Time to Reflect

Hello!

I've been back in the US for almost 1 week now, and I wanted to reflect on my trip. School has been very busy, but I've still had some time to think about and process the month I spent abroad. Feel free to leave a comment or email me with any questions about Southeast Asia (especially if you are planning a trip!) I was going to upload some videos and photos from Japan, but tragically I lost my camera in Mexico this week (it was left out and stolen) so those are gone forever. :( At least the rest of my pics were uploaded to Photobucket!

*Necessities for backpacking abroad:
1. Toilet paper!! --> It's hard to find over there so I was always prepared with my own mini role!
2. Hand sanitizer --> Self explanatory
3. Map and compass --> Nicole took on the role of map reader, but we both decided that it would have been much easier with a compass too.
4. An open mind --> Normally I am a very impatient person, but I learned how to relax.

*What I learned about myself:
1. I can live in a developing country.
2. I can squat, even though I prefer a Western toilet.
3. I can go 31 days without a cell phone.
4. I cannot go 31 days without the Internet.
5. I can live on $20/day if necessary (N/A in the US!) and forgo luxury items, such as expensive clothing, makeup, and a car.

*What I missed most about home while I was away:
1. Jeremy (of course!)
2. My bathroom with a Western toilet that flushes and a dry floor.
3. Peace and quiet --> I could never walk more than a foot without someone approaching me to buy something or a car horn blaring. Then again, it wouldn't be SEAsia without these things!
4. San Diego weather
5. Salad --> Asian food is great, but I didn't get many fresh veggies.

*Where I'm off to next!?
-Mexico
I just got back from a 3 day trip to Tecate, Mexico with my MBA cohort for a leadership course. I didn't blink an eye when I had to face some uncomfortable cultural differences. After backpacking, I was already prepared!

-Asia or South America
In January, I get to go abroad for school. My options are...
1. Class in Hong Kong; consult in Shanghai or Bangalore* (I'm leaning towards this one)
2. Class in Rio de Janeiro; consult in Buenos Aires

I have a tough decision to make, but I will be sure to make another blog when I am away for those 3-4 weeks, no matter where I am. Thanks again for following me!

*In Summary:
Southeast Asia was an amazing experience, and I sincerely enjoyed what each country had to offer. I learned a lot about other cultures, and I learned a lot about myself as well. I am so thankful I had this opportunity!


Love,
Asia

Runaway Train to Sapa!

Sapa was incredible! It is officially one of my favorite places in Southeast Asia. Our trip got off to an exciting start, but maybe not in the best way...We had to take an 8 hour overnight train to get there. This was my first experience on a sleeper train, so I didn't know what to expect, except what Nicole had told me...that they are not fun. A guy from Northern California named David also joined us on our excursion to Sapa. He is someone we met on our trip to Ha Long Bay. It's very common for other travelers to tag along on trips when they are traveling solo.

We took a taxi and got to the train station around 8:30pm. The waiting room was quite a sight! It was packed with Vietnamese people waiting for the night trains and nothing was in English. Let's just say we'd be pretty lost without our English speaking tour guide. (Well, she sort of spoke English.) After we were finally given our tickets, we made our way to our cabin for the night. It consisted of 2 bunk beds, so it was me, Nicole, David, and 1 local man who conveniently didn't speak English. We got him to take the top bunk so the 3 of us could play cards below for a bit.



