Winter During the Summer in New Zealand

Last Day so soon

2009-07-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today is already our last day in New Zealand. Gus and I looked at each other at one point yesterday and said, "Where did this trip go?" It flew by, and I am actually not ready to leave. There is so much to see and do here, and it makes me miss living near big mountains, snow, and genuinely cold weather. The past few days we were in Queenstown, and our trip to Milford Sound was canceled because of the snow. It was nice to be in the same town for a couple of days, I did a lot of hiking, we went and saw Harry Potter 6 (disappointing), walking around, eating. I have a friend who told me I would lost weight in New Zealand... ha ha ha... not quite.

On Thursday we drove to Lake Ohau, near Queenstown and Mount Cook, and spent the night in a ski lodge. Had a delicious dinner, walked around the lake in the middle of the night to see all the brilliant stars, and (most importantly) I learned how to play blackjack.

Friday we drove closer to Mt Cook, the highest peak in all of NZ, and we were allowed to walk for about 2 hours to get closer for photos. It is an incredible peak, surrounded by white mountains, and I can't wait for you to all see photos. Last night we arrived back in Christchurch for the end of our trip. We opted for one last group dinner, and then, I went out to the casinos! Scott, our busdriver, taught me how to play, and I wanted to test my new knowledge. At one point, I swear, I was up $45!. But I quit when I lost that $45 and walked away with my original $40. I was the only person who broke even! Vegas here I come!

This morning Gus woke up with a nasty cough, and we went straight to the pharmacy for cold medicine. He thinks it might be swine flu... ha. Today is souvenire shopping, a couple last meals, and we head out tomorrow at noon... only to land back in LA the same day at 7:30 in the morning. I will be so cute Sunday! Can't wait to catch up with you all!
xo

Queenstown

2009-07-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

We've finally made it down to Queenstown and the past two days have been so amazing. On Saturday we left Christchurch in the morning and drove through scenes from Narnia to Flock Hill Sheep Station. This is a family owned farm, they own 36,000 acres and have 13,000 sheep. Some of the sheep are black face, the type we eat (or I guess you eat as I don't eat lamb) and the others were Merino... for their wool. This guy who gave us a tour is obviously a salesman, after his talk I immediately wanted to go out and buy loads of Merino wool clothes. We hung out at the lodge for the night, had a huge buffet dinner, and watched the All Blacks play Australia in a big rugby match. So fun! It's the most intense sport I've ever seen!

Then yesterday we drove to the Fox Hill Glacier and Gus, myself about about 20 other people from our group did a day hike up the glacier. It was so beautiful, and it is one of the only glaciers in the world that is surrounded by temperate rainforest. The hike up took about an hour and half, then we played around on the ice for about an hour. We basically ran back down because the sun was rapidly setting and it was pitch black when we made it to our bus.

Last night was a karaoke competition which was so fun to watch, and one of the guys from out tour won the whole thing with his rendition of Zoot Suit Riot! Tonight we are in Queenstown (for the next 36 hours) and are going to the Ice Bar (a sub zero bar) for vodka drinks out of ice glasses. Should be fun. Tomorrow I'm going on a huge hike without Gus, the last one tuckered him out, but then we'll meet back up for lunch, Kiwi viewing, Gondola riding, and luging in the afternoon!

Wednesday night we get to sleep on a boat out in the Milford Sound, Thursday is on a lake with outdoor hottubs, and Friday we are back in Christchurch for the end of our trip. Wow it's gone by so quickly. Still so many things to look forward to this week! Hopefully my hike goes well tomorrow, 400 M straight up the side of the mountain... butt blaster for sure!

On to the Alps

2009-07-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

Today we are heading inland to the Flock Hill Sheep Station in the New Zealand mountains to spend the night at a rustic lodge. Apparently we watch a sheep demonstration first, and then get to play with sheep all afternoon?! It has started to get significantly colder as we are farther south... and will continue to head south from now on.

Yesterday we arrived in Christchurch after driving for a better portion of the day. We stopped for lunch and a hike in a town called Kaikora, and there we were able to get up close and personal with Seals. One German girl in our group was nearly bitten by one, that is how close were we able to get, but luckily it stopped charging her after she tripped over backwards and landed in a huge pile of seaweed. The hike was beautiful, all along a peninsula looking out over the ocean. Gus will be uploading photos one we've reached the states.

Tomorrow we will be hiking the Fox Hills Glacier (well at least I will - Gus is undecided), then heading in to Queenstown on Monday. We picked up 10 new passengers this morning, but haven't met them yet. We have a full bus for the next 4 days (36 people) then lose some in Queenstown, and are left with 26 for the return to Christchurch. I like both of our guides a lot though, they are funny, and tease Gus and I alot -- apparently I can be quite bossy! ha ha ha. I've never heard that one before. All is well here, and we're looking forward to continuing our adventures down south!

Skydiving?!

