On a Tuk Tuk
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
From Bangkok to Singapore to Melbourne
I made it to Singapore last night, and now I am waiting at the airport for my flight to Melbourne. I have made contact with Toni a couple of times so I don't think there will be any problems getting in touch with her once I touch down. I am really excited to be heading to yet another continent, and my first time in the southern hemisphere.
Just making contact, not too much time left to wait. Sorry I have been so bad about e-mailing, I have just been having a really good time, and being lazy about making time to send a couple of messages now and then. Only 35 more days left for me on the road.
Later...Just wanted to let you know that I have safely arrived in Melbourne and met up with Toni, so all is well in the travelers world.
Just making contact, not too much time left to wait. Sorry I have been so bad about e-mailing, I have just been having a really good time, and being lazy about making time to send a couple of messages now and then. Only 35 more days left for me on the road.
Later...Just wanted to let you know that I have safely arrived in Melbourne and met up with Toni, so all is well in the travelers world.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Well I had a fun first day in Siem Reap, home to one of the many wonders of the world Angkor Wat.
On Sunday I went to a Mountain about 1.5 hours outside of Phnom Penh, where there is a series of beautiful temples that overlook the flat Cambodian landscape. It was a day filled with a ton of hiking, free range monkeys, and dozens of little kids following me around with fans pushing each other out of the way trying to be the one fanning me the most. None of them wanted to sell me anything, they simply walked every where I did while holding Chinese fans, and occasionally using them to blow fresh humid air in my general direction. By the time I got back to the tuk-tuk to head home I had about 6 kids following me, two girls of which had followed me all the way from start to finish. I decided to tip the two of them 5 dollars each. By the time I got back to the hotel I was desperate for a little rest, so I found a place to get my reflexology done and enjoyed being pampered a bit.
I took the ferry yesterday from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, and have decided it is definitely the best way to get between the two cities. It took about 5 hours to speed up the Tonle Sap River, but the journey was filled with incredible sights, fun people, and you could literally sit wherever you wanted (which for most people meant on top of the ferry). The wind rushing through your hair, the scenery constantly changing, and a fun group of westerners sailing along the river made for a lot of fun. I just made the mistake of packing my sunscreen deep in my pack that was stored in the engine room so I got a bit of a sunburn. When I say a bit of a sunburn, I mean my face is on fire... hahaha. Luckily, though, my sunscreen (that I am now applying quite liberally) has aloe vera and vitamin E in it, so it relieves some of the pain as well as protecting from any further burning.
This morning I got up to start exploring the numerous temples of Angkor Wat, one of which is the location where Angelina Jolie filmed the first Tomb Raider movie, where she developed her love of Cambodian orphans. I joke that this place must be like a Costco to her where she can buy in bulk because the children will literally follow you everywhere in packs hoping you will buy something. I am sure if you made an Angelina offer they would sell you themselves as well, anything for a couple of bucks.
The temples here are incredible. Beautiful, massive, and so ornately decorated that all of the stone walls have worm hole carvings in them. I walked around a lot today, looking at the ruin, wondering what these structures would have looked like 1000 years ago. The place is filled with tourists, but it is so beautiful and so secluded that I didn't seem to mind too much. While having lunch in a little place near the first temple I stopped at, I met a group of kids from Australia and New Zealand, surprisingly all named Chris (well the three boys where, the girl was named Kirstin, but it is close to Chris). We all had a couple of beers together, shared stories, and decided to hike around a bit more together. By the end of our time there, we all agreed that we had probably taken WAY too many photos seeing as how there is no way to capture the magnificence of the place in any photos. But alas, we all have a couple of hundred photos of Angkor Wat, and we only visited a couple of the temples of the site.
Tonight we are all meeting back up to have a couple of drinks and experience the Siem Reap night life. I am going to go find a cheap place to have dinner before I have to meet back up with them. Cambodia is definitely a must see for any traveler. It is a place like nothing I have ever seen before, and due to its lack of tourism is a place most people will never see either.
On Sunday I went to a Mountain about 1.5 hours outside of Phnom Penh, where there is a series of beautiful temples that overlook the flat Cambodian landscape. It was a day filled with a ton of hiking, free range monkeys, and dozens of little kids following me around with fans pushing each other out of the way trying to be the one fanning me the most. None of them wanted to sell me anything, they simply walked every where I did while holding Chinese fans, and occasionally using them to blow fresh humid air in my general direction. By the time I got back to the tuk-tuk to head home I had about 6 kids following me, two girls of which had followed me all the way from start to finish. I decided to tip the two of them 5 dollars each. By the time I got back to the hotel I was desperate for a little rest, so I found a place to get my reflexology done and enjoyed being pampered a bit.
