Finally...Blogging Access Once Again!!!

I'm now in Beijing...I didn't know but blogging of any sort is not allowed in China.  Well that's not stopping me.  I guess you can say I'm breaking the law by blogging now.  I left off with Hong Kong.  HK is definitely different from any asian city I've been to so far.  It's like the Manhattan of the east.  Everyone actually follows the traffic rules.  I got so used to walking into traffic that it took me a while to realize I needed to follow the signs and actually wait for a green light before crossing the street.  I reunited with my friend Minh and did a little bit of exploring with him.  I also met up with my friend Gigi.  She took us out for the best hot pot I've had in my life!  It was so good I know any hot pot I have back home will not even come close.  I also got to see the big Buddha which in my opinion is highly commercialized.  Christmas music in the background while visiting this site kinda kills the meaning of Buddhism. 

HK is a must when visiting China.  It's basically a different country.  They have their own language, currency, and culture.  If I were to move to asia, this would be a city I would most likely move to.  The opportunities here are endless.

I'm just excited to know I have access to the world once again haha.  I will post again from Beijing as soon as I can get some clearer thoughts.  It's late here and this post is probably not as exciting as the rest.

Nha Trang, Hoi An, and Halong Bay

I've been meaning to do a better job at updating my posts but for some reason or another, I just haven't had the time or access.  I'm in Bangkok airport at the moment waiting for my flight to Hong Kong.  I decided to meet up with some of my Contiki travelmates and a couple of local friends for one last hurrah in Bangkok.  It was filled with 2 nights of food, fun, and fantastic memories.  I'll miss hanging with you guys!!!

Now back to Nha Trang.  After my visit in Saigon, I took an overnight train to hit Nha Trang.  Let's just say that was an interesting experience.  English is not really spoken at the train station and I was directed to my car using my ticket as a reference and lots of finger pointing.  After a few moments of confusion, I found my car and proceed to enter it lugging a 30kg bag  (note to self, don't bring so much stuff next time and stop buying souvenirs!)  I found my cabin and proceeded to take a peak.  It seemed like an older lady was already occupying my bed.  A Vietnamese lady spoke to me in broken English and asked if I could switch beds with the older lady since her assigned bed was on the upper bunk in another cabin.  I didn't really care where I ended up so I agreed.  I lugged by bag once again through a narrow passage way to found my bed.  The cabins were set up with four beds each.  The other 3 were occupied by a Vietnamese family that did not speak English of course.  They smiled at me as I proceeded to climb to my bed.  I actually preferred it since it got me closer to the AC located on the ceiling.  I got comfortable, pulled out my iPod, and listed to music until I fell asleep...

What can I say about Nha Trang...it's basically a beach city dedicated for tourists.  The beaches were ok, the water clearer than most places I've been to and the people for the most part were nice.  The bad thing about Nha Trang?  Everything else.  Although the bars were cool and full of foreigners, as soon as you walk down the streets, you'll get hit up by every single Tom, Dick, and Harry offering you drugs, women, and pretty much anything else.  This is especially true if you're walking alone at night.  That's the major drawback to Nha Trang and for that reason I don't think I'd return.  There are so many much nicer places in Vietnam you can visit without the shadyness.  I did meet up with my friend Minh and his parents who were visiting Vietnam on a family trip.  They started north and worked their way down while I did the opposite.  Nha Trang was the mid point for us.  We went to Vanpearl Land which is the poor man's version of Disneyland.  They offer some attractions and rides as well as an aquarium.  It was good to see a familiar face from back home.  His parents were quite nice and invited me to go have dinner with them.  Although I don't quite remember all the names of the food we had, it probably was the best traditional Vietnamese meal I had while in Vietnam.  If you ever come visit Vietnam and your time is limited, Nha Trang is probably a place you can skip but other wise it's ok.

After leaving Nha Trang, I flew to Da Nang which is the closest major city to Hoi An.  Hoi An has the be the most pleasant surprise on my trip to Vietnam.  I felt like I was transported in time 200 years back.  You can almost say it's the Venice of Vietnam.  The buildings have withstood the test of time and unbelievably gorgeous to walk through.  There are very few cars running around and there are even restrictions on motorcycles around the city.  I loved the look of the town especially at night fall.  The sights of colorful lanterns, water puppets, and shops made this a magical place.  This town is a must for anyone visiting Vietnam.  If you like shopping, you can get tailor made clothing at very affordable prices.  A guy can get a nice, well made suit for about $150 or less.  While in Hoi An, I took a trip out to another town called My Son.  They have temples built by the Cham people that are about 1000 years old or so.  Unfortunately, much of it was destroyed during the Vietnam war but there are still temples in great shape standing.  You can walk through the temples and almost feel the vibes of what the area once was.  In all, I wish I could have spent another day or two in Hoi An.

