. It was an incredible house with a pool, a gazillion rooms and private access to the beach. We didn't do much for the week we were there except drink jungle juice, play cards and hang in the pool. It was a ton of fun but the best part was the food! Our amazing housekeeper cooked breakfast and dinner for us everyday and the food was just incredible. Whoever said that philippino food wasn't very good clearly never had what we did.

Home sweet home!

The pool overlooked the ocean. We pretty much stayed in and around the pool all day...

... except when we were at our private beach!

Yet another jungle juice-fueled game of cards. After finding that a bottle of local rum cost about $1, we proceeded to drink it in everything and thus jungle juice was born.

After a week of fun partying, Melanie and I finished our trip with a romantic beach getaway on the island of Palawan. It was remote compared to the other beach areas but so much more pristine than the tourist-filled Boracay. We stayed at this really cute B&B and spent our days on a private boat, hopping from one perfectly secluded beach to another. And I mean PERFECT - white sands, turquoise waters, huge cliffs, all without another soul in sight. The only drawback was the jellyfish. They weren't poisonous but they were a little stingy and practically invisible. But still, hanging on shore had its perks!

The various modes of transportation it took to get to Palawan. But once we saw the welcome wagon we knew we came to the right place.

When do you see beaches like these??

The sunsets were just amazing. Watching the sun, the water, the light, I could do this all day.

Melanie and me!

Sigh, I miss spring break already...

The journey not the destination

2006-08-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

So this is it. After 9 months of travel through 14 countries, 3 continents, 16 overnight trips, 23 flights, 11 treks, 4314 photos, I made it back home in one piece. From the extreme cold to the extreme heat and from one end of the earth to the other, it really was one hell of a trip! Its hard to describe what its like to be home. I spent months, years really, fantasizing, thinking and planning this trip and now its over. How will I cope? Where will I find the courage to move on? I'll be honest, the second I landed on American soil, the only thing I wanted to do was turn around and get on the first flight out of there. Its funny how I think that going to grad school and having to find a real job to be more daunting than a year of traveling around the world on my own.

But it truly was an amazing experience. I'll always be able to look back on my experience (and my blog!) and say, that was me! I did that! I really hope that I remember the way it felt being out there on my own. Sometimes I would just get so giddy and do a little dance because it would hit me, I can't believe I'm out here doing this. I know it sounds cheesy but I also learned a ton about myself, which has given me self-confidence and an ability to keep the minor things in life in perspective. It really is about the journey and not the destination.

Anyway, enough of the squishy stuff. How can I best summarize my year? This will sort of be like superlatives in the yearbook or better yet, a reality tv award show:

Favorite place - This is the number one question I get and hands-down it was Patagonia. Maybe because it was the start of travels (after spending time in Buenos Aires) but the remoteness and the wildness were just breath-taking. The glaciers and mountains were also awe-inspiring and really puts life into perspective. Really, my issues seem pretty insignificant when compared to these mountains that have been here long before me and will continue to be here long after. Its such a harsh environment but that just adds to the beauty.

Tastiest food - Another easy one, China! I love Chinese food (and not the American fast-food versions) and I got to experience so many different foods and flavors. Everything from the peking duck in Beijing, the Muslim soup dumplings in Xian, the sichuan peppers in Chengdu, the hotpots in Yangshao to the curries in Dali, it was all SO GOOD! I would go back just to eat

Most "I can't believe I'm here" moment - This is a tough one. Honorable mentions will have to be the overnight bus trips in Bolivia, swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon, arriving in Kathmandu during the political coup but I'll have to say it was traveling through Tibet and spending the night at Everest Base Camp. It was not only the most disgusting place I've ever stayed (at a Buddhist monastery no less) but the most painful. It was altitude sickness at its worse (almost 20,000 ft), I couldn't eat, sleep or function all with the worst headache I've ever had. It was worth it when we got to base camp and saw Everest but just barely. I've always wanted to do Kilimanjaro but no more. EBC was hard enough!

Best road less traveled - Its a showdown between traveling through Tibet and traveling down Northern Argentina but Argentina takes this one in overtime. Maybe it was the company but being able to hop from village to village with Argentinos really made for a truly authentic experience. I also think I learned more Spanish in the week I was with them than in the 2 months in Spanish class in BA. The villages were beautiful but I really felt like I was experiencing local life that not many people get to see.

Most "I went to school with no shoes, in the snow, 365 days a year, uphill both ways" place - The hardest countries to travel through were easily Bolivia and Tibet. Not surprising that both were kind of similar, barren, high altitudes, destitute and poor. I never felt unsafe (well, maybe in Bolivia) but without any infrastructure it was just hard to get anywhere or do anything. I also got sick a bunch no matter how careful I was trying to be. I loved going to both places but I'm glad I did it now rather than later in life.

Best beach - Perhentian Islands in Malaysia. It wasn't just the perfect sand, warm waters and best-in-class scuba but it had this great laid-back vibe. The place is definitely a time drain, you could spend weeks there and it would just fly by.

Biggest gross-out moment - I'm not really a queasy person though truthfully bugs aren't my favorite but I lost my sh*t when I saw that leech sucking on my ankle in Thailand. It was just so slimy and wiggly and I thought it was trying to burrow into my body (I know! Its just the head and it didn't even hurt). Thank god they got it off!

Most disgusting food - Its only fair since I put down the tastiest food that I put down the worst. I try to be culturally sensitive and try everything (surprisingly, most non-Americans find peanut butter and apples to be one of the strangest thing we eat) but my stomach can only taste so much. I have to say that vegemite in Australia is up there along with blood sausage from Argentina but anything yak-related definitely is the worst. Especially the tsampa in Tibet which is this smelly mush of barley and yak butter tea. SO GROSS.

Food I missed the most - Easily anything Korean (I was practically begging for rice in meat and potato heavy South America) and strangely hamburgers, especially with pickles. I think I tried every variety in every country but none compared to good ol' American burgers.

Cheapest beer - In China beer cost less than water at around 80 cents or so. Mind you it was terrible beer but it was cheap! And sanitary!

Most precious resource when traveling - Besides water, I would say toilet paper and soap. I would hoard these and steal them whenever I ended up at a real hotel room. I would also have to put two-ply as the most luxurious item. You really under-appreciate two-ply until you have the sandpaper some places pass for TP.

Luxury I refused to go without - Laundry. I know lots of people did this themselves in sinks and what not but I never did. I always paid to get it done and as often as I could. You really can't put a price on clean clothes.

I could go on and on but really that's what each of my posts have been about! I'm so glad for every one of my experiences in the last year and I never want to forget them - the beautiful places, amazing people, laughs over beers and even the times I wanted to tear my hear out, it was all worth it. I just hope I get more chances in the future for real travel and not just vacationing. Thanks everyone for following me along on my "modern day grand tour"! I'll leave one last photo that for me captures that feeling while on the road. Until next time!

Sydney and the end of the road

2006-07-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is it. After all this time, all the countries, all the travel, I'm here in Sydney. And a few days later, I'm home. For Good. But I can't think about that now. I still have Sydney for my last hurrah! Sydney actually ended up being the perfect place to end my trip. Its a beautiful city that actually reminds me a lot of San Francisco. Also, I have a couple of people here who I've met in Argentina and China so it was really really good to see some familiar faces.

I got into Sydney late in the afternoon and I headed directly to my hostel, Wake Up. And I would like to say a few words about the hostels in Australia. Australia is sort of backpacker central and the hostel system here is the most complex I've ever seen. Its definitely a machine with necessary reservations, key cards, mega-bathrooms, and towells, sheets, cutlery and anything else for rent. Instead of intimate places where fellow travelers can meet and exchange stories, the hostels in Australia become total party zones where its a bit more intimidating to meet people. But the hostels in Sydney are in a class of their own. Checking into Wake Up was like being ... processed. They might as well as barcoded my forehead and put me on the assembly line. And they also have this what they would consider cheeky theme that in reality makes me want to throw up. The hostel is called Wake Up!, the sign above the public phone is Call Up!, the cafe is called Fed Up!, the bathrooms are Wash Up!, etc. It was like being in a Target ad where they idealized a college dormitory. Sigh. At least it was clean and the beds were comfy.

But I had little time to think about my hostel. I immediately left to meet with Stephen and Jamie, 2 of the 3 British guys I met in China. It turned out that we were all be in Sydney for a couple of days randomly so we had promised that we would keep in touch and meet up again in another continent. They had been in Sydney for a couple of weeks, staying with some of Stephen's family so they were willing to show me around a bit. We started at a pub right at the base of the Harbor Bridge, giving us beautiful views of the Opera House despite the rain. We had a great time, catching up and swapping travel stories since we were together in China. I would like to take a moment to say how great it was to see familiar faces and hang out like normal people. It was also great since I had such a great time with these guys in China. We ended up drinking quite a bit of beer and even went to one of their friend's place to drink some more, including some disgusting boxed wine, which Aussies charmingly call goon.

My first (ghostly) view of the opera house.

Goon - why does it always seem like a good idea at the time?

It was so good to see Stephen and Jamie!

Dancing the night away.

Though I only had a couple of days in Sydney, I found it imperative to spend the next morning lolling around the hostel, recuperating from quite a nasty hangover. Surprisingly, goon is not good for the constitution. But after plenty of fluids, I finally got myself out of the hostel and into the city. I was meeting Stephen and Jamie for a tour around the Opera House, apparently a sight that is absolutely not to be missed in Sydney. I was impressed that the guys made it as well considering the night we had but they were there, Mickey D's in hand (who says there's no good food in Australia?). The Opera House was pretty magnificent, I have to say. I also did a tour around the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and this was the complete opposite. A beautiful space but totally modern with interesting spaces, beautiful lighting and not a single piece of marble anywhere. The guys and I completed our quintissential visit with a walk to Mrs. Macquaire's Chair for the classic bridge and opera house view. We were able to also catch the sun setting over the whole scene - truly spectacular.

There she blows! The. Opera. House.

It really is that impressive. I was waiting to be disappointed but it truly is an architectural marvel.

The rumor is that these are meant to look like sails as to blend in with the harbor. True or false? Who cares! They were beautiful.

Not to be outdone - the Harbor Bridge! I've seen better bridges but its so iconic for Sydney.

The inside of the Opera House was just as impressive as the outside. I can really appreciate the architectural design of the place.

And its completely different from Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

The Opera House was definitely in commune with the harbor.

I was impressed that the guys made it out as well though a little worse for wear :).

The next day (after watching the season finale of the O.C. the night before - Marissa is so overrated), I met Stephen to go visit the Sydney fish markets. Not usually the top of everyone's list of things to see in Sydney but after all it is a harbor town and supposed to be renowned for their fish. Its no Pike's Market in Seattle or even Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco but there were a couple of small fish markets selling fresh fish, oysters and probably the best fish and chips this side of England. I'll be honest that I was there to get my fish grub on and we were definitely not disappointed. And after saying a very sad goodbye to Stephen, I decided to round out my fish-themed day at the aquarium. I would have liked to take a ferry across the harbor but with the nasty rainy weather (I've been sooo lucky with the weather in Australia!) the aquarium seemed fitting. I've been to some great aquariums in my young life but I have to say that the Sydney one was pretty amazing! It funny to think that I also saw so many of these fish up close and personal while scuba diving but it didn't make the experience any less beautiful. Ahhh, those gigantic sting rays... There were as big as my car!

The last person I had to see in Sydney was Dean, a guy that I met in Argentina all those months ago. We met in Spanish class and it turned out we were both investment bankers who quit our jobs to screw around on the other side of the world. We hit it off instantly. Anyway, Dean's back to being a big-time banker guy so he took me out to dinner with promises that if he ever comes to SF, I'll return the favor (seriously, Dean!!). We went out to get some sushi in one of the trendy, posh neighborhood. The fish was absolutely fantastic and it was great to actually go to a real restaurant and have some real conversation.

And that was it. I packed my bags, went to the airport and took a 13 hour flight back to San Francisco. Can you believe that?? I'm still in shock. It hasn't really hit me yet that my trip is over but there you have it. I'm sure once I settle in at home and start planning for school, I will feel better about being at home. But first, let's take a moment to commemorate this moment. Sigh, I can't believe I'm going home!!

As luck would have it!

2006-07-24T01:14:00.000-07:00

Oh, Townsville, you sly mistress. You tease and you promise yet you leave me out in the cold. Literally. You don't hear much about Townsville outside of Australia. And even within, people look at me twice when I say that its at the top of my to-see list here. Its one of the largest cities in Queensland but not really a destination. But what they don't know is that there is one of the best diving sites in Australia a mere 4-hour boat ride from its coast. I had been dreaming about scuba diving around the Yongala, a ship that went down in the early 1910's. Its stayed pretty much intact and has attracted immense marine life, both in abundance and in size. Its apparently the one place you are guaranteed to see fish bigger than you are. But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

After my parents left for Sydney, I decided to move to Magnetic Island where I could go scuba dive around the Yongala and also chill out with the beaches and the koalas. I was really in the area just for the dive but what the hell, I would slip in some beach time as well. I called around to the different dive shops but because of the freakishly bad weather they had the week before, the currents were too strong though they were optimistic that they would be running the trips "tomorrow". So being optimistic about the imminent scuba dive, I headed to Magnetic Island to waste away my time on the beach and wait out the bad weather.

At least the weather on the surface was great. We had nothing but sunshine and little wind so it was perfect for some beach relaxation. And to add to the relaxation vibe, I picked this hostel called Bungalow Bay, which was situated a few minutes walk from Horseshoe Bay and on a nature preserve. It definitely had a great outdoorsy feel to it with wooded areas for camping and log cabins for dorm rooms. It was really the perfect place to chill out. With only a week (yikes!!) left in my trip, I wasn't really looking for a really social, high energy environment.

The beaches were really nice and I was even able to walk out to a couple of secluded bays, which in Australia is a beacon call for naked people. When most people (ahem, generally young men) think of nude beaches, images of frolicking, beautiful women cross their mind but let me tell you the reality is so much better! For some reason lots and lots and lots of old people like to frequent nude beaches. But the beach was nice regardless and made for a refreshing dip.

But the absolute best part of staying on Magnetic Island were the koalas! Magnetic Island is home to one of the largest population of wild koalas in Australia and you can see them chilling out in the trees on some of the hikes. I also visited the wildlife sanctuary where I got to hold all types of creepy reptiles, including alligators, lizards and even a snake. I know this stuff isn't too scary but you should have heard my heart RACE when I was holding the python. I seriously thought I was going to pass out. I got some pictures with my puny disposable camera (again, don't want to talk about it) so hopefully I can get some on the site to show you guys. But the grand finale of the wildlife visit was far and away my picture with the koala! They placed this 10lb creature in my arms and it was so cute. It was the size and weight of a baby and it just sat there, hanging onto me for dear life. That picture was definitely worth every penny. Though afterwards, I found out that koalas are actually pretty vicious creatures and will claw and bite like crazy. But they must have drugged that koala or something because it was the calmest thing. Thank god I got out unscathed!

Oh yeah, about that dive. After months of waiting to scuba the Yongala, it wasn't meant to be. The currents finally died down on Monday but that was the day of my flight to Sydney, which I couldn't change without paying something totally ridiculous. At least I saved myself quite a little bundle of cash. You wouldn't believe what these people will charge for a scuba dive. I say its better to wait until you get to SE Asia where a single dive will cost you around $20. Seriously!

Anyway, I'm now on my way to Sydney, my last port of call. I can't believe after all of this, I only have a few DAYS left. I can't even begin to contemplate what that means. I don't want to go back!

