Great Expectations

Expectations can be a terrible thing. You'd think I'd have learned after Peace Corps to expect nothing from a new experience, that way you can never be disappointed. But it's hard not to have expectations when everyone you meet tells you the same thing. "Vietnam is amazing!" "Vietnamese food is the best I've had in Southeast Asia." "Vietnam is so cheap and the scenery is breathtaking." After hearing this and more for over a year, I was almost expecting to find Jesus himself laying out on one of the beaches here with a coconut in one hand a bowl of Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) in the other.

And so we arrived in Ho Chi Minh with not a little bit of excitement. Ho Chi Minh is indeed a beautiful city, bustling with life and energy. Motorbikes, people, and buses clog the streets, all rushing off to go somewhere. Beautiful parks and slow moving riverways can be found easily, and trees line most of the streets. At night, the city is aglow with colorful neons signs all advertising their wares and succulent aromas waft down the street from flashy restaurants and simple stalls alike. Beer flowed faster than the water, and was often cheaper than it too.

After the initial excitement, my enthusiasm for Vietnam quickly began to fade. While the local food was good, it wasn't that much better than any of the other countries we've been to. There was little to do in the city itself and it was only marginally cheaper. Having just come from a country where everyone smiled at you, it was difficult to find myself in a city where people rarely smiled and were often quite rude. I tried to tell myself that it was probably just cultural differences, but I found it difficult anyway.

To top it all off, we spent our first few days revisiting the Vietnam War by exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels, War Remnants museum, and the Handicapped Handicraft Shops. Once again I found myself confronted with the grievous atrocities our country has committed on others in the name of democracy... People living without limbs, horrific photographic evidence of lives destroyed, babies still being born over 40 years later heavily deformed (due to pollution from Agent Orange), and the mind boggling realization that once again the US did absolutely NOTHING to rebuild a country it helped destroy. Foreign policy is complicated, the Vietnamese weren't blameless, blah blah blah. I know this. But it's a sad day when someone asks you where you're from and you seriously consider telling them you're Canadian, so thta you can feel a little bit less guilty about the deformed, young woman sitting next to you that was robbed of a proper future before she was ever born...

That's when I made my second mistake: I made a first impression. I took my experience in Ho Chi Minh and applied it to the rest of Vietnam. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like this country at all. Not one bit. I disliked the people that never smiled. I wanted more from a cuisine that had promised everything. And I wanted to stop feeling as if I stuck out.

So I came to Nha Trang. And it destroyed everything I knew. Here, the people smiled at me. Here, I ate delicious Vietnamese food like nothing I'd had. Here, the beaches were perfect and the scenery even more so. As I relaxed and shook off the bustle of Ho Chi Minh (which I still enjoyed despite my pouty attitude), I found myself happy again and feeling incredibly foolish. I really, really like Vietnam.

Note to self: great expectations can be a terrible thing, Bernard, so remember to try and never have them again.

The Essence of Humanity

We've spent about two weeks in Cambodia now and I can't help feeling that Cambodia might be my favorite country on our trip so far. You might be surprised by this, and if I am being honest I was too. We actually decided about a month ago to cut our time in Cambodia a little shorter because we weren't expecting much. But after just a few days here I realized the mistake we had made. Why the sudden change of heart? It's difficult to describe... Cambodia doesn't have the most delicious food around. It doesn't have the biggest parties, prettiest beaches, or the most number of attractions (though Angkor is definitely one of the best). Traveling here has been rough and while it is really cheap, it's not much cheaper than Laos. I think the real secret to Cambodia's success lies in the genuine friendliness and warmth in the hearts of the Khmer people, especially in light of their extremely dark past.

Most people have heard of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge: from 1975 to 1979, between 2 and 3 million people died during their brief, but terrible reign. Under the guise of restoring Cambodia to its former glory by creating a perfect Communist society, Pol Pot and his army tortured, starved, shot, and otherwise killed over a quarter of Cambodia's population in what became one of the worst genocides in modern history. Every city was evacuated, families were torn apart, anyone educated was deemed a traitor, the borders were closed, and landmines were planted everywhere to prevent fleeing. As Pol Pot's control solidified his paranoia grew, and the numbers of people dying reached epic proportions. People starved to death regularly, children were taken and conscripted into the army to become child soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of innocent people were brutally executed and dumped unceremoniously in mass graves. No one was spared of the terror that gripped the country. No family survived intact. No one outside of these borders cared... It was as close to hell on Earth as you could possibly get.

