So, the journey continues!!....(actually, in all honesty, i am home now, but wanted to finish with the blog so people could read how the story finishes!)
We met up with our last group, for our final tour. We were surprised to see that Canadians were the mojority. The leader was from tononto, and 2 others in the group were from southern ontario as well! there were 2 couples in this group then some individuals from europe and 2 people from south africa. It was a great group of people and we had some great times together!
Pennang thailand- BUSY place! lots of traffic and people in 'georgetown' (which was the downtown-ish inner island area of pennang). Here we had a whole day of free time, so the two of us rented mopeds, and drove the diameter of the island. Such beautiful scenery, and beautiful temperature outside--sun was shining. Half of the island was gorgeous turquoise shoreline with beautiful beaches, and the other half was up into the lush forest. Such a picturesque day.
From there we were off to krabi, a *port dover, turkey point ish* beach town(for those of you who know those places). We spent a little time on the beach on that first afternoon, but then the rains started, and that was the end of that. Here we ran into our two friends from the nature park- lucy and raechel, we were able to catch up, which was nice.
Kuala lumper, very nice city. Well organized. nice market. Busy city, but really didnt feel crazy. Here we went to an art museum (photography portraying personalities of various artists)- some really cool photographs. After the museum we went to the science centre!
Cameron Highlands, still raining we went to the land of strawberries! there were strawberries EVERYWHERE, and on EVERYTHING! we went to a strawberry farm, butterfly farm, bug museum,tea fields, and flower garden-AWESOME!
Singapore was next on the agenda. Nice city. Plenty of people! We went to raffles hotel for the original 'singapore sling'--something to check off the list lol. Here we also enjoyed karaeoke with the group (always good for a laugh or two!)
It was here that we said goodbye to our last group, and we were off to INDONESIA! 12 days of chillin' before heading home!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Whats the capital of Thailand?
So,
i know, its been a long time. Also, i have probably told a lot of you whats been going on since leaving Cambodia- but here's the latest..
Got to Bangkok, it was loud, busy, dirty and EXPENSIVE! (i have gotten so used to bargaining, getting very good prices for anything and everything) - but it seems in bangkok, they don't like to barter, and everything is extremely overprices (i guess its because the place is just crawling with whities who will pay the high prices). Needless to say, i didn't buy anything in bangkok. We spent 2 days there before heading north (13 hour overnight bus) to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
We spent a couple of days in Chiang Mai (wonderful market-- much cheaper than bangkok). Did some shopping, and mostly took it easy. On the Monday morning we were packed up to head to the Elephant Nature Park.
The ENP was extraordinary. Such amazing people doing wonderful things for these animals. All of the elephants (i think there are about 30 living there now), have all been saved from lives of torture or abuse. Many of the elephants were trekking elephants (with serious injuries), some of the elephants were street begging elephants (where the owners got money by having tourists donate to 'feed the elephant' on the streets of bangkok). Little did the tourists know that the elephant barely eats anything, not nearly enough, and the many of the elephants were drugged (amphetamines) so they could work all day (trekking) and be on the downtown streets (begging) at night. Terrible. Also, they saved injured elephants (one for example, with most of her back foot blown off by a land mine.)
One sad story is Max- the largest known elephant in Thailand. He's so tall!! He was a trekking and begging elephant. His owner took his tusks, and left him with a massive infection that now (years later) is a giant abscess that needs to be treated everyday. But i get ahead of myself.. Max was begging on the streets of bangkok one day when he was hit with a 18-wheeler truck and both of his front legs were broken. They cannot operate on an elephant because the amount of anesthetic needed is unsafe and could potentially stop their heart. So, they didn't operate, and his legs eventually 'healed'. But, now he is at the park, and can barely walk, and needs treatments for his abscess everyday. But, he's fed and he's loved.
All of the elephants have this kind of story.
I fell in love with ALL of them. It was an incredible, life changing week. The people working and volunteering there really love all the elephants, and all have their best interests at heart. It is beautiful to see some of the mahouts with their elephants- they just seem to understand each other.
Every week, they take a 'family' of elephants (they have formed families with other elephants at the park even though they're not actually related) up the road (about a 2 hour walk) to a place called heaven. This is a large area of land, trees, hills and valleys, and tons of vegetation. The elephants, their mahouts and a handful of volunteers make the trek to stay overnight. The elephants wander free, and can eat and roam to their hearts content. There is a small area for the mahouts and us to sleep. It was a great night. So cool to see the elephants as close to being wild as they will be. In the morning one of the elephants came right back to the shelter (he knew it was time to go back). And, we went up into the hills to find a few of the wandering elephants. Apparently, they are always found in the same area- the mahouts know where their elephant likes to sleep or eat.
