Back to Bangkok to Prepare for Myanmar

I awoke the next morning to leave on the ferry/van combo back to Bangkok. I checked out of my little bungalow and was told to walk a half mile to the taxi stand. No problem. I was use to carrying my backpack and I always felt like it was a great workout when I could get a nice walk before sitting for a few hours. I got to the taxi stand and there were no taxis. I had a half hour to spare so I waited. After 10 minutes, a man came by and said "no taxi here today. Rain coming. You walk." Darn! I had 20 minutes to get to the port. It started to rain.  I looked at the others waiting and we all decided to be start walking. I was leading the pack and went up over a hill and around a corner. Over the week, I had witnessed that everyone honked as they came over the hill. I heard no honks and turned to look behind us. Nothing was coming as I walked up the hill. I was over to the side and being careful.  I looked up and a motorbike was passing a truck coming up the hill. The motorbike swerved towards me. I tried to move quickly to the brush and tripped over tree roots. Oh nooooooo!!! Everything else was in slow motion. I lost my balance and the weight of my backpack threw me forward. I thought I was going to make a "graceful" recovery. My hands hit the ground but I still had my feet on the ground and was in a downward facing dog pose and moving forward. The couple behind me screamed. I lost balance and fell face first onto the dirt road. My backpack was still moving forward. It came to a stop over my head. I laid there a second waiting for the truck to hit me. Suddenly, it swerved around and flew down the road. The couple and the motorbike all came to help me. As I sat up I looked at them and laughed. I wiped out and was covered in a wet dirt. I looked at my watch, thanked them and said "hurry, we only have 8 minutes to make the ferry." Ahead of us was a taxi. We grabbed it and asked if he could get us there in time. We arrived at the ferry with a couple of minutes to spare. I was a mess. The couple was nice enough to help me clean up. As we sat there we all got to laughing and wished someone had taken a photo. It was a classic Michelle moment!

The ferry left port, the rain got heavier and the waves were huge. Our little boat rocked as we went up over the huge waves. Then the lightening started. I saw the look on the faces of the Thai girls sitting across from me. They were getting sea sick. Great....here comes the puking. I adverted my attention towards the sea. I noticed the lightening was getting closer and got a little concerned. The guy across from me started to sing the theme song of Gilligan's Island as our boat was tossed in the waves.  The good thing about the storm was it made a one hour trip only take 35 minutes! We arrived at the dock and gathered our belongings. It was taking everyone a long time to disembark. Then, I saw the problem. The boat was  pulled up to a dock but the dock was a good 3.5 feet above the boat. Everyone was throwing there bags to the dock and trying to crawl up to the deck. I had a bad feeling about this. The couple that saw me wipe out looked at me and promised to help. I heaved my bag to the deck, reached for his hand and crawled up. Whew! I was thankful I did not end up in the sea!
The van to Bangkok was uneventful and I was thankful. I successfully negotiated for a taxi and made it to Khao San Road. I had decided it was the best location to get things prepared for my trip to Myanmar. I was also ready for some street food. Yum, yum!

I was excited to go to Myanmar but needed to get my visa before I finalized my plans. I had used a travel agency to get my visa while I enjoyed the islands. I had an appointment at 5:00 PM on Monday, May 20th to pick up my passport and my Thailand visa was expiring on May 21st. I was anxious to get confirmation of my visa. There are several regulations around Myanmar travel so I had to prepare a little.

1. All tourists are required to fly into the country which meant I needed to buy an airline ticket. I had been tracking prices on AirAsia and the tickets from Bangkok to Yangon were cheap ($145 USD). There were seats available and I was fine waiting until I got my visa verified.
2. Myanmar has very limited ATM machines (12 in the entire country) and tourists are required to take USD. You have to bring all of the cash you plan to spend with you into the country. The bills must be "clean, green" and newer than 2006. All of the information I could find said that your bills could not have any tares, writing, folds or discolorations. It was also suggested that you bring $100 bills as they have a higher exchange rate. So, I started going to the ATM daily to remove my maximum daily allowance.  Then, on Monday I would go to a bank to change it all from Thai Baht to USD. The country only deals with USD and kyat (Myanmar money) and no other currencies.
3. All hotels and trains have to be paid in USD. Everything else is paid in kyat.
4. To change USD to kyat, the guidebook (Lonely Planet) recommends changing money at your hotel or the black market for the best exchange rate. The black market rate was 850 kyat =$1USD where the airport was 8 kyat = $1USD. That was going to be a fun experience. I was looking forward to it!
5. I got a lot of mixed information on hotels. Everyone on blogs were recommending to pre-book your room due to the increased number of tourists and a shortage of hotel rooms. So, I booked my first 3 nights in Yangon.