Then, we forced ourselves to try and get some sleep. This was not easy to do on a noisy, creaky train! I was constantly in and out of sleep for the 8 hour ride. There were stops along the way too, so I always woke up for those. By the time the coffee and tea cart came around, I shut the door on them and passed out. When we finally stopped in Sapa, I didn't even wake up...neither did Nicole...or David...or the random guy...Finally, someone banged on our door and started yelling in Vietnamese. I woke Nicole up and said, I think we have been here for a while! So, we frantically started getting our things together and asked David to get off and hold the tour bus for us. Now it was just Nicole and me. I went to use the toilet before we got off and mid squat, I felt the train begin to move!!! I ran back to our cabin and Nicole and I were both screaming, "The train is moving! The train is moving!!" We proceeded to run up and down the train cars looking for another human being or a way out. Finally 2 train workers came up to us and started laughing. We kept saying "Sapa! Sapa! We need to get off! Stop!" The kept laughing, and I am pretty sure one of them said "Hanoi! Hanoi!" I had to laugh too because the situation was almost too unreal for me to believe it was actually happening. We were literally moving in the opposite direction and leaving our tour group behind. Noooo! I paid too much money for this! Finally, one of the workers opened a train door, while the train was still moving, and said "You speak Vietnamese?" Um, no!! We speak English! Then I was thinking, do we have to jump off the train while it is still moving, like in the movies? Fortunately, we did not. The train stopped and then slowly started heading back in the correct direction. We only had to walk on the tracks for a little bit, and then we finally met up with our group in Sapa. What a rush!



Once we arrived at the hotel, we met up with our guide who was a 27 year old local villager named Lam. She had only been doing this for 2 years, but her English was very good. As a young girl, she would sell local woven goods to the tourists, which is still very common for girls to do when they are between 4-15 years old. Then they get married and work in the rice fields or do other manual labor, and have children. Tourism is still relatively new to Sapa. People started seeking it out about 25 years ago, but hotels have only really be developed there for the past 10 years.



Our first day, we did a 1/2 day trek through some local villages. We were followed by a group of children who wanted to get to know us, and then, get us to buy from them. The phrase of the trip was "Buy from me? Buy from me!" We probably heard that over 100 times. I bought several bracelets because I felt bad for them. The villagers don't get any source of income from tourist groups. It all goes to the hotels and the government, so Lam told us to buy from them if we wanted to contribute to them directly. While they still harvest most of their food and make their own clothes, they have to sell a lot of it. With a steep rise in tourism, the price of goods has drastically gone up as well.



One of our stops along the way was a waterfall.



There were several food stands, and I was so excited to discover one with an amazing sesame sticky rice served in a bamboo! That was my first "street food" experience in Vietnam because most of it is meat. (I honestly have had no idea where to look.)



On our way back to the hotel, we stopped to wade in the river with water buffalo.


There we many young, local boys jumping from buffalo to buffalo, so it seemed safe enough.



During our trek, we met other tour groups, including a couple from the states. Both of them were traveling before beginning their MBA programs as well, and one of them had been working in India for 6 months previously. It was really fun getting to know them and share stories, and we had drinks with them afterward.



Our second day is Sapa was my favorite. We did a longer trek through the beautiful mountains and ended up at a home stay.



On the way, we stopped to see Lam's house and meet her family. It was really eye opening for me to see how they live; it's very primitive. Lam told us that one of the young boys there had an accident with a knife and asked if anyone had medicine. I pulled out my Neosporin and applied it to his cut (which look like it needed stitches) and placed a band-aid on it. I think they otherwise would have left it to heal on its own.


While all this was very heart-breaking to me, Lam did say that most of their people live to be over 100 years old. Perhaps it's not that bad for them then? Most of them don't know what Western civilization is like, so they can't even image what our lives. Our home stay was amazing, and our family consisted of a husband and wife, and 2 teenage daughters. Our tour group consisted of the 3 of us, 2 French guys, and 1 German. We also shared our home with 3 French women. (The French really don't like to speak English!)



Our hosts were very generous. After everyone took a nice swim in the river, we came back to a feast! Our appetizer was the best serving of garlic fries I have ever had in my life! This is a big deal because french fries are my favorite guilty pleasure. I had no idea how popular fries are in SEAsia and have found they are on most menus.