Also, while we were at the park, there was the full moon festival called kretong. This festival is to thank mother nature for food, land and water mostly. The people make little boats made out of banana tree, and decorated with banana leaves and flowers. The boats each get 3 incense sticks and a small candle. After the sun has gone down, each person grabs their kretong (we made our own) and a large lantern (like a hot air balloon). We went down to the beach and released our kretongs down the river, and light our lanterns and let them go into the sky. It was a beautiful celebration.
Such a fabulous week. I recommend the ENP to anyone going to Thailand.
After our week at the park, we headed back to Bangkok (15 hour train ride), Where we met up with our last tour group for our last guided leg of the journey. Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore!
Signing off for now...i will post the next leg shortly!
i know, its been a long time. Also, i have probably told a lot of you whats been going on since leaving Cambodia- but here's the latest..
Got to Bangkok, it was loud, busy, dirty and EXPENSIVE! (i have gotten so used to bargaining, getting very good prices for anything and everything) - but it seems in bangkok, they don't like to barter, and everything is extremely overprices (i guess its because the place is just crawling with whities who will pay the high prices). Needless to say, i didn't buy anything in bangkok. We spent 2 days there before heading north (13 hour overnight bus) to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
We spent a couple of days in Chiang Mai (wonderful market-- much cheaper than bangkok). Did some shopping, and mostly took it easy. On the Monday morning we were packed up to head to the Elephant Nature Park.
The ENP was extraordinary. Such amazing people doing wonderful things for these animals. All of the elephants (i think there are about 30 living there now), have all been saved from lives of torture or abuse. Many of the elephants were trekking elephants (with serious injuries), some of the elephants were street begging elephants (where the owners got money by having tourists donate to 'feed the elephant' on the streets of bangkok). Little did the tourists know that the elephant barely eats anything, not nearly enough, and the many of the elephants were drugged (amphetamines) so they could work all day (trekking) and be on the downtown streets (begging) at night. Terrible. Also, they saved injured elephants (one for example, with most of her back foot blown off by a land mine.)
One sad story is Max- the largest known elephant in Thailand. He's so tall!! He was a trekking and begging elephant. His owner took his tusks, and left him with a massive infection that now (years later) is a giant abscess that needs to be treated everyday. But i get ahead of myself.. Max was begging on the streets of bangkok one day when he was hit with a 18-wheeler truck and both of his front legs were broken. They cannot operate on an elephant because the amount of anesthetic needed is unsafe and could potentially stop their heart. So, they didn't operate, and his legs eventually 'healed'. But, now he is at the park, and can barely walk, and needs treatments for his abscess everyday. But, he's fed and he's loved.
All of the elephants have this kind of story.
I fell in love with ALL of them. It was an incredible, life changing week. The people working and volunteering there really love all the elephants, and all have their best interests at heart. It is beautiful to see some of the mahouts with their elephants- they just seem to understand each other.
Every week, they take a 'family' of elephants (they have formed families with other elephants at the park even though they're not actually related) up the road (about a 2 hour walk) to a place called heaven. This is a large area of land, trees, hills and valleys, and tons of vegetation. The elephants, their mahouts and a handful of volunteers make the trek to stay overnight. The elephants wander free, and can eat and roam to their hearts content. There is a small area for the mahouts and us to sleep. It was a great night. So cool to see the elephants as close to being wild as they will be. In the morning one of the elephants came right back to the shelter (he knew it was time to go back). And, we went up into the hills to find a few of the wandering elephants. Apparently, they are always found in the same area- the mahouts know where their elephant likes to sleep or eat.
Also, while we were at the park, there was the full moon festival called kretong. This festival is to thank mother nature for food, land and water mostly. The people make little boats made out of banana tree, and decorated with banana leaves and flowers. The boats each get 3 incense sticks and a small candle. After the sun has gone down, each person grabs their kretong (we made our own) and a large lantern (like a hot air balloon). We went down to the beach and released our kretongs down the river, and light our lanterns and let them go into the sky. It was a beautiful celebration.
Such a fabulous week. I recommend the ENP to anyone going to Thailand.
After our week at the park, we headed back to Bangkok (15 hour train ride), Where we met up with our last tour group for our last guided leg of the journey. Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore!
Signing off for now...i will post the next leg shortly!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
News from the underground...Cheetas never prosper.
So, i've been slacking on my blogging duties a wee bit..but here's the latest:
Last time i updated, í was in hoi an, vietnam, and fabulous shopping was all around.