I planned to spend the next 2 days reading and relaxing in Bangkok. I explored Khao San Road and enjoyed the street food. Yummy! It was cheap and good. I even found an AMAZING vegetarian and vegan restaurant (ETHOS). Delicious breakfast and loved the falafels too! I had decided that I would do a little sightseeing using the river ferries. I loved the ferries! It was a fantastic way to see the city. I spent the day hoping from one sight to the next. I got down to Asiatique Riverfront and spent some time window shopping waiting for the sun to set and the lights of Bangkok to light up the sky. It was a beautiful view in the evening from the boats. Probably my favorite sight in Bangkok!

 

Monday arrived and I got my Thai baht changed to US dollars. I haven't seen them for awhile and forgot how plain they are compared the colorful money I had been using in SE Asia. Yes, the greenbacks felt like home and I knew exactly how much money I had but I remembered them as more green color and the $100 bill seemed to have more black. I found it strange. Eventually, I decided it was because I don't use $100 bills at home! I bought supplies (shampoo, soap, bug spray and sunscreen) and then headed to the travel agency to get my passport. I was ecstatic when I saw my Myanmar visa! I was approved and could book the ticket.

I returned to the hotel and bought my ticket through AirAsia ($145), booked the hotel room and a bus to the airport. Then, it was time to pack. Myanmar here I come! I have no idea what to expect. Myanmar (Burma) tourism has been limited historically due to the political situations. Tourism really increased the past two years but is still significantly less than the other SE Asian countries. Increased tourism means the country is changing quickly.....what will happen and how hard is the travel? I look forward to this next adventure. 

Rexaling Lao Spa Style

It is 97F (36C) in Champassak and I am hot and sweaty. I just biked for 2 hours along the Mekong River and I need to be pampered. I was riding down the road and noticed an organic spa. Hello! That has my name written all over it!

I was hoping for a traditional Lao sauna and a massage. But, the Champassak Spa did not offer the sauna. I studied the menu carefully. I decided to go with a tourist special. It included an hour facial, body scrub, hair treatment and scalp massage and an 1.5 hour oil massage. I asked if they had availability.  The woman smiled and said "Yes ma'am. We can begin immediately, if you wish." Yippeee! 

I was shown to a bathroom where I was instructed to take a warm shower and put on the phasin (Lao sarong) and sandals. I placed my clothes and backpack in a locker. Then, the woman took me to a small room where she scrubbed my feet. In Lao, the feet are considered very dirty. They should never be used to point, touch or placed on a seat. As you enter a home, business or temple you are asked to leave your shoes outside. At the spa, they wanted to make sure my feet were very clean before the services began. I was then given pair of clean sandals and a lemongrass herbal tea. It was delicious. I sipped on my tea as a soft breeze blew into the hut. I could smell the plumeria flowers from outside. Ahhhh! I was relaxing and could feel my body releasing any tension.

Next, I was taken to a small bungalow with a table and ceiling fan. I laid down and the therapist began with my facial and continued with the hair treatment, scalp massage and then the body scrub. She was very professional and spoke very good English. The scalp massage and facial were fantastic. I love having someone massage my face and scalp. It feels so good and very indulgent. After these services, I was escorted to a wooden veranda overlooking the river. I was given a tray with teas and fresh fruit while I relaxed and waited for my massage.

Finally, I was escorted to the hut beside the river for my oil massage. The massage bed overlooked the Mekong River. I was so close to the river, I felt like I could reach out and touch it. The massage was very professional, therapeutic and utterly relaxing.  It got my blood pumping into every muscle though, leaving me relaxed, yet more invigorated, like every good massage should. The Champassak Spa is really something different, as the sounds of the river and the garden are as central to the experience as the massage itself. Once you have been rubbed and massaged from your feet right up to your head, hot tea is served on the open veranda looking out over the river. I sat and enjoyed the calm. When I changed back into my clothes, I realized I had spent 5 hours being pampered for the bargain price of $45 (USD).

Life in Champassak is laidback. This is the kind of leisure activity that is slowly being replaced by cheap tourist spas with none of the charm. Champassak Spa is a French sustainable development project. It creates jobs for the local people to allow them to stay in Champassak rather than migrating into the cities. The staff are given lessons in massage, wellness, English and a few will be trained in management to provide sustainable business for the locals. The Lao hospitality is wonderful and provided a relaxing experience.  I highly recommend the Champassak Spa and would enjoy returning for another afternoon of pampering.

Chilling in Champassak, Laos

I left Don Khone in the morning. I had arranged a bus north to Champassak. I had met several tourists that talked of the quiet charms and I decided I would venture to the village. I realized quickly, I was the only passenger going to Champassak. Wow! It is off the beaten path! The bus ride was interesting...they always are! I noticed the bus driver kept pulling into gas stations but was not able to purchase anything. Finally, he stopped at a roadside stand where he got a large plastic container, a hose and a fence post. What was happening?

I sat on the bus watching to see what was going to happen next. The men walked under my window. The positioned the fence pole next to the bus and placed the plastic container with gasoline on top of the pole. Then, while smoking a cigarette, one placed the hose in the container while his buddy sucked on the other end of the hose. They were filling the bus with gasoline. I looked at the guy next to me. He was as white as a sheet and started gathering his stuff to get off the bus. He kept saying "boom!" I had to get a photo. Really?!?! Yeah, I probably would go up in flames!

