TravelStream™ news feed for member rachaelb on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/rachaelb en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:35:21 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220407500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220407500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220407500/tpod.html Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:35:21 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

In our comfy Days Inn Hangzhou hotel room where a twin deluxe suite afforded us ample room for three people [the twin beds are either small doubles or huge singles], we took advantage of the free wi-fi to each skype our respective families. I proudly told my parents that it was my last night in China. [To many, and indeed for our purposes, Hong Kong doesn't count.] I had made it! Little did I know that I was going to be made out to be a liar. We left the hotel early for our flight to Shenzhen, which is a city that is literally the farthest reaches of mainland China before it turns into Hong Kong. According to Adam, my favorite China expert, Shenzhen didn't even exist 20 years ago but has become a convenient industrial spot for international factories to cheaply manufacture their goods in China. Hangzhou's airport was fine and everything ran impressively efficiently. In fact, my only complaint was that there was not better price regulation for the shops once inside security. I don't care who or where you are. The equivalent of $10 for a cup of coffee is outrageous. Anyway, as you may recall, it had been raining and we suspected some delays and considered ourselves lucky that our departure time had been postponed by only half an hour. Once on board, it was a relaxed 2 hours before we began our descent to Shenzhen. However, this would not be. As Jason and Adam remarked, we appeared to be doing tight 360 · circles in the air... peculiar. All of a sudden, as we should be landing, the captain gets on the PA System to announce we are no longer going to Shenzhen but must make an emergency stop in Guangzhou, 30 minutes away. At first, I though we were going all the way back to Hangzhou but this is an easy mistake when everything is translated. Not fearing we were in any real danger, everyone on the plane was up in arms. How dare they re-route us!! We were excited by the commotion as people began to stand up at their seats and in the aisles and turn on their cell phones. <i>People, this is a plane, not a train! I wanted to shout to them. Once we landed at Guangzhou, though, we were not allowed off the plane. I was already scheming of how I was going to finagle customer service into providing a free train ride to Hong Kong as reparation, but then we realized we were simply stuck and not going anywhere. &nbsp;Finally, after more Chinese-Chinese-Chinese outbursts and Chinglish apologies, we spent an hour on the ground in Guangzhou before lifting off again and arriving in Shenzhen a total of 3 hours after we'd originally planned. Apparently, some plane had had mechanical troubles on the runway in Shenzhen, which was why were not permitted to land initially. We were just relieved that we were safe and had not been silently executed aboard the plane through gassing as to avoid any public denouncement of the airline's proficiency. So once in Shenzhen, we were tired of traveling and decided to spend one last night in mainland China at an airport hotel instead of continuing on to cross the border into Hong Kong. Though it would have been a pain to go through customs as exhausted as we were, Shenzhen is not a pretty sight and I do not recommend spending any significant length of time there. It felt dodgy, gritty and hot. But we were just there to sleep before leaving for Hong Kong in the a.m. Thank goodness.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1223147340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1223147340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1223147340/tpod.html Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:39:36 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States

So I have returned to the United States, where I am not special for being white and unless I manage to bring it up in conversation (which I tend to do), I'm not special because you don't know or care that I just spent 3 months in Asia. Has blogging been a self-indulgence so people can read what exciting adventures I've had and be impressed? ... maybeee... No matter, if you are reading this final post, you are likely a faithful reader, and I appreciate your sharing my trip with me. It's encouraged me to keep up my writing. And, so, I owe you a conclusion.We had approx. 