We had to wait about an hour for our main course, so we sat outside and took shots of rice wine. Rice wine does not taste like wine. Rather, it tastes like a strange combo between vodka/whiskey. I would not recommend it, but it was a nice change from warm beer. After an amazing dinner of rice, tofu, veggies, (water buffalo and other meats), our hosts came and poured us more shots. I didn't want to be rude, so I couldn't turn them down. We did a Vietnamese cheers chant and the shots kept coming. If you refused to drink, you had to sing a song. No one was in a singing mood that night. For bed, everyone slept upstairs on matresses under mosquito nets. We even had pillows! For the bathroom, we used a little shack that had a hole in the ground leading into the river. I really miss Western toilets!! For the shower, there was a separate room with a bucket of water and a cup to pour it on yourself. I skipped the shower that day. :)


Our final day in Sapa, we did some more trekking and saw other tribes. I really enjoyed every moment in Sapa. The air was much cleaner and cooler than what I was used to in Hanoi, and the views were outstanding. I could spend several days there getting to know the people and giving candy to the children. It felt great to get some exercise as well! That night we took the train home again, and I made sure Nicole and I made it off in time!


I sadly said goodbye to Nicole on Friday, and made my way to Japan. I am staying with Jeremy's good friends Russ and Georgia on the Navy base until I make my way home on Tuesday. 1 month has definitely flown by! I plan to do 1 more blog of Japan as well as upload some miscellaneous videos from our trip. See you soon!!

Vietnam is HOT!

Hello Friends! Sorry it has taken me so long to get back online. Until today, we haven't had access to sit at a computer for long periods of time. After waking up at 1:00am on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, we took a taxi, bus, airplane, bus and then finally arrived in Hanoi on Sunday around noon.



Hanoi Overview:
Vietnam has been crazy so far, but we're having a good time despite the madness. I was looking back through my first Vietnam journal entry, and it begins with "Hanoi is HOT! Really hot. I don't think I've sweat this much on our trip yet." These statements have definitely held true! It's nearly impossible to spend a full day outside in the city without taking A/C breaks. Sometimes I'll notice that I am sweating through my top, and I feel like a dirty boy. All I want to do is take cold showers here! At least I never have to deal with makeup. There is no point here. Something else to note about Hanoi is the TRAFFIC.



Crossing the street is usually scary, horns are always going off, and you always have to be on your guard. It's mostly motorcycles here, so at least that makes dodging traffic a bit easier.



We took a cyclo one day for the experience (and we were lost) but decided to travel everywhere else on foot after that. We learned from other backpackers that you should just take a deep breath, and begin to walk, slow and steady, without making any sudden movements, and then the traffic just goes around you. This tactic has worked thus far, and neither of us has been run over. :) This is a pic of me mid crossing the street. Doesn't quite to it justice, but worth the post.



Aside from the crazy noisy traffic and unbearable heat, the people, culture and architecture have been beautiful to look at. We are staying in the Old Quarter of town which is full of old historic buildings and streets that each have a specific purpose. For example, one street might sell only silk, while another street will sell toys, another auto parts, foods, etc.



Within walking distance is the French Quarter which is home to the Opera House. Parts of Hanoi really remind me of Europe since it was so heavily influenced by the French. However, the narrow streets with motorcycles parked on the sidewalks quickly reminds me that I am still in Southeast Asia, and I need to keep my eyes on the road! Below is a pic of a man getting his hair cut on the side of the street...



Hanoi Backpackers' Hostel:
Our first 3 nights in Hanoi we stayed at the highly recommended Hanoi Backpackers' Hostel. It's really fun! Located off a small street which can only be accessed on foot or by moto, the hostel has 3 separate buildings and over 200 beds available. We stayed in the "Nunnery" which is a 10 bed female dorm. This was my first experience in a dorm room setting while traveling, and it definitely has its pros and cons.



*Pros: You get to meet new people everyday and share traveling tips, experiences, and possibly even meet new friends. Nicole and I met 2 girls on our second day, and we ended up traveling with them for 5 days. Also, it's cheaper to stay in a dorm. Our rooms were $7.50/night and included what I like to call an "orphan's breakfast" which was hard bread, weird jam, ramen, and/or bananas. I have been living off of bread on this trip, so I don't think I will eat it for a while when I get home!
*Cons: It's hard to relax in a 10 bed dorm. It's also hard to sleep. People come and go at all different hours. Also, for some odd reason we only had 1 shower and 1 toilet for all 10 of us. They only turned the A/C on at night, so you didn't want to be in the dorm during the day anyway, but this wasn't good for nap time! (We don't have those much anymore.)