I took the ferry yesterday from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, and have decided it is definitely the best way to get between the two cities. It took about 5 hours to speed up the Tonle Sap River, but the journey was filled with incredible sights, fun people, and you could literally sit wherever you wanted (which for most people meant on top of the ferry). The wind rushing through your hair, the scenery constantly changing, and a fun group of westerners sailing along the river made for a lot of fun. I just made the mistake of packing my sunscreen deep in my pack that was stored in the engine room so I got a bit of a sunburn. When I say a bit of a sunburn, I mean my face is on fire... hahaha. Luckily, though, my sunscreen (that I am now applying quite liberally) has aloe vera and vitamin E in it, so it relieves some of the pain as well as protecting from any further burning.
This morning I got up to start exploring the numerous temples of Angkor Wat, one of which is the location where Angelina Jolie filmed the first Tomb Raider movie, where she developed her love of Cambodian orphans. I joke that this place must be like a Costco to her where she can buy in bulk because the children will literally follow you everywhere in packs hoping you will buy something. I am sure if you made an Angelina offer they would sell you themselves as well, anything for a couple of bucks.
The temples here are incredible. Beautiful, massive, and so ornately decorated that all of the stone walls have worm hole carvings in them. I walked around a lot today, looking at the ruin, wondering what these structures would have looked like 1000 years ago. The place is filled with tourists, but it is so beautiful and so secluded that I didn't seem to mind too much. While having lunch in a little place near the first temple I stopped at, I met a group of kids from Australia and New Zealand, surprisingly all named Chris (well the three boys where, the girl was named Kirstin, but it is close to Chris). We all had a couple of beers together, shared stories, and decided to hike around a bit more together. By the end of our time there, we all agreed that we had probably taken WAY too many photos seeing as how there is no way to capture the magnificence of the place in any photos. But alas, we all have a couple of hundred photos of Angkor Wat, and we only visited a couple of the temples of the site.
Tonight we are all meeting back up to have a couple of drinks and experience the Siem Reap night life. I am going to go find a cheap place to have dinner before I have to meet back up with them. Cambodia is definitely a must see for any traveler. It is a place like nothing I have ever seen before, and due to its lack of tourism is a place most people will never see either.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Day one in Cambodia, a day I will never forget.
After spending a little over a week in Singapore, recuperating, enjoying the simple pleasures of family life, and basking in the high style of an expat (ex-patriot), I have left the sanctuary of distant (once removed) family and headed for Cambodia. I will miss the luxurious three story house with full private bath and live in maid, but I am sure I will return with ease to my simple travelers life. And, what a way to dive back in, discovering the wonders of the impoverished scenes in Cambodia.
I awoke this morning at 4 am to head to the airport in order to catch my 6:45 am flight to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. I took a taxi from the Ware’s estate to the airport, but I am pretty certain that by some coincidence another person on the street had also called for a taxi and I had stolen his. Why on earth was someone else calling a taxi at 4:30 am, I will never know. After getting checked in at the airport, having a spot of breakfast, and doing my duty free perusing, I boarded the JetStar flight to Phnom Penh. Other than the 1 hour delay we had at the airport due to a malfunctioning flight computer, the flight was smooth and uneventful.
On arriving in Cambodia, I had to apply for my visa, which consisted of filling out a little bit of paperwork, paying $20 (P.S. Cambodia has its own currency, Cambodian Reil, but everyone wants you as a red devil to pay in US dollars) and waiting for them to hold your passport in the air signifying the completion of your visa. After collecting my pack and making it through customs I had to find a way to my guesthouse, Sunday Guesthouse. As soon as you walk out of the airport doors, hundreds of men with their tuk-tuks are waiting to take you to your destination. How does one describe a tuk-tuk to a Westerner? Tuk-tuks are to Cambodia, what gondolas are to Venice, the easiest and was available form of transportation. Imagine a horse drawn carriage in Central Park, shrink it in half, add a canopy, and age it about 30 years. Then, instead of being pulled around by a beautiful, sturdy horse, picture it being pulled around by an old Vespa. They can turn on a dime, max out at about 20 mph, and dominate the chaotic roads of Cambodia. Driving in Cambodia must be like an exercise in mindful meditation because unless you are paying attention to EVERYTHING going on around you, you are going to die. 'Nough said. The other means of transportation (more popular with the locals) is simply paying a guy to let you ride on the back of his scooter while you prop your feet up on jump seat pegs. Many times you will see three to four people riding this way on one scooter. Dangerous, yes, but totally riding Cambodian style. I am not sure what Cambodians would do without motor-scooters.