2009-07-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well we went skydiving today with Abel Tasman Skydiving. It was such an intense experience, and we both thought it was so incredible. We showed up (with two other Canadians from our group) at about 2 o'clock. They showed us a video of lots of people diving and parachuting down to the ground. It definitely worked to help get me pumped up, and I was a little nervous, but in all honesty, mostly excited.

Afterwards we walked into the back room, met our tandem leaders (mine was a 130lb. man named Chris) and met our videographers. They helped us sort our suits, gloves, and little leather hats and we had a quick chat about "what would be happening when we launched out of the plane" and then we boarded. Gus and I got to go together, well at least up in the plane at the same time, and within 15 minutes they were opening the door telling us it was time to go. Gus went before me, and it all went by so quickly. Next thing I knew I was hanging over the edge of the plane waving to the cameraman and the camera attached to the wing (I think I smiled) and then 1, 2, 3... Chris rocked us out of the plane into a somersault and we were sailing through the air. I think it took me about 4 seconds to realize what was happening, and we flew through a cloud. It was SO SO incredible. Floating through the sky like a weightless feather, not plummeting to the earth like I was expecting.

Quite suddenly Chris pulled the chute, and we slowed down from 120mph to about 40 or so. We could talk, and he was explaining all the amazing sights I could see. The ground approached rapidly, legs up, and we landed with a huge bump (dirt clods flew in the air) and Gus was standing there with a big grin on his face waiting to greet me! "Colleen, that was so incredible, the most amazing thing I've ever done. Can we go again? I could go about 100 more times!"

What a day!

So much in so little time

2009-07-14T00:18:00.001-07:00

Wow since the last time I wrote Gus and I have experienced a much more positive New Zealand. We finally left the Auckland region, picked up 20 new people, and headed straight to a Maori homestay for the night. Connections Travel Company is the only company in NZ that offers a traditional Maori experience, everything else is super commericial and kind of a gimmick. This was us entering a private families Mahre (church) and becoming part of their family. We had to go through this entire ritual, that including singing, prayers, and a f0rmal greeting where we touched noses with the men who were welcoming us. They spoke for about an hour about what it means to them to be Maori in NZ and it is a very interesting culture that is complicated, and to be honest, a bit angry and seemingly violent. They talked about all the tattooing that they have done to themselves and I think we all walked away wanting one.

The most impressive part of the evening was a Haka - a call to battle - that Maori men do to scare off the enemy. Women aren't allowed because they are too sacred. Nik and Sean (our guides) invited the men in our group to participate in learning a Haka, and then performing it for the entire group. They take Hakas very seriously, it is not a joke, no laughing, smiling etc. Gus participated!!!! And it was awesome, very intense, and it involved body slapping, grunts, stomping feet and the commonly seen eye bulge and tongue sticking out! The whole group cheered and cheered.

We left the following morning and drove to Rotorua, and geyser/thermal town. There were many options for activities in Rotorua, but Gus and I chose to do the white water rafting. Now please remember that the outside temp was probably around 50, and the water was colder. The thrill of this river was a 21 ft. waterfall drop, a class V experience, and something that I have never done. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was crazy. By far the gnarliest white water I've ever seen. When we came to the waterfall we stopped before going off, and we told to hold on where we ducked into the raft, grabbed ropes, and dropped off the edge. Oh and I'm sorry I forgot to mention, I had to go in the front with Gus. (Due to all our experience?!) It was insane, I screamed the whole way I think, and our boat was completely submerged at the bottom. We lost our friend Sean out the back (the Scottsman), and he was trapped under water by the power of the waterfall for 20 seconds. Honestly I have not been so worried about whether or not someone was still alive in my life. Gus was scared too. He was fine, ultimately, a bumped nose and a mild headache...

Today we are in Wellington for the night, and head to Nelson tomorrow. We will ride a 3 hour ferry from the North island to the South island. Then, on Thursday, we are going skydiving. I signed up for a 13,000 ft drop (tandem of course) and Gus is going as well. There are only 6 people going out of our group of 30! Already nervous and it's two days away. Until then we are saying good-bye to a chunk of our group tonight, get to sleep in tomorrow, and then hit the road again.

Hope everyone is well! xoxo

Worst weather ever!

2009-07-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Gus and I walked in a near hurricane... soaked to the bone, winds howling at 70 mph, lights flickering on and off... I seriously thought the windows were going to burst open, or the roof would come off! We were on the North Shore of the northern island and spent two nights there getting to know our group. Luckily 1/2 of them are getting off today and we're picking up new people. I was less than impressed by their attitudes, and energy. We have met some really nice people, 3 girls from Kentucky, 2 from England, and a nice Scottish guy.

We went to Russel yesterday and watched a Birdman Competition where people run off a dock into the ocean while dressed in ridiculous outfits. I saw a man hatch himself out of an egg and jump into the choppy sea. Also a "Jamaican Bobsled" team ran off! Wild. We were soaked and spent most of the day indoors trying to dry off.

