First, I hope you enjoy the new blog design. It has been nearly half a year since I've put any effort into this blog. Since returning from China, I simply haven't had the stimulating stories to tell.
Second, I have recently moved back to San Diego to seek employment. It has been a rough road since returning from my great adventure living in China but I feel I am persevering. I look forward to landing a career-oriented job very soon and proceeding with life as we presume it should be lived.
Finally, I am hopeful in putting together a book, the nature of which is still being kicked around. It will ultimately involve my time in China and what I've learned since. I am no author, rather a man who carries around a pencil and enjoys writing about life. Since I focus most of my time writing this book, don't expect any spectacular posts anytime soon.
Thank you and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
(Please see archive to read about my adventures while living in China)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Light At The End Of A Tunnel
For the loyal few who have been checking my blog recently only to be disappointed, here is the latest update. Rather than recap the past month, I figure I will lay out my plan for the next 6 weeks since that's all I have left in China!
The last two weeks of teaching I will be sharing with my students about the US National Park System and US efforts towards sustainability (on all levels). Since the issue will be at the center of our generation, I figure it is most appropriate. The thought of touching someone deep enough to possibly make a difference for China in the future has given me a new spark to finish the semester strong. Other than teaching them about conservation efforts and how China especially needs to improve itself (along with the rest of the world including America), I pretty much use my kids as survey takers. Their responses to some of my curious questions have been most intriguing. Topics such as government, sustainability, population, foreign relations, and others have all given me further insight into the Chinese way of thought. For their final exam in three weeks, I've given them an extra credit opportunity to share where they think China is headed on a political, social, and economic scale and am anxious to get their responses. I attended a class 'party' which was really a talent show and enjoyed my students' talents thoroughly. It was really my first interaction with them outside of class and was nice to see them in their normal social form. Other than that, my time at Kunming college is dwindling.
My last day of class is on a Thursday and I plan to hit the road traveling after turning in my grades the following Monday. While I have the time, money, and ability, I will visit Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta warriors along with one of the most ancient cities in the world. From there I'll head to Shanghai to see the World Expo. Finally, on my way back to Kunming I will head to Guilin to see the Li River and rice terraces to the north. There is a picture of the Li River on my very first blog back in October of 2009. After my 2-3 week trip I will return to Kunming one last time before heading East towards Hong Kong and eventually the US. The city has been most wonderful to me and I hate to leave it. My life over the past 7.5 months has been nothing short of incredible and I hope you've enjoyed reading about some of my experiences.
The reason for a lack in blog posts is primarily due to my desire to turn those posts into a book. I think everyone should write a book at some point in there life and I couldn't feel stronger about putting one together that shares my experiences and encourages others to pursue their life's passions. If you don't know what those passions are yet, I suggest you not waste another breath of this short life on anything else.
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" ~Erma Bombeck-
Cheers!
The last two weeks of teaching I will be sharing with my students about the US National Park System and US efforts towards sustainability (on all levels). Since the issue will be at the center of our generation, I figure it is most appropriate. The thought of touching someone deep enough to possibly make a difference for China in the future has given me a new spark to finish the semester strong. Other than teaching them about conservation efforts and how China especially needs to improve itself (along with the rest of the world including America), I pretty much use my kids as survey takers. Their responses to some of my curious questions have been most intriguing. Topics such as government, sustainability, population, foreign relations, and others have all given me further insight into the Chinese way of thought. For their final exam in three weeks, I've given them an extra credit opportunity to share where they think China is headed on a political, social, and economic scale and am anxious to get their responses. I attended a class 'party' which was really a talent show and enjoyed my students' talents thoroughly. It was really my first interaction with them outside of class and was nice to see them in their normal social form. Other than that, my time at Kunming college is dwindling.
My last day of class is on a Thursday and I plan to hit the road traveling after turning in my grades the following Monday. While I have the time, money, and ability, I will visit Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta warriors along with one of the most ancient cities in the world. From there I'll head to Shanghai to see the World Expo. Finally, on my way back to Kunming I will head to Guilin to see the Li River and rice terraces to the north. There is a picture of the Li River on my very first blog back in October of 2009. After my 2-3 week trip I will return to Kunming one last time before heading East towards Hong Kong and eventually the US. The city has been most wonderful to me and I hate to leave it. My life over the past 7.5 months has been nothing short of incredible and I hope you've enjoyed reading about some of my experiences.
The reason for a lack in blog posts is primarily due to my desire to turn those posts into a book. I think everyone should write a book at some point in there life and I couldn't feel stronger about putting one together that shares my experiences and encourages others to pursue their life's passions. If you don't know what those passions are yet, I suggest you not waste another breath of this short life on anything else.
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" ~Erma Bombeck-
Cheers!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Hanoi- Round 2!
Pictures: http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Hanoi%20Rd.%202?h=d2ba24
Even though my last blog implies a simplistic routine life, the last month has been anything but. Although teaching is rather routine, I was able to take a trip to Hanoi to meet up with my good friend Geoff, his girlfriend Jessica, and our mutual friend from High School, Megan. Hanoi, Vietnam was the most logical place to meet since it was where Megan was headed, was within 24 hours reach of where I live, and Geoff and Jess could fly there with relative ease. I had highly anticipated the trip and couldn’t wait to see my childhood friend again, Geoff.
I had picked up my passport, all squared away with a new Vietnam visa on a Monday. I was leaving on a bus for the border of China and Vietnam Thursday night so it was perfect timing. What wasn’t perfect timing was my body’s decision to come down with giardia all night Monday and all day Tuesday. I was sicker than a dog and was depleted of every ounce of energy that I had. I some how mustered up the strength to teach my three classes Wednesday and give an extra speech Wednesday night. The speech was on ‘American Lifestyle’ and was agreed upon sometime in advance; some timing. I had an audience of about 70 students from all different fields of study at the University. Despite my illness, I gave a killer presentation on our nation’s culture and our way of life. It was an honor to represent the US in this manner and I can’t tell you how thankful I am to be an American citizen having lived in China for six months now. With my Wednesday’s marathon of tasks complete, I returned home to rest.
Although I didn’t sleep much, I made it through my Thursday classes despite having to sit because of my weak body. I had to; I would be missing all the next week for this trip to Hanoi. After I was completely finished, I headed home to wrap up packing. I was also able to pick up some leftover medicine from a friend of mine who had had the same symptoms that I had just recently suffered. That really helped in my decision to go on the trip at all. With my medicine and pack all ready, I made my way towards the bus station. I got there plenty early and was excited to get out of Kunming for awhile. When I boarded, they lady warned me of theft on the overnight bus. This was something I was no stranger to as I constantly remember my iPhone being stolen right off of me in broad daylight. It’s a shame too because every Chinese person is a thief to me now; they have to be otherwise you get jacked. I always split my money up into different places so that it is never stockpiled in one jackpot location. I try to take all the precautionary actions one can take. It was about 7pm when we left the bus station. It was a beautiful day and I was just grateful to have a settled stomach with medicine on the way.
We arrived into HeKou at o’dark early. The border doesn’t open until 8am so I had some time to hang out and enjoy the fresh rain that had just rolled through. I was grateful to see both of my bags and possessions there. As I walked towards a nice spot overlooking a small river (which is the geographical boarder between China and Hanoi), I thought it might be good to double check my passport. My passport was fine, but I discover my wallet had been cleaned out and my secondary stash of cash had been wiped as well! I couldn’t believe it!! Even after being warned and safeguarding my things for the night bus, I was still robbed during one of my brief moments of sleep! I furiously marched back towards the buses, but what could I do? I still had money left in my third stash but I was hit pretty hard. Everyone had disbursed and I was SOL. There was one man that I locked eyes with and had a good long stare-down as his bus left the station. I had wondered if he was the one who jacked me and if his glare had meant something of it. I had little patience for this sort of thing but have learned not to dwell and unfortunate situations; shit happens.
I crossed the border and caught the 9:45am train into Hanoi. A nice, older, British lady sat next to me on the ride down. It’s funny how almost every older person that I’ve met traveling has given me the same story. They all are out on some epic 6-month to 1-year adventure trying to make up for lost time. Every one of them had wished they’d traveled sooner but have lived a full life instead. By the time I come in contact with them, they’re usually retired or have finally gotten their last child out of the house and now have some time to get out and about. Sarah was no different. She told me of her children and ex-husband; she was one of those people who share too much, but I was willing to listen. It sure beat just sitting there in silence since we were the only two westerners in the car. It’s encouraging to hear this story over and over again since I’ve taken a different approach than most people and have embarked on this adventure at a younger age. We made the 11 hour ride down with no problems. When I got in I was able to make my way on foot to the hostel, this time having a more in depth knowledge of the city streets. Megan showed up shortly after I did and we got all settled in. After a quick bite to eat and some time catching up, we got to bed early in anticipation of Geoff and Jess’s arrival the next morning.
I love the Hanoi Backpacker’s Hostel, if nothing else, for its free breakfast. For $6 a night, you get a decent bed, hot shower, and free breakfast; I say deal! It’s merely bread, noodles, bananas, and coffee or tea, but you can have as much as you like. After filling up and checking out, Meg and I set out on a public bus for the airport. My anticipation grew as the flight's arrival time came near. We got to the airport right around 9:45am and walked about looking for them. Finally we walked down to the lower level and spotted the two fish-out-of-water with their matching back-packs. It was a great moment… we gave each other big hugs and had smiles from ear to ear. We were all excited they had made it and we had all connected seamlessly.
From the airport we headed back into town to get some lunch, set a plan of action, and caught a bus to Halong Bay. Normally you book a tour out to Halong Bay through one of the hotels or hostels, but we took a more adventurous ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ approach. The public bus we took out there made great time, but dropped us off on the side of the highway. They knew where we wanted to go, but we had no idea. We picked up a taxi who we thought would take us to the right place. One guy tried to scam us but we got a price bidding war going between three taxi’s and got the local price from one guy who was super cool. It was all good until he dropped us off at the market in Hon Gay which was the town across the bay from where we wanted to be. From there we set out walking around trying to find a ferry to Bai Chay, the place where most boats leave from and where we wanted to be. While searching for a ferry, we found an outfit instead where we were able to rent a boat for the night. It couldn’t have worked out more beautifully. We loaded up with cheap wine and set sail on a most beautiful ‘Junk Boat’. It was just after 6pm and sundown when we cracked open our first bottle of wine to celebrate being all together. Not but a few hours off of a plane and my friends were headed out with me into one of my favorite spots in SE Asia. I couldn’t have been happier to be with them!
