Alicia, Jen, and I woke up with plans to leave at 6 am Thursday morning, but of course Jeremy was missing. We went and knocked on his door and woke him up, so after he got dressed and packed his bag we were able to leave. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time though, and flew to Macau. From there we took a boat to Hong Kong, and arrived in the city around 4. After wandering the street that we knew our hostel was on for 15 minutes with no luck locating the place, we finally learned that the lobby and desk of the place was on the 13th floor of a building we saw. We checked in and headed out for our first official Chinese meal.
I should have known that eating was going to be an experience, since Jeremy and I have two very different takes on fine cuisine. Still, we let him lead and he decided on a tiny, hole in the wall place where the staff did not speak English and they did not have an English menu. Think of a take out place where you wait to pick up your food. That's where we were. Alicia and I pretty much walked out within the first minute, but the man assured us that one of his diners (there were 3) spoke English and could translate for us. I explained to him that I only ate chicken and rice, but Jeremy suggested he picked his favorite food for us to try, so within 2 minutes we had gelatin-like mushroom soup and curry squid. Then came fish balls and some veggies, but I was not impressed. Since Alicia and I hardly ate there, we got to pick another place to try out, where I got a a very nice dish of fried rice with vegetables.
We went to a karaoke bar because it was Jen's birthday, but after such a long day we headed back to they hostel before 10. We watched some television before passing out, but got up early the next morning to head to Disneyland Hong Kong.
I've never been to any Disney before, but as much fun as I had I have to admit that the hype about Disney was a little much. (I'm also nearly 21 and was in Hong Kong, so maybe that had something to do with it.) We were such thrifty moms though, and packed peanut butter, jelly, and a loaf of bread so we didn't have to pay for expensive park food. Thank good, since they served noodles and rice instead of pizza and chicken nuggets. I think my favorite part of the day was seeing all of the different shows and performances. It made me miss dancing a lot, but remember how much I loved performing.
All weekend we took pictures the three girls, and then one of Jeremy, but at some points he went a little picture happy and made us take them in front of silly things. This photo is one example of our joy for this. When I get home you will have to ask me to see the entire trips photos though. There is a fun trend to them.
After watching the fireworks at the end of the night, we headed back to the main strip where out hostel was, and planned to get something to eat. Somehow we returned to that first restaurant Jeremy love and affectionate named "Uncle Bob's." This evening there was a college aged girl who helped us order, and did so a little more effectively. Since it was Friday during Lent I wasn't eating meat, so I asked her to order me rice and mixed vegetables. Unfortunately, that didn't translate perfectly and I ended up with a bowl of rice and a bowl of bean sprouts. Still, it was edible and I dealt with it.
We headed back to our hostel and were disappointed when the television stopped working. To pass the time before bed we passed around a juice box and took turns telling a bedtime story. Very cute, but I think Jeremy was killed in the story about 8 times.
On Saturday we slept until 10 before exploring the city. I am not sure exactly what I was expecting Hong Kong to be like, but it didn't really match my vision. Maybe it's because I've been in South East Asia for so long now and have visited so many different cities. But this one just reminded me of the rest of them, with a little more NYC in it. We even visited Time Square and walked past all of the designer stores. During the day we also walked through some parks, one that had an "Olympic Stadium" in it. I took this as a good sign that the Olympics and China would meet for me again!
The best thing I think we did in Hong Kong was visit Victoria Peak, which overlooks all of Hong Kong. The city, as you may be able to see from the clothes in the pictures, was much colder than Singapore and a big adjustment. I would just like to state again, how happy I am to be missing winter by being hear. On top of the peak was most cold though, and combined with the wind was almost unbearable. We saw the view at both the day and in the evening, and it was much more beautiful at night.
On Sunday we headed back to Macau to explore "the Las Vegas of South East Asia," but were disappointed. I have never been to Vegas, but I am pretty sure if I traveled there 40 years ago, Macau may have resembled it. It was an old looking city, with little to do other than the casinos, I suppose. We went to a market that was disappointingly small, and I was then served my worst meal of the semester. They, again, did not have English menus, but the owner spoke very good English. I asked him for rice and chicken, which I thought was pretty basic. What I got, though, was a chicken, sliced in half, boiled, and his bones removed. It was awful and I was done before the dish even got to the table. Jeremy told me he likes eating around me. We visited some parks and Jeremy made us pose for more pictures, and then we just headed to the airport early.
On another note, I want a Chinese baby. Does anyone think they can help me?! haha. All of the children here are beautiful, so if anyone is thinking of adopting I strongly recommend a Chinese girl.