Peekaboo sunshine in the whitsundays

2006-07-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

After the depressing weather in Alice Springs, my parents and I were really looking forward to some good beach weather on the East Coast. We were told that its summer all year around in Queensland and surely the bad weather in one part of the country would have no baring on the weather in another part, especially in a place as gigantic as Australia. Well, so the theory goes, right?

We left early the next morning since we had to connect through Cairns before landing in Townsville. The clouds were finally lifting in Alice Springs so we were hopeful it would last through the rest of our trip. Yeah right. We were pretty dismayed by the rain and dark clouds in Cairns and downright disappointed when we landed in Townsville. The locals who kept exclaiming how unusual rain was in winter wasn't helping either. But we soldiered on anyway, taking time to poke around town before getting on our bus to Airlie Beach the next morning. And yes, the rain decided to follow us there so we spent the day, couped up in our hotel room rather than soaking in the rays as we had hoped.

But something miraculous occured the next morning. Blue skies! At the right time! We could barely contain ourselves. We had only 2 days at the Whitsunday Islands and we were sure we would be having more of the bizarre Australian rain. We quickly hopped into our bathing suits and rushed out to the beach despite the wind and cold water. It was sunny! We would enjoy it, dammit!

Dad and I basking in the sunshine.

The ships were pretty impressive, glistening proudly in the sun.

Beaches are good. Why did I leave them for the end of my trip?

We lucked out the next day as well as if He Who Lives Upstairs decided to pity us after our Uluru trip. We had booked ourselves on a boat to the famous Whitehaven beach so we definitely needed the sun for the full white sand beach effect. But before we headed to the actual beach, we stopped to do some snorkeling, and if you wanted to pay a bit more, some scuba diving. Having just received my certification, I was pretty keen though the water was looking a bit chilly. To my absolute surprise, my mom was also interested! I couldn't believe it. But she put on a brave face and went under. There were a few moments of panic at the beginning but she dove like a pro. I was so proud of her and happy that we could do it together. I don't know if she'll ever do it again but she did it! Unfortunately, due to all the recent storms, the visibility wasn't that great and it was pretty cold though the coral was still spectacular.

Our glistening boat in the early morning sun (yet another EARLY morning!).

Ready to hit the water despite the wind and cold. It was the middle of winter afterall.

Giving the okay sign! My dad made fun of us but I didn't see him getting in the water!

Obviously pretty excited about getting in there. My mom looks a little less enthused.

We did it!

But we were really there for Whitehaven beach and it was unbelievable. The beach was made up of unbelievably fine, pure bone white silica sand. It was so fine that it actually squeaked when you walked on it. It was just amazing to be sitting on the sand and admiring the views. But the view of the beach was even better from above. We hiked up to the top of this hill to get a look of the beach inlet. Because of the incredibly clear water and fine white sand, the beach took on this surreal swirly aspect with the sand shimmering below the water. It was like nothing I've ever seen before! I've seen pictures but it does not compare to seeing the swirly sand in person. We could have sat up there for days, watching the sands below.

The water was pretty low by the time we got to Whitehaven Beach but it was still so beautiful. I've never seen a beach like this ever!!

We could have stayed for hours watching the water swirl around the sand.

We also got some time to relax at the beach. The water was so clear and pristine.

The sand was 99% silica though I don't know what that really means. The sand was unbelievably fine and it even squeaked when we walked on it!

Yeah for the beach!!

But it wasn't all fun and games in Airlie Beach. While at the beach, I think sand got into my digital camera and now it doesn't work! I don't really want to talk about it because its going to make me very upset but you have no idea how tragic this is. I mean, its my camera!! So after all these months, after all the pictures, I'm going to be reduced to using a disposable point-and-shoot until I get home. Can you imagine????? I also got this weird skin rash on my shoulders. I'm not sure where but its lovely. Great, just great.

And to top our time at Airlie Beach off, the rains descended once again but we didn't care since we were leaving. We were so lucky to get the sunshine for the 2 days that we were there. Its a great way to top the trip off since my parents are taking off after this to head to Sydney for a couple of days before heading home. I'm sticking around Townsville for a few more days in hopes of scuba diving the Yongala, a really famous shipwreck, and spying koalas on Magnetic Island.

Before I sign off, I just want to give my parents a very special THANK YOU! I'm so glad that they were actually able to come out and travel with me and to a place that was so foreign to them (thank god I booked us some hotel rooms with kitchens in them. They don't eat a lot of Western food and could barely find things to eat. But we were able to cook some rice so we were saved!). They were such troopers in the rain and camping outdoors and even scuba diving. We ended up having such a great time though the weather was less than perfect and in the end, I couldn't have wished for a better trip. Mom and Dad - I love you guys very much and I hope we remember this trip for a very long time! See you soon!

Uluru: the big brown rock

2006-07-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I had my first experience with an OMNIMAX movie, not be be confused with an IMAX movie. An OMNIMAX movie has an even bigger screen than the IMAX ones that fills your entire field of vision. Its sort of like going on the Star Wars ride at Disneyland where you actually feel like you're getting hurdled through the Death Star. Anyway, I saw a movie about one of Australia's most famous sites, Uluru (formerly known as Ayer's Rock). The movie dealt more with the weather patterns in the arid outback rather than the geological wonder that is Uluru but it whetted my appetite for Australia. I was spouting random facts about Australia for weeks after that movie.

Fast forward to the present day, the day that I arrived in Alice Springs to be exact. I was excited because of two things - one, the long-cherished memory of that OMNIMAX (does it have to be capped?) movie and two, my parents were arriving in Alice Springs to join me for 2 weeks down under. I was thrilled to see them since I haven't seen them since spring break and also since it meant I didn't have to live in hostels and I got to be the center of attention. We're all Daddy's girls at heart. My parents are also outdoor enthusiasts so I knew that they would really enjoy Australia.

To prolong the anticipation a bit as well as to give my parents some time to recover from jetlag, we spent a day wandering through town and seeing some of the McDonnell Ranges, which were right outside Alice Springs. In all the guidebooks, Alice Springs is described as the major outpost in the middle of the vast outback as well as tourism central for Uluru. But you always have to keep in mind the scale of Australia. Australia is 75% the size of China but holds only 30 million people compared to the 1 BILLION in China. The largest city in China, Chongqing, holds more people than the whole of Australia. So from being in a country where every single city held 1 million plus, I arrived in Alice Springs, the epicenter of the outback but with only 30,000. So needless to say, the town offered far less than I had expected and pretty much everything closed by 5 or 6pm. But it was nice nonetheless to spend the day relaxing and spotting wallabies in the McDonnell Ranges.

Some aboriginal music in the middle of Alice Springs. I also bought a very nice painting that made me feel very grown up.

Yup, we're pretty far from home!

The happy family back together. I can't tell you how happy I was to see them! I'm so proud of them for coming somewhere so far and so foreign (to them, at least!).

Us at Stanley Chasm. It is very tall and very narrow and very impressive. This was the beginning of an endless sea of red rocks but each one was special in its own right.

A very cautionary sign at the bank of this "river". Apparently, they are lucky if they flow 2 or 3 times a year!

Very very very early the next morning, my parents and I were picked up for our outback tour. We were waiting outside with a bunch of other people and one by one, they were all picked up in their huge and luxurious tour buses. I brushed them off, knowing that with those vehicles, they would be limited to the paved roads where we would be off in the wilderness. Until our truck showed up. Our itty, bitty truck. Our group consisted of 9 people not including our guide, all crammed into a pitiful pickup truck. We sat in the back on long benches, facing each other and trying to place our legs in non-cramping positions without becoming overly friendly with strangers and bumped along for about 4 hours. Now, I'm not usually the type to complain about accomodations and transportation, afterall I traveled in a similar vehicle while doing the jungle trek in Thailand and in other parts of SE Asia. But this was Australia for godssake!

But the car became the least of our worries. July in Australia, being in the Southern Hemisphere, is in the dead of winter. And since it was also in the middle of the desert, we expected dry, hot days and dry, cold nights. We brought fleeces, hats and gloves for the evenings and wide-brimmed hats and sunscreen for the day. But we got sooooooo lucky during our trip! The outback was in the middle of the biggest drought in 50 years and hadn't even seen a speck of rain in 6 months but the weekend that we decided to go on our tour, the skies opened up. I guess its good for the environment since everything was looking a bit parched but rain in winter doesn't really make for the best camping experience, especially since we were sleeping outside in contraptions called swags. To complete the picture, we had a guide who was like an entire cheer squad on speed. I have never met anyone who could be so bouncy and chirpy at 5am. Proposed singalongs, in the rain, before its even light out, in the most cramped vehicle, for 4 hours is not exactly what I pictured when I watched that OMNIMAX movie.

But the power of Uluru is not to be underestimated. Though we saw it under clouds full of rain, which cast the usually vibrant red rock into a mud brown color, the sheer wonder of its existence still shone through. Uluru is the single biggest piece of rock on the planet and it exists in the middle of nowhere. Its a mile and a half long and over 1,000 feet high but it doesn't even begin to describe what it looks like up close. Despite the rain, we opted to hike the 6 mile track around the rock, craning our necks every step of the way so it wouldn't escape our vision. Its hard to explain what it was like but despite all the hooplah, all the tourism photos, its really unbelievable to behold. The Aborigines hold Uluru as one of their most sacred sites and its no wonder. It should be sacred for everyone.

The peekaboo sun made the view pretty interesting to say the least! These pictures are an incredibly pale comparison to the actual thing.

The rain actually made the rock look very mystical and fantastical. You can really see why the Aboriginals hold it so sacred.

We got cramps in our necks while walking around Uluru! We were constantly craning our necks to take in the entire sight and not miss a single crevice.

The Aboriginals have all these creation stories about creation beings and how they shaped the world around us while also teaching them valuable life lessons. Its amazing to be able to hear the stories while also seeing them how the Aboriginals did on the face of Uluru. The picture above shows an area where one of the creation beings, a snake, slithered its way along the rock.

The next day, the weather was looking a bit better and we headed to Kata Tjuta, another unbelievable cluster of huge rock/mountain things. Kata Tjuta was also formed around the same time as Uluru and offered possibly better hikes than Uluru. Instead of walking around 1 monolith, we were snaking in between these huge boulders that towered above us. It really was the Valley of the Winds and you could feel the history and the culture of the Aborigines radiating throughout the place. Our guide was incredibly knowledgable about the scientific and cultural aspects of Uluru and Kata Tjuta so it was nice to understand and not just gawk at the sites in front of us.

Kata Tjuta was just as impressive as Uluru. It truly was an amazing trip.

Another bright and early morning for us! At least we were able to get a sunrise over Kata Tjuta. It was beautiful to see the morning rays light up those boulders.

Kata Tjuta (aka the Olgas) are a series of boulders that are incredibly important to the Aboriginal men in the nearby tribes.

Our unbelievably chipper leader. She was just like that guy Chip in Office Space who was way too into his flair. This girl definitely had flair!

But for me, the true highlight was King's Canyon. Its not on a particularly huge scale as, say, the Grand Canyon, but it was amazing nonetheless. We did a walk around the rim of the canyon, admiring the stratification of the rock, the wildlife and the spectacular views across the canyon. Every step brought you to something new and beautiful. My parents also really enjoyed the hikes though they were pretty long and not as easy on 50-year plus knees.

The canyon isn't very large (not like the one in Arizona if you know which one I mean) but the views were spectacular.

The top of the canyon was filled with these incredible layered rocks that we were hiking in and around.

Peering over the edge to get a good view!

This funny little bird had no fear of humans. If you stood real still, they would just come right up to you, popping along and pecking for food.

Even the car rides ended up being quite nice. We all got to know each other pretty well, crammed into that car, so we had some good laughs while we passed the time. And the scenery outside just took our breath away. There really is absolutely nothing out there but dust, rocks, spikey grass and dead-looking trees. Being out there makes you appreciate how resilient life can be and what mother nature can overcome to provide life. The barren extreme of the desert was also beautiful in its own right. You just have to respect the sheer wildness of it all.

Overall, our trip was everything I wanted it to be. I wanted to experience the outback and that we did - we were really at its mercy the entire time. We slept in swags, our faces vulnerable to the elements but it made us appreciate snuggling in their warmth that much more. And I've never been more proud of my parents! They were real troopers though I don't think they had any idea of what the trip would be like. It was freezing, it rained, we slept, cooked and dined outside but they never complained and had the time of their life. It was definitely one of the hardest trips I've done (Tibet holds that prize) but the fact that my parents and I did it together made it worth every second.

My parents in swags. I never thought I would see the day.

Out on the open road. Of course, as we were heading back into town we got sunshine.

Like mother like daughter!

Our broken down car. We actually pushed the car up to fit the jack under the axle. That's my dad under the car, lending a hand as always.

Wild camels!

You can't leave Australia without trying some of the local specialties like camel, crocodile, buffalo and kangaroo! Croc was by far my favorite. Yum!!

We never did get that fiery red sunset on Uluru but that's okay. It will just have to wait until the next time! In the meantime, my parents and I are on our way to the East Coast and the Whitsunday Islands where we are really really really hoping for some sun and beachtime!

Welcome to the land down under and crocodiles

2006-07-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

And I've made it! I'm in Australia and my trip is almost over. This is my last stop on my grand tour and it makes me really sad. Though I complain and whine about traveling, this really has been the most amazing experience I've ever had. But before I leave it all behind, I still have one continent left to explore albiet for only 3 weeks.

Though I only have an EXTREMELY short period of time here (most people I meet spend between 3-12 months here) I have a pretty good itinerary, if I do say so myself. I'll be starting out in Darwin for a few days, then onto Alice Springs and Uluru where I will meet up with my parents, then to the Whitsundays for a bit of sun and surf, Townsville to scuba the Yongala (weather permitting) and finally to Sydney where I will bid a final adieu to my world travels and head back home to once again become a law-abiding citizen on the great Mouse Wheel of Life. Sigh.

Anyway, so far the trip has been fabulous! I arrived at Darwin at the very eager hour of 4am after having about 10 minutes of sleep on my flight from Singapore. At least I was able to get some free wine (when you are on a budget like mine, "complimentary" takes on a whole new meaning). I could barely keep my eyes open as the airport shuttle bus dropped me off at a hostel. They unfortunately didn't have any beds available but the guy took pity on me (probably after seeing the most hang-dog look ever - if he told me ice cream didn't exist anymore, I don't think I could have been more disappointed) and let me sleep in a recently vacated motel room. Its pretty grubby to sleep in someone else's room but I didn't care. After about 4 hours asleep, I was ready to function once again.

So the big thing to do in Darwin is to visit Kakadu National Park, the land of Aboriginal rock art and crocodiles. So I was really keen to see both until I saw how expensive the tours were. I know, this is going to be a running theme throughout my Australia posts but really, things here are more expensive than home, both in nominal and real terms (this isn't just adjusting from Asia prices talking here)! Anyway, what can you do? So I went ahead and booked a daytrip into Litchfield National Park to see some waterfalls and crocs and to Kakadu for an overnight "adventure tour".

Australia also marked my return to hostel living. SE Asia accomodation is so cheap, I could stay in a (shoebox) room on my own for cheaper than a dorm bed down here. Ahhh, good old hostels. I love how cheap they are, the facilities and how easy it is to meet fellow backpackers. But I'm pretty tired of sharing a room with 10 other snoring people who go to bed and wake-up at odd hours. And contrary to popular belief, communal bathrooms can get tiring after awhile. And there are always encounters like the one I had in Darwin. I got up at the UNGODLY hour of 5am to catch my tour bus when I noticed a guy, sleeping gently and snoring a bit but curled up on the ground with his boxers hanging around his ankles (Christine, its like your worst nightmare!!). Why? I don't even know where to start. But that's hostel life!

