Journeys old and new

I started this blog as a way for family and friends to keep up on my life overseas. It has turned out that I have enjoyed writing this blog as much as many people have enjoyed reading it. It has become almost a therapy for me. I had no intentions of continuing bonvoyoz after my journey ended, but I have come to the oh so symbolic realization that the journey never ends. LIfe is one big journey, and although trips overseas, marriage, kids, mortgages, pets, plants, and other adventures may seem like the only journeys we take, I have come to realize that everyday is a journey in and of itself. I know, I know, I sound like some sort of spiritual, pot smoking, dread wearing, patchouli loving hippie, but its true. My journey is not over, and getting back into the "real" world of grad school, work, apt, car, health insurance, etc is my current journey. Since writing has become my new therapy, I have decided to let bonvoyoz live on. It may not be as exciting as it once was, with waterfalls, temples, meeting people of every nationality, and smoking god knows what on boat trips, but it will be my therapy none the less.

So, getting back to the states was in one word, weird. I landed in LA on Monday July 20th, and was instantly reminded of why I left LA years ago. Traffic. No need to say anymore. Traffic sucks. I had an amazing time bonding with my brother, his girlfriend and his dog and cat. We went to a CD release party of a band called "billy boy on poison", a free concert in the park, got my tattoo covered up with a kick ass koi fish, and overall had a great time. I caught up with friends who still live in LA, and got 11 inches of my hair cut off and donated it to locks of love. So basically with the new tatt, and new hair, I look completely different than when i left. This is perfectly fitting, because I am a completely different person. I am completely different in all completely good ways. As I said to my friend kate, in a joking manner (sort of joking) I am wayyy cooler than when I left. I hope I don't lose my relaxing, chilled out, go with the flow, open minded, easy going attitude any time soon.

After LA, I went to San Fran for a few days, and then hit up Colorado for a family reunion. It was wonderful to see even more family. I had some great bonding sessions with my cousins, and a gorgeous hike in the rockies. I always forget how you can really feel the altitude up there. I felt like my lungs were going to collapse at one point, and then I remembered that I am so horrifically out of shape, its probably not the lack of oxygen, but rather the excess of food, and booze I have overly consumed the last year. Shit, I think I need a detox.

I finally got back to the dirty jerz about a week ago. I found an Apt my first day here, and I am pretty excited about it. I will be living with a girl named Lisa. She is a friend of a friend, and she seems pretty chill, and sweet. So lets keep our fingers crossed she is actually a neat neat chick! I start classes in a few weeks, and will be meeting my academic advisor who has so far been completely useless. Lets hope she shapes up, or maybe ill be shipping out! (Side note: I think one day I will try to write a blog with as many cliches as possible, I think I would do a phenomenal job). I have spent a lot of time with my friends in Hoboken. Its been wonderful to see familiar faces, but it is truly shocking how nothing changes. Everyone is basically doing the same thing, hanging with the same people, have the same personalities, with the same dramas. How is it possible that I have changed so much, and the people around me have changed so little. hmmm... time to contemplate... OH YEAH, its because i went on the journey of a freaking lifetime!

My journey is continuing. It may not be the same journey I set out on nine months ago, but it is sill going on, and Im still going to write and have self induced therapy. Please continue to read, hopefully I wont bore you.

blogs lost and found

Here are two blogs I wrote, but forgot to put online. They are a bit dated now, but I figured I would share anyhow. Enjoy my lost and found blogs.

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I leave in only a few days, and I am not sure what to think about it all. It doesn’t help that I am totally PMS’ing so that throws any logical emotional response right out the window. It is Thursday today, but by the time I get this post online it will be Friday, which means in 3 days I am on my first flight to Sydney. I have decided to take the last flight out of Adelaide on Sunday night, and just stay in the airport overnight since my flight to Auckland New Zealand is at 6:10 am Monday morning. It is going to be one LONG day/s of traveling.

On Sunday last weekend my friends planned a going away surprise for me. Up until Saturday night all I knew is that I had to be outside our friend Nick and Tom’s apt at 8:45 am, and to dress warmly. Unfortunately a facebook status update reading “I can’t wait for the Barossa Valley wine tour tomorrow” spoiled the surprise. Good job Tom! No worries however, I still had an amazing time. My friend Tamara organized the whole thing, and 12 of us got on a mini bus at 9 am and took the hour or so drive up to Barossa, and went to 5 different wineries. We started the day at Jacobs Creek, then made our way to Peter Leimans, Penfolds, Wolf Blass, and ended the day at Yulumba. Great wine, great company, great laughs, great day. Thanks Mara… you made me feel like I will be missed, and you can bet I will miss you all.

This week has been comprised pretty much of just tying up loose ends here. I had to file a tax return for 2009 and 2010, buy multiple plane tix, get a rental car for LA, buy some last minute mementos etc. I still cant believe that my trip is coming to an end. I am really quite emotional about it all. I cant believe how fast the last 8 months have gone. I am not ready to leave Australia, but I guess all good things must come to an end. Life here really is quite easy, and I will most certainly be back to this side of the world sooner rather than later.

My friend Jess left for Noosa today for a family vacation, and Andrew and 3 other guys leave for Vietnam tomorrow, so it sucks that this isn’t a band-aide goodbye; quick and painless. I have to say goodbye to people in spurts. I hate goodbyes.

Anyhow, time to wrap up. I am excited to see my friends and family, yet simultaneously I am devastated about leaving. I guess having mixed emotions about all of this is only natural.

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I am writing this from the Auckland airport in New Zealand looking out an airport window onto the tarmac. Behind the gray concrete slab occupied by larger than life planes are beautiful green mountains and hills. This makes me wish I could stay longer and see New Zealand for all the beauty it has to offer. Unfortunately this go around I will have to accept that my airport view is all I can get.

I left Adelaide on Sunday night after I fairly uneventful weekend. Friday night Andrew and the boys left for Vietnam. Although it was a sad goodbye, I was proud that I didn’t shed any tears. I am 100% positive that I will see them all again, its just a matter of when. After the boys got in a cab to the airport to start their 3 week holiday, my friend Luke dropped me off back home. I packed, and relaxed and had an early night. Saturday morning I went to the last of the amateur footy games that took up most of my Saturdays since being in Adelaide. Although Andrew, and Nick were off to Vietnam and not playing, my friend Cormac and Scotty were still tearing it up on the field. Cormacs girlfriend and I went to the game, and to be honest I’m glad to know that my next few Saturdays will not be taken up by amateur Australia Rules Football. Don’t get me wrong, I have learned to like the game and enjoy watching it, but sitting outside in cold, rainy weather watching the boys be all testosteroney and hit each other trying to prove they have bigger cojones than their counterparts is something I will take a miss on for the next few weeks. I think I should win roommate of the year award.

Anyhow, Saturday night I went to Tamara and Dana’s place where we drank lots of cheap champagne, ate a delicious 4 course dinner that Mara made, and watched “Beaches”. How fitting. A few people asked if I wanted to have a “bender” of a night since it was my last weekend in Australia, but all I wanted to do was spend time with the people that I grew close to, not forget the events of a massive night with people I don’t care about.

Sunday after finishing packing, and spending 2 hours ripping open my suitcase in pursuit of my lost passport (note to self don’t pack while drinking wine). Luke came over and we watched (yes you guessed it) Footy. I think the boys in Andrews group of friends have come to respect my opinion on different situations and especially when it comes to girls. I think they appreciate that I have an outsiders perspective and will give it to them straight. This no bullshit, say it like it is, attitude has gotten me into trouble in the past, however I now think this is more of an asset than a downfall. Anyhow, Luke, Andrew, and the other guys, ask me advice on a pretty regular basis. I’m glad I was able to make my way into their little dirty boys social club, but I do think that they sometimes forgot that I was a girl, and I wasn’t actually one of the boys. This is fine by me though, I like being one of the guys, as long as I don’t keep myself in that “friend” category forever.

Anyhow, I have digressed. Tamara and Dana picked me up to drive me to the airport on Sunday night and after a sad goodbye (still held back the tears) I boarded a fairly painless flight to Sydney. My plan all along was to take the last flight to Sydney sleep in the airport over night and check in for my first leg to New Zealand at about 4 am. Well little did I know they actually close the airport down every night from 12-4am. Awesome. What now?? All the airport guards heard everyone who wants to sleep there overnight into a room near the subway entrance. When I got kicked out of my cozy corner and cattle hearded into this area I asked if it was safe, their response. “(slight giggle) umm… yeah, you are on CC TV all night”. Hmmm great. CC tv, that’ll for sure keep me safe!! (sarcasm). Oh well, I had no other options so I followed another girl into this area, and I was pleasantly surprised to find about 10 other backpackers all cozzied up on an uncomfortable airport chair. I fell asleep a few times, but didn’t get more than maybe a total of an hours rest. At 4 am we were allowed back into the airport. A quick check in, flew through security, and bam, was on my first flight to NZ. I literally got on the plane, and passed out cold. I woke up to the flight attendant giving me my vegetarian breakfast, groggy and confused. I managed to eat the veggie bfast and pass out again immediately, only to be woken again by my ears hurting because we were landing. Sweet. I love flights like that. I hope my 13 hour flight to LA is similar. Although they are playing “Confessions of a Shopaholic” so I guess I have to stay up for a bit! ☺ (Completely serious, I cant wait to watch it).

I am really sad that I am heading home. I am not ready, and the more I think about it the more I just want to stay. While attempting to sleep in the freezing noisy uncomfortable airport in Sydney I kept just thinking, “what if I stay??” well I didn’t stay, and I’m sure Ill look back in one years time crazed with grad school and working, and think, why the fuck didn’t I stay. It was so easy there. I do think if I had a “real” job with a car I would have easily stayed in Australia until my VISA expired. Oh well, I’m still young. I can (and will) come back. I will come see NZ, and not just see the tarmac with luggage carts whizzing over the concrete from terminal to plane. I will walk in the mountains that I can see in the distance, and I will re-visit the life long friends I have made. I feel like I just left yesterday, I cant believe it has been 8 months.

It is now time to board my 3rd plane in the last 12 hours. The final leg to the good ol’ US of A.

I'm coming home

In just under two weeks from today, I will be boarding a plane to Los Angeles. Holy Shit Johnny 5, that is so soon. Insane. I can’t believe it is finally time for me to leave. I truly do think that if I had a legitimate job here I may have stayed a lot longer. The fact that I hated where I worked did not help the situation one iota.

I put my notice in a week ago that I was leaving in order to give them two weeks notice, which I thought was the respectful, responsible thing to do. However since the restaurant is filled entirely of wankers (minus a few good eggs here and there) they did not schedule me for a single shift for the next two weeks. Fine by me alehouse. I hate you and your schnitzels anyway.