After checking in to my guesthouse, which costs about $12 a night for a private room with a private bath, I grabbed a tuk-tuk and arranged to hire the guy and his vehicle for the whole day. Such a request is the norm here with a negotiable fee, but for me hiring the guy for a 5 hour journey cost me $25. We ended up heading out to a small island about 20km outside of Phnom Penh called Koh Dach. Thanks to some advanced research, I knew it was a location I was dying to go to, and thanks to my drivers vast knowledge of the area was an easy trek. Not necessarily a comfortable one, seeing as how the roads in Cambodia range from bad to worse, but it was easy.
After about 45 minutes a driving, we arrived at a ferry “pier” (a steep dirt ramp leading to the river front). We drove the tuk-tuk on to the ferry and headed across for an afternoon of delight. On the ferry, I was offered to have lunch at a woman’s home, roast chicken and rice. I decided, since it was approaching lunch time, that that was a great idea. So once the boat reached shore, she hurried off to start preparing the feast. On the way to her home, we stopped at another home that offered exactly what Koh Dach is known for, wand woven silk scarfs and fabrics. As a foreigner, as soon as my presence was known on the island, I was engulfed in woman offering me their fine silk creations. At one point I think I was cornered by 6 different women and 2 little girls, each wanting me to buy a piece from them. While the items were cheap by US standards, I still didn’t have the money or the room in my pack to purchase a piece from all of them, so after purchasing one silk “table cloth/drape/throw” and two scarves from the first woman to catch me, I had to apologetically decline the other offers in front of me. After collecting my goods, I got back in the tuk-tuk to head to lunch, leaving half a dozen Cambodian women cursing my name. (I actually doubt that, because they were all extremely nice, and just wanting to seize an opportunity for a few extra bucks.) Although I was leaving half a dozen women behind, two of them jumped right on their motorbikes and followed the tuk-tuk to its next stopping point.
Finally we arrived at the petite woman’s home for lunch just as she was slaughtering the chicken I was going to eat later. She laid a mat down in a small thatched hut that sat right on the beach, hovering over the water of the Mekong River, and ushered me to sit inside while I waited for her to finish preparing lunch. About this time, the girls with the scarves had caught up to me, and joined me in the hut to continue their sales pitch. I continued my polite no’s and offered them some of the fruit that had been provided by another woman. My driver (and I am terrible for not writing his name down, but I will see him tomorrow so no worries), the two girls, a random other woman, and I sat in the thatched hut for about an hour enjoying the views and having an impromptu language lesson, both Cambodian for me and English for them.
Once the food arrived, the tuk-tuk driver and I were left in peace to enjoy the delicious feast and enjoy the picturesque scenery. He taught me how to eat the food while I relaxed enjoying his company and that of the stray dogs that appeared to share in the wealth. After finishing eating and cleaning ourselves up a bit, he led me down the river to see some local fisherman pulling in the nets filled with thousands of sardine sized little fish. Once the food had settled, and I had finished stumbling around the sandy shore, we decided to head back. When we arrived at the ferry dock to wait to cross, all the same little silk weavers showed up again, trying to hawk me their goods, but this time I think they got the picture that I was not in the market for any more fabric.
We crossed back over the river to head back into town. The drive is beautiful, filled with stilted houses, elegant and massive Chinese temples, and vans bursting at the seams with passengers. By the time we got back to the hotel, I was ready for a bit of rest, so I laid down for a bit, watched some BBC World news and contemplated what my next move would be. After a while, I headed out to do some walking and find some contact lens solution (not an easy find in an impoverished nation). The streets of Phnom Penh were filled with people enjoying a gorgeous Friday night, getting ready for a fun weekend.
I met a fun couple, Aaron and Sandy (Aaron from the UK, Sandy from Colorado; Both now working in Kuwait), and spent the evening sharing a couple of beers and travel tails. The two of them seem to share in my sense of humor so it was a nice match. The three of us ended up watching Americas Next Top Model (oh yeah, Tyra has made it to Cambodia), and wallowing in the sadness that is Tyra Banks being a US representative in Cambodia.