The trip to Litchfield wasn't as action packed as I had hoped. We ended up in a big huge tour bus, being shuttled from waterfall to waterfall and not really walking as much as being hurded around the sites. But I at least opted for the Jumping Croc boat ride, which sounded a lot more innocent than it ended up being. I thought we would just be boating up and down the river, spotting crocs and hearing the oohs and aahs of tourists as they snapped happily away at their cameras. It was that but also soooo much more. We were all sitting in our seats when the commentator spotted a "4-meter beaut" off the right bank, enjoying the sun and views. As I leaned over the railing to take a photo, I was almost smacked in the face with a raw porkchop roughly the size of my head. Apparently, spotting crocs wasn't enough. They actually DANGLED porkchops off sticks in order to entice the crocs closer and to jump up and eat the meat. These are MAN EATING creatures than can be up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 2 tons! And they were bringing them close to a boat full of scrumptiously plump tourists??? It was so insane! It was hard not to cower in the middle of the boat as you saw 3 of these man-eaters circling our boat.

Here they come, circling around our helpless boat!

Do you see the teeth on that thing?? And look how far it can jump up? Are these people crazy?

The crocs weren't the only ones interested in the dangling meat. It was like a scene straight out of Hitchcock's The Birds, which you all know I HATE.

One of the many waterfalls we saw that day. They were all stunning and very inviting. Except when I found out that they may be croc-infested. Seriously?

Fruit bats, hanging out waiting for night to descend before turning into vampires and sucking your blood.

No, we didn't stumble into a graveyard. Those are actually termite mounds. Some of them get to be incredibly huge, like 20ft! Apparently, there are a lot of termites in Australia.

The next day, I got up yet again at 5am in order to catch my overnight tour to Kakadu. I thought I was still hallucinating when I saw our 4wd but it was real. It was this huge beast of a car - all the comforts and big seats of a tour bus, but mounted on top of these monster wheels that looked like they could devor any poor unsuspecting sedan. I got to sit in the front seat and the bottom of the cabin came up to my chest. I've been on lots of 4wd trips but this was something. Our tour leader was even a real bush man, straight out of a cliche - a modern day Crocodile Dundee. I think we were all a little afraid of Andrew, especially when we saw him whip out the biggest knife ever to just pick at his fingernails or stop the car suddenly to track some pigs or sniff some tree. But he was incredibly knowledgable about everything bush and Aboriginal related. And after a few (more like 10) beers, he warmed up considerably and we had some good laughs. Overall, the trip was fantastic. We saw some amazing sites like billabongs (they aren't just a surf clothing line) teeming with wildlife, ancient rock art and endless stars above our campsite. We also visited the most picturesque waterholes for a good dunk after long hot days.

There's our bad boy.

I forget what type of bird this is but is pretty interesting and common around these parts. I know, I could never be a bird watcher (but isn't that really a good thing?).

Yay! More croc watching! We took a boat around a billabong (basically a pond) and they were everywhere - both salties (man-eating ones) and freshies (not man-eating but can still take a big chunk out).

Look at that hansome mug! A freshie waiting for his close-up.

Beautiful lily plants though apparently, they aren't native to Australia and are choking the waterways. Even roses have thorns, right?

Who wouldn't want to swim here? There were a bunch of little waterfalls that fed into this big pool where we could jump from rocks and even swim through this small passageway under the water.

You just don't see sunsets like this everyday.

A perfect end to a great day.

Some of this Aboriginal rock art has been around for centuries. What's interesting is that this isn't from a dead culture. Tribes of Aboriginals still use the same painting methods to illustrate their creation stories. Its amazing to think that the oldest culture in the wrold still lives on today.

Our very own bush man showing us what each of the symbols mean.

Australia really is an amazingly beautiful and wild land. To think how the Aboriginals lived off this land before Europeans came and wrecked it all.

I could live this way. Really.

The mosquitoes though were merciless. The bugs in general here are bigger, more ferocious and way too persistant. Trying to get away from an Australian fly is really an artform. I'm usually pretty good with repellant and wearing my mosquito-repellant clothing but I ended up with over 20 bites on or around me bum, as the Aussies would call it. Yup, 20. How they got there is a mystery though I have my suspicions. I think I might of scooped up one of the buggers in my pants or I might have encounted an overly hungry one in the toilet. Who knows? But it was so awful! They itched so badly but I could exactly go at them in public. TORTURE!!!

But this is just the beginning! I still have the outback and the coast to see. But Darwin was a great introduction to the Land of Oz. The people here have been so friendly and quick to share some corny joke over a beer. Its also nice to be back somewhere that reminds me of home. The accents aside, we could have been in the States, maybe out in the National Parks around Utah and Colorado. Now onto Alice!

A new asian utopia in singapore

2006-07-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Singapore with only 1 thing in mind - shopping!! I know Singapore isn't the cheapest Asian country to shop in but it was my last chance to shop at reasonable prices before I headed to Australia and the Western world. Plus, when it gets down to it, Singapore is really made up of inter-connected, air-conditioned shopping centers, so really I had no choice. I only had 2 days so I knew I had to make the best of it.

But before I get to my shopping bonanza, I would like to comment on my observations about Singapore. First, yes, it is freakishly clean here and there are a bazillion rules for everything that everyone seems to follow without comment. Even my hostel, the Inn Crowd, had so many rules I was afraid of wearing my shoes anywhere so I kept them in my hand, putting them on furtively on occasion but then taking them off again after getting extremely paranoid. Do I put them on while climbing the stairs? Going to the bathroom? Stepping out onto the balcony? It was stressful. Granted, the hostel was probably one of the cleanest and most efficiently run place I've ever stayed at. And they had a fabulous breakfast and for free!

But Singapore is fascinating. There is a huge mix of Asian cultures, predominantly Mandarin, Malay and Indian but its this interesting, dare I say it, melting pot of cultures living in harmony. English is more or less the official language so that everyone can communicate with each other without having one single culture with supreme precedence over the others. Everything is clean and perfectly planned with even the grubbier neighborhoods like Little India and Chinatown have a new, shiny feel to it. The city is also incredibly modern with air-conditioning blasting everywhere, even on some of the sidewalks. It was as if the Asian section of Its A Small World at Disneyland came to life. Or maybe like the futuristic city that Sylvester Stallone found himself when he unfroze in Demolition Man that was a bit too clean and a bit too perfect. I couldn't get over it!

This is Little India. Notice the colorful shutters and the clean streets. This is nicer than my neighborhood in Brooklyn!

Anyway, I did try to visit the sights around Singapore - the riverfront, Chinatown, Orchard Road, etc but I kept getting drawn into the shopping centers. I finally gave in and went nuts. It felt so good, like having a super-cold beer after walking in the heat all day or eating Korean food after months of college life. I was suffering from withdrawal and I didn't even realize it! Shopping bags in hand, I decided I needed an even bigger fix. So I got a manicure and a pedicure as well. Ahhhhh. Heaven, really. I haven't had any TLC for my hands or feet for AGES. It just made me feel like a normal girl again instead of a grubby, functionally-clothed backpacker. Why don't I do this more often??

My half-hearted attempt at catching the sights. Here's Circular Quay (in Singapore). Its an area that is (of course) full of shops and restaurants. It really comes to life at night so its not as impressive on a rainy afternoon.

My feet have NEVER looked so good!

And I couldn't leave Singapore without experiencing Singapore's other great calling card - its food!! There were a couple of Singaporeans on my Tibet trip and I badgered them into giving me some restaurant and food advice. For me, food really is a huge part of my travels and will make or break a place for me. So I quickly got myself some dim sum (fantastic but not even close to Hong Kong), Indian curries (unbelievable) and of course, some chicken rice. I went to areas with the most food hawker stalls because that's usually the place to get the best and cheapest local foods. And the Singaporeans really bring hawker stalls to a whole new level. Its like an art for them. They had malls that were basically all food stalls. These stall areas were packed with business executives, housewifes, teens, pretty much everyone, with fans or air-conditioning, public bathrooms and busy cleaning people. Everything was so good and it was a great way to end my time in Asia.

They have whole complexes just devoted to food stalls. And these ain't no amateur operations. There is every Singaporean specialty on display - I walked around at least twice before having to settle on something. I wanted it all!

Yummmm, dim sum! I went on the recommendations of some Singaporeans I know and it was fantastic. It was in this really chic place but still very affordable by US standards! I had all my favorites.

My last meal in Singapore and it was something. I barely made a dent in it by the time I was done though I did my best to stuff as much into my stomach as possible.

Well, I'm off to Australia, the last stamp in my passport. I can't believe I only have a few weeks left (the countdown has begun!) and I'm done with Asia. Australia is going to be a lot easier because its a modern country and everyone speaks English. It will be a lot like home, I think. So that means no more eating out and shopping. But I am excited about cooking again. It will be nice to have a homecooked meal after all this time. Watch for my next post from Down Under!

Back into the swing of things (sort of)

2006-07-03T03:16:00.000-07:00

Update finally! Photos up for all island adventures and lazy times in Malaysia below (check the last 3 posts for new photos)!

After a tearful goodbye to the Perhentians, I found myself at a loss. After a week of complete relaxation, how was I supposed to get back into high-gear travel mode and get myself down to Singapore? I couldn't get back into the zone with making travel reservations and finding accommodations. Luckily, I met a few people on the boat coming from the islands so we went together to find a place to stay in Kota Bharu.

We made sort of a ragtag group, like ships passing through the night. We were all headed in different directions but we found ourselves hanging out for a day or so. But we had a good time, drinking beers (where we could find them), watching the World Cup and walking around the city. Kota Bharu isn't much of a town but it is a more traditional Malay town without the same tourism as the cities on the west coast so it was nice to see normal Malay life. Malaysia is a Muslim country so most of the women are in conservative dress and headscarves though there are plenty of men walking around without their shirts on. Being a single female traveler, I didn't want to attract too much attention to myself so I also covered up though the weather was absolutely sweltering. Really, I will be glad to finally get out of the insane heat of SE Asia!

In preparation for the World Cup games that night. Impressive that we found so many beers in a Mulism town like Kota Bharu!

We all had night buses the next night but we spent the day wandering around without much to do. Two of the guys, Tim and Tommy, and I visited some of the local markets looking for these decorative kites that caught my eye in some travel brochures. All the kites we saw in the shops were really small but we wanted to find the huge ones we saw in the pictures. One of the shop ladies told us to catch the No 10 bus to PCB, wherever that was, to this kite-making shop and since we didn't have anything else to do, we decided to go. I really love taking local buses because its a great way to see the city and interact with local people.

The central market. It had consisted of mostly food (so it wasn't be best smelling place) but it was interesting to see what goes into a Malaysian feast!

I just liked the name of this store, though apparently they're called reject shops in the UK as well. They are for factory defected clothing not for lame people.

We finally found the bus though we ran into this really weird Malay guy with "Brasil" shaved into the back of his head. Maybe he was just distraught after Brazil's loss the night before but he kept talking to us in Malay though we obviously had no idea what he was saying and laughing. He then turned to Tim and shows him his cellphone. I only caught a glimpse of the phone and a bit shocked, I asked Tim if it was a picture of a naked girl and he calmly said yup. We just started to crack-up because the guy was totally wacko but at least harmless. The bus ride took us out of town and quickly filled up with a bunch of school kids who were pretty excited to have a group of foreigners on their bus. After taking a couple of wrong turns, we finally found the kite shop but unfortunately, they were way too big and fragile to take back home. I at least got some good photos of them!

We finally found the kites! But I couldn't really get one since they are made of delicate paper and you can't fold them up. But they were beautiful!

It was a failed kite mission, but we had a really great time taking the bus and seeing the countryside outside the city. All the Malay people, except for that weird guy, were all so friendly and helpful so we felt perfectly at ease in such a different culture.

I took an overnight bus (it was like a meat locker, it was so air-conditioned) to Melaka, a southern port town that had been colonized by the Dutch a few centuries ago. Its famed for its colonial-fusion architecture and Nonya cuisine so I decided it would be the perfect place to spend a couple of days before heading to Singapore. There were some other sights in Malaysia, namely the Tamaran Negara rain forest, that I originally wanted to see but honestly, I just couldn't be bothered. I'm so traveled and jungled-out that the thought of trekking through a sweltering forest was not very exciting to me. I just wanted to easiest route to Singapore, really so Melaka was it.

But I'm still in island mode and couldn't drum up any enthusiasm for Melaka either. There were some interesting building but after about a couple of hours, I was ready to call it quits. Honestly, the architecture wasn't as great as I expected (Macau is way more interesting) and I can't say I'm interested in seeing any museums or walking around in hot weather anymore. Its a shame to have sort of wasted these last few days in Malaysia but I don't really care ;). But I am excited about Singapore and more importantly eating in Singapore so hopefully I'll have a change of heart when I get there!

The main square in the old town of Melaka though its pretty small.

They have rickshaws in Melaka though for some reason, they are decorated with the tackiest, gaudiest things possible. Some even blare bad, cheesy music.

Some interesting windows.

But it hasn't all been a waste. I bought this really cool batik-painted mask in Melaka. Sigh, can I please stop with the shopping?? I don't even want to talk about how many scarves I've bought!

Happy 4th of July, everyone! I can't wait to BBQ with you all next year!

The siren call of the perhentians

2006-07-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

I got to the Perhentian Islands after another long travel day that included boat-bus-train-border crossing-taxi-another boat but it was so worth it. From the second I saw the beaches I knew this was the place for me. Koh Tao was a lot of fun but it wasn't the relaxing image I had fantasized about. And since the other coast was pretty much rained out, I headed down to Malaysia where I had heard the weather was better and more importantly a lot less hectic than Thailand.

The Perhentian Islands consist of 2 islands, Kecil, the small island, and Besar, the big island. They are off the east coast of Malaysia and pretty far north, near the Thai border, making it the logical next step in my travels. The islands are some of the most beautiful in Malaysia with white-sand beaches and aquamarine water. Also, the Malaysian government doesn't push development as enthusiastically as the Thai government, so though they are popular, they haven't been super-developed (yet). There are no paved roads and no real buildings except some chalets, shack restaurants and dive shops on the beach. Its not a five-star resort place but its perfect for weary backpackers looking for sun and a good time. Really, I can't say enough about how great the Perhentians were. I would definitely go back on holiday!!

Look at the color of that water! This is the view from the veranda at Suria. The rest of the beach wasn't that rocky though.

A perfect island sunset. We enjoyed this with Mai Tais in hand. Ahh...

Get me back there! Why did I ever leave??

I met these 2 Irish people, David and Eimear, who were also looking to do an advanced course so we took the ferry together to Long Beach, the main drag on the islands, to hunt down some dive shops. We landed on the beach and we immediately knew it wasn't the place for us. It was too filled with crappy lodging and bars blaring bad pop music. Ack! Another Koh Tao! But we were able to walk to the other side of the island to Coral Bay Beach and it was a completely different story. There were a few restaurants littered on the beach but with only 5 groups of chalets, it was so much quieter and laid back than Long Beach. And after looking at some pretty dreadful chalets, we decided to splurge on some air-con and clean room at the Suria Resort. And it was perfect. The staff were so friendly and the food was phenomenal there so it was worth the splurge.

