Merry Christmas from K.L.

Wow, alot has happened over here since the last post...

In short:
We flew down to Phuket, saw a really ugly and overpopulated beach out front, took a boat trip to "The Beach" which was beautiful for its powder white sand and snorkling, got scammed into paying a high hotel bill, and took off for Koh Tao. This island was a quiet paradise, and our pace slowed down tremendously. Carson got Scuba certified, Andrew and I did a couple fun dives, I got to snorkle alone with black tip reef sharks- 30 minutes I will never forget! We quickly became accustomed to the mellow locals and travelers, and decided to extend the trip a few extra days. Carson took off from here to surprise his family on Christmas Eve (probably less than 12 hours ago from now), and Andrew and I carried on to Kuala Lumpur, Malyasia.



This journey proved to be the most frustrating/ patience building day of my trip so far. The day began at 5:20am (40 min before I planned on waking up) with a phone call to the room that our bus is waiting. Next we were duped into paying for the travel agencies overbooking mistake by paying $40 each for a form we found out later was free. After 3 bus changes, and still no clue what was going on, we are dropped off at yet another random travel agency in some middle-of-nowhere town. We are told that we have bus tickets for the 10:30pm bus to KL (6 hours away at this point), but we can buy tickets for the bus that leaves in a half hour. Reluctantly we paid for the time, and all we had to show for it was the same bus ticket that now had a time written on it... duped again. This is the third time we paid for the same ticket to KL. I had to open Kirsten's "save for a bad day" letter. It helped. At11:30pm we are kicked out of the bus onto the main street's median, and stumble around looking for somewhere to crash. It was a long flipping day, but we made it. The next day we went to the mall and ordered our first fru-fru coffee drinks all trip at Coffee Bean. I completely forgot about the previous days trials with a large frappachino, Christmas Carols playing (in English), and a 100ft christmas tree in the mall's center. Finally, I could begin to forget about the 90 degree heat, and get in the mood to really think about Christmas, and what we are ultimately celebrating.



Yesterday, Andrew and I found an all you can eat buffet in a pretty nice hotel. It cost 10x a normal dinner for us, but we went in with the intention of gettin our money's worth. There were about 7 or 8 of these counters with food from all regions. It was awesome!! It felt so great to be that full; I could hardly eat today.


This morning was odd, and somewhat depressing waking up for christmas morning in a small, undecorated hostel room. We tried our best with a backpacker decorated Christmas tree and stockings (above), and reading Luke 2 sitting on the floor. Its strange being away from home now that it finally hit me that it's really Christmas. We buried our homesickness with waffles and good coffee from Coffee Bean.

If the rain holds off, and the tickets arent completely sold out (we are waiting on both answers), we will catch a train to Singapore tomorrow and scout it out for a fun new years eve.

Christmas Carols and Thai Boxing

Strange combination, I know, but these are two of my latest stories in SE Asia...

First the caroling:
The three of us caught a cheap flight from Laos to Chang Mai in Northern Thailand. It was such a relief to find out that it would be the same price to fly or take a two day hellish boat ride and another day by bus. No brainer. Chang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, and quickly reminded me of all the things I didnt like about Bangkok. We did land on December 5, which happened to be the King's birthday celebration. This goes off like the fourth of July in the states. Fireworks and street parades were everywhere. So, that was pretty fun.

Chang Mai also acts as a sort of "port town" to the nearby mountains where 800,000 people live in scattered primitive vilages. We really wanted to check out the hills and see the cultures, but we were skeptical about the possibilities of our trek becoming a visit to a "human zoo". We chose a tour company from our guesthouse that ended up being fantastic. Only the three of us plus a couple from Malaysia enjoyed the two day adventure.

The trek was beautiful (check out the pictures of elephant riding and bamboo rafting) and so were the people (no pictures). The village we spent the night at belonged to the Karen tribe (largest hilltribe population) who mostly migrated from Tibet. It was really cool to see a village in Thailand full of smiling Tibetan faces just like I remembered from a month before.