On Sunday, our Chinese New Year host, Alez, and his father took Michele, Kiko, and me on a tour of the farms in the north-west part of the island. We started by going to a "coffee shop" for breakfast. Now to me that meant cute muffins and toast, but it was a traditional hawkers center. His dad ordered for us, so I ended up eating what I equate to beef broth and noodles at 9 am. Oye.
After breakfast we began our fish farm visits. The first place we saw was not for edible fish, but those that you would put in a pond outside your house. We saw some that looked like giant goldfish, but as we progressed they got bigger and bigger. I don't know what sort of ponds some Singaporeans have, but by the end these fish were bigger than I am! I know this sounds like a fisherman's story, but I swear I could have ridden one back to the states.
We next headed to a fish farm where you buy fish for food. After watching some swim around in little pools, Alez's dad picked one out as our dinner. Fishie was scooped into a bucket and taken behind a counter, which is when I stopped watching so I would be able to eat later. We learned that these fish don't have that terrible fish smell when you cook them because the pools they swim in have really clean water that clean out their insides. Yummm.
After we had enough fish, our group went to the Bollywood Organic Vegetable Farm, where we toured the grounds and looked at all the different plants and bananas! Did you know that there are over 500 different types of bananas, so you could spend over a year trying a different kind each day!? The leaves on some of the trees there were honestly bigger than I am. They reminded me of blankets.
After our tour of the area, we took a break and met up with Alez in his dorm later in the evening. He cooked us Fishie and some greens that we bought at the veggie farm. We of course had rice, and his roommate actually made us a chicken stew too. Did you know that in Singapore it is traditional for the men to cook? Hear that boys at home?!
The fish was surprising good, once I stopped calling him Fishie and just ate. They made me try his cheek though, because it is supposed to be the most tender part, and I didn't care for that so much. Overall, though, I was pretty proud of myself! Poor Fishie though!
Laurel is coming to Singapore April 3-11!! I am so excited to get to share my new home with someone from home, and am already beginning to plan all the places she needs to see and the people she has to meet!
The invitation stands, if anyone else wants to fly over here too! *wink*
When we finally arrived in Vietnam, our bus spent an hour trying to drive through the city. Our reservations had been cancelled at the hostel we had planned to stay at, so we improvised and stopped at the first one we came across. It was very nice and had 2 empty rooms, so we took it!
The boys were determined to have suits made, so that was our first stop. I considered getting a nice one custom made, but they were a bit pricey and I am already fretting on how to get everything home at the end of the semester. After Michele and I decided what fabrics and designs would look good, they had their measurements taken and we headed to dinner.
Right next to the tailor's was an ADORABLE Italian place. We were seated, and I almost cried looking at the menu. A lot from excitement, but also memories Everything on it was real Italian food, from risotto to gnocchi and it just made me think of Turin. Calendar wise, March 2 was also my last day in Turin last year, so maybe my subconscious had something to do with it.
We woke up early on Saturday and met our tour guide at 8. We, of course, took a BUS tour of the city, so my celebration of buses being over was squashed. Our guide, although very friendly, did not speak very clear English so he wasn't always helpful.
We first went to the war museum, where they had old tanks and planes, as well as photos and historic relics. My favorite part of the museum was the section that told the story of journalists covering the war, but that's because I'm a dork. The history geek in me was satisfied too.
We then went to the Reunification Palace, which was the workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the war and the site of the official handover of power during the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Our tour guide was pretty decipherable here, which made the tour much more valuable.
We saw the Notre Dame Cathedral (yes we were still in Ho Chi Minh), the post office, and a temple. We then grabbed lunch, and the four of us went to the Ho Chi Minh museum on our own.
We though the museum was going to be about the city, but were surprised to learn it was actually about the man. The museum was full of cups that he drank out of and pens that he used. VERY historic. I guess my joking about it caught up to me, though, because I fell down the stairs AGAIN as we were leaving, but Sascha caught me and saved me from taking as bad of a fall. Please note, my Old Navy flip flops are being retired after that trip.
We shopped a very little on our way back to the hostel, and then had dinner and played cards at night. The following morning we got up early, picked up the boys suits, and headed home. We waiting in line at immigration for a long time, but flew back in to Singapore with no troubles. It did, however, start pouring the moment we got off the plane. Classic Singapore. Some things never change.