36 hours in Hong Kong, and we spent at least eight of them in Macau. A former Portuguese colony, Macau is now known for its Vegas-wannabe casinos. I&nbsp; visited Las Vegas earlier this year and had pooh-poohed it expecting the city to feel flashy and trashy. However, I was delightfully surprised at the amount of fun Adam and I had drinking in the streets in the afternoon and hopping from one casino to the next playing slots and me watching Adam win then lose money in blackjack. Macau, on the other hand, is a lesser imitation. There is no "strip" to cruise and all the people are sedate: middle aged middle class Chinese/Japanese/Koreans. Even if I enjoyed gambling, I don't think I'd have liked Macau any better. My travel recommendation: stay in Hong Kong.And here are two reasons why I loved HK: shopping and taking public transportation alone without fear of getting lost and feeling helpless. Leaving the boys, I made my way to the (in)famous shopping street, Nathan Rd. I include the paranthetical infamous because it's retail heaven or hell depending on your love or loathing of shopping. I'd been saving my shopping for the end so that I wouldn't have to shlep my purchases around Cambodia and Vietnam, so I did a one morning spree. Ironically, the only stores in which I bought anything were Japanese chains.Finally, it was time to go back to America. I was ready. Customs was a cake-walk, and I didn't feel at all nervous that they'd make me surrender the tea I'd gotten. The instant we got to our gate in San Francisco, I ordered a turkey (cold cuts!!!) sandwich and found an outlet to charge my phone and began gabbing to my mom. One thing I missed while in Asia was the ability to just pick up my phone and call someone when I wanted to talk and hear their voice.From San Francisco, Adam and I went to DC where we stayed with college friends and planned a trip to NY for Rosh Hashana with his extended family. It felt so indescribably good to be among familiar places and people. As for jet lag, I'm still not sure I've recovered. Although, maybe it's for the best that I don't return to the days when I could sleep in until 10:30. Adam's got the flu, and for a while we were nervous he'd contracted malaria--but don't worry, he's safe. Quite honestly, my biggest adjustment was retraining myself to throw my toilet paper into the toilet and not the trash basket. (But what if it doesn't flush!?) I've spent a lot of money since coming home, but I had been mentally preparing myself for that initial sticker shock. And someday soon, I'll go out for Chinese food. I know I'll be disappointed, but I've got to do something to quiet my cravings.I'm going to print out my blog (unedited) and shop it around to Random House and the likes, so look for my <i>Rachael Blogs Beijing book on the New York Times Bestseller List next spring. HA!So, that's about it. For now.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1222060200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1222060200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1222060200/tpod.html Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:07:38 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Hanoi, Vietnam

Unlike China where I studied the guidebooks in anticipation of our trip, I have had little to no expectations for what Vietnam would be like. In a way, though I never had an "aha" moment like in China where I'd finally see something I'd only before seen in pictures, I had an "ahh" moment when something different surprised me. Ok, maybe there's not too much difference between "aha" and "ahh" except that it's been nice to observe Vietnam without necessarily having searched for it. So, maybe I need to provide some examples. In China, I knew there would be a ton of bicycles, but I never expected to see so many motor bikes in Vietnam. As a result, Vietnam's capital is, in a word, noisy. In order to cross the street, you have to take a deep breath, say a little prayer, and walk slowly and courageously through traffic. People don't stop for you, they just go around you. Jason's mantra whenever we crossed was a littly ditty "We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Even when you're indoors, you'll notice that your ears are ringing a bit from the incessant honking. Another example is the Vietnamese dress. After being in China where mature adult women would wear Mickey Mouse pajamas in the daytime, the Vietnamese women looked all the more beautiful. Their traditional dress is all silk: a long fitted tunic with slits on either side beginning at the waist on top of flowy silk pants. Young girls in the countryside wear all white ensembles, and they miraculously stay white as they ride their bikes through muddy roads. If it were me, my outfit would be stained in the first five minutes. In all of Vietnam, the lush tropical landscape has been very pleasant. Natural beauty is abundant with palm trees and colorful flowers. With this flora, however, also comes a climate of rain, heat, and humidity. Weather has not exactly been conducive to the best sightseeing conditions because dehydration quickly zaps your energy. Regardless, it makes you miss the over-air-conditioned indoors in America. Also, I didn't know to look forward to it, but we were in Vietnam during the mid-autumn festival. (Who knew mid-September and 95· heat qualifies as "mid-autumn"?) Regardless, it was very exciting because there were a lot of people out and about (on their motorbikes, of course) celebrating. Children wear costumes and participate in traditional dragon dances. This was most noticeable in Nha Trang, but it was still occurring in Hanoi where we saw some children running around with masks. Other small things captured my imagination as we drove through the countryside from one city to the next. First of all, rice paddies galore. According to one of our tourguides, Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice in the world. Impressive for a country of its size. Almost without fail, in every rice pattie there will be an above ground coffin. Though I can't say for sure, I speculate that they bury their dead in these tombs to avoid floods bringing bodies back up to the surface. And everyone has them in their fields because a family's land has most likely belonged to their ancestors for a long time. Still, it's sort of creepy to have a constant reminder that dead people are everywhere and not safely concentrated in cemetaries, like in America.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221907860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221907860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221907860/tpod.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:50:27 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Halong Bay, Vietnam