During our campfire that night, we heard villagers singing up on the hill, and soon recognized the tune of "silent night". The carolers went around to each hut in the village and sang different Christmas songs. I tagged along in the back and sang quietly the songs I knew in English. The carolers blessed each hut, and the receiving party gave out rice treats for the participants. It was beautiful to hear in another language, and a completely unexpected treat.

The next day we hiked through the hills and stopped for lunch at a sweet waterfall. We followed the stream down to the valley where we got to navigate bamboo rafts the rest of the way to the stopping point. Check out the pics and videos... it was a blast!

That night I checked out a Muy Thai fight. It is the Thai version of kickboxing where fighters use elbows, knees, whatever to knock the other down. The stadium couldnt have been shadier, but it was super entertaining with a live band playing Thai music during the fights. Hey, where else can you see a fight from the second row and drink a couple beers for under $15??

Now, we jump on a plane to Phuket to get out of the mountains, and into some of the most gorgeous beaches in the world.... YEEEAH!

Laos is Legit!

After somewhat rushing through Cambodia and seeing all the major tourist sites, it is refreshing to be in a place where we can just kick our feet up and relax with some breathtaking scenery to gaze at all day. Our first stop in Laos was Vang Vieng. The three of us actually heard about this place exactly one year ago from some backpackers at our hostel in Rome. They described a paradise where you can rent giant inner tubes and float down this river with bars littered along the shores. And to my surprise, it turned out to be just like this too-good-to-be-true description.


We stayed at a guesthouse that boasted this view from the balcony and a postcard- worthy sunset every evening that we stayed there. It made for a great setting to digest the day and enjoy a little BPS (beer. peanuts. sunset.). Two days in a row we were dropped off a few kilometers upstream and had the afternoon to float and choose which bars to stop off at to have a drink and a go at the ropeswing or zipline into the river. We stepped it up a little on the second day and went on a full day tour through a village and got to tube into a completely dark cave. After the BBQ lunch, we jumped on kayaks to speed through some new rapids and back to the familiar part of the river in time for the afternoon beer and ropeswing. Absolutely EPIC!

The only downside to this welcoming and slow paced Laos lifestyle is the direct correlation to their transportation. The busses have been arduous, and typically twice as long as advertised, but hey, the scenery is one of a kind, and by now I have learned that it takes quite a bit more than a slow bus to get our spirits down.

FYI- we are now in Luang Prabang, Laos where we plan on scouting out the city for a few days before taking the 2-day slow boat up the Mekong to northern Thailand. After that, its south until we hit Singapore. More video and pics will be up as soon as we find some decent internet around here!

Hopefully the last near death experience...

I had the chance to throw a grenade into a small pond at the sketchy shooting range in Cambodia. It was pretty freaking sweet, but there's not much instruction before hand... they just get a grenade from the back room, take you to the pond, take the pin out and hand it to you. I wasnt sure if the time started when he pulled the pin or anything, so I chucked it pretty quick. The major thing they fail to tell me is that a small explosion (that sounds like an M-80) goes off to set the grenade... needless to say that scared the crap out of me... watch!

Cambodian Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was the second turkey day in a row I spent with friends in a foriegn country. Last year, Italy, this year it happened to be Cambodia. Specifically, it was a small fried rice restaurant in Siem Riep, and I stuffed myself according to tradition. Dinner cost a whole $5 that night (about twice the cost of my next most expensive meal in the past month and a half) but I was thankful to be celebrating with friends.

The real Thanksgiving of the trip will be remembered as the next day's trip to the Temples of Angkor Wat. After a few painfully slow skype calls (sorry 'bout the connection Kirsten and Family!) The three of us ran all over the nearby temple complex. We have had a lot to be thankful for already on the trip, and this day was no exception. The temples were incredible (even though there were so many, they all started to look the same after awhile), and watching the sunset perched on top of Angkor Wat looking out on the temple gardens was icing on the cake!



In the spirit of Thanksgiving, even though I am writing this thousands of miles away, I would like to thank all of you who have kept the three of us travelers in your thoughts and prayers! It really means alot to us. All of your comments and emails are like christmas presents opened every time we can find a decent internet cafe. I am thankful for such great people in my life!!

