Yesterday we took a bus from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. This bus ride was so much nicer than the first one we took through the Cambodian countryside on Tuesday. This particular bus seemed to have more seat room, the attendant was much friendlier, and the road was paved the entire way. It was still long, around 7 hours, but we spent an hour waiting at the border crossing as it was quite busy and only one person stamping passports and visas. We had to get off the bus with all of our luggage to get our passport stamped and then walk across the border into Vietnam. Once we crossed the border there was an instant, night/day difference between Cambodia and Vietnam. Whereas Cambodia was very much still developing with few buildings and mostly dry countryside, Vietnam appears to be much more developed with many buildings (both homes and shops) and a countryside that seems to be more cared for. Instead of a narrow two lane road with no dividing line like we saw through all of our driving in Cambodia, there was a four lane road and as we got closer to the city, an extra lane just for motor bikes in Vietnam. There are motor bikes everywhere in the city. A tour guide we had today told us that the population of Saigon is just over 8 million. There are 4 million motor bikes and only half of a million cars in the city. It is literally a sea of motorbikes on every road. Crossing the road with all of those motorbikes weaving all around each other is interesting also. We have found ourselves standing on a corner waiting for there to be a break in traffic only to realize five minutes later it's not going to happen. We have discovered you just have to go, but once you start you better keep going because the motorbikes will already be weaving around you and if you stop or try to turn around you're probably likely to get hit!
Last night after we got settled at our hotel we walked around the Ben Than Market which is a pretty large open market right near our hotel and had some Pho for dinner. Today we had a tour guide take us to the Cu Chi Tunnels a bit outside of the city. These tunnels were used by the Cu Chi guerrillas during the Vietnam War as a hideout, hospital, weapons factory and pretty much anything. It was a huge network of tunnels which were built so small that only the Vietnamese soldiers would fit in them and be able to move through them. We were able to learn about and see how they built the tunnels to be extremely camouflaged, what they used the tunnels for, and the booby traps they set to keep the enemy out. We also watched a short video which was our first experience of the strong anti-American propaganda that is used during any mention of the war. It talked about some of the famous "American-killing heroes" of the tunnels and how the tunnels aided the Viet Cong against the "fiery devils." We had the opportunity to go inside of one of the tunnels (a small section has been widened for tourists), but neither one of us opted to go too far in the pitch dark and still very, very narrow tunnel! There's also a shooting range at the site of the tunnels (hearing the gun shots in the background the whole time created an interesting atmosphere) where you can shoot guns from the Vietnam war era, such as an M16, AK47, etc. Eric chose to shoot the M60. Unfortunately, it was busy and he went through the ten bullets pretty fast and I didn't have a chance to get a very good picture. But it was all very interesting and, once again, we learned a lot.
This afternoon we went to the Revolutionary Museum and Reunification Palace. The palace was where the president of South Vietnam lived during the war and was the site of the end of the war during the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Today it's a museum and you can see the different rooms and learn about what each one was used for.
We have one more day to explore Ho Chi Minh City and one more day left of our vacation before our long trip home on Sunday. The last two weeks of traveling to places we never knew we would go has been completely amazing!! But we are also very anxious to get home to stay for the first time in over two years!!
Friday, March 14, 2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Cambodia
We had a great time in Siem Reap earlier this week! On Sunday we had a tour guide for the day who took us to four different temples. We started our tour at 5 in the morning and went to Angkor Wat, the largest of the temples, for the sunrise. Angkor Wat was built in the early 1100's. It only took 37 years to construct and was built solely by volunteers, no slave labor. It was originally built as a Hindu temple but was later converted to a Buddhist temple. It's still an active Buddhist temple today and we had to make sure our shoulders and knees were covered in order to go inside. The sunrise was very cool to see and walking through the 900 year old temple was very neat also. It seems that UNESCO has done a nice job preserving it and adding in some supports to keep it standing. Unfortunately, pollution from China is starting to arrive and cause some problems but hopefully they will be able to continue to preserve it just as well since it really is so amazing to visit.
We also visited Ta Prohm, another temple in the Angkor Wat complex. It was built in the late 12th century but was abandoned in the 17th century. Since it was abandoned for so long, nature took over and trees began to grow very close to the temple walls. The roots of the trees have become so big that they have caused many sections of the temple to collapse. What is left standing has been stabilized for visitors but otherwise it has been left as it was originally found a few centuries after it's abandonment.
Next we went to Banteay Srei, originally built in the 10th century so is over 1000 years old today. It's a bit different from the other two we had seen since it is made from red sandstone and has very elaborate carvings.