After we redesigned our Vietnam itinerary, we were excited to have the time to enjoy a three day-two night cruise at Halong Bay. While you may hear rumors that this is ranked as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, futher research via wikipedia reveals that it is actually just a contendor in the ongoing open global vote that will be decided in 2010. So, my recommendation: visit Halong Bay and then vote for it. You won't be disappointed by its astounding natural beauty and then you'll be able to say you've been to one of the seven wonders. Our first afternoon in Hanoi we shopped around a bit for a cruise to take. Hanoi is notorious for its travel scams: from taxis to hotels to tours, so we wanted to be sure we spent our money wisely. Also, our boat cruise experiences in the Mekong Delta and Nha Trang taught us to pay a little more and get a lot more. Anyway, we decided on one based on the recommendations from Lonely Planet, and we were pretty satisified.We got picked up at our hotel and then departed for our four-hour journey from Hanoi to Halong. My first impressions were good as I sized up our cruise companions. There was another couple who looked close to our age and a solo guy, who I thought we'd get along with well. Plus, everyone seemed friendly and very international. From Spain, to France, to Australia, to the Netherlands. And I've slowly accepted that when I hear British accents I shouldn't get excited that I'm about to be able to talk London--they're probably Australian.Aboard the boat, the Imperial Junk, we got our cabin assignments and everyone was relieved. Our room on the boat was nicer than our hotel room the night before when we slept in the practically un-air-conditioned room in the attic. Lunch on the boat was good, too. What we didn't know was we'd eat a version of that meal (fish, squid, spinach, rice, french fries) for every subsequent meal. Once we started moving, we really began to appreciate just how stunning Halong Bay is. There are close to 2000 limestone islands that emerge from turquoise waters. There are cliff faces dotted with lush green jungle foliage. Some islands have caves and some have white sand beaches. It's truly gorgeous. We visited a cave that reminded me of Ruby Falls the way the illuminate the stalagmites and stalactites with neon color flourescent lights so that you don't have to imagine that "this rock over there" is a dragon or a whale or a mother breastfeeding. Still, it was impressive to be in a cave that was essentially just a hollow island.We also went on a small boat tour inside an inlet. We went under a cave-like tunnel then motored around the cliff edge rising above a pool of water. Light hit the water as if through a small pinhole in the sky. Serenity just washes over you, and it's impossible to not let the calmness sink in. We also went kayaking, and I proved to Jason that I would not permit Adam to do all the rowing in our double kayak. I even (Dad, are you listening?) thought about how much fun it might be to go on a canoe trip when I come back to America.Day 2 we went biking in Cat Ba National Park first thing in the morning. Now, I couldn't help but be a teensy bit apprehensive that they wouldn't have a bike that would be comfortable for me to ride (since I'm short). But, no worries. We got pedaling and all discovered on the uphills that if we had gears, they didn't work. Despite the difficult pedaling,&nbsp; the experience was wonderful. We biked to a part that felt remote in an authentic way. Of course, they shuttle tours through here, but for a while there was no one else in sight and I was biking through a rice patty in the valley of two mountains. In Vietnam. Cool.After the bike, a swim was essential. We went to Monkey Island, named so for the wild monkeys that terrorize the place. While Adam and Jason scrambled up a rocky trail to the top of the island, I stripped to my underwear (European man style), and immediately got into the water. It was only a shade cooler than a bath tub. Refreshing, and yet you had to stay completely submerged in the shallow water to stay cool. From the top, Jason said he could see through the water to the coral. Despite the wrinkly fingers, I never wanted to leave. Oh, and as we were leaving, there was a monkey spotting. Apparently, he was drinking a beer. Anyway, that just about concludes Halong Bay. A nice part of the trip was getting to know the other people on our boat and developing a sort of transient community of friends. Also, I have informed my parents that we need to move a cruise to Alaska to the top of our Future Vacations list.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221890340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221890340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221890340/tpod.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:04:06 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Hanoi, Vietnam