Dont read any further if you are enjoying a good day...

I don't want to be responsible for depressing any of you, since the major attractions we have seen this week have been the graphic memorials of war and genocide.

The major tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City, our last stop in Vietnam, revolve around the "American War". The first historical site we visited was the Reunification Palace. It served as the office of South Vietnam's president until it was stormed by Northern tanks in 1975, effectively bringing an end to the war. The building has hardly been touched since its working days. It still contains its authentic 1970's burnt orange decor and archaic electronic devices. It was an interesting tour, and the first of which to offer a glimpse of the "American War" through the eyes of the Vietnamese as conveyed by the media on display and the local tour guide.

The next day is when things got heavy. We toured the War Remnants museum in central Ho Chi Minh City which showcases the war crimes of American soldiers during the war. Probably one of the most heart-wrenching things I have ever seen in my life. Vivid photos of torture and weapons of war are displayed along with descriptions from war correspondents and local Vietnamese citizens who witnessed the events. Victims of "Agent Orange" raids, and the My Lai (Son My) massacre were displayed on large posters covering the walls. It was very strange to see America in this horrible light. To say that the museum was biased would be a complete understatement, but still I was able to learn a lot from the stories and everything else that I wont describe in further detail.


We continued our war education the next day at the tunnels of Cu Chi. These tunnels were interesting to experience, since I have heard about them in relation to the war, but didn't realize how vast the tunnel network was, or how cramped and miserable the conditions must have been. It was especially sobering since the site was an actual war site. The tunnels were the same ones used by the Cu Chi to escape American raids, the massive holes in the ground from bombs still exist, and the trenches that were fought in still wind through the site.

Another aspect that made this experience so unique was the way the media and the tour guides explained the events. As soon as we arrive at the tunnels, we are crammed into a tiny movie viewing room to watch a half hour video describing the "crazy American devils who came thousands of miles from their homes to slaughter innocent women and children". I never heard that perspective from any history class I have taken in the States. Even the pictures on the walls tried to convey the same message. One picture was of an American soldier pulling another out of the tunnel who was looking gratefully at his fellow comrade. The caption below it read, "Cowardly American soldiers afraid of the tunnels". It was a weird experience through the eyes of the Vietnamese who saw the Americans so differently during that time.

Check out the video page for more crawling through the tunnels.

We left Vietnam the next day, and took a long bus ride into Phenom Phen, the capitol of Cambodia. The hostel we plopped down at was literally a pier built into this sweet lake. The sunsets were amazing, and it served as a great place to just relax for the next few days.

From this place, we booked a tuk-tuk driver to take us to all the major stops around town. First was a (shady) shooting range owned by some ex-military guys. We did some research to make sure we wouldnt be supporting anyone involved in the Khemer Rouge, and proceeded with caution. I'm not a huge fan of guns, but it was pretty fun to shoot an AK-47 and throw a grenade into a little pond (video is on its way...).

From here, we went to the two war memorial sites: the Killing Fields and the S-21 museum. It was definitely a good thing we went to the shooting range first, even though it still felt weird to do in the same day... The Killing Fields were just as in-your-face as the War Remnants museum, except it felt more real because we were walking around the actual site of the massacre of 8000 people. There are pieces of bone just laying out in the path ways, and a monument in the middle built to honor those who died, containing the skulls which were excavated from the graves.

I was pretty worked from seeing the killing fields, so the S-21 museum was sort of a blur. We watched another slanted video, and then toured the high school turned prison which Pol Pot used to hold anyone accused of opposing the Khemer Rouge. Women, children, and ex-officials alike were place in divided up classrooms that were turned into little cells and torture rooms. It was eerie, and overwhelming after already walking through the killing fields.

An interesting fact about the Khemer Rouge led genocide is that it began within months of the closing of the Vietnam war in 1975. It felt like we were on a chronological tour of horrible events: the war in the '60's and '70's, and the genocide into the '80's and early 90's.

Well, thats all I can write about this past week... We are now headed to Siem Riep where the famous temple complex of Angchor Wat is located.