Anyhow, A little about what I have been occupying my time with the last few weeks. I have actually kept quite busy, and have gotten a lot closer to some of the girls here. Jess, a friend of Andrew’s from high-school, and I have become much better friends. Jess’s mom introduced us to a meditation class on Monday nights. Basically it is one hour long, and it is at a place called the “Budha House”. It is very cool, and very relaxing, and something I could see myself really enjoying and making it part of my lifestyle. The hour actually went by quite quickly considering all we were doing was breathing deeply. Jess’s mom, Sue, also introduced us to a wine tasting on Thursday nights. It is from 5-7 pm and it is at a bar called the “Wine Underground”. Each week a different winery from the area, whether it be the Barossa Valley, or MclarenVale, or Adelaide Hills, comes to the bar, and gives samples of their wines for 2 hours, and little gourmet finger food is served. It was awesome. We went last week for the first time, and I think it is a weekly occurrence for me for the remainder of my time here (only two Thursdays to go!!! EEK). Hmm…what else. I guess not too too much. It is still pretty cold here so hopefully Ill be able to catch the tail end of summer back home.

I still have a few things here I would like to do before I take off for good. I would like to see the Barossa Valley, as well as take a drive up into the Adelaide Hills. I have two full weeks to do this so hopefully ill be able to convince someone to come with me.

Next weekend, I was told by my friends here that they are planning something for Sunday, Sarah’s Sunday of Fun, is what it is labeled, I have no idea what is planned, but my friend Tamara said she took Monday off of work, so I am thinking things may get messy. Hah. Can’t wait. I am definitely looking forward to that.
I still have total mixed feelings about leaving. As I said at the start of this, I think if I had a legit job here, and a car, I would love living here. However it is difficult only working in a place that I did not enjoy. Oh well. At the moment plane tix are incredibly cheap. I found one today that was a round trip ticket for $500. So maybe if they stay this way, which is very unlikely, I’ll come back and visit in the near future. I think the main reason I am sad to go is simply because of all the amazing people I have met here. I will miss them more than they know. I am really excited to see everyone back home, but I think today was the first day it kicked in that I am actually leaving in two weeks. I think today was the first day that I got really sad about it as well.

I would like to leave you all with an inspiring statement from one of the fabulous people that I love working with so much (sarcasm if you cant tell).

Me: So Matt, do you work anywhere else??
Matt: nope just here.
Me: Oh, so are you studying or something.
Matt: STUDY??? Are you stupid??? I’m no idiot. My idea of fun is not to get a big bill at the end of a school year. Ill never study!
Me: (quiet but thinking to myself: 1- Matt you are a HUGE idiot, and your English language skills are shocking. 2- You reek of terrible BO, take a shower. 3- I’m glad your idea of fun is working in a shit restaurant for the rest of your life.)

I found out later in the day that this douche bag of an individual is actually engaged. I fear for all of human race if he procreates. Although, it also gives me hope that if this guy can find someone to share his life of misery, I too will find someone someday. Hah.

Ta Ta for now.

im staying...at least for now

As most of you know, I have been debating for quite a while now whether I should come home or not. When I initially purchased my ticket to Australia I bought a round trip ticket simply because it was cheaper than a one way flight. I had no intentions of using the second half of the ticket. However, seeing as how I was quite homesick, I contemplated, debated, had sleepless nights and lots of tears over the decision to stay or go. I FINALLY made my decision yesterday and that decision is to stay for another 5 weeks and then Ill be at that crossroad again.

Basically the reason why this decision is so hard is the following:

1- I hate my job here. I am working in a restaurant/bar with a bunch of wankers. If you are unaware of what a wanker is, please refer to douchbag, tool, fuckwit, etc... . Let me give you examples.

The head chef, Trevor, is probably early 40’s, and like most head chef’s he thinks he is the fucking king of the world. Really though, he makes schnitzels for a living. Get over yourself! You make SCHNITZELS!! Now, to paint a picture of these schnitzels, they are the size of approximately 2 dinner plates. Enormous pieces of deep friend meat with various gravy’s thrown on top. They look so incredibly unappetizing it makes me never want to eat meat again. You Trevor, or not only a huge tool, but you have single handedly made me yearn for veggies like never before. You and your schnitzel loving self can suck it. Number 2 in command, Johnny, is actually very nice and has a pleasant demeanor, he is not conceded like Schnitzel king Trevor, yet Johnny is a huge tool by what he says. On my first introduction to him, he says, “Oh you travel, have you been to Bali?” My response is “yes”. Johnny “Did you know the dishwasher Jared fucked a Balinese hooker for 20 bucks”. Exact words, I kid you not. This is the first conversation I had with Johnny on my very first day. I was shocked at this comment, and a few days later after a few more tool-ish comments I told Johnny he needs to work on that sensor that triggers the brain saying, maybe I shouldn’t say this out loud.

Not only do I not enjoy the people who work at the restaurant, but I get hardly any hours. I have been working about 10 hours a week. I am not saving any money, and can barely afford rent each week.

2-It is winter here. It is cold. This is relative of course. Cold for Australia is like a nice spring in the states. However it is approaching summer at home, and I miss the sunshine.

3-I am applying to graduate schools. If I get in, I want some time to settle before I have to start school in Sept. However with all the complications of getting a complete application into the schools, the possibility of this is looking less and less likely.

4- I miss my friends and family.

However, with all this combined, and as my friend Tom said. "American will always be there". I have my working visa to Australia now, and I only get it once in my life. I might as well stay here, until I know for certain about graduate school, and then go from there. So I have officially moved my ticket back to July 20th. That is 5 weeks from yesterday. I am currently looking for a job that will stimulate me a bit more, and give me more money and hours. If for some miraculous reason I find this job and I make a lot more money I may decide to stay past July 20th, otherwise assuming I get into grad school, I will most likely head home at this point.

I hope this was the right decision. I think it is. I think ill be happy I am staying for a bit longer. I guess I shall just have to wait and find out.

looking for the same shade of green everywhere in the world

Forethought: Sorry Dad, I know you asked for another light hearted, funny blog, but unfortunately I don’t have it in me just yet.

The last time I wrote, I spoke about home. I spoke of how, for the time being, I was finally home. I spoke about how I was so glad to have stopped moving and to be settled. I think the saying that applies best to my life at this exact moment is “the grass is always greener”. You always want what you don’t have. It’s actually quite annoying don’t you think?

Now that I am settled, I miss home. This time around I am qualifying home as the USA, NYC, Hoboken, NH, Maine, etc. Now that I have stopped moving, I have all the time in the world to think about the pleasures of home. When I was moving around every few days, I was far too busy to have time to think about anything more than what city I would be in next and how I was getting there, never-mind to think about home. There was no time to think about my family, my friends, and what was going on in their lives. Now that I have been in Adelaide for what is approaching 3 weeks on Thursday, I have felt very, very home sick.

I think this feeling of missing home is only increased by the fact that many of my friends have had life altering things happen in the last few weeks. One friend from home got married a few weeks ago, and I missed her wedding, one friend got engaged last weekend, one friend had her company transfer her to London for 3 months, another is persistently looking for a new job and moving to a different state to move in with her boyfriend, another is in the process of buying a house with her boyfriend, my mom is retiring at the end of the year, my brother is desperately searching for a job, and all this is coupled with the fact that my birthday is in 2 weeks. My quarter century birthday. My big two five. Sheesh I am old. Actually, I think that is exactly it. I am starting to feel old by what everyone back home is doing. I have no job, (no real job at least) no plans, no house, no career path, no idea what in the hell I am going to do. My friends mean-while are buying houses, getting married, have 401K’s and are fully vested. Anyone who knows me knows my biggest fear is to end up old and alone. (Although I think that is a big fear of most people). I am afraid if I keep going the way I am, before I know it, I will wake up and be 45 with 20 cats and be known to the kids in the neighborhood as Crazy Lady Janowitz with overgrown weeds in the yards, and an ominous looking old house. No thanks.

I think this blog is written by the irrational side of my brain. The rational part of me knows that 25 is young, and I have plenty of time to buy a house, find a career I love, get married, have a “real” life. However, I think the irrational side of my brain is currently on steroids and is beating out the skinny weak rational side.

(Side note: I have a huge urge to use the word “reckon”. Please don’t think I am a red neck by using this term. Over here it is synonymous with “think”. I hear it about 34328320948 times a day, and my vocabulary is slightly altering into aussie lingo the longer I am here. Maybe it really is time to get out of here).

Back to the point. I found a job here, (waitress) and hopefully once I start to occupy my time with work, meet new people, and have some money in my bank account I will start to feel better. I am still enjoying living with Cooper, and I have a lot of fun with his friends, but I miss MY friends. His family is super sweet, but once again they are HIS family. I miss MY family.

It is pretty ironic that transitions are tough for me. On one hand I thrive with transition. ie: traveling for 6 months on my own. However on the other hand, as soon as I get some stability I freeze up and get anxiety. Most people love stability, but as soon as I get any in my life I want to leave it behind, yet while I leave it behind, all I want is for it to come back into my life. I currently have a house, a job, friends, and a good life, yet what I want is to travel again, or go back to my old life. When traveling I want to stop and lay low. When I am in the states I want to go oversees. Life is a bitch ain’t it??? Why does the grass have to be so damn green on the other side? Why ca’nt all the grass be the same exact shade of green everywhere and in every situation.

I realize many people are going to read this, and say, “Sarah, why are you complaining??” You are in Australia, doing something I wish I had the courage to do.” Well it’s true. I really don’t have anything to complain about, yet I am. I apologize for my complaints, but I think we have all been in a situation where we have felt home sick. So a little sympathy would be nice ☺

It is winter here now, and I wonder if the reason why I miss home is because it is rainy and cold, while it is approaching sunny days back home. My tan is gone, which is an altogether depressing thought. Especially considering how hard I have worked on that tan.

Anyhow- Life all in all isn’t so bad. I know I can come home whenever I want, but that brings me to the question of the last blog. Where is home?? Ay yai yai!!!!

Alright I think that is about it from me for today. I have a family dinner at the Cooper’s house tonight.

To leave on a light hearted note: Two days ago I went on a run around town (SO out of shape it is frightening). Anyhow- I saw a homeless man standing up and peeing all over the sidewalk with his penis out for the world to see. So not only is there white trash in Australia, there are also stinky homeless men, even in some of the nicest areas of Australia. Aren’t you pleased to know that we are all connected on the most primal levels??