I uploaded some photos! After several failed attempts to upload my pictures to facebook and travelpod, I decided to download google's picasa on to Adam's computer (thanks, again!) to finally begin sharing my photos with you. It still took a while for everything to load properly, so you'll have to bare with me. So far, all I have are photos from our two months in Beijing. Check back soon and I should have captions, so you'll know what you're looking at (if I can remember!) as well as photos from the rest of our trip. Enjoy! Copy this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/rachael.baird/China?pli=1&amp;gsessionid=j4or3HNA3a4YzyfD6-p0qw#or click here.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221488340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221488340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221488340/tpod.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:54:47 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Nha Trang, Vietnam

Oh, my beach vacation I've been longing for, sort of. Well, let me begin where my last post's cliffhanger left off. We took an overnight sleeper bus from Hochiminh to Nha Trang. This was by far the most frugal way to travel, so we opted for it and I was curious how (un)comfortable the beds would be. Picture instead of seats you have the chairs that recline from the dentist's office. The ride was bumpy, and because I was lying at an angle, my feet fell asleep before the rest of my body, so it didn't make for such a pleasant experience afterall. Still, it was an adventure!We arrived in Nha Trang, host of the 2008 Miss Universe Pageant, at 6:30 a.m. and were luckily able to check in to our hotel right away. We slept for the next three hours and then went directly to the beach. We rented an umbrella and chaise lounges (more plush than the sleeper bus) and just chilled. Well, more like burned. No matter. The temperature was pleasant, the sand was soft, and we had the beach almost entirely to ourselves. Which, unfortunately also meant that all the hawkers selling postcards, sunglasses, fruit, cigarettes, you name it, really honed in on us. As bad as it sounds, I even stopped muttering "no thanks" and began to completely ignore them. On our second day, we went on a boat tour of the islands! This truly was an instance of "you get what you pay for." In other words, for a $9 boat ride, we got "snorkeling" in murky water with garbage bags instead of coral reefs. We splashed around in inner tubes that were actually old tires. We visited a "floating bar" that was one of these inner tubes thrown into the water and three water bottles filled with complimentary rice wine. And we had to pay a separate admission to visit an island where there was an additional fee to sit on the chairs. But the real kicker was the lunch hour, during which the brochure promised "entertainment." Our tour guide, who wore sunglasses with one lens missing the entire time, was a riot and claimed that no matter what country you were from, he could sing a song from that country. There were a handful of foreigners, but one thing that is cool about Nha Trang is that it's an actual vacation destination for Vietnamese people, too, not just honky Westerners. So, we foreigners were still a minority on the boat tour and therefore the recipeints of great mockery. Anyway, true to his word, all the Americans had to stand up and help the guide sing "Oh my darling Clementine" though no one knew but the one line. We also sang "Yellow Submarine" even after we explained that the Beatles are from England. We thought the humiliation was over, but no. Earlier on the trip, we had all written our names and nationalities on a list circulated around the boat. The guide drew numbers from a hat, and if it matched your name on the list, you had to go in front of the boat and either 1.sing a song, 2.dance, or 3. jump into the water. And, don't you know, all the foreigners (except poor Jason who was relishing a turn in the spotlight) had their numbers picked. Even though I wanted to be a good sport, I found myself mortified once I was on the makeshift stage (the helm). I couldn't think of what to possibly sing so I chose to dance. The tour guide sang "La Bamba" (not my request), and I shook what my momma gave me for about 60 seconds. There is video proof, which will undoubtedly appear on YouTube thanks to my dear boyfriend Adam Rosen. So, alas, the "entertainment" portion of the boat trip was us entertaining the Vietnamese and each other.---We had been planning to use our bus ticket to take us all the way north from Hochiminh to Hanoi, which would have meant spending less than 24 hours in two cities, Hoi An and Hue, in the middle of the country in addition to two more nights sleeping on the bus. Due to some unexpected events, we decided not to push ourselves and fly directly from Nha Trang to Hanoi, where we are now. So, we got to stay at the beach longer, and we also gave ourselves more time to enjoy Hanoi and Ha long Bay. So, I'm bummed we are skipped Hoi An and Hue, but now we'll just have to come back to Vietnam and not try to squeeze everything into 2 weeks! But, it's ok because tomorrow we leave for a three day-two night boat cruise on Ha Long Bay, which I am so excited for. Stay tuned!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221210900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221210900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221210900/tpod.html Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:24:32 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