Sundays they have free beer upstairs on the rooftop deck at 3pm, so that is how we spent our first afternoon in Hanoi. We met quite a few interesting people and I enjoyed hearing about their travels. Within the backpacking circuit, most people travel the same route in SEAsia. I'm pretty much just missing out on Laos. After free beer and good conversation, Nicole and I had a traditional Vietnamese dinner and a restaurant called Little Hanoi. (We couldn't be bothered to figure out what the heck the street food was.) We shared spring rolls and decided the Vietnam is home to the best spring rolls in SEAsia, and I had tofu in tomato sauce for my entree (which was recommended in my guide book.) I've seen that dish in various restaurants now, and as random as it sounds, it's really good! You eat it over rice. I will definitely try making that at home! Below is a pic of the locals eating street food. This is how most of them eat.



Monday we decided to wander the streets of Hanoi some more. It quickly became too hot, so we went to the Vietnam History Museum and spent way longer there than necessary because they have A/C! Then we found a restaurant with A/C for lunch, and I stupidly had a tuna salad which made me sick. (The water here is no good, so it's best to avoid uncooked vegetables.) We returned to our hostel for the 5pm happy hour and met 2 new girls in our dorm, Taeha and Jennifer. Taeha is from Australia and just turned 30, and Jennifer is a young 36 year old Brit. Each of them is traveling solo, but the 4 of us ended up getting along really well and hanging out from Monday-Friday. 6pm was a BBQ on the roof, so while everyone was enjoying their burgers, I purchased a veggie/cheese panini from across the street. Not a bad dinner for under $2!



Tuesday was more exploring and walking around Hoan Kiem Lake which I forgot to mention. This lake lies at the heart of Hanoi. It only takes about 30 minutes to walk around, but it is a way to get some peace and a slight breeze away from the busy streets.



For lunch we dined at an amazing vegetarian restaurant! It literally took us 20 minutes to decide what to order off the menu, and we were all satisfied. That night we saw a Water Puppet Show at the theatre. It was interesting to say the least, but $2.50 was not bad for a 1 hour show in the A/C. The show is literally puppets that dance on water to a musical narration. It was kind of funny. They briefly show you how they do it at the end. Puppeteers stand waist-deep in water, manipulating the heavy, colorfully painted wooden puppets attached to long underwater poles.



After the show, we went to a famous beer corner. On each corner there is a stand with tiny plastic seats and a fresh keg serving Bia hoi ("fresh" or draught beer) which is served warm from the keg. This beer is unadulterated by chemicals and has a 24-hour shelf life, so they just sell the beer literally until the keg runs dry, and that's the end of the night. Sometimes they finish pretty early, by 9pm. The best part of this experience? Each beer is only 3,000 dong. $1US = approx 17,000 dong. AMAZING! I still can't get over how cheap everything is in Southeast Asia. Returning home could be a shock! At least I'll get back to the food I like at least.



Wednesday-Friday = 2 nights in Ha Long Bay:



One of the places that is a must see when you're in Northern Vietnam is Ha Long Bay. It is gorgeous! The 4 of us took the 2 night tour through our hostel and were on a 3 hour bus ride at 730am on Wednesday morning. (After my crusty bread breakfast, of course.) Once off the bus we got on a really great boat! Now, I have never been on a cruise, and I am pretty sure I have never spent the night on a boat before, so I was a bit nervous. Luckily, our boat was really nice and I never felt seasick. Our boat took us out a couple hours deep into the bay which consists of nearly two thousand crazy shaped limestone outcrops, narrow channels, and deep dark caves for exploring. So beautiful!!!



Once we docked where we would sleep for the night, people started jumping and diving off the boat for a swim. The water was warm of course, but it made for a nice swim. Once a girl next to me saw a jellyfish, however, I was out! At least 1 person gets stung by a jellyfish on each trip because they are everywhere. (A guy that went night swimming got stung on our tour. Yes, he tried peeing on himself, and it didn't work. Apparently vinegar is the best!)