Home Sweet Home

Don't get excited, I'm not "home" or coming "home" any time soon. But I am "home" for the time being. In fact while talking about "home", what exactly does that mean these days? People keep asking me when I am heading home. And I truly dont really know where home is anymore. I mean, in the last 8 years I have lived in 3 different states, and 7 different cities. That is a LOT of moving around. So where exactly is "home"? I still think it is the United States, but is it NH? Maine? NYC? Los Angles? or somewhere that I haven't even lived yet? All I know is at the moment "home" is Adelaide Australia.

I am officially settled into Andrew's house. I have a key, I have a dresser (albeit sitting in the ikea box waiting to be built) and I have a bed on the way. I have a scooter at my disposal, I have a library card, and all I need is a job. It was nice to come back to Adelaide. It is a familiar city and I'm glad to be here. However, if I don't find a job soon I'll be in trouble. I wonder if working the corner is illegal here??? hmmm...

The last couple weeks have been great. After I arrived in Alice Springs I went on a 3 day trip to Uluru, Kings Cannon, and the surrounding area. I know Uluru is supposed to be this magnificent spiritual place, but honestly it is just a massive rock in the middle of some flat lands. I was MUCH MUCH more impressed with Kings Canon. It was really quite beautiful and the views were gorgeous, On the 3 day trip we once again camped out in swags underneath the stars. Although unlike the Kakadu's it was absolutely freezing at night. I was bundled with every item of warm clothing I owned, in a sleeping bag, and swag, and scarf, in order to sleep. brrr. I think it got down to about 8-10 degrees Celsius. I'm glad I made it to the outback and saw the nothingness of the area, but Uluru really wasn't all that impressive. Sorry Australia, but I think driving though Utah is just, if not more spectacular.

I then went to Sydney for 36 hours to get a bag I left there, and return a bag to my friend China. After my short Sydney stint I was off again to Adelaide. I got here early on thurs morning and am fully engaged in a job search. I am starting off looking for something in my previous field of Commercial Production. Ill see if I can get a gig with a company who loves me and wants to sponsor me. But if nothing comes up in the next 2 weeks Ill lower my goals and try to get a job waiting tables. Hopefully someone will want to hire an american girl. I have an interview thingy tomorrow morning at 9am with the CEO of a small boutique agency here. He said there are no positions available, but the e-mail I sent to him intrigued him and he would be willing to chat. Maybe he knows someone. I guess we will find out. That means today I have to go and buy a pair of pants and some shoes. I don't think my holed jeans, and flip-flops will impress too much. Everything I own has turned into a light brown color. Everything has gotten beyond ruined. Good thing I didn't bring out nice clothes. However I need some more clean wife beaters in white and black. I seem to LIVE in them day and night and can't find them here. So if anyone feels the need to send out a care package you can get me fruit of the loom, mens small wife beaters. hint hint. :) You can purchase them at Target and they come in 3-4 in a pack for like $8. Im more than happy to send my mailing address along to anyone who wants it. Haha.

It is the start of winter here, and has been quite chilly at night. I am losing my tan, (VERY upset about this) but I am happy to be wearing jeans and not profusely sweating while just standing doing nothing. However, I wouldn't mind it being beach weather to enjoy the outdoors a bit. I went to my first Australian Rules Football match on Saturday. Well actually I went to two. In the morning I went to Andrews game, learned the rules and got my bearings. His team won by like a million points. And, the eye candy on the filed wasn't too bad either. That night I went to the professional teams game. It was the local rivalry of the Adelaide Crows, vs. the Port Adelaide Power. Seeing as how I am living with a HUGE crows fan, and his family was the one who gave me my tix I figure it would only be right to be a crows fan myself. (Although the Power's colors are much prettier. Who doesn't love turquoise??) It was really fun to watch the game. AFL is similar to rugby, and american football, and soccer all mixed into one. Rough sport, but fun to watch. The Crows lost pretty terribly, but it was still a great night!

That about sums up my last couple of weeks. This blog was kinda all over the place. But I am happy to report that I am Home for now, and enjoying not moving every two days. I have my shampoo in the shower, and my toothbrush by the sink. I have a dresser to put clothes in and I can look forward to not living out of a bag for a while! phew!

White trash exists even in Australia

I know, I know. Not the most PC title of a blog, however, I suppose the idea that “trash” exists everywhere in the world unites us all in a sense. No?? Is that a stretch?? Well regardless the title is true. White trash exists even in Australia. My idea of white trash used to be a Jerry Springer episode of an incestuous family from Louisiana beating each other up on screen for everyone who watches syndicated tv to watch. But this universal “trashy-ness” is now a concept that I know runs deep into the cosmos.

Let me remind you, I am a girl from NH, not exactly the most diverse state in the union. I went to Ithaca College in upstate NY, not exactly a place that breeds varied cultures. I lived in Hoboken NJ which is now Mr. and Mrs. White Bred USA. Being from these, I’ll admit, lucky, borderline upper-crust areas, “trash” seems to stick out like a sore thumb. I have seen this “trash” throughout my days, and once again I witnessed it on my 24 hour train ride from Darwin to Alice Springs.

CAUTION: this blog may be a bit mean spirited. So forget the image of the perfect daisy picking Sarah I know you all have in your minds, and replace it with Lucifer- Sarah for just this one entry, then you can all go back to your image of the true heavenly Sarah. Deal? Deal.

I get on the train at about half past nine in the morning, and after I find my seat and settle in I see a family of 5 saunter on. Two girls, one very over-weight with a baby in her arms, and one who looks like she rolled around in a pile of grease and then decided to eat the grease. AKA- also very overweight and really dirty. (In fact I’m not sure any of them had showered in a good week.) Behind them was a man, (clearly the dad, and granddad) and a teenage boy. With my luck they sit down directly next to me and in front of me. Once I got a good look at the baby, my initial reaction was: WOAH!!! That is one UGLY baby. (I know, I know I’m going to hell). To me babies are usually precious and idyllic but not this one.

We made a stop at a town called Katherine for 4 hours. There isn’t really anything to do in Katherine, so I decided to stay on the train and read, and watch a flick on my computer. The Grandfather also stayed on the train with the baby while his three kids went on a 4 hour meander though Katherine. As the angelic girl I really am, (just not in this entry) I decide to say hello. Who knew saying hello would open up such a can of worms?? Some people just need to vent even if it is to a perfect stranger who frankly doesn’t want to listen. Lucky me I got to be that un-wanting stranger. He told me that overweight daughter number one is the mother who is 15 years old. Her mother skipped out on her and the family when she was 3 and since then daughter number 1 was never the same. She left home at 12, got into “dope, and then that turned into needles and whatever else” to quote the dad. “She then started having sex, and now here is Phoebe.” Apparently he has never even met the father. Whoa dude!! I just wanted to be polite and say hello. He went on and on and on, and I just sat and listened because it really seemed as though he just needed to vent to anyone who would listen. His other two kids 17 and 13 as I came to find out were all pretty fucked up in their own ways. I actually felt really bad for this guy. By the way, this girl DID NOT look 15. 18 maybe 19, but NOT 15. I have always looked young for my age, but I’m pretty sure at 14 & 15 I still had no need for a bra, had baby teeth, and thought boys had cooties.

I couldn’t help but observe the family dynamics for the remainder of the trip. Daughter #1 really didn’t do shit for the one month old baby. The grandfather took care of her almost the entire time. I fell asleep to him holding her, and woke up to him holding her in the morning while the mother slept on a seat all to herself stretch marks out for the world to see. What can one expect from a 15 year old though?? I think I only learned to tie my own shoes at 13, and stopped having my parents cut up my food for me at 16. Having a baby at 15 wasn’t even a possibility. Truly sad.

Anyhow- I got off the train at Alice Springs 24 hours later counting my lucky stars that my mom didn’t run off on me when I was 3, and wondering how this 15 year old could ever care for a baby. However my last thought as I got off the train, was “I really hope this baby grows out of her ugly stage”. Eek.

SE Asia-isms

There are things that I have remembered the last few days from my 2 months in SE Asia that I do not quickly want to forget. These sentiments seem (for the most part) to be universal in that region. I call them SE Asia-isms.

-Even in a 3rd world country they know what the westerners want, and they know they need to make it simple for us to find it. That is why is in Siem Reap Cambodia everyone goes to “Pub Street”. In Saigon Vietnam people head to “Go 2 Bar”, and in Vang Veing Laos, you go to get your beach buckets filled with booze at none other than “Bucket Bar”.

-Vietnam is dirty. Trash is thrown everywhere. On the street, in the ocean, out the window, everywhere except the dump. It is cheaper to pay off the police for illegally dumping garbage, then to pay to dump it properly… That seems a bit fucked up huh? They are only thinking about the here and now, and not the future. I wish they would realize by doing this now, they are ruining chances of a future generation having a clean environment to live in.

-The Danish and the Dutch are the nicest of all the travelers I have met on a consistent basis.

- It doesn’t matter if you have a pair of sunglasses on already, it doesn’t matter if it is raining and cloudy, it doesn’t even matter if clearly you are blind, have a seeing eye dog with you, the vendors will try to sell you a pair of sunglasses. This goes for pretty much every item you can think of. If something can be sold, copied, ripped off, pirated, or stolen you can find it, and chances are someone will indeed buy it. It is when you say, “who would buy that piece of junk” when just then you see someone walk up to the vendor and actually, right before your very eyes, buy that exact piece of junk.

- “OK” is the most commonly used word by everyone in SE Asia. It is not used as a question, It is a statement. Example:
Me: “How much?”
Vendor: “$10”
Me: “$10?!?!? No way Ill give you $4”
Vendor: “ok, ok. $7. OK!”
Me: “no, not $7.”
Vendor: “$6 ok ok!”
Me: walk away while vendor still yells… “$5 ok ok.”

-I must be super special because everyone will give a “special discount just for me”. I know they say this to everyone, I know that everyday they sell the same shit for the same price but somehow I like to think that TODAY really is a discount day JUST for me.

-Some travelers must be huge idiots to pay the kind of outrageous prices things are sold for. Bargaining is the way of life. At least half the price of everything you are quoted.

- Sweetened condensed milk takes some getting used to. It is in your coffee, tea, on bread, pancakes, sandwiches, fruit, EVERYTHING. However, I am pretty sure there is some sort of crack in it, because I started craving that sweet messy goo. I needed my daily fix. I am currently going through withdrawal.

- You do things in Asia that would never be allowed/legal/or safe in any other place in the world. For example: feed crocodiles that are only a few feet away with no barrier between you, swim in the ocean next to a metal boat in the middle of a lightening storm, ride in the back of a pickup truck with no seatbelts for hours at a time, parasail strapped to a parachute with holes in it, and if you can dream it you can eat it, from fried crickets and scorpions, to dog, to the delicacy of fish eyeballs.