We had bought our bus tickets through our hotel, so at 12:30 we boarded a coach bus (no more vans, thank goodness) and embarked on the next leg of our trip. I have become very good at putting my headphones in and sleeping on public transportation, so I dosed for a while on the bus ride, even though I had done nothing to require sleep. I am also a pro at curling up in a bus seat, with my feet resting on the back of the seat in front of me and my body curled to the inside. It's a sight, I'm sure, since the boys said my body shouldn't bend like that.
Now, while sleeping on a bus doesn't seem like an incredible feat, you need to understand Cambodian buses and driving. When there are paved roads, they do (gasp) have yellow lines down the center. Yet, they apparently mean nothing. We passed other cars and trucks regardless of solid and dotted lines, and without care to curves and oncoming traffic. Honking the horn is common and happened EVERY 45 seconds, as a way to say "hey, there's a car behind you". In some instances it made sense, as a warning to motos that a big bus was coming up behind them. But when we were behind a row of cars and oncoming traffic, I am still unsure what honking accomplished.
5 hours later (remember we were told 2) we arrived in Phnom Penh and were again mobbed by drivers, this time of tuk-tuks. We wanted to buy bus tickets to Vietnam before going to our hostel, but the bus station didn't seem to sell them. The man who was following us and offering to take us to our hostel also offered to drive us in his tuk-tuk to Vietnam, but we passed on that.
We finally agreed to hire this man to bring us to the hostel, and he swore that all five of us could fit, no problem. Well, 4 would have been a very tight squeeze, never mind and additional five large backpacks. We gave it a go anyway, since we were afraid of getting split up, but I am pretty sure we broke his tuk-tuk. It sputtered a sad put-tuk-tuk-put-put as we started, and the noises only got worse as we travelled on. After driving around the city for an hour and stopping for directions for multiple times, our driver confessed to us that he did not know where our hostel was, and he was worried about his tuk-tuk, so he transferred us to his friend's ride. This one was newer, and the man knew where we were going. Progress.
We finally arrived and settled in to our rooms. Since it was already dark and the city was very busy but seemed the least safe of all of our visits, we decided to just eat in our hostel and stay in. The hostel played the movie "The Killing Fields" which was about the war in Cambodia, so that was a perfect way to spend our evening. We went to sleep early, since apparently doing nothing all day can make you as tired as an active day.
The next morning Rachel met up with the other group and we boarded another bus, this time for Vietnam. 6 more hours, I told myself repeatedly, and we will be done with buses. Thank goodness we were flying home.
Another reason I was not a huge fan of Phonom Penh may be because I fell down the stairs there. Our room was on the third floor, and although I am no longer surprised by narrow and steep staircases, this one was slippery as well. And, as most of you know, Old Navy flip flops do not help with traction. Thankfully we were done with the beach, because I have some awful bruises from my upper thigh up my back and shoulder.
We took a bus from Bangkok to Trat, and then a van to the Thailand-Cambodia boarder. We arrived at the boarder around 6 AM, and literally stood around until Immigration opened at 7. We got our passports stamped, as were greeted by far too many men willing to give us a ride to the boat we planned to take to Sihanoukville. As we left Immigration, boarder control realized that Jeff was missing a stamp in his passport so we had to go back. By the time everything was taken care of, our driver suggested that we take a bus, not the boat, since we were cutting it close and it was less expensive anyway. We agreed, which may have been the biggest mistake we made the whole trip.
The 'bus' that we were going to take for a four and a half hour ride turned out to be a 12 person van. The streets of Cambodia turned out to be dirt roads, through construction that suggests a road may be built, eventually. That is, of course, if the process continues with breaking through mountains of rock and levels any bit of the land. The four and a half hour ride turned out to be more like six. And four times we had to"take a ferry" across a body of water because there are no bridges.Honestly, think Oregon Trail and fording the river. If we had oxen, we would be lucky if they didn't drown. Rachel and I shared the very backseat that was fit for one larger person, but really not two. Good thing we love each other. The one good thing about the ride was that we were able to see so much of Cambodia. The country is very underdeveloped, and the images I will always recall of Cambodia are dusty and tan. While everyone we encountered along the way was extremely friendly, I cannot help but wonder what so many people do day in and day out. At every ferry stop there were food stalls,but what happens when bridges are actually built. These people spend their life selling Sprites to tourists passing through, for maybe a dollar a person. I just have a hard time understanding.
When we finally arrived at the 'bus station' (actually just an open lot where the bus stopped and let us out) many hours later, we were swamped by driversoffering us rides on their motos. As we told them where we had reservations, they nodded eagerly and shooed us towards their bikes. As I noted earlier, I must look silly with my big backpack, since one driver moved my bag from my shoulders to his moto in a swift motion. "Too big for you" he reminded me.