We enjoyed a nice seafood dinner served by our crew of five and one chaperone. We drank wine and ate like kings while catching up and sharing stories. After a few bottles shared between us, we were all feeling very happy. The girls eventually jumped in the water once we had reached our destination for the night. Despite being overcast and cooler than usual, the water is still pleasant and fun to jump in and swim around. We all crashed hard but wouldn’t sleep much that first night.
The next morning I had woken up for the sunrise but was disappointed to see a thick fog settled among the bay. It made for a very beautiful, mystical scene, but I would eventually like to see the bay under the light of sun (the last time I was here it was foggy and overcast the whole time as well). I tried to get back to sleep but just couldn’t. Geoff and I decided to take a little dip ourselves this morning. Nothing is better than waking up and rolling off the side of a boat into the ocean… ahhhhh, it was refreshing! Some other tourists on another boat were watching us, probably wondering what the heck we were doing. We were having a blast just like we always do! Once the crew was up and moving we ate some breakfast then headed for a unique cave to do some exploring.
Halong Bay is known for its picturesque scenery of rolling pinnacles that jut out of the water. They are covered thick with greenery and provide numerous caves, bays, inlets, and even beaches for which to explore. I had stayed on a beach before but I was excited to see the caves. The particular one we went to was ginormous. From the water, it looks like a simple outcropping in the rock; but when you hike up to it, you realize how massive the cave really is. Years of Mother Nature's work has carved out a hole in this particular pinnacle nearly two football fields deep and at least a hundred feet high. Inside are stalactites and stalagmites alike from the seeping water. Colored lights are put up everywhere for the tourists but the effect they create really highlights the contours of the cave wall. Wind Cave National Park in S. Dakota is still my favorite cave site but this place comes in at a close second. The sheer size of it is miraculous. After spending some time walking through and awing at its immensity, we hiked back out and down to the boat. From there we made our way back towards the city. On the way we had lunch and packed our things so that the crew could get the boat ready for the next day’s guests.
Just like that our Halong Bay tour was over and we were on a bus back to the city. We were all very tired and slept most of the way back to Hanoi. We checked back into the hostel and grabbed a quick bite for dinner before turning in for the night. Everyone was excited to check into the Metropole the next day, courtesy of Megan’s Dad who we owe a million thanks.
The Metropole is a very high-class, French hotel prominently consisting of businessmen, the wealthy, and retired foreigners. Therefore it was decided that my grubby looking self would not be checking us in. Instead, Geoff and Jess snuck me in the back door and I immediately felt uncomfortable. I’m fine around such environments, but I was literally stared at and judged half a dozen times before getting through the back lobby. Never in my life have I ever experience prejudice personally, but the weight of eyes on me that day had never been so heavy. But because I was a foreigner, I guess it wasn’t too far fetched that I’d be there. A hotel like this in the US would have kicked me out immediately with the way I looked.
We would finish our short visit primarily hanging out at the Metropole’s pool. Who wouldn’t when they bring around ice cream cones every two hours and cater to your every whim? We did get out to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, but his body was closed for viewing after 12pm so we didn’t go in; I wasn’t disappointed. The girls indulged in the spa and chocolate buffet while Geoff and I took to the pool. We ‘legally’ only had three people staying in the room and at one point we thought we were busted. Geoff and I were sitting in our lounges at the pool when a couple of the waiters started talking about us and pointing. We thought they had finally caught on which made us nervous. We waited for about 15 minutes until one of the men finally pulled me over to the side. I thought, “No problem, I can talk myself out of this one with ease!” It came to my surprise when he asked me if we had ordered a pizza. I was flustered expecting a stern line of questioning. Relieved I told him we hadn’t but that we would delightfully take it. It turned out that the girls had ordered it for us as a surprise. We never did get caught but the thought was never far from my mind.
We walked around the city doing some shopping on our last night in town. Like China, Vietnam has numerous shops from which you can buy almost anything. They have a lot of great art work and I was happy that Jess was able to add to her international collection. We also picked up some DVD’s because they’re just so cheap and ended up watching one that night. The following morning Megan and I said our good-bye’s to Geoff and Jessica as they were headed for Beijing on a 10am flight. We were all nervous about them not having Chinese visas but it worked out in the end and they were able to make their connection all the way through to the US. Megan left around 1pm for her afternoon flight and made her way to Laos A-OK. I had the privilege of waiting around for my overnight train to the border. At this point I was tired, feeling sick, and had a massive headache. I relaxed at the hostel while waiting and socialized with the many foreigners that pass through there. My favorite part of traveling is meeting people from all over the world, and the Hanoi Backpacker’s Hostel has just that. I talked with a German guy for a good amount of time while enjoying a grilled hamburger. Then it was time to go.
I tried hard to work a deal for a sleeper train but didn’t have the cash to upgrade (thanks to being jacked on my way down). Instead, it was the all too familiar hard-seat. That night I laid my jacket out on the dirty floor and tried to sleep under the seats just like the rest of the Vietnamese. Unfortunately it didn’t work so well and I ended up getting sick. When we arrived the next morning, I made some quick moves to get across the border in order to catch the first bus back to Kunming. Unfortunately some jackass- Chinese guy cut me off on the Vietnam side of the crossing in order to let three Chinese diplomats (or something of the sort) pass through. This set me back a good 15 minutes which was crucial. Then the Chinese wanted to search my books to make sure I didn’t have a Lonely Planet-China. They don’t allow them because they tell the truth about places in China, and the last thing that Chinese want spreading around is the truth about their backwards nation. It’s sad how much of China is simply for show and a cover of the way things really are. I was furious by now but was finally free to leave now 15 minutes late! Fortunately, I knew a guy at the bus station, Mr. Li, with whom I exchange money with. He was nice guy who was able to have the bus wait while motoring me out to it on a motorbike. I was most grateful for it meant arriving in Kunming 2.5 hours earlier than if I hadn’t made that bus. I was appreciative to have made it. I set back and snuggled in for the long ride back to Kunming. I broke out in fevers but was able to fall in and out of sleep the whole way back. I was completely exhausted, had a throat so sore it hurt to swallow, and couldn’t do a thing about it. It’s not an easy trip to make, but I’m glad I had made it. When a best friend travels half way around the world just to see you, you make the effort to meet him no matter what. It sucks getting sick when you’re in a foreign country, but nothing comes between true friends. Geoff got sick during and after the trip as well, but those are the sacrifices we make. I’m thankful to have such a great friend in Geoff and was happy to be surrounded by familiar faces and good friends once again. Thanks for a great time guys!
Even though my last blog implies a simplistic routine life, the last month has been anything but. Although teaching is rather routine, I was able to take a trip to Hanoi to meet up with my good friend Geoff, his girlfriend Jessica, and our mutual friend from High School, Megan. Hanoi, Vietnam was the most logical place to meet since it was where Megan was headed, was within 24 hours reach of where I live, and Geoff and Jess could fly there with relative ease. I had highly anticipated the trip and couldn’t wait to see my childhood friend again, Geoff.
I had picked up my passport, all squared away with a new Vietnam visa on a Monday. I was leaving on a bus for the border of China and Vietnam Thursday night so it was perfect timing. What wasn’t perfect timing was my body’s decision to come down with giardia all night Monday and all day Tuesday. I was sicker than a dog and was depleted of every ounce of energy that I had. I some how mustered up the strength to teach my three classes Wednesday and give an extra speech Wednesday night. The speech was on ‘American Lifestyle’ and was agreed upon sometime in advance; some timing. I had an audience of about 70 students from all different fields of study at the University. Despite my illness, I gave a killer presentation on our nation’s culture and our way of life. It was an honor to represent the US in this manner and I can’t tell you how thankful I am to be an American citizen having lived in China for six months now. With my Wednesday’s marathon of tasks complete, I returned home to rest.
Although I didn’t sleep much, I made it through my Thursday classes despite having to sit because of my weak body. I had to; I would be missing all the next week for this trip to Hanoi. After I was completely finished, I headed home to wrap up packing. I was also able to pick up some leftover medicine from a friend of mine who had had the same symptoms that I had just recently suffered. That really helped in my decision to go on the trip at all. With my medicine and pack all ready, I made my way towards the bus station. I got there plenty early and was excited to get out of Kunming for awhile. When I boarded, they lady warned me of theft on the overnight bus. This was something I was no stranger to as I constantly remember my iPhone being stolen right off of me in broad daylight. It’s a shame too because every Chinese person is a thief to me now; they have to be otherwise you get jacked. I always split my money up into different places so that it is never stockpiled in one jackpot location. I try to take all the precautionary actions one can take. It was about 7pm when we left the bus station. It was a beautiful day and I was just grateful to have a settled stomach with medicine on the way.
We arrived into HeKou at o’dark early. The border doesn’t open until 8am so I had some time to hang out and enjoy the fresh rain that had just rolled through. I was grateful to see both of my bags and possessions there. As I walked towards a nice spot overlooking a small river (which is the geographical boarder between China and Hanoi), I thought it might be good to double check my passport. My passport was fine, but I discover my wallet had been cleaned out and my secondary stash of cash had been wiped as well! I couldn’t believe it!! Even after being warned and safeguarding my things for the night bus, I was still robbed during one of my brief moments of sleep! I furiously marched back towards the buses, but what could I do? I still had money left in my third stash but I was hit pretty hard. Everyone had disbursed and I was SOL. There was one man that I locked eyes with and had a good long stare-down as his bus left the station. I had wondered if he was the one who jacked me and if his glare had meant something of it. I had little patience for this sort of thing but have learned not to dwell and unfortunate situations; shit happens.
I crossed the border and caught the 9:45am train into Hanoi. A nice, older, British lady sat next to me on the ride down. It’s funny how almost every older person that I’ve met traveling has given me the same story. They all are out on some epic 6-month to 1-year adventure trying to make up for lost time. Every one of them had wished they’d traveled sooner but have lived a full life instead. By the time I come in contact with them, they’re usually retired or have finally gotten their last child out of the house and now have some time to get out and about. Sarah was no different. She told me of her children and ex-husband; she was one of those people who share too much, but I was willing to listen. It sure beat just sitting there in silence since we were the only two westerners in the car. It’s encouraging to hear this story over and over again since I’ve taken a different approach than most people and have embarked on this adventure at a younger age. We made the 11 hour ride down with no problems. When I got in I was able to make my way on foot to the hostel, this time having a more in depth knowledge of the city streets. Megan showed up shortly after I did and we got all settled in. After a quick bite to eat and some time catching up, we got to bed early in anticipation of Geoff and Jess’s arrival the next morning.