-Apparently all tuk tuk drivers think I need a taxi or a tuk tuk even if I only need to walk 100 ft.

-Bananas are all small. And fruit shakes are a daily staple.

-Two of the most insightful sayings I have ever heard I learned in SE Asia. I think they can be applied in a myriad of situations, and are wiser than they sound at first. These perceptive words of wisdom are: “Same, Same, But Different” and “Good for you, Good for me”.

-Pedestrians do not have the right of way EVER. However, if and when you choose to cross the street, don’t stop halfway through. Keep walking…slowly. The motorcycles know how to avoid you, but you must keep moving.

-It is not unlikely to see a family of 5 on one motorcyle, or a dead pig on the back of the bike, or a man surrounded by hundreds of some random object tied to every last space on the bike.

-It is amazing what women can do in skirts and high heels. I don’t know if it is a height complex or what, but all Asian women seem to wear heels ALL the time. Whether on a hike, on a bike (motor or peddle), on a bus, or just walking around town for the day, women wear heels.

-Careful when buying body lotion. Most of it is whitening, and the last thing I (or for that matter most westerners) want is to bleach away the tan I have been working oh so hard on.

I think that is it for now, I’m sure there are more ism’s that I can’t think of or remember at the moment, but if one comes to me, ill be sure to add it.

culture shock

I am back in Australia and I have been hit with the biggest wave of culture shock since my journey began. I was so looking forward to coming back to Australia, being able to brush my teeth without bottled water, having everyone speak english, and having an "easy" time again. While all the above things are true, I was still in culture shock coming back to Oz. I think I purposefully forgot how expensive it is here, and how it sucks to be in a room with 5 other strangers and making an effort to make zero noise. Not to mention how absolutely picturesque Asia was and even though Darwin is beautiful it just does not compare.

Let me backtrack to the rest of my time in SE Asia.

I got to Phuket and stayed there only for one night. Phuket, much like Bangkok, is a big city, not all that beautiful, lots of cars, traffic, noise, etc. Glad i only stayed for one night. My flight to Singapore was easy, and like the last 2 weeks of my trip in Thailand it rained. Luckily enough, It stopped long enough for myself and this english couple to head out to little india for some food, and to go to the night safari. The night safari was brilliant. The animals were really close to us, and not caged, there was lots of diversity among them, and it was most likely my favorite zoo experience. Singapore, was just as most people say, clean and expensive. The people were friendly, and it was truly a melting pot of cultures.

After only one night in Singapore I headed to Bali. Bali was HOT. It was gorgeous, and although I didn't know what I expected, it wasn't what I had in mind. It was incredibly touristy. I am sure this has to do with the fact that I stayed in Kuta Beach. I was only in Bali for 3 days, and I definitely could have used at least one week. My last day in Bali I found a man who would drive me around the island for the entire day for $25 American dollars. He took me to a traditional Balinese dance, the monkey forest, a volcano, rice terraces, a few temples, and a couple of beaches near dusk to watch some surfing. Bali was gorgeous, and there was so much more than Kuta beach, the touristy shops and whatnot.  I would definitely like to go back.

My flight to Darwin from Bali was at 10:30 at night, meaning I didnt land in Australia until 2:30 am. Oh and by the way it costs $15 just to leave Indonesia. It only costs $10 to get in, and $15 to leave. Bizarre. Also I forgot to mention the intensity of Indonesia and the anti-drug policy there. When you land at the airport there are signs all over the place saying "the penalty for drug trafficking is death".  They had drug sniffing dogs that smelled all of our belongings, as well as scanning everything and rubbing that odd cotton piece of paper along our bags. I still dont know what that does or what it detects. Anyhow- it was a pretty intense process. As far as a I know there is currently an Australian girl who claims someone planted drugs in her boogy board bag and has been charged with the death penalty. Who knows if they were really planted there, or if she tried to smuggle them in, but regardless death for drugs is a pretty severe penalty if you ask me.

By the time I got to my hostel in Darwin it was 4 am, and I got little sleep that night. I managed to be fairly productive the next day and booked a 3 day camping trip to the Kakadu National Park. This area is home to several different aboriginal tribes, and was absolutely stunning. For three days we did a few short treks, saw a few different art sights where the rock art the aboriginals did has been persevered, went on a billabong cruise to go croc spotting, (we saw 2), swam in several water holes, (which by the way all had fresh water crocs in them, but apparently its only the salt water crocs you need to watch out for) and hiked to a few waterfalls. At one of the waterfalls, this german girl on the trip started screaming in german and swimming away from me really fast. I had no idea what was going on, but in my experience, any time someone screams and starts swimming away from one general direction I think it is a good thing to follow. Luckily I did, because directly behind me on the rock wall was what the tour guide later told us was the most deadly snake in the world. Great! Thank god for screaming German girl. While on the trip we did traditional bush camping.  That means we slept under the stars in swags.  No tents, no protection from the elements, just us, the earth, and the stars.  Oh, and lots, and lots of mozzies.  I HATE MOZZIES!!! It was pretty great to camp under the stars though, even if I do have lots of mosquito bites.

It is just now the start of the dry season in Darwin and the surrounding area, so not everything is open up here. However, because it was just the wet season, everything in Kakadu was so so green. It was amazing how green it was. By far the most green I have seen anywhere in Australia.

Now, I am trying to figure out where to go next. I would like to be in Adelaide by May 1 to settle down for a bit, stay for a few months to work and save some cash. So I have about 10 days to get there, not positive where I will go in the next week and a half, but wherever I go I hope my Australian culture shock goes away.

island hoping in the rain

Since I left Bangkok I have been Island hoping around Thailand. I was slightly anxious to leave Heidi since we had been together for 6 weeks or so, and was a little nervous to be on my own again, but at the same time excited to see who I would meet and where I would go.

My first stop was Koh Tao. An overnight bus from Bangkok dropped everyone off at a town called Champon at about 5am. The ferry to the island didn’t leave until 7am. So after an 8 hour bus ride, 2 hours at the ferry pier, 2 and ½ hours on the boat I arrived on Koh Tao. It is a little island on the east coast of Thailand. It is known primarily as a diving island. There are dive schools all over, and many places will not accommodate you unless you are taking a dive course. Luckily I found a bungalow at a place called SeaShell and although it was expensive, it was only about 100 meters to the beach. I knew that there were two Danish girls on Koh Tao who I had met in Vietnam a few times, and again a couple times in Laos. We (luckily) ran into each other on the street and to make a long story short have been traveling together since (except one night on Koh Phangan).

Koh Tao was super chill and relaxing, and a beautiful island; incredible sunsets and lot of great restaurants, bars, and cafe’s. I left after two nights to hit up Koh Phangan. This island is primarily known to the backpacker crowd as the “full moon party island”. To non-backpackers it is known for its beauty on the northern side. I met 3 Canadians on the boat in the morning, and ended up just following them to where they were staying. The guy, Jevin, stayed here before, so I thought, “sweet he knows it to be a good place”… This was by far and away the most dirty, disgusting, horrible place I have ever stayed. There were holes in the walls, ceiling, and door. Bugs everywhere, spiders in my bed, cobwebs like crazy, the fan had no metal screen around it just the fins that spun, it was bad. I stayed there one night and shared the room with one of the 3 Canadians. In the morning I moved out as quickly as possible, which wasn’t all that quick because of the major rain storm.

It rained the entire time I was on Koh Phangan. The Danish girls, Camilla, and Maria, met up with me after one night there, and although we were staying at a MUCH nicer place directly on the beach with a pool, we couldn’t enjoy it because of the rain. Also, because of the rain it meant I couldn’t get to the other parts of the island because taxi’s could not get there. So I ended up staying in Hat Rin home of the full moon party. I was not there for one of these famous parties, however I was there for a half moon party. In the jungle of the island, thousands of people gathered, with glow sticks, trance and techno music, fire shows, dancing, drinking, neon paint, etc. It was a lot of fun, I can’t imagine how crazy the full moon party must get on the beach.
The theme of Koh Phangan was buckets (beach buckets filled with a mixed drink), fire shows, and lots and lots of rain.

We left Koh Phangan with the hope of finding sun on the west coast of Thailand. After another crazy long journey from Koh Phangan to Koh Phi Phi consisting on 2 boats, and 4 buses/minivans, we got to Koh Phi Phi. We were warned about the cost of how expensive this island has become but I was still shocked to find out that accommodation with only a fan in a dingy place would be $1200 baht for the 3 of us. We stayed in the dingy room one night and searched for a new place for the rest of the stay. Luckily we found a room with aircon and a TV for $1200 as well. Koh Phi Phi is HOT and rainy. Really rainy. The first day at the beach you could not even lay on the beach it was so hot. We ended up just sitting in the water the whole time. Kho Phi Phi’s beach is nice with rock cliffs jutting up from the sides, and really blue water. Gorgeous. One scene from the movie “The Beach” was filmed at the smaller of the two Phi Phi Islands, (phi phi lay) and we decided to take a half day sunset snorkel trip around the two islands. Clearly we didn’t check the weather forcast because it rained the ENTIRE time. Sunny when we left the pier, and about 15 mins into it a storm rolled on through. The snorkeling was pretty bad, (we also did a snorkel trip on Koh Tao that was good), the weather was shit. and Maya Bay where “the beach” was filmed was cold. However, the beach was still beautiful. If it had been sunny out it would have been post card perfect.

Today we went to the beach about 150 yards from our guesthouse to get as much sun as we could before the afternoon thunder storm that seems to come every day. The beach was hot as always, but great. We also went to the Tsunami Memorial site where they have a carving of all the names of those who died on Phi Phi during the Tsunami. One of the girls I have met here, Michelle from Holland, had a friend die here during the tsunami, so we found her stone, and layed down flowers. It was quite sad, but I am glad I saw it.

Oh yeah, as a side note, I got a tattoo on Koh Phi Phi last night. The tattoo is on my foot, and I am sad to say I am not 100% satisfied with it. I guess that teaches me to get a tattoo in Thailand. But I am confident I can get it to my liking once I get back home, or to a reliable artist in Australia to do a little touching up of it! (at least I really hope so! Eeek)

Tomorrow I head off to Phuket for one night before heading to Singapore, Bali, and beyond.

If Pai is Heaven, then Bangkok must be Hell

Bangkok as expected is shit. I don't really know how else to describe it. It is hot, busy, smoggy, hot, overcrowded, polluted, expensive, hot, people are unfriendly, toursty, oh and did I mention hot?