The last temple we visited on Sunday was Bayon which was the last temple to be built as part of the Angkor complex in the late 12th century and the only one to be built originally as a Buddhist temple. This temple was pretty big and also different from the others as it had the four faces of Buddha built into many of the columns.
On Monday we were on our own for exploring so we hired a tuk tuk driver for a few hours to take us to three other temples in the Angkor complex. They were also interesting to see but after visiting seven temples in two days in 95+ degree heat, we were feeling ready to move on. Being in Cambodia was a different experience for sure. There were very few buildings other than hotels in Siem Reap. Most everything else seemed to be in open air markets or just on the streets. Hawkers were everywhere always trying to get you to buy something and not wanting to leave you alone (they were in Thailand last week too but even more in Cambodia). The child beggers and sellers at the temples were hard to ignore after a while. Unfortunately, you are supposed to ignore them because if you try to talk to them or buy something from one of them, you will have a hundred more kids swarming you right away. The second day we couldn't help but give in and bought some postcards from a girl at one of the temples because we thought she was alone in that particular area. Nope. As soon as we handed her the dollar we had more than 10 other ones come out of nowhere trying to get us to buy more from them.
On Tuesday we took a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It was less than 200 miles away but took us over six hours to get there through the countryside. We think that probably more than half of the road we traveled on was not paved. It was very dusty since it's the dry season right now. It also seemed like we spent more time on the wrong side of the road than the right side trying to pass so many motorbikes all the time. We're somewhat accustomed to how people drive in Asia but this bus ride was a bit interesting even for that! But we made it!
On Wednesday we hired a tuk tuk for the morning to take us to the Choeung Ek killing fields just outside of Phnom Penh. This is one site of several mass graves from the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. It was very sad but also very interesting to learn about, as the genocide that took place here less than 40 years ago is not well known in the Western world. We also visited the S21 prison (Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum) which is a former high school the Khmer Rouge regime used as a prison and torture center. Again, very sad but very interesting. There were only 12 survivors from S21 when the regime finally ended, only three still living today. We were actually able to meet one of them when we were there which was pretty neat. In the afternoon we walked around the Royal Palace area where the king lives. Unfortunately I was not dressed "correctly" (my shorts did not cover my knees) so we didn't go inside but the outside of the palace was still interesting to see.
This afternoon we arrived in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, our last stop before heading home on Sunday. I will try to post more about Vietnam tomorrow! And of course many more pictures will be uploaded to Shutterfly after we get home!
We also visited Ta Prohm, another temple in the Angkor Wat complex. It was built in the late 12th century but was abandoned in the 17th century. Since it was abandoned for so long, nature took over and trees began to grow very close to the temple walls. The roots of the trees have become so big that they have caused many sections of the temple to collapse. What is left standing has been stabilized for visitors but otherwise it has been left as it was originally found a few centuries after it's abandonment.
Next we went to Banteay Srei, originally built in the 10th century so is over 1000 years old today. It's a bit different from the other two we had seen since it is made from red sandstone and has very elaborate carvings.
On Tuesday we took a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It was less than 200 miles away but took us over six hours to get there through the countryside. We think that probably more than half of the road we traveled on was not paved. It was very dusty since it's the dry season right now. It also seemed like we spent more time on the wrong side of the road than the right side trying to pass so many motorbikes all the time. We're somewhat accustomed to how people drive in Asia but this bus ride was a bit interesting even for that! But we made it!
On Wednesday we hired a tuk tuk for the morning to take us to the Choeung Ek killing fields just outside of Phnom Penh. This is one site of several mass graves from the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. It was very sad but also very interesting to learn about, as the genocide that took place here less than 40 years ago is not well known in the Western world. We also visited the S21 prison (Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum) which is a former high school the Khmer Rouge regime used as a prison and torture center. Again, very sad but very interesting. There were only 12 survivors from S21 when the regime finally ended, only three still living today. We were actually able to meet one of them when we were there which was pretty neat. In the afternoon we walked around the Royal Palace area where the king lives. Unfortunately I was not dressed "correctly" (my shorts did not cover my knees) so we didn't go inside but the outside of the palace was still interesting to see.
This afternoon we arrived in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, our last stop before heading home on Sunday. I will try to post more about Vietnam tomorrow! And of course many more pictures will be uploaded to Shutterfly after we get home!
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Destination #2: Siem Reap, Cambodia
After a wonderful week in Koh Samui, Thailand, this afternoon we arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Our week on the island was so great. We spent a lot of the time relaxing and reading by the pools or on the beautiful beach. We spent one day on a boat tour to Angthong National Marine Park, where we went snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, and hiking amongst the small islands that make up the park. The beauty of everything we saw was simply incredible. Taking in so much sun and heat the first week of March was pretty cool too, though we both got a little more sun than we had planned to!