From Hoi an, we travelled by train to Nha Trang. Apparently it was supposed to be a beach paradise (which i was totally looking foward to!) We arrived in the evening, around 6pm, and within a couple of hours i was throwing up. Not feeling great at all-- we figure it was something i ate. It wasnt long before the diarrhea kicked in, and i was out of comission for about 24 hours. NOT FUN. Everyone went snorkeling, and on a beautiful boat (where they got manicures and massages to boot.. :(
The next day, i was feeling mostly better, it came and went gladly, and i was able to make it to the hot springs and mud bath. Great relaxing day-- very little energy exerted (just what the doctor ordered- Dr. Michelle that is..)
Day after, we were back on the bus heading for saigon (aka ho chi minh city). Big, beautiful and bustling. Tons of people and tons of traffic. We did the typical tour by cyclo (local driven bicycle with a seat in front for the tourists..lol), it actually is a quite efficient mode of transport! From saigon we made a day trip to the war remnants museum, and to the ku chi tunnels. Very sad day. The devestation from the war was unthinkable, and the fact that the local people had to dig our an intricate tunnel system just to stay alive says it all. (their tunnels were 3 levels and even had a hospital underground). Such an experience walking through the dark, hot tunnels, i cant imagine living there.
It was in saigon that we said goodbye to our group (who i'd really grown to love), and said hello to our new group. All girls (7 of us all together). The guide is from USA. We were only in saigon for one more day before crossing the border into Cambodia.
Cambodia is BEAUTIFUL. the most beautiful countryside we've seen so far. The people are the nicest that we've come accross and the weather is hot hot hot all the time. I actually think i'm getting quite used to the temperatures (i dont know how i'm going to handle the snow when i get home!) We started in Phnom penh- gorgeous 'small town' feel for actually a quite populated city. Again, did the cyclo tour to get an idea of our surroundings. Our first day we did the s-21 prison and learned about the Kmer Rouge and Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot is short for political potential, and it was the name given to the ruler of the regime. He, during his reign, killed so many of his own people. His goal was to get rid of all of the educated people so no one could outsmart and over-rule him. Hundreds of people went through this prison (educated people) and were tortured until they exposed other educated people that they knew. They were told that they would be released when they shared the information--but were taken to be killed instead. The typical length of stay in the prison was 1-4 months (before being killed). From the prison we went to the killing fields were we saw so many mass graves where the bodies were burried. Graves filled with kids, or women, or mixed graves. The stories were so sad. Our local guide for this trip was a young boy during the pol pot regime, and was taken from his parents and forced to work in the fields (at 6 years old). His older brother and sister were starved to death because they refused to become soldiers for the kmer rouge). Needless to say, another depressing day. But, i definitely learned a lot.
We went from phnom penh to siem reip--where i am now. So beautiful (maybe even more so than phnom penh--if thats possible). Here, there are so many temples and so much history. We went to the famous jungle temple (better known from tomb raider the movie--angelina jolie..). This morning we got up for sunrise over Angkor Wat. Breathtaking (the photos are beautiful). It was definitely worth the 430 wake up. I can absolutely see why it is one of the manmade 7 wonders of the world.
Now we are headed for a boat trip through a floating village, and the mangroves, and then headed to a local orphanage. Tomorrow we head to battambang and we get to do a motorcycle tour! (so excited!!! we did one in Hue, Vietnam and it was so much fun--maybe this time he'll let me drive--i asked last time, but he said no :(
The day after tomorrow we head to Bangkok- i cant believe that Cambodia is almost over, but thailand here i come!
Miss you guys loads and loads and i really hope you're all doing spankingly well.
M.
Last time i updated, í was in hoi an, vietnam, and fabulous shopping was all around.
From Hoi an, we travelled by train to Nha Trang. Apparently it was supposed to be a beach paradise (which i was totally looking foward to!) We arrived in the evening, around 6pm, and within a couple of hours i was throwing up. Not feeling great at all-- we figure it was something i ate. It wasnt long before the diarrhea kicked in, and i was out of comission for about 24 hours. NOT FUN. Everyone went snorkeling, and on a beautiful boat (where they got manicures and massages to boot.. :(
The next day, i was feeling mostly better, it came and went gladly, and i was able to make it to the hot springs and mud bath. Great relaxing day-- very little energy exerted (just what the doctor ordered- Dr. Michelle that is..)
Day after, we were back on the bus heading for saigon (aka ho chi minh city). Big, beautiful and bustling. Tons of people and tons of traffic. We did the typical tour by cyclo (local driven bicycle with a seat in front for the tourists..lol), it actually is a quite efficient mode of transport! From saigon we made a day trip to the war remnants museum, and to the ku chi tunnels. Very sad day. The devestation from the war was unthinkable, and the fact that the local people had to dig our an intricate tunnel system just to stay alive says it all. (their tunnels were 3 levels and even had a hospital underground). Such an experience walking through the dark, hot tunnels, i cant imagine living there.