We arrived in Bangkok from Chang Mai on an overnight bus at about 5am. We got off the air-con bus, that like Vietnam has two temperature controls, desert and arctic (ours was on north pole). When we walked off the bus we realized that even at 5 am bangkok is ungodly hot and humid. Thank God we booked a hotel that was recommended to us in advance. When we showed up at 5 am expecting no way in hell are we going to be able to check in we were pleasantly surprised to know that the room was empty and we could go on up. That was the first and only pleasant surprise of my bangkok experience. After sleeping for a few hours, we headed to the hotel pool. The pool was a nice addition to the hotel (we booked this place knowing about the pool), and I don't know if I would have survived Bangkok without the pool and the elephant statue fountain spitting a spout of water into the pool center.


We went to a market the first night in Bangkok that was ENORMOUS, and after the market headed to the Banyon Tree Hotel for a "drink" at the skybar. Now I say "drink" with quotations, because when we got there, I couldn't even afford a glass of water. So we went up to the 60th floor and after having to wear loner shoes that didn't fit in order to get in (flip flops were not allowed) we took a couple pictures, clearly stuck out like sore thumbs, and busted a move out of there.

Now the thing I was not aware of when I got to Thailand was that upon arrival overland you only get a 15 day visa. Yes, you read correctly 15 days!!! WTF. So, I had to do what they call a "visa run" in order to get an additional 15 days. I booked a bus to Cambodia that left at 5 am (meaning I woke up at 4am) got to the border, left Thailand, entered cambodia, left cambodia, entered Thailand, and got an additional 15 days. On my way back from the border the bus told me the closest stop to my hotel (Rikka Inn, on Khao San Road) was the first stop. After getting off the bus and having 3 taxis tell me they refuse to bring me to the hotel because it was too far, I finally found a taxi to bring me. What one cab said would take 2 hours, took a mere 20 mins.

Khao San Road where our hotel was, is tourist and backpacker central. Carts line the streets selling ANYTHING you could possibly dream of. Bars line each side of the street, food stalls, more tattoo shops than I have ever seen, people grabbing you, blocking you, and trying to sell you everything from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Khao San is Mayhem.

Heidi and I tried to take a day trip and go to an Island (not a lay out, chill out, get tan, island) but a local inhabited island with some culture, the last day I was there. However after the complete lack of help from the boat operators, and getting yelled at we decided it wasn't worth our time or money, and decided to retreat back to our elephant fountain pool.

For dinner we went to what is known as "Bangkok's best Pad Thai". While we were at this outdoor restaurant a thai couple (one of the only friendly people we found) helped us order and told us this is "the best Pad Thai in all of Thailand, and the most authentic". Well, sorry Bangkok, outdoor restaurant, and nice couple. I didn't like it. I much prefer the westernized pad thai that I can get off the street stalls for much less money. Or really, I prefer the Pad Thai that I now am an expert at making. :)

I took an overnight bus to Koh Tao last night that arrived in a town called Champon at 5am. It connected to a boat that left at 7 am and arrived at the island a little after 9am. As you can imagine I am well tired. I finally found a place to stay here which was a bit tricky. The island is totally catered to divers, and since I am not diving most accommodation refuse to have guests if they don't dive with their company, OR their prices for a room are out of control. After walking for a bit, and finding a place not within my budget but as close as I could find, I found a small room, with electricity that comes and goes, a fan that doesn't really work, and a bed that is super uncomfortable. On the upside, the island is beautiful, and very relaxing. MUCH better than Bangkok, just more expensive, also it is equally as hot during the day, although at night I think it will cool down. Good thing I am on a beach here.

Ill be in Koh Tao for a couple nights then keep on island hoping, next on the list is Koh Phangan. 16 days left in Asia. Crazy how fast time has flown.

care for a slice of Pai?

Pai is a slice of Heaven. I absolutely am enamored with this town. It is tiny, laid back, relaxed, chill and every other synonym for peaceful and great.

We have not done a whole heck of a lot in Pai, and that is how it is supposed to be. Apparently the saying is "do nothing in Pai".

We did manage to take a cooking class yesterday. "Let's Wok with Tee" was fabulous. We arrived at 10 in the morning and there was an older American couple who was also there. Ted and Suzanne. In the morning we learned all about Thai ingredients, spices, veggies, fruits etc. and then made curry for lunch. Between the 4 of us students, and the instructor (Tee) we had 5 different curries, and the were heavenly. (I personally made a Penang curry). Tee (a 33 year old Thai hippie) and his friend Peter (a 61 year old, who looks about 75, Thai hippie) then told us to take a break for a few hours while they go to the market to get the necessary ingredients for dinner. We went back to the class at 5:30 and proceeded to make a stir fry and a soup/salad each. I made a prawn Pad Thai, and a Tum Yum soup (spicy sour soup). The Pad Thai was great, the soup wasn't so good. Not because I didn't make it right, but merely I just didn't enjoy the flavors that went into it. All in all there were 10 dishes and we had so much food left over.

Tee and Peter told Heidi and I that if we want to make a dessert we can come back tonight. So we are going back at 6:30 to make dessert and eat dinner with the student tonight. Score! Free meal. :)

Today we rented motor bikes and cruised around the surrounding area. Pai is stunning, but incredibly hot. We went to two different waterfalls, and a natural hot springs where the local women were boiling eggs. The hot springs were 80 degrees Celsius and clearly we did not go in them.

Ted and Suzanne, our American cooking class-mates, have a car here and are driving back to Chang Mai tomorrow. They offered to bring us with them. We did not hesitate to accept the invitation. It, 1-Saves us money, and 2- Has to be better than taking a bus and feeling ill again. If it were not for the free ride I think we would stay here at least one more night (if it were up to me I would stay a whole week). It is so relaxing in Pai, and I am actually not looking forward to Bangkok where it is supposedly insane.

Anyhow, if you ever need a slice of Heaven, just come and have a slice of Pai.

elephant snot is gross

The trek in Chang Mai was good. Not great, not bad, just good. I am spoiled after the incredible 3 days we had hiking in Laos that I don't think anything will ever compare. A hike with no zip lines is a lame hike in my book now. We did ride elephants. Not as much fun as I envisioned, but I'm glad I did it nonetheless. They are uncomfortable to ride, very slow, and fairly scary. I was sneezed on a bunch of times as well, and frankly I don't need elephant snot in my life.

The hike itself was much more difficult than the one in Laos. It was very steep and very hot. It was only about 3 hours, (only about 2 1/2 of actually walking) but the last hour was straight up and exhausting. We stayed in a village in a hut where all our mattress pads on the floor were lined up one after the other. At night one of the local guys came around with a guitar and played us some local songs as well as some goodies like "hey Jude" and "hotel California".

Last night we met up with a few people from the trek at a bar called "roof top bar". It was a really great night, although my shoes were stolen. Most places in Asia you must take your shoes off at the door. This is the case for a guesthouse, restaurant, Internet cafe, bar, etc. Last night I was leaving the bar, and my shoes were gone. My favorite manky flip flops with my imprinted feet on them. I am ashamed to say that I took someone else's to walk home in. Same brand, same size, different color. I will say to my credit that my friend walked up to the bar with the flip flops in hand and asked if they belonged to anyone, no one responded so we think (or at least told ourselves) that the person must have taken mine by accident.

Today we took the worst bus ride in history to Pai. It was only 4 hours from Chang Mai but it was the most winding, hilly, road I have ever been on. Several people on the bus had to get out and throw up from car sickness. I was on the verge, but luckily enough I was able to muster through the ride with not puking. Pai is a little hippie town filled with art, music, cafes and great restaurants. Should be a peaceful few days. I think another massage may be in order here.

Laos was certainly not lousy

Loas was the antithesis of lousy. It was amazing from start to finish. It was phenomenal even with the terrible luck I had. I was sick, I broke my camera, and I broke my watch. Thank goodness bad things only happen in threes.

Last time I wrote we were on our way to Luang Prabang. The trip there was absolutely stunning. We drove a long 9 hours on a bus through the mountains on a VERY, and I mean VERY windy hilly road. The drive was beautiful, although typical Sarah style I slept through most of it.

When we arrived in Luang Prabang the tuk tuk driver dropped us off in what seemed to be the middle of no-where as far as guest houses were concerned. After walking around for about 30-45 minutes with our bags, asking every guesthouse we saw for prices and to look at a room, we finally found an English girl who pointed us the right direction for a cheap and clean place. We settled on Hoxieng Guesthouse and it was lovely. Luang Prabang is a bit more expensive than Vang Vieng. (We paid $7.50 each per night here). After a delicious green curry dinner and a stroll through the night market we passed out pretty early in the evening. There is not much night life in Luang Prabang, although we hear the place to go is the bowling alley.

The next morning we had the expectations of renting bicycles and going on a 35 km each way cycle to the waterfalls. That quickly did not happen when we FINALLY heard back from the Gibbon Experience in Houy Xai that we were booked on the trip starting on the 14th but we had to pay immediately. Pay Pal is the devil. We spent all morning long trying to get an Internet connection fast enough to set up Pay Pal accounts, call the Gibbon Experience, book a slow boat, set a schedule for the next few days and so on. By the time the day was practically over we had accomplished none of the above. My pay pal account did not want to work, The Gibbon Experience was not answering their phone, we realized we had an extra day in Luang Prabang so no boat tix had to be bought yet, and it was a hectic morning. Although by the end of the day after seeing a lovely temple and having a delicious meal once again, doing a little retail therapy at the night market all was good.

The next morning we did end up renting bikes, and we started on what was supposed to be a fairly easy 35 km bike ride to the waterfalls. We quickly learned that this was not an easy bike ride, and at the end of the 1 hour and 50 minute ride I was well exhausted. Thank goodness there was some absolutely icy cold water to swim in once we got there. The waterfalls were spectacular and it was well worth the bike ride. After swimming and hiking for a few hours we had to get back to town. I opted to take a tuk tuk back with the bike tied to the roof with the only other 3 crazy people who biked there. Heidi was wonder-woman and biked back to town.

We were absolutely shattered by the end of the day and after a cheap 5,000 kip vegetarian buffet (did I mention I have become a vegetarian on this trip?) and a cake for dinner we re-packed our overstuffed bags and went to bed early in order to be at the boat for an 8 am departure.

The slow boat is exactly as it sounds. Slow. It took about 9 hours to get to a town called Pak Beng where there is a compulsory overnight stay. Thank goodness the night before we left we ran into a french girl who told us Pak Beng is run entirely on a generator and there is no electricity from 10pm-6am. There is NOTHING in Pak Beng aside from a few guesthouses, a few restaurants, and lots of people selling breakfast on the street in the morning when everyone heads to the slow boat for day 2 of 2 to get to Houy Xai.

