The Second Saga of Vietnam

Before I start, I'd like to make a birthday shout-out to my friend Steph: HAPPY 21!!! Enjoy your day fully! Wish I could be there...I'm thinking about you today!

Believe it or not, my travels in Vietnam are almost over! This is a bit of a bittersweet feeling for me, because I'm dying to get to Laos, but I've gotten pretty attached to this heavily-contrasted country, especially the northern part. Right now, I'm in Hanoi again, and tonight I take a night bus to the mountain village of Sapa. This is where you can buy unique handicrafts, walk among terraced rice fields, and view the hill tribes walking around in retro-esque garb.

After a day in Hoi An, I decided that it was time to move on. It would have been awesome to get some tailor-made shoes and clothing, but I was told that it would take a few days, and alas, I didn't have the time. It was a nice place to chill out for a day after the utter chaos of Saigon. I enjoyed walking through the narrow streets, among French colonial architecture, without worrying too much about being run down, or having my bag snatched by a moto-bandit. I also had the best baguette sandwich of my life!

Unfortunately, guesthouses in Hoi An aren't super cheap, unless you have a buddy, and at this point, I was completely solo. For me, Hoi An was more of a halfway point between Saigon and northern Vietnam, where most of the places I wanted to see were.

I booked a trip from Hoi An to Hanoi, which would stop halfway in Hue, where I would switch to a sleeper bus. The bus from Hanoi seemed to lack any sort of shock absorber, and I was fortunate enough to sit on the axle, being bumped and jostled around for hours. Not far from Hue, we drove down a hill which I can only describe as Asia's answer to Bolivia's "death road". Technically, it was a two-lane road, but the lanes were the tiniest I'd ever seen, and our bus often came face-to-face with a semi, and the driver had to maneuver around without hitting another vehicle, or driving us off the side of the cliff. Let me also say that it is beyond disconcerting when the lady in the seat next to you is gasping and screaming every five seconds.

The redeeming factor to this leg of the journey was the landscape. The grass was almost a cartoon green, and as far as the eye could see were the rice fields, with people in traditional rice-farming hats peacefully went about their work. The palm trees lined the side of the road, and it was that perfect time of day where the sun hasn't set yet, but the light has changed, and the sky is hazy. The mere scenery of this ride was one of the major highlights of my trip.

I can't elaborate on the ride from Hue to Hanoi, as I passed out on the bus. Anyway.

Originally, I had planned to head straight to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi, and spend a night on a Chinese junk boat. Unfortunately, the bus getting into town was four hours late and I missed my ride. In a state of extreme panic, I ran to the travel company's office - heavy backpack and all - and pleaded my case. The woman there explained that if I came back the next morning, there would be space on a boat for me. Relieved, I headed to the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel, where I decided to crash for the night. Upon arrival at the hostel, I met Kirsten, also from Canada, and we spend the day attempting the Old Quarter walking tour. Although we found ourselves lost many a time, there were some amazing things that we stumbled upon.

One of my favorite parts of the city - although not officially on the walking tour - was an alley, which looked to be a locals' market. There were no tourists, just local people hanging out, selling things like amazing-looking vegetables and fruit, fish heads, a net bag of frogs (still hopping), and a pot of shrimp (still swimming). It was nice to see a group of locals just living their lives, without the influence of tourists. They were all incredibly friendly, and one lady really wanted me to buy some raw mystery-meat from her (which I declined with a somewhat forced smile).

I didn't know that the Vietnamese language used the same alphabet as English. Although the words don't mean a single thing to me, it's a nice change to be able to read the letters on a sign and from there figure out how lost I actually am.

The lady at the travel office was as good as her word, I discovered the next morning. I showed up bright and early, and within about fifteen minutes, a group of other travellers had accumulated (it's always nice to see that you're not the only one there). We were loaded onto a tight minibus, and driven to the Ha Long harbour. We ended up standing in the parking lot for a good hour, and no one bothered to tell us what the problem was. Finally, our guide returned, and we were able to get on our boat. It was a traditional wooden Chinese junk ship, with dragons decorating the sides. The bedrooms were basic, with two double beds and an ensuite. However, they were cozy, and really just a place to rest my head that night. Most of the two days were spent on deck, camera in hand, snapping pictures like a madwoman.