It was in saigon that we said goodbye to our group (who i'd really grown to love), and said hello to our new group. All girls (7 of us all together). The guide is from USA. We were only in saigon for one more day before crossing the border into Cambodia.
Cambodia is BEAUTIFUL. the most beautiful countryside we've seen so far. The people are the nicest that we've come accross and the weather is hot hot hot all the time. I actually think i'm getting quite used to the temperatures (i dont know how i'm going to handle the snow when i get home!) We started in Phnom penh- gorgeous 'small town' feel for actually a quite populated city. Again, did the cyclo tour to get an idea of our surroundings. Our first day we did the s-21 prison and learned about the Kmer Rouge and Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot is short for political potential, and it was the name given to the ruler of the regime. He, during his reign, killed so many of his own people. His goal was to get rid of all of the educated people so no one could outsmart and over-rule him. Hundreds of people went through this prison (educated people) and were tortured until they exposed other educated people that they knew. They were told that they would be released when they shared the information--but were taken to be killed instead. The typical length of stay in the prison was 1-4 months (before being killed). From the prison we went to the killing fields were we saw so many mass graves where the bodies were burried. Graves filled with kids, or women, or mixed graves. The stories were so sad. Our local guide for this trip was a young boy during the pol pot regime, and was taken from his parents and forced to work in the fields (at 6 years old). His older brother and sister were starved to death because they refused to become soldiers for the kmer rouge). Needless to say, another depressing day. But, i definitely learned a lot.
We went from phnom penh to siem reip--where i am now. So beautiful (maybe even more so than phnom penh--if thats possible). Here, there are so many temples and so much history. We went to the famous jungle temple (better known from tomb raider the movie--angelina jolie..). This morning we got up for sunrise over Angkor Wat. Breathtaking (the photos are beautiful). It was definitely worth the 430 wake up. I can absolutely see why it is one of the manmade 7 wonders of the world.
Now we are headed for a boat trip through a floating village, and the mangroves, and then headed to a local orphanage. Tomorrow we head to battambang and we get to do a motorcycle tour! (so excited!!! we did one in Hue, Vietnam and it was so much fun--maybe this time he'll let me drive--i asked last time, but he said no :(
The day after tomorrow we head to Bangkok- i cant believe that Cambodia is almost over, but thailand here i come!
Miss you guys loads and loads and i really hope you're all doing spankingly well.
M.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!
(thanks for the title cindy!)
So, no more China. Vietnam is where we have moved on to!
We started in Ha'noi (in northern vietnam). There was a definite temperature shock from China. In china i'd say the average temperature was 15-20 degrees. Warm in the sun, but most of the time i'd be wearing my zip-up and be quite comfortable. Vietnam, conversly, was like walking into a sauna. Not only HOT but HUMID, more than i've ever experienced.
We managed to get out of the airport to be swindled by the taxi driver that drove us to our hotel. (we were charged 3 times the amount we should have been.) But, nothing we could do about it after the fact. We cut our losses, and swore never to mention it again (dont tell jacqueline i'm talking about it.) Ha'noi was nice. Market, shopping (obviously), a nice lake where we spent a quiet morning, and WONDERFUL food. All around good change from China. Different food, without gravy, and different things to shop for at the markets.
We met up with our new group- a good mix of people and started our new adventure! In Ha'noi, we went to the prison where John Mcain was held when he bombed vietnam by plane. The american pilots that were kept here nicknamed it the Ha'noi Hilton. Some crazy history in the prison.
From Ha'noi we went to Halong bay. BEAUTIFUL! we were on board a Junk boat. We had it for 2 days. The meals were fantastic, and we had our own room (for the two of us, with a bathroom and shower). Much nicer than we were anticipating for a boat. Halong bay was just spectacular. 2000 limestone peaks. We went through a giant cave during the one afternoon and spent the rest of the afternoon sunning on the top deck (with PLENTY of sunscreen) and swimming! Just gorgeous. So relaxing and a nice change from the city life.
Hue was next (pronounced HWAY). A city smaller than Ha'noi, and we've gone from North Vietnam to central. This city was just filled with history. The 4th kings tomb, the old citadel. We took a motorbike tour around (each on the back of a bike). SO MUCH FUN! i kept saying i wanted to drive mine, but my guide wasnt budging.