Tonight we head to a Maori homestay where we all camp in a big building together. Gus is nervous about people hating him tomorrow because of his loud snoring! I'll let you know how it goes. Otherwise things are good here, still getting along really well, and looking forward to more adventures down the road. I think I've talked myself into skydiving!!!!!

Tour finally starts

2009-07-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

Gus and I have absolutely seen all that Auckland has to offer. Well that's not entirely true, but we are definitely ready to hit the road, meet our tour group and get started traveling around New Zealand. Our time clocks are a bit better regulated now, we stayed up until 10:30 last night!

We've seen some pretty interesting places here in Auckland. We took a day trip to Rangitoto island and hiked a 600 year old volcanic cone. Gus said that I made him sprint to the top, and truuth be told it was a pretty fast hike up. Then we took the ferry to Davenport and had lunch and walked around a bit there. I can't say enough how friendly and nice everyone is here... much like Boise, not like Los Angeles. We found a pub called Northern Steamship Brewery and they had a large selection of home brewed beer on tap. Gus discovered the Apple Mac cider, and if they weren't $8 a glass he could have easily had 10!

The food here is good, I've discovered porridge which is a lot like oatmeal, but they smoosh banana in it and put in lots of brown sugar! Lunch and dinner can be a hodgepodge of items, but we've eaten a lot of Asian food, and obviously fish and chips too.

It's pretty cold, I went for a run yesterday outside and could see my breath the entire time. This is an active city, and we have walked and walked around. We also went to Kelly Tarlton's Underwater Adventure yesterday to see penguins, stingrays and sharks. It was a pretty unique experience as they let you ride in a miniature snowcat through the King Penguin exhibit. Also the stingrays were by far the largest I've ever seen!

At 1:00 we meet up with our group, pile in the van, and head up north to Paoiri (sp?) and then to a Maori villiage. Yay!

Can't wait to report more when we have more to say!
Colleen

And we made it!

2009-07-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick check in to let everyone know that we made it safe and sound to our hotel in NZ. Everyone seems to be so helpful and friendly here! gus and I took a walking tour of Auckland for about 2 hours, and were lost a few times (yes, Gus let me navigate) but people were more than willing to direct us to the nearest major street.

we ate scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast (with my starbucks latte!) and then had Japanese noodle bowls for lunch. Who knew there was such a large Asian influence here? The sun is out, the weather is nice, but we are off to rest for a while before we hit up some pubs on our first night out!

Tomorrow we're heading out to volcanic islands!

Yes, the accent is amazing, but Gus and I think we are bigger than just about every local! ha ha!
xoxo

And We're Off

2009-07-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Our plane leaves in 4 hours and we've been keeping ourselves busy all day. I accidentally slept in this morning, until 7, then the rest of the day has been a blur. One last trip to REI for fingerless gloves and a travel wallet. Lunch, a movie, packing, dinner... and now we are just waiting.

We started our trip with Gus slicing the tip of his finger off yesterday, 5 minutes after he walked in to my apartment. That involved multiple trips to CVS, a phone call to parents, and lots of pain (on his part, I handled it quite well).

We might skydive and bungee jump. We might do more, or neither. The options are endless... and we are excited. This morning, while watching a historic tennis match, I asked Gus how he slept and he said it took him a very long time to fall asleep. I asked, "Why, was it too hot? Were the fireworks going off all night?" He replied, "um no, I was excited!" ha ha!

Next time you hear from me it will be from Auckland! Enjoy July, and keep me posted!

We are off to New Zealand on Sunday!

2009-06-29T19:38:00.001-07:00

Gus and I are off to New Zealand for 3 weeks. We fly in to Auckland on Sunday, July 5th and land there on Tuesday, July 7th. Our tour, through Connections Travel, begins on Friday. We will spend 15 days traveling along the western coast of New Zealand. Our trip will end in Queenstown, where we hope to spend two days doing all sorts of adventurous things!

Gus will be the resident photographer, and I am hoping that we will keep this blog updated with our adventures, with pictures as evidence! Can't wait to start this adventure!

All Templed Out and On My Way Home

2008-07-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

I am truly sorry to report that this will be my last blog from Indochina. Today is our last official day in Cambodia, and tomorrow will be spent driving from Siem Reap back to Bangkok. I am so happy to have completed this trip, to have literally traveled through South East Asia and survived with a smile on my face. I was speaking with Adam, tour leader, and he told me that whether I liked it or not, I would be changed by this trip. I feel like same old Colleen, I told him, but he said the change will be subtle but it will be there. If you can walk away from an experience like this and want more... you will be back. I could write for hours what being in Cambodia has been like. I can't wait to talk to some of you, and tell you my stories, and perhaps get you interested in Cambodia, and traveling. This is by far the most corrupt, backwards, upsidedown place I've ever been. A police officer sold me a beer on the top of a 12th Century temple yesterday where I sat to watch the sunset! The election that is going to occur on Sunday (tomorrow) has already been decided. But I did see a European man wearing a blue vest which read, "European Union: Election Observation Mission 2008: Cambodia" Could you imagine the EU coming to the states to observe our elections! HA! And finally you have to pay the government to get a "good"job here, but teachers quit because there is more money in Motorbike Taxi driving.