I love the Hanoi Backpacker’s Hostel, if nothing else, for its free breakfast. For $6 a night, you get a decent bed, hot shower, and free breakfast; I say deal! It’s merely bread, noodles, bananas, and coffee or tea, but you can have as much as you like. After filling up and checking out, Meg and I set out on a public bus for the airport. My anticipation grew as the flight's arrival time came near. We got to the airport right around 9:45am and walked about looking for them. Finally we walked down to the lower level and spotted the two fish-out-of-water with their matching back-packs. It was a great moment… we gave each other big hugs and had smiles from ear to ear. We were all excited they had made it and we had all connected seamlessly.
From the airport we headed back into town to get some lunch, set a plan of action, and caught a bus to Halong Bay. Normally you book a tour out to Halong Bay through one of the hotels or hostels, but we took a more adventurous ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ approach. The public bus we took out there made great time, but dropped us off on the side of the highway. They knew where we wanted to go, but we had no idea. We picked up a taxi who we thought would take us to the right place. One guy tried to scam us but we got a price bidding war going between three taxi’s and got the local price from one guy who was super cool. It was all good until he dropped us off at the market in Hon Gay which was the town across the bay from where we wanted to be. From there we set out walking around trying to find a ferry to Bai Chay, the place where most boats leave from and where we wanted to be. While searching for a ferry, we found an outfit instead where we were able to rent a boat for the night. It couldn’t have worked out more beautifully. We loaded up with cheap wine and set sail on a most beautiful ‘Junk Boat’. It was just after 6pm and sundown when we cracked open our first bottle of wine to celebrate being all together. Not but a few hours off of a plane and my friends were headed out with me into one of my favorite spots in SE Asia. I couldn’t have been happier to be with them!
We enjoyed a nice seafood dinner served by our crew of five and one chaperone. We drank wine and ate like kings while catching up and sharing stories. After a few bottles shared between us, we were all feeling very happy. The girls eventually jumped in the water once we had reached our destination for the night. Despite being overcast and cooler than usual, the water is still pleasant and fun to jump in and swim around. We all crashed hard but wouldn’t sleep much that first night.
The next morning I had woken up for the sunrise but was disappointed to see a thick fog settled among the bay. It made for a very beautiful, mystical scene, but I would eventually like to see the bay under the light of sun (the last time I was here it was foggy and overcast the whole time as well). I tried to get back to sleep but just couldn’t. Geoff and I decided to take a little dip ourselves this morning. Nothing is better than waking up and rolling off the side of a boat into the ocean… ahhhhh, it was refreshing! Some other tourists on another boat were watching us, probably wondering what the heck we were doing. We were having a blast just like we always do! Once the crew was up and moving we ate some breakfast then headed for a unique cave to do some exploring.
Halong Bay is known for its picturesque scenery of rolling pinnacles that jut out of the water. They are covered thick with greenery and provide numerous caves, bays, inlets, and even beaches for which to explore. I had stayed on a beach before but I was excited to see the caves. The particular one we went to was ginormous. From the water, it looks like a simple outcropping in the rock; but when you hike up to it, you realize how massive the cave really is. Years of Mother Nature's work has carved out a hole in this particular pinnacle nearly two football fields deep and at least a hundred feet high. Inside are stalactites and stalagmites alike from the seeping water. Colored lights are put up everywhere for the tourists but the effect they create really highlights the contours of the cave wall. Wind Cave National Park in S. Dakota is still my favorite cave site but this place comes in at a close second. The sheer size of it is miraculous. After spending some time walking through and awing at its immensity, we hiked back out and down to the boat. From there we made our way back towards the city. On the way we had lunch and packed our things so that the crew could get the boat ready for the next day’s guests.
Just like that our Halong Bay tour was over and we were on a bus back to the city. We were all very tired and slept most of the way back to Hanoi. We checked back into the hostel and grabbed a quick bite for dinner before turning in for the night. Everyone was excited to check into the Metropole the next day, courtesy of Megan’s Dad who we owe a million thanks.
The Metropole is a very high-class, French hotel prominently consisting of businessmen, the wealthy, and retired foreigners. Therefore it was decided that my grubby looking self would not be checking us in. Instead, Geoff and Jess snuck me in the back door and I immediately felt uncomfortable. I’m fine around such environments, but I was literally stared at and judged half a dozen times before getting through the back lobby. Never in my life have I ever experience prejudice personally, but the weight of eyes on me that day had never been so heavy. But because I was a foreigner, I guess it wasn’t too far fetched that I’d be there. A hotel like this in the US would have kicked me out immediately with the way I looked.
We would finish our short visit primarily hanging out at the Metropole’s pool. Who wouldn’t when they bring around ice cream cones every two hours and cater to your every whim? We did get out to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, but his body was closed for viewing after 12pm so we didn’t go in; I wasn’t disappointed. The girls indulged in the spa and chocolate buffet while Geoff and I took to the pool. We ‘legally’ only had three people staying in the room and at one point we thought we were busted. Geoff and I were sitting in our lounges at the pool when a couple of the waiters started talking about us and pointing. We thought they had finally caught on which made us nervous. We waited for about 15 minutes until one of the men finally pulled me over to the side. I thought, “No problem, I can talk myself out of this one with ease!” It came to my surprise when he asked me if we had ordered a pizza. I was flustered expecting a stern line of questioning. Relieved I told him we hadn’t but that we would delightfully take it. It turned out that the girls had ordered it for us as a surprise. We never did get caught but the thought was never far from my mind.
We walked around the city doing some shopping on our last night in town. Like China, Vietnam has numerous shops from which you can buy almost anything. They have a lot of great art work and I was happy that Jess was able to add to her international collection. We also picked up some DVD’s because they’re just so cheap and ended up watching one that night. The following morning Megan and I said our good-bye’s to Geoff and Jessica as they were headed for Beijing on a 10am flight. We were all nervous about them not having Chinese visas but it worked out in the end and they were able to make their connection all the way through to the US. Megan left around 1pm for her afternoon flight and made her way to Laos A-OK. I had the privilege of waiting around for my overnight train to the border. At this point I was tired, feeling sick, and had a massive headache. I relaxed at the hostel while waiting and socialized with the many foreigners that pass through there. My favorite part of traveling is meeting people from all over the world, and the Hanoi Backpacker’s Hostel has just that. I talked with a German guy for a good amount of time while enjoying a grilled hamburger. Then it was time to go.
I tried hard to work a deal for a sleeper train but didn’t have the cash to upgrade (thanks to being jacked on my way down). Instead, it was the all too familiar hard-seat. That night I laid my jacket out on the dirty floor and tried to sleep under the seats just like the rest of the Vietnamese. Unfortunately it didn’t work so well and I ended up getting sick. When we arrived the next morning, I made some quick moves to get across the border in order to catch the first bus back to Kunming. Unfortunately some jackass- Chinese guy cut me off on the Vietnam side of the crossing in order to let three Chinese diplomats (or something of the sort) pass through. This set me back a good 15 minutes which was crucial. Then the Chinese wanted to search my books to make sure I didn’t have a Lonely Planet-China. They don’t allow them because they tell the truth about places in China, and the last thing that Chinese want spreading around is the truth about their backwards nation. It’s sad how much of China is simply for show and a cover of the way things really are. I was furious by now but was finally free to leave now 15 minutes late! Fortunately, I knew a guy at the bus station, Mr. Li, with whom I exchange money with. He was nice guy who was able to have the bus wait while motoring me out to it on a motorbike. I was most grateful for it meant arriving in Kunming 2.5 hours earlier than if I hadn’t made that bus. I was appreciative to have made it. I set back and snuggled in for the long ride back to Kunming. I broke out in fevers but was able to fall in and out of sleep the whole way back. I was completely exhausted, had a throat so sore it hurt to swallow, and couldn’t do a thing about it. It’s not an easy trip to make, but I’m glad I had made it. When a best friend travels half way around the world just to see you, you make the effort to meet him no matter what. It sucks getting sick when you’re in a foreign country, but nothing comes between true friends. Geoff got sick during and after the trip as well, but those are the sacrifices we make. I’m thankful to have such a great friend in Geoff and was happy to be surrounded by familiar faces and good friends once again. Thanks for a great time guys!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Kunming Routine
I returned to Kunming at the end of February after an incredible trip through SE Asia. It was most difficult for I knew I would be on lockdown for the next five months due to work. Now that I’m a month in, I have a nice routine that I can’t really complain about. I have been able to do everything that I had wanted to do when I first came out here. From swimming to Kung Fu, reading to writing, studying Mandarin to teaching, I’m doing it all. Here’s a breakdown of my weekly routine:
Monday: I kick off the week teaching two classes that are full of less-than-excited students (mostly since my first class starts at 8am). I enjoy it though for my classroom has a wonderful view of the sunrise each morning I teach. Every one of my classes boasts 50 students or more who cram into the language lab classroom that I’ve been assigned. Each student has a computer monitor in front of them that is linked to my computer. I’m supposed to go through a CD-ROM that comes with their text book, but since nobody enjoys the boring exercises in the book, I primarily use the computer to show movies and PowerPoint’s. After executing my lesson plan twice over, I wrap up teaching around 11am and head back to my apartment to cook noodles for lunch. The school I teach at is an easy 10 minute walk from my apartment which is quite nice. At 2pm, I have a tutor, Hazel, who comes to the apartment and works with me for two hours on my Mandarin. She is a great teacher and really pushes me to study hard and memorize as many words as I can. Since I only meet with her once a week, we cover a lot during those two hours. Afterwards I usually take ten minutes just to lie down so that my brain (which has now turned to mush from the influx of Mandarin) can pull itself back together. My roommates, friends, and I try to cook as much as possible so there’s usually a market run sometime after 4. I spend a lot of my in-between time writing emails, reading the news online, or reading novels/writing. After going out or cooking dinner, we usually just kick back and watch a movie or drop down to a bar called Ganesh that is essentially on the first floor of our building (therefore I call it our basement). They have a Happy Hour from 2pm-9pm so it’s quite convenient. Since we live the life of old, retired people, I’m usually in bed around 10pm; besides, my body is now used to waking up early so naturally I go to sleep earlier.