The highlight of my Vietnam trip is absolutely Halong Bay.  You cannot visit Vietnam without coming here.  Most people fly to Hanoi in order and then do a 1, 2, or 3 night stay in Halong Bay.  It's one of the most spectacular wonders of the world I've ever set eyes on.  They beauty of this place in undescribable.  Just imagine an endless amount of islands all carved naturally by the water into perfect works of art.  I stayed here one night on a boat but I wish I had done at least 2 if not 3.  The tours offer kayaking and cave exploring usually as part of a package.  For those staying more than one night, they will also take you hiking on one of the larger islands in Halong Bay.

I'm sorry I didn't expand some more on this post but it looks like I'm running out of time and need to catch my next flight!

Saigon aka Hustle and Bustle

It's been a few days since my last post...I really haven't had a chance to get to a computer until now.  As I'm typing right now, it's a beautiful sunny day here in Nha Trang.  The weather is warm but not too hot and surprisingly, the humidity is not so bad.  I don't know if it's because I'm getting used to the weather now or is it because it is getting better.

After the Contiki tour ended and said goodbye to my travel mates, I took a plane out of Siem Reap straight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).  Three of my travel mates from the tour were also on the same plane coming to HCMC for a few days.  Upon our arrival, we shared a taxi to the main backpacking area and we went our separate ways to check into our hotels.  We made plans to meet up for dinner later on that night.  I ended up in a hostel which I've done many times before during my travels.  They offer budget prices for a roof over your head.  The one I stayed in was actually not bad.  It's an older hostel located in a back alley called Luan Vu.  The staff was very friendly and helpful and helped me book my overnight train to Nha Trang.  I ended up in a room by myself that had AC, a flat screen tv, wifi, and a bathroom.  For $30 for a 2 night stay in the main area of Saigon, I think I got a pretty good deal.

Saigon is nothing like I imagined.  For some reason, I pictured a quiet city with not a lot of things to see or do.  The minute I got off the plane, Saigon hit me in the face with a bag full of bricks .  The definition of hustle and bustle should say "Please see Saigon".   I thought Bangkok was a busy city but I couldn't believe how much was going on all at once.  From the 7 million motorcycles roaming the streets, to the street vendors trying to sell you everything from sunglasses to dried squid, to the neon lights of all the hotels, bars, and restaurants, Saigon is anything but quiet.

We ended up having Pho for dinner that night.  I heard from some of my Vietnamese friends back home that the Pho isn't as good as it is in the states.  I figured I try a place and judge for myself.  We went to a well known place in Saigon called Pho Quynh.  All they served was 3 types of Pho.  I ordered the one with everything as I usually do back home.  I was hoping it would be at least to similar to the Pho back home.  It was tasty but didn't impress me too much.  I've been told the Pho in Hanoi is much better so I'm going to have to give that a shot when I get there.  Afterwards, a couple of us went out for drinks at a place called Go2 Bar.  It is a bar mainly there for tourists.  It is located in a busy intersection of Saigon with chairs facing the street to give you a chance to people watch.  The prices were reasonable for beers and approximately $2 each for locally brewed Saigon Beer.  We ended the night with a stroll through Ben Thanh Market where you can find all sorts of clothes, souvenirs, and late night snacks.

Mekong River Tour

The next morning, my Australian friends and I took a trip down to the Mekong River.  The tour only cost $9 for a full day and included lunch.  What a deal right?  Well by now I should know, you get what you pay for.  The trip started with a bathroom break an hour into the ride.  We stopped by a small outdoor cafe for about 20 minutes which of course offered us food and drinks for a price.  They did however where offering ice cold coconut which I couldn't resist.  It was definitely refreshing.  We continued onto our destination which took about 3 hours to reach.  We hopped onto a boat which crossed the Mekong for about 15 minutes and then onto an island called Unicorn Island where we were give bikes to ride for about a 1/2 hour.  That was fun but with the humidity levels being high, I sweated like George Bush trying to read to grade school kids.  Afterward, we had our "free" lunch which consisted of a mix of veggies and rice with an option to upgrade your food for a few bucks.  We then strolled to some shops to see if there was something we would want to buy.  After a short ride on a canoe, we headed back to our boat to recross the Mekong and back to our bus.  We probably spent 5 hours getting there and back and maybe 2 hours of actually "touring".  If you ever do one of these trips in Saigon, maybe you're better off spending a bit more for a better tour.