This brings us to right now. We are in the city of Hoi'an (still moving south). The sad thing about Hoi'an is the fact that we arrived during monsoon season. It has been pouring almost non-stop since we arrived. Hoi'an is a cool town because it has something we havent come across yet. All of the stores are either for clothing or shoes, but EVERYTHING is tailor made to fit you. The manaquins or shoes are just for ideas, there are tons of catalogues where they will replicate anything in them. Also, they will create anything you can dream up, or copy an item of clothing or footwear you already own. FABULOUS, and highly addictive. I got a jacket made, and also a pair of heels. (you'll have to wait and see them for more details ;). I combined ideas from some of the things i'd seen in the store, in the catalogues and the girl drew it up for me.Then i chose my fabrics, and was measured! Went back 12 hours later, and TA-DA, its perfect! And, i get the shoes tomorrow morning! So awesome!
So, thats the up-to-the-minute-update. We're here for one more day, then continue our venture south! We're in Vietnam for another week, then off to Cambodia.
So, no more China. Vietnam is where we have moved on to!
We started in Ha'noi (in northern vietnam). There was a definite temperature shock from China. In china i'd say the average temperature was 15-20 degrees. Warm in the sun, but most of the time i'd be wearing my zip-up and be quite comfortable. Vietnam, conversly, was like walking into a sauna. Not only HOT but HUMID, more than i've ever experienced.
We managed to get out of the airport to be swindled by the taxi driver that drove us to our hotel. (we were charged 3 times the amount we should have been.) But, nothing we could do about it after the fact. We cut our losses, and swore never to mention it again (dont tell jacqueline i'm talking about it.) Ha'noi was nice. Market, shopping (obviously), a nice lake where we spent a quiet morning, and WONDERFUL food. All around good change from China. Different food, without gravy, and different things to shop for at the markets.
We met up with our new group- a good mix of people and started our new adventure! In Ha'noi, we went to the prison where John Mcain was held when he bombed vietnam by plane. The american pilots that were kept here nicknamed it the Ha'noi Hilton. Some crazy history in the prison.
From Ha'noi we went to Halong bay. BEAUTIFUL! we were on board a Junk boat. We had it for 2 days. The meals were fantastic, and we had our own room (for the two of us, with a bathroom and shower). Much nicer than we were anticipating for a boat. Halong bay was just spectacular. 2000 limestone peaks. We went through a giant cave during the one afternoon and spent the rest of the afternoon sunning on the top deck (with PLENTY of sunscreen) and swimming! Just gorgeous. So relaxing and a nice change from the city life.
Hue was next (pronounced HWAY). A city smaller than Ha'noi, and we've gone from North Vietnam to central. This city was just filled with history. The 4th kings tomb, the old citadel. We took a motorbike tour around (each on the back of a bike). SO MUCH FUN! i kept saying i wanted to drive mine, but my guide wasnt budging.
This brings us to right now. We are in the city of Hoi'an (still moving south). The sad thing about Hoi'an is the fact that we arrived during monsoon season. It has been pouring almost non-stop since we arrived. Hoi'an is a cool town because it has something we havent come across yet. All of the stores are either for clothing or shoes, but EVERYTHING is tailor made to fit you. The manaquins or shoes are just for ideas, there are tons of catalogues where they will replicate anything in them. Also, they will create anything you can dream up, or copy an item of clothing or footwear you already own. FABULOUS, and highly addictive. I got a jacket made, and also a pair of heels. (you'll have to wait and see them for more details ;). I combined ideas from some of the things i'd seen in the store, in the catalogues and the girl drew it up for me.Then i chose my fabrics, and was measured! Went back 12 hours later, and TA-DA, its perfect! And, i get the shoes tomorrow morning! So awesome!
So, thats the up-to-the-minute-update. We're here for one more day, then continue our venture south! We're in Vietnam for another week, then off to Cambodia.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
what we have seen/learned in China
So, China is done, onto other countries. In summary, it has been exciting and wonderful and full of many good friends and experiences. But, there were definitely times when we had to look at each other and ask "is this really okay? can people seriously do that here?" I thought i would write a small list of those things.
I appologize (Mom) if any of them are inappropriate for discussion-- but you have to keep in mind that THESE events ACTUALLY happened, so imagine how much worse it was to see them in real life.
WHAT I HAVE SEEN OR LEARNED IN CHINA:
1. It is fully acceptable to HORK and SPIT anywhere you feel the need. This includes; inside buildings, on buses, or on someone elses pants (i think that last one was an accident- but still..)
2. Children (with the aid of a parent or grandparent) may urinate anywhere. This includes; busy downtown streets, or in wal-mart on the floor in the glasses section.
3. (this one goes with the previous) When on a public bus, your small child informs you that he must poop (for lack of a better term) It is completely acceptable to retrieve a small chip/crisp bag (bugles to be specific) from the cardboard box of a garbage can (in the isle)-- allow him to do his business and promptly return the now full sack from whense it came. (about an hour left of the bus ride after this--and they were in the ROW in front of me).