The second day on the slow boat Heidi and I opted NOT to sit on the solid wooden benches but instead park ourselves on the floor with all the local Laos people. This was a more comfortable option except for the feeding times when the sloshing and chewing, and gnawing of meat (who knows what kind of stinky meat this was) was being ingested.

When our 9 hour boat trip was over we ran, literally I could have gone no faster with my backpack on, to where we thought the office to the gibbon experience was. It was 7:10 pm, and we were supposed to have been at the office by 7. Once we found it, after kilometers of walking uphill, we were relieved to find out (don't forget we couldn't get ahold of them) that our reservations were there and we would be leaving for the experience the next morning.

A little about the Gibbon Experience... We originally heard of it from our friend Simon who we traveled with in Australia. We really knew nothing about it, and had only met one girl on our travels who had done it. She said it was a wonderful experience but the rats and the spiders in the tree houses we sleep in are out of control. Great... We all know how much I love rats and spiders. The only other thing we knew was that we zipline from tree to tree, hike for a few hours a day, and that was it. We had also been to the website once or twice, but it is also pretty vague. www.gibbonx.org/

We woke up and after a 3 hour drive to the jungle outskirts we met our guide Jaa Lee. After trekking for about one hour, we got a a base where we received what would be our best friend for the next 3 days. Our harness. We came to the first zipline pretty soon thereafter and it was frightening, exhilarating, amazing, and all things in between. The first one is always the hardest but once I was zip-lining hundreds of feet in the air with spectacular views, the wind blowing fast against my face so hard and fast that tears formed, I felt like a bird and I was loving it. We zipped and hiked for about 5 hours the first day, and once we reached out tree house for the night dinner awaited us as well as coffee and tea and a hornets nest in the bathroom. The first night I got zero sleep for fear of rats and spiders coming into my bed (although there was a tarp around me) and an early 6 am wake up call was no help either.

Day two we did more trekking, zip-lining, we swam in the most icy cold water I have ever been in. This was our only "shower" for three days. The hiking was not easy, it was not the most difficult climb, but with a harness on, walking in the super humid rain forest, it was a great workout. The guide we were with has done this every single day for one year and 5 months. They whistled as they walked up these steep hills and rocky terrain while wearing flip flops. Insane.

Night number two is when the rats came. I was lucky enough to not see any huge spiders, although I know they were there as the other members of the 6 person trek saw them. The rats on the other hand were very much present, and made lots of noise fighting with each other at night and crawling over the tarps that covered our beds in a tent like fashion. All said and done, the rats were not too bad, and in fact some were even ( I cant believe I am saying this) cute. Day three over breakfast and coffee in the tree house we were lucky enough to see some monkeys playing in the trees. Wonderful, and surreal.

We got back to Houy Xai at about 4 pm on the 16th. Those three days were by far one of my most favorite experiences while traveling. The forest was unspoiled, the guides were amazing, the zip lining was something I never thought I would do, and it was overall fantastic. I highly highly highly recommend doing it.

We got to Chang Mai Thailand yesterday (boat then bus) and this rainy morning we went to see some tigers. The tigers were adorable. So cute. We were allowed in the cage with them and were able to cuddle and lay with them. I am not sure if they are sedated or what, but they were awfully sleepy. So soft, so cute, so happy that I cuddled a tiger. The one we were with was named Boo, and he was about 10 months old. AMAZING how big they are at 10 months.

Tomorrow we head on yet again another trek. This one is only 2 days, but should be wonderful. We get to ride elephants! :)

Sorry for the long entry today, there was a lot to catch up on. Hopefully the internet in Thailand will be much faster and more abundant that Laos.

I survived tubing in Vang Vieng...phew!

There is only one word to describe Vang Vieng. Wild! This town is out of control on so many different levels.

We arrived here at about 7pm on the night of the 6th. After wondering around for a bit trying to find a guesthouse that was cheap and clean we were approached by a guy limpin with both feet bandaged up. He told us he was staying in a nice place with 3 beds (two of his friends left that day) and he wanted to see if we wanted to stay in the room. After debating for a minute we decided to at least check out the room. It was cramped! Smallest 3-bed room I have ever seen. So Heidi and I said thanks but no thanks and found a guesthouse just a few yards away. However, Jay, our injured friend told us what was up with the town, the parties, the tubing, and how to not get injured.

Tubing starts around 1 pm, most people don’t get a tube and they just swim bar crawl down the river. Also the party at night doesn’t end until around 4 am. If we were interested he told us where to get opium shakes, mushroom shakes, and anything else we wanted, but just be careful when buying weed off the street because undercover cops try to catch you and make you pay up to $700 on the spot, or be whisked off to a 3 month jail sentence. Well Mom and Dad, you would be glad to know that no opium, mushroom, or any other kind of drug shake was drank during my time here.

That night, we went to check out a bar called the Bucket Bar. It is exactly what it sounds like a bar that sells drinks in beach buckets. It got pretty crazy there. We only stayed until 11ish because I am sick, and Heidi doesn’t drink. We were both still a little tired from our 7 hour bus ride here from Vientiane. There were lots of people around who looked like our gimp friend Jay. Limping, bandaged arms, eyes, wrists, legs, etc. Shit what is this river going to be like???

Heidi and I decided to get a tube each, I don’t think either one of us was ready for an all day drinking binge. Once again, I am sick. She doesn’t drink. So we met a group of 6 people on our tuk tuk on the way to the start of the river and they were basically on the same page we were. Stop at a few bars along the way, have a couple of drinks, but not get too drunk, because let’s face it, (this may sound boring to all you young and crazies) I am far too old and know way better than to get completely shit faced and tube down a river for 4 hours. I think I would rather die a different death.

The river was INSANE. You get there and the first bar was PACKED full of people. There is a rope swing insanely high, and the drop off is really close to a huge boulder, thanks but I think ill wait for a smaller rope swing. We found it at bar number 4 along the river. I believe it was called Sunrise Bar. The bars are about 50 meters apart down the river for a good 500 meters or so. Rope Swings or zip lines were at most of the bars as well as free shots for going. As you are tubing along the guys who work the bars throw a rope out to your tube for them to reel you in with. A great system. People were flying off the zip lines, flipping off rope swings, landing on all parts of their body in all sorts of really painful positions. There was a slide that threw you off into the water from far too high that everyone said knocked the wind out of them when they landed. Ill pass. Wow- I sound like a lame granny huh?? However I will say that I came out injury free, which is more than a good 50% of the people who go can say.

After going all the way down the river (most people don’t attempt this) and running to the tube rental place to have it back by 6pm in order to get our deposit back we were absolutely exhausted. I felt like shit, was losing my voice, had a terrible cough and was sneezing up a storm yet still thought I would be good to go rock climbing outside the following day. WRONG. I woke up in the morning and thought I may or may not die, so I passed on the rock climbing, and while Heidi went on a Kayak day trip I stayed in bed and watched two bootleg movies I bought in Vietnam.

It is probably a great thing that I was not 100% while here. I may have gotten a bit out of control like every one else around me where the party is 24/7. I will say that this is by far the most chilled out place I have ever been. The restaurants all play Friends, The Simpsons, or Family Guy all day long from open to close. People gather at the restaurant, chill out, recover from their hangovers, or their day on the river, and prepare for another massive night ahead of them. Many of the people we talked to while here said they have been here for 2 weeks with no intentions of leaving. This town will trap you. Like I said really chilled out place.

Tomorrow we are heading to Luang Prabang on supposedly a 8 hour bus trip, however if it is anything like our other buses it will probably be more like 10 hours.

Oi gioi oi

Oi gioi oi! Oh my god!! One of the few things in Vietnamese I remember. Halong Bay was phenomenal. Quick recap: Lots of young people, about 26 of us I think. Split evenly between guys and girls, cold, rainy, absolutely stunning, great Canadian tour guide (huge crush), kayaking to caves, hiking to breathtaking views, booze, games, and fun. Yup, that about sums it up.

We got on the 3.5 hour bus journey to Halong Bay from our hostel (great fun hostel called Hanoi Backpackers) at 8 am. Once on the boat our Scottish tour guide introduced himself, said he was pretty shattered from the night before, but his sole purpose was to make sure we had fun. After a pretty terrific lunch on the boat, and getting to know a few of the other passengers we all hoped in kayaks for a trip around some of the Islands, and a walk around some natural caves. The weather was misty, cold, and had a majestic feel to it. The clouds were low, but transparent enough to see several mountains and islands in the far distance. The Kayak was great, thank goodness it wasn't any more hot, because working against the current is quite an exercise. We walked around some caves about an hour into the Kayak, and everyone debated stalactite, or stalagmite. Leonie enlightened us all with her Dutch theory that "tite" means tit and tits hang. So therefore, stalactite in from the ceiling. Leave it to the Dutch to make things clear.

That night, after another great meal, and a party on the boat, craziness ensued. Aussies were jumping from the top of the sail, bongs were being ripped not with pot but with this local tobacco that gives an immediate high for about 45 seconds. People were falling, breaking things, skinny dipping, and just being young and free. (cheesy I know, but true).

The next day everyone was nursing their hangovers, and what is the best way to get over a hangover??... (besides drink more) Exercise. The group split into two and our "Scottish" guide, (who came clean that he was really Canadian the night before) took about 10 of us on a hike on Cat Ba Island. (The biggest Island in Halong Bay) The top of the hike was really quite gorgeous. The majestic feeling remained, and it was a stunning 1 hour trek. The second night we spent in a hotel on the island, and the following morning we left for another 3 hour boat ride, 3 hour bus ride, and arrived back in Hanoi about 5 pm. What a terrific trip, what an exhausting trip. Oi gioi oi!!!

Also in Hanoi I saw Ho Chi Minh's dead body... Yeah wierd. He is in a freezing cold room, surrounded by 4 guards, in a glass case just lying there. Bizarre.

Heidi and I arrived by plane yesterday afternoon to Vientiane, Laos. Last night we went bowling at the local bowling alley after meeting up with two Danish girls we keep running into. Today at 2:00 we head off to Vang Vienne to go tubing, and trekking. Cant wait.

Oi gioi oi this trip is flying by!

I heart Vietnam

I love Vietnam. Sure, the people are not the friendliest, warm, open people I expected. Sure, it smells retched in areas like something died, came back to life, died 100 more times, rotted and then had sour milk poured on it. Sure, I feel like I am walking into deaths door every time I cross the street. Sure, I got chased down the street today by an angry woman on a motor cycle after we just had a screaming match. But aside from all that I heart Vietnam.