I did see Angkor Wat yesterday, along with about 4 other huge temple sites. It is unbelievable the structures and carvings that were done with the most basic of tools. I will upload photos when I get home. One Wat (temple) was still covered with jungle trees and vines, and it was eerie to walk around. Another had 216 stone faces at the top of 56 different towers! I walked and templed from 5 am to 7 pm yesterday (no joke) and as you can imagine I was exhausted by the end. I have never been so consistently dirty, sweaty, smelly, and happy ever in my life! We reached a point yesterday where we almost killed a Frenchman who told our sweet Cambodian van driver to turn off our van to save the planet. Cambodia has bigger fish to fry than one van driver who likes his A/C. We went out last night to say good-bye to my two dear Irish friends, and our leader in training, Derek. Turns out there is no way to be hydrated enough here, and my few drinks (okay maybe it was more than a few) caused me to wake up with my ONLY SE Asian hangover! Thank goodness we didn't have to get going until 9 this morning! Tomorrow we board the van at 6:30 am, and due to the election tomorrow there is no beer for sale in Cambodia.

I do want to thank you all for reading along on my journey. As you can probably tell, this blog has turned in to more of a journal than anything else, but I really enjoyed this form of communication. I am already preparing my ear and voice for all the chatting I am anticipating next week!! (Look out Mom, Beccah and D!) And I'm looking forward to catching up with all my L.A. friends as well. It's strange, but I definitely view LA as home now, and have missed it! I hope that through my experience you had an opportunity to learn a little about this complicated wild area, and if you want more info. SIGN UP TO GO FOR YOUR OWN TRIP!!!!!! Love to you all from Cambodia! xoxoxo

Cambodia Anyone?

2008-07-23T04:02:00.001-07:00

Can you believe I am in Cambodia now? I certainly can't, or am struggling to, even though we were hit right in the face with Phnom Penh (pronounced Pnom Pen) yesterday when we arrived mid-afternoon. My good friend Kusuma and I ran to the nearest ATM which was located oh so conveniently inside of a McDonalds type restaurant. What did I find? Oh all the prices in Cambodia are in American currency. ALL. And the prices here are much more similar to home than anywhere else we've been. Perhaps a good reality check for what I'm about to go home to. We also went into a supermarket (a first since I left) and wandered around to see the goods to buy. Turns out there is a LARGE ex-pat population here, and also a significant amount of NGO workers. It's bizarre. Large white men driving around on motor scooters...

We went on a long cyclo tour, then landed at a café to watch a film called Cambodia: The Final Domino or something like that. It was pretty interesting, and in an attempt to not get too political on my blog, let’s just say it recognized the US involvement in the “Secret War” and our support of Pol Pot. Interesting indeed. A wise woman told me, “Colleen, here’s what you need to always remember about history: Who told the story? When was the story told? You never know the whole story!” Thanks Lisa!

This morning we woke early to drive out to Tuol Sleng and to Choeung Ek. Tuol Sleng was a high school in Cambodia that was changed into a Security Prison where 17,000 people were detained and tortured before being taken out to Choeung Ek (or a killing field). They have both been turned in to museums/monuments recognizing the atrocities that occurred here. From 1975 (April 17^th actually) to 1979 1 million people were killed by the Khmer Rouge, and 2 million died due to starvation and other illnesses. I highly recommend reading “First They Killed My Father.” Informative memoir about growing up during this time period. The part that was actually the hardest for me (besides seeing skulls and bones everywhere at the killing field) was our tour guide. He was born in 1968 and essentially grew up during this horrible period in Cambodian history. Two of his siblings died, his aunt and uncle, and grandmother! Blah. Buddhist people have a hard time talking about atrocities, and so Rieth spoke with a smile on his face… it was so strange. To be completely honest, I don’t think I have the capacity to understand what has happened here.

Tomorrow we fly to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat! I am beyond excited!!!! It’s pouring rain here now, and we are off to a huge family style dinner out in the Cambodian countryside at one of Adam’s (tour leader) friend’s houses. Should be fun!

Cu Chi Tunnels or Disneyland?