Tuesday: I have Tuesday off from teaching at Kunming University and like to sleep in and catch up with friends back home on Skype. My breakfasts usually consist of oatmeal with cinnamon and sugar, topped with banana slices. It’s cheap and somewhat healthy. My roommate Chiara also likes to cook some bomb egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches that we put on bagels. Those are a nice treat from time to time. We’ll also make pancakes from scratch which is my ultimate favorite! But day to day, I usually just do oatmeal. I like to workout sometime around noon and usually just jog for 15 minutes in our park close by. It’s fun to see the culture from a runner’s perspective. When you jog next to a cyclist going the same speed, you realize just how slow of a pace things here operate at. No doubt there are too many cars, motobikes, bicycles, and people everywhere, but they all move really slowly. It’s annoying since I usually waste no time walking anywhere and like to move fast. When I’m done jogging and stretching for a good while, I like to do pull-ups and dips at a jungle-gym like structure in the park itself. There’s a wide opening with a basketball hoop, the jungle-gym looking structure, and open space where the Chinese practice Taiji and Kungfu most every morning. They also set up badminton nets. It’s fun to watch them play while I do my workout there. It’s also incredible to see how un-athletic these people really are. I hesitate to say it’s a cultural thing but I truly haven’t seen one athletic Chinese brotha yet! It is cool to see people of all ages, wearing jeans and non-athletic clothes, out there doing their little workout routine. I think it is hilarious seeing guys in full business suits playing hoops, but they don’t even think twice about ruining a suit. They just want to play! After my workout, I head back to my apartment to do some sit-ups and push-ups. I like to listen to my home church’s sermon on the podcast while doing my sit-ups. It’s a good way to stay connected and keep my spiritual life in check. By the time I finish and shower up, it’s already 2pm. My roommates and I will either go for a nice stroll through the park or simply hang out until dinner. Then we do the same dinner routine as any night. Either go to the market to pick up food to cook, or just eat out.
Wednesday: I teach in the morning from 8-11 like on Monday. My classes this day have a little more energy and make class time more enjoyable for me. After teaching I head home to make lunch and study Mandarin a good portion of the afternoon. Then around 3:30pm I catch a bus that takes me to another campus a little further away. I teach a Speech and Debate class from 4:30-6pm every Wednesday which has actually become my favorite class. In total I teach seven classes. I teach the same lesson plan for six of those seven classes and this one Speech and Debate class is my only chance to mix it up a bit. With no textbook or aid to teach, I’m pretty much teaching my college Communications 100 class. Although it was five years ago, I still remember what we did and what we learned. My favorite thing to do is make the students stand up in front of the class and give impromptu speeches to practice not only their speaking, but also their fear of embarrassment. It is Chinese custom to save face, never make a big scene, and avoid embarrassment at any cost. Yet the students are so shy and reluctant to speak out that they lack any self-confidence (at least that’s noticeable). If they learn nothing else in the class, I hope they can at least overcome their cultural inheritance of fear of embarrassment. After class I catch the bus back, usually reading a book along the way. I stroll through the park on my way back to my apartment and enjoy the sunset and smell of the now blooming flowers. Then my evening is pretty much the same. We either cook for dinner, or eat out. We then follow it up with a movie, a drink at the bar, or some sort of board game.
Thursday: I’ve decided that this is the best day in my week. I teach my last two classes in the morning right next door to my roommate Ben’s classroom. It’s more enjoyable teaching when someone is right next door. The other day we switched classrooms for the fun of it and enjoyed watching the students try to cover their embarrassment after walking into the wrong classroom. When you teach the same lesson six times a week, you have to do something to entertain yourself. After teaching, Ben and I meet Tai outside the school gates (since he teaches at the same campus as well) and we all go out for lunch. Then we just relax the whole afternoon. I study, read, write, catch up on emails, or do all of the above. Thursday’s are nice too because it’s our payday. We only get paid once a month and when we do we’ll usually celebrate with a few drinks at Ganesh. Normal Thursday evenings follow the same nightly routine of dinner and… whatever. When we can, we try to get together to play a board game called Settlers of Catan. We’ve grown addicted to its strategic, yet simple nature. It’s a fun way to pass the time and much more social than just watching TV. It’s been a refreshing break living without TV. You connect with people so much more, especially during a nice round (or two) of Catan.
Friday: Just recently I’ve started Kung Fu lessons Friday mornings from 9-11. After jogging in the park one day I sat down in a grassy area to do some stretching. I noticed this Kung Fu guy who looked like Yoda (and who could kick anybody’s butt) performing some intense Kung Fu in the open area by the jungle-gym structure. I approached him and now I meet with him for two hours, once a week. I really enjoy diving further into the culture of China as well as learning such an art form. It’s very graceful, yet powerful. I now have an intermediary who interprets for my shifu (kungfu teacher) occasionally via email. She informs me that the Kungfu I’m learning is supposedly top notch and that I’m lucky he has agreed to teach me. She says that only special people get to learn from this guy and that I am not to let anyone watch me practice or take pictures of my movements when I practice. Rather intense. So to my brother, Mike… you better watch out! When I get back you’re going down! After getting worked all morning (it requires a lot of leg strength which I’ve lost since my track and field days), I have the rest of the day free to do as I wish :).
Saturday: I wake up early to catch a one hour and twenty minute bus ride down to a ‘school’ facility close to DianChi Lake. I make the trek because I get paid $50 to teach children ages 4-8 for one hour. The facility is also a Western owned putt-putt golf place that serves me nice American coffee and also lunch. It’s in an upper-class neighborhood and is also located next to an athletic training facility and a driving range. Teaching the kids has been a blast so far but it’s most difficult keeping their attention, especially when I’m not even speaking their language. It’s most enjoyable because a kid is a kid no matter where he comes from or what language he speaks. For that I am able to effectively connect with the children by becoming one myself :). Afterwards, I head over to the athletic training facility to pump some iron and swim. I love swimming for it not only keeps me in shape, but also provides a release from the frustrations that cultural differences can bring: and believe me, there are A LOT of cultural differences between the US and China. I have yet to hit the driving range but hope to soon. I spend most of my day down by the lake but get back home around 3pm. Then I just hang out with my friends for the rest of the day and night.
Sunday: Ahhhh, after four days straight of waking up early, it’s nice to sleep in. My Sundays are much like my Tuesdays where I have all day to do a number of things. I always study a little and try to get outside and enjoy the day. I’ve started joining the Ultimate Frisbee crew that’s formed here on Sunday nights. We meet around 5pm at a field close by and play for a good two hours or so. Once again, it’s a nice break from the Chinese culture and also a good outlet for my competitive spirit (not to mention a good workout). After eating dinner with some of the regulars who play, I head home to prepare my lesson plans for the week and get ready to do it all over again! That’s basically my life: I have roughly 13 more weeks of this before I am able to get out and travel again. Hopefully I’ll get a break in May but I’m not holding my breath.
After those 13 weeks are up and I’m all traveled out, I’ll be looking forward to seeing most of you back home in the US. Until then, stay posted in case the unusual story (which can happen at a moments notice in China) arises and I am so inclined to share… otherwise, you now know what I’m up too.
Monday: I kick off the week teaching two classes that are full of less-than-excited students (mostly since my first class starts at 8am). I enjoy it though for my classroom has a wonderful view of the sunrise each morning I teach. Every one of my classes boasts 50 students or more who cram into the language lab classroom that I’ve been assigned. Each student has a computer monitor in front of them that is linked to my computer. I’m supposed to go through a CD-ROM that comes with their text book, but since nobody enjoys the boring exercises in the book, I primarily use the computer to show movies and PowerPoint’s. After executing my lesson plan twice over, I wrap up teaching around 11am and head back to my apartment to cook noodles for lunch. The school I teach at is an easy 10 minute walk from my apartment which is quite nice. At 2pm, I have a tutor, Hazel, who comes to the apartment and works with me for two hours on my Mandarin. She is a great teacher and really pushes me to study hard and memorize as many words as I can. Since I only meet with her once a week, we cover a lot during those two hours. Afterwards I usually take ten minutes just to lie down so that my brain (which has now turned to mush from the influx of Mandarin) can pull itself back together. My roommates, friends, and I try to cook as much as possible so there’s usually a market run sometime after 4. I spend a lot of my in-between time writing emails, reading the news online, or reading novels/writing. After going out or cooking dinner, we usually just kick back and watch a movie or drop down to a bar called Ganesh that is essentially on the first floor of our building (therefore I call it our basement). They have a Happy Hour from 2pm-9pm so it’s quite convenient. Since we live the life of old, retired people, I’m usually in bed around 10pm; besides, my body is now used to waking up early so naturally I go to sleep earlier.
Tuesday: I have Tuesday off from teaching at Kunming University and like to sleep in and catch up with friends back home on Skype. My breakfasts usually consist of oatmeal with cinnamon and sugar, topped with banana slices. It’s cheap and somewhat healthy. My roommate Chiara also likes to cook some bomb egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches that we put on bagels. Those are a nice treat from time to time. We’ll also make pancakes from scratch which is my ultimate favorite! But day to day, I usually just do oatmeal. I like to workout sometime around noon and usually just jog for 15 minutes in our park close by. It’s fun to see the culture from a runner’s perspective. When you jog next to a cyclist going the same speed, you realize just how slow of a pace things here operate at. No doubt there are too many cars, motobikes, bicycles, and people everywhere, but they all move really slowly. It’s annoying since I usually waste no time walking anywhere and like to move fast. When I’m done jogging and stretching for a good while, I like to do pull-ups and dips at a jungle-gym like structure in the park itself. There’s a wide opening with a basketball hoop, the jungle-gym looking structure, and open space where the Chinese practice Taiji and Kungfu most every morning. They also set up badminton nets. It’s fun to watch them play while I do my workout there. It’s also incredible to see how un-athletic these people really are. I hesitate to say it’s a cultural thing but I truly haven’t seen one athletic Chinese brotha yet! It is cool to see people of all ages, wearing jeans and non-athletic clothes, out there doing their little workout routine. I think it is hilarious seeing guys in full business suits playing hoops, but they don’t even think twice about ruining a suit. They just want to play! After my workout, I head back to my apartment to do some sit-ups and push-ups. I like to listen to my home church’s sermon on the podcast while doing my sit-ups. It’s a good way to stay connected and keep my spiritual life in check. By the time I finish and shower up, it’s already 2pm. My roommates and I will either go for a nice stroll through the park or simply hang out until dinner. Then we do the same dinner routine as any night. Either go to the market to pick up food to cook, or just eat out.