After Mui Ne, Heidi and I went to Nha Trang while Leonie went all the way to Hoi An. We didnt really have any expectations of Nha Trang. We stopped more or less becuase we didnt want to be on a bus for 17 hours and go all the way to Hoi An. THANK god we stopped. I loved Nha Trang. We stayed at most likely the loudest hostel in the entire world, got zero sleep, but had a blast. I heart Vietnam.

Our Hostel like many of them in Asia had a travel agency attached to it. They sold a one day boat trip for $8 so we figured, heck why not. $8, including lunch, snorkeling, fruit, beaches, boats, views, and good people... sounds like a steal. A steal it was! It was gorgeous, great fun, huge lunch, awesome people, lots of swimming, live entertainment, (the crew turned into a band after lunch and we all danced on board) snorkeling, and best of all the chance to go Para sailing. I suppose my surf lesson gave me courage to try new adventures, so I sucked it up and for the low low price of $12 I went Para Sailing. The parachute had lots of holes in it, my life jacket didnt secure, the jet ski that comes to get you after you land in the water billowed black smoke, and it was a fairly dodgy operation, but totally 100% worth it. It was absolutely gorgeous being up high and seeing the mountains and ocean from a birds eye view. I heart Vietnam.

After a full day of sun and boat, and the lack of sleep from the noisy hostel the previous night, you would think we would be tired enough to sleep like babies on the overnight bus to Hoi An. Wrong! The sleeper bus was so bumpy, so crowded, SO SO cold. (I've discovered that the buses here seem to have two air con temperatures... Freezing, and broken. It is either hotter than Lucifer's casa, or colder than the coldest day on top of Mount Everest... no exaggeration). We slept abou,t oh... I dont know maybe one hour total from the 12 hour bus journey. Any one who has ever said traveling is relaxing is the biggest liar on the face of the earth.

Once we arrived in Hoi An, Leonie had arranged a hotel for us. We got to the hotel checked in, and the best part of the story is that a friend from LA was also in Hoi An at the same time. So, Laurenne stayed with us at the hotel. It was really nice to have a taste of home. Hoi An is known for the custom made clothing. So Heidi and I set out first thing to get some clothes made. We didnt do much searching around and we ended up going into a shop where some girls were coming out and they said they were happy with the result of their clothes. Good enough for me, let's go there. Well long story short... Look around first. Find the shops with the clothes on display you want, do NOT expect them to make something from a vision in your head. This custom clothing experience ended with Heidi being happy with her 5 items, and me being happy with 2/5 of mine, and REALLY unhappy with one. I was so unhappy with it, that I refused to pay, got in a screaming match with the woman in the shop, her picking up a huge ceramic vase and trying to throw it at me. I ran down the street, she chased us down on her motorbike, and instead of being killed in Vietnam by an angry 4 ft 8 inch tailor, I paid her the $200 dong (about $12) but I wasn't happy about it.

However, on the upside on Hoi An, it is absolutely stunning, Awesome market with women in bamboo hats selling lots of produce. Old ladies and children walking around with Chickens in their hands. Men, women and children harassing you to buy something for a good price. Very cheap. Knock-off Lacoste polo shirts and any other knock-off you can imagine. We got hijacked by a woman telling us to go to her salon for a $1 pedicure. A $1 pedicure??? How can you say no to that! So Laurenne, Heidi and I spent some time and got pampered. I heart Vietnam.

That night we went to dinner on the street at a street stall. Delicious meal. Met four french guys sitting next to us, and arranged to meet them out later in the night. After an AMAZING dessert at a cafe called Cargo (we went to this cafe 3 times in 24 hours). We went to a bar called Before and Now ( I think that was the name). There was a free shuttle leaving the bar at 11 pm to bring people to a beach party about 5 km away. We met some Canadians the night before who went to this party so Laurenne and I figured why not. It didn't matter I had to wake up at 6:30 for a flight to Ha Noi. After all, as she put it, "how cool will it be in 10 years when we say, HEY, remember that time in Ha Noi we said fuck it, lets go to a beach party with 4 Frenchies and a bunch of other backpackers?". So we went, danced the night away, and got back to the hotel at 4:30 am. Just in time for 2 hours of sleep before waking up to head to the airport. I heart Vietnam.

We got to Ha Noi at about noon. The flight was only an hour, and smooth. VERY much worth the $40 and the knowledge I wont be on a bus tonight for 15 hours.

Tomorrow we head off to Halong Bay for a 2 night 3 days trip. I can't wait. I am sure I will heart Halong Bay.

places to stay while traveling the world

Before I forget (and since i have 45 mins to kill before my bus to Nah Trang comes)I want to write down all the places I have stayed thus far on my journey. This will help me remember the trip, and hopefully will help anyone who comes this way.

AUSTRALIA:

Cairns: Calypso - Awesome! Really friendly staff. Out of town a little, but free shuttle to town every hour. Great pool and bar.

Cape Tribulation: The Beach House- Right on the beach, really relaxed and chill. Quiet. Lots and Lots of wildlife around. (spiders) Great relaxing place overall.

Mission Beach: Scotty's. Nice staff, nice pool, nothing to do in town, relaxing, good BBQ area. Sell things like single eggs, and individual slices of toast which makes things easy. Bathroom en suite. BYOB

Magnetic Island: Base- Wonderful in every way. Great night life. (some rooms the air con doesn't work). Good pool, good restaurant, good bar.

Airlie Beach: Beaches- good place, tiny pool. But good lagoon in walking distance. TV in rooms... balcony, good bar. Fridge in rooms. Clean, all rooms are bathroom en suite. Free Bfast.

1770: 1770 Backpackers- One of the best. No air con, but fan in rooms. Staff is friendly. big kitchen. REALLY REALLY chill place. Hammocks, and picnic benches every where. En Suite BR. BYOB.

Hervey Bay: Beaches- eh ok. no air con... pool was nice. Staff was not friendly. DO NOT recommend doing Fraser Island through Beaches. Beds were noisy. Bathroom was en suite.

Noosa: YHA: Great. Friendly staff, free wine on first night as a "get to know people". social, ping pong table, pool table, TV room, big kitchen, chill, good location. Clean, Really nice in every way.

Byron Bay: Holiday Village: Ok- comfy bed... must pay for linen though. no aircon, small pool. central location. Directly across the street from the big backpacker bar, Cheeky Monkeys. If I were to go back I would stay at The Arts Factory. Out of town a little, but really really chill. Free bike rental. BYOB

Sydney: YHA- railroad. nice, comfy beds, aircon, BR en suite, BYOB. Helpful staff. Central location right next to bus station and train station.

Melbourne: I stayed at 3 different hostels.
1- The Nunnery- in the Fitzroy area. Artsy area, loads of cafe's and live music bars. Hostel was old, but had character, Guests were on the older side. Lots of families. Free BBQ once a week. Free Bfast. BYOB overall ok.
2- Urban Central- HUGE, clean, comfy beds. Good bar, big kitchen. Free pasta, rice, and bfast. very secure, except this is where the naked man incident occurred. EEK. Friendly staff. Good central location to the CBD. Overall I would go back.
3-Base- In St. Kilda area. Nice big. clean rooms, bathroom en suite. good location to the beach and cafe's. Big Backpacker area. Would def. go back.

Adelaide: never stayed in a hostel here BUT I heard that the YHA is good.

Perth: Same as Adelaide, never stayed in a hostel, but YHA is supposedely great. It is in the CBD area... also have heard good things about staying in Cottelsloe Beach area.

MALYSIA:

Kuala Lumpur: Red Palm- wonderful. awesome staff. good location, cheap, free breakfast. Free coffee, tea, fruit and biscuits all day. Good communal TV area with lots of reference books.

CAMBODIA:

Siem Reap: Siem Reap Hostel- AMAZING. Comfy beds, clean, staff was REALLY REALLY Friendly. Free clean water to fill up your water bottle with. Awesome location, free bike rental. Great $1 bfast in the morning. Air con, pool, free internet, free bike rental. Bathroom en suite. One of the best hostels I've stayed at.

Phenom Penh: Capitol- Good, big rooms, very clean, friendly staff. Tour office downstairs. bathroom en suite. Satellite TV, air con. cheap.

VIETNAM:

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City): Madam Cuc's Hotel 64- Nice, clean room. The three of us had to share 2 beds. Air con, TV, free Breakfast, free coffee, tea, juice and fruit all day. Staff was alright. fridge in room. Helped book bus for next day. More expensive then other places in Saigon, but you get what you pay for. En suite BR.

Mui Ne: Suoi Tenn Mui Ne Resort- Wonderful. AMAZING pool. Right on the beach. clean rooms, air con, fridge. En suite BR. Ok staff- not very friendly. free brekky. free internet. Really relaxing, and chilled. really nice, the price wasn't too much for a resort either. $12.50/day. Close to lots of shops and restaurants. Would def. recommend.

Nha Trang: Backpackers hostel- REALLY loud. Good location, but don't expect to sleep. If you want to meet people here its a good place for that, but bring ear plugs if you want to sleep. Also book the one day boat tour from the hostel for $8. It is TOTALLY worth every penny. Free internet.

Hoi An: An Phu Hotel- big, nice, pool, air con, private bathroom, fridge TV, cheap ish (about $7 per person with 3 of us in a room). Helpful staff. Free internet.

Hanoi: Hanoi Backpackers- good place to meet people. Clean, some of the room are crammed with beds and have tiny bathrooms, while others are good. Free internet, free breakfast, GREAT place to meet people, free coffee and tea all day. I totally recommend booking the Halong Bay trip through this hostel even though it is a bit more expensive then places you can find on the street, but TOTALLY worth the extra money. Also do a three day trip, not the two day. There are lots of hotels on the same street. My reccomendation is to stay at a hotel on the street and get the private room for the same price as the hostel dorm room. Then just go to the hostel to socialize.

LAOS:

Vienteinne: Phonepasiuth Guesthouse- small rooms, expensive, no windows, no perks, not the best, but clean (ish) and a good location.

Vang Vieng: 2 different places
1-GrandView Guesthouse- right on the water, really close to bars, right in the think of things (although this town is so small it doesnt really matter where you stay). Nice room, a bit expensive. We paid 90,000 kip for two beds, no air con, no view. You can find rooms for 30,000 kip.
2-Somphathai guesthouse- central location. RIGHT next to tube rental place. We paid 70,000 kip for room with TV, two beds (one queen). Nice staff, restaurant that plays friends all day across the street. Little pharmacy in front of the guesthouse that sells anything you could want from Valium, to antibiotics, to bug spray, all cheap. En Suite BR, I would def. recommend it. Clean and good.