And yet, when you walk through Cambodia today, it's very difficult to imagine that such carnage happened here. It's not that people have forgotten... There are a number of people who have lost limbs to the landmines. There are memorials and museums everywhere to remind us. And, of course, no amount of time dulls the pain of family members lost nor tempers the hope that those who disappeared might one day return. But what people have done is learned to live again. Cambodia has some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered in another country. When I walk through the streets of its cities, people smile at me. They joke with me. They help me when I need it. They warm my heart and make me fall in love with them without even trying.

To me, this country represents mankind. Yes, Cambodia was home to one of the worst atrocities our kind has ever seen. Yes, for four years death was the rule and survival the aim for those who lived here. And yes, I've wondered how anyone of our race could ever be evil enough to beat a baby to death in front of its grief stricken mother.... But you know what? When I ask myself, "Do you think man is inherently good?" I still answer with a resounding yes. Because here, there was once hell on Earth. And yet here, people learned to laugh again. They learned to live again. Many even learned to forgive. Here, in the war between love and evil, love ultimately won. Our tendency to love if given the opportunity is why we are good, and no one shows it better than the Cambodians.

If you ask me, the very essence of humanity lies somewhere hidden in the resilient and absolutely breathtaking smiles of the Khmer people.

The Majesty of Angkor

Every day is an adventure. Life is full of ups and downs and you never know what might happen to you when you walk out the door. This saying is never more true than when you're traveling. Literally every single day holds new places to see, people to meet, food to eat, and things to do. The time since my last post has been no exception. We hiked a plateau to see three of the coolest waterfalls I've ever seen. We kayaked down the mighty Mekong in search of rare river dolphins that hide among its many islands (and found them!). We met Peace Corps volunteers from China and exchanged stories about the differences and similarities between our country. But even these extremely exciting stories can't quite compete with the majesty of Angkor.

Located just outside of the beautiful city of Siem Reap in Cambodia, Angkor is the name of the region that once was the seat of the mighty Khmer empire. From the 9th to the 15th century, a succession of monarchs captured and ruled over most of the area that is today Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and parts of Vietnam and southern China. The immensity of the Khmer empire was surpassed only by the magnificent temples, palaces, and other religious buildings its many rulers built right in the heart of their empire. Though many of the temples and palaces have been destroyed since then, many still remain and stand testament of this once glorious regime.

Exploring the ruins of Angkor is absolutely awe inspiring. The temples are massive, yet covered by extremely beautiful and detailed carvings. Though originally Hindu they were later converted to Buddhist temples, and as a result of this crossover the carvings are of both Buddhist and Hindu images. Smack dab in the middle of Angkor lies the famous Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. This extraordinary structure is breathtaking at all times of the day but especially so at sunrise. With services still held occasionally inside, it radiates an aura of tranquility and power unlike anywhere else in the world.

The two days we spent exploring all the temples were wonderful. Walking through the forest, climbing to the top of temples, and touching the amazing sandstone structures... It really made me wonder what life must have been like back then. Though very quiet and calm now, it once thrived with priests, kings, and villagers, all carving a life together out of the jungle. It makes me wish more than ever that I could spend just one day living a life in the past....

The temples of the Khmer empire show the amazing things people can do when they set their mind to it, and demonstrate the immense power of the human imagination. Angkor is unlike anywhere else in the world, and this ruined capitol deserves to be at the top of every single person's bucket list.

A Jarring yet Tubetastic Few Days

While preparing for this trip, Inge and I talked to a lot of people about their experiences here. As you can imagine, everyone's opinion was different. Just about the only thing people tended to agree on was that we should definitely go. Where, for how long, and what we should do or skip was different with every person we asked. We weren't surprised by our varied advice. People like different things. Inge and I have been doing everything together this entire trip, and if you asked us about this area our advice would be just as different. But one thing that I think we definitely agree on is how glad we are we did not skip Laos. Most of the people are very friendly, the mountains in the area are breathtaking, and the very relaxing atmosphere makes you feel like nothing can go wrong.

After leaving Luang Prabang, we headed to the city of Phonsavan and its intriguing Plain of Jars. The Plain of Jars is quite simply that: a plain scattered with groups of different sized jars carved from granite. Some groups are only a dozen, while others number into the hundreds. Although most people have heard of them, no one can quite explain where they came from or why they are there. There are several theories of course. Some think they were used to store water, while others think they were used to store local rice whiskey also known as "Lao Lao". The most widely supported theory is that they were used as decomposition chambers for bodies. Once the bodies had decomposed, the remains were scooped out and given a proper burial. Whatever their use, no one can argue what a marvel it is that people could have made and transported these extremely heavy jars over 2000 years ago. Especially considering how small Lao people tend to be.