Luckily, there were no problems and we were headed north again. The remainder of the journey was uneventful. I was left at a corner in the village of Ban Muang and the man pointed to a woman selling water. I told her I wanted to go to Champassak and she asked for 25,000 kip. Then she pointed to the boat landing at the end of the road. A boat had just left the dock and she yelled for him to come back. He did! He pulled up and I got into the boat with 2 guys from Poland. They had just arrived in Laos and were not use to traveling. I gave them tips as we crossed the Mekong River towards Champassak. I listened to their concerns and explained that in Asia, some things don't make sense to westerners. They never will and you are better off accepting it and going with the flow than complaining about it. One of the guys laughed and told his buddy to breathe and enjoy the experience. When we arrived at the boat landing, we walked up the hill and met a tuk-tuk driver. He offered to give me a ride to my hotel. The Polish guys asked if I wanted to share a tuk-tuk to Wat Phu. Sure, just let me leave my bag in my hotel. We negotiated our price and the driver told the guys they could leave their bags at his guesthouse.

After a short stop, we were off to explore Wat Phu. This is an ancient Khmer religious complex that dates back to pre-Angkor Wat (5th century). It was small compared to the Angkor ruins in Cambodia but the similarities in the architecture were striking to me. The site had similar carvings as I had seen in Angkor; dancing women, warriors and carved doorways. The three of us explored the sight.

Afterwards, we headed back to Champassak. My Polish travel mates decided they were going to hitchhike to Pakse. I laughed and told them good luck. I offered them my floor if they were not able to find a ride. They laughed and said they may be back. They must have used their charms to get a ride. I did not see them again. I spent some time walking the small village before dinner. The village is small but 30 years ago was a seat of royalty. That grandeur has long since departed. The village has a main road with colonial-era homes mixed with Lao wooden homes. This town reminded me of a rundown version of Luang Prabang but with the potential to be charming. I liked the quiet streets and locals that were excited to see the few tourists in the village. I ran into the French couple I had met in Don Khone at my hotel. They had liked the village and returned to spend 2 more days exploring. They gave me several tips and insisted that I need to rent a bike and explore the area and also take a boat to Don Daeng Island to explore. Since we had similar travel styles, I took their advice and decided I would stay a couple of days. As I walked back to my room, I laughed as a herd of cows were passing down the narrow main road. There were no street lights or lanterns. It was dark and quiet. The only sound I heard were the cowbells as the cattle wandered through town. I smiled and knew was going to enjoy this village. 

DaLat- Le Petite Paris

DaLat greenhouse- my favorite flower

I left Nha Trang in the morning and headed inland to the mountains of Vietnam. I was ready to cool off and stop sweating for a few days. The bus ride was beautiful through mountains and jungle. However, the switchbacks proved to be too much for several of the people on the bus. I noticed several people walk to the front of the bus and return with a bag. Oh no! It was time for me to put on my head phones if people were going to start throwing up! Those of you that know me well know I do not handle vomiting well. You puke and I will be right there with you. Not holding back your hair and comforting you but throwing up with you! I was surrounded by people tossing their cookies. Including the girl next to me! I kept telling myself to just breathe and listen to music. You can not puke. I looked at the clock and realized it was another hour. Four people around me were throwing up. I took out the Vick's and sniffed. Anything was better than the smell coming from my neighbors. Surprisingly, I survived and did not even gag! That is a huge accomplishment for me! Whew! I was so excited to get off the bus puke free!

DaLat is located in the central highlands and is home to farmers who produce the flowers, fruits and vegetables. The majority of the flowers are grown in greenhouses. It is much cooler here and the smog is significantly less than Nha Trang and Saigon. Yay! I loved the fresh air!  I smiled as I passed the DaLat version of the Eiffel Tower. Since this was a vacation get away for the French, there is a significant French influence. Tacky? I will let you decide.

DaLat radio tower.

DaLat is the last  motorbike tour I will have in Vietnam. I wanted to explore the countryside and hike to the waterfalls. I searched out the Vietnam Easy Riders to take me on this trip. Tin Tin arrived at 8 am and we were on the road. I am not bragging but, I am getting really good at getting on/off a motorcycle. Like I have been riding for years!

Our first stop was the countryside farms. He explained that the greenhouses became popular after a large company came in and built one and the farmers saw that they were able to increase the number of growing seasons. Most of the flowers are grown in the green houses and the vegetables are grown outside.

 I was not surprised to learn that organic farming was not common in Vietnam. Tin Tin explained it is difficult to change the way things are done. We had a long discussion about the amount of littering, the Vietnam/American War and the poor in the country. I asked him to be honest and not give a typical response that the tourists want to hear. I appreciated his candid responses. Basically, unless there are financial reasons, the littering will continue and organic farming is unlikely. The Vietnamese felt very abandoned when America pulled out of the country and he talked to me about the difficulties of the people afterwards. I feel that I have learned more about the war visiting Vietnam than I ever learned in all my years of education.