Wednesday: I teach in the morning from 8-11 like on Monday. My classes this day have a little more energy and make class time more enjoyable for me. After teaching I head home to make lunch and study Mandarin a good portion of the afternoon. Then around 3:30pm I catch a bus that takes me to another campus a little further away. I teach a Speech and Debate class from 4:30-6pm every Wednesday which has actually become my favorite class. In total I teach seven classes. I teach the same lesson plan for six of those seven classes and this one Speech and Debate class is my only chance to mix it up a bit. With no textbook or aid to teach, I’m pretty much teaching my college Communications 100 class. Although it was five years ago, I still remember what we did and what we learned. My favorite thing to do is make the students stand up in front of the class and give impromptu speeches to practice not only their speaking, but also their fear of embarrassment. It is Chinese custom to save face, never make a big scene, and avoid embarrassment at any cost. Yet the students are so shy and reluctant to speak out that they lack any self-confidence (at least that’s noticeable). If they learn nothing else in the class, I hope they can at least overcome their cultural inheritance of fear of embarrassment. After class I catch the bus back, usually reading a book along the way. I stroll through the park on my way back to my apartment and enjoy the sunset and smell of the now blooming flowers. Then my evening is pretty much the same. We either cook for dinner, or eat out. We then follow it up with a movie, a drink at the bar, or some sort of board game.
Thursday: I’ve decided that this is the best day in my week. I teach my last two classes in the morning right next door to my roommate Ben’s classroom. It’s more enjoyable teaching when someone is right next door. The other day we switched classrooms for the fun of it and enjoyed watching the students try to cover their embarrassment after walking into the wrong classroom. When you teach the same lesson six times a week, you have to do something to entertain yourself. After teaching, Ben and I meet Tai outside the school gates (since he teaches at the same campus as well) and we all go out for lunch. Then we just relax the whole afternoon. I study, read, write, catch up on emails, or do all of the above. Thursday’s are nice too because it’s our payday. We only get paid once a month and when we do we’ll usually celebrate with a few drinks at Ganesh. Normal Thursday evenings follow the same nightly routine of dinner and… whatever. When we can, we try to get together to play a board game called Settlers of Catan. We’ve grown addicted to its strategic, yet simple nature. It’s a fun way to pass the time and much more social than just watching TV. It’s been a refreshing break living without TV. You connect with people so much more, especially during a nice round (or two) of Catan.
Friday: Just recently I’ve started Kung Fu lessons Friday mornings from 9-11. After jogging in the park one day I sat down in a grassy area to do some stretching. I noticed this Kung Fu guy who looked like Yoda (and who could kick anybody’s butt) performing some intense Kung Fu in the open area by the jungle-gym structure. I approached him and now I meet with him for two hours, once a week. I really enjoy diving further into the culture of China as well as learning such an art form. It’s very graceful, yet powerful. I now have an intermediary who interprets for my shifu (kungfu teacher) occasionally via email. She informs me that the Kungfu I’m learning is supposedly top notch and that I’m lucky he has agreed to teach me. She says that only special people get to learn from this guy and that I am not to let anyone watch me practice or take pictures of my movements when I practice. Rather intense. So to my brother, Mike… you better watch out! When I get back you’re going down! After getting worked all morning (it requires a lot of leg strength which I’ve lost since my track and field days), I have the rest of the day free to do as I wish :).
Saturday: I wake up early to catch a one hour and twenty minute bus ride down to a ‘school’ facility close to DianChi Lake. I make the trek because I get paid $50 to teach children ages 4-8 for one hour. The facility is also a Western owned putt-putt golf place that serves me nice American coffee and also lunch. It’s in an upper-class neighborhood and is also located next to an athletic training facility and a driving range. Teaching the kids has been a blast so far but it’s most difficult keeping their attention, especially when I’m not even speaking their language. It’s most enjoyable because a kid is a kid no matter where he comes from or what language he speaks. For that I am able to effectively connect with the children by becoming one myself :). Afterwards, I head over to the athletic training facility to pump some iron and swim. I love swimming for it not only keeps me in shape, but also provides a release from the frustrations that cultural differences can bring: and believe me, there are A LOT of cultural differences between the US and China. I have yet to hit the driving range but hope to soon. I spend most of my day down by the lake but get back home around 3pm. Then I just hang out with my friends for the rest of the day and night.
Sunday: Ahhhh, after four days straight of waking up early, it’s nice to sleep in. My Sundays are much like my Tuesdays where I have all day to do a number of things. I always study a little and try to get outside and enjoy the day. I’ve started joining the Ultimate Frisbee crew that’s formed here on Sunday nights. We meet around 5pm at a field close by and play for a good two hours or so. Once again, it’s a nice break from the Chinese culture and also a good outlet for my competitive spirit (not to mention a good workout). After eating dinner with some of the regulars who play, I head home to prepare my lesson plans for the week and get ready to do it all over again! That’s basically my life: I have roughly 13 more weeks of this before I am able to get out and travel again. Hopefully I’ll get a break in May but I’m not holding my breath.
After those 13 weeks are up and I’m all traveled out, I’ll be looking forward to seeing most of you back home in the US. Until then, stay posted in case the unusual story (which can happen at a moments notice in China) arises and I am so inclined to share… otherwise, you now know what I’m up too.
Friday, March 12, 2010
SE Asia-Vientien, Laos
It took about 30 hours to get from Koh Tao to the Tai-Laos border in the north. Boats, buses, trains, and tuk-tuk’s got me there and I sometimes wonder how people could stand to travel back when trains were the only means for long distance travel. The Mekong River forms the eastern border of Laos so I would have to cross Friendship Bridge to get there. I arrived just in time for they actually shut the border down at 9pm. The officials reluctantly allowed me to cross into Laos but I got through with no problem. It took awhile for me to find a guest house in Vientien (since it was high tourist season) but I eventually found a nice place that was off the beaten track. I slept like a rock that night and was happy to get a full nights rest after squeezing in mere hours of uncomfortable sleep on trains and buses.
There’s not much in Vientien but I walked around the town anyway just to see it. It lies along the Mekong River which I’m sure is pretty cool during the rainy season. The water level was very low when I arrived and less than exciting. On my way to a makeshift Arc Du Triumph (the French played a big part of the history of Laos) I found the best attraction in all of town. A buffet! What caught my attention to this buffet, however, was the price. For $5 one could eat all the Asian cuisine they could desire; even better, for an additional $2 one could throw back all the tapped Beer Lao or wine they could drink. Where else can you get such value? The restaurant was in a nice hotel that was full of westerners. So with not much to see or do, I spent a good 1.5 hours enjoying the sounds of Sinatra, Torme, and Tony Bennett while chasing spring roll after spring roll with glasses of red wine. I was reminded as to why Americans are so fat. I watched several different tourists make multiple trips to the buffet. I like to eat my fair share too, but many seemed to stuff their faces almost subconsciously. With my belly full and head happily buzzing, I strolled back to my GH room for a nice nap.
Vientien was very tame that night so I watched a movie at the GH. The next day I would be off for Vang Vieng for some ultimate tubing!
The bus picked me up at my GH in the morning as they usually do. The bus company makes its rounds through the town picking everybody up at their respective GH. We then proceeded to a dirt lot not but 5 minutes from where each of us started. It doesn’t make any sense but that’s just the way it works. At the dirt lot we were suppose to pick up an additional 10 people who were spill over from an earlier bus. All of them were upset since they were booted from their original bus (overbooked) and were reluctant to cooperate with our driver. We had room for some, but it required stacking everybody’s luggage on top (which I would regret having to do later) and cramming the 30-seater bus full. I even offered to give up my comfortable seat up front to a disgruntled lady knowing I could much better endure the cramped seat in the back. We loaded as many as we could but left a handful that refused to stuff it in with the rest of us.
I met several cool people on the rickety, bumpy bus ride to Vang Vieng. It took us 5 hours to make the trek. The terrain from Vientien all the way north to Kunming is mostly mountainous. With terrible infrastructure, the drive takes that much longer and leaves you shaken up like a DQ Blizzard. We arrived in the river city just before sundown. After unloading our bags, I noticed my cell phone was missing for I wanted to charge it before heading back to China. The only possible explanation I could think of was that it was shaken out of my pack along the drive. What can I say; cell phones and I go together like ham and tuna fish.
I was able to score a nice room with a beautiful view overlooking the river. I immediately noticed the small size of Vang Vieng and realized that the only thing keeping this place running was the river that ran beside it. Across the river, dubbed the ‘other side’, are beautiful meadows that lead up to some spectacular looking hills that are both jagged and lush. Built in a small portion of this meadow are some cool bungalows that I wished I’d seen before checking into my GH. I felt like I was in “Little House on the Prarie” standing next to a cow in between the two rows of primitive shacks where the guests stay.
The restaurants around town lure you in by playing episodes of Friends and Family Guy. They seemed to be the only two TV shows the Laos people knew. I like Family Guy and spent a better part of the evening enjoying my dinner and watching TV. I retired early having no desire to join the other tourists in getting drunk and partying all night. Unfortunately my once peaceful room with a nice view was now absorbing most of the blaring music that came from the ‘other side’. I sat on my balcony contemplating the sad irony of the situation. Here was a beautiful, primitive, peaceful Laos community that was being disrespected and destroyed by foreigners. We flair up ridiculous bon fires, blast pulsating noise into the air, and destroy the natural splendor that once was. As fun as that may be to some, it destroys an entire culture for others. Yet the people of this small town have come to depend on the same foreigners that destroy it. The restaurants rely on the masses of tourists to order up drinks and food. The GH’s need people to fill their rooms. And most of all, the whole community depends on tourists excited to float the river. There are various outfits with which to rent tubes, but they are all ultimately connected. Since the people depend on foreigners, I didn’t mind participating in the now foreign dominated town.