After a delicious lunch on board (mostly meat dishes, with two incredible veggie sides), we sailed to an island, where the largest cave in Ha Long Bay was located. After climbing a fair number of stairs, you can enter the cave. It has out-of-this world stalactites and stalagmites all over, and there are colourful lights placed strategically all over the cave. After walking out of the cave, you're high enough up to see an incredible panorama of the jade water and limestone karsts. Photo ops galore!

After that, we visited a fishing village, with tiny, colourful floating houses peppered throughout the small inlet. We got onto a rickety boat, and floated through two small arches in one of the cliffs (apparently the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies was filmed there), and all around the tiny houses.

The next morning, I woke up at 6:00, hoping to catch the sunrise. It didn't really happen, which was disappointing. Our guide then told us that we had an hour to kayak around the cliffs before breakfast - if we wanted. I was the first one off the boat. The water was calm, and because it was early, early, morning, we were the only people out and about. The water in the Bay was probably among the most beautiful I've ever seen, right up there with Railay.

Ha Long Bay was easily one of the highlights of my trip so far. I had seen pictures on the Internet, and thought that they were incredibly beautiful. What I learned was that they didn't do the real thing justice. The day was cooler and hazy, which added an amazing, mysterious ambiance to the place. Although I was a little chilly, I really enjoyed the mist, especially for the early morning kayak. There were tons of boats, but they were all spread out, so it didn't feel packed with tourists at all.

The only complaint I have about the Ha Long Bay tour is that there was a lot of sitting and waiting, and the guides never gave us a explanation of what was happening. However, for the (very) decent price I paid, I'm just glad I got a chance to see the Bay.

Now, I'm back in Hanoi. I think that today I'm going to take it easy and recharge before my night bus ride tonight. For the next two days, I'm going to be walking around Sapa. I've only heard good things so far, so I'm very excited. After that, I'm heading to Laos! Right now, I'm looking into booking a flight from Hanoi to Luang Prabang. It's more expensive, but it saves me a whole day. Why not?

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

Vietnam. It's This Whole Other Country.

Here I am, sitting in Hoi An, whose Old Quarter is a World Heritage site. People come from all over the world to buy custom made clothing from the hundreds of tailor shops in the town, and the narrow streets and French architechture make Hoi An a relaxing place to stop for a few days before heading to more hectic places, such as Hanoi. I have decided to spend one night here and then move on, because the accomodation here isn't exactly cheap, and, more importantly, I want to get to Halong Bay. This unfortunately means yet another gruelling bus journey tomorrow, but after that I don't have to do too many more, as most of the places I want to see are in closer proximity to each other. Hallelujah!

After spending a couple days in Phnom Penh, where I witnessed the Killing Fields, I decided to take a bit of a breather and head to Sihanoukville, Cambodia's beach town, for a few days. To be completely honest, I have some very mixed feelings about Sihanoukville. The scenery is gorgeous: white sand beaches, rolling waves, and beach huts where you can buy fresh food. Even though it was a little windy on the days I was there, it was warmer than it ever is at home. The locals tended to disagree - they were all bundling up.

The negative side of Sihanoukville started with the hawkers who invade the beach and will not leave you alone, no matter what. I tried smiling and shaking my head, ignoring them and reading my book, getting stern, and even pretending to be asleep. No dice. They offer you manicures and massages and so on, and if you refuse, they say that they'll come back later. And then they try to get you to pinky-swear that you won't let anyone else "help you". Could there possibly be anything more annoying?

Hell presented itself in the form of a particular hawker who more or less jumped on me as I came to the beach. She offered me a manicure, pedicure, massage...all the while, I shook my head and said "No, thank you." She then said she would find me later, and not to let anyone else do it. I ignored her, thinking she would get the picture, and annoy another one of the hundreds of people on the beach. Wrong. Maybe a half an hour later, another hawker came up, and asked me if I wanted a manicure. Getting a little exasperated, as I had just gotten to a good part of my book, I told her no. Well, that wasn't good enough for her. She grabbed my hand, and started doing my nails. I continued to tell her - in so many words - to bugger off. Unfortunately, she became selectively deaf, and wouldn't leave me alone, even as the other woman approached, and started shrieking at me in Khmer. She then pointed her finger in my face, and said "You no good. You leave Cambodia right now!" I guess refusing a manicure is worthy of exile. She then threatened to gouge my eyes out if I didn't leave right then and there - to prove her point, she held a pair of scissors about an inch away from my face. I decided this was as good a time as any to move over and sit next to an older English couple, who agreed to watch my back.