Cu Chi Tunnels and War Museum

The next day I spent the morning visiting the Cu Chi tunnels.  In case you slept through US history or never studied the Vietnam War, the Cu Chi tunnels were a network of underground tunnels the Vietcong would use to hide and ambush American soldiers during the war.  These tunnels are ingenious.  They were so well hidden, American forces had a difficult time finding them so they resorted to bombing the shit out of them.  Even with continuous bombings, the American side was never fully successful in destroying these tunnels.  I ended up entering one of these tunnels and man did I have a hard time crawling through it.  Then again, they weren't built to house a 6'2", 200 pound guy.

In the afternoon, I stopped by the War Museum.  It tells the story of the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective.  It's a completely different story than what is taught in our history classes from high school and college.  Although the museum is biased, it does paint an ugly picture of the atrocities that occurred during the war from the American side.  There are a lot of photos on display that make the photos from the Abu Ghraib scandal look G rated.  The funny thing about this is that most of these photos were released by the US government but we never saw them back home.

A Night Out

The night life in Saigon separates the men from the boys.  Although Vietnam in general has a conservative culture.  People really know how to party.  I met up with my Australian friends the second night for dinner and drinks as well as my new friend My who was kind enough to join us.  We went to a place called Garden BBQ for some outdoor grilling.  The food was delicious.  It was a mixture of different meats including beef, chicken, squid, and boar that we threw on the grill and ate until our stomachs couldn't take in anymore.  My took us to a local Vietnamese spot called Acoustic for some live bands playing mainly American rock music with the occasional Vietnamese song.  I road on the back of her bike to the bar which was a fun experience.  She mentioned to me she had never had a passenger quite as big as me and had a bit of a struggle with her bike but we made it ok.  After that, we ended up at Go2 Bar for the second night in a row for a few more brews and a little dancing as well.  I finally gave in at 2:30am and went back to my hostel for some sleep.  People were still out at that hour and it wasn't even a Friday or Saturday night.  All in all, Saigon now ranks as one of my favorite cities to visit and would be a place I would like to come back to sometime down the road.

Tomb Raider and Angkor What?

Today is my last night before heading over to Vietnam.  I spent the day visiting several huge temples in Siem Reap.  Angkor Wat is the most famous of the group.  It was contructed about 1000 years ago and began as a Hindu temple.  It was later on converted to a Buddhist temple.  It such a large monument I'm surprised it wasn't selected as one of the new seven wonders of the world.  Being there in person was an amazing experience!  There is so much detail enscribed into the walls of the temple.  The first level is mainly comprise of Hindu history while the upper levels have Buddhist influences.

I also had a chance to see Angkor Tom aka The Tomb Raider temple.  This was featured in the movie and even though I haven't seen the movie, I can see why it was used.  It is still in its original form with trees growing all over the place within the temple.  I wish I could post pictures now but it will have to wait until I return.  Words can't describe how beautiful these structures are.

S 21, The Killing Fields, and Tarantulas...What a Day!

I arrived in Cambodia yesterday from Vientiane, the capital of Laos.  The last night in Vientiane, a handful of us went to a local bar by our hotel.  Let's just say it was an interesting night indeed.  I''m just glad no one ended up in jail haha.

After checking into our hotel, we took the bus out to a former prison called S-21 which stood for security station area 21.  For some reason, no one likes calling this facility a prison.  Think of it as a concentration camp of the late 1970s.  During the second half of that decade, the communist party overthrew the monarchy in place at that time.  Pol Pot was the leader of the party.  The nut case thought the best thing for the country was to kick everyone out of the major cities and send them to the fields to farm rice.  Those who opposed him automatically were sent to prison and/or executed.  He gathered up all the intellectuals, politicians, students, and anyone else that could question his actions and sent them to S-21.  Here, he would have these poor people tortured for a few weeks before sending them to the killing fields to be executed.  He also executed family members including women and children of those in prison.  This included babies that were killed by bashing them against trees or throwing them up in the air and shooting them like clay targets.  The photographs I saw at the prison were gruesome and would be hard to stomach for a lot of people.