2008-07-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

I debated for most of yesterday as to whether or not I was actually going to write about my experience at the Cu Chi Tunnels, but I have decided that it is not fair, nor accurate, if all I talk about is the "interesting" things we see. Yesterday was by far the hardest, most emotional draining day I've had in a very long time. I knew that the day was going to be difficult, and I thought that I had be "mentally preparing" for the past few days, but there was no way to predict what going to this site was actually going to feel like. First, a little background on the tunnels. The Cu Chi tunnels were a system of underground roads, rooms, shelters that were used by the VC during the war. The communist gorrillas came down from the north and hid out in these tunnels and from here they would pop out at night and kill the Southern Vietnamese soldiers and their allies. The US bombed this area extensively, and poured tons of defolient on the trees, dropped napalm bombs, agent orange bombs etc. Needless to say, this site has seen a significant amount of trama, and death. We took a bus out (about an hour from Saigon) and our local guide was a 58 year old Southern Vietnamese man who in fact worked as an interpreter for the US during the war. After the US pulled out, he spent 2.5 years living in a reeducation camp. Wild. The energy was building as we drove out in to the countryside, and one of our leaders got up to warn us about the upcoming experience. I think he said, "If there is something that I feel you can't handle, I'll let you know." Now the whole group knows about Scott being in Iraq even though I don't talk about it very often. It's hard to be in an area that has been affected by war and not talk about your personal relationship with it.

We got off the bus at about 10, and found ourselves in a heavily forested area. Apparently it has only been recently that the trees have regrown. We walked to a dug out pit to watch a communist propaganda film which was so ridiculous we actually laughed at some parts. As we were sitting there I heard some blasting sound off in the distance. I had been forewarned that there was a shooting range at this site where tourists could try shooting all sorts of guns, including machine guns, but due to the fact that I've never spent time around guns (except for what I heard in the movies) I didn't really know what to expect. The sound is horrible, louder than I expected, and constant. It started to make my heart race. My emotional energy continued to build as we walked around the site and saw the types of traps the VC used, what they wore, where they lived etc. This is obviously one of the main attractions in Saigon, and so there were hundreds of people wandering around. My group, luckily, was taking the experience seriously, but clearly we have no control over how other people behave. Some American tourists were having their pictures taken pretending to be a soldier, or falling in to the trap etc. It made me feel really yucky. We walked around a bend in the road, machine gun firing in the backround, and there was a huge American tank stuck off to one side. On top of the tank was a fat white American woman grinning like the Cheshire cat, and I lost it. I knew that I couldn't stand there and watch people make a joke out of this war reality, and I walked away chin quivering. I can't emphasize the deafening sound of machine gun fire, and we couldn't see it so it sounded like it was coming from all directions. We had to walk right by the range in order to get out, and as we walked in to the clearing where the guns were, I had an anxiety attack. I couldn't breathe, think, see... all I could do was hear gun fire. Luckily Derek (leader in training) saw me, and he quickly ushered me around the next corner... but the sound penetrates everything. I sobbed, thinking of Scott, and soldiers, and war and it kept building and building. It took a good 15 minutes for me to calm down enough to take deep breaths.

So, clearly I am better this morning, and we are all allowed to experience moments in our own way. The people in my group were unbelievably supportive, thoughtful, caring etc. and I felt safe with them, and well taken care of. I still walked through a tunnel later on in the morning, and even went to the War Remenants museum in the afternoon. It was a hard day. But I am proud of myself for sticking with it, and I knew that talk of war was going to be part of this experience.

On a lighter note (ha ha) I did eat dinner last night at Pho 2000 (a famous Vietnamese soup restaurant) where Bill Clinton dined in 2000 when he came to visit Saigon. Pictures of him line the walls. They still love Bill here! Today we are off to Chau Doc (a border town) and then tomorrow morning we cross in to Cambodia for 5 nights... then back to Bangkok. Then end is definitely in sight.

3 Days in 100 degree heat makes me crazy!

2008-07-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

It's finally happened. I've gone crazy. We spent the last 3 nights in Hoi An which is a small town in the middle of Vietnam. The primary purpose of this town is shopping. There are tailors everywhere who will literally fashion any clothing item your heart might desire. It was time to relax, walk around, explore the surround area, and shop your heart our. Those of you who know me, know that shopping is not my favorite thing to do, but you better believe that I participated! I bought a new pair of pants, and a cute little black dress that I am looking forward to wearing when I am not sweating all the time. Let's talk about the sweat for a second... I am honestly sweating all the time now. We've had no break from the heat for about 5 days, except for one afternoon thunderstorm that cooled things off for about an hour. Due to the fact that I don't want to be one of those travelers who spends too much time in the air conditioned hotel room, I've been going out and fighting the fight. This means that from about 6 am (yes I've still been getting up early to try to cram as much in as possible) till about 10 or 11 pm I'm sweating. I think it makes me feel a little crabby, and highly irritable.

All this being said, Hoi An was a beautiful town. 3 days ago I woke up at 5:30 to go to the fish market when all the little old ladies are bringing in the days catch. Due to the fact that there is little to no refrigeration here, people shop for groceries every day. I saw the most bizarre things in this morning market, including a whole basket full of ducklings (clearly someones bfast). Yesterday morning I woke again at 5:30 to drive out to My Son (pronounced Me Son) which are ancient ruins that date back to the 4th century. Unfortunately a significant portion of the ruins have been ruined from B-52 bomb blasts! I have seen up close and personal a blast hole. Wild. This morning I rode a bike out to the beach at 8 to sit in the sweltering sun for about 10 minutes, and then float in the China Sea for an hour! It was lovely.