Oh, and did I mention that little children will come up and try to grope you and even pull your shirt down? It happened to me twice, and I had to resort to yelling at them. If I were in a group, I may have enjoyed Sihanoukville a little more, but as a woman travelling alone, I wish I had spend my last couple of days in Cambodia elsewhere. Being threatened, ogled and groped can ruin even the most beautiful places. For this reason alone, I would say that Sihanoukville is worth a try, but I think that there are better places to see.

After two days in Sihanoukville, I couldn't wait to move on. I bought a ticket to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon to the locals). I was expecting another sloppy, disorganized border crossing, but I don't think crossing from Cambodia to Vietnam could be any easier. We handed our passports to an officer who checked our visas, gave us an entry stamp, and let us have our passports back! We then had to walk through a scanner (like at the airports), and if we were clear, we were able to get back on the bus! The landscapes of Cambodia and Vietnam are, once again, completely different. Vietnam is greener, and the rice fields and palm trees are picturesque, and reminded me of Forrest Gump. On the bus to HCMC, I couldn't help listening to a playlist including Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, Bob Dylan, and other hits from the Woodstock era. All in all, it created the perfect ambiance.

HCMC seemed like a different world from the dusty streets and old buildings of Cambodia. It was dark when I arrived, and the neon signs and chaotic traffic completely embodied my idea of an Asian city. The people were all so friendly, and I was pleasantly surprised at how cheap everything was!

The next day, I quickly discovered that there's an art to crossing streets in Saigon. When traffic lights and signs are a mild suggestion, and hundreds of motorcycles and the occasional bus are coming at you, surprisingly, the best method is not to timidly step out into the street. No, the best way to get across is to boldly step out into the traffic...miraculously, they steer around you!

A must-see in Saigon is the War Remnants Museum. I'm not a huge museum person, but this display was actually quite amazing. It gives a history of the war, as well as adding some of the Vietnamese perspective, which, of course, are not often heard about in North America. I was impressed by how unbiased the displays all were. I also learned that there were protests all over the world, advocating the Vietnamese people. I knew that this was a big issue in the US, but I had no idea that all over Europe, Asia, South America and even Africa, groups were marching in protest of the war.

The most disturbing part of the museum are the pictures of the birth defects caused by agent orange exposure. Babies all aroung HCMC were born without legs, without eyes, or with curved spines. Most of the aspects of the Vietnam war didn't make sense to me...the torture of innocent citizens, and especially the My Lai massacre were hard to believe, and even harder to understand. However, before visiting Saigon, I didn't really know anything about the war, and I feel like I understand more about the contry's history.

There are tons and tons of other museums to see in Saigon, but to be completely honest, that was the main one that I wanted to see. I spend the rest of the day walking around the city, seeing the amazing buildings and watching the people - and of course, dodging motos.

After HCMC, I decided to spend two days in Hoi An, and then continue to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa. I had heard great things about Hoi An, and while it's definitely a gorgeous, laid-back town, there are definitely places in Vietnam that are higher on the must-see list. One day is enough for me. Tomorrow I'm going to catch a bus to Hanoi, and from there I'm going to head straight to Cat Ba island in the World Heritage site of Halong Bay. After that, I'm going to spend a few days in the hill-tribe village of Sapa, and then onto the long-awaited Laos!

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

S-21 and The Killing Fields: A Hypnotic Hellraiser

Before I begin writing, I would like to warn you that this blog contains extremely disturbing material. However, I don't believe that shying away from a harsh reality is any way to understand the world, either past or present. For that reason, I would like to ask you to please read. Education is the first step towards putting an end to any present or future situations comparable to the Cambodian genocide. Thank you!

It's impossible to visit Phnom Penh in Cambodia without making a stop at the Choeng Ek Killing Fields, and Tuol Sleng, the genocide museum. Since I booked my flight, this was never a question for me. I knew that it would be an emotional day, and I was going to see things - things that a culture had done to its own people - that were incomprehensible. But it felt like something I needed to do.

There are tours throughout the prison and the Killing Fields. Although it would have been nice to have a guide providing facts, I liked being able to explore at my own pace. I met up with a moto driver at my guesthouse who provided transportation, but I felt that I would rather witness this particular sight independently.