Our second stop was a nice morning hike. He stopped on the side of the highway and said "Hike up that hill to the top, turn left and come back down. I will meet you on the road." Ok. I hiked the hill. It was beautiful. Pine trees, hills and grass. I noticed an animal had been on the trail and my keen tracking instincts told me it was a horse....I hoped that was all and not a wild animal! I reached the top and looked around. I breathed the fresh air and took a moment to enjoy the view.

The path down was a little slippery but I made it! A great hike to start off the morning. 

The next stop was the oldest Buddist temple in DaLat. I asked Tin Tin to explain Buddism to me. He smiled and said that I got a driver that was Christian. Well, I guess I have some reading to do on the Buddist faith.  

 We continued on our journey through the farmland were I noticed the coffee trees. Tin Tin showed me that each berry had two beans...I never knew that. Honestly, I did not know much about coffee other than I love it in the morning. As we traveled through towns I noticed large tarps on the ground in front of businesses. The farmers remove the beans from the berries and dry the beans in the sun. Then they were bagged and sent to be roasted.

We continued on our adventure. The area around DaLat was beautiful. I enjoyed the curving mountain roads, the flowers and fruits for sale on the side of the road. I was happy and enjoying the ride as much as the sights.
 

Tin Tin stopped and bought us some fresh strawberries. Then he washed them and we had an impromptu picnic on the side of the road. An old man walked up to us. We shared our strawberries and water with him. Tin Tin talked to him and explained that he was a poor, old, sick man with no family. The Vietnamese government doesn't do much for these people. It is up to the religious groups and families to help the old and sick. So sad. I admit I gave him some dong. My heart just broke for him. The least I could do was buy him a couple meals. I asked Tin Tin about the average salary in Vietnam. I was shocked that the average Vietnamese person makes about $4700 USD/year. Wow!  

We continued down the road. We passed beautiful rice paddies and what I called "free range cows."  

The rice paddies are beautiful. I loved watching the wind blow across the fields like waves. Gorgeous! We rode a little farther and Tin Tin took me to a silk factory. Then asked if I was ready for some hiking. Of course! We arrived at Elephant Falls and he pointed towards a railing and said to go that way and follow the path. He was staying behind to watch the bike. I had 30 minutes to get back to him. I was off. I followed the path, down and over a bridge. No problem. Then I see the orange handrail is gone. Uh-oh!  Just the post and another orange post 6 meters down the rocks. Huh? I had no clue how I was suppose to get down to the falls.  

Where is the path? Uhmmm....

Elephant Falls

I could hear people coming down the path. I looked at them and they were wearing flip flops. Huh. I was glad I had my hiking shoes. I decided to follow them down. I was about half way down when one of them turned to me and told me to go ahead. Fine. I went slowly and made my way around the big rock. I turned to look for the guide because I did not know where to go next. They had turned around and gone back up! It was just me. I was scared I would fall and brake a bone or crack my head open but I had to get to the falls. No stopping me now! I finally made it! I am not a fan of rock climbing and this was as close as anyone will ever get me. I was shaking by the time I got to the bottom. I completely forgot to get a photo. All I could think of was now I had to go back up to the top. Ugh! I must admit that it was easier going back up. I passed several people that turned around and never went more than half way. I was so glad I faced the challenge and did it! Yay me!

When I returned, Tin Tin said it was time for lunch. We went to a roadside cart and ordered chicken with vegetables and rice. Then I sat down on the traditional red stool and ate. After lunch, Tin Tin asked "do you like cats?"

Mmmm...weasel poop coffee.

I wasn't sure where this was going. I replied "Uhmmm.....sure, as long as nobody is killing or eating them!"  He laughed and said he had something special to show me. He took me to the cat (weasel) farm where the weasels are fed a mixture of banans and coffee beans. They poop and the coffee beans are removed from the poop, roasted and sold. Ewwww! They also made rice wine. I drank the poop coffee. It was ok but not that spectacular. This will probably go down as the weirdest thing I eat on this trip. I am not adventurous with food. I gag too much!  I also tasted the the rice wine. Wow! It was more like moonshine! Very strong and burnt the whole way down! 

Our next stop was an ethnic community. We stopped and Tin Tin told me the tradition in the town was that the girl selects a boy she wants to marry and then her family must pay the boys family for his hand in marriage. I liked that the girl got to choose. There are 15 women in the village that weave scarves, bags and tablecloths. I bought a beautiful scarf and then asked if I could walk around the village and take some photos. I was granted permission. Tin Tin was going to stay with the bike. I took off walking and was greeted by two children that would laugh, point at me and run away down the path. Soon they would stop and repeat the sequence.  It became our game. The children would wait on the path for me to catch up with them. I asked if they would like to see a photo of themselves. I showed them the picture and they pointed at themselves and laughed. They were adorable. They motioned for me to follow them down the path. I followed. We passed beautiful fruit and vegetable gardens and a few small homes. Theyturned around several times to make sure I was following them. Then they laughed and ran ahead. I realized they were taking me to their home. They were delighted as they ran into the house to tell their family they had found me. It was adorable and made me smile.