But the best part of Suria was the dive shop, Dive Tribe. Since it was right next door, we booked our advanced course with them. The staff there were also so great. Really professional but also a ton of fun. We were immediately folded into their community and we ended up hanging out there pretty much all the time. It was so nice to feel like you were being enveloped into a family instead of having to be fake-friendly with strangers. They had these hammocks, perfect for afternoon naps between dives, and there was always someone there to hang out with. I don't think I've had such a great relaxing time so far on my trip. It was everything I could have hoped for.

We spent many relaxing hours, hanging out and diving. I HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone planning on doing any diving in the Perhentians!

And the dive shop was just a few steps from the water. Paradise? I think maybe so.

David, my diving buddy and me, signaling the diving Okay! sign.

Helena, Paul and Sara, our dive instructor, enjoying some well-deserved beers after completing our advanced course. Yay!

The diving was also phenomenal. The visibility wasn't as good as Koh Tao but I thought there was more variety in fish and stuff. We saw tons of nemo fish (really clown anemone fish), pufferfish, lionfish (you know, the fish in Deuce Bigalow that started off the whole crazy adventure), moral eels, barracuda and my absolute favorite, boxfish. They are like mini-pufferfish but they look like they can barely swim, floundering around in the water. So cute! The one thing we didn't see was a turtle though it turns out every other freakin person on the island had seen one. Grr! We also went on a dive around a shipwreck, which was so amazing! The visibility wasn't very good but it just made it that much spookier. The ship was covered with life so it was great for fish-watching but we also got to swim in and out of the hold. Definitely one to remember!

But as great as it was to hangout at the dive shop (it was like Cheers on TV where everybody knows your name), I still needed a few days of serious beach time without people or clutter. I was sad to leave Suria and all the great people I met there but I needed time to decompress and just chill out. After all traveling I've been doing and worrying about life post-travel, I needed a holiday where I could just completely space out. So I traveled to another part of the island where there was a long beach and only one resort, Impiani Resort. It was a big splurge to stay there ($40/night) but it was really nice and exactly what I needed. I spent 3 days there doing absolutely nothing but snoozing by the water, reading, sipping watermelon shakes or hanging out on the balcony of my chalet. It was so quiet there with nothing but swaying palm trees for entertainment. I felt my soul rejuvenate and all the stress just slip away though it was probably more quiet that most people would look for. I don't have that many photos of this trip but hey! I was on holiday! That means no camera, no sightseeing and no guidebooks!

The beach at Impiani. I was usually the only one on the beach so I could hear nothing but the gentle waves hitting the sand. The sand wasn't as white but the water was just perfect. Can you believe this is the only picture of Impiani I have? Shameful I know but I couldn't be bothered to put my watermelon shake down and take pictures!

I ended up staying at the Perhentians a few days longer than I expected (its so hard to leave the siren call of Paradise) but it was much more expensive out there than I expected so I was finally forced off. So now I only have about 3 days to see the rest of Malaysia before heading to Singapore and finally to Australia. That's okay since I'm still in island mode and really can't be bothered to do anything anymore. I thought my holiday would remotivate me for travel but now all I want to do is sit around!

Swimming with the fishies

2006-06-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

So I finally made it to the beach and its like food for my soul. I've been feeling a little tired of traveling and sweating and packing and staying in crap places but I felt it all melt away the second I saw the beautiful clear blue water and white sand beaches. Ahhhhhh....

Koh Tao is smallest islands in the group of 3 that includes Samui and Phangan. Its supposed to be a lot less developed that the others and is considered to be scuba-central in Thailand. Also, during the wet season, the beaches on the Gulf Coast to the east are a lot less rained-out than the other side (Krabi, Koh Phi Phi included) so I headed directly here for some sun, surf and scuba. After yet another long 36-hrs of travel (flight from Luang Prabang to Bangkok to Samui, early morning boat to Tao), I quickly booked an open-water class with Easy Divers that started that afternoon.

My first view of Koh Tao! There are these crazy rock formations around the island but you can really see how clear the water is!

There are these islands just off Koh Tao called Koy Nangyuan and they really are 3 islands connected by these pristinely white sand bars. Its like having the beach on both sides!

The beach right outside my bungalow. With so many boats moored on the beach, it was nice to get this small peaceful cove right outside. The water was so warm and perfectly turquoise.

The scuba class lasted 4-days and they jam-packed it with classroom theory time and practice dives. In the States, it takes weeks to get certified but you can do it in 4 days in Koh Tao for about $200. Its totally insane. I thought going to the beach would give me some time for chilling out and relaxing but the scuba class was actually pretty hectic. We were going out for 2 dives a day on a boat as well as at least a few hours a day in the classroom. I usually left my room by 9am and didn't get back to well past dinner. Of course, some of that included celebratory drinks at one of the local pubs but I still wouldn't call that exactly relaxing.

But it was so much fun! Being down there and seeing all the amazing coral and fish was spectacular. Just being able to breathe underwater was an experience I will never forget. And seeing all that coral and aquatic life upfront! It was like being in an entirely new world. It was hard at first to get used to breathing and figuring out how to stay bouyant without going up or down too much but its amazing how quickly you can pick up these skills. After the first couple of days, we could relax and enjoy our surroundings.

On the boat out to sea. We were all so excited the first time we went out with our gear. Though we were like bumbling fools under the water. We had no idea how to stay bouyant and we kept crashing into each other under the water. Oops!

Trying out the rebreather for the first time!

Ahoy, Mate! I looked a lot more graceful under the water, I promise!

The reason Koh Tao is one of the best places for diving is the incredible visibility and prolific marine life surrounding the island. The water was also incredibly warm (around 80 F) but we still had to wear wetsuits. We saw so many tropical fish with neon colors, interesting coral and even a scorpion fish. I don't have any pictures of these but I did buy the DVD of our last dive so you guys can see that when I get home :). Really, everyone should try scuba diving at least once in their lifetime!!

The class was also great because of our instructor, Sigor, and the others in the class. We had a great time trying to figure out everything and enjoying a cold beer after a long day. Everyone was pretty excited after finishing the course so we're all contemplating taking an advanced course so we can actually go diving independently rather than with an instructor or divemaster all the time. I actually plan on doing the advanced course once I get to Malaysia!

Congrats, guys!! I'm still not sure I would trust us under the water after only 4 days but we all have a card saying we can!

I could stay longer here but Koh Tao itself isn't as great as I thought it would be. Its more developed than I would like with bungalows crowding the beaches, trash along the sand, tons of boats anchored in the water and a busy little town full of bars and partying scuba divers. To be fair, I'm staying in the busiest part of the island but I'm not impressed enough to search out other, possibly nicer parts. All the activity over the last few days have made me a little worn out so I really need some peace and quiet. My scuba class ended yesterday and I'm heading out to Malaysia on a night train tonight. The Perhentian Islands are supposed to be much quieter and the scuba diving is supposed to be pretty great so I'm really excited heading out there. I've been fantasizing about quiet stretches of sand and clear waters with nothing but me, a book and some swaying palm trees. It'll be a true holiday for once!

A nice sunset but you can see how busy the water was with all these boats everywhere! They took over the entire beach except for a small area at the end where my bungalow was.

This is the section of the beach right next to the main town area and it is covered in trash. The town was also filled with obnoxious bars, 7-Elevens and annoying touts. Not exactly a beach paradise.

I also found out that my parents will be able to join me in Australia for a couple of weeks and I'm so excited about that!! I can't wait to see them and I know we will have a great time touring around Uluru and visiting some of the Whitsunday Islands. But before that I have the Malaysia and Singapore to look forward to so here's hoping for the best in these last few weeks of my trip!

Happy Birthday, Mark! I hope you didn't get too drunk while celebrating your 24th year!

Floating up the river in a little hard seat

2006-06-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to do these one by one! Don't forget to check the previous post as well!

All the guidebooks mentioned that taking a slow boat up from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw was one of the most scenic in Laos and since it would be my only chance to take a boat down the Mekong, which stretches all through Laos, I quickly booked the trip. I would only have a couple of days in Nong Khiaw before I flew to South Thailand so I wanted to fit in as much as possible (really a week isn't enough in Laos but I really wanted to hit the beach!).

The trip to Nong Khiaw was supposed to take about 6 hours, which I was totally fine with (better to soak up the scenery!) until I saw the little boat and the even littler seats. There were only 4 passengers so we didn't get to take the bigger, more luxurious boats but we were optimistic regardless. What's a little discomfort for the great views. And great they were! We were able to float right alongside these huge towering mountains that seemed to just drop suddenly into the water as well as small villages full of swimming kids, weathered fishermen and even gold panhandlers. We would have made it on time except we were caught in a wicked storm and had to dock for awhile. You could barely see 10ft past the boat because of all the water pouring down. And we were in this little boat! There were times I was sure we were going to tip over.

Fine for the first hour or so but 8? It hurt to even look at a chair once we got to Nong Khiaw.

So beautiful. We came across some of the most spectacular scenery I've seen on a boat. And I've taken lots of boats!

Some boys fishing. Most of the men working in the water seemed to do it in their underwear. Economical, I suppose.

This guy was fully clothed and also wearing the conical hat we saw everywhere. I don't know how his boat weathered that storm!

Ponchos were definitely necessary in this weather. The rain came so suddenly and so hard it was unbelievable. The water seemed to come from every direction!

The calm after the storm.

Most people just bathed in the water. The men in their underwear and the women in these sarongs. They seemed to be very social events with everyone doing it together.

But we got to Nong Khiaw fine and it was just as I had pictured it though it had a lot more guesthouses and tourist restaurants than I had expected. But I found this great little bungalow with awesome views of the river though the accomodations were a bit lacking. There was no shower but the owner was nice enough to leave a large bucket of water and a small pot so I could scoop water on myself. I won't even mention the swiggly, hairy bugs. But it was a small price to pay to soak up the town. I even rented a bike to ride around the countryside though I gave that up after an hour or so from the heat. I was dying! I ended up spending most of my time, reading and taking in the views. Pretty boring but time well spent.

Dusty Nong Khiaw but with a spectacular backdrop.

But everyone had a huge satellite dish! Better to watch those World Cup games or Thai soaps. Too bad the reception can be spotty.

I also got to see one of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen. The rains came late in the afternoon but it cleared up enough to see this over the mountains. And this was practically from the deck of my bungalow.

A lone fisherman finishing up his catch before the sun fully set.

I came up with this Dutch couple and this Brit guy and we ended up having a great time, chatting over dinner and football (in case you guys didn't know, the World Cup is going on). We also spent a lot of time talking about cultural stereotypes (it always comes up with people from other countries) and the brit guy actually asked me, quite seriously, if I owned a gun. A what?? Are you serious?? Apparently, he really believed that every American owned a gun. Can you believe that? And it wasn't just him! The dutchies agreed with him! Maybe not every person, but at least every household. They were shocked that I didn't even know anyone who owned a gun. And this is how the world sees Americans. We're all apparently obese, drive SUVs and own guns. Great.

I took the bus back to Luang Prabang (my butt couldn't take another boat ride) to spend one more magical night in the special room. It would have been perfect except there was a huge storm and everything started to leak. The windows also kept busting open and I got soaked trying to reclose the shutters. It was like in a bad disaster movie. I guess that's the drawback of staying in an old colonial mansion. Oh well. It was great while it lasted!

And now I'm off to the beach!!! I'm so excited about it. I've been traveling for 7 1/2 months and I have yet to see a bit of surf or a grain of sand. All I want to do is lay on the sand and sunbathe all my troubles away. I'm also going to be taking a SCUBA course in Koh Tao so I can't wait for that! Those who have known me forever know that me and water are at one. I can't believe I've waited this long for this!

Luang prabang, the land of sleazy tuk-tuk drivers

2006-06-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

So remember how when I was in Vietiane, I was pleasantly surprised at the non-hassle I was getting from the tuk-tuk drivers? Yeah, well not so much in Luang Prabang. They weren't really in-your-face about getting your business though they were pretty persistant. But I did get a SUPER creepy vibe from them, especially when they offered opium or made crude statements after I turned them down. Yuck. And apparently the only japanese word they know is arigato and I heard it constantly. Thank me for what?

But the rest of Luang Prabang was lovely. Its actually a UNESCO World Heritage city - yeah, the whole town. It has this wonderful, picturesque colonial feel to it with grand old buildings as well as beautiful, impressive wats complete with monks in neon-orange robes. Its also cradled by 2 rivers so you're never very far from a great view across the water. I have to be honest that when I was in Laos, all I could think about was being on the beach so I didn't give it all the enthusiasm or attention it deserved. Laos is really beautiful with its small villages, towering green mountains and scenic river views but I just wasn't that into it. A waste, I know.

Since I was feeling a little burnt out traveling-wise, I decided to splurge on my accomodations and stay somewhere really nice. I visited a few guesthouses and finally settled on Sayo Guesthouse, where for $30/night I got to stay in the biggest room I've ever seen!! It had huge 16ft ceilings, a gigantic four poster bed and even 2 (yes, 2!!) sitting areas. Sitting areas??? And don't get me started on the bathroom. It was HUGE!! It even had a vanity table and a real bathtub. I was in absolute heaven. I could barely stop myself from dancing in my room. Heck, I could have done somersaults with all the room I had. The best part though was that it was in this beautiful converted colonial mansion so it has tons of atmosphere. Its probably the best place I have EVER stayed at, including all the places I stayed while traveling on business.

I've never been more excited about a room. It was GIGANTIC. I couldn't even get it all in! Notice the 2 sitting areas. I spent time sitting in every section, savoring the space. Sooooo worth it! It had a great colonial feel.

I know, I even took pictures of the bathroom. But look how cute it is with a REAL tub! I haven't even seen a real shower (usually the showerhead just points to the floor of the bathroom) since China. And this is just half of the bathroom! Most of the places I stay at are the size of the bathroom alone.

I will be honest, that room was probably the best part of staying in Luang Prabang though I did also wander the city and checked out some temples. Luang Prabang used to the royal capital of Laos in the 18th century so there are a lot of beautiful old temples and grand architecture so I knew I couldn't just stay in my room all-day :).

Real laidback town with cobbled walkways, slow traffic and interesting buildings.

The old grand palace, now a musem. I know, another grand palace?? But it was nice.

A mural on the wall of one of the temples. I would have gone inside except I saw this gigantic spider right by the door. I ran away instead.

A funeral carriage though I have no idea what that means. But it had these crazy scary dragons on it.

Two really friendly novice munks I talked for a bit so they could practice their English. There are over 30 operating temples here though most only have 30-50 monks each.

I know I've sort of stopped including pics on the main sights (you know, the postcard views) but if you've been following my blog, you've already seen them. What you haven't seen is this really fat, really funny looking buddha that was on the Puo Si hill in the middle of the town. I laugh every time I look at this picture.

I also took a day trip to see the Pak Ou caves and the Kuang Si waterfalls. Honestly though, I've seen so many caves and waterfalls in Asia that these didn't really seem that impressive. But it was nice to take a dip in the water on such a super-hot day.

The cave itself was not that interesting and very shallow but it held all these old buddha statues that were covered with dust and cobwebs. They're all broken or out of use so the Laotians just store them in this cave.

Wait, I thought you were going to a waterfall. I thought so too! So imagine my surprise when I saw these caged bears along the path. I didn't even know there were bears in Laos! The ironic part was that this spectacle was sponsored by the Free the Bears Fund.

I usually end up asking strangers to take photos of me and its like playing the lottery. You either win or lose but you never know what you're going to get!

A perfect swimming hole if I've ever seen one.

Next, I'm heading to a small town in the north, Nong Khiaw. Lots of people say that Laos is so great because it is much less touristy and a lot of its culture is untouched by tourism so I wanted to get a closer look at small town life in Laos. I unfortunately don't have much time so I can't visit the east like I wanted but I guess its going to have to wait!