What a way to spend a first day in Cambodia, but I think it is hard not to have a day like that in a country where the people are exceedingly friendly and the scenery is a mix of destitute and beautiful. Truly the wonders of Cambodia.
I awoke this morning at 4 am to head to the airport in order to catch my 6:45 am flight to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. I took a taxi from the Ware’s estate to the airport, but I am pretty certain that by some coincidence another person on the street had also called for a taxi and I had stolen his. Why on earth was someone else calling a taxi at 4:30 am, I will never know. After getting checked in at the airport, having a spot of breakfast, and doing my duty free perusing, I boarded the JetStar flight to Phnom Penh. Other than the 1 hour delay we had at the airport due to a malfunctioning flight computer, the flight was smooth and uneventful.
On arriving in Cambodia, I had to apply for my visa, which consisted of filling out a little bit of paperwork, paying $20 (P.S. Cambodia has its own currency, Cambodian Reil, but everyone wants you as a red devil to pay in US dollars) and waiting for them to hold your passport in the air signifying the completion of your visa. After collecting my pack and making it through customs I had to find a way to my guesthouse, Sunday Guesthouse. As soon as you walk out of the airport doors, hundreds of men with their tuk-tuks are waiting to take you to your destination. How does one describe a tuk-tuk to a Westerner? Tuk-tuks are to Cambodia, what gondolas are to Venice, the easiest and was available form of transportation. Imagine a horse drawn carriage in Central Park, shrink it in half, add a canopy, and age it about 30 years. Then, instead of being pulled around by a beautiful, sturdy horse, picture it being pulled around by an old Vespa. They can turn on a dime, max out at about 20 mph, and dominate the chaotic roads of Cambodia. Driving in Cambodia must be like an exercise in mindful meditation because unless you are paying attention to EVERYTHING going on around you, you are going to die. 'Nough said. The other means of transportation (more popular with the locals) is simply paying a guy to let you ride on the back of his scooter while you prop your feet up on jump seat pegs. Many times you will see three to four people riding this way on one scooter. Dangerous, yes, but totally riding Cambodian style. I am not sure what Cambodians would do without motor-scooters.
After checking in to my guesthouse, which costs about $12 a night for a private room with a private bath, I grabbed a tuk-tuk and arranged to hire the guy and his vehicle for the whole day. Such a request is the norm here with a negotiable fee, but for me hiring the guy for a 5 hour journey cost me $25. We ended up heading out to a small island about 20km outside of Phnom Penh called Koh Dach. Thanks to some advanced research, I knew it was a location I was dying to go to, and thanks to my drivers vast knowledge of the area was an easy trek. Not necessarily a comfortable one, seeing as how the roads in Cambodia range from bad to worse, but it was easy.
After about 45 minutes a driving, we arrived at a ferry “pier” (a steep dirt ramp leading to the river front). We drove the tuk-tuk on to the ferry and headed across for an afternoon of delight. On the ferry, I was offered to have lunch at a woman’s home, roast chicken and rice. I decided, since it was approaching lunch time, that that was a great idea. So once the boat reached shore, she hurried off to start preparing the feast. On the way to her home, we stopped at another home that offered exactly what Koh Dach is known for, wand woven silk scarfs and fabrics. As a foreigner, as soon as my presence was known on the island, I was engulfed in woman offering me their fine silk creations. At one point I think I was cornered by 6 different women and 2 little girls, each wanting me to buy a piece from them. While the items were cheap by US standards, I still didn’t have the money or the room in my pack to purchase a piece from all of them, so after purchasing one silk “table cloth/drape/throw” and two scarves from the first woman to catch me, I had to apologetically decline the other offers in front of me. After collecting my goods, I got back in the tuk-tuk to head to lunch, leaving half a dozen Cambodian women cursing my name. (I actually doubt that, because they were all extremely nice, and just wanting to seize an opportunity for a few extra bucks.) Although I was leaving half a dozen women behind, two of them jumped right on their motorbikes and followed the tuk-tuk to its next stopping point.