After a swim, we took kayaks out to sea! Each girl tried to pair with a guy, and unfortunately I think I had the most uncoordinated and weak guy on the trip! We were in the last group to reach the caves, and he kept complaining how hard it was. You're a guy. Really? You're supposed to be strong and manly! Once we got to the caves, we explored some really cool areas! At one point, our guide had everyone turn off their "torches" (aka flashlights) and we were in complete darkness! I loved exploring the caves. When it was time to kayak back, Nicole kindly let us swap kayaking partners bc she is stronger than me and she was paired with a strong guy. Much easier on the way back! After dinner, it turned into a party boat. Everyone had an amazing time bonding, and we even started a dance party. When it started pouring rain around 2am, Nicole and I called it a night, while I know others lasted until sunrise.



The next day, a few people returned to the city while the rest of us took a smaller boat out to our own private island!! So cool. The small beach consisted of about 6 huts which can sleep 6 people each (equipped with mosquito nets and a mattress but nothing else), 2 toilets, 2 showers, and a common area for meals. I thought there was absolutely no A/C on the island, but luckily, the bathroom and dining areas were well equipped. :)



There's not much to say about our day on the island other than it was fabulous and relaxing. We literally just swam, laid out, read, listened to music, hung out, swam, tanned some more, repeated the cycle for about 8 hours until dinner. Yes, I finally have a good tan! The only downside to our wonderful trip to Ha Long Bay is that all the food the served me made me sick. Yep, that definitely sucked, so I decided to stop eating. I was definitely ready for some good pizza when we got back to Hanoi Friday night. :)



Friday night, we returned to Hanoi, our friends Taeha and Jen made their way South down Vietnam on the night bus, and Nicole and I decided to check into a hotel across the street from our old hostel to get some privacy. For $2.50 more/night, we get a private room, private bathroom, private computer + internet (which is why we can blog now!), and a tv. Not bad for $10/night!

Today we went to the Hoa Lo Prison which I found to be very interesting. (Don't ask me while I'm smiling in all these pictures - It's all I do!)



It deals with the pre-1954 period when the French incarcerated and tortured thousands of patriots and revolutionaries. We got to see the French guillotine used for executions, and some of the old cells and detention centers. The prison is probably most famous for when it became a state prison, and from 1964 to 1973 it was used to detain American prisoners of war.



One prisoner of war includes John McCain, and they had several photos of him within the prison's walls. They actually had 2 rooms dedicated to portraying this section of the prison's history. It was very interesting to see the spin they put on it. They had videos showing smiling Americans outside playing basketball and eating large portions of food, and they showed photos of them decorating a Christmas tree...Basically, they claim that they treated the American prisoners much better than anyone else.



Tonight, we had a Vietnamese dinner and Nicole practiced being a vegetarian with me! We shared amazing veggie spring rolls, tofu in black pepper sauce, and friend noodles with veggies. They are obsessed with ramen noodles here. If I was here longer, I would probably fully convert her. ;) Then again, maybe it is just the sketchy meat they serve around here. After dinner we walked around the lake. Saturday night date night is here too! The lake was packed with couples cuddling on park benches and taking late night strolls. Awww.

Tomorrow, Nicole and I are off on a 4 night trekking excursion in Sapa. Sapa is in Northern Vietnam near China, and we have to get there and back by an overnight sleeper train. I have never slept on a train before, and I doubt it will be much fun! Hopefully Sapa is worth it. ;) I hear it is beautiful and filled with ethnic minority villages. 1 night we will have a home stay with a Vietnamese family, and the other night we will be in a 2 star hotel. Our days will be filled with long hikes in the heat. I am ready for some exercise! We get back on Thursday which will be our last night together before I make my way solo to Bangkok and then Tokyo. Hopefully you will hear from me again before my last leg of the trip! Until then, have a great week, and I'd love to hear from all of you! xoxo