From Cambodia, we moved on to Vietnam where we have two weeks to travel from the south to the north. We began in Hochiminh City airport and picked up our on-arrival visas. Yes, ordering a Visa through the internet is a reliable method of obtaining one, but it can also be a headache.&nbsp; But the absolute first thing worth mentioning when writing about Hochiminh is the insane number of motorbikes everywhere. In one car lane, they'll be five motorbikes deep. And although they obey the traffic signals, they'll still weave and zip around while driving in traffic. They're like an army, especially since everyone is wearing helmets since it was mandated in a recent law. Anyway, safely in our beautiful riverside hotel courtesy of Mr. &amp; Mrs. Stern, we let Vietnam soak in. We ate dinner at a traditional Vietnamese restaurant where there were women playing instruments that instantly brought the culture to us. The first morning we went to Cu Chi Tunnels, which is about an hour and a half outside the city's center. Cu Chi is known for its underground tunnels used by the Vietcong to fight the Americans in the war. The current set-up for tourists includes a propaganda video, mannequins positioned in different functions of the local people, and an opportunity to crawl through the tunnels. The video was black &amp; white praise of the local young farming girls, who were referred to as American Killer Heroes. We walked down different jungle-like paths to see models of boobie traps and the weapons makers. As we were wandering around, there were gunshots going off, which was pretty spooky. There's a shooting range on site where, for a fee of course, you can shoot AK47s. My personal opinion is that it's a bit strange to shoot guns on a site that has seen enough violence. But, I suppose, it's a matter of perspective. The Vietnamese are proud of their triumph through their use of the Cu Chi tunnels. Now, the tunnels themselves were the real tangible experience. Though we had planned in advance and brought flashlights, I got separated from Adam on our way down the stairs and couldn't use one.&nbsp; I tried not to&nbsp; think about how claustrophobic I was as I&nbsp; crawled through in a squatting position. We couldn't have been down there longer than three minutes, but at one point it got completely dark, and I had a split second freak out. I finally made it through only to realize that the tunnel crawling was optional, but I'm glad I didn't have time to second guess myself and that I just did it.&nbsp; In the afternoon, we tried pho, the nation's famous noodle soup, for lunch before heading to the Reunification Palace. The significance of the palace would be difficult to explain considering my entire visit was a history lesson, but it's important for symbolizing the North and South Vietnam, well, reunifying. The best part was the basement bunker that had windowless room after room with only a desk, chair and telephone. Day 2 we took an all-day boat tour to the Mekong Delta, which is 3 hours southwest of Hochiminh. We played musical chairs on the bus while all the different tour agencies sorted out who would fit onto which buses. When we got to the Mekong Delta, it was pouring rain. Yes, we had knowingly come to Vietnam during the wet season, so we were getting an authentic portrait of life in the delta. But, still, we were soaking. First we took a boat tour past the Floating Market where local people buy farmers' produce wholesale in order to re-sell it in the city markets. Then we watched local people making all types of products from coconuts because they are very resourceful and use all parts of the plant. Afterward, we donned the conical rice patty hats as we were rowed through the delta on a smaller boat. Still raining, no cover, but the hats work surprisingly well. After eating lunch and relaxing in hammocks, we began the long return trip home. Again, it probably would have been better if not for the rain but now I understand what it's like for the locals 5 months out of the year.Our last day in Hochiminh we went to the War Remnants Museum, which was very powerful emotionally.&nbsp; Admittedly, I still need a great deal of historical background to help put everything into context for me, but luckily I have Adam and Jason who are pretty knowledgeable. Much like reading Tim O'Brien's <i>The Things They Carried, the museum gave me images, mainly through photography, to render an experiential, often micro, understanding of the war. There were no timelines or charts, but I saw how the war affected people on a basic, human level. The monstrosities of violence. And, heavy-handeldy, the inhumanity of Agent Orange. After our sobering visit to the museum, we explored different markets including one which is known for its war memorabilia. Adam was looking for dogtags because he knows of a group in DC that requests dogtags from Vietnam travelers in order to try to return them to the families. Adam bought one, which, to our untrained eyes, looks real, and