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge made it their goal to round up intellectuals, doctors, foreigners, peasants, workers, women and children - basically anyone they suspected of associating with the CIA or KGB - and sentencing them to prison. The children were arrested and murdered so that they would not seek revenge as they grew. The people were tortured in the most inhumane, gut-wrenching ways imaginable: beaten with bamboo sticks, strapped to tables and given electric shocks, and having finger- and toenails removed (just to name a few). The officers made rules that people were not allowed to cry, moan, or protest, even as they watched their own families being murdered. If these rules were broken, people would receive slashes or electric shocks. In short, the Khmer Rouge created a mountain of bones, and an ocean of blood.

Upon entering the Tuol Sleng museum (a former high school in Phnom Penh), it's hard to imagine that such atrocities had occurred right there. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary building - save for the rusted barbed wire at the top of the outside walls and outside the balconies of the school buildings. This prevented desperate prisoners from committing suicide.

I was afraid to go in at first. I paid my $2 entrance fee, and immediately felt doubtful. Based on what I had read in textbooks, seen on TV, and heard from other travellers, what waited inside the museum was almost impossible to believe.

After a few deep breaths, I was ready. Immediately after walking into the museum grounds, I saw the gallows, where people were tortured by being hung by their feet until they fell unconscious, only to be awakened by being plunged headfirst into water filled with fertilizer.

I then walked into Building A. The classrooms had been converted into prison cells, which contained one or more tiny, rusted beds. On the wall of each cell was a single black-and-white photograph of a prisoner - a former inmate of that room - shackled to the bed, unconscious, defeated and bleeding. Most of the rooms contained heavy, iron shackles, which had been attached to each prisoner's feet.

One of the most amazing things I noticed about the prison was the way you could see and hear the outside world from the barred rooms. Palm trees blew lazily, and the sounds of traffic and people carried through the air. This would have been the same during the days of the Khmer Regime. The few citizens who remained free would have lived their lives - literally - all around the prison.

The next building housed wooden and concrete cells. The concrete cells on the first floor were so tiny that I could stand up, but barely move about. I could not fully extend my arms. There were iron loops in the floor where prisoners would be shackled to the floor, as if being shoved into a cramped, dark, stuffy space wasn't debilitating enough. The wooden cells on the upper floors were similar. Hundreds of prisoners spent their final days here. In many of the cells there were stains on the floor that I believed - though I could be wrong - were blood.

The next buildings displayed information about the rise of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. All over the walls are hundreds of the infamous photographs of each victim, taken as they were brought to S-21. It's indescribable to look into the faces of men, women and children who must have known they were going to die. The looks of terror and hopelessness in their eyes grab you, and won't let go.

In these buildings, there is a pile of clothing retrieved from the prisoners...much like Auschwitz and other European concentration camps. S-21 is exactly that: the lesser-known answer to the Holocaust of the 1940s. There are also photographs of victims before and after torture. On the walls are posters with testimonials from some of the few survivors, as well as background information on those responsible. Keep in mind that the genocide occurred in 1975 - 1979. That's only 35 years ago. A number of these people are still alive. For example, Duch (the head officer at S-21) was sentenced to 35 years in prison only last year.

There are paintings on the walls of prisoners being tortured. One of the most disturbing is the portrait of a woman crying as her small baby is ripped from her. The looks of anguish in the paintings are incredibly disturbing and realistic. When S-21 was liberated in 1979, there were only seven survivors, one of them being the artist of the paintings. He was kept alive to paint pictures of Pol Pot.

At the end of the museum visit, there is a display of skulls, arranged by age and sex. It's amazing to see how each and every one of them has a crack or hole, from gunshots, or being beaten to death.

After the museum, it is essential to see the Killing Fields of Choeng Ek, 15 kilometers outside of Phnom Penh. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was the laughter of children at a school nearby. As you walk through the gate (pay $2), the first thing you see is a beautiful white stupa (Buddhist tower), with seventeen tiers. The first level (the very bottom) has a pile of clothing. Tiers two through nine or ten all contain human skulls, once again arranged by age, sex and cause of death. Tiers eleven to seventeen contain various bones. This monument was built in 1988 to celebrate and commemorate the millions who were killed in Cambodia during this dark time.