Siagon/Ho Chi Mihn City is much more intense. Tomorrow is a trip to the Cu Chi tunnel to see where the VC operated during the war, and then an afternoon at the War Remenants Museum which apparently has brought every man, woman and child to tears. Blah. I've figured out that we go for an intense day or two, then take a break. Tomorrow marks the beginning of my last week on the trip, and we have so much planned between now and then I know I'm going to be running non-stop. Good thing I have a few weeks before school starts again! I'm going to need to REST! :) Hope everyone is well, and I love reading all your comments! Thanks for checking in with me! xoxo

It's all starting to sink in

2008-07-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

We spent 24 hours blissfully floating around Halong Bay, on what should be considered a cruise boat, but is insanely cheap. I hiked up a tall mountain, swam in the salty sea water, and ate more fishy creatures than I have in a very long time. It was a nice opportunity to get to know some of the new members of our group. They are from all walks of life, and all ages. Nice enough, but I miss the people we've left behind. I was kind of wondering why we spent the time doing this amazingly nice trip, when I realized that we left Hanoi and Halong Bay to begin our journey to Southern Vietnam.

Last night we took a night train from Hanoi to Hue. We awoke this morning to Adam, our tour leader, opening the door and asking if we've been watching outside. No, was our reply, but we sat up, slipped out of our silk sleeping sacks, and stared out the window. I didn't see anything that looked too abnormal. Rice fields, water buffalo... Adam said, "Do you see those odd shaped ponds, the ones that are scattered everywhere?" Yes, they were easy to see. Well he informed us that those are B-52 Bomb craters, that have since filled with water. Oh sure. It's not even 8 am and we are in the midst of the main areas of tension during the American War (or the Vietnam War as we call it in the states). Hue, where we are staying tonight, was one of the main areas that was hit. Adam's idea for the day was to ride on motor scooters all around Hue. We boarded the bikes (helmets on I promise) at about noon. I did not return to our hotel until 6:30 or so. We rode for hours and hours, all around. It was an incredible experience. My driver was at least 60 but he was very sweet, and tried to teach me some more Vietnamese. We rode through rice fields, through alleys, and then ended up riding along the Perfume River. We saw Bunker Hill today, and across the river was Hamburger Hill. It's a pretty intense experience to walk through these hills, and hear a bit of history from a different perspective. There was one moment, near the beginning, where we were in the rice fields, and there was beauty everywhere I looked, and I cried. Clutching to the sweaty back of my 90lb driver, tears rolled down my cheeks because I understood that life goes on. This country is booming, and trying desperately to repair itself to compete in the world economy. What a day!

Tomorrow we are off to the Imperial Palace here in Hue, and then a 3 hour van ride will take us to Hoi An, which apparently is a beautiful, charming old city. Time is flying, each day faster than the last! I think I've decided my next trip will be to Africa! 41 days!!! :)

Off to Float on a Boat

2008-07-12T17:08:00.001-07:00

We made it Hanoi, Vietnam all in one piece, but don't bother asking how many times I've almost died since I've been here. The drivers in Vietnam are worse than the worst drivers in Cali and Boise combined. Yesterday we walked around in the pouring rain for about 4 hours, and I stayed relatively dry, it's amazing what umbrellas can do. I bought a new silk top, as I was getting quite sick of wearing my tech clothes all the time. I did realize quickly though why I am wearing tech clothes here, and it's because I sweat so much that I sweat right through my new shirt in about 5 minutes. Nothing like wet silk to keep you cool in the humidity. Last night I went to Funky Monkey Pub to say good-bye to six of our group members. It is official, I have danced in South East Asia, and I don't think that I embarrassed myself too badly. Those of you that have seen me dance might feel differently...

Today we are off to Halong Bay to float around on a junk boat for about 24 hours. Very excited!!! Then down Vietnam we go!!! xoxox

Leaving Laos

2008-07-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe we are already moving on to a new country! I stop sometimes and think about how long I've been here, and I realize it's been almost 2 weeks, but in the same pause I realize how quickly it's all going by. There are moments here where I think about all the people who I am close to, and how much I would like them to see what I am seeing, or eat what I just ate, or drink a Dark Beer Laos (my favorite beer so far!). My group is wonderful, but I am also realizing how independent I actually am, and what an introvert I am. I get all my energy by spending time by myself, and then I am ready to share my energy with others. Some of the girls groan when they have to stay a night by themselves, yet I rejoice in that space!