we could even personally bring it to the DC memorial to look for the name on the wall. Also, we found an awesome assortment of photographs and postcards from the war era that would make an interesting collage or collection. In general, after immersing ourselves in war-related activities, it all of a sudden felt a bit strange to be in Vietnam. Why do they like us? Why does no one snarl when we say we're from America? It's also interesting to see men who look like they could be my dad's age and not your typical international traveler... are they veterans returning to make peace with what happened? Maybe it's my curious imagination getting the best of me, but it's hard for me to believe my children could visit Afghanistan and not encounter any hostilities. Later that night we said <i>Goodbye, Saigon and boarded an overnight sleeper bus to the beach town of Nha Trang...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221059340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221059340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1221059340/tpod.html Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:13:32 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Siem Reap, Cambodia

It's been a few days now since we left Cambodia, and I'm already having difficulty conjuring up what I've been composing in my head to write about for Hochiminh City (the city we went to after Siem Reap and have already left). Both Adam and Jason have been writing lengthy blog posts about Angkor Wat complete with modern Cambodia history digest lessons. Here's a link to Adam's and I'll edit this to include Jason's when he's finished his post. Before I move on, though, I have a couple other things to mention. First, Angkor Wat is practically indescribable through words. (Adam's post has some pictures.)&nbsp; Everything is impressively large in scale and I didn't have a mental images bank preventing me from seeing what was right in front of me. For example, how many people visit Stonehenge in person and leave feeling anti-climactic, like <i>that's it? Angkor Wat is different because even pictures can't quite do it justice, and each temple is more magnificent than the next. As it was, that makes sense because the kings building the temples were all trying to outdo each other; think: Egyptian pharoahs and their pyramids.The most memorable two temple complexes were of course Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm. We stayed after the sunrise when the Angkor Wat temple was relatively empty. Remember, it was all of 5:30 a.m. and many of the sunrise visitors scattered, probably to eat breakfast. Having the temple largely to ourselves in certain parts was very enchanting. While our guide, Mr. Lucky, explained Hindu symbols to us in broken English, I daydreamed about the French who first stumbled upon the ruins and imagined what such a tremendous discovery must have been like for them. Ta Prohm was also incredible because of the overgrown trees that had entangled themselves into the temple ruins. The giant roots of trees (that were often many trees in one because of the parasitic tree species) looked as if they were simultaneously responsible for the ruins disrepair as well as keeping the old stones rooted to the ground. Plus, Ta Prohm is where Angelina Jolie filmed <i>Tomb Raider, and it was very amusing to hear all the tour guides say her name in many different languages. Chinese-Chinese-Chinese-Angelina. French-French-French-Angelina. German-German-German-Angelina. Anyway, although I still think Chinese babies are the cutest, I can better understand now why she wanted to adopt a Cambodian child.Speaking of Cambodian children, their begging was such a menace because of how hard it was to keep saying no. But you catch on to their routines, which means they must have a (for lack of a better word) pimp who coaches them how to best manipulate people into buying. However, one kid, in particular, approached me at an outdoor cafe while pointing to his mouth and then his stomach. He wanted what was left of my lunch, and I was ashamed by my horror of his hunger as he devoured my food. On the whole, Siem Reap was a charming city and one of the most rewarding travel experiences I've ever had.&nbsp; Though it's still disappointing we couldn't make it to Thailand, the trade-off of spending more time in Cambodia was definitely an awesome benefit.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220765160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220765160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220765160/tpod.html Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:31:09 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Hello from Cambodia! It's weird to stop and think that I'm in a place so far from home that definitely sounds more exotic than China and was unsafe for visitors 15 years ago. We decided to come here after hearing more about Angkor Wat, and planned way last-minute, in light of the unrest in Thailand, to spend more time here. And I'm so glad that we did. We are in Siem Reap, Cambodia's second largest city behind the capital Pnom Penh, with a population reportedly of 800,000. However, the city is not densely populated at all, and everything appears to be designed only to cater to the tourists who flock here to visit the temple ruins of Angkor Wat.Once we arrived, in every way, I was comparing things here