Intermission: what traveling is really like

2006-06-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

First, a quick update on my postings. I was finally able to upload all the photos for the Thailand posts and, for once, am completely up to date on all my travels (yeah!!). I've added a whole lot over the last couple of days so if you haven't checked it in awhile, you should start at the Thailand posts. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Also, I changed the commenting option so now you don't have to sign in to comment. Sorry! I didn't realize it was set up like that. Now, no one has any excuse for not commenting! :)

So I've been traveling for awhile now (7 months not including christmas and spring break) and I realized that you guys probably don't really have an idea of what my everyday existence is like. So I decided to show you bits of what its like to be me. Usually, a lot of my time is dealt with administrative crap. I'm always purusing through various guidebooks to figure out my next destination, how to best get there, where I can stay, how much everything is going to cost (from bus tickets to tours to departure taxes) and when I can get out there. Otherwise, I am actually trying to make said plans. That means talking to and comparing many different travel agents (Lonely Planet actually said that the many of the travel agents on Khao San are "more crooked that a mountain pass"), trying to figure out schedules at train stations where no one speaks English, haggling with shopkeepers to get a price that isn't an embarrassing rip-off though I'm probably still getting ripped-off, and wandering around places, trying to discreetly look at my guidebooks without looking like I'm lost and a prime tourist target. I also usually get up way earlier than I did in my previous life, anytime between 6am and 8am, to catch whatever tour, bus or plane I voluntarily booked. I also get to bed much earlier at around 10pm or 11pm, exhausted after a long day of sightseeing. I also don't drink very much though I know I'm on vacation. I'm pretty uncomfortable about being drunk in an unknown place and in a foreign country where I don't really trust the people I'm with though I'm sure they're all lovely people. Drinking is also comparatively pretty expensive and since I would rather spend my money on gifts and souvenirs (for you guys!), its usually the first to go in tighter times.

I also wanted to share what I look like and what I carry everyday. I have a small daypack that looks like an old piece of carpet. I put it on in the morning and don't take it off until night, not even at restaurants or even going to the bathroom. I fear that its becoming permanently fused to my body but its better to be safe than sorry, right? I tote my camera with me everyday as well out of fear of missing that perfect shot. I'm getting tired of taking photos and I don't get as excited about mountain passes or interesting sceneries as I used to but I figure that with over 5,000 photos (and counting) I pretty much have enough. Its helping with my photography skills though.

Me in all my gear!! Note the steel cage around the big bag. I travel alone so I am super-paranoid about getting stuff stolen. The thing weighs 2 pounds on its own(!!) but its worth it. Also note the sensible tevas. I hope never to wear them again for the rest of my life.

My big and small packs! The small bag is key when I do smaller trips like treks. Everything I have with me while traveling has to fit inside these two bags. I started with a lot but now all I care about is weight. My big bag weighs around 35 pounds and it hurts after awhile. The lighter, the better, folks!

My daily essentials though I obviously can't take a picture of my camera. I both love and loathe that bag!! I actually don't use my guidebooks as much as I thought I would. Its has good logistical information but its better to get recommendations from people I meet.

I usually stay in places that look like this. Its so small that I can't take the picture while insdie the room. This is actually at the low-end of the places I stay but its only $4 and I'm only here for 1 night. At least I have my own room!

All my toiletries fit in this one itty-bitty bag. Sniff, I miss all my lotions and creams and conditioners and hair products at home. But I've learned to value the essentials. I hoard and steal toilet paper like its gold as well as the little bars of soap that hotels give you. You really can't put a price on that stuff. Yeah, sad I know. What have I been reduced to??

But of course, this is all the stuff that's not the amazing part of traveling - seeing incredible things and meeting interesting people! Its just the everyday lame stuff but you guys should get the complete picture, not just the fantastic photos! :)

After all this time, I can't believe I only have 7 weeks left though that also feels like forever. Its hard - I really love traveling and being able to experience all these amazing things but it also wears on you after awhile. But I know, when I look back at this experience, I will remember all the good and none of the bad and I'm sure I'll be wishing I could be on the road again very soon. I want it to last forever but I also can't wait for my life (school, friends, having actual belongings that don't need to be smashed into a backpack) to start. What's a world adventurer to do?

Less than 16 hours in vietiane

2006-06-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

I originally wanted to book my flight to Laos directly from Phnom Penh to Luang Prabang since I only have a week in Laos but unfortunately I had to stopover one night in Vietiane. I wasn't so excited by it since cities in general aren't really my cup of tea (big cities are big cities no matter where in the world) and especially after coming out of the absolute madness in Phnom Penh. I only had about 16 hours in Vietiane so I at least decided to make the most of it.

First, now that Ang is gone (sniff, sniff) I can't splurge on air-con or nicer places (doubles are so much cheaper per person than singles) so I have a rinky-dink room but the guesthouse staff are all really nice so I'm happy there (at the Haysoke II in case anyone was interested - maybe not the best but fine for 1 night).

But I quickly put my bags down, took a deep breath and waged into the city. And what I found was actually the complete opposite of Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh was loud, dirty, crowded and overwhelming. It was hard to step out onto the street without someone yelling "lady! tuk-tuk!" or almost getting run over by a motorbike. The markets were all in these enclosed buildings where all the food, flies, goods and people were mashed together to the point of complete suffocation. But Vietiane was so quiet in comparison, it almost felt like a ghost town. Maybe because it was a Sunday night but there weren't many cars or motorbikes on the road and there were tons of people just chilling outside, enjoying the warm summer evening and most importantly, not harassing me. I even walked past a group of tuk-tuk drivers who didn't say a word to me. Ahh, bliss. I was able also able to catch a pretty awesome sunset so it just made it a perfect evening.

Some palm trees outside one of the city's many wats.

The main square seemed almost completely abandoned though there were some cute kids playing in the water.

Just a few vehicles on one of the main roads in Vietiane (its actually a very small and very walkable town).

Just a sign I really liked.

For once, it wasn't too cloudy in the late afternoon (the rains usually come late in the day during monsoon season).

For dinner, I did as I usually do - hunted down the night market for some good, local, cheap food. The "night market" actually ended up being just a few carts on a corner but there was still plenty to choose from. No one really spoke English so I relied on the tried-and-true method of pointing and looking confused. I was finally able to get a seafood pancake thing and a cold soymilk drink with squiggly jelly pieces, which were both very delicious. So far, so good in Laos!

Yum! I love trying all the different types of food though I have no idea what they are.

I wasn't very excited about coming to Laos (after Thailand and Cambodia, I feel like I've seen a lot of tropical farmland) but now that I'm here, its great! There's this really friendly, laidback vibe about the place that puts me totally at ease. I think I'm going to really like it here. Well, tomorrow morning I fly out pretty early to Luang Prabang and hopefully the good times will continue!

A chilling time in phnom penh

2006-06-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

SoutCorrection to all the guidebooks out there - the road from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh is actually quite nice. I guess they finally finished paving the road since all the guidebooks came out since it was pretty much paved the whole way will very little bumps and no delays. That's good especially since we were on it for 5 hours! Both Ang and I were pretty worried that we would end up on the bus all day but we got into Phnom Penh early enough to see the city.

We're back to our normal budget ways so we just random guesthouse that had air-con and was less than $10. Its a good thing we had decided on a place before we got off the bus because we were absolutely swarmed the second we got off the bus. I've never seen touts work so hard! They were in our faces, shouting, shoving pamphlets at us, yanking our bags - absolute chaos. This is the part of traveling I hate the most. Why can't they just leave us alone?? Obviously, if I want a place to stay or a tuk-tuk ride somewhere, I would ask. Otherwise, don't bother!

But we got in okay so we decided to have a walk around. Normally, Ang and I just head to the central markets to eat at the local food stalls so we went to one in Phnom Penh. And its there we realized we were in a major, busy city. It was like being in La Paz all over again. The city is just a big, loud, polluted city with very few sites. It was a shock to the system especially since we haven't had to deal with it for about 2 weeks. We did get some Cambodian sandwiches but I don't think there will be any shopping going on here. But we did find some very good restaurants that were run by and benefited local NGOs so it gave us an excuse to splurge on some really amazing food, especially at the Friends Cafe, which supports street kids.

We almost got ran over like a bazillion times. We were also harassed at every turn by tuk-tuk drivers. No! We don't need a ride! Argh!

We got these really delicious sandwiches at the insane market. It was really cheap at $0.75 but I swear he only charged the local guy $.013. Go figure.

In my Southeast Asia Rough Guide, they list the Royal Palace in Cambodia as one of the top 35 things not to miss here so we decided to go. It was impressive with flashy buildings and a pagoda with tons of silver tiles but it just didn't compare to the Grand Palace in Thailand or the grandeur of Angkor Wat. Maybe we were just toured-out but we could barely make the effort to enter the different buildings. We need a break!

The Royal Palace! Actually the most impressive part of this place was inside the throne room but we weren't able to take photos in there. You could really see the French influence though.

This totally out-of-place iron house was a gift from Napoleon III. The doors even have big N's etched into the glass. Hilarious.

They really love their king here! Though I think the Thai displays of their king are more ostentatious though its a tough call.

Our terrible teva tans from trekking and Angkor Wat. Its going to take months to go away!

Those that's where they get all those ancient antiques!

The next day, we went to see the Killing Fields and the S-21 prison, both things we we really came to Phnom Penh to see. We hired a tuk-tuk driver and battled smog thick as butter to get there but it was worth it. It was bone-chillingly tragic to see the mass graves of the Cambodians who died at the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge a mere 30 years ago. The regime only lasted between 1975 and 1979 but Pol Pot executed and buried over 17,000 Cambodians who were suspected of undermining his rules or basically didn't fit into the agricultural peasant ideal of Pol Pot's twisted view of communism. To see what Cambodia has faced in the past are simply unbelievable. To think that tragedies like these can still happen (and still do) is depressing. I admire the strength of the Cambodian people who were able to move on past these tragedies and be able to find a way to confront it.

Skulls unearthed from the mass graves. They have a huge stupa (basically a tomb monument) for the victims with their skulls organized by age and gender. So so so many of them.

They've only disinterred 86 mass graves. There are still 43 that have been untouched. The scariest part is that you look around and it just looks like another other grove or orchard rather than a place of genocide.

The S-21 prison (now Tuol Sleng genocide museum) used to be a high school but the classrooms were turned into prison cells where political prisoners were tortured and then killed in the Killing Fields.

A view of a cell up close.

The Khmer Rouge kept meticulous notes on the prisoners, including photos and details of their torture. It is disconcerting to see the faces of the victims up close, especially the young children.

Both Ang and I are moving on after Cambodia. Ang is going home and I'm off to Laos. I really wish Ang could stay but I know that not everyone is as irresponsible as I am and able to travel for so long. But having her here during the last 2 weeks has definitely a high point in my travels. Being able to hold a real conversation and knowing that someone is there to support you is so important, especially out here where its so easy to feel lonely and disconnected from home. We had some really great laughs, especially goofing off at Angkor Wat and holding each other through the leeches. Ang, I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am that you came out here and how great these last few weeks have been. I wish you could stay!!!!! I love you and I hope you have a safe trip home! We will definitely remember this trip forever!

The mother of all ruins

2006-06-08T02:47:00.000-07:00

Warning: there are a lot of temples and we did are best to see as many as we could (once in a lifetime thing and all) so this is going to be a very long post!

After a whirlwind time in Thailand, Ang and I headed over to Cambodia because we wanted to do the obligatory trip to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, the Mother of All Ruins. Angkor Wat is actually a series of temples and abandoned royal dwellings from the 12th century during the heydey of the Angkor empire. The temples (or wats) are spread out over all of Cambodia but the major ones are centered around Siem Reap. They've become much more popular with tourists, especially since their spectacular breakthrough performance in a little known film called Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The town of Siem Reap has actually exploded with hotels of all ranges (even a Raffles!) and Korean karaoke bars.

But first, I wanted to mention our flight, which btw was NOT as cheap as everyone said it would be! But that's another topic so we won't get into it. We had to fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and then connect through to Siem Reap. That wouldn't be bad except we had a 5-hour layover in Bangkok and we were forced to pay the 500 baht airport tax (don't get me started on those). The good news was that we were on Bangkok Airways, the premiere boutique airline, and they gave us access to the lounge!! As a budget traveler who always flies coach (internationally anyways) I've always looked fondly at the airport lounges though I've never been able to pass through their mythical gates. Who knew what exotic (and free) pleasures awaited those who passed? Well, we found out and it was awesome! Free cookies, cakes, sandwiches, juice, muffins and internet(!!) as well as comfy couches and views of the runways. Sigh, if travel could always be like this...

We finally got to Siem Reap and on to our guesthouse, the Enjoy Villa. We decided to splurge on our room ($25/night vs $10) and it was lovely and the service phenomenal. We quickly booked a tuk-tuk for the next 3 days for our extensive trip Angkor Wat. We were a bit skeptical of getting the 3-day pass (that's a whole lot of templing!) but our good friend, Steph, who had been there before said that we wouldn't regret it so we went for it.

On the first day, we decided to start out with a sunrise trip to Bayon, the central wat in the Angkor Thom complex, which was the royal palace. Most people go to Angkor Wat for the sunrise but we had heard it was over-crowded and Bayon was better so we went. At 5am, folks. That's right. We tried to fit in as much as we could that day but we were tired and had to quit around 11am. We actually came back out to see Angkor Wat in the afternoon but the afternoon monsoon showers made the trip crap.

We were able to stop for a second in front of Angkor Wat to get the sunrise photo. You can barely make out the classic 3 points but oh well. It was way to early to function correctly.

The colors weren't as spectacular at Bayon but we were the ONLY ones there so it was perfect. We were running around, taking unbelievably silly photos and climbing all over the ruins, so it was worth the 5am trip.

Just look at those sun rays. It was so peaceful to see them hitting the ruins. Very Lara Croft just after the moment she saves the world.

Lara, is that you? Ang, trying to save the world!

The smiling faces at Bayon. Bayon is famous for the immense buddha faces carved into the stones. They were pretty freaky, especially in the early morn but spectacular.

Ang, at the base of one of the face towers. I've never seen anything like this place!

Who could resist climbing all over these things? Though in about 5 years, all this will probably be either roped off or crumbling from all the tourists trampling all over them. Oops.

We weren't the only tired ones! We thought about hiring an air-con car, especially in this humidity but the tuk-tuk rides were pretty refreshing. And it was great to get some fresh air (when we weren't in the congested city parts).

I asked Ang to take a dramatic photo of me, climbing these incredibly steep and dangerously crumbling stairs. She did but she also took this one, catching me in the act of actually taking the rebuilt stairs with the handrail. Hey! I still could have killed myself on those!

We also visited some smaller wats, for which I can't remember the names of. They were impressive also though they didn't make the cut for my blog (I took A LOT of pics as you can probably tell).

This is what we looked like at the end of the first day. Not pretty.

On the second day, we headed out a bit farther to see some of the farther temples but the ride out was actually more interesting. We passed lots of houses and villages, which gave us a glimpse of actual Cambodian life rather than the tourist bubble of Siem Reap. We also saw some great crumbling wats with some overgrowth, fallen stones and these huge trees that have reclaimed the structures. We also made it back to Angkor Wat for a second viewing, this time in the sunlight and without rain (highly recommended without rain).

We drove past many houses on stilts like this. They varied a lot in quality from mansion-y looking ones to ones with walls literally made of palm leaves. We speculated on which one Angelina owned though probably not this one.

A lot of the ruins had these huge trees that took them over like this one. It was amazing to see these huge stone structures, dwarfed by the trees around them, taken over by the roots.