I realized I haven't talked much about food or animals, so I will update you a bit on both. The food in Thailand and Laos are very similar. Breakfast every day is bread, egg, fruit, and (thankfully) coffee. Lunch can be just about anything you can imagine, but typically served with either white or sticky rice. Believe it or not, I am branching out to try new dishes (I've developed quite a taste for curry) and am eating tons of FRESH veggies and fruit. The pineapple here is unbelieveable. All the food is bought daily from markets that line the streets early in the morning. These are so interesting to visit, as there is everything you can possibly imagine for sale, but nothing is processed, all raw and fresh. Including, veggies, fruits, MEAT (just lying around) eggs, whole chickens still alive, fish -fresh and dried, etc. It's so wild. Not too many desserts, even though the other night I found a man making pancakes (actually crepes) and had a banana, coconut, chocolate concoction. It was DELICIOUS!

The animals are another story... first of all, there are ANTS everywhere, and I do think some of them bite. The misquitoes have not been too bad, got lots of bites in Thailand, but only a few here. Beetles of all colors. Butterflies as big as my hand. Geckos scurry across the ceiling of every hotel we've stayed at. There are spiders here, I'm sorry to say, and yesterday I saw one that was the size of a very large cookie. Yuck! People in Laos cohabitate with their pets, so there are also animals roaming the countryside. Kittens, dogs, pygmy goats, a few small horses, a few small cows, potbelly pigs, water buffalo!

Hanoi, Vietnam is where we will be arriving later this evening, and we have a full day of touring tomorrow, and we have to say good-bye to 6 of our group members on Sunday as they leave to go off to other things, and we will be acquiring 6 new people. Some of these first 6 I am going to be very sad to see go... I loved Laos, and this is a country I would love to visit again someday! :)

Photos

2008-07-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Monsoon Season Has Hit!!

2008-07-08T01:59:00.000-07:00

What a crazy two days I've had. I don't think I've even stopped to breathe until just now, and that is only because it is raining too hard to do much else. The morning of the monks was incredible, it was a cloudy, misty morning (common here in Laos) and the whole group of us (16 in all) walked over to a temple to watch the monks receiving rice from the local residents of Luang Prabang. It was quiet, and peaceful, and the monks in their brightly colored orange robes were quite a sight!
Afterwards 3 of my new friends and I decided to be adventurous! We hired a long boat (a narrow, wooden boat with an engine attached to the back) to take us across the river to a different town. Here we went to see a few Wats (Temples) and a limestone cave with Buddha images inside. We really didn't know what we were getting ourselves in to. After climbing 300+ stairs to see an old rundown temple, I stopped to wipe the dripping sweat from my brow, and noticed the incredible view. It is so beautiful here, lush and green, and I swear it reminds me of parts of Indiana! On the way back down the stairs I saw a HUGE scorpion, and did my little screaming dance, and a small Laos girl came over with a broom and cleared it out of our way. Up the path we went, and found the entrance to the cave. It was closed, with a huge wooden door and a padlock. We were all so disappointed. But then, suddenly, an orange figure appeared, and it was a Monk (young, probably 13 or 14) and he opened the cave for us. He also became our silent tour guide. It was a limestone cave that went deep into the dark. No handrails, safety nets, helmets or lights. Thank goodness I had my headlamp!! What an experience, we saw bats, and climbed all around in this cave all by ourselves!

Yesterday the big event was our 3 hour trek through the Laos jungle. Again, as I am finding to be more and more common here, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. A small man led 6 of us through the jungle to meet up with the rest of our group at a huge waterfall. It was one of the most insane hikes/walks I've ever been on, solely due to the sheer quantity of mud, and slippery surfaces. I slipped 3 times, but am lucky as nothing is hurt except my ego. The path was so windy and narrow, and at one point I strangled myself on a vine!

Today we are in Vang Viene, then to Vientienne (capital city) then off to Vietnam! In 4 days we lose 6 people from our group, and get 6 new ones. There is a lot to be said for traveling in a big group. Some really wonderful, positive things (I'm learning a lot about Canada, Ireland, and Switzerland) but also there is little to no "alone time"! My Ipod with headphones has become my only break! I am so enjoying this experience, and am already thinking about... India? Central America? Russia? Where to next!! :)

Luang Prabang, it rhymes so it must be true!

2008-07-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

I am in Laos now, and am officially exhausted. We spent the last two days traveling down the Mekong river (the 9th longest river in the world) to arrive at our new destination. Yesterday we stopped at a river village to see how they live. No electricity, no running water, making money by selling rice... yet they clearly have so many tourists come to visit that the children there knew to stick out their hands to ask for extra coins. It is hard to not give money to small children, even though we are not supposed to. Laos is a very interesting country, it's history is complicated. The people here are amazing, and a simple smile and wave does wonders here. Last night we slept in a villiage that only has electricity for 4 hours a day, all run by generators. Some of the people in my group were a bit freaked out by that, but it was nice to kind of be away from it all for a night. I walked for about an hour, down the main road, and was greeted by many people along the way. Turns out a tall, white woman, with blondish hair and blue eyes is not common in this part of the world. At one point, I had a whole troup of children following along behind me.