The children took me to their home to meet their family.

I waved goodbye and continued walking. As I was headed back to the main street, I followed by 4 boys. They would walk, one would turn and stare or smile at me. When I got on the motorbike and drove away, they ran after us waving goodbye. I loved the children. I left with a smile on my face and wonderful memories of the village.

We were back on the road and headed to the Dalat Waterfall. When Tin Tin dropped me at the entrance I asked if this was going to be another rock climbing adventure. He said "No, more fun. Take roller coaster." Alright! I walked in and bought a ticket for the roller coaster. It was basically a toboggan on metal tracks with a handbrake. I was strapped in and told to pull the brake towards me to stop. They pushed me off and away I went down the tracks to the bottom. It would have been more fun but the two guys in front of me road the brake down the hill.  It would have been more fun to go faster. At the bottom, it was a short walk to the falls.

A short ride back up to the top of the falls and we were off again. The day ended with a walk through the meditation center and gardens. I took a peaceful walk through the gardens, enjoying the quiet solitude. It was beautiful and the smell of pine trees surrounded me. We returned to DaLat and my hotel. It was a wonderful day exploring the area. I was ready for a shower and a dinner in town. I laughed as I asked for a restaurant suggestion and the guy at the desk gave me directions to a bakery. He said the Russians love it! Ha ha! I thought I should not get in the habit of eating my meals at a bakery and asked for another suggestion. I had a great Vietnamese dinner and a wonderful walk in town. It was a fantastic end to a beautiful day.

Palaces and Pagodas in Hue

Fara and I said goodbye to the beautiful town of Hoi An and headed north to Hue. Since Fara has been sick for the past few days, we decided to hire a car to take us from Hoi An to the train station in Danang. From there we caught the train to Hue. The train ride along the coast was beautiful. There were isolated little beaches and fishing villages along green hillsides.

We arrived in Hue and were excited to see that the hotel had actually sent someone to pick us up at the train station. We knew the drill. We put our backpacks on the motorbikes and jumped on the back for a quick ride through the streets of Hue to our hotel. We were greeted with a delicious, ice cold lemon tea as we checked into the hotel. We laughed as we opened the door to the room. It was huge! I think it was almost the size of my apartment! We could sleep four people, had a fridge and a bathroom with a huge tub. This sounds crazy but it was nice to have room to spread out our things. Since it was late, we had two things on our mind. Get our laundry sent out (only $1/kilo) and eat.

We walked the neighborhood and found a wonderful restaurant that offered a great selection of vegetarian meals. After our cooking class, I have been on a mission to find the best Banh Xeo in Vietnam. I don’t think anyone can come close to the one I made in the cooking class. So, of course I had to have one here and some rice noodles with fresh vegetables. Yum yum! It hit the spot but I was right. My Banh Xeo was better!  After a short walk we returned to the hotel to get a good night’s rest.

I have started my morning workouts. It is necessary to keep a routine and if I am going to try Banh Xeo everywhere!  I like the routine of my workouts and it allows me to sweat it out in the morning. It is also my time with the locals before the city comes to life and the tourists are flooding the streets. So, I strapped on my heart rate monitor, grabbed my resistance bands and my backpack with my camera. I knew I may want to get some early morning shots. Off I went with my map to explore in the early sunrise. As I walked the riverfront, men and women would wish me “Good morning” as they smiled and waved. I found a nice little park to do some resistance work with the bands and two men came over to check out my workout. They smiled, flexed their muscles and gave me thumbs up. I smiled as I continued my workout.  Since it was early and starting to rain, I decided to walk around the Citadel. It was beautiful in the early morning mist. I headed back to the hotel 2 hours later, showered and had some breakfast. Then, off to explore the Palaces and Podagas of Hue. The city of Hue is the home to the Imperial City and Forbidden Purple City. It was described in the travel books as an "Asian wonderland of palaces, pavilions, temples, ponds, gardens and gates. "

Hue's beautiful palaces and pavilions.

Thien Mu Pogada overlooking the Perfume River.

Temple of the Great Hero

On Fara’s last day, we decided to take it easy and tour the Hue Garden Homes. We wanted to get off the tourist path and see the ancient homes along the Perfume River. We made a big mistake by asking our hotel receptionist if we could get motorbikes to the Hue Garden Homes. We showed her the book and she said “Ah, yes. No problem.” We figured Fara’s last day should be like the beginning of the trip….back on a motorbike. We jumped on and were off for our relaxing day visiting the gardens. We traveled down a small road and I saw a sign that said Ancient Hue. Yay! We were going in the correct direction, or so I thought. The outside gate was beautiful wood in a Japanese style. We entered and a young guide met us to show us the home. We went inside and noticed it was a restaurant. He explained that the restaurant was built on the site of the ancient home. We wandered through the area and he showed us two homes with a beautiful garden.