Our second stop was the killing fields.  I wasn't sure what I expected to see.  What I saw made my jaw drop.  There are dozens of mass graves that have been excavated in the location I was taken to.  Over 3 million people were murdered in a period of 4 years.  That was over 1/3 of the population of Cambodia.  Even to this day, pieces of clothing and bone fragments can be found throughout the area.  The killing field I was in had an estimated 17,000 corpses at one point.  A monument has been built in this field which houses hundreds of skulls of the victims.  It's hard to believe how humans can be so cruel to each other and have no regard for other people's lives.

On a lighter note, one of my inspirations for this trip came from a show called Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmerman on the Travel Channel.  Back in March, I was up in Seattle to go catch an Angels Mariners game.  I was in my hotel the night before the game and just happened to have it on the Travel Channel.  Andrew Zimmerman hosted a show from Cambodia.  The special treat he had there was tarantula.  At first I was a little grossed out but then I started thinking...wouldn't it be great to try tarantula first hand in Cambodia?    Well I'm glad to say I tried it last night.

My tour group and I went to a nice Cambodian restaurant not too far from our hotel.  We took the infamous tuk tuks that are available all over Asia.  Think of them as motorcycles with a trailer attached to them weaving in and out of traffic with no regard to safety.  When we entered the restaurant, my stomach started getting a little queasy about eating a tarantula.  I told myself I needed to do this and was going to eat one regardless of how I felt.  On the menu, tarantulas were listed as an appetizer.  I placed the order and had a plate of 3 tarantulas brought over.  They weren't as big as I thought they would be but they were still tarantulas none the less.  They were prepared fried but still whole, still looking like they could move around.  So I was the first to pick up one from the plate, I looked at it for a few moments and took a bite out of the legs.  To my surprise, the legs were quite tasty.  They reminded me a bit of the crunchy part of a deep fried chicken.  The lime pepper dipping sauce that came with it added to the flavor.  The other people in my group were grossed out but curious.  A few of them decided to partake and tried a few legs.  They seemed to enjoy it as well.  I broke the tarantula in half and held onto the abdomen.  I remember Andrew Zimmerman saying the abdomen was quite tasty and if you were lucky, perhaps there would be an egg sack to crunch on.  I popped the abdomen into my mouth and started biting down.  It wasn't as tasty as I thought it would be.  It tasted very similar to chicken liver.  The rest of the meal was very good.  We ate family style trying all sorts of things such as prawns, beef, and chicken mixed with different sauces.  Based on that experience, I would have to rank Cambodian food second to Thai food.

This morning I'm off to Siem Riep to check out Ankor Wat!

I asked for an adventure and boy did I get it

With a free day given to us to spend in Vang Vieng, I decided it would be cool to kayak since I've never done it before.  There was a package deal that also included exploring a cave for about $30.  I went with one of my travel mates and the 2 of us got picked up by a truck.  The road to the beginning of the trek was a little bumpy...I ended up hitting my head a few times on the roof of the cabin...this should have been a warning sign of things to come.

I should mention I don't have a clue how to swim.  Our guide assured us that it wasn't going to be a problem since the Sam Song river is not that deep.  I ended up putting on a life vest anyway just in case.  We boarded a two man kayak and began our trip down the river.  It was pretty calm so I wasn't worried anything happening.  I brought my camera and placed it inside a waterproof bag so I could still take pictures and not worry about getting it wet.  A few minutes into the trip, we start hitting a few rough waters but nothing too bad.

About 20 minutes into our adventure, we hit some rapids that were a little stronger than I was expecting.  I had Morgan take pictures of me as I was in the front of the kayak stroking away with the paddle.  Neither one of us realized we were getting too close to the river bank.  Before we knew it, we were rapidly trying to avoid some low hanging stems and leaves.  I leaned to the left a bit to in an effort the avoid being hit in the face.  That's when it happened...apparently I leaned to much and tipped the kayak over.  Morgan and I went overboard.  The first thought that crossed my mind was how stupid of me to put so much weight on the left side of the kayak.  My second thought was I hoped the guide was correct and the river wouldn't be too deep where I could drown.  Fortunately, the river was maybe 4 or 5 feet deep.  I was able to get back onto my feet even though the current was trying to push me down the river.  Morgan was alright as well, she just struggled a bit to hold her ground.  I checked myself and I still had my sunglasses as well as my wallet in a plastic bag around my neck.  Morgan placed my camera around her neck just moments before we both went over.  Had she not done that, I probably would have kissed my camera goodbye.  The guide came over and helped us get back onto the kayak and we continued moving.  We were both soaken wet and joked about the situation.  I'm glad neither one of us got hurt.