We are in Luang Prabang for a couple of night (and I get a room to myself!!!!). Tomorrow morning I am waking up at 5:00 am to watch the Monks do their walking meditation, where they apparently walk down the street with baskets and the villagers come out offering money to the Monks. A sight I can't wait to see. Life is good over here in SE Asia!!! Hiking on Monday, finally, to some waterfalls. It is official, I won't lose any weight over here, all I do is eat rice and sit around! Luckily there aren't many sweets, so hopefully I won't get in to too much trouble. But I do miss my spin class! Ha ha!!

Chang Mai, Oh My!

2008-07-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

I rode an elephant yesterday, and that is pretty much all I have on my mind this morning. I recently went to the Santa Barbara zoo and we watched these two enormous elephants stand around in their artificial habitat, and it made me feel pretty sad. Yesterday was a completely different story. We drove up to the elephant park and there we at least 30 elephants roaming around! Yes, they were chained up, and yes their trainers used sharp hooks to guide them around, but for some reason I was not upset at all. I was completely overwhelmed by their majestic grace. Lumbering, playful, stubborn, strong beasts, with beautiful eyes, and hair that feels like steel wool. Of course I was the first person who wanted to get on, and I felt like a school girl, squealing with delight as I was lifted up into the air. We rode for about an hour, through the jungle, seeing the homes of the river dwellers. It was an amazing day!

Today I am taking a Thai cooking class. I know it sounds kind of strange, but apparently it is one of the most fun things to do in Chang Mai. We will be cooking some kind of soup, a curry, pad thai, and banana something. You all know how much I love bananas! We leave for Laos tomorrow (pronounced Lao), and I am feeling sad that we are already leaving this one beautiful country behind. Perhaps I will try to get some pictures posted soon, but please know that I am thinking of all of you, and wishing you were here!

I'm in Bangkok, Baby!

2008-06-29T23:20:00.001-07:00

I made it! I am here, dripping sweat, filthy dirty, haven't slept in what feels like a very long time. I realized that I am between 14 and 12 hours ahead of the US, and it's weird to be living a Monday while you all are still on Sunday. I managed to get in a taxi, find my hotel, and my room within about an hour post landing. I've met one of the women on my trip, Kathleen, and she is lovely! Also a teacher, what are the chances! ha ha. The people I have encounted so far (in my whopping 5 hours here) are wonderful! Kind faces, genuine smiles, already teasing me as I stumble trying to speak Thai. Yes, I've already stepped in front of a motorcycle, thinking it was my turn, when clearly there is an unwritten law of the road I don't understand. The sights and smells are overwhelming, and I feel like I look very silly walking around all bug eyed trying to take everything in.

I tried to get a Thai visa this morning when I didn't need one, I saw a whole family riding on a motorcycle, and have already been tempted to eat food from street vendors! Believe it or not, I have also managed to attend a Buddhist prayer meeting (don't worry, I sat in the back). I don't think we are going to stop moving for quite a while. Oh, one more thing, it is customary in Thai culture to take off your shoes when entering most stores etc. so I am sitting at this table barefoot! Yum! Love to you all!!

Going, Going, Gone...

2008-06-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

I leave tomorrow! The departure date for the trip I've been planning for months has finally arrived. My plane leaves at 11:10 pm tomorrow night from LAX, and I'm flying straight to Bangkok. Yes, it's a 17 hour flight, and no, I don't really know what I'm going to do on an airplane for 17 hours. I have all of my travel items set out around my apartment, and it's certainly not very much. Today I will spend cleaning, laundrying, and packing. I'm going to get one last hike in, and I am planning on eating as much as I possibly can!

I truly appreciate all the love and support from you all! I am beyond excited today, and am now just counting down the hours.

Getting Ready to Depart

2008-06-16T09:32:00.001-07:00

I realized this morning that I should get with it, "it" being the new wave of communication, and thus I have created a blog. I leave for Bangkok, Thailand in 12 days and have little to no interest in writing big group emails once or twice a week. If you are interested in where I am or what I am doing, this will be an easy way for you to check it. Now, I'm not typically very diligent about keeping things updated, I've never successfully kept a journal or diary, but hopefully this will be a communication system that will work. At this point I am pledging to at least try.

I am home in Boise this week, doing some last minute, very important errands such as: purchasing sweat wicking undergarments, a hat, getting a typhoid fever shot, sleeping as much as humanly possible etc. Today, if I'm being honest, I am feeling pretty nervous/overwhelmed about my big adventure. I am traveling with Gap Adventures, doing the Indochina Encompassed tour with a group of 7 people. I have never met them, nor have we communicated very much at this point. I am assuming we all realize that 30 days with a small group of people could be a bit much. I am bringing at least one book, and ear plugs. But I am also going in to this trip with an open mind and heart.