We returned to the driver and I asked "how far to the next home?" He told me we were done and returning to our hotel. I explained we wanted to go to the five ancient homes near the tombs.  He told me "no." Hmmm. Oh well. Guess were not going to see the Garden Homes. It was hot and we were hungry so, we decided to spend the remainder of the afternoon relaxing and packing for our travels. Afterwards, we went out for a nice last dinner. We had a fabulous trip and enjoyed our time together in Cambodia and Vietnam. In the morning, my solo adventure would begin. I was nervous but excited.

At 6 AM the bus arrived to take Fara on her journey back to America. No tears just a “see you in 6 months!” I had a quick breakfast before catching a train south to Nha Trang. I got lucky and was able to get a sleeping car for the 13 hour journey to Nha Trang. It was just me and a little old Vietnamese man. He was probably 80 and got on board with a suitcase, a briefcases, a container of soup and a tree. Yes, you read that right. A 4 foot tree.  He spoke as much English as I spoke Vietnamese. It was clear he was asking me to help him with his tree. He asked me to put it under his bed. Sure! I did it and he smiled at me. The steward arrived with sheets and pillows and I made my bed and then offered to make his. This is what sealed are friendship. He shook my hand and pointed at himself and said “Thien.” I repeated the gesture and said “Michelle.” He stated talking to me in Vietnamese. I was stuck because the limit of my Vietnamese was hello, goodbye, thank you, a few dishes and “those are not my drugs” and “please don’t shoot.” That iPhone app was not going to help me with this one. I got my Vietnamese travel book out and gave it to him. He paged through it and pointed at the map to Nha Trang. I smiled and shook my head yes. He pointed at himself which I took as he was also going to Nha Trang also. Then we both took a nap. I awoke a few hours later and decided to try organizing my photos. He was very interested in the photos and wanted to look over my shoulder. I got several thumbs up and smiles as he sat next to me. Suddenly, he got up and left the car. He returned with a spoon and a cup. He opened his soup and poured a bowl for me. He patted his tummy and smiled with a thumbs up. Who needs language when you can use simple signs to communicate? I tried to tell him “No thank you” but he was not listening. It was delicious soup. It tasted like a mushroom vegetable soup with spinach. I thanked him and offered him some water. He shook his head and left only to return with 2 cups of tea. We sat smiling at each other and he would point to the countryside if there was something I needed to see. When the cigarette smoke on the train started to make me cough he opened his briefcase and pulled out a baggie with some sort of berries soaked in honey and spices. He pointed at his chest and made a coughing sound. He handed me a toothpick with berries. I tried to say no but he was not having it. He started pushing the berries and hot tea on me. He was pleased when I ate the berries. He was so sweet. His hands and smile reminded me of my grandfather and brought back happy memories. I found myself smiling and enjoying the quiet moments with my new friend. This was why I travel. I love meeting the locals and having these types of experiences. We befriended one another on a train and I knew I could trust him. I laughed when a woman tried to sell me 2 bananas. She looked at me and said 20,000 VND ($1). He got very angry and yelled at her. It ended up costing me 2,000 VND ($0.10).  When he pointed at my phone I gave it to him. He turned it on and called someone. I was confused as he had a conversation with someone then handed me the phone. He had called the train station to find out what time we would arrive. When he handed me the phone they explained in English the train would arrive at 9PM and asked if I need help making hotel arrangements. I told them I had a hotel booked and they were picking me up at the station. She asked to talk to Thien. She must have explained to him I was ok because he gave me a smile and a thumbs up. I helped him off the train and said goodbye. A simple act of kindness had bonded us over the long train ride.

Nha Tang beach

The next morning I awoke in Nha Trang and was off for an early morning walk on the beach. When I left the key with the receptionist she asked if I wanted a bicycle instead. Why not? It was the beach. I would love to ride a bike along the beach and enjoy the beauty. She called and had a bike delivered. It had seen better days. I checked the seat height, the brakes and the lock. Everything was fine. I grabbed a hotel card and a map so I was sure I could find my way back to the hotel. I was off to explore. The bike was a little rickety and nothing like my California beach cruiser. It wobbled and creaked. The brakes squeaked. I turned out on to the rode and was cautiously riding on the side away from the motorbikes and cars. I only had to make it 2 blocks and I would be on the beach. I successfully crossed the road and had the beach in sight. I was so excited to get off the road and enjoy the peace of a bike path. I looked up and down the beach. No sidewalks. I stopped and asked a woman and she laughed at me and pointed at the busy road. Oh darn! I could do this. It was a beautiful warm day. The sun was shining and I had been riding a bike since childhood. I went back to the street and was enjoying the day when a truck backed out into the road. Oh no! It was a quick decision. Get hit by a truck or veer to the right and hope I can jump the curb. I chose the curb. I flew up onto the curb and came down on the basket. I was spread eagle on the sidewalk and could feel a breeze on my backside. My bare butt was exposed for all the Vietnamese to view!! My skirt was around my waist. I jumped up and looked around hoping nobody had witnessed my grace. Then I burst out laughing! I skinned up my knee and ankle but otherwise I was fine. Guess I need to work on my biking skills! I biked 4 miles along the beach road and was ready to get back to the hotel. I did not enjoy trying to navigate the busy roads with cars, trucks, motorbikes and pedestrians. It would be fine if there were traffic lights but it is a free for all and my bell did not work.