Finally we arrived at the petite woman’s home for lunch just as she was slaughtering the chicken I was going to eat later. She laid a mat down in a small thatched hut that sat right on the beach, hovering over the water of the Mekong River, and ushered me to sit inside while I waited for her to finish preparing lunch. About this time, the girls with the scarves had caught up to me, and joined me in the hut to continue their sales pitch. I continued my polite no’s and offered them some of the fruit that had been provided by another woman. My driver (and I am terrible for not writing his name down, but I will see him tomorrow so no worries), the two girls, a random other woman, and I sat in the thatched hut for about an hour enjoying the views and having an impromptu language lesson, both Cambodian for me and English for them.
Once the food arrived, the tuk-tuk driver and I were left in peace to enjoy the delicious feast and enjoy the picturesque scenery. He taught me how to eat the food while I relaxed enjoying his company and that of the stray dogs that appeared to share in the wealth. After finishing eating and cleaning ourselves up a bit, he led me down the river to see some local fisherman pulling in the nets filled with thousands of sardine sized little fish. Once the food had settled, and I had finished stumbling around the sandy shore, we decided to head back. When we arrived at the ferry dock to wait to cross, all the same little silk weavers showed up again, trying to hawk me their goods, but this time I think they got the picture that I was not in the market for any more fabric.
We crossed back over the river to head back into town. The drive is beautiful, filled with stilted houses, elegant and massive Chinese temples, and vans bursting at the seams with passengers. By the time we got back to the hotel, I was ready for a bit of rest, so I laid down for a bit, watched some BBC World news and contemplated what my next move would be. After a while, I headed out to do some walking and find some contact lens solution (not an easy find in an impoverished nation). The streets of Phnom Penh were filled with people enjoying a gorgeous Friday night, getting ready for a fun weekend.
I met a fun couple, Aaron and Sandy (Aaron from the UK, Sandy from Colorado; Both now working in Kuwait), and spent the evening sharing a couple of beers and travel tails. The two of them seem to share in my sense of humor so it was a nice match. The three of us ended up watching Americas Next Top Model (oh yeah, Tyra has made it to Cambodia), and wallowing in the sadness that is Tyra Banks being a US representative in Cambodia.
What a way to spend a first day in Cambodia, but I think it is hard not to have a day like that in a country where the people are exceedingly friendly and the scenery is a mix of destitute and beautiful. Truly the wonders of Cambodia.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Loving Singapore
Things are going great in Singapore. Really enjoying every minute of it.
I went to the Singapore zoo today with the daughter of one of Kim's friends. Kelly, the daughter, is getting her degree in musical theatre from Lindenwood University, also in St Louis. It has been fun getting to know Kelly, she is a riot.
I feel like such an old fart here (but love it) because I am up fairly early by my standards, 8am, so I haven't really had any interest in going out late at night. When the kids head to bed, I feel like it is time for me to start heading that way too. Although, Kim and I usually have a Bailey's Irish Coffee and a long talk while we are closing up shop for the night.
After Kelly and I went to the zoo, we headed over to Chinatown and did a little bit of souvenir shopping for me and cloths shopping for her. After walking around the amazing market for a little while and gawking over the incredible swarm of old Asian guys playing chinese checkers in the courtyard, we had lunch at one of the local hawker stands. Hawker stands are a really big thing in Singapore, and I guess throughout Southeast Asia. It is a place lined with different kinds of little food stands so you can get a little bit of everything (including chicken feet) and eat it all for really cheap. Luckily for us, a young girl from Holland pointed us in the direction of one stand that apparently had the best chicken and rice in all of Singapore. It was so well known that Anthony Bourdain had formerly eaten there on his food network show. It was delicious. A perfect lunch, and only 3 sing dollars.
I spent a bit of the evening learning how to play "PURE," a ATV racing game for the X-Box. Carter was quite the instructor, showing me all the different techniques for doing tricks and getting bigger air. I ended up being pretty good and the two of us where able to beat a few of the levels (after about two dozen miserable and hilarious attempts).
Have a few things on the roster for tomorrow, so I will have another fun filled day in Singapore. I really am enjoying getting to know the city.
I went to the Singapore zoo today with the daughter of one of Kim's friends. Kelly, the daughter, is getting her degree in musical theatre from Lindenwood University, also in St Louis. It has been fun getting to know Kelly, she is a riot.
I feel like such an old fart here (but love it) because I am up fairly early by my standards, 8am, so I haven't really had any interest in going out late at night. When the kids head to bed, I feel like it is time for me to start heading that way too. Although, Kim and I usually have a Bailey's Irish Coffee and a long talk while we are closing up shop for the night.