This was at our favorite wat. I don't remember the name (sorry, there were just so many) but it was in its original, pre-restoration state. You could see the crumbled stones and jungle/moss growing all over them. Spooky and surreal.

Standing amongst the ruins.

And now! The moment you've all been waiting for.... Angkor Wat! We hunted everywhere for the classic Angkor-Wat-reflected-in-the-pool shot. There was this rinky-dink pond to the side of the entrance so surely it couldn't be it. But it was! Actually, it didn't seem like many tourists figured it out but it was worth the hunt.

Look at the stone carving work. It boggles the mind to think of the work that went into building and carvings these huge and intricate buildings.

The stone towers up close. Angkor Wat is actually 3-D with 4 towers surrounding the tallest middle one though from straight on it only looks like 3.

We first went to Angkor Wat on the first day to see the sunset except it rained and was way too cloudy. Its a very popular time to be at Angkor Wat and the place was crawling with tourists and tour groups everywhere. There was even a line to see some things! We came back in the early afternoon the next day and it was empty. Insane!

By the third day, we were pretty templed out but we forged on, determined to finish! We went out to the Ruluos Group, which weren't as impressive as the others we had seen. Maybe it was because it was the 3 day and had that seen-that-been-there vibe but we were pretty tired. The best part of the day was definitely visiting the Ruluos town, a virtually tourist free town. Our driver looked a bit concerned about us walking around on our own so he came along and explained a lot of what was going on. He even took us to his home afterwards to meet his kids and family. We ended up talking to his father-in-law, who spoke great, if a bit loud, English. It was interesting to get his insight on the government and economy of Cambodia from his viewpoint.

Goofing off at the ruins on the third day. They all started to look the same after awhile so we needed to break it up somehow!

There was no one to stop us so we went nuts! Though we definitely are not as nimble and flexible as we used to be.

Ang, about to take off!

The little town of Ruluos. We were like celebrities! Everyone stared and pointed but it was interesting to see what a real Cambodian town was like. Very rural with everything from bathroom cleaning supplies to silvery river fish were sold in the market.

Some of the local kids came by when we were at the tuk-tuk drivers house. They were all very curious though shy until the camera came out! Nice to know kids are kids no matter where they come from.

We topped our time of in Siem Reap with some shopping. Lots and lots and lots of shopping. They had some really great high-end silk shops and we couldn't resist. Plus, a couple of the best shops benefited the local artisans and disabled people so we really couldn't walk away without doing our part :). We spent a lot, even by US standards, but when will we have the chance again? These souvenirs are also part of our trip and want to remember as much about it as we can. I travel on a pretty strict budget but I never really stop myself from buying things. And I would definitely rather shell out for the authentic, high quality goods rather than less than $1 crap you find in the markets that will fall apart before the photos can even be printed. And since Ang is heading back to the States, I could buy things knowing she could take them back for me.

We're off to Phnom Penh next. We wanted to take the boat but we were told there wasn't enough water for the boats to run. Of course, since its the rain season. So we're booked on the bus but all the guidebooks have pretty dire warnings about the road so we'll see! It'll be another adventure!!

Riding with elephants and leeches

2006-06-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

Though its the rain season right now in Thailand and there was massive flooding in the north just a week before we arrived, we were pretty determined to do some trekking around Chiang Mai. Here, you can ride elephants and that was at the very top of the things we wanted to do. We spent our first day in Chiang Mai basically talking to as many tour agencies as we could to try and find a decent trekking group. They aren't really well regulated so the quality of the tours vary a lot. After hours of hitting the streets (hey, traveling isn't always roses and sunshine), we finally decided on going through the Eagle House. We booked a 3-day, 2-night tour that included stays with local Karen villages, bamboo rafting and of course elephant riding. We had a orientation meeting the night before we left and the group looked pretty good so we were pretty excited.

We ended up riding the elephants the first day. Since the elephants are so tall, we had to climb up to the second floor of this hut in order to hop on. It was pretty exciting at first since we were so high up and riding an elephant for godssake(!) but the seat got uncomfortable pretty quickly. Our elephant kept misbehaving also, stopping to tug at some grass or just stand around rather than following the group. We also had an elephant driver who actually sat on the elephant's head (ouch) and sang Thai pop songs as we ambled along. Ang even got to drive!! It was pretty great though there were times I swear we were about to slide off the elephant but we made it with no injuries except some sore butts.

We were hanging on for dear life!! But it was really cool to be ambling along at such great heights (stupid pop reference, I know).

The elephant behind us was a bit too friendly for me!

We got splashed pretty badly by the other elephant. Oh, its on!

It was like out of a movie. I mean, who does this in real life??

Our elephant ride was part of the tour but not necessarily part of the trek (I imagined we were going to ride the elephants from point A to point B rather than just around the elephant camp) so we quickly left to start our hike. We were hiking from village to village to see how the hill-tribes were like and to enjoy some of the mountainous scenery around the north and everything was beautiful. We were hiking through the jungle, pushing leaves and vines out of the way as we walked as well as through villagers farms filled with rice paddies and green stalks that we couldn't really recognize. With all the development in Thailand, it was really nice to escape it all. It felt like we traveled back through time except when we encountered motorbikes on the trail (how did they get those out there??). Some of the trails were really steep (no picnic in this weather!!) but we had some unbelievable views. Its just so lush and green out there.

The scenery along the hike was so beautiful and peaceful. It was great to be the only ones out there besides the local villagers.

We passed through many little villages like this one and even stayed in them overnight. Its so interesting to see how these people keep their traditions alive while integrating more modern ways.

Our accomodations on the first night. Thank god for the mosquito nets though the bamboo flooring was pretty hard to sleep on.

On the second day, we had to hike up some grueling hills in the humidity. We're pretty sweaty and gross but we're happy to make it to the top!

Taking a well-deserved break!

Our leader, Doh, is also from the Karen tribeso he was so helpful with information about the people. Usually when I go trekking, the guides will have info on the land or the area but most people won't really have information on how the people live unless they are a local themselves so it was definitely a trip to remember. Doh explained local customs, food, livelihood and traditions. We even got a tour of a traditional house and saw how the people adapted to the seasons. We also got a demonstration of how the farmers grow, store and prepare rice. It definitely added another flavor to the trip that was very much appreciated. Its always so interesting to see how the local people live their lives that are so different from our own.

Our leader, Doh, on the right, with some villagers. They are roasting some frogs though apparently last month was better for frog catching. Oh well!

We even got a demostration by this 78-year-old (yes, 78!) woman without any teeth. She was showing us how they husked the rice using this huge stick/weight thing.

But the rain definitely made it hard. Everyday, we would a pretty hardcore rain shower though we were usually able to find cover before the skies really opened up. But the rain made all the streams extremely high and the trails very muddy. We had some pretty intense river crossings and even had to take off our shoes to cross a few with water up to our thighs. Some people ended up falling into the water or slipping on the trails so it made the tough hikes even harder. But the worse part was the leeches!! Doh told us that they really only show up during the first part of the rain season, which meant exactly when we were trekking. The first day was okay, with only a few people getting them on their skin or shoes but the second day they were everywhere!! It felt like everytime I looked down, there would be some disgusting wiggly sticky leech on my shoe, trying to worm its way to my blood. We were so freaked out that we could barely walk a step without checking our shoes! Combine that with the mud and the rain and you have a winning combination. We all ended up with a couple on our skin but Doh was all over it with tobacco leaves. Leeches don't hurt or anything, they are just really really gross and you have to be careful not to yank them off because they bury their heads under the skin. But we made it through! That'll definitely be something I remember forever!

Hiking through the rain season is good because the weather is cooler (it was hot enough!) but it means bad river crossings and, dun dun dun, leeches!

Ang's bloody sock. Mine didn't look any better! When you pulled the leeches off, the wounds just bled and bled. It was so disgusting!

The last day of our trek consisted on bamboo rafting. I thought it would be like in Yangshao, with us sitting on bamboo rafts, slowly floating down the river. Yeah, right. First, Doh and a few villagers spent all morning actually building the rafts right there and then so we were a bit worried about the integrity of the rafts though we were assured that they were stable and secure. We were relieved until we went down the first rapids. Yes, rapids! We were standing on these rafts, tied together with strips of leaves, with nothing to hold onto as we bumped into rocks and down rapids. Luckily, our raft held it together though there were definitely times where we were just barely holding on, especially when our guide lost his stick in the mud. We crashed into some rocks but our raft held it together! It was really fun but I was pretty glad when it was over :).

Our rafting team! That's our guide in the corner, tying another bamboo stick to the raft since, as you can see, we're already under water (and that's before we left!).

The team post-rafting (Michaela, Gary, me and Ang), dry and relieved to have made it! We were afraid of getting our cameras wet so no photos during the rafting. It would have been a sight to be seen though!

Overall, the trek was really great. It was hot and humid the entire time (I think some of the mud is permanently imbedded in my clothes) but we had such a great time, enjoying the scenery and handling some of the adventure! We got a lot more than I had expected but the best trips always do, yeah? Our group was also really great and we were always joking around or helping each other with leeches. That's a sure way to bond a group, let me just tell you! We met up for a last night dinner and some drinks after a very very very looooonnnng hot shower. Definitely a great way to end an amazing trip!!

We're now on our way to Siem Reap in Cambodia. I'm pretty sad to be leaving Thailand but then I remember that I'm coming back in a few weeks to hit the beaches! Hopefully the rains won't be too disruptive there!

Cooking in chiang mai

2006-06-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

These posts are a little out of order since we actually did the trekking before we did our cooking class but I wanted to put my trek in a separate post. We ended up heading out on the trek the day after we arrived in Chiang Mai so we had to split our time there. It turned out great since we were able to do some shopping (actually tons and tons of shopping) and also take a cooking course!

Chiang Mai is Thailand's second largest city but it is so much smaller that you would think you were in just a small town in the next province over. The traffic was still bad with lots of motorbikes and tuk-tuks but it still had a small town feel and we were able to walk around for the most part without getting lost or run over. But what's a stay in SE Asia without riding around in a motorbike. Ang and I had originally had rented bikes in Kanchanaburi but we wanted to feel like one of the cool kids so we decided to rent a motorbike in Chiang Mai. We wanted to do some shopping as well as get a massage so we had to run all over town so catching tuk-tuks wasn't really worth it. But don't worry (Mom)! We only had a rinky-dink 100cc one that never really got very fast. We got honked at a lot for going so slowly and we were probably the only people on the road with helmets on but we had a fun time riding around. I even ended up with blisters on my hands from my deathgrip on the handle bars! At least we were able to get a lot of our shopping done so everyone will be getting presents back home (and also fit in a massage).

My super-comfortable-yet-really-dorky travel pillow. Very important on those looonnnnggg overnight bus trips! Our VIP bus to Chiang Mai was actually very pleasant with air-con, some snacks and a smooth road.

Look at that road hog! It was really fun but I don't think I'll do it again. Don't want to tempt fate!

But who could leave Chiang Mai without doing a trek or taking a cooking class? The food we've been eating has been pretty spectacular so we were really excited to learn how to make it ourselves. Thai food is so fragrant and spicy so we really wanted to learn about the spices and also how to make some kick-ass green curry! We found a class that was set at an organic farm so we quickly signed up and readied our stomachs. We first went to a local food market to see what different types of foods looked like, for example rice, coconuts and of course chillis!! We drove out to the farm and it was perfect. Sunny skies, rows and rows of fresh produce and no obnoxious billboards in sight. We took a quick tour of the farm and then we got straight to business. We ended up cooking green curry, fried chicken with basil, papaya salad, mango with sticky rice and my absolute favorite, tom yam soup with shrimp!! We had such a great time cutting, tasting, mortor and pestling, and of course eating. Eating and eating and eating!! Everything was so fresh and we were sure to gobble everything up as soon as we could. Ang and I have aspirations of cooking Thai food back home but we'll see how well we can recreate the stuff!

Mmm, chillis! They are so small but nuclear. They were hard to get used to but now I don't think I can live without them!

We had the class at an organic farm just outside Chiang Mai. Who wouldn't want to cook in a setting like this?

We met these really great girls, Consuelo and Carly, who were mortor-and-pestling right along with us. We made the green curry paste out here and it was really hard work though apparently I have a gift for it. All the rage, you know :).

Chopping away! We got to try so many different spices though I highly doubt we'll be able to find some of them in the states (kaffir lime leaves, anyone?).

All the fresh ingredients we used were grown on the farm and our instructor showed us the various plants. We even got to wear these nifty farmer joe hats!

Ang looks pretty dangerous in the kitchen!

All the ingredients for tom yam soup one of my favorites! I can't wait to try it at home.

Mass destruction. We even made MORE food after lunch.

Bon appetite!

We also went a fantastic 3 day trek through the jungle but the next post will have tons on that! Stay tuned!

Death, waterfalls and some silk

2006-05-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

We finally reached Kanchanaburi after a long hot bus ride, which was supposed to be on a "VIP" bus with air-con but turned out to be a old, smelly ride with this pitiful amount of air that wouldn't cool a camel in winter. Luckily, it was only a couple of hours and the scenery was beautiful enough that we didn't care too much. Its always interesting to see the quality of long distance travel is in each country but I had expected a little bit better in a place with as much tourism infrastructure as Thailand. But we did decide to take a government run bus. All our guidebooks said to avoid the tourist buses that left from the Khao San Road area like the plague so we were willing to take our chances with the Thai government than their travel agencies.

But we quickly forgot our bus ride once we stepped out of it. Bangkok was like another other big city except maybe with more palm trees but it didn't really have enough to really give you a feel of what Thailand is like so it was great to get out of there and experience the country. Kanchanaburi is a little town with 2 or 3 main roads and stretching about a kilometer long and the complete opposite of Bangkok. It was a real laidback place with people sitting on their porches and motorbikes puttering past. We decided to book into the Blue Star Guesthouse, a small quiet place overlooking the Kwai River. It was so great to stand there and take in the scenery with nothing but crickets and munching cows in the background. Ahhh, peace and quiet. You really can't put a price on that.

Yay! Our first bungalows in Thailand!

The view from our front porch. Well, actually we were too cheap to get the bungalow with the view but it was a very short walk away. Basically the same, right?

Kanchanaburi is famous mainly because its the site of the Death Railway Bridge. During World War II, the Japanese used prisoners of war (not necessarily Thai people as Ang aptly pointed out to me after laughing for about 10 minutes at my expense - thanks, Ang!) to do manual and construction work like building this one railway though the conditions were horrid and many people lost their lives. Its a sad moment in Thai history though the bridge itself is pretty unremarkable. Its just a bridge covered with tourists, though I guess that's a sight to be seen in itself. We were obliged to snap photos ourselves but our hearts weren't in it.

And here's the bridge. That's pretty much it.

Probably the best part of going to the bridge was seeing the sun set over the river. That was really nice except for the annoying floating karaoke bars and restaurants in the way. Like I said, lots of tourists here!

The real reason Ang and I had put Kanchanaburi on our preciously short list of things to do was to see the 7-tiered waterfalls in Erawan. Especially in that heat, we were pretty excited to swim under beautiful waterfalls. Really, in the humidity, there is nothing better than taking a dip! And the waterfalls definitely delivered. It was a long hot hike up to see each of the 7 waterfalls but each was beautiful and well worth the slippery rocks and oozy mud. The swim was even better.

Waterfall #2. Just look at the color of that water! Each waterfall was small enough to swim in the pools below so it was just perfect.

Posing in front of waterfall #4. It looks pretty lame but its hard to come up with new poses with so much travel!