After the Cambodian people were liberated in 1979, almost 9000 people were exhumed from mass graves at Choeng Ek (more people all over the country). The largest one contained over 400 bodies. Another one contained 100 headless corpses. As you walk through the Killing Fields, look down at your feet. Chances are, you're stepping over bones and pieces of clothing. There are huge holes in the ground all over, which are remains of the other mass graves that were dug up. A little ways away is a mass grave, which contained hundreds of corpses of women and children, all naked. Beside this is one of the most disturbing and famous parts of the genocide: the tree where soldiers would hit babies' heads against, before tossing them into the mass graves. The tree was used to preserve "precious" ammunition.

When the Killing Fields were in use, prisoners were brought to Choeng Ek at around 6:30pm as it was getting dark. They were detained in a dark, crowded space for hours, and then brought to the Killing Fields, where they were executed. As prisoners arrived, they could not see what was happening, but could hear, in the distance, people being killed. To prevent this, the Khmer Rouge created the "magic tree". This is a tree where they would hang a loudspeaker, which made noise to cover up the moans and screams of the people.

Walking through the Killing Fields feels like walking through the set of some sick, perverse film director. It's hard to imagine that this is real, that people have the ability to do this to each other.

Many thoughts rushed through my head and I visited the sites of such sadness, but one thought overpowered all the others: "Why?" There is no explanation in the world that could make me understand how anyone could make sense of the breaking of body and spirit of a fellow human.

Back home, learning about Cambodia's history is not in the textbooks. We learn the basics: where Cambodia is, and that there was a genocide in the 1970s. But that's it. I wish that I had learned more about this when I was in school. Education is the first step to learning from history - in this case, a history which every Cambodian over 35 lived through. Everyone should experience Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields at one point. It's the first drop in the bucket towards helping us prevent another Khmer Rouge.

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

Cambodia at Last!

Cambodia is where it all really started for me. In my youth (well, three years ago), I was a on a road trip with my dad, who was driving me to the west coast to start university. En route, we happened upon a travel program featuring Cambodia, and from then on I don't think I ever looked back. I was going. Period. End of discussion.

I can't explain what exactly appealed so much to me, but if I had to put it into words, it would be the uninhibited, non-touristy look that it had. The people seemed genuine, and describing the landscape as "breathtaking" would be a lame understatement. I like a good dose of culture shock, and it appeared that Cambodia, with its legendary temples, stormy past and gorgeous weather would be quite the place to get my fill.

I started my journey two days ago when I took a longtail boat from Railay Beach, and from there I was loaded onto a minibus (an amped-up minivan) and hurled off to Suratthani, where I could connect to a regular bus to Bangkok. As I have stated before, the 15-hour overnight bus journey between Krabi and Bangkok is not my favorite. Between snoring passengers, hard seats, and not being able to move, it was an uncomfortable night.
In Krabi, I took a massive chance and bought a bus ticket to Siem Reap in Cambodi from Bangkok. Although I had heard that this was a "scam bus"(paying a cheap price, but being put on a sketchy bus, dropped off at unexpected places, slow journeys, crossing at the wrong borders, etc), I had spoken to people who had travelled from Bangkok to Siem Reap without any problems. My reasoning for deciding to take this route was that as a woman travelling alone, I would rather be on a bus that goes directly through as opposed to taking my chances with taxis or tuk-tuks at the border. Either I got really lucky or the ways of travel are changing, because Ipaid a very reasonable price, and apart from the bus in Bangkok being an hour late (to be expected of any bus in Thailand), the trip went smoothly. I met a man on the bus who lived in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. It was reassuring to have him there, because if the bus really was a huge scam, a local should know better.

The border crossing into Cambodia was stressful, and definitely not something I would like to do more than once. I had to fill out forms for my visa, and at one point, one of the men who worked for the bus company took my passport, smiled and walked away! I would have easily paid any sum of money at that point to have my passport back in my hand. We walked through the little shanty-town on the Thai side of the border, where children and hawkers swarm you from every direction, and if that's not enough to put you on edge, you have to stand and listen to the guide explain all of the terrible things that can happen to your money in Cambodia, how we have to stay together, because if we split up, we may never see our group member again, and other reassuring things like that. Trust me, I was starting to feel like Cambodia was a really, really bad idea. Things got slightly better when I paid my $20 visa fee and my passport was handed back to me. We were then herded like cattle through a tiny, stifling building, where we had to line up. Half an hour and a lot of sweat later, I handed my passport to the officer who barely even looked at my passport before stamping it and waving me away.