I returned and the owners of the hotel asked if I had dinner plans. They offered to take me out to an authentic dinner of fresh spring rolls and country pancakes. Of course I jumped at the offer! We had a nice evening, they introduced me to friends and we found out that he was a IBO for the company I use to work for. It is a small world! I became an instant friend as they asked me about the products and life at Nutrilite. Dinner turned into dessert and then back to our hotel. It wa s a wonderful evening and made me realize how blessed I have been in my travels. I have met some amazing people on this journey in the last 3 weeks. I have been open to their culture and customs and I have learned so much more than I ever expected. It is natural to have fears when traveling alone but I am an experienced traveler. I am true to my personality. I love meeting people and sharing my life, travel and experiences with them. I never would have had these wonderful experiences with the local people if I was not open to their kindness. I believe that it pays you back tenfold. It was only at the end of the day I realized that I did not have pictures of these people. I lived in the moment and have wonderful memories of my time spent with Thien, Elvin and Le.

Khmer Cooking Class

On our last day in Siem Reap, we signed up for a Khmer cooking class. We wanted to learn how to make some of the delicious Khmer food we had been enjoying the last few days. We decided to go to the Le Tigre de Papier Restaurants class. For $13 we could each pick a starter, main course and dessert. Hmm...the choices were also so delicious. We both decided on an appetizer of fresh shrimp spring rolls and mango sticky rice for dessert. Then Fara made the fish amok and I chose the Khmer Cannelloni. The restaurant had prepared all of the vegetables on plates. The teacher explained how to prepare each of the dishes. We stared with chopping all of the veggies for the fresh spring rolls.

We steamed the vegetables and prepared the shrimp before rolling the spring rolls.  Next step was to make a fresh peanut sauce. Mmmm. So delicious!

Shrimp Spring Rolls.

The next step was to chop more vegetables for the Fish amok and Khmer curry. I enjoyed chopping all the veggies and making a homemade curry. Then, Fara got busy pounding it into a paste. After three hours of cooking it was time to sit down and enjoy a wonderful meal. We ended it with one of my favorite desserts Mango Sticky Rice!

We all passed the class and received certificates. Cheers to a wonderful meal with other travelers.

Cambodia- Phnom Penh and Siem Reap

We arrived in Phnom Penh and were lucky to meet a taxi driver with an extensive history of Cambodia. As we talked to him, we decided he could teach us about the Khmer people and  drive us to the killing fields. It was hot and we decided the cost was reasonable for an entire day. So, we dropped our luggage at the hotel and we asked for a restaurant where we could have khmer food. His suggestion was fabulous! We had a lunch of fresh spring rolls and fish amok. My friend Christy had raved about the fish amok and it was as delicious and beautiful as she had described. Fish amok is a coconut curry steamed in banana leaves and considered by many to be the national dish of Cambodia.

Yummy! Fish Amok and steamed vegetables.

It was so flavorful and delicious that we have decided to take a cooking class to learn how to make it. After we finished lunch, Mr Sowana returned to pick us up and drive us 30 minutes through the capital to the killing fields.

Walking in to the killing fields, I was ignorant about the history of Cambodia.  We listened to the audio tour as we walked the site. In 1975, Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot forced the urban populations to the rural areas to work in agriculture labor camps. Members of the upper, middle and educated classes were all victims of the genocide. Three million people were executed by the Khmer Rouge in 3 years, 8 months and 20 days.  Crimes punishable by death included not working hard enough, complaining about living conditions, stealing food for personal consumption, wearing jewelry, grieving over the loss of relatives or friends and expressing religious sentiments. He killed men, women and children to ensure an entire family was executed and the children could not come back for revenge. It is difficult to describe the Killing Fields because it is difficult to understand how anyone could have committed the atrocities that occurred in Cambodia. We toured the killing fields and listened to the stories of survivors. It was an emotional day and broke my heart. The most difficult sight was where babies and children were killed. It brought tears to my eyes.

Friendship bracelets at the site where children were killed

As you walk into the sight it is quiet and serene. The land is pocked with pits where bodies were buried. If people were not dead they sprayed them with DDT or buried them alive. As I wandered the site, I saw scraps of clothing, pieces of bone and teeth in the dirt. We walked the path around the lake and observed that life went on for the Khmer people. There are families fishing in the lake and children playing. It is a healing place for the Cambodians. In the center is the memorial where the bones and skulls found at the sight are housed.  It is a touching memorial to those that were killed and a reminder to never allow this to happen again.

The memorial surrounded by the killing fields. The land is sunken where bodies were buried.