4. When someone is in your way (us- rather), it is acceptable to just push us out of the way without saying anything at all.
5. Ligning up does NOT exist. If you want to get somewhere just go there. If people are in the way..(see previous). If you are attempting to get through a turnstyle (on the metro for example) pushing (especially if you have suitcases) is the best way to get through (then just hit the back of our legs with your baggage).
6. ALWAYS continue to talk to us in Mandarin. If we've told you we dont understand, and have the blank look on our faces, just keep repeating what you've said 5 times already. Perhaps try to say it LOUDER (that usually helps).
7. On a public holiday, (with millions of people in tiananmen square) if your 7 year old child acts up (or you think she is) it is acceptable to kick her repeatedly like a soccer ball until she falls down crying-- then keep kicking. And when she gets up REPEAT it all again.
8. All chinese food (espeically vegetables) MUST be drowning in thick clear goo (which we have been calling gravy). It is mandatory that it be super greasy as well-- of course.
9. When serving meat at a meal one must always include ALL the BONES, and eyeballs are an added bonus.
10. ALL bread or bread products MUST contain bean paste. There is no way anyone would want just plain bread.
11. If you are a cab driver, and we have given you the place we want to go (written in chinese) it is fully acceptable NOT to take us there, and to just drop whenever you get annoyed. ("No, no thats fine..we'll find our way..thanks for the ride, here's your money")
12. you can smoke ANYWHERE YOU LIKE. This includes; buses, trains, restaurants, elevators...anywhere at all. When in doubt, just light up.
oh it has been fun!
I appologize (Mom) if any of them are inappropriate for discussion-- but you have to keep in mind that THESE events ACTUALLY happened, so imagine how much worse it was to see them in real life.
WHAT I HAVE SEEN OR LEARNED IN CHINA:
1. It is fully acceptable to HORK and SPIT anywhere you feel the need. This includes; inside buildings, on buses, or on someone elses pants (i think that last one was an accident- but still..)
2. Children (with the aid of a parent or grandparent) may urinate anywhere. This includes; busy downtown streets, or in wal-mart on the floor in the glasses section.
3. (this one goes with the previous) When on a public bus, your small child informs you that he must poop (for lack of a better term) It is completely acceptable to retrieve a small chip/crisp bag (bugles to be specific) from the cardboard box of a garbage can (in the isle)-- allow him to do his business and promptly return the now full sack from whense it came. (about an hour left of the bus ride after this--and they were in the ROW in front of me).
4. When someone is in your way (us- rather), it is acceptable to just push us out of the way without saying anything at all.
5. Ligning up does NOT exist. If you want to get somewhere just go there. If people are in the way..(see previous). If you are attempting to get through a turnstyle (on the metro for example) pushing (especially if you have suitcases) is the best way to get through (then just hit the back of our legs with your baggage).
6. ALWAYS continue to talk to us in Mandarin. If we've told you we dont understand, and have the blank look on our faces, just keep repeating what you've said 5 times already. Perhaps try to say it LOUDER (that usually helps).
7. On a public holiday, (with millions of people in tiananmen square) if your 7 year old child acts up (or you think she is) it is acceptable to kick her repeatedly like a soccer ball until she falls down crying-- then keep kicking. And when she gets up REPEAT it all again.
8. All chinese food (espeically vegetables) MUST be drowning in thick clear goo (which we have been calling gravy). It is mandatory that it be super greasy as well-- of course.
9. When serving meat at a meal one must always include ALL the BONES, and eyeballs are an added bonus.
10. ALL bread or bread products MUST contain bean paste. There is no way anyone would want just plain bread.
11. If you are a cab driver, and we have given you the place we want to go (written in chinese) it is fully acceptable NOT to take us there, and to just drop whenever you get annoyed. ("No, no thats fine..we'll find our way..thanks for the ride, here's your money")
12. you can smoke ANYWHERE YOU LIKE. This includes; buses, trains, restaurants, elevators...anywhere at all. When in doubt, just light up.
oh it has been fun!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
the gorge~
Ni-hao (hello),
So i thought i'd just write a little update, as it hasnt been too many days since my last post.