About another 30 minutes or so went by before we reached the pathway for the cave.  I expected it to be a typical cave like I seen dozens of times in the states.  I figured it would just be a huge opening somewhere with some cool formations.  Boy was I in for a surprise.  We trekked through some bush before we met the entrance to the cave.  There was a stream of water flowing into the cave.  At first I didn't think it was a big deal.  Then I saw the guide walk deeper and deeper into the cave.  At the same time, the water level went from just barely covering our feet to reaching right below our shoulders.  I could barely keep my head above water as we went in deeper.  I started to worry a bit that I would not being able to continue.  I had to walk barefooted since trying to grip the ground with sandles was the same as walking on a wooden floor with your sock on.  The cave kept getting darker and darker as well.  The guide offered us a couple of candles each to use.  I would think a flashlight would have been better but what do I know.  We finally reached a point where we climbed out of the water and onto somewhat solid dry mud.  The cave was completely untouched and there was clearly no regard for safety.  At any moment, anyone could easily slip and down the side of one of the many edges of the cave.  There were many rocks we had to climb over, holes we had to avoid, and ceilings we had to duck under.  At one point, we had to climb down into another section of this enormous place.  It seemed like it was never ending.  The ground was made up of mud and we needed to be careful since one false step and you were pretty much done for if you fell off.  Well of course I slipped.

I slid down a few feet before I was able to get some grip off the soft mud.  The flip flops I brought with me were definitely not the right foot gear for the cave.  I wish they would have explained this beforehand so I could have bought the appropriate footware.  We approched a section of the cave where we only had about 3 feet of clearing space between the celing and the ground.  Around this time, my candle went out as it had been dripping hot wax on my fingers.  It was either hold onto the candle and endure the burning or have no light and not know how to get out.  We continued down the mouth of this place until I finally see a gleam of light at a distance.  There was a ladder made of rotten tree trunks and nails.  It didn't look safe at all to climb up but hey, I made it this far so what more did I have to lose?  As the guide started to go up, the first trunk broke off and he almost fell.  All that was left was some rusted nails.  The second step was about 4 feet off the ground.  I had to cling onto the side of the ladder, using the rock wall to hoist myself up.  We finally made it out the cave!  Was this the end?  Of course not.

As we made our way back to the kayak, we had to hike through the jungle.  Some of the grass came up all the way to our waists.  There were tons of bugs all over the place.  Some really beautiful ones and some that you would only imagine in your nightmares.  We came to a crossing that left me thinking I was Indiana Jones throughout this whole thing.  It was basically a tree trunk that was placed over a stream.  The crossing was about 15 feet across and we were about 10 feet above the ground.  The only thing we had to balance ourselves was a thin pole that ran across as well.  It wasn't very secure as I could tell when I grabbed onto it.  At one point I thought the thing was going to fall off as I crossed.  Definitely not safe, definitely not secure, but this is Laos, this is how things are done here.  We finally made it back to our kayak and continued for about another 30 minutes before we reached our destination.  The whole trip was about 8km down the river.

I have to say this has been one of the most adventurous days of my life.  Did I enjoy it?  Of course!  Would I do it again? Hell no!

Laos- Same Same but Different

Laos has been quite a different experience than Thailand so far.  It's a lot quieter and calmer than I expected.  In a country where the GDP per capita is less than $1000US, I can see how people here live quite a simple life.  This has been a peaceful leg of my trip as there isn't much to do but a lot to see.  The vast landscape is mainly untouched and just beautiful to see.  I've made it to Vang Vieng which is in the southern part of Laos.  It was about a 6 hour bus trip through the countryside to reach this place.  There is not much to do here although it is known as a backpacker's mecca.  There's quite a few bars to spend time in the evening.  During the day, you can do a number of adventure sports such as moutain biking, caving, kayaking, and "tubing" which consists of floating down the river on a tube stopping at bars for a drink as you continue to float.  I don't think I've ever seen so much untouched nature with thousands of trees all over the mountain ranges while traveling here.  The weather is still quite warm in this region.  It's late in the evening and I find myself walking around in shorts and a T-shirt.  I'll be in Laos a couple of more days before I take a flight into Cambodia.  So far, this trip has not disappointed.