We will spend the next couple of days in Siem Reap before taking a bus south to Phnom Penh on Tuesday. Tomorrow our day will start before the sun as we have a tour guide scheduled to pick us up from our hotel and take us to Angkor Wat for the sunrise. We will spend all day tomorrow touring some of the temples with a guide and Monday probably touring some of the other temples on our own. Already we have seen Cambodia is very different than any where we have been to before. As we were having dinner outside this evening I had to constantly remind Eric that, sadly, he can't give something to every child we see since if you give to one you will immediately be bombarded by a hundred. This will be a different kind of week for sure, but we are very excited to see and learn more about these places.
Something interesting we already learned on our way from the airport to our hotel is that there is a large Korean population living in Siem Reap and we got so excited when we saw a couple of store names written in Korean! There is even a North Korean restaurant not far from our hotel that we hope to go to before we leave. Eric also informed me as we got off the plane this afternoon that we are officially the farthest we will probably ever be from a McDonald's. I don't think that really matters too much but he thinks it's a pretty interesting fact!
It feels hotter here in Cambodia than it was in Thailand. I don't think either of us will be too sad to return the Pacific Northwest rain in about 8 days!
We will spend the next couple of days in Siem Reap before taking a bus south to Phnom Penh on Tuesday. Tomorrow our day will start before the sun as we have a tour guide scheduled to pick us up from our hotel and take us to Angkor Wat for the sunrise. We will spend all day tomorrow touring some of the temples with a guide and Monday probably touring some of the other temples on our own. Already we have seen Cambodia is very different than any where we have been to before. As we were having dinner outside this evening I had to constantly remind Eric that, sadly, he can't give something to every child we see since if you give to one you will immediately be bombarded by a hundred. This will be a different kind of week for sure, but we are very excited to see and learn more about these places.
Something interesting we already learned on our way from the airport to our hotel is that there is a large Korean population living in Siem Reap and we got so excited when we saw a couple of store names written in Korean! There is even a North Korean restaurant not far from our hotel that we hope to go to before we leave. Eric also informed me as we got off the plane this afternoon that we are officially the farthest we will probably ever be from a McDonald's. I don't think that really matters too much but he thinks it's a pretty interesting fact!
It feels hotter here in Cambodia than it was in Thailand. I don't think either of us will be too sad to return the Pacific Northwest rain in about 8 days!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Goodbye Korea, Hello Koh Samui
Yesterday we officially said "see you later" to Korea and arrived in Koh Samui, Thailand late yesterday afternoon. Koh Samui is the second largest island in Thailand and a big resort island. Even the airport showed just how much of an island place it is with customs and baggage claim located outside. The temperature is in the high 80s which is so different from what we Our resort is located right on the beach and beautiful!! Last night we tested the waters of the Gulf, which were warm but refreshing, and had a delicious Thai dinner overlooking the beach. This morning after breakfast we are sitting by one of the pools cooling off in the water, working on a tan, and just enjoying. No clocks or cell phones are needed and we love it :) we could definitely get used to this island life and beautiful scenery!
The wifi isn't great but we will try to upload some pictures later if we can!
The wifi isn't great but we will try to upload some pictures later if we can!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
One Day More
Our last day in Korea has officially arrived and with still some things to do. Last night we were able to sell some of our furniture so our bedroom is completely empty except for our suitcases and backpacks. Two of our friends came over and took some things from our giveaway pile. This morning the rest of our giveaway pile has been put out on the street where, hopefully, someone will take most of it. We have two more boxes to take to the post office, some banking to finish, make sure everything is packed well, and then by tonight we will be officially moved out of our apartment and on our way to Incheon where we will spend the night and then catch our flight to Thailand in the morning.
It is bittersweet for sure. We have made so many great friends and memories during the last two years that it is hard to leave that, but at the same time we are so excited to see what's next for us. Last night we enjoyed a fun dinner with two of our friends and former coworkers and of course it was difficult to see it end, but we really can't wait to see all of our family and friends back home in just 16 more days!!
We should have internet during our vacation these next two weeks so I will try to blog and share pictures as I can when possible. We will be in Thailand for a week and then on to Cambodia and Vietnam during the second week. We are so excited!!!
It is bittersweet for sure. We have made so many great friends and memories during the last two years that it is hard to leave that, but at the same time we are so excited to see what's next for us. Last night we enjoyed a fun dinner with two of our friends and former coworkers and of course it was difficult to see it end, but we really can't wait to see all of our family and friends back home in just 16 more days!!
We should have internet during our vacation these next two weeks so I will try to blog and share pictures as I can when possible. We will be in Thailand for a week and then on to Cambodia and Vietnam during the second week. We are so excited!!!