My friends, welcome to Cambodia!

The Cambodian side of the border is a completely different story. Instead of a shabby, yet somewhat laid-back town, Poipet (the border town) is basically Cambodia's answer to a scary, dirty Las Vegas. There are run-down casinos, people trying to sell you things that you don't need (surprise), and men sitting by the side of the road leering. I met two other Canadian travellers while waiting to cross the border, and I'm very glad that we stuck together while walking through Poipet's streets. As soon as I entered the town, I wanted to get out of there - fast - and take a shower. Except for the necessary border crossing, I'd say give this one a miss.

From the bus station in Poipet, I caught a shared taxi with Jenny and Scott (my fellow Canadian travellers) to Siem Reap. Although it was a two-hour ride, I could look forward to arriving into town at 5:00pm instead of 8:00. Since I hadn't booked a guesthouse yet, I figured I'd like more time to scout out a place.

As you drive from Thailand to Cambodia, the difference between the two countries could not be more in-your-face obvious. For starters, they tend to drive a a little slower in Cambodia...but make up for that little inconvenience by passing on the wrong side of the road, usually when big trucks are coming at you. The landscape is more jungle-y, and I can definitely see why people have stated that Cambodia is twenty years behind Thailand. People ride bicycles or motos along the highway, dogs run free, and the strange beauty of people's run-down homes and land keeps you mesmerized the whole way.

When I finally - finally - arrived in Siem Reap, I met up with a tuk-tuk driver. Instead ofthe usual bargaining and whining that I was used to in Bangkok, he suggested a guesthouse, and took me right there! I decided not to stay there, because I would have had to pay $8 for a single room. The driver then suggested the Garden Village guesthouse (which is also highly reccomended by Lonely Planet). He drove me there, and I scored a dorm room for - get this - $1 a night! Although it's literally just a mattress outside on a bamboo platform, the place is clean, I've met some fun people, and the location is prime - right by the night bazaar and pub street. Yes Mom, there is a mosquito net...for free!

Although Siem Reap is a touristy city, it doesn't feel as hectic as Bangkok did. Cambodia has maintained its authenticity, and I've met some of the most genuine, friendly locals.

This morning, I woke up at 4:30am, and met up with a moto driver, who took me to the Angkor temples. I decided to do the one-day tour, because I have limited time, and I've talked to other backpackers who said that they felt like they really saw a lot in just a day. Why did I get up so early? I wanted to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, and do some exploring before the tour buses arrived.

Sitting by the pond in front of the eighth wonder of the world in the dark was one of the most surreal amazing experiences of my life. Myself and maybe a hundred other people walked into the temple grounds in complete darkness (watch your step - just a hint) and although you can see the silhouette of the pagodas, the temple is still a mystery.

There wasn't a brilliant sunrise this morning, but I almost can't put into words how incredible it is to be sitting in the dark, and gradually, the Angkor Wat temple is illuminated in front of you. I'm glad that this was the first temple I saw, because as I walked around inside, admiring the detailed stone carvings, and marvelling at the size of the place, I wasn't constantly running into people.

As the day went on, the temples got busier and the day got hotter. To be honest, by the end of the tour, I was feeling a little temple-d out, and when you're trying to take a picture and other tourists are shoving you around, that usually means time to go. The highlights for me were the jungle temple (the Tomb Raider temple), the elephant temple, Angkor Thom, and - of course - Angkor Wat. It's not necessary for me to say, but if you're in Cambodia and miss Angkor Wat...for shame!

In the next few days, I'm planning to head to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, and brave the Killing Fields. After that, I think I'll need some down time in Sihanoukville. For now, however, a nap! The 4:30am start isn't really my thing.

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

The Last of Bangkok and the Long-Awaited Railay Beach!

As I write this, I'm in a tarp-covered, painfully slow Internet cafe in Railay Beach, Krabi province, Thailand. It's raining like crazy, and I feel like I might need to build an ark soon. But that aside, let me just say that Railay is one of the most amazing places I've ever seen...and definitely one of the best travel choices I've made in my life. But more on that later.

Day two in Bangkok wasn't as stressful as the first. For one thing, I'd gotten more sleep, and for another, I had gotten used to the vendors, tuk-tuk drivers, and general chaos of the city. One could boldly say that I've become more confident in travelling alone.