not to the US (too different) but to China. In China, there are way more people-- even in the rural areas. And in China, you cannot expect to get by without speaking some Chinese, but nearly everyone in the service industry speaks English here. In fact, we have all been floored by how extraordinary everyone's English is, and it's certainly been a huge relief as none of us speak Khmer. The city (more like a resort town with hotels, markets and restaurants) has been fun to explore with lots of good, cheap food and very hospitable people.Anywhere you cannot get by foot, you take a <i>tuk tuk or rickshaw carriage hitched to a moto scooter. Our first night in Siem Reap, we wandered around a bit to get oriented and then hired a tuk tuk to get to Angkor Wat. This whole trip, we've been swearing by Lonely Planet and followed their advice to arriveat the admission gate after 5 p.m. so that your 3-day pass begins the next day.We got there in time to climb up a hill in order to reach a ruin where the sunset-viewing is the best. First off, it was cloudy so the sky's performance was a bit of a disappointment, but it was also surreal to observe the crowd. There could have easily been 250 people, from all over the globe, milling around on the top of this temple with an air of anticipation. I imagined this would be what waiting for the Second Coming would feel like. The next morning, we decided to go to some of the temples that are farther away in hopes that they would be less crowded. We visited three total, and what was incredible was how different each one was to the next. Some were built up so that you had to climb up steep steps because the temple had been designed to mimic a mountain. Or some temples felt more buried, like they had sunk into the earth a bit. The jungle-like surroundings definitely made everything more exciting, and it was nice to separate and explore independently while silently competing for who could take the best picture of the same tower or entrance way. Even though I was lost in how amazingly awesome all the temple ruins are, it is difficult to forget where you are. Whenever you leave a temple site, children under the age of 10, rush up to you to peddle their goods. You feel bad ignoring them, but eventually you learn that you must. At the recognition of the slightest bit of attention, they will stick to your side until you get into the car or acquiesce and buy. They all use the same lines, too: "I remember you. Lady, you buy from me, ok." Not a question, but an imperative. Also, land mine victims sit near the sites, too, and it is just as heartbreaking to walk past them without being compelled to open your wallet. I'm not sure if Lonely Planet coined this phrase or not, but I definitely identified myself as having <i>beggar fatigue. Though they were selling things and not merely begging, their begging you to buy is just as exhausting.In the afternoon of Day 1, we went to the Floating Village about 20 minutes outside of town. As you can guess from its name, it's a village of houseboats and small, one-room homes built on stilts in the water. Many of the boats are brightly painted, which makes it very picturesque and taking a boat ride around the lake was very relaxing after walking around temple ruins all morning. I even got to drive the boat for a bit! At one point, we stopped at a store in a boat that was selling school supplies we could donate to a Vietnamese school one boat over. Adam and Jason paid for some notebooks (WWF design, oh dear) and pens, and then we went to the school itself. I told myself to check my cynicism at the door, but it was difficult to trust that the goods the boys bought wouldn't be immediately returned to the store. From the store we could see kids having recess and climbing the walls, but the moment we appeared, they were all seated at desks; boys one side, girls on the other. We tried to dissipate the awkwardness by talking to the students, but they were either shy or, more likely, did not speak English. Who knows if it is a school or not, but maybe it's ok just to believe that the children have a safe place to go during the day whether they are being educated (with the help of our school supplies) or not.Day 2 began at 4:30 a.m. because we wanted to experience the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We had hired a guide for the day, so that we could do more than just appreciate the beauty of our surroundings. We wanted to understand it and know what we were looking at, too. Our driver and our guide, Mr. Lucky (whose Cambodian surname is Mr. Cheat, so I can see why he has a nickname) met us at 5 a.m. and we began our pilgrimage to Angkor Wat. Now, this is all rather difficult to explain because all the names get confusing, but most of the temple ruins around Siem Reap are referred to generally as Angkor Wat. But there is one large temple complex that actually holds this name specifically, and it is the iconic one that appears on the Cambodian flag. That is where we waited and watched for the sunrise. It had rained all night long, so again the clouds prevented us from having an ideal experience, but I still thought it was spectacular. Also, we were making fun of the Koreans because of the way they pose for all their pictures, but it's thanks to them that we also discovered a magnificent rainbow.Ok, my time at the internet cafe is running out and we're flying to Ho Chi Minh city this afternoon, so I'll have to finish my Cambodia update then. I hope you come back to read more!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220611080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220611080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rachaelb/1/1220611080/tpod.html Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:24:57 -0400 Rachael Blogs Beijing