Thai boxing and the Mekong

Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai where nice places to visit.  They are definitely a lot more calm than Bangkok.  My night in Chiang Mai was an interesting one.  I went out with some of my travelmates looking for Mui Thai Boxing.  We stumbled upon the "entertainment zone" which consisted of lots of small bars with a boxing ring in the middle.  Upon seeing the boxing ring, I asked the first person I could find if there were going to be any matches going on that evening.  The "girl" I spoke with said there were and asked us to have a seat at the bar for a ring side view.  After sitting down, I looked around and then realized I was at a bar full of lady boys.  I'm not one to judge anyone for their personal lifestyle nor am I homophobic so I saw no need to get up and go somewhere else.  I had a great seat plus the beers were cheap.  I was really excited about the match that was about to start.  Both men were wearing traditional Thai boxing costumes and began their traditional dance before beginning the fight.  They took turns taking shots at each other and it seemed very exciting.  The match went on for about 15 minutes before it was over.  It ended with the referee deciding the victor.  It wasn't until afterwards that I found out the fights are staged in that ring and they aren't really in there to hurt themselves.  Our server who also happened to be a ladyboy explained that the real fights are held at other locations on different nights.  Unfortunately, the night we going to be in Chiang Mai, there was no fight to be held.  I spoke to our server about Thailand, Thai boxing, and the lifestyle he chose to live just because I was curious to know about it.  It was just a typical conversation I would have with anyone else I would have met in Thailand.  In this case it just happened to be with someone that did not look like a typical person.  It was a very interesting conversation that has given me a new perspective on another aspect of Thai culture.

Chiang Rai is a very small town a couple of hours away from Chiang Mai.  The main attraction is a temple up in the hills where you can visit and be blessed by a Buddhist monk.  It is a very large temple with gold plated buddhas everywhere...very typical for most buddhist temples.  I was very excited to be blessed with postive energy.  I'm not a very religious person but I do believe in Karma.  The monk sprinkled holy water on me and tied string around my right wrist which I am to wear for 9 days before I remove it.  It was a very interesting experience even though I'm not Buddhist. 

Over the last couple of days, my travelmates and I have been cruising on the Mekong River.  We left Thailand yesterday on a boat and entered Laos.  Although Thailand and Laos border each other and share similar cultures, you could never confuse one country for the other.  Where Thailand is much more advanced financially with more modern cities and a more western lifestyle, Laos is still very traditional and sparcely populated.  I've spent a night so far here in Laos and I can see how people here live a much more simple life compared to Thailand.  The majority of people living along the Mekong River make a living by fishing.  Their homes consist of simple building materials typically with no access to electricity or running water.  Even without all the technology and comforts we are used to having, Lao people never seem to stop smiling.  They genuinely seem very happy.  They are happy with living the simple life.  My trek through the Mekong River lasted 2 days.  They happen to be the most relaxing days I can remember having in recent years.  Words cannot describe how majestic the river is.  I could probably travel it for days on end and would enjoy every second of it.  To think at one point this river reaked of death.  Now, it's provided me with great inspiration.

Thailand - The Land of Smiles

I'm sorry I haven't updated my blog in the last few days.  Its been difficult to get to a computer and using my blackberry to update is a pain in the butt.  I arrived safely Tuesday morning and I can tell you its been non stop action.  I've been checking the tourist sites during the day and the nightlife at night.

I'm enjoying my time here in Bangkok.  This is an amazing city with so much going on at all times.  It's a city with a mix of both traditional asian culture with the hustle and bustle that we come to expect from a modern city.  From the street vendors, to the tuk tuk rides, there is never one dull moment to be missed.  The temples here are gorgeous.  I've never seen such a concentration of temples in one city!  These are all huge monuments dedicated to Buddha.  I've learned a bit more about the religion in general now that I've been exposed to it. 

