we're in hong kong!

we're here!

the other night we had our temperatures checked, and luckily no one had a fever, so we were allowed to enter. i'm not exactly sure what would have happened if there had been fevers, though we don't need to worry about that anymore.

this morning we had a diplomatic briefing about hong kong and the mainland of china, which was very interesting. we also heard more about the foreign service, which sounds so interesting. maybe i'll take the exam & see if i could get in. then i could spend 2 years in a country, working in a consulate or embassy. sound cool, mom? don't worry yet!

the sun is hidden behind a thick rain cloud, making the weather rather cool. the skyline of hong kong is great, similar to new york or bangkok.

excuse me, it's time to go explore!

china

we will be in CHINA tomorrow!

i never thought i'd say that!

i'm excited for hong kong, but even more for my overland trip to beijing and the great wall. i will be in hong kong for the first day (tomorrow) then fly our to beijing for four days before taking a sleeper train to shanghai, where we will meet up with the ship and spend our last day.

i am so so so excited, though the weather forecast has me nervous. i will be camping on the great wall and the weather is suspposed to be in the 30's with a chance of rain/snow. i thought i was skipping winter!! nonetheless, i'm excited. though, i may have mentioned that!

tomorrow's itinerary is up early, breakfast, diplomatic briefing followed by exploring hong kong. i hope to ride the tram up to victoria peak, so as to get a bird's eye view of the city. we will be docked in a mall, yes, IN a mall. literally, we will be walking off the ship into a mega-mall. i guess you could say people are excited about that.

hopefully the night market and stanley street are in the works for tomorrow, i'd love to see all the knock-off products. kelsey isnt much of a shopper, so we'll see how long it lasts.

we are also going out to dinner with one of rennika's cousins and her family. to a mexican restaurant! i'm excited! should be a great time. ren's family is excited to have us, they have only been in hong kong for a couple of months and are still adjusting.


i'm now off to bed, it is far too late. silly gossip girl dvds, cutting into my beauty sleep! love and kisses!

the last two days of thailand

better late than never? i'm getting better at multi-tasking. blogging & watching gossip girl at the same time? why hadn't i thought of that before!?

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day four
18 march 2009
erawan national park

a hot and sticky night's sleep left me feeling drowsy. we woke up and grabbed breakfast at the jolly frog: eggs, toast & coffee. perfect! after gathering our belongings, checking out of our hotel (3 usd each!) and, making a stop at 7-11 for some snacks and waters, we made our way to the bus terminal.

we rode a nifty motorbike: it was a scooter with a sidecar, which looked more like a cage than seats. the three girls rode on the bench and i sat side-saddle, with my feet in the sidecar, on the back of the scooter. it was a fun ride and our driver even took a photo for us at a red light.

the bus station was a hub of activity; buses are a very popular mode of transportation. each bus was ornately decorated and colorful, with curtains in the windows. they look like ken kesey's bus; or what i imagine it would have looked like.

we sat in our bus, becoming increasingly hot and somewhat low on patience as we waited to leave. we did not dare venture too far, to the shops along the street or to the snack shops for fear that the bus would leave without us. it would have helped if we could read thai and could have deciphered the timetable, but oh well. and so we waited.

eventually locals began to pile on and we knew we'd leave soon. rennika hopped off for a 'pop in a sack.' most soda here is still served in glass bottles, which are then returned to their respective distributors and refilled. therefore, vendors like to ensure that they will get their returns. hence, pop in a sack. vendors fill a plastic bag with ice, add your soda and keep the bottle to be returned. add a straw and you're ready to go. this was common all over thailand. it was fun to drink sprite out of a bag!

finally, nearly an hour after we'd arrived at the station, the bus left. and so began our bumpy ride. we again experienced the two sided pricing; foreigners paid 50 baht and locals paid 30. all in all, a difference of about 50 cents. i won't lose sleep over it. we all dozed, stared out the windows, watched other passengers and ate mentos, our favorite snack during our time in thailand.

after driving nearly 2 hours through the countryside, we made it to erawan national park.  we found the information center, hit up the restrooms and began the walk to the falls.

erawan national park is comprised of 7 waterfalls and several caves. the highest waterfall, level seven is said to resemble the hindu god, erawan, an elephant with 3 heads.

we soon arrived at the first level, a popular picnic spot. the aqua blue shallows were teeming with young children and fish. there were rock caves, under the falls, where a large group of girls were smiling for photos. hot and sweaty, the waters were enchanting; we needed to get in as quickly as possible!