In the morning I rented my tube, loaded into the tuk-tuk with several other foreigners, and was on my way up the river. I was stoked having heard of the rope swings that line the river but had no idea what I was in for. The first quarter mile is lined with river-side bars, each with their own rope swing and one with a water slide. I cruised with some Italians and a couple of Germans. We took our time floating down the first half (didn’t have much of a choice since it was dry season and the river was low and slow). We spent a good two hours at a bar that had a rope-swing, zip-line, and the only water slide. The rope-swing was the tallest, flinging people an estimated 30 feet above the river. Naturally, I was like a kid in a candy shop. The place was basically a play ground for adults, and I looooove playgrounds! I would fling myself off the rope swing, climb back up the shore, then slide down the water slide laughing and splashing the whole time. The most fun we had was laughing at some foreign girl who held onto the zip-line too long. She went zooming by as we all watched; then without warning, the zip-line hit its end sending her into an immediate flip. She performed a one-and-a-half back flip before smacking into the river. She was alright, but her shoulders had to have been sore the next day. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to me despite pulling some gnarly flips and big air layouts off of the rope swing. You would think that after my ear incident that I would have been more cautious, but what’s life without a little risk?
Most people get absolutely drunk floating the river, but I was happy to be sober and still having the most fun. After the last bar we made the 1.5 mile float back to town. It was very slow, but peaceful and relaxing. I had tamed the VangVieng float! That night I enjoyed a nice hammock by one of the bonfires just gazing up at the stars. Not only had I conquered VangVieng, I was fulfilling my dream of seeing the world. I had been traveling the past 3.5 weeks. I had some incredible experiences, seen places unlike any other on earth, and made friends from all over the globe. I took over 800 pictures, mostly of the scenery; but it will be the people that I met along the way that will stick with me forever.
The next morning I started an epic 48 hour, multi-bus trip back to Kunming. I had to stay the night in Luang Prabang but fortunately was able to catch a direct bus to Kunming the next morning. I met a hilarious Russian guy who spoke very little English and hardly any Chinese. I don’t know how he got around but he was very funny and friendly. Crossing back into China was a struggle. By the end of my trip, I desired more to return to the US than to go back to China. My fun was over and now I was headed to 14 hours a week of teaching English. Relatively speaking, that’s not bad. I guess I just wish to see my friends back home again.
Now I stare down 4.5 months of work both teaching and studying. I think it will be a positive experience, but I also hope it will go fast. I have my eyes on the horizon and the US in sight!
Pictures: http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Vientien-Vangvieng?h=7aec7b
There’s not much in Vientien but I walked around the town anyway just to see it. It lies along the Mekong River which I’m sure is pretty cool during the rainy season. The water level was very low when I arrived and less than exciting. On my way to a makeshift Arc Du Triumph (the French played a big part of the history of Laos) I found the best attraction in all of town. A buffet! What caught my attention to this buffet, however, was the price. For $5 one could eat all the Asian cuisine they could desire; even better, for an additional $2 one could throw back all the tapped Beer Lao or wine they could drink. Where else can you get such value? The restaurant was in a nice hotel that was full of westerners. So with not much to see or do, I spent a good 1.5 hours enjoying the sounds of Sinatra, Torme, and Tony Bennett while chasing spring roll after spring roll with glasses of red wine. I was reminded as to why Americans are so fat. I watched several different tourists make multiple trips to the buffet. I like to eat my fair share too, but many seemed to stuff their faces almost subconsciously. With my belly full and head happily buzzing, I strolled back to my GH room for a nice nap.
Vientien was very tame that night so I watched a movie at the GH. The next day I would be off for Vang Vieng for some ultimate tubing!
The bus picked me up at my GH in the morning as they usually do. The bus company makes its rounds through the town picking everybody up at their respective GH. We then proceeded to a dirt lot not but 5 minutes from where each of us started. It doesn’t make any sense but that’s just the way it works. At the dirt lot we were suppose to pick up an additional 10 people who were spill over from an earlier bus. All of them were upset since they were booted from their original bus (overbooked) and were reluctant to cooperate with our driver. We had room for some, but it required stacking everybody’s luggage on top (which I would regret having to do later) and cramming the 30-seater bus full. I even offered to give up my comfortable seat up front to a disgruntled lady knowing I could much better endure the cramped seat in the back. We loaded as many as we could but left a handful that refused to stuff it in with the rest of us.
I met several cool people on the rickety, bumpy bus ride to Vang Vieng. It took us 5 hours to make the trek. The terrain from Vientien all the way north to Kunming is mostly mountainous. With terrible infrastructure, the drive takes that much longer and leaves you shaken up like a DQ Blizzard. We arrived in the river city just before sundown. After unloading our bags, I noticed my cell phone was missing for I wanted to charge it before heading back to China. The only possible explanation I could think of was that it was shaken out of my pack along the drive. What can I say; cell phones and I go together like ham and tuna fish.
I was able to score a nice room with a beautiful view overlooking the river. I immediately noticed the small size of Vang Vieng and realized that the only thing keeping this place running was the river that ran beside it. Across the river, dubbed the ‘other side’, are beautiful meadows that lead up to some spectacular looking hills that are both jagged and lush. Built in a small portion of this meadow are some cool bungalows that I wished I’d seen before checking into my GH. I felt like I was in “Little House on the Prarie” standing next to a cow in between the two rows of primitive shacks where the guests stay.
The restaurants around town lure you in by playing episodes of Friends and Family Guy. They seemed to be the only two TV shows the Laos people knew. I like Family Guy and spent a better part of the evening enjoying my dinner and watching TV. I retired early having no desire to join the other tourists in getting drunk and partying all night. Unfortunately my once peaceful room with a nice view was now absorbing most of the blaring music that came from the ‘other side’. I sat on my balcony contemplating the sad irony of the situation. Here was a beautiful, primitive, peaceful Laos community that was being disrespected and destroyed by foreigners. We flair up ridiculous bon fires, blast pulsating noise into the air, and destroy the natural splendor that once was. As fun as that may be to some, it destroys an entire culture for others. Yet the people of this small town have come to depend on the same foreigners that destroy it. The restaurants rely on the masses of tourists to order up drinks and food. The GH’s need people to fill their rooms. And most of all, the whole community depends on tourists excited to float the river. There are various outfits with which to rent tubes, but they are all ultimately connected. Since the people depend on foreigners, I didn’t mind participating in the now foreign dominated town.
In the morning I rented my tube, loaded into the tuk-tuk with several other foreigners, and was on my way up the river. I was stoked having heard of the rope swings that line the river but had no idea what I was in for. The first quarter mile is lined with river-side bars, each with their own rope swing and one with a water slide. I cruised with some Italians and a couple of Germans. We took our time floating down the first half (didn’t have much of a choice since it was dry season and the river was low and slow). We spent a good two hours at a bar that had a rope-swing, zip-line, and the only water slide. The rope-swing was the tallest, flinging people an estimated 30 feet above the river. Naturally, I was like a kid in a candy shop. The place was basically a play ground for adults, and I looooove playgrounds! I would fling myself off the rope swing, climb back up the shore, then slide down the water slide laughing and splashing the whole time. The most fun we had was laughing at some foreign girl who held onto the zip-line too long. She went zooming by as we all watched; then without warning, the zip-line hit its end sending her into an immediate flip. She performed a one-and-a-half back flip before smacking into the river. She was alright, but her shoulders had to have been sore the next day. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to me despite pulling some gnarly flips and big air layouts off of the rope swing. You would think that after my ear incident that I would have been more cautious, but what’s life without a little risk?
Most people get absolutely drunk floating the river, but I was happy to be sober and still having the most fun. After the last bar we made the 1.5 mile float back to town. It was very slow, but peaceful and relaxing. I had tamed the VangVieng float! That night I enjoyed a nice hammock by one of the bonfires just gazing up at the stars. Not only had I conquered VangVieng, I was fulfilling my dream of seeing the world. I had been traveling the past 3.5 weeks. I had some incredible experiences, seen places unlike any other on earth, and made friends from all over the globe. I took over 800 pictures, mostly of the scenery; but it will be the people that I met along the way that will stick with me forever.
The next morning I started an epic 48 hour, multi-bus trip back to Kunming. I had to stay the night in Luang Prabang but fortunately was able to catch a direct bus to Kunming the next morning. I met a hilarious Russian guy who spoke very little English and hardly any Chinese. I don’t know how he got around but he was very funny and friendly. Crossing back into China was a struggle. By the end of my trip, I desired more to return to the US than to go back to China. My fun was over and now I was headed to 14 hours a week of teaching English. Relatively speaking, that’s not bad. I guess I just wish to see my friends back home again.
Now I stare down 4.5 months of work both teaching and studying. I think it will be a positive experience, but I also hope it will go fast. I have my eyes on the horizon and the US in sight!
Pictures: http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Vientien-Vangvieng?h=7aec7b
Sunday, March 7, 2010
SE Asia-Koh Tao (part 2)
Ban’s dive shop is the place to be on Hat Sai Ri. It’s where the best music, most people, and best beach layout can be found. At night, it also hosts the world’s best pancake maker (self-proclaimed of course). There’s a nice local guy who sets up his portable kitchen right along the walk path that cuts through Ban’s. His marketing scheme is to simply yell out, “Best pancake! Best pancake! Hey, you my friend… Best Pancake!” I must say that the man isn’t lying. I think I averaged about a pancake a night. My favorite was the apple cinnamon and honey but I also enjoyed the Gnutella/Chocolate pancake.
After an enjoyable few days of diving, I moved out of my nice resort style accommodations to the much cheaper bungalow. Even still, you cannot beat any sort of room that is a stone’s throw from the ocean for just under $10. After diving I had a good six days to just relax on the beach and explore the island.
My new friends Dustin and Shane and I rented motobikes for two days and took them around the island to check it all out. On the south side are a nice cove and a more laid back beach if one is looking to escape reality even further. There is a fun bench swing that hangs out over the water during high tide that I spent a few hours on relaxing to the sounds of lapping waves below me. Since I was traveling alone, I was more interested in being where the action was so although I stayed on the south side for two nights, I ended up back in Hat Sai Ri. The three of us also took the motobikes to the north (which takes only about 10 minutes). On the main road that stretched the island north to south, one can really let loose with the motobike. We got those things hauling up to about 55mph but I didn’t stay there for very long since I didn’t have a helmet. To get to the north side of the island requires navigating some windy, steep, and mostly dirt roads. Although our motobikes weren’t meant for off-roading, they got us there. My buddy Dustin unfortunately put his on its side adding a few scratches to it. At the top of the trail is a beautiful view of the island looking south. From there you can take a pathway down the hill, through some resort bungalows, and finally to a nice platform over the water. There isn’t any beach on the north side at Mango Bay, but diving off of the platform was still fun. There were tons of fish making for good snorkeling. It was nice, but I still preferred the west facing beach of Hat Sai Ri.