As beautiful as the area was, it had a very sobering side to it as well. Laos was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War, and although its been 40 years since that terrible time the people are STILL dealing with the aftereffects. America dropped over 2 million tons of cluster bombs on Laos during the war, 30% of which never exploded upon hitting the ground. That's 80 million bombs that never exploded and are still waiting to be set off. Over 300 people every year die from stumbling on these Unexploded Ordinances (UXOs). Thousands more lose limbs or are otherwise heavily injured. Over 50% of the victims are children. While there are several organizations working to collect and destroy these bombs, it is a monumental task. Only 1.3 million bombs have been removed in the past 15 years, leaving tens of millions more waiting to be exploded or tripped on.

Our next stop on the journey was much more relaxing. The infamous Vang Vieng is known for its beautiful scenery, cheap amenities, and hugely popular party scene. While the partying has tapered off in recent years, it's still present. Our first day there was spent tubing down the river, hanging out with newly met friends, and otherwise enjoying the festivities. It was our friend Becca's birthday, and I'm sure it won't be one that she forgets anytime soon. The next day we decided to explore the scenery, and spent a few hours hiking the area and exploring the caves and hidden lagoons everywhere.

We're currently in a brief stopover in Vientiane (capitol of Laos) while we prepare to shoot down south for our last few stops. The capitol is quite beautiful. Like almost everywhere we have been so far in Laos, it is a quiet, charming city that sits right on the river. There are signs everywhere of it's once French colonizers, but all of these things come together to give the capitol it's own unique flavor. It's one of the smallest capitols I've ever been to, but also one of the most charming.

Tigers, Massages, and Boat Rides... Oh my!

Traveling can be exhausting. There's so much to see and do that it can be difficult to find the time to do it all. Luckily for us, we're pretty poor and don't seem to have this problem. We can't afford to be busy all day long running from activity to activity, so we tend to take a much easier traveling pace. Nevertheless the past week and a half has been quite eventful, making every penny

We last left you having arrived in Chiang Mai, one of the biggest cities in the north and the main base for exploring the upper reaches of Thailand. Although Chiang Mai is a very old city, it has blended modernization into its archaic exterior while still keeping its peaceful vibe. There is SO much to do in and around the city: more than any other city we've been to so far. Ziplining, trekking, elephant riding, obstacle courses, massage courses, cookery courses, and much, much more.

We started out our time there with a visit to Tiger Kingdom, a small sanctuary dedicated completely to tigers. In this cool little place, people are actually allowed to climb in the cages with the tigers and take pictures! It was a terrifying yet exhilarating experience, and one of the coolest things we've done yet (check out the pictures on Facebook). The next day we decided to pamper ourselves, and spent a leisurely afternoon getting massages and pedicures after meeting up with a friend we'd met previously in Bangkok. After realizing we hadn't really done anything to earn that pampering session, we spent the next afternoon taking a three hour Muay Thai kickboxing course. We were pretty beat up after that, but everyone except me got up the next morning anyway for a beginner's Thai cooking class. The food was delicious and the perfect way to welcome the lovely Katheryn Hoerster, who we picked up that afternoon. She will be travelling with us for the next month and we are super excited to have her!

The next day was Inge and I's 30th day in Thailand, so we decided to head off to Laos since our visa was expired. We ended up taking a slowboat down the Mekong River, a two day adventure that was both relaxing and entertaining. Our first day was filled with other travellers, and we ended up celebrating the amazing boat ride with them. The second day was a bit more relaxing, and we had a wonderful time just sitting there and taking in the view. The traditional Lao boat (now fitted with an engine) took us past beautiful forests, pristine waterfalls, and soft sandy shores until we reached the town of Luang Prabang.

Our first stop in Laos, Luang Prabang is another city full of history and beauty. Reminiscent of its time under French control, this quiet riverside city has character and charm. It has lovely architecture and beautiful temples, but its main attractions lie outside the city limits. During our two day stay here, we visited the beautiful Kuay Si waterfall where we hiked up to an amazing view and swam in the freezing water and rode and bathed with elephants. Both of these activities were extremely fun, and have left us with a favorable impression of this lovely little town. On to our next stop: Phonsavan and the mysterious Plain of Jars.

Sorry, but you just had to be there for this one

Our time here over the past two weeks since we left Bangkok has been spent almost entirely on the beach. This was fine with us, since it's the reason we came to Southern Thailand in the first place, and yet I'm still in awe of how quickly it's passed.

After leaving Bangkok we took an overnight sleeper train to Trang, where we hopped on a bus and a ferry that took us to the island of Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta was the relaxing half of our beach vacation: we literally did nothing for an entire week. It was a beautiful island, one with more tourists on it than locals. There were lots of families, friendly people, and good food, but overall it was extremely quiet and relaxed. Some days we went to the beach. Other days we just stayed inside and read. We spent very little money, which was perfect since we spent way too much in Bangkok. It was a time to recover and renew in preparation for our next stop: Koh Phangan.