leaving our bags against a tree, we were soon climbing down to the water, over rocks and tree roots. slowing making our way out into the water via a log, ren slipped in and splashed us with the frigid water. i jumped in and immediately felt fish nibbling at my legs; kicking them away, i made my way into the lagoon. the water was so fresh and cold, it felt wonderful.

we made our way to the caves, screeching about fish and splashing around. i'm sure we made a scene; americans tend to do so, without even trying. climbing and slipping around on the rocks, i felt so clean! lord knows what sort of micro-organisms were floating in the water, i didn't care. it was the most clean i'd felt the entire time in thailand.

we had fun swimming around, but wanted to see more of the falls. we left our food in cubbies and began the hike up to the next set of falls. we were not prepared for hiking, we missed that memo. so our hiking attire-- bathing suits, flip flops and big purses-- just had to do.

we climbed to the fourth level, up stairs and over bridges, often stopping for more photos. we came up to the fourth level, which was easily my favorite. there was a rock slide!

i was nervous to climb on the rocks, but i was somewhat reassured by the lifeguard-esque park ranger and his inner tube.

mckendree and rennika went first, and i was poised with my camera to capture the splashes. i took the photos on sports mode, so each picture is like slow motion. after the girls returned and i passed my camera off to mckendree, kelsey and i were up.

it was so much fun! just like a water slide. except for the fishes!

lots of photos and more hiking, led us to our last waterfall. we were on a time limit, the last bus back to kanchanaburi was at 4 and we had to climb back down the mountain.

overall, the waterfalls were perfect. it was a great escape from the city, and we were all glad to be surrounded by greenery.

we hiked back down and stopped for a late lunch at a small cafe near the bus stop. a change into dry clothes and an ice cream later, we were back on the bus. packed with other foreigners and some locals. i was perched in the front of the bus and was lucky to fall asleep. the ride was slow, and it soon began to pour. there was a crack in the window, so i got a little wet. but the cool rain helped to dissipate the heat from the engine, which i was nearly on top of, and the lack of air conditioning.

the bus returned to kanchanaburi after five, and we purchased tickets back to bangkok. after paying to use the restroom and purchasing some random snacks, i was back on a bus. i think we ended up taking the local, least-direct route, which took over three hours.

we arrived back in bangkok around 930 and took a taxi to the city center, attempting to find some proper food. the city center malls were all closed, leaving us hungry, hot and frustrated.

a sky train back to the hostel and a trip to kfc (it was the only place that was open!) and we headed to bed. there were plans for skyping in the morning & we were excited to talk to our families and friends. we also had to be in the city center to meet our bus back to the ship.


day five
19 march 2009

our final day in bangkok was a laundry list of things to do. we got ourselved organized and left our bags in our room; which we'd had to ourselves.

starting with our last breakfast at elefin; the little cafe close to the hostel. one last perfect cappuccino and amazing oatmeal, a perfect start.

we then headed to the internet cafe, for our skype dates. i didn't know what time the cafe opened and we were early. i got some snacks and a magazine at the 7-11 next door and waited until the doors were opened. we were the first ones there, clearly anxious to get on the computers.

i then skyped with mom and dad (and andrew, rebecca, allison & lane). it was so wonderful to see their faces! and to catch up, not worrying about phone bills or anything.   i was on for over an hour, until the east coast was falling asleep and we were due back at the hostel to check out.

after checking out of the hotel we took our last skytrain ride back to the city center, where we checked our bags and soaked up the air conditioning. a quick bite of pizza and a stop at the bookstore, and it was time to get on the semester at sea bus back to laem chabang.

we arrived back a the ship, waited in a ridiculously long line to get back on the ship and fell asleep shortly after returning to my room.


overall, i loved thailand. i had a wonderful time traveling with such a small group and felt so relaxed upon return to the ship. the thai people were so kind, and i appreciated not being hounded by vendors when walking down the street. i love cities, and bangkok was no exception. our short escape from the concrete, to kanchanaburi was also refreshing. i suppose the ability to completely navigate on our own was inspiring! especially not knowing the language

belated birthday wishes..

just a quick HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY,
        to aunt nancy!

hope you had a great day!
and thank you SO much for all the mail!
i love it!

love,
laura



--------------

it's noon  on the explorer and i'm heading to review for my nutrition quiz. wish me luck! logistical pre-port for china is tonight; i wonder if they'll be suggesting winter coats for china? dad has been updating me on the weather & its going to be chilly, maybe even snow! no more tropical weather for a while!!

another birthday wish..

(but not less important!)


HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY, allison!





i love and miss you best friend!
please have a great birthday!
we are going to re-live it when i get home! xo xo

birthday wishes..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!




its just past midnight on the seas (we lost another hour, so we're 12 hours apart) and i just wanted to wish you happy birthday! i love you and miss you very much! its been so great to talk to you on the phone so much! and i can't wait to see you in florida!! so please eat some cake, have some wine and enjoy your day!!

*i'll love you forever, i'll like you for always, as long as i'm living my mommy you'll be. *

love you<3

change

there is a certain relief in change,
even though it be from bad to worse!
as i have often found in traveling in a stagecoach,
that it is often a comfort to shift one’s position,
and be bruised in a new place.

-washington irving
tales of a traveler (1824)



----
i love wikiquote!

tam biet, viet nam!

(goodbye, vietnam!)

this morning, at 0600, we began to make our way down the saigon river and back out to sea. i did not wake up that early, but i did enjoy the river as i ate breakfast and peeked out the windows inbetween class. i love port, but i realized how much i missed the open ocean. the sparkling blue all around, i'll surely miss the mesmerizing sea when i'm back on land.

back on the ship, and its difficult to get back into the school routine. plus, its only a teaser (just two days) before we get to china. the time is FLYING by! its crazy! its hard to keep the countries straight! they are such a blur; i kept referring to vietnam as thailand.

today is a massive 'get things done' day. i plan to organize my room a bit, as my clothes and drawers are in serious disrepair after thailand and vietnam. also on the list is uploading photos onto my computer, organizing my school work, studying, and typing out some blogs. we will be losing an hour tonight, though we are almost to the international date line (two easter sundays on the ship, april 12) and then we'll be gaining hours! sounds so wonderful! there is also cultural pre-port for china tonight, which should be interesting. i am also going to try and pack for china; where it may snow! quite the climate change, vietnam's sweltering summer to bejing's chilly spring.

last night i used my pre-paid sim cards to call home & it was so wonderful to just use up the entire card and to not worry about running up a huge bill! $5 usd for 45+ minutes of talk time! :) it was so great to hear voices from home, especially nani and grandma. can't wait to see you all again soon! the semester is flying by! i'll be home before you know it and i'll be able to show you all of my photos! (so far: 3,000+)


i'm off to clean my room & get to work, hope everyone is sleeping well!

well, i've completed my dvd collection for life.

i would just like it to be known that my dreams have come true.

.

..

.

i just bought 120 DISNEY movies (which is every movie i could think of and more) on dvd. i am SO excited! and it was less than 20usd for the whole set?!

YAYYY!

movie marathon when i get home? there will be lots to choose from!

cao dai, cu chi & vietnam house

24 march 2009, 0700a

yesterday was a long day-- the cao dai temple was 3 hours away by bus, near the cambodian border. it was very neat to see as the religion is a combination between buddhism, taoism, confucianism, catholicism and islam. we even watched part of their service, which was mesmerizing. the entire complex was overwhelming and very ornate - red, blue, yellow, white - there was color everywhere.

the cu chi tunnels were an hour and a half drive back towards the ship and it was an interesting experience. the tunnels were used by the vietnamese during the war to attack american soldiers. families lived below the ground to save themselves from the bombings. the site was interesting; drawings of american soldiers being impaled and the opportunity to fire guns. i tried to crawl through the tunnels but i nearly had a panic attack just looking at the small hole, knowing i would have to keep going once i started. so i ran out as quickly as possible. at least i tried?

we also stopped at the cu chi cemetery, which would be similar to our arlington national cemetery. it was powerful, and very hot under the relentless sunshine.

another hour and a half drive home, through the scooter-laden streets, and we made it back to the ship. a quick shower and wardrobe change found us heading out to dinner with a modest group of 25. too many people! but a great dinner at vietnam house, nonetheless. crab fried rice is my new favorite!

opting out of karaoke (saving that for japan!), i tried to find a friend who was out for her birthday but had no luck. so we all headed back to the ship and i watched some gossip girl on my computer until i fell asleep.

today is my agent orange/ymca visit and i'm nervous. i'm bringing my bubbles, so hopefully the children will enjoy those.

off to get dressed & head out for the day. have a good evening!

i'm here! and enjoying myself!

all is well in vietnam, i am really enjoying my time here. it's very hot, similar to thailand. i've been staying on the ship, which is great because there are reliable showers, frigid air conditioning and free meals. i suppose that means i have more spending money? hehe.