From there, we returned to Phnom Penh and toured the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum where the people were held and tortured at the S-21 Prison before being taken to the killing fields. It was originally a school with laughing and happy children. It was very sad that the school had been converted to the S-21 prison and the sight of so many horrendous acts. The museum displays the photos of the individuals that were tortured here. Only 7 people survived the S-21 prison. One of the survivors was present to answer questions. It was a sad visit but necessary to understand the history of this nation. The Khmer people have persevered and rebuilt their country. Today I am in awe of the beauty, hospitality, kindness and respectful people I have met on my journey.  My heart holds a special place for the people of Cambodia.

We went back to town, bought our bus tickets for Siem Reap the following day and then went for a walk around town. We had a light meal at a café and then back to our hotel to cool off, shower and go to bed.

King's Palace in Phnom Penh

The following morning we had planned to go to the King’s Palace and see the Silver Pagoda but the King was home and it was closed. We wandered the city and toured the Pagoda then we caught the bus to Siem Reap. We were happy to have seats on the bus after all, it was a 6 hour journey. We were on the top level behind the steps. We noticed the windshield was cracked and covered with packaging tape. Really? Hmm, I wondered why. Then, nightfall came and the bus trip got a little more eventful. We felt the driver stomp on the brakes. Fara and I flew forward towards the bar separating us from the steps. The horn was honking. A cow decided to walk in front of the bus! Luckily we stopped before we hit it. No wonder why the windshield was broken. We were fine but a little shaken up. The journey continued and a half hour later the honking started again. A tuk-tuk was in the rode and the bus driver was not stopping for it. Another close call but everyone was safe. We continued another 30 minutes before honking and screeching of brakes. Fara and I grabbed each other’s hand. We flew forward again as we saw another cow standing in front of the bus. I was waiting to fly face first over the edge and onto the stairs and people sitting on the stairs. It was going to hurt! Luckily we dodged the second cow and were fine. I wanted a seatbelt! Anything to keep me from flying out of my seat and through the bus.  I decided then that all future seats will be a few rows back so I will have a seat to stop me from flying through the air. We finally arrived in Seim Reap and found our tuk-tuk driver the guesthouse sent to pick us up. We arrived at the charming Rosy’s Guesthouse lit in candlelight. We knew what that meant…no electricity. We checked in and were given candles for our room. It was pretty but very hot and sticky. Luckily, the electricity was on by 11:30pm so we had a good nights sleep.

The next morning, we awoke and left at 5:30 AM for sunrise at Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat...breathtaking!

Angkor is the earthly representation of Mt Meru, the Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith and the abode of ancient gods. It is believed to be the world’s largest religious building.  We grabbed a coffee at the entrance and walked in with the hundreds of other tourists and awaited the morning sun. The lily pads opened as the sun came over the temple. It was surreal being here. Angkor Wat has been on my bucketlist for years. To be sitting here with my best friend and hundreds of tourists was surreal. Everyone was awaiting the morning light to shine down on the temples.
After sunrise, Fara and I went to explore the area. We wandered through the temples and down quiet hallways. Stopped and lit a candle. It was amazing that we were free to wander the area freely. We climbed the steps of a temple and found a quiet spot to reflect and watch the other tourists. We watched as monkeys entertained tourists. I grabbed my camera and walked towards the monkeys and was quickly approached by a little one that thought I was going to feed it. I have encountered monkeys in the wild before, I know they cant be trusted. This is an old photo from that experience.

2001 at Gibraltar, my first surprise monkey encounter. Yikes!

 I did not know this guys was going to climb up my back and I was a little terrified of his big teeth...and the thought of rabies!! So, I was careful with the monkeys. Cute, yes. But, I didn't want to be a monkey jungle gym! I decided it was time to back off. Let these little guys entertain the tourists.




We were astonished at the beauty of the old temples. But we moved on as we were quickly asked by each of the locals to “buy from my shop” or “eat at my restaurant.”  We quickly decided to move on to Bayon, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm temples.  Each was different but had some similarities. The following day, we spent the morning exploring the lesser known temples of Preah Khan, Prasat Prei, Prasat Krol Ko, Ta Som, Mebon Oriental and Pre Rup. After 2 days we were "templed out" and needed to relax in town. 

King faces on the bridge entering Angkor Thom

Elephant gate in Angkor Thom

Fara and Mik - Tomb Raiders...just like Lara Croft. Same same but better!

 The afternoon sun burned down on us and we were wet pools of sweat, it was time for happy hour and food. Then a walk around the charming town of Seim Reap and a nap back at the guesthouse. Luckily we stopped to talk to the girls at the guesthouse about the bus schedule to Saigon. We have had such a great time we lost track of days! We thought we were in Siem Reap until Thursday. Unfortunately, we are checking out tomorrow. We have rescheduled our cooking class to Wednesday and made bus arrangements for Wednesday night. I have loved my trip to Cambodia and highly recommend anyone to put this on your bucket list. It has been a highlight of my trip.

Peace and love to you all! Goodnight from Cambodia.