After our two days of romping around on motobikes, we all went our own ways with different itineraries. It was nice meeting these new friends and enjoyed hanging out with company on the island. Dustin and Shane both left Koh Tao while I stayed. I spent the remainder of my time just being lazy on the beach, swimming, and relaxing. At night I hung out with a few others from our dive group who had stayed longer as well. One guy originally planned his stay on Koh Tao to be four days; he ended up staying a full month. After being there for a week, you start to recognize all of the long timers and you realize just how small the island is. You see the same people every day doing the same ‘ol thing. They’re either diving or hanging out on the beach. It was truly paradise; the phrase ‘no shirt, no shoes, no problem’ actually applies here. I didn’t touch my sandals at all and only wore a shirt at night. This was the kind of place you feel you could live forever.
But then again, paradise is only paradise for so long. Towards the end of my stay, my smiled started to fade. It is nice escaping to some tropical paradise, but it sucks doing it alone. I longed for a companion of some sort but understood my circumstances. You meet people for sure, but there is just a lack of intimate connection. After my experience on Koh Tao, I’ve made some serious conclusions about life. First off, life is not worth living without someone to share it with (although being single does have its benefits, having a significant other eventually outweighs those benefits). Second, it doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing as long as you are with the ones you love. Finally, life is all about relationships; there is no sum of money, no island so perfect, no set of circumstances so ideal that could ever fulfill one’s heart like relationships can. Granted, these are not ground breaking truths that I’m talking about here. I just further appreciate them now having first hand experience with what they really mean.
On my second to last day I decided to do two more dives just for the fun of it. The water visibility had progressively gotten worse since I had arrived, however. My fun dives weren’t as exciting as the first dives I had done but I at least got to see two new dive spots. It was also nice just to be back in the water. Like I said before, I love the ocean; any day in the water is a great day for me! I soaked in my last night dancing with some friends from Switzerland at a cool place called the Lotus Bar. We had a great night but I was ready to move on.
I enjoyed my time on Koh Tao and was thankful for the opportunity to dive. I was also grateful for the people I had met and the experiences we shared. With my trip now more than half over, it was time to make my way back north to Bangkok. I would continue straight up through Laos, stopping in two cities, on my way back to Kunming.
After an enjoyable few days of diving, I moved out of my nice resort style accommodations to the much cheaper bungalow. Even still, you cannot beat any sort of room that is a stone’s throw from the ocean for just under $10. After diving I had a good six days to just relax on the beach and explore the island.
My new friends Dustin and Shane and I rented motobikes for two days and took them around the island to check it all out. On the south side are a nice cove and a more laid back beach if one is looking to escape reality even further. There is a fun bench swing that hangs out over the water during high tide that I spent a few hours on relaxing to the sounds of lapping waves below me. Since I was traveling alone, I was more interested in being where the action was so although I stayed on the south side for two nights, I ended up back in Hat Sai Ri. The three of us also took the motobikes to the north (which takes only about 10 minutes). On the main road that stretched the island north to south, one can really let loose with the motobike. We got those things hauling up to about 55mph but I didn’t stay there for very long since I didn’t have a helmet. To get to the north side of the island requires navigating some windy, steep, and mostly dirt roads. Although our motobikes weren’t meant for off-roading, they got us there. My buddy Dustin unfortunately put his on its side adding a few scratches to it. At the top of the trail is a beautiful view of the island looking south. From there you can take a pathway down the hill, through some resort bungalows, and finally to a nice platform over the water. There isn’t any beach on the north side at Mango Bay, but diving off of the platform was still fun. There were tons of fish making for good snorkeling. It was nice, but I still preferred the west facing beach of Hat Sai Ri.
After our two days of romping around on motobikes, we all went our own ways with different itineraries. It was nice meeting these new friends and enjoyed hanging out with company on the island. Dustin and Shane both left Koh Tao while I stayed. I spent the remainder of my time just being lazy on the beach, swimming, and relaxing. At night I hung out with a few others from our dive group who had stayed longer as well. One guy originally planned his stay on Koh Tao to be four days; he ended up staying a full month. After being there for a week, you start to recognize all of the long timers and you realize just how small the island is. You see the same people every day doing the same ‘ol thing. They’re either diving or hanging out on the beach. It was truly paradise; the phrase ‘no shirt, no shoes, no problem’ actually applies here. I didn’t touch my sandals at all and only wore a shirt at night. This was the kind of place you feel you could live forever.
But then again, paradise is only paradise for so long. Towards the end of my stay, my smiled started to fade. It is nice escaping to some tropical paradise, but it sucks doing it alone. I longed for a companion of some sort but understood my circumstances. You meet people for sure, but there is just a lack of intimate connection. After my experience on Koh Tao, I’ve made some serious conclusions about life. First off, life is not worth living without someone to share it with (although being single does have its benefits, having a significant other eventually outweighs those benefits). Second, it doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing as long as you are with the ones you love. Finally, life is all about relationships; there is no sum of money, no island so perfect, no set of circumstances so ideal that could ever fulfill one’s heart like relationships can. Granted, these are not ground breaking truths that I’m talking about here. I just further appreciate them now having first hand experience with what they really mean.
On my second to last day I decided to do two more dives just for the fun of it. The water visibility had progressively gotten worse since I had arrived, however. My fun dives weren’t as exciting as the first dives I had done but I at least got to see two new dive spots. It was also nice just to be back in the water. Like I said before, I love the ocean; any day in the water is a great day for me! I soaked in my last night dancing with some friends from Switzerland at a cool place called the Lotus Bar. We had a great night but I was ready to move on.
I enjoyed my time on Koh Tao and was thankful for the opportunity to dive. I was also grateful for the people I had met and the experiences we shared. With my trip now more than half over, it was time to make my way back north to Bangkok. I would continue straight up through Laos, stopping in two cities, on my way back to Kunming.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
SE Asia-Koh Tao (part 1)
I booked my train ticket with two nice German guys so it was fun riding down from Bangkok with them. The trains in Thailand carry many more foreigners than the trains in China so it’s fun to meet other people and hear what they’re up to. We arrived to the port in Chumpon just in time to watch a spectacular sunrise. Everything was coming together and I was so thrilled to finally be by the ocean. Tired from the sleepless night on the train, I conked out on the three hour ferry ride for a good majority of it. As we approached Hat Sai Ri and the bay, the water began to change from a deep ocean blue to a pristine turquoise and sky-blue color. I thought the water was even clearer and nicer than that of Bocas Del Toro, Panama (I had dived Bocas Del Toro, four years ago while studying abroad in Costa Rica). While on the ferry, you are bombarded by representatives from different dive resorts on the island and they all give you the same spiel. It’s funny too because the prices are pretty much all the same and you could literally pick a brochure out of a hat and not go wrong. I decided just to walk around and find a place on my own.
The German guys headed to the other side of the island for some rock climbing while I was more interested in diving. We parted ways and I walked down the pathway that parallels the beach in search of the right dive shop. The beach at Hat Sai Ri is no more than 2km long, the island being very small itself. As I made my way along the path I had passed a place called Ban’s Dive Resort which just felt right and seemed like the place to be. I booked a spot for the Advanced Open Water course and was in the pool that afternoon doing my refresher course (I couldn’t believe that it had been four years since I was living it up in Panama where I had earned my Open Water license). The rooms are included in the price for divers and were really nice. So for three nights I lived it up before moving to a cheaper bungalow.
My instructor that afternoon was a nice guy from Italy who was impressed with how much knowledge I had retained; I had to explain to him that I reviewed the whole Open Water book on my way there (I spent a lot of time on buses and trains). I was most nervous about my ear but it was fine in the pool. I went into the ocean afterwards to test it some more by doing some deeper free dives. But I was able to clear with no problem which helped calm my nerves. I had a delicious burger that night at the Fishbowl, Ban’s beachside bar and restaurant. It seriously rivals Duke’s Waikiki as my favorite restaurant in the world. I ended up joining an extremely sweet Australian girl for the sunset since I was sick of being alone and she was cruisin’ solo. She was also a Christian traveling alone which made her easy to talk to. The sunset that first night was absolutely incredible. The oranges and blues were spectacular (yes, God is a Broncos fan!) as the sun cast its beams on and around the clouds. The effect was breathtaking; truly divine. I couldn’t believe that I was on some island thousands of miles away from home enjoying the best art show in the world. I could have never predicted this was where I’d be if you had asked me one year ago (or even six months ago for that matter). I feel truly blessed.
My new friend and I sat there talking about our travels and the difficulties of traveling alone, missing family and friends and all. We continued talking despite our eyes being sucked into the orange fireball as it ducked beneath the sea. Once the sun retired, we both realized that we were in a conversation about nothing which was sort of funny. It was nice having company for the evening. Even the soft oranges of a paradisaical sunset can not always fill the void of being away from friends and family; but company did. I was set to dive the next morning so I thanked her for allowing me to join her and made my way to bed. Unfortunately I only saw her one time after our pleasant conversation but would meet others from diving.
The next morning we all gathered for a quick school session before heading out for our morning dive. Our instructor was a cute girl from the UK who had been living on Koh Tao as a dive instructor for five years. I was jealous. Our first dive spot was called Chumpon Pinnacle. I had great hopes of seeing the world famous wale shark but unfortunately struck out. During the first dive we did see an amazing 10ft. bull shark that swam within about 10ft. of us. After about five minutes of swimming around we all heard the banging of our instructors tank as she tried to get our attention. She made the shark signal and pointed somewhere off in the deep blue. Then all of a sudden the beautiful creature appeared. Everybody says that they’d be terrified to dive with a shark, but when you’re down there it’s the most harmonious and peaceful thing to experience. As I took in deep breaths from my SCUBA tank (helps conserve oxygen), I floated neutrally buoyant and watched the beast as it swam. It slowly got closer and I began to wonder where everyone was. Everyone was behind me! Great; I kept thinking, if this shark gets aggressive, I’m the first to go. That’d be a fun post card home. But my instructor actually came into view a little in front of me so I felt better. The shark swam from right to left opening its jaws for whatever reason. It was quite impressive to see its jaws completely open. That was until it came towards us. The large creature slipped right on by us at about 10ft. I think it was just curious but made all of our days. After seeing the shark we continued down to our target depth of 30m (roughly 100ft). You’re supposed to experience Nitrogen Narcosis which has similar symptoms to that of being drunk. I didn’t feel anything but people are known to do crazy things. Our instructor told us that she’d seen people try to give their regulator to fishes thinking that the fish couldn’t breathe. My ears were fine at 30m which meant I could continue the dive course with no problem. Relieved that my ringing ear was fine, I was as high as a kite when we finished the dive.