After Kelly and I went to the zoo, we headed over to Chinatown and did a little bit of souvenir shopping for me and cloths shopping for her. After walking around the amazing market for a little while and gawking over the incredible swarm of old Asian guys playing chinese checkers in the courtyard, we had lunch at one of the local hawker stands. Hawker stands are a really big thing in Singapore, and I guess throughout Southeast Asia. It is a place lined with different kinds of little food stands so you can get a little bit of everything (including chicken feet) and eat it all for really cheap. Luckily for us, a young girl from Holland pointed us in the direction of one stand that apparently had the best chicken and rice in all of Singapore. It was so well known that Anthony Bourdain had formerly eaten there on his food network show. It was delicious. A perfect lunch, and only 3 sing dollars.
I spent a bit of the evening learning how to play "PURE," a ATV racing game for the X-Box. Carter was quite the instructor, showing me all the different techniques for doing tricks and getting bigger air. I ended up being pretty good and the two of us where able to beat a few of the levels (after about two dozen miserable and hilarious attempts).
Have a few things on the roster for tomorrow, so I will have another fun filled day in Singapore. I really am enjoying getting to know the city.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Singapore
Singapore is great. The weather is beautiful, and I have been having a fun time being shown around by Kim, and hanging with the family. Yesterday we had to go pick up a sculpture that her daughter, Jackie, had done. It was in a little industrial area of Singapore, and I got to see these incredible artists work on incredible traditional Sing artifacts and status. It was so much fun. My mouth was in a constant "WOW" shape. I was lucky enough to get a piece of the special wood clay that the guys used to take home.
Last night I went with Kim, her husband Robert, son Carter, and daughter Jackie to a neighborhood get-together. I met a lot of their neighbors and school friends and got to tell a few stories of my travels. Plus I received tons of tips on places to go and things to see while I am in Southeast Asia.
Today the family and I went to watch Jackie play a softball game, and Carter play a basketball game. A good time was had by all, and Carter's basketball team won, while Jackie's team nearly pulled back a win in the last inning but unfortunately fell a little short.
The food here is great, I am super relaxed, and excited by everything I see. This place is definitely exactly what I needed at this point in my travels, a little feeling of home.
Last night I went with Kim, her husband Robert, son Carter, and daughter Jackie to a neighborhood get-together. I met a lot of their neighbors and school friends and got to tell a few stories of my travels. Plus I received tons of tips on places to go and things to see while I am in Southeast Asia.
Today the family and I went to watch Jackie play a softball game, and Carter play a basketball game. A good time was had by all, and Carter's basketball team won, while Jackie's team nearly pulled back a win in the last inning but unfortunately fell a little short.
The food here is great, I am super relaxed, and excited by everything I see. This place is definitely exactly what I needed at this point in my travels, a little feeling of home.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Made it to Singapore
I have successfully made it to Singapore.
Wow, this place is really incredible. Plus the hospitality I have been show by Aunt Traci and Uncle Chuck's cousin Kim is awe-inspiring. Way better than the digs I have had on the rest of this trip. Their home is beautiful, they have me in their private guest room with a private ensuite bath, oh, and did I mention there is a maid. This is way out of my normal travel dwelling, but will definitely be fun to do for a few days.
Kim is great, telling me all the things I should see and places to travel to. I am beyond impressed at her experience traveling around Southeast Asia, and can't help but laugh every time this down home Texas woman says something like, "Oh, you would just love Laos. You should really go." Wow, she has been to a place most people can't even find on a map.
Super tired, with an 11 hour flight and a 7 hour time change, so I will have to write more later, but I am safe and beyond comfortable.
Wow, this place is really incredible. Plus the hospitality I have been show by Aunt Traci and Uncle Chuck's cousin Kim is awe-inspiring. Way better than the digs I have had on the rest of this trip. Their home is beautiful, they have me in their private guest room with a private ensuite bath, oh, and did I mention there is a maid. This is way out of my normal travel dwelling, but will definitely be fun to do for a few days.
Kim is great, telling me all the things I should see and places to travel to. I am beyond impressed at her experience traveling around Southeast Asia, and can't help but laugh every time this down home Texas woman says something like, "Oh, you would just love Laos. You should really go." Wow, she has been to a place most people can't even find on a map.
Super tired, with an 11 hour flight and a 7 hour time change, so I will have to write more later, but I am safe and beyond comfortable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