I got a cold. Because there are 12 of us in the group, so close together all the time, when one person gets something it sure was bound to go around. I think 5 or 6 of us were sick at the same time. Cold or no cold, it was hiking time!~
We took the bus to the base of the tiger leaping gorge, where we met up with a lady that has lived there for 12 or 13 years. Margo. She is from australia, She takes groups on the hike, and knows so much about the area. So we started our trek from there. The mountains were spectacular, and you can always see the rushing river down below. I think we started the trek at around 2500m above sea level. That first day we hiked from about noon until 6 or so. We then got to the guest house where we had a wonderful dinner and couldnt stay up much longer before crashing from the hike. The hike was amazing, and mostly up hill that first day. There was a deadly section called the 28 bends, and it is just a zigzag winding uphill stretch that i thought was going to be the death of me. Being sick, and at such an altitude (especially after most of the day hiking up hill) it was difficult to catch your breath.At the hight of our trek i think we were around 4500m above sea level but, even at the base, at Margos it was hard to breathe because of the elevation (and the cold)..But, we kept on tramping (thats what the new zeland people say for trekking..i thought it was hilarious!) I made SOOOOOO many tramping jokes during the hike.
After an early morning, we continued our tramp. A little up hill on this second day, but mostly flat for the morning. We walked through some waterfalls, and some more winding paths with large drop-offs into what seems like miles of downhill before reaching the river. The afternoon on the second day was so much winding downhill slopes. There was also a little rain along the trek which made the path and rocks quite slippery! But, we hiked from around 9 until about 330 that day before getting to our second guest house. Again, wonderful food prepared (this second guesthouse was tibetan). And, we stayed there overnight before heading back to margos by vans.
I survived the tiger leaping gorge! it was the hardest thing i have ever done in my life, but so rewarding to get to the end. Such an accomplishment complimented by beautiful scenery and mostly good weather.
We then took a 2 hour bus ride to another small town, where we are now.Yesterday i went to a giant tibetan monestary with some people from my group, and this morning we went to the giant prayer wheel (you'll have to see facebook for the photos!) Last night we had a full curry dinner (that was for you mom). It was wonderful! best curry i think i've ever had.
Everyone in the group seems to be really enjoying eating YAK meat (when in china right?!). Which has kind of been a joke of mine...we get to a restaurant, and arent there 5 minutes before someone says "the yakkier the better".
We leave here in the morning to go to Dali for 2 days before going back to Kunming where our trip ends.
So thats is it for now. I am sitting in a small cafe enjoying a rose jasmine tea, and i think i'm going to go shopping for a bit!!
Gum-bay (cheers) from the east!
So i thought i'd just write a little update, as it hasnt been too many days since my last post.
I got a cold. Because there are 12 of us in the group, so close together all the time, when one person gets something it sure was bound to go around. I think 5 or 6 of us were sick at the same time. Cold or no cold, it was hiking time!~
We took the bus to the base of the tiger leaping gorge, where we met up with a lady that has lived there for 12 or 13 years. Margo. She is from australia, She takes groups on the hike, and knows so much about the area. So we started our trek from there. The mountains were spectacular, and you can always see the rushing river down below. I think we started the trek at around 2500m above sea level. That first day we hiked from about noon until 6 or so. We then got to the guest house where we had a wonderful dinner and couldnt stay up much longer before crashing from the hike. The hike was amazing, and mostly up hill that first day. There was a deadly section called the 28 bends, and it is just a zigzag winding uphill stretch that i thought was going to be the death of me. Being sick, and at such an altitude (especially after most of the day hiking up hill) it was difficult to catch your breath.At the hight of our trek i think we were around 4500m above sea level but, even at the base, at Margos it was hard to breathe because of the elevation (and the cold)..But, we kept on tramping (thats what the new zeland people say for trekking..i thought it was hilarious!) I made SOOOOOO many tramping jokes during the hike.
After an early morning, we continued our tramp. A little up hill on this second day, but mostly flat for the morning. We walked through some waterfalls, and some more winding paths with large drop-offs into what seems like miles of downhill before reaching the river. The afternoon on the second day was so much winding downhill slopes. There was also a little rain along the trek which made the path and rocks quite slippery! But, we hiked from around 9 until about 330 that day before getting to our second guest house. Again, wonderful food prepared (this second guesthouse was tibetan). And, we stayed there overnight before heading back to margos by vans.
I survived the tiger leaping gorge! it was the hardest thing i have ever done in my life, but so rewarding to get to the end. Such an accomplishment complimented by beautiful scenery and mostly good weather.
We then took a 2 hour bus ride to another small town, where we are now.Yesterday i went to a giant tibetan monestary with some people from my group, and this morning we went to the giant prayer wheel (you'll have to see facebook for the photos!) Last night we had a full curry dinner (that was for you mom). It was wonderful! best curry i think i've ever had.
Everyone in the group seems to be really enjoying eating YAK meat (when in china right?!). Which has kind of been a joke of mine...we get to a restaurant, and arent there 5 minutes before someone says "the yakkier the better".
We leave here in the morning to go to Dali for 2 days before going back to Kunming where our trip ends.