I love the ocean and everything about it. SCUBA diving unlocks a world in which most humans fail to realize exist or dare to explore. It’s fun to go to the beach, swim, and surf. But its life changing to penetrate the surface and enter into another element. Of course anyone can see sharks at SeaWorld. But to see a shark in the open, on his turf, was absolutely phenomenal. As we left Chumpon Pinnacle for our next dive spot, we all high-fived each other stoked on life. The shark was cool, but for me the best part about diving was the cookies on the boat. There was about a five gallon cookie jar that was stored full of some delicious cream filled cookies. I ate at least 30 of them that day (what can I say, I like cookies). On our second dive we worked on navigational exercises and got comfortable diving on our own without the instructor. The dive spot was cool but what made the day was our final dive.
In order to receive your Advanced Open Water certificate, one must complete a Deep Dive, Navigational Dive, and three optional adventure dives. One of those optional dives is a Night Dive. It is one that almost everybody at Ban’s does. After returning to the resort and having dinner, we loaded up again and headed back out as the sun was setting. We dove the same spot as our second dive since we were now familiar with it. With flashlights in hand, we headed down. During the day, light from the sun penetrates the water. When it hits the surface, white light refracts and splits into its basic colors (those of the rainbow). There are different angles of refraction among the different frequencies (colors) of light; therefore, you loose particular colors the deeper you dive. At 30m depth, you loose the reds and oranges that you may see at 5m depth. The deeper you go, the more everything becomes violet and blue. During a night dive, however, you take a flashlight down with you. This allows you to bring out more colors among the reef and see more brilliant fish than you normally would during the day. Thus the night dive is very fun and unique to see the different colors. What also made the dive special was the bioluminescence.
There are particular plankton that absorb energy from the sun at the surface of the water during the day. At night they sink back down to deeper depths, and if disturbed, give off that energy in the form of a glow. I had seen this phenomenon in its purest form in Puerto Rico this past summer. However, we were not allowed to swim in the water in order to preserve the plankton. Our night dive was different. We all gathered in a circle at one point and our instructor signaled us to cut our flashlights. Then, all of a sudden, he just started going bananas. We quickly realized what was up as the plankton lit up all around him from the disturbance. We followed suit and soon enough our whole group looked like we were cracked out. Everyone was going crazy, flipping all around, and making as much commotion as possible. It was truly a special sight. It was a perfect end to a perfect day. Although diving is a very relaxing activity, I was exhausted from doing three dives that day. We had two more dives to do the next day so I took it easy that night. Every night Ban’s sets up an awesome beach seen with live music, fire throwers, and bean bags to lay back and gaze at the stars. Two Thai guys twirl fire to the beat of the music (performed by two other foreign guys: one with an awesome voice and the other who played the guitar and harmonica simultaneously). So I enjoyed a beer with my new dive friends as the melodies of Jack Johnson and Bob Marley along with the memorizing twirl of fire lulled us all into the perfect trance. Life is good!
to be continued…
PICTURES of Bangkok and Koh Tao:
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Bangkok-Koh%20Tao?h=bc409a
The German guys headed to the other side of the island for some rock climbing while I was more interested in diving. We parted ways and I walked down the pathway that parallels the beach in search of the right dive shop. The beach at Hat Sai Ri is no more than 2km long, the island being very small itself. As I made my way along the path I had passed a place called Ban’s Dive Resort which just felt right and seemed like the place to be. I booked a spot for the Advanced Open Water course and was in the pool that afternoon doing my refresher course (I couldn’t believe that it had been four years since I was living it up in Panama where I had earned my Open Water license). The rooms are included in the price for divers and were really nice. So for three nights I lived it up before moving to a cheaper bungalow.
My instructor that afternoon was a nice guy from Italy who was impressed with how much knowledge I had retained; I had to explain to him that I reviewed the whole Open Water book on my way there (I spent a lot of time on buses and trains). I was most nervous about my ear but it was fine in the pool. I went into the ocean afterwards to test it some more by doing some deeper free dives. But I was able to clear with no problem which helped calm my nerves. I had a delicious burger that night at the Fishbowl, Ban’s beachside bar and restaurant. It seriously rivals Duke’s Waikiki as my favorite restaurant in the world. I ended up joining an extremely sweet Australian girl for the sunset since I was sick of being alone and she was cruisin’ solo. She was also a Christian traveling alone which made her easy to talk to. The sunset that first night was absolutely incredible. The oranges and blues were spectacular (yes, God is a Broncos fan!) as the sun cast its beams on and around the clouds. The effect was breathtaking; truly divine. I couldn’t believe that I was on some island thousands of miles away from home enjoying the best art show in the world. I could have never predicted this was where I’d be if you had asked me one year ago (or even six months ago for that matter). I feel truly blessed.
My new friend and I sat there talking about our travels and the difficulties of traveling alone, missing family and friends and all. We continued talking despite our eyes being sucked into the orange fireball as it ducked beneath the sea. Once the sun retired, we both realized that we were in a conversation about nothing which was sort of funny. It was nice having company for the evening. Even the soft oranges of a paradisaical sunset can not always fill the void of being away from friends and family; but company did. I was set to dive the next morning so I thanked her for allowing me to join her and made my way to bed. Unfortunately I only saw her one time after our pleasant conversation but would meet others from diving.
The next morning we all gathered for a quick school session before heading out for our morning dive. Our instructor was a cute girl from the UK who had been living on Koh Tao as a dive instructor for five years. I was jealous. Our first dive spot was called Chumpon Pinnacle. I had great hopes of seeing the world famous wale shark but unfortunately struck out. During the first dive we did see an amazing 10ft. bull shark that swam within about 10ft. of us. After about five minutes of swimming around we all heard the banging of our instructors tank as she tried to get our attention. She made the shark signal and pointed somewhere off in the deep blue. Then all of a sudden the beautiful creature appeared. Everybody says that they’d be terrified to dive with a shark, but when you’re down there it’s the most harmonious and peaceful thing to experience. As I took in deep breaths from my SCUBA tank (helps conserve oxygen), I floated neutrally buoyant and watched the beast as it swam. It slowly got closer and I began to wonder where everyone was. Everyone was behind me! Great; I kept thinking, if this shark gets aggressive, I’m the first to go. That’d be a fun post card home. But my instructor actually came into view a little in front of me so I felt better. The shark swam from right to left opening its jaws for whatever reason. It was quite impressive to see its jaws completely open. That was until it came towards us. The large creature slipped right on by us at about 10ft. I think it was just curious but made all of our days. After seeing the shark we continued down to our target depth of 30m (roughly 100ft). You’re supposed to experience Nitrogen Narcosis which has similar symptoms to that of being drunk. I didn’t feel anything but people are known to do crazy things. Our instructor told us that she’d seen people try to give their regulator to fishes thinking that the fish couldn’t breathe. My ears were fine at 30m which meant I could continue the dive course with no problem. Relieved that my ringing ear was fine, I was as high as a kite when we finished the dive.
I love the ocean and everything about it. SCUBA diving unlocks a world in which most humans fail to realize exist or dare to explore. It’s fun to go to the beach, swim, and surf. But its life changing to penetrate the surface and enter into another element. Of course anyone can see sharks at SeaWorld. But to see a shark in the open, on his turf, was absolutely phenomenal. As we left Chumpon Pinnacle for our next dive spot, we all high-fived each other stoked on life. The shark was cool, but for me the best part about diving was the cookies on the boat. There was about a five gallon cookie jar that was stored full of some delicious cream filled cookies. I ate at least 30 of them that day (what can I say, I like cookies). On our second dive we worked on navigational exercises and got comfortable diving on our own without the instructor. The dive spot was cool but what made the day was our final dive.
In order to receive your Advanced Open Water certificate, one must complete a Deep Dive, Navigational Dive, and three optional adventure dives. One of those optional dives is a Night Dive. It is one that almost everybody at Ban’s does. After returning to the resort and having dinner, we loaded up again and headed back out as the sun was setting. We dove the same spot as our second dive since we were now familiar with it. With flashlights in hand, we headed down. During the day, light from the sun penetrates the water. When it hits the surface, white light refracts and splits into its basic colors (those of the rainbow). There are different angles of refraction among the different frequencies (colors) of light; therefore, you loose particular colors the deeper you dive. At 30m depth, you loose the reds and oranges that you may see at 5m depth. The deeper you go, the more everything becomes violet and blue. During a night dive, however, you take a flashlight down with you. This allows you to bring out more colors among the reef and see more brilliant fish than you normally would during the day. Thus the night dive is very fun and unique to see the different colors. What also made the dive special was the bioluminescence.
There are particular plankton that absorb energy from the sun at the surface of the water during the day. At night they sink back down to deeper depths, and if disturbed, give off that energy in the form of a glow. I had seen this phenomenon in its purest form in Puerto Rico this past summer. However, we were not allowed to swim in the water in order to preserve the plankton. Our night dive was different. We all gathered in a circle at one point and our instructor signaled us to cut our flashlights. Then, all of a sudden, he just started going bananas. We quickly realized what was up as the plankton lit up all around him from the disturbance. We followed suit and soon enough our whole group looked like we were cracked out. Everyone was going crazy, flipping all around, and making as much commotion as possible. It was truly a special sight. It was a perfect end to a perfect day. Although diving is a very relaxing activity, I was exhausted from doing three dives that day. We had two more dives to do the next day so I took it easy that night. Every night Ban’s sets up an awesome beach seen with live music, fire throwers, and bean bags to lay back and gaze at the stars. Two Thai guys twirl fire to the beat of the music (performed by two other foreign guys: one with an awesome voice and the other who played the guitar and harmonica simultaneously). So I enjoyed a beer with my new dive friends as the melodies of Jack Johnson and Bob Marley along with the memorizing twirl of fire lulled us all into the perfect trance. Life is good!
to be continued…
PICTURES of Bangkok and Koh Tao:
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Bangkok-Koh%20Tao?h=bc409a
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