The Vietnamese Truth

Lately, I have been feeling like this... like one big sucker walking down the street. It wasnt bad in Hanoi, but it really took hold in Cat Ba, and has become downright annoying as we move south through the country. Yes, I'm talking about just about every streetside hawker looking at my skin color, and deciding to spit out the only English phrase he has been taught to say, "hello, motorbike" or the more to-the-point, "hello, buy something" or the worst one, "hello, give me money". I'm not one to generalize, but honestly it's hard not to over here. Its predictable with 99.99% accuracy who will approach us and what they will say. And dont judge too quickly either, we put up with it for a while first. Once frustration got the best of me, I decided to not resist it anymore, but instead fight fire with fire. Now, with every question received, I give a question in return. This really gets people confused if their vocabulary is limited to phrases trying to squeeze every last penny from my wallet. But, on the rare occasion that something is returned in polite English, a fun conversation of "where are you from" and "how old are you" can carry on for about 30 seconds until they casually let you know that their second cousin has a tailor shop down the street, or a hotel around the corner. Maybe I sound arrogant or rude, but put yourself in my shoes. Seriously, if you have any suggestions, send me a comment, I'm still trying to perfect this art of dealing with hawkers.

Now for the story of the "Vietnamese Truth". There are a few to tell, but I think it is best explained by our episodes in Hoi An. We arrive on a sunny afternoon and step off our tour bus to look for a hostel. Based on the story above, you might have already guessed that about 10 different guys grab us and try to steer us to their wonderful hostels. Promises of free breakfast, internet, bicycles, swimming pool are thrown around in an attempt to separate one hostel from the next. So, we pick one and head for the hostel only to realize on arrival that he has taken back most of what he has said. Suddenly the price is now 25% more (like we wouldnt notice), breakfast and bicycles no longer exists, unlimited internet turns into 20 minutes each, and the swimming pool is actually located at his friends hotel down the street. It would all sound petty to me too if I read this in the States, but its about principle! So based on this recurrence, we have sadly started refering to these promises as just more "vietnamese truth". I really do hate putting up this guard though; I love seeing the good in everyone, but its a struggle when their motivations are written on their foreheads...
Episode number two: Motorbike Mafia. Our half-truth telling hotel manager learns that we want to rent motorbikes for the following day and insists that we rent from his sister. Why not? But for some reason he wants us to rent them that night for a 24 hour period. Strange, but we agree that if they are stolen it is on him, and proceed with the agreement. All seems well in the morning when we start up our bikes to head off for a fun day at a beach 30km away. Before I can even put my bike in gear, a random guy runs across the street and grabs on my bike, preventing me from moving and says that I cant take this bike out. I tell him about my agreement and try to maneuver around him. Now, about 15 of his buddies surround the three of us, and say the same thing to Carson and Andrew. They cant speak much English except that they will not let us ride the bikes we rented, but instead we can rent crappy ones from them. Ahhh, it all makes sense now; they are just mad they didnt get the sale. Now, I'm over them and try to leave again, but a police officer (or maybe a guy in a costume, I will never know) arrives at the scene. Now the unknown raises this situation to another level. The sister we rented from finally shows up, and the police take her three motorbikes to the impound (maybe...; again, we will never really know). The next day she promises us a free day of motorbikes for our inconvenience. Nice gesture; but conveniently they are not ready the next day, or the day after that. After the second, "they will be ready tomorrow, but when do you leave town" comment, I decided to tell here that we would stay until we get to ride the bikes, she freezes up and suddenly cant speak English any longer. We tried to tranfer her debt to her brother and his motorbikes, but that was a lost cause.

Traveling is weird here in Vietnam. We spend our days trying not to let the hawkers get the best of us, and each town has been built up too much in our heads, but still, life is good. Each day brings a new adventure and keeps us on our toes. I only have one week left until my visa expires, so we will be off to Cambodia shortly. Now, I am off to drink a round of bia hoi in the street again, but this time with a Vietnamese guy we met today who worked with the US as a translator during the war. Could be an interesting night of story...