We arrived at our accommodations a few minutes later, and were thrilled to find two adorable rooms that were right next door to each other. Michele and I shared a bed and our room with Rachel, and enjoyed a private bath, AND toilet paper. That first night we walked down to the beach and had dinner at one of the restaurants. We played cards outside our rooms for a while before passing out from exhaustion.
On Tuesday we slept in before meeting some friends Sascha had made and following them to a secluded beach. The sand was cleaner and the water a BEAUTIFUL blue-green. We actually met a man who was about 40, retired, and a Cornell alum. It is a SMALL world. After a lot of swimming and tanning, we returned to the hotel and went to a different restaurant on the beach. While sitting and waiting for our food, we were swarmed by children selling bracelets. While the constant rush of people trying to sell things for "only 1 dolla" was often frustrating, the children were pretty cute and really bright. They told us about how they went to school and a bit about their families.
On Wednesday we repeated our routine of sleeping in and hitting the beach. We also tried to find a market, but it wasn't really touristy and so there was not much to see. One of the best parts about eating out in different places was the option to get western food. Bread with breakfast and burgers and sandwiches for lunch and dinner.
On Thursday we woke up early to hit the beach before heading to Phnom Penh. Our bus left at 12:30 and the capital city was only 2 hours away. Or, so we were told. This was our third bus/van experience, and we were a little concerned because of the roads we took to arrive in Sihanoukville. Still, we were hopeful that since there was pavement once we arrived here, the same would stand for the capital.
Our first country to visit was Thailand, so on Friday morning Michele, Sascha, Jeff, and I flew to Bangkok. After a little bit of trouble at the airport, we arrived at Big John's Guesthouse and were thrilled to find the owner to be a fun loving Australian. They made amazing sandwiches there and I happily enjoyed western food all weekend.
After unpacking a bit, the four of us decided to explore around our hostel, but found that there wasn't too much nearby. We later learned that we were in the eastern part of the city, a section that was not touristy. We came to appreciate this much more later. We had dinner at Big John's and then hung around the hostel and got to meet other backpackers. One of the girls I talked to was teaching English in Japan, while another had spent the last few months globe trotting. This backpacking culture just amazes me so much, and every person's story intrigues me more.
You would all be proud to know that I am becoming quite a backpacker myself. Or at least, I like to tell myself I am. I have showered and gone to the bathroom in some interesting places, have learned to carry a role of toilet paper (or at least a small package of tissues) at all times, have slept in beds that are NOT queen sized, have washed my clothes in the sink, and have carried my backpack weighing 18 kilos. Now, at the same time, every taxi driver and hostel owner has snatched my bag off my back because they said it was too big for me, I have run screaming from rats, and have been stranded on the side of the road because I was afraid to cross the traffic. But I still, I think I'm being pretty tough! Minimal complaining from this girl!
Late Friday night we did catch up with the girls, and even later the rest of the boys! We made plans for Saturday before drifting off to sleep on our squeaky bunk beds, and found great joy in waking the boys up in the morning. My friends are not morning people, haha!
Jeremy, Jen, and Julio had gone out ahead of us, so Alicia, Rachel, and our group got up and headed out around 11. Our plan was to meet up at 1, but taking the sky train, a river boat, and figuring out the route to our meeting point did not work out well. We ended up shopping around for a few hours before meeting at 4 at our back up plan meeting spot. In those shopping hours, we did find a great little Thai restaurant which kicked "Taste of Thai"'s butt in comparison. Yum!
Once we finally got together, Jeremy lead us on his tour of the must see Thailand sights, aka the tourist destinations marked with icons on his map from the airport. We saw the 200-year-old Giant Swing, a bright-red wooden structure that was once the focus of Brahman ceremonies in honor of the Hindu god Shiva. (I didn't think it looked like a swing... but shhh). We then went to the Democracy Monument, which is right in the middle of a traffic roundabout. It was the first of many times that I was forced to cross the street while traffic was whizzing by me. SCARY.
After those travels around the city, 7 of us headed to a hotel that was supposed to have a restaurant and great view from the top floor. We split into two groups, and unfortunately the other half got lost for the next hour. When we arrived at the hotel, we were also told our dress was not acceptable to enter the restaurant (7 sweaty college kids denied access to a classy hotel, we didn't see this coming?)
We then went shopping at a night market and went to bed early. We had plans to go to the floating market early in the morning (my alarm went off at 6, this was NOT screaming relaxing vacation to me) but because of travel complications and the distance of the markets, we ended up going back to sleep until noon.