Food - I'm addicted to the food here in Thailand!  The best Tom Yum soup I've had in my life was a little stall a few feet away from my original hotel.  The flavor and spice of the soup made my mouth water...and my eyes tear up.  The aroma alone could make a non spicy eater choke up.  The perfect blend of lemon grass along with the thai peppers made this especially enjoyable.  It is run by a mother and daughter team who were both very pleasant even though they did not speak English.  I'm glad at least I'm fluent in Thai food.  I came back for a second serving of Tom Yum a few days and again it did not disappoint.  I wish I had learned a few words in Thai so I could at least have had an opportunity to have ordered other dishes.  If I could only bring them back to open up a Thai restaurant, I know it would be the best in the state :)

Tiger Temple -  I heard about this through my friend Cat.  Tiger Temple lies around 3 hours outside of Bangkok.  It's a sanctuary housing Tigers that are bred in captivity.  Seeing these beautiful creatures up close was an opportunity I could not pass up.  Upon arriving there, I participated with a group of other people to walk tigers down a canyon for their daily exercise.  The monks living in this place are in charge of the well being of these tigers.  I also was able to partake in playing with and feeding tiger cubs.  This was so much fun!  Tiger cubs are very active and playful.  You just have to be careful since they are babies, they can cause some pretty big gashes with their claws or bite into your skin.  I was given a pole with toys tied to the end to encourage the tigers to play with me.  Just think of them as very large house cats!  After playing with them for about 15 minutes, I was given a baby bottle to hand feed one.  Such an amazing experience this was!  After feeding the cubs, I went back to the canyon where I came in physical contact with adult tigers and took pictures with them.  I wish I could post pictures now but will have to wait until I return from my trip.

Contiki -  Yesteday was the official start to my Contiki tour of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.  I've met my travelmates and it seems we have a good group.  Their is only 18 of us on this trip and most of us are from the states.  Our first adventure was last night to an unofficial trip to Bangkok's more well known traditions, ping pong shows.  Yes that's right, I went with some of my mates to this show.  I've heard about it from other people and was curious to see what the fuss was all about.  I have to say after watching it in person, it has to be one of the weirdest things anyone could ever come up with.  For those of you that don't know what it is, I suggest you google it.  But alas, when in Rome....

I would like to personally thanks Ju, Mel, and Nuchy for taking the time to show me their city during my stay here in Bangkok.  Without their hospitality, my trip wouldn't be as fun or intriguing as it has been... Tonight I'm taking an overnight train to Chaing Mai in northen Thailand.  Lets see what awaits there for me.

Planes, Pains, And Is He For Real?

So I've finally made it!!! I'm now in Bangkok and have set foot on my 6th continent. I spent most of my day on planes but it doesn't mean it all went off without a hitch.

I ended up selecting a seat next to the aisle because I tend to cramp up a bit due to the way most seats are designed on airplanes. I can't say Cathay Pacific had a great configuration but it was better than most. This especially was obvious when I walked by first class on my way toy seat. Their spaces were bigger than my office cubicles at my last job! They had work stations and everything! So with this image still in my head, I finally approached my seat. I figured with a plane heading to Hong Kong and with my seat on the aisle, I would have a decent amount of room to stretch in sitting next to an Asian person. I figured wrong. There was an older Indian man sitting in the middle. He was somewhat heavyset and I could see his body was taking some of my space. In my mind I thought "This sucks". I squeezed into my seat hoping that he would adjust himself a bit towered the middle. There went wishful thinking too. He seemed to speak very little English and would just mumble to the flight attendants every time he wanted something. I'm surprise they could even understand him. If invading my space wasn't bad enough, he started watching movies on the screen in front of me. I thought it was pretty odd he wouldn't watch his own screen. After a couple of movies, I decided it was enough and just turned it off. I was pretty annoyed. It wasn't until sometime later that he pulled the remote underneath his screen and tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the screen. At that point I realized the guy probably would have been watching his own screen if he knew how to operate it. After 15 hours, I was ready to get off the plane and continue my journey.

Final Boarding Call

So I'm here at the gate waiting to board. I'm finally starting to feel butterflies in my stomach. The check in with Cathay Pacific wasn't too bad although they couldn't located my reservation at first. I started worrying a bit when the airline attendant have to jump to a few computers before she was finally able to pull up reservation. I just had my final American meal which consisted of a hot dog, chips, and soda. Quite American right? I'm really excited to go although I'm dreading the flight. I'm looking at a total travel time of 20 hours before I arrive to Bangkok. See you guys in a couple of months!