i have been to the war remnants museum, the large ben thanh market, purchased lots of dvds, visited a deaf school and an orphanage. i've also had a lot of noodles - i am loving pho! its basically chicken noodle soup. and i've been attempting to master the art of chopsticks, though they usually see us struggling and bring us forks.

today i am going to try and add a semester at sea trip to the cu chi tunnels and the cao dai temple. i just feel like i need to learn more about the city and the country, and sas trips are good at that. if i don't get the trip i'll probably spend time with ren and kelsey, though i don't want to waste time shopping or wandering around.

tomorrow is my agent orange/ymca visit and i'm apprehensive. i saw so many sick babies and children at the orphanage, i'm sure tomorrow will be just as challenging on my heart.

off to breakfast & hopefully onto the tip!

miss and love :)

day three in the city of angels : off to kanchanaburi

17 march 2009
tuesday (st. patrick's day)

prior to arriving in bangkok, the girls and i decided that we wanted to spend a day (or two) outside of bangkok, preferably somewhere with elephants. we had discussed going to koh samet or pattaya, beach towns. when the owner of our hostel, david, heard us trying to make plans he suggested kanchanaburi. he had a suggested itinerary and written instructions on exactly how to get there. he noted that there were waterfalls, a tiger temple, elephants, etc. essentially, kanchanaburi was exactly what we were looking for. with his instructions, we prepared to stay two full days and he recommended a hostel for us to stay at. so helpful! it was great!

our morning began early, around 0615. we packed light, just one backpack for the 4 of us (plus purses), and left our big bags at the hostel, where we would return for our last night.

we took a taxi to thonburi station, which took nearly a half hour in dense traffic. as with most major cities, traffic in bangkok is crazy. so many cars flood the streets each morning that both sides of the road are redirected to head towards the city. we had missed the traffic experience, riding the skytrain all the time, so this was our first view of the street level.

driving through a large market, we soon saw our train station. essentially it was an office next to a small deck and train tracks. nothing too fancy, and none of those yellow lines, like in new york (or even on the sky train).

purchasing our tickets to kanchanaburi, a 2.5 hour ride away for 100 baht (~3 usd), we attempted to find some breakfast before our 0745 train. it was a challenge. luckily kelsey spotted a small cafe where we ordered 2 coffees and 2 little sandwhiches, which we'd seen a foriegn couple eating. it looked like a nutella panini, so i was excited.

the sandwiches, which looked like a combination of butter and cinnamon, were perfect. so yummy.

our train soon arrived and we found ourselves transported back to trains i would imagine from the 1940's. simple cars, simple bench seats. we were in for a long ride.

once the train started moving, and the air started flowing, the ride was instantly more comfortable. we talked, joked, laughed too loud and took turns sleeping. eventually, the train began to fill and we suspected that we were close to our stop. this of course was a guess, as  we could not read thai. luckily we caught a glimpse of a station sign and knew we'd be off at the next one. the train was packed at this point, there was no room to move. we had to get ourselves through the crowd and out the door; boy was that a challenge. weaving through grandmothers and young children in their soccer uniforms, i was sure i would knock someone over, either due to my sheer size in comparison or with the cumbersome backpack i happened to be wearing.

we weaved our way off the train and stood around at the station, not quite sure what to do next. consulting the instructions from our hostel, we left the station and found ourselves at the bridge over the river kwai. there were tourists everywhere, including my professor and his wife. we snapped a few photographs of the bridge, walked along the train tracks and took in the sights. walking along the tracks brought me back to the days on my grandparents farm, when we used to put pennies on the rails, hoping to find warm, flattened coins once the train passed. funny how train tracks made me feel as if i was five years old.

i don't know much about the river kwai or it's bridge; though i immediately recognized there was a movie about it. i have gathered that the railroad was built by war prisoners, to which there are several museums in the area.

we poked through the stalls of t-shirts and souvenirs, which seem to be at every street corner. i was soon overheating, and we were all very hungry, as it was nearing 12 and we hadn't eaten much of a breakfast. we decided on a riverside restaurant and all ordered different versions of fried rice. i had crab fried rice and it was incredible; the best friend rice i've ever had. plus some spring rolls and a coke, and my lunch was less than 3 usd. quite the bargain for the serving size.

feeling rejuvenated, we explored the market, taking in the gem stones, purses, sandals, and knick knacks. some time later, we decided to head to the hostel to relieve ourselves of our bags. the jollyfrog was our destination and david had recommended we take motorbikes. i was most certainly liked the idea and we were soon zipping down the streets, like ducks in a row. it was a great ride and much cheaper than a taxi.