As we prepped to explore the city again on Sunday, Rachel realized she lost her ATM card, so we hung back and took care of those logistics for a while. We shopped at another market for a while, before returning to the hostel to finish packing. We went to a really great Thai restaurant, all 9 of us, for dinner, and then said our goodbyes.
With the group down to Michele, Sascha, Jeff, Rachel, and myself, we grabbed 2 cabs and headed to the bus station for our overnight ride to the boarder. Since this was our first bus ride of the trip and they gave us blankets, I was still optimistic and peppy about travels. Please note, this got less enjoyable throughout the week!
I will be studying at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore from January until May 2007. Here you will find reflections, experiences, and photos of my time abroad.
Alicia, Jen, and I woke up with plans to leave at 6 am Thursday morning, but of course Jeremy was missing. We went and knocked on his door and woke him up, so after he got dressed and packed his bag we were able to leave. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time though, and flew to Macau. From there we took a boat to Hong Kong, and arrived in the city around 4. After wandering the street that we knew our hostel was on for 15 minutes with no luck locating the place, we finally learned that the lobby and desk of the place was on the 13th floor of a building we saw. We checked in and headed
out for our first official Chinese meal.
Then came fish balls and some veggies, but I was not impressed. Since Alicia and I hardly ate there, we got to pick another place to try out, where I got a a very nice dish of fried rice with vegetables.
Then came fish balls and some veggies, but I was not impressed. Since Alicia and I hardly ate there, we got to pick another place to try out, where I got a a very nice dish of fried rice with vegetables.
Hong Kong, so maybe that had something to do with it.) We were such thrifty moms though, and packed peanut butter, jelly, and a loaf of bread so we didn't have to pay for expensive park food. Thank good, since they served noodles and rice instead of pizza and chicken nuggets. I think my favorite part of the day was seeing all of the different shows and 
performances. It made me miss dancing a lot, but remember how much I loved performing.
Hong Kong, so maybe that had something to do with it.) We were such thrifty moms though, and packed peanut butter, jelly, and a loaf of bread so we didn't have to pay for expensive park food. Thank good, since they served noodles and rice instead of pizza and chicken nuggets. I think my favorite part of the day was seeing all of the different shows and 
performances. It made me miss dancing a lot, but remember how much I loved performing.
our joy for this. When I get home you will have to ask me to see the entire trips photos though. There is a fun trend to them. 
our joy for this. When I get home you will have to ask me to see the entire trips photos though. There is a fun trend to them. 
Very cute, but I think Jeremy was killed in the story about 8 times. 
Very cute, but I think Jeremy was killed in the story about 8 times. 
I've been in South East Asia for so long now and have visited so many different cities. But this one just reminded me of the rest of them, with a little more NYC in it. We even visited Time Square and walked past all of the designer stores. During the day we also walked through some parks, one that had an "Olympic Stadium" in it. I took this as a good sign that the Olympics and China would meet for me again!
I've been in South East Asia for so long now and have visited so many different cities. But this one just reminded me of the rest of them, with a little more NYC in it. We even visited Time Square and walked past all of the designer stores. During the day we also walked through some parks, one that had an "Olympic Stadium" in it. I took this as a good sign that the Olympics and China would meet for me again!
overlooks all of Hong Kong. The city, as you may be able to see from the clothes in the pictures, was much colder than Singapore and a big adjustment. I would just like to state again, how happy I am to be missing winter by being hear. On top of the peak was most 
cold though, and combined with the wind was almost unbearable. We saw the view at both the day and in the evening, and it was much more beautiful at night. 
cold though, and combined with the wind was almost unbearable. We saw the view at both the day and in the evening, and it was much more beautiful at night. 
I suppose. We went to a market that was disappointingly small, and I was then served my worst meal of the semester. They, again, did not have English menus, but the owner spoke very good English. I asked him for rice and chicken, which I thought was pretty basic. What I got, though, was a chicken, sliced in half, boiled, and his bones removed. It was awful and
I was done before the dish even got to the table. Jeremy told me he likes eating around me. We visited some parks and Jeremy made us pose for more pictures, and then we just headed to the airport early. 
I suppose. We went to a market that was disappointingly small, and I was then served my worst meal of the semester. They, again, did not have English menus, but the owner spoke very good English. I asked him for rice and chicken, which I thought was pretty basic. What I got, though, was a chicken, sliced in half, boiled, and his bones removed. It was awful and
I was done before the dish even got to the table. Jeremy told me he likes eating around me. We visited some parks and Jeremy made us pose for more pictures, and then we just headed to the airport early. 