This could be on a postcard! This is #5. It has pools on either side of these falls so we decided to swim here.

Walking across the pool. There were tons of fish in the pools that kept nipping at our feet. We were freaking out and dancing around the water. This DOES NOT bode well for scuba diving!

Finally made it to the top! The climb to #7 was slippery (we each fell at least one really hard on the butt) and muddy but it was definitely worth it. You can see the sun above the top of the falls and it was just perfect. I've seen lots of falls in my trip and these were definitely the best swimming ones!

We also saw the funniest lizard with a blue head. Its really blue! What??

We didn't have that much time in Kanchanaburi though we were able to find the night market and sample some pretty crazy foods. Having 2 people is way better than 1 for eatings since you can try twice as many dishes. The market was definitely not geared towards tourists so we spent a lot of time, scratching our heads and trying to figure out what was being sold, though it was awesome to get the local experience. At least the locals took pity on us and let us sample or buy very small portions of things. We ended up trying papaya salad, weird meatball things, miscellaneous meat on a stick, sticky rice balls with coconut, lots of indistinguishable fishy fried things and some of the strangest crepe-like desserts that came with gooey green stuff. Everything was absolutely divine and it was quite an adventure. But food is my thing so I was in heaven.

Look at all that meat on a stick!! We had the most amazing bbq pork and these weird meatballs that were sooo good.

We headed back to Bangkok to catch our overnight bus to Chiang Mai but we had some time to kill so we decided to see Jim Thompson's house. Jim was an American who settled in Thailand in the sixties and was instrumental in opening Thai culture to the West and introducing the wildly popular Thai silk worldwide. Before he mysteriously disappeared in 1967 (most people think he was probably run over by some Malaysian truck driver who then hid the body) he amassed a collection of Thai antiques, including the buildings of his house, which was then converted to a museum. It was interesting to see the house as it was with all the antiques, beautiful landscaping and tasteful decorations. With all the gaudy kitch in Bangkok it was nice to see something with some class.

The lush greenery outside the house. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any photos inside but the grounds were really lovely.

The house itself is an antique and was disassembled and reassembled in its current location. How do I get a house like this??

And next is Chiang Mai! Though there has been some flash-flooding in the north, we still want to go up and do some elephant-riding and trekking. We've heard some pretty great things about Chiang Mai so rain or shine, we're going!

Couldn't escape bangkok without...

2006-05-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

...seeing the sights, of course! After all, I am a professional tourist. And I couldn't let Ang down and waste her precious vacation days (ah, the joys of working). Ang got here on Thursday night and we've been hard at work, tracking down elusive shopping deals and catching the sights.

You have no idea how happy I was to see Ang. We've been friends for practically forever and I haven't seen her since Christmas so it was really great to see her again. Also, its unbelievably nice to see a familiar face. Don't get me wrong. I've met some really amazing people and had such a great time traveling together. Its half the fun of traveling! But I only have a week or usually less to get to know the people I meet and that's hard. You're barely scratching the surface with that amount of time and constantly having that "Hi! My name is Jane!" face on is really tiring after awhile. Its like living freshman year all over again. Finally, I really miss home. I mean really. Traveling for an extended amount of time means having to leave your friends and family and sometimes I can feel so lonely and disconnected from my support network. So being able to be with a close friend again is priceless. We can joke about stupid things, talk about real things and enjoy all the comforts of being with someone we love. Its a good thing.

Yay!! Ang is here! We went to this amazing roti (kind of like Indian pancakes) place that had great curries and even better banana-covered rotis. Sooooo good.

But since Ang is only here for 2 1/2 weeks (boo), we have to move pretty quickly to cover a lot of ground. Our plans are pretty ambitious. We want to see Bangkok, Northern Thailand and Angor Wat before finishing in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Yeah, its a lot but we're pretty intelligent, capable young women so it should be fine. With my hardened experience and her fresh enthusiasm, it'll be a piece of cake, right? We'll see.

We at least did everything we wanted to do in Bangkok. Our plan isn't to spend a lot of time in the cities so we sped through Bangkok in just 2 days. Well, at least through the Grand Palace and the notorious weekend market. The Grand Palace was appropriately grand. Its the home of both the royal family and the Emerald Buddha, which is really made of jade but considered very holy nonetheless. When we walked into the palace, all we could do is stand in awe. And squint. Every building has such incredible architecture but are also completely covered in shiny, colored glass pieces. You couldn't look anywhere without 10,000 glass and crystal shards winking back at you. It was very impressive and beautiful is a bit gaudy. We tried to see every impressive building but it was just so hot, we gave up after a couple of hours. The heat just zaps you out here. Fortunately, we splurged on an air-con room so we quickly left and escaped into our cool oasis. Air-con is precious.

So impressive. Its probably the most impressive, amazing palace I've seen though its hard to tell. It was so shiny, it was hard to look at it for very long.

There's Ang, always ruining my shots!!

But really, the intricate work on the buildings were pretty amazing. The patterns, the statues and all the gold. It was way more impressive than the Forbidden City!

The Grand Palace even had a miniature of Angor Wat, a sign of good things to come!

There were a zillion workers, constantly upkeeping the palace. The entire place looked as good as it did over a hundred years ago.

We even saw this huge reclining buddha. Its gotta be at least the biggest indoor reclining buddha in the world. I love that about buddhas. Each has its own claim to fame. Its always the biggest something or other, not matter how ridiculously obscure.

Me resting by the reclining buddha (the coloring of the photo got a little messed up. Oops.).

We originally planned on leaving Bangkok the following day but we realized it would be a tragedy to leave Bangkok without shopping at the immense weekend market. So we left early in the morning to "beat" the heat but because we were desperate for an air-con bus, we left much later than we had hoped (after seeing innumerable regular buses pass us by). But don't worry! We still had plenty of time to shop. And shop we did. And shop and shop and shop. There are over 8,000 stalls at the weekend market, hocking everything from fake flowers to trendy clothes to every type of souvenir to puppies crying loud enough to break your heart and your ears. In the end, it was way too overwhelming. I would love to spend my time, coming and going, to figure out what to buy but to try and accomplish that in a single day is impossible. But we did come back with a few good finds so it was worth it (lots of people will be receiving "silk" pillowcases as presents!). We bought some fruit shakes to celebrate the end of another long day. Too bad they were Thai shakes that came with salt. Yuck. Word of advice: make sure they don't put salt in your shakes if you ever come to Thailand.

Tomorrow we head out of Bangkok to Kanchanaburi to see some caves and swim in some waterfalls. Finally out of the city!! We had planned to spend a bit more time out there but because of flooding in Chiang Mai (damn monsoon season!), our train was canceled so we have to buy bus tickets instead. It was a nightmare trying to figure out a contingency plan in very little time and I'm so glad Ang is here to help figure things out. But we have a plan and we're leaving (sort of) on schedule!

Yum!! Pad Thai and ice coffee in a bag. Probably 2 of my most favorite things about Thailand!

(Im)possible rest in bangkok

2006-05-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

As a traveler with a relatively short period of time (I know, its a whole year but still its not enough!), I pretty much race through cities, countries and continents. I try to spend as much time to see all the things I want to see and do all the things I want to do and I rarely stay in one place for more than 2 nights. But I have to tell you, after about a week in Bangkok, I'm ready to move on!!!! There's a reason I only spend 2 or 3 nights in one place! This place is starting to infect my brain and I need out.

But I needed the break though Bangkok really isn't the right place to rest and recharge (more on that later). Traveling is pretty exhausting since I have to make every moment count and make sure I plan all my transportation and tours perfectly. After about 6 weeks or so, I usually find myself pretty burnt out and instead of appreciating the things I experience, all I can do is focus on how crappy my accommodations are and how tired I am. After Tibet I was definitely in that place. I was thinking that I would extend my time in Nepal after Tibet to see more of the countryside and do some more trekking but when it came down to it, I was too tired to pickup my guidebook and plan the next step. It wouldn't be fair since I wouldn't be focusing on the experience as much as the hassle. So I decided to come to Bangkok and spend about 4 days hanging around while I waited for Ang to come.

And it was good for the most part. I read a little, sat around a little and tried to escape the heat as much as I could. I even found an internet place that is FREE and even with good connections!! There are certain things that become absolutely precious when you travel. Sturdy boots, quick-drying clothes, Purel, toilet paper, iPod, camera and blog immediately come to mind. But so is a good internet connection, which is so important for posting photos!! And the fact that this place is free is like finding an extra present hidden away under the Christmas tree. So I ended up spending many many hours in front of the computer, posting pics (I was shamefully way behind), catching up on school prep stuff, sorting my finances and catching up on all my favorite tv shows (its May sweeps, folks!). I also started to get well acquainted with Thai food and beverages, especially green curries and watermelon shakes.

Where do I even begin on the street food? If you're envisioning little snacks on tiny carts, let me shed some light. The "carts" are basically fullout kitchens with all the ingredients for every Thai dish possible. They have grills, pots, woks, everything!! And on every street corner. Truly amazing. And delicious!

Finally! Fresh fruit! I eat fruit almost constantly. Good source of vitamins and refreshing. Perfect cure for the oppressive humidity here.

I even saw a movie! I wanted to act like a normal person rather than a tourist freak so I hit the mall, sat in coffee shops (okay, ice cream shops. Hey! Its really hot here!), and didn't even take my camera around (hence no photos in this part of the write-up). I really can't wait for the day when I hang up my camera for good. The good thing is that my photo-taking has gotten better but its heavy and a curse around my neck. But back to the movie. I ended up seeing the Da Vinci Code and enjoyed it thoroughly. I really love summer blockbusters, no matter how stupid so it was a great way to start off the season. And seeing movies in Thailand is pretty fun. For the same price as a US ticket, you can get a seat in the super-duper titanium platinum deluxe seats. They have full-on leather loveseats, waiters to take your munchies order and special bathrooms. Alas, I am a backpacker so I cheaply opted for normal US$3 seats. Lame but the other seats were expensive!! The other funny thing about Thai theaters is that they play the royal anthem and everyone has to stand up to commemorate the king. They also show this ridiculously propagandistic clip showing idealized peasants all worshiping the king. I tried not to laugh too loudly.

But its hard to really relax in this city. I'm staying in the Khao San Road area, notoriously full of backpackers and it loud and obnoxious here. So many travelers treat Bangkok as the last-stop party town and people go nuts here. Not just the annoying partiers everywhere, there are so many touts and lady-boys trying to get you to go to some bar or club, baring electronica or worse, bad American pop music. Ack!! You guys know this is NOT my scene. Especially after China, its really jarring to be treated just as a walking wallet.

Let me through!!

Though Bangkok hasn't been ideal, I needed the time here, not traveling and not planning. I haven't even seen any of the major sights in Bangkok! At least I've been able to take care of everything I needed to so it was time well spent. I have been able to find whatever ways to decompress so I really can't complain. But I'm really here waiting for Ang to arrive. Sitting and waiting.... Ang, where are you???

Tibet free no more

2006-05-22T00:57:00.000-07:00

Okay!! Finally finished posting on Tibet! Check over the last 3 posts for new pictures!

The last part of our Tibet trip brought us to the bigger Tibetan towns of Shigatse, Gyantse and the capital, Lhasa where we had the opportunity to visit some of the most impressive and tragic monasteries in Tibet. They held some amazing statues and chapels where they revere historical figures, high lamas and images of various buddhas. But they are just a shell of their former grandeur.

In all we visited a ton of monasteries and I was beat by the end. We visited the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the home of the Panchen Lama, in Shigatse, Pelkor Choede Monastery in Gyantse, Sera, Ganden and Jokhang monasteries in Lhasa and Potala Palace in Lhasa. That's a lot of monasteries! Though each one was interesting in their own right, I was pretty tired of visiting chapels (the 99 rooms in Gyantse were killer) and smelling burning yak butter. Here are some select pictures of the monasteries but none really capture the grandeur of the statues, the sound of monks chanting, and the reverence of the prostrating pilgrims that permeated each room.

The facade of the monastery at Gyantse. The building to the right is based on a mandala, which is design by the 5th Dalai Lama that is purely symmetrical.

Prayer wheels. They are outside every monastery.

Some monks goofing off at the top of a temple. They were supposed to be doing some construction work but they stopped to pose for our pictures!

The view from the Gyantse monastery. That's an old fort in the background from when the Tibetans weren't so peaceful.

A pilgrim bringing yak butter for the candles. There were pilgrims everywhere and it felt like sacrilage to take photos while these people were worshiping.

A rare photo from inside the monasteries. The monks charged up to 150 yuan to take photos in each chapel. It was way too expensive plus all the chapels started to look alike after awhile.

Monks engaging in traditional debates at Sera in Lhasa. Some of them really got into it and they punctuated each question with a very dramatic clap.

Pilgrams prostrating outside Jokhang monastery in Lhasa. It holds the most holy statue in Tibet and the pilgrims lined up to pay tribute to it. I was lucky to get a view of it!

The nicest Tibetan woman who guided us through Jokhang. She even showed us a small statue of a sheep that looked like it was coming out of the wall. According to her, the statue was very small about 50 years ago and grows mysteriously on its own every year. Fact or fiction, folks?

I got blessed by a monk! The black on my nose is for protection. No laughing!

We were lucky to catch these monks chanting at the Ganden monastery, way up in the mountains just outside Lhasa. Here's one of the high lamas who seemed more interested in posing for photos then leading the monks in chanting.

The main chanting hall in Ganden. I could have sat there all day, listening to the soothing chanting of the monks.

But the monasteries had this tragic feel to it also. Tibet was invaded by the Chinese in the 1950's in what the Chinese called a "liberation" campaign. The Cultural Revolution in 1959 also brought mass destruction to the monasteries, Potala Palace, other cultural sites and the Tibetan way of life. During the cultural and actual genocide (over 1.2 million Tibetans are believed to have died), the Dalai Lama fled into India and has vowed not to return until Tibet is their own once again. It breaks my heart to see how Tibetans have been oppressed and become a minority in their own land. Every where you can see how the Chinese are imposing their way of life on these people. Each house is forced to put up pictures of Mao and other Party officials while possessing a picture of the Dalai Lama is punishable by jail time. The Chinese don't understand the Free Tibet movement. Afterall, they've brought infrastructure, schooling, and commerce to Tibet while dramatically increasing their standard of living. That's true but at what cost? They've lost their land, religion, culture and independence. And its visible at every turn in Tibet, especially the major towns and monasteries, as beautiful as they were.

Each monastery holds only a fraction of the monks they used to house and the cities look more Chinese than they do Tibetan. It makes the first part of our trip, when we journeyed through the small Tibetan villages, that much more unique and precious. Han Chinese continue to stream into Tibet and I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like 5, 10, 20 years from now. So I'm glad to have made it here when I could. Its possible to imagine what it was like before the Chinese "liberated" Tibet and its sad to think it will never go back. You can't help but feel for the plight of the Tibetans and maybe that's at least one benefit from the increased tourism and spectacle the Chinese have turned Tibet into.

The outside of Potala Palace, the former seat of the Dalai Lama. You could feel the intrusion of the Chinese the most here. This is where the Dalai Lama should be, presiding over his people rather than in exile in India. It is so sad.

Here are some parting shots of the Tibet trip. Our Intrepid group was great! We had some laughs but mostly we bonded by huddling together through our altitude sickness. Trust me, you get past the polite stage pretty quickly when everyone is looking haggard and sick together. Our leader, Puskar, was also amazing. Always quick with a smile and reassuring words on such a difficult trip. His cure for altitude sickness? "Think happy thoughts!" Yeah, right. :)

Our group at lunch! Tibetan food leaves something to be desired but at these altitudes, we didn't feel like eating much anyways.