Last Minute Preparations

I have less than 48 hours before I leave.  It still hasn't hit me that I'm leaving for almost 2 months.  It probably won't until I get off the plane in Bangkok.  Today I took care of some final purchases at my local friendly neighborhood Target.  Now I just have to start packing soon.  Regardless of how well I pack, I know I'll forget something.  As long as I have my passport, my credit card, and  my sense of adventure, I think I'll be good. 

I hope to keep this blog as updated as possible.  I'm not taking a laptop since I don't want the hassle of having to carry it around.  I'll just have my iPod touch and my global Blackberry with me.  So at least that way, I can still stay in touch via email and facebook.  Talk to you all next time from the other side of the world!!!

Travel Buddies!!!

I typically travel alone most of the time because most of my friends usually do not have the time or money to travel.  I've mentioned my trip to quite a few people and most tell me they'd love to go but can't.  Well this time around, I found a couple of takers.

So I guess I won't be alone after all.  My buddy Minh recently has gone through some life changes and will be joining me for a portion of the trip.  His family originates from Vietnam but has never been there himself.  This will be a good experience for him and a good way to get out of the norm.  He should be joining me in Ha Noi, Vietnam and HK after I go through Laos and Cambodia. 

Then there's also Selma.  She's a really bright girl and loads of fun to be with.  I've known her for years and consider her like the little sister I never had.  We've traveled domestically together in the past and this will be our first international trip together.  She'll be joining me once I reach mainland China.  In the mean time, she'll be busy finishing up her semester in school while I'll be living it up in SE Asia.

Although I've always had a good time exploring places on my own, it will be nice to have a couple of familiar faces with me to share my experiences with.

The Magic of Social Networking

So I started thinking a couple of days ago on what would be the best way to meet local people in each of the areas I'm traveling.  First I thought I'd just show up and meet up with other travelers in the hotels/hostels I'm staying at.  But then I thought, "They're probably just as green as me and won't know anything else other than what's inside the local guide books". 

Then I started thinking how've I've met friends over the last couple of years.  It used to be I would meet friends at school, work, and through other friends.  Over the last year or so, most of my friends I've met have been through social websites such as Meetup.com.  I've even tried online dating and suprisingly met quite a few nice people there too.  The thought occurred to me, why not try contacting people using these mediums and see if anyone would be willing to show me around their cities.  Afterall, this is the way people communicate now right?  It's made billionaires out of people who were able to captitalize on the idea early on.  Imagine trying to do this 5 or 6 years ago.  It would have been virtually impossible.  So I've messaged people all over Asia and have received quite a few responses back from people willing to meet and show me around.  The response level is a lot higher that I ever imagined!  I can't wait to try some of the local foods and check out some of the sites that tourists don't know about.  I've always been open to making friends all over and making new friends in Asia is going to be exciting!

I just love the internet!!!

I Quit!!!

So today was the day I decided to quit my job.  I knew this day was coming sooner or later.  It was just a matter of when.  I started thinking about traveling to Asia a couple of years back.  I was actually close to visiting the region prior to finishing grad school.  Then it was annouced that my class would be traveling to South America for an international residential.  At that point, I realized Asia would have to wait. 

So why travel now?  Why quit my job?  I say why not?  I've been blessed throughout my life and have enjoyed the opportunities I've been given.  I've been fortunate to see many world sites that only a small percentage of the world population has ever seen.  Either people think I'm crazy or rich for doing this.  I'm neither.  Life is short and you have to live it and enjoy it the best you can.  I'm very passionate about seeing and feeling and absorbing myself into cultures different from mine.  Regardless of what happens in the future, my memories and experiences will always be priceless to me and no one will ever be able to take that from me.

So about the trip...I have 6 countries in mind to visit starting with Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and Japan with the posibility of Malaysia somewhere in between.  I haven't completely booked everything at the moment.  I'm still figuring out the trip (thought about using a travel agent but then where's the fun in that).  I'm nervous and excited at the same time since a good portion of this trip I will be alone.  There's the language barrier I'll run into, possibly dealing with some shady characters, and of course the chance of getting sick. However, it's never stopped me before from traveling alone.  At this point I'm waiting to get my passport back from the Vietnamese Embassy in DC and then will be driving up to LA to get a visa from the Chinese Embassy. 

I have 2 weeks to get ready and I'm good to go.