the jollyfrog was perfect. i have never been so happy with a hostel, though i cannot say i'm an expert. a large restaurant, with a 30 page menu was attached to the hostel, as well as a travel agency to book day trips. david knew what he was talking about. after checking into our rooms, changing into swimsuits and admiring the large courtyard, looking out onto the river, we made our way to the travel agent. we had two requests: see the waterfalls and riding elephants. at first, given our time frame, it did not seem possible for us to do both activities and i could see everyone's eyes drop. we wanted to ride elephants and play in the water; and how would we pick just one!

a few phone calls later and it was determined that we could go to the elephant village that afternoon and the waterfalls in the morning. for 690 baht a person we soon booked a private car from the jolly frog to the elephant village, a ride on the elephant and the ride home. for 20 usd, we were thrilled.

a trip to 7-11 for snacks and waters, and we were climbing into our ride; a big pickup truck. i don't know what kind of truck, i just know it was shiny, impeccably clean and air conditioned. about a half hour drive, we pulled into the village and saw elephants everywhere.

i love elephants!

so ugly, yet so cute. and very gently, though i didn't try to make any mad.

we left our belongings with our driver, who did not speak much english but who would wait for us, to bring us back. we quickly climbed onto our elephants, ren and kelsey, then mckendree and i. the elephants have bench seats, much like horses have saddles. we rode our elephant, with a guide who's name i couldn't pronounce, across the street and up into the hills. lady, our elephant, was old but very interested in the trees and leaves around us.

it was a great time, our guide took photos with our cameras and kept saying 'beautiful, beautiful' like we were modeling. it was sweet. i think, though, that he had more fun looking through our photos than actually taking them! though, if i could just scan through other people's photos, i would.

along the way our guide made hats for us out of leaves, which looked so silly. ren and kelsey's had big twigs sticking up, and ours were more modest.

after crossing back over the street, we took turns riding on lady's back (as opposed to on the seat). elephants are prickly, their fuzzy hair is like broom bristles. it was so much fun to ride bare back, though it was tough to balance. again our guide was snapping away.

we dismounted lady and then walked over towards the river, where we met up with ren and kelsey. kelsey was already in the water, with her life jacket on, riding her elephant bareback. they even had shampoo for us to wash their hair! one by one, each of us entered the water on our own elephants. i was the last in, so i got great video and photos of the whole experience.

here were 4 american girls, on top of big elephants, squealing and laughing hysterically. it was so much fun and i think the guides were laughing at us; they had fun too. everyone was splashing, the elephants would dunk underwater, causing us to get pulled down into the water. it was so much fun!

after a good amount of time in the water, we reluctantly dismounted from the elephants and showered off. a few group photos later and we were back into our truck.

a perfect afternoon! bathing elephants!!

we drove back to the jolly frog and decided to get oil massages. kelsey laughed hysterically the entire time, and her masseuse was certainly provoking her. it was so relaxing, the perfect way to round out our evening.

we changed and showered before heading down to the hostel's restaurant for dinner. i had chicken with pineapple & french fries, which were all mixed together in a sweet sauce and served in a half of a pineapple. the other girls had rice, noodles, tofu soup and other yummy things.

i'd seen a night market on our drive home, and was determined to see what they are all about. so we walked along the rather empty streets and found ourselves at a big market with clothes everywhere. it was actually too overwhelming, its hard to know where to start when there is so much! we browsed for over an hour, settling on watches, of all things. from dvds, to sneakers, to housewares and bunnies; the market had a little bit of everything. i even held a puppy -- the smallest little guy i've ever seen, so cute! too bad puppies are not allowed on the ship! i was so sad to say bye to the little one!

overheated and overstimulated, we left the market and attempted to stop at some bars. unfortunately, though it may have been a blessing, the bars were no good. they were all very sleazy feeling and filled with older american men hitting on young thai women. i found it difficult to be in the presence of such disgusting behavior and we soon left, opting for an open air concert. we were the majority of the audience, being it was a tuesday. we did dance to the jamaican-inspired band and chatted with ourselves.

being that there was not much nightlife, we made our way back to the hostel and sat on the dock, looking out over the river. ren and i were exhausted and headed in earlier than the other two. it was so incredibly hot trying to sleep, we just sort of layed there in our t shirts and shorts, hoping to fall asleep as soon as possible.

it was a wonderful day, so many exciting new experiences and sights. our plan for the morning was to be up early, to head to the bus terminal and to make our way to erawan national park, to spend the day at the waterfalls before taking a bus back to bangkok.