So thats is it for now. I am sitting in a small cafe enjoying a rose jasmine tea, and i think i'm going to go shopping for a bit!!
Gum-bay (cheers) from the east!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
the latest..
hey everyone,
no pictures posted on the blog still (the computers have not been the greatest, and its been timing out while i'm trying to upload pics..) So, i have discovered that to post them on facebook is my best method, so i have a few albums on there, and will add more when i get a chance!
i left you at the terracotta warriors, which was awesome. One crazy emperor who believed that in the afterlife your soul lives underground, and he wanted a good underground afterlife, so had thousands of terracotta soldiers crafted, and burried when he died to protect his tomb. Some cool pictures of that!
Also in Xian, we rented a tandem bicycle and cycled around the old city wall. Great to see, and definitely a good workout!
From xian we took another overnight train to the city of chengdu. In chengdu we went to a cool evening show with nonstop jasmine tea! (my favourite). It was interesting to see the traditional show from the schezwan people (not sure how to spell it). We also went to a panda reserve, and got to spend some time appreciating giant pandas (definitely really great to see up close) and also some good pictures of the pandas to come on facebook.
After 2 days in chengdu, we took an 8 hour bus to lijang (li means beautiful and jang means river). This is where we are now. It is the most beautiful place i have ever seen in my life. It sits at 2400m above sea level and it is a town in the hills. There is a giant river that runs through the town streets. There is plenty of great shopping (which i have definitely enjoyed). This morning we took a 5 hour guided walk around the town and went to the base of the jade dragon snow mountain. This is a nature area with waterfalls, and babbling brooks, and jade coloured lakes at the base of a massive mountain. Breathtakingly beautiful (i suppose i needn't say i have some great pictures of Lijang). I think, if anyone comes to china anytime soon, lijang is definitely a place that needs to be visited. And, those of you in Hong Kong, need to find a way to take a trip here.
Tomorrow morning, we get on a bus for a 2-3 hour ride to the other side of the dragon snow mountain where we will begin our 2 day trek through the tiger leaping gorge. It is supposed to be beautiful weather, and spectacular scenery (and also extremely streneous trek), but it should be an awesome experience!
The China leg of my journey is over in a week, i cant believe it has gone so quickly! Seems to be only about 9 weeks until i am home, i must admit, i am excited for the SNOW!
Missing all of you, and loving the messages and email you're sending! Thinking of you daily, and hoping you're taking care of each other.
until next time,
Me.
no pictures posted on the blog still (the computers have not been the greatest, and its been timing out while i'm trying to upload pics..) So, i have discovered that to post them on facebook is my best method, so i have a few albums on there, and will add more when i get a chance!
i left you at the terracotta warriors, which was awesome. One crazy emperor who believed that in the afterlife your soul lives underground, and he wanted a good underground afterlife, so had thousands of terracotta soldiers crafted, and burried when he died to protect his tomb. Some cool pictures of that!
Also in Xian, we rented a tandem bicycle and cycled around the old city wall. Great to see, and definitely a good workout!
From xian we took another overnight train to the city of chengdu. In chengdu we went to a cool evening show with nonstop jasmine tea! (my favourite). It was interesting to see the traditional show from the schezwan people (not sure how to spell it). We also went to a panda reserve, and got to spend some time appreciating giant pandas (definitely really great to see up close) and also some good pictures of the pandas to come on facebook.
After 2 days in chengdu, we took an 8 hour bus to lijang (li means beautiful and jang means river). This is where we are now. It is the most beautiful place i have ever seen in my life. It sits at 2400m above sea level and it is a town in the hills. There is a giant river that runs through the town streets. There is plenty of great shopping (which i have definitely enjoyed). This morning we took a 5 hour guided walk around the town and went to the base of the jade dragon snow mountain. This is a nature area with waterfalls, and babbling brooks, and jade coloured lakes at the base of a massive mountain. Breathtakingly beautiful (i suppose i needn't say i have some great pictures of Lijang). I think, if anyone comes to china anytime soon, lijang is definitely a place that needs to be visited. And, those of you in Hong Kong, need to find a way to take a trip here.
Tomorrow morning, we get on a bus for a 2-3 hour ride to the other side of the dragon snow mountain where we will begin our 2 day trek through the tiger leaping gorge. It is supposed to be beautiful weather, and spectacular scenery (and also extremely streneous trek), but it should be an awesome experience!
The China leg of my journey is over in a week, i cant believe it has gone so quickly! Seems to be only about 9 weeks until i am home, i must admit, i am excited for the SNOW!
Missing all of you, and loving the messages and email you're sending! Thinking of you daily, and hoping you're taking care of each other.
until next time,
Me.
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