Monday, February 24, 2014
Last Weekend in Korea
Our last weekend in Korea is officially over. It was a busy one as we each spent a lot of time with friends. Eric spent Saturday with a couple of the families he has been doing private tutoring for and Sunday with some of his coworkers. On Friday night a couple of our friends spent the night at our house so we could watch movies and spend a nice, late night together. On Saturday morning my friend and I went to a cafe I have been wanting to go to for a while called Dr. Fish. They have a couple fish tanks here with little tiny fish, officially called Garra rufa, in them. When you put your bare feet in the tanks these fish start to nibble on them (they don't have teeth) and nibble away all of the dead skin on your feet. It felt really, really weird at first, like something was crawling on my feet, but after a couple minutes it just felt like a really nice foot massage, or a fish pedicure I guess. Our feet were definitely smoother after letting the fish nibble on them for twenty minutes! Now my feet are nice and smooth for the beaches of Koh Samui :) Sadly, these "fish pedicures" are banned in the US and only available in Asia...
I spent both Saturday night and Sunday night with some of my friends having dinner and enjoying one more weekend with them. It was really hard to say goodbye so instead we just decided it will have to happen again sometime in the future!
Eric still had to work a few days this week. Wednesday is his last day so I have still been doing some packing and organizing with my days off. It seems like there is so much clutter and stuff still in our house now that most drawers and cupboards are empty, but I have to remember it's all going to be given away or thrown away in the next couple of days. We feel bad throwing away things that are still usable but have figured out a way to make sure nothing goes to waste. If we put something out in the trash area outside our building but leave it visible, almost always it will be gone the next time we look. We always see people looking at and taking things out of trash piles outside of buildings so that is a good way to not feel like we are throwing away usable things! We decided to book a hotel in Incheon for Friday night so that we are closer to the airport and not scrambling around very early Saturday morning trying to get last minute things done and still get to the airport on time. So only three nights left in our little apartment...
I spent both Saturday night and Sunday night with some of my friends having dinner and enjoying one more weekend with them. It was really hard to say goodbye so instead we just decided it will have to happen again sometime in the future!
Eric still had to work a few days this week. Wednesday is his last day so I have still been doing some packing and organizing with my days off. It seems like there is so much clutter and stuff still in our house now that most drawers and cupboards are empty, but I have to remember it's all going to be given away or thrown away in the next couple of days. We feel bad throwing away things that are still usable but have figured out a way to make sure nothing goes to waste. If we put something out in the trash area outside our building but leave it visible, almost always it will be gone the next time we look. We always see people looking at and taking things out of trash piles outside of buildings so that is a good way to not feel like we are throwing away usable things! We decided to book a hotel in Incheon for Friday night so that we are closer to the airport and not scrambling around very early Saturday morning trying to get last minute things done and still get to the airport on time. So only three nights left in our little apartment...
Dr. Fish was really fun!!
Last dalkgalbi dinner with friends... until next time!!
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Second to Last Weekend
This was our second to last weekend so it was very full of seeing groups of different people as we try to spend as much time as possible with everyone. Eric met a former student Saturday afternoon while I met a group of my friends. Saturday evening we both met up with a group of former coworkers from last year. We wanted to go to a meat buffet so we did, but, unfortunately, both the meat and the side dishes really weren't that great. But it was still a good time eating together and then spending the rest of the night at someone's house hanging out together. On Sunday we went to lunch with one of my former kindergarten students and his family which was a really nice time, but also really hard to say goodbye.
Today I started my vacation doing some sorting between suitcases, give away bags, and a box to be shipped. It still feels like there is so much stuff to get rid of but most of the drawers and cupboards in our apartment are getting quite empty. It's just getting rid of the big furniture items that we will need to do in these last couple weeks.
As we begin to say goodbye to everyone we have become friends with over the last two years, we realize just how difficult that can be. It feels so much more final than saying goodbye to our family and friends when we left home two years ago. We always knew we would go back, but this is more difficult as there's no telling when we will see any of these friends again. But at the same time, knowing all these people from so many different places around the world could possibly create some other exciting traveling opportunities in the future!
Today I started my vacation doing some sorting between suitcases, give away bags, and a box to be shipped. It still feels like there is so much stuff to get rid of but most of the drawers and cupboards in our apartment are getting quite empty. It's just getting rid of the big furniture items that we will need to do in these last couple weeks.
As we begin to say goodbye to everyone we have become friends with over the last two years, we realize just how difficult that can be. It feels so much more final than saying goodbye to our family and friends when we left home two years ago. We always knew we would go back, but this is more difficult as there's no telling when we will see any of these friends again. But at the same time, knowing all these people from so many different places around the world could possibly create some other exciting traveling opportunities in the future!
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