That's me getting attacked by a yak. We went to a Tibetan culture show where we saw some traditional dancing (like this one where the domestication of the yak is celebrated) and had some traditional Tibetan foods like yak butter tea (disgusting) and tsampa, a mixture of barley flour and yak butter tea (also disgusting). As you can tell, I'm not a huge fan of yak in any form.

Okay, I've been in front of this computer for 4 hours and I can feel myself turning to mush. I don't know how I used to spend 15 hours a day in front of a computer when I was working! How am I supposed to do it again???

Into thin air

2006-05-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

My head wouldn't stop pounding, I could barely breath, the bathrooms were nightmare-inducing, snow was constantly blowing in my face but the trip to Everest Base Camp was everything I had hoped it would be. It was just so amazing to be standing in the same spot as the climbers who defied human limitations to climb the highest peak in the world.

We arrived at Rongbuk monastery and you could immediately feel the difference in alititude from the moment we stepped out of the car. We had spent the last few days trying to acclimate, moving from 1300 meters at Kathmandu to 4200 meters at Tingri. We were already pretty battered from the altitude (you try sleeping with your heart racing and head pounding!) so the thought of staying at 5000 meters was pretty tough. Every step was a struggle and I had to stop every few minutes to give my head a rest. I think our group spent something like 5 hours just sitting in the dining room, trying to nurse our headaches. I also decided to stay in the monastery (you could chose to stay at the lodge just 5 minutes away) to have the "true" experience and it was pretty basic. Actually, really basic. It was musty, dirty and a bit moldy but at least it had some beds to sleep on. Not that we actually slept that night.

The lucky winners who got to stay at the monastery. Later in the day, some guys took away the stove, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling. That definitely came in handy while in snowed at night. It also stank. Actually lots of things on our trip stank. I don't even want to talk about the bathrooms!

But it was definitely an achievement to stay at Rongbuk and I wouldn't have changed a thing. We were staying at 5000 meters (17,000 ft), which is higher than Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48. I've never stayed at this type of altitude so I'm glad to say I did it though its not very fun. And the views. We had a picture perfect view of Everest from our door steps, shining like a beacon and beckoning us to come. The monks at the monastery were also pretty nice so it added a spiritual feel to Everest.

Our first view of Everest from Tingri, where we stayed the day before arriving at Rongbuk. Can you feel the excitment yet? That's Everest!!

And there she is!! Imposing, impressive and stunning. The view from Rongbuk was perfect.

This woman really wanted her photo taken so I kindly obliged. We sat next to each other for about 15 minutes afterwards, smiling and nodding though we had no idea what the other was saying.

The stupa from the monastery. It definitely felt like being on holy ground.

The next day, we hiked just 8km (around 5 miles) to Everest Base Camp, which is at 5200 meters. Though we only gained 200 meters in altitude, the hike was tough. Every small hill looked like an unsurmountable mountain and every step was a struggle. It also snowed that day (pretty rare) so we couldn't really see anything along the hike or when we got there. But still, it was Base Camp for godssake so we couldn't miss the opportunity. We spent a frigid half hour there before the snow drove us back to Rongbuk. Because of the snow, we decided to take donkey carts back to Rongbuk. It seemed like an easy option at first but it was the most undignified and ridiculous thing I have EVER done. We were bounced all over the place, barely able to hang on while the driver kept looking back at us and laughing. It was also frigid, ice-cold. I couldn't feel anything after about 5 minutes except hail and snow hitting my numb face. The hike was hard but I would chose it over the donkey cart any day! Never again!

This is all we saw from our hike. Clouds and more clouds.

It was actually pretty miserable to hike in the snow. Even these yaks looked frozen!

Hotel California, indeed. There were all these tents at the top, waiting to serve us hot tea and cocoa at ridiculous prices. We were, of course, happy to pay.

Yeah!! Made it to Base Camp! It was truly an epic moment.

Look at those unsuspecting fools in the cart. Little do they know how ridiculous the trip is. We bounced so hard on those benches I thought I would break every bone in my butt!

We also got to see some expedition tents at Base Camp. I thought it was nutty to stay at 5000 meters but that's chump change compared to the people climbing Everest. Those people are TRULY CRAZY. The top of Mount Everest reaches an unbelievable 8848 meters (29,029 feet) and thousands of people attempt it every year. The climb takes a couple of months in order to acclimatize and the climbers spend their going back and forth between camps before attacking the peak. I can't even imagine what its like up there. The altitude was so painful at Base Camp and that was only 5000 meters! The air at the top of Everest is so thin that if someone was just dropped off at the top, his head would explode in minutes. Also, 1 in 10 climbers don't make it. Not as in having to come back but as in they DIE. Its something that seems exciting in theory but I would never do it. I don't think I'll ever go back to 5000! (Well, maybe. Kilimangaro is definitely on my list...)

Look! Its the crazy people! The expedition tents from Base Camp weren't that impressive but apparently climbing from the Nepal side is more popular.

It was quite a relief to come back down to 4,200 meters but we were definitely sad to go. We were right there! In the face of Everest! This is what legends are made of!

At our last dinner, we went to this place where we could commemorate our trip to Base Camp (held by Puskar). Congrats on making it, everyone!

Along the friendship highway

2006-05-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

Update: Finally made to Bangkok where the heat is so stifling. It feels like you can cut through the humidity with a knife. I'll be here all week taking care of administrative stuff and waiting for Ang to come. Its hot but Bangkok is an easy city to navigate and the touts are way less annoying so I think its a good place to recharge. That means I have time for photos!!

How do I describe the journey from Nepal into Tibet? I studied Tibetan Buddhism at Columbia but the whole "life is suffering" idea has whole new meaning after seeing the landscape. At an average of 4500 meters (look what traveling has done to me - I've been infected with the metric system!), the Tibetan plateau is dry, barren, dusty and, at first glance, completely uninhabitable. But that also gives the land an eerie beautiful quality that's hard to capture on digital film. The beauty of Tibet also comes from the people who are unbelievable friendly and quick to give a smile despite the meager living they manage to squeeze out of the land and the oppression by the Chinese government over the last 50 years.

We started our journey from Kathmandu, driving to the Nepali-Tibetan border and climbing over 1100 meters to 2400. Kathmandu was an interesting, lively city but seeing the countryside definitely made me want to stay for more. Nepal is famed for its treks and I definitely could see myself spending weeks hiking around the lush, green land amidst the towering Himalayas.

The countryside of Nepal was a lot more green and lush than I expected. A truly beautiful country that I can't wait to come back and trek through it! Annapurna, anyone?

From the border, we systematically gained altitude from 2400 to 3700 and finally 4200 in order to acclimatize ourselves in preparation for hiking to Everest Base Camp, which is at a mind-boggling 5200 meters (that's over 17,000 feet btw). But along the way we saw some amazing views from snow-capped mountains over 8000 meters (there are only 14 in the world) to barren lands that make you think you are the only beings in the world. Some days we spent over 7 hours in 4x4 jeeps, over grueling terrain but the scenery was never dull and made each journey worthwhile (actually the landscape reminded me a lot of my Uyuni trip in Bolivia).

Tibet is like a huge rocky desert but at unbelievable altitudes. Everywhere you looked, it was just nothing and no one.

Our unbelievable Tibetan drivers. These guys were absolutely fearless. Some of the roads were so terrible, we ended up bouncing around in the car and banging into everything. Quite an adventure! Btw, I don't think I'm built for off-roading.

Nothing but me and the Tibetan plateau.

More gorgeous scenery! I could just stare it all day without getting bored.

Sorry, one more landscape photo. You can see the little village nestled at the bottom on this mountain.

Our lovely accommodations! No running water and very cold but they did have a home-y feel. The accommodations were a little bit basic and probably the worst I've ever had! Just remember to hold your breath when going to the bathroom!

There were tons of Tibetan villages along the way. They all had similar architecture, coloring and good luck Buddhist symbols. These villages seem so remote and far apart with very little to sustain themselves with.

Taking a well-deserved break. Though we were driving most of the time, the trip was still very tiring and hard. The altitude definitely didn't help!

An amazing view of a glacier at yet another pass.

The overland journey also introduced us to the Tibetan people. Traditionally nomad herders and farmers, the Tibetans manage to eek out a living in a place no person would chose for themselves. But they seem to be happy and proud of their home, however hard it is. Their main cash crop is barley and the animals their raise are yak, sheep and more yak. Everything in their lives are made from yak - yak meat in everything (how does it taste, you ask? A little chewy and a bit like rotten lamb - gross, really.), yak butter candles in monasteries, dried yak dung as fuel, yak butter in tea (yes, tea) or mixed with barley flour, and of course, my personal favorite, yak cheese. More than 70% live under the poverty line but I've always felt welcomed by their quick laugh and gregarious personalities. Its hard to see so many of them beg for food and money but you appreciate their outlook on life in the face of such hardship.

A lot of Tibetans are traditionally nomads, herding yak and sheep. We met these lone travelers at one of the highest passes we crossed at 5,000 meters. We were dying with headaches and collapsing lungs while its just normal life for them.

Lots of donkey drawn carriages. You could hear them coming because of the jangling bells on the donkeys.

Ah, soccer. Crosses the cultural divide every time. Too bad Tibet doesn't have a World Cup team this year.

The older people were pretty superstitious about having their picture taken but the kids loved it! They would pose and then rush over to see how the photos turned out.

The trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa has been one of the more emotional journeys on this trip. The Tibetans are deeply religious people who believe that life is suffering and the only way to reach pure bliss, or nirvana, is to leave behind all secular feelings and materialistic needs that keep them bound to this world. That takes on a whole new level of meaning after seeing how little these people have and how unforgiving the land seems but how wonderful the people are. You can also feel the spirit of the people in the surrounding mountains, making their stark beauty that much more heartbreaking. They definitely makes you rethink the things that seem so important but really are so insignificant in the long run. Not everything has to have an ulterior meaning, things don't always have to be analyzed to death and sometimes he's just not that into you. As our leader, the unfatiguable Puskar, hilariously said to a woman who demanded to know why a stone was outside one monastery, "I don't know. A stone can exist without reason." Things can just happen and we have to learn to simply let things go and let them be. There are bigger, more important things than me out there that can exist simply so why can't I? That's definitely hard for someone as anal and type-A as I am but I'm learning! I might even end up running away to travel the globe and never come back. After all, who needs the hardships and responsibilities that come with going to business school, finding a job and actually growing up?

Yes, that's me on a yak. It cost 5 yuan (about 6o cents) and it was totally worth it! Except when it started to move. It also stank.

Namaste from kathmandu

2006-05-08T04:48:00.001-07:00

Photos complete! I'm now in Tibet after driving up from the Nepali border (amazing journey but you're going to have to wait for my next post for info on that!). Even in these little truck stop towns, the internet connections are way better than in Kathmandu. The only bad thing is that my blog is back to being banned (to keep all my politically dissenting remarks and capitalistic manifestos out of the unsuspecting Chinese hands, I suspect). So if there is anything majorly wrong with my page, please email.

Btw, Kathmandu was totally fine! I was pretty worried about the political situation that erupted in April but the King has reinstated Parliament and though there's still political turmoil, its safe to walk the streets and there is no longer a daytime curfew. The hardest part about coming here was probably coming out of the airport and being COMPLETELY bombarded by taxi drivers, hotel workers and other people wanting my hard-earned US dollars. But now that I'm here, I'm sad that I only have a few days. I think spending some time trekking around and visiting some of the other cities would be pretty spectacular.

Everything here is so different from China, I'm having trouble adjusting! Kathmandu isn't as developed (in terms of roads and infrastructure) as I had thought but it has its own charm. The people are also really different. Though they don't shove or spit (well, they do but quietly) but its the return of the touts! I'm constantly bombarded with Namaste (hello in Nepalese)! Konichiwa! Miss, would you like to buy something? Its really really annoying. There are certain things that I no longer have patience for and people hassling me to buy things is at the very top. Also, when I came here from Bangkok, I found out that the time here is 1 hour and 15 minutes behind. Why? Beats me.

Kathmandu consists of mainly narrow, winding, chaotic roads with no street lights, signs or sidewalks. I walk in constant fear of getting run over by the insane taxi drivers, motocycles and rickshaws.

Constant construction going on in Kathmandu. All the buildings are crammed close together though they aren't very tall.

But not all the people are annoying. Most of the people I've met here have been nothing but nice and extremely helpful. I even had the opportunity to spend the day with a Nepali family because I have a friend of a friend who is doing his thesis research out here (thanks Steph and Peter!). These two Nepali guys, Ras and Suren (not sure about spelling), came to my guesthouse very early in the morning, determined to show me the sites. I had such a great time talking to them, comparing our respective cultures and getting their perspectives on their great city. We were pretty industrious in seeing a bunch of temples, stupas and museums but the best part was spending the afternoon with their families. They even fed me the most amazing Nepali food and this insane liquor called ruksi (again, not sure about spelling). They kept telling me it was just like wine but it was more in line with whiskey to me. We ended up getting a little tipsy but it just made the conversation flow better despite the language barrier!

Nepal has an interesting mix of Buddhism and Hinduism with temples of both dotting the city. This a Buddhist temple with tons of prayer flags blowing in the wind. It really was an amazing site to look up at all the colors waving above me.

Beware, Buddha is always watching! This is at the top of "Monkey Temple", which is on a hill overlooking Kathmandu. Great views from the top!

Now I know why they call it Monkey Temple. They were everywhere!

Okay, guys. I guess the cat's out of the bag. Here I am with my new man. We plan on running away together.

Some women giving an offering and receiving a blessing from Buddhist monks.

My unbelievably nice and gracious hosts. I still can't believe they took time out of their day to take me around and invite me into their home. Thanks so much, guys!

I also met one of the coolest teens around, Milan. We talked about everything and it was great to get his perspective on Nepali culture and politics. I'm also holding Ayashman, Suren's 5 yr old son. He spoke a little English and is completely obsessed with Spiderman. So cute!

I also had the opportunity to visit Bhuktaphur, sort of like a municipality in Kathmandu but its more like a preserved city within a city. It has a lot of its traditional architecture and temples intact dating from the 12th century so it was like walking into a time warp but with tons of tourist shops. Its a big tourist attraction of course but its also a town in itself. It was actually more interesting to observe how these people meld the old surroundings with modern life than seeing the temples and museums.

The main squares in Bhuktaphur contained well preserved temples and monuments like these.

Its a beautifully preserved city but life goes on as usual for its residents. We even got to see some men haggling over a goat and weighing it on this enormous scale.

We also got to go into a school for Thangka paintings, religious Buddhist paintings. Each painter meditates before paintings that either depict portions of Buddha's life or contain religious symbolism. The detail and intricate scenes are amazing.

Some Nepali kids goofing off at school. They were constantly hanging out the windows yelling, "Hello!" "How are you?"

The cutest little girl. Even if she is half naked. She was so shy but she still put here hands together to say namaste.

But I'm in Kathmandu mainly to meet up with another Intrepid group to visit Tibet. We leave tomorrow morning for the Tibetan border and we'll spend the next 2 weeks visiting monasteries, Tibetan towns and, of course, Everest Base Camp (!!). I'm very excited though I'm sad to leave Nepal. This place is completely different from another place I've been to and its unfortunate that I don't have enough time to fully explore it. But with the unstable political situation, I would rather get out sooner rather than later. But really, I'm perfectly safe and happy here in Kathmandu! It might be awhile until my next post since internet will be spotty in Tibet but I will update as often as I can.