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Shenzhen, China

I loved Hong Kong. In my opinion, it is better than Shanghai if a cosmopolitan Asian city is what you're after. Maybe it isn't a fair comparison considering Hong Kong had British influence that began developing the city long before China opened up. Still, Hong Kong has a ton of character, natural beauty, and a feel all its own though it does remind me an awful lot of London. There are London chain restaurants, double decker buses that drive on the left side of the road, and English signs. Ahh, familiarity. Hong Kong, like London is a very international city, and there are a surprising amount of Indians, Africans, and of course whiteys. Definitely more than Beijing, Hong Kong felt like a city where I could really plant my ex-pat roots and stay for a while.Also, even though we were slightly worried about losing Adam's translating skills as Hong Kongers speaks Cantonese--not Mandarin--we realized quickly that everyone speaks English. In fact, it was rather humbling to realize that most people are probably trilingual: Cantonese, Mandarin and English.On our first day in Hong Kong, we had taken a bus from the Shenzhen airport, and it was the first of many times I was glad to be on a bus in order to observe the beautiful scenery. Hong Kong is comprised of a few islands and the city skyline just shoots up magnificently from across the harbors. Later in the evening, we watched the Symphony of Lights, a laser light show in which most of the buildings in the skyline participate. You watch all the electric colors light up to the backdrop of music that might as well have been the William Tell Overture for all its cheesiness. During our first full day, we ducked out of the rain in the Hong Kong art museum. The special exhibit was from an Italian excavation site similar and near to Pompeii. I was very pleased with myself for being in China and looking at art from another corner of the world I'd already been to. What a worldly traveler I am indeed! There was also a contemporary art exhibit that looked at Chinese traditions in a new and modern way, which was interesting to look at aesthetically and critically. Especially when I realized that not that much has changed at all: artists still use scrolls as their canvases and ink artwork that borrows from calligraphy. After the rain shower, we went to the famous and ultra-classy Peninsula Hotel for afternoon high tea. I never experienced this in England because 200 pounds for tea is outrageous, but 200 Hong Kong dollars I can afford. As I was approaching the maitre'd to inquire about a table away from the lobby's centerpiece, a day lilly bouquet (I'm allergic), he discretely informed me that my flip flops were inappropriate attire. Taken aback, I slunked out of the hotel and decided I didn't feel like drinking tea afterall. Once again, plans foiled, we ended up in Starbucks.The rest of the afternoon, we rode around in the old tram cars that can't be more than 6 feet wide. We went east-west across Hong Kong Island which has the main business center as well as parts that look more culturally Chinese. We stopped off at a fish market with fish so fresh they were still splashing water on you, and we eventually made our way to the must-see steep hillside's moving escalator toward the posh SOHO area. We ate a delicious, albeit expensive, sushi dinner while I tried to ignore memories of the fish market from the afternoon. On our second day in Hong Kong, we weren't too sure what to do with our time based on the weather cooperating or not. On a whim, and because I'd been feeling sick and didn't want to protest, we made plans to go to a prison museum near Stanley Beach. Stanley is about an hour's bus ride away and gives you the most breathtaking tour of the island. It's breathtaking for its water and islands scenery as well as the curvy and narrow mountain roads from the view of the front seat atop a double decker bus. Luckily for me, we never made it to the prison museum because we considered it a happy accident to have found such delicious scenery and a street market to enjoy instead. On the return trip, we sat next to an old Australian couple who pointed out Jackie Chan's hilltop, waterfront mansion to us, which I was very grateful for. They were also a pleasant reminder that the 2008 presidential elections are fast approaching and the world has its attention on America. "The world wants Obama. They want to know America has a soul."I felt like our time in Hong Kong was too short. Not because we hadn't seen all the sights, but because I didn't have enough time to slide into the "I live here" mode where everything feels relaxed and natural. We'll return to Hong Kong before our departure flight for the US but we'll likely either be exhausted or the boys will persuade me to take a day trip to Macau, the Vegas of the East. Either way, I'll have missed the summer sales by then, but it was infeasible to pack anything more into my backpack!
]]>