How can I describe our time in Koh Pangan? Well, I'd like to say that we saw a lot of cool things. That we had inspired discussions about life with very smart people. That we got great tans and spent lots of time working out and eating healthy... But the fact is we did very little of any of that. We came to Koh Pangan to party, and that my friends is exactly what we did.

The 5 days we spent on Koh Pangan were the most fun five days Inge and I have had in a long time. We stayed at the coolest hostel ever, where everyone was awesome and ready to make new friends. We went out every single night, and every single night brought in more ridiculous stories than the night before. We don't remember all of what happened, but we've got the pictures, scars, bruises, bandaids, and headaches to prove they happened. It all culminated into the well known Full Moon Party, which is one of the biggest parties in the world. Every full moon over 30,000 people (and twenty times that amount of alcohol) gather on a beach and leave when the moon does. All I can say is that you just had to be there to really understand it.

The next few weeks will definitely be just as exciting! We're currently exploring Chiang Mai our last stop in Thailand, but in just a few short days Katheryn Hoerster will be joining us and we will be heading to our next stop: Laos!

An Open Mind Today Keeps the Stereotypes Away

Stereotypes can be dreadful things. Although harmless in theory, they often become a crude, hurtful way of simplifying a group of people into something others can more readily understand. By assuming that every Asian you meet is going to carry a "Hello, Kitty" purse, work hard and drive terribly, you are at best trying to use your "prior" knowledge to relate Asian people you meet to something you already know. But in doing so, you are often robbing that person of their unique individuality. In addition, we often tend to focus on the negative stereotypes much longer than those few positive stereotypes we manage to come up with.

Having said all that, we are still going to talk about stereotypes today. It's absolutely astonishing that we've manged to classify an entire continent's worth of countries into one "Asian stereotype", but this broad category is what we'll be operating under (even if this area of the world lies slightly on the outer edges of this range). This blog post is going to focus on the less hurtful stereotypes and we hope that everyone reading this sees it as the light-hearted attempt to discuss a difficult topic that it is. We mean no harm, and all claims made are are from our personal experiences and thoughts so far.

All Asians look the same.

Of all the stereotypes out there, this one is by far the most ridiculously untrue. Anyone who has spent any kind of time in any country in Asia can tell you this. We've been taken aback by how diverse looks are here. Not only between different countries either. Yes, Malays look different from Thais and it has definitely been possible to distinguish Thai from Chinese, but even in each group you can get very different results. Malays especially showed an incredible diverse array of skin color, some looking like very dark Indians while others almost as fair skinned as the Chinese. Among Chinese populations here we've seen how different Chinese people often look and confirmed that all the different shapes and sizes found elsewhere can be found here too. With over half of the people of the entire world living on the Asian continent (and mostly along the eastern coast), it is extremely difficult to understand how this stereotype ever came to be).

Asians are terrible drivers

This is another stereotype we think false. And a bit insulting. As of our month and a half here we have only seen one accident, and that was actually the fault of a tourist driving and not the fault of any locals. Clearly there aren't a lot of bad drivers. Quite on the contrary, people here might even be better drivers than in America. You see, people don't have to just deal with cars here: there are also a significant number of bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles that weave crazily between traffic everywhere you go. Traffic is often very heavy, and we've been on many a road that weaves so much we thought we were going to be sick. Drivers here handle all of these obstacles fairly well, and we're convinced that roads here are filled with just as many competent and incompetent drivers as most roads of the world are. Parking on the other hand could still use some work...

 Asians love old people.

While worded rather terribly, this is one stereotype that is based in fact. Many of the cultures in Asia have vehement respect for the elderly, and generally tend to show deference to anyone older than they are. While the lengths cultures here will go to do so vary in degree from country to country, it seems to be a common trait. The elderly are given the best seats on the public buses and trains, are assisted whenever they need help, and are otherwise treated with absolute respect. It is something we've only been able to catch glimpses of here and there, but it is something that has definitely warmed my heart whenever it happens.


Asians love the peace sign.

At this point, we've decided to tactfully say the evidence is "inconclusive". We decline to deny or agree with this one. While we have indeed noticed a large number of Chinese tourists taking pictures this way (evidence on the right), it would be preposterous to claim that that every single tourist does so. I think this is one where further statistical analysis will need to be done by someone who cares a lot about such a trivial thing. Do we have any volunteers? We certainly don't have the time. We spend too much of our days lounging on beaches like the one below to really care.