Luang Prabang: Hoxieng Guesthouse- nice place, really friendly staff. Free bananas and water. Not very cheap though. $15 US dollars per night. TV, and aircon included. en suite BR This town truly is you get what you pay for. We looked at places that were $10 a night and they were no where near as nice. Beware the Tuk Tuks from the bus station drop you no where near where the guest houses are, so word of advice, when you get dropped off, ask people on the street who look like backpackers where they are staying, and where that area is. The place is overloaded with Guesthouses, but they are all on back alley ways. I would stay here again.

Pak Beng: I don't remember the name of the place but it is on the left side of the road about 100 meters up from where you get dropped off from the slow boat. Nice place, about 80 kip for the night. Own Bathroom. Pak Beng is run entirely on a generator and has no electricity from 10:30 pm to 6:30 am.

Houy Xai: Sabadee Guesthouse- nice place, really close to the gibbon experience. We stayed here the night before and after the gibbon experience. The beds in the two rooms were VERY different so make sure you sit on it before accepting the room. We had an en suite BR, and a TV, and fan. about 80 kip/night.

THAILAND:

Chang Mai: Julies Guesthouse- backpacker mecca. Dorm rooms or private rooms. VERY cheap. Dorm rooms are only 70 baht a night. (2 USD). Private rooms are about 220 baht. Not the cleanest joint but a decent place to meet people. You can book treks or cooking classes directly here, as well as buses or trains to anywhere else in Thailand.

Pai: Family House- not the best place. SMALL room. Not the cleanest, and bed is REALLY uncomfortable. However it is cheap. We got the room for 3 nights for 700 baht total with en suite BR. The rooms are bungalows, and cute-ish. Definitely not a bad place, but there are much nicer places in Pai. If we had known where to look we would have chosen a different place. I recommend Unicorn Guesthouse. There is a pool, and free internet here.

Bangkok: Rikka Inn

Koh Tao: Big Blue Dive School, and Sunset Cottage???

Koh Phangan: Leela Beach Bungalows, and Cocohut resort

Koh Phi Phi: Banthai, and Harmony

Phuket: Phuket Backpackers

Singapore: Mitra Inn

Bali: Sayang Matha Mertha Hotel

Darwin: Maleluca on Mitchell

Alice Springs: Haven

Ok that's it up to now. Ill keep modifying as I go.

I'm a millionaire

Currently I am sitting at a resort in Mui Ne Vietnam. Straight ahead of me is a pool surrounded by palm trees, and directly to my right about 20 yards away is the ocean. It is absolutely lovely here, and very un-3rd world country Vietnam. The food is pure, the ice is okay to drink, and all the guests are westerners. I could be any where in the world...but I certainly dont feel like I am in Vietnam. $1,000,000 dong is the equivalent to about $57 USD.

We arrived at Mui Ne yesterday afternoon after a 5-6 hour bus ride from Saigon. We didn't really know where to stay here, so based off a recommendation from our previous accommodation we stopped at this resort. The room they had available for 4 (we met an australian girl traveling by herself so invited her to join along) was a whopping $50. That is a LOT of money for a room here. However, after checking the room out and seeing the resort we decided that each of us only owing $25 for two nights is worth a few days of luxury. So here we are. Yesterday we relaxed by the pool, and went to a nice dinner ($4). Today we are chilling by the ocean in comfy beach beds, and at sunset going to these red and white sand dunes. Speaking of sunsets, because it is winter here, the sun is setting around 6pm. In Australia it was setting at 9:30ish.

Backing up to the tunnels in HCMC. Our tour guide was a VERY passionate man, and I had a difficult time understanding much of what he said, although I did understand the key points. He is a Vietnamese man. However he came to America when he was younger and actually fought in the war as an American soldier. He said his commanding officer was none other than John Kerry. He also said he knew McCain, and a few others whom I cant seem to remember. He also said that the war fucked with him big time. He decided he didn't want to fight against his "own" people (Vietnamese) so he came back to Vietnam. The communist govt here at the time decided he was against them so they imprisoned him for 5 years. In this time his mother died, his brothers and sisters went missing and he wanted to commit suicide. He said he hated everything about the war, and he wants to forget it. I guess that is kind of hard to do if you are working as a tour guide showing how the Viet Cong hid from the americans. The tunnels were pretty amazing. The Viet Cong built three levels. One at 3 meters, 6 meters, and 8-10 meters deep.

The tunnels were pretty amazing. SO tiny, and SO SO SO claustrophobic. We were only allowed in one section that was 140 meters long, but it was 140 meters of sheer horror. Picture a pitch black hole, only big enough to crawl through. You cant see anything an inch in front of you, behind you, or to the side of you. Imagine the awful heat encompassing you feeling your own breathe as you deeply inhale and exhale. SCARY. I don't know how the Viet Cong lived down there. Desperate times call for desperate measures though I suppose.

Time for me to head to my mosquito netted bed. Another day of relaxation awaits me tomorrow.

sad things, bumpy buses, and lots of motorcycles

Phnom Penh was pretty remarkable in the sense that so much hatred and destruction occurred not so long ago, and the people there are some of the happiest I have ever met. Everyone was smiling, friendly, gracious, and overall seemed genuinely happy. This surprises me immensely considering the communist upraising ruled by Pol Pot ended not so long ago where over 2 million people died. Men, Women, and Children were murdured the most violent of ways. Pol Pot had no sympathy for anyone, and this was the biggest genocide in history. Yet, I ask, why have I never learned about this tragedy in history until being here? We all know the story of the holocaust but we failed to learn the torture and the terrifying ways in which millions died over the course of a few years in the late 1970's.

Phnom Penh is the capitol of Cambodia and most of the tourism revolves around the killings of this time in history. Ever hear of the movie the "The Killing Fields"?? Well Phnom Penh is where the killing fields takes place. I went to the actual killing fields while there. The fields are basically one big field with hole, after hole, after hole, dug up where thousands of bodies were buried. There are still pieces of clothing coming out of the ground, as well as bones sticking up from areas that have not been fully excavated. There was a room full of only skulls of victims dug up. I will spare you all the details, but these people were brutally, I mean BRUTALLY murdered. Things we cant even imagine in our worst nightmares.

The torture of the men, women, and children started at the Prison S21. It is now a genocide museum, and shows how the inmates were tortured for information. After the torture they were then transported to the killing fields for extinction. Our tour guide at the genocide museum had her father and brother murdered. A very sad, somber day, and symbolically enough it was the first cloudy day we have had thus far.

On a happier note... I had two of the most remarkable meals in Phnom Penh. There are a few restaurants that donate all of their profits to help children finish school, and create a career for themselves in order to keep them off the streets. For lunch we went to a place called "Friends", and dinner was at "Romdeng". The restaurants were both really, really nice, and much more expensive than if we were to eat at a regular joint, but the cause is well worth supporting. (Not to mention by much more expensive I still paid less than $10 a meal).

This morning we woke up early and headed on a bus to cross the border into VIetnam. The bus was extremely bumpy, but at least it was air-conditioned. We got to Saigon, (now referred to as Ho Chi Minh City) around 3 pm. We wandered for a while to find a guest house to stay in, and finally after finding one that looked acceptable and trekking up the 8 flights of stairs to our room we hit the town.

First let me say there are over 3 million motorbikes in the city. Imagine a 2 way street, motorbikes 7 deep in each direction, speeding by. No stoplights, no crosswalks, no road rules. INSANITY, or an even better word is complete CHAOS. Crossing the street here is like a death wish every time. It is complete and utter craziness.

Tomorrow we are checking out the Cu Chi tunnels where the Viet Cong hid during the Vietnam War. It is about 50 km away from HCMC. Hopefully my claustrophobia wont be too terrible tomorrow. Fingers are crossed.

The good, the bad, the ugly

The remainder of Siem Reap was fairly uneventful, but great. The last day we were there the three of us rented bikes from the hostel and rode around the city a bit. We stumbled upon a school, a crocodile farm, and some very poor, rural areas. After 2 out of 3 of our bikes broke we decided to head back to the hostel. It was INCREDIBLY humid during the day especially since it rained in the morning. Later that afternoon we went to a restaurant called "Dead Fish". The place is known for being able to feed the crocodiles for .50. So of course we did. It seemed incredibly unsafe, and you would never see this is the states or Europe, but it was fun none the less. Last night the hostel showed Vicky Christina Barcelona so odd to be in Cambodia and watch and American movie. After the film we went to dinner and I had what I think was the best thing on Earth. It is called chicken Amok, and holly hell was it good. I took a picture of it because it was so delicious. :) It was like a curry, but not. Unbelievable.

This morning we woke up to catch our 9am bus to Phnom Penh (capitol and largest city in Cambodia). We bought a first class ticket to ensure Air Con and a comfy ride. Unfortunately the air con broke about 2 hours into the 6 hour journey. SO hot!! So much for first class. We did however receive a bottle of water and a loaf of bread.

When we got to Phnom Penh we made our way to the guesthouse. We are staying at a place recommended by a friend who was here not to long ago. We walk up to what looks a little scary from the outside, but this place is PHENOMENAL. In our room we have 3 VERY comfy beds, our own bathroom, AND satellite TV. All of this for the low low price of $4.75 each. Our room is just as nice as a hotel room. Tonight we went to dinner at a restaurant on the Mekong river, and as things go had the WORST meal ever. I should have stuck with my Amok. I ordered a soup the waiter recommended, and never again will I order a soup where the description reads "sour fish and veggies soup". SOUR it was... gross.

Tomorrow we will go to the Killing Fields, the Genocide Museum, and a few other places around town. I think tomorrow is going to be a VERY depressing day. However I am sure it will be humbling and will be a good thing for me to see.

On a depressing note, everywhere in Cambodia there are land mine victims, with no arms, or legs. Many of whom don't beg but play music on the street instead. It is really sad and truly makes your appreciate what you have. We read that while walking around Siem Reap to be careful to stay on the paths because there are still many mines around.

Our last night in Siem Reap, we saw a little boy who was starving laying on the sidewalk with his mother. I want to help these people but I don't know how. It is a much greater effort than I am ready to deal with at this point in my life. I read some statistics today about the alarming number of child deaths due to dirty water, and malnutrition. You see these children begging, and then I go back to my $5 luxury room (which to them is expensive) and I have a life of fortune. It is very humbling, and I hope I remember how good I have it when I complain about the minuscule things like, being hot on a bus. If only they could afford a bus.

Overall- South East Asia is so far so good.