Day two was also possibly hotter than day one, something I couldn't quite get my (increadibly sweaty) head around. That night a nice breeze began to blow at sundown, making it bearable to walk the streets at night. There are so many people around at night, that unless you stick to dark, scary alleyways by yourself, chances are, you'll be fine.

I braved walking farther on the second day, and discovered some interesting markets. You're packed shoulder-to-shoulder the whole way through, but that definitely adds to the experience. You see all sorts of people - my personal favorite being the eighty-something woman with the Playboy purse. Some people sell really cool things like paper lanterns, jewelry, musical instruments, and the infamous Thai fisherman pants. And some people sell really weird things like dismembered fish bodies and "pawned" iPods (probably stolen from unsuspecting tourists). And one guy will take your picture and make you up a press access card, drivers license or even university degree - for just 150 baht! What do you think, Mom?

The key to haggling in Southeast Asia is pretty much the same as anywhere else...find a price that makes everyone happy, and you can usually walk away with armfuls of souvenirs without spending an arm and a leg.

I now understand why Thailand is nicknamed "The Land of Smiles". Everyone is so friendly, and many people have stopped to welcome me to Thailand, and I received a few wai's in Thailand (a wai is a prayerlike palms-together gesture). One lady even stopped me in the street to comment on how white I was (I'm working on it).

After a slightly masochistic night bus - 15 hours from Bangkok to Krabi, never mind that the bus was two hours late because of a protest - I took longtail boat to Railay! Railay beach was one of the destinations on my trip that I was looking forward to the most before I got here. Just look up a picture and you'll understand. Although unfortunately, the picture won't do it justice. The limestone cliffs rise above white sand and jade water. I was speechless when I got into the boat, and could only snap pictures from every angle available. Although there are a lot of people here, I don't get that overrun, touristy feeling.

The first day, myself and Connie, a girl from Germany who I met on the bus, rented a kayak for three hours and paddled all around the island. You can paddle through caves right in the cliffs, or for the more adventurous, try to dodge the longtails coming right at you. We found a small beach not far from our guesthouse that was completely deserted. Photo ops, anyone? My back is now sunburned beyond belief, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

For those coming to Railay, I would suggest staying on the East side of the beach. That's where the more affordable guesthouses are. Although the beach is covered in mangroves and unsuitable for swimming, it's a quick walk to the West side, where the beach is always in action.

Today was the day I had been waiting for even before I booked my trip: rock climbing! At 8:45 this morning, I met up with the guides in the King Climbers' office (conveniently located inside my guesthouse, saving me an early-morning walk). From there, we walked to the first area, which was an amazing cliff jutting right out of the sea. Climbing outside is very different than indoors. My hands and knees are all scraped up now, and some of the hand and footholds were harder to find, and almost always painful to keep ahold of. However, the guides were patient and reassuring, and I had the time of my life. After a quick lunch (fried rice with vegetables - for free!) we headed to another area on the island which were apparently harder to climb. The views from the top of the routes are unbeatable! It makes all of the scraping, slipping and over-exertion of not-s0-strong arms worth it! Speaking of arms, mine are now extremely stiff, and even typing this simple blog feels like quite an effort. I now have mad respect for my brother, Sam, who does this kind of thing all the time. By the way, save your money and you can come out!

This all brings me to right now, where I'm sitting in an Internet cafe watching the rain and thinking about what I'm going to eat. This is the good life!

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

The First Day in Bangkok!

Hey-oh! I am currently sitting in a nice, air-conditioned Internet shop on Khaosan Road, the heart of backpacker-ville in Bangkok, Thailand! I only arrived yesterday after something like 16 hours on airplanes. I finally arrived at the Suvarnabhumi (say that six times fast) airport two nights ago at midnight, and then had to camp out on one of their hard-metal benches until 5:30 the next morning, when I would (supposedly) be able to catch the airport express shuttle, which conveniently stopped right outside my hostel. Needless to say, I didn't get any sleep, and then to top it all off, the bus didn't come until 7:30. By that time, I was starting to feel a little crazy.

When I was finally able to leave the airport, I was blown away by the sights we passed as we drove into the city. The contrast between old and new is stunning. There are little tiny wooden shacks situated within meters of modern, shiny skyscrapers. To be completely honest, the modern buildings don't do all that much for me, but I love seeing the little houses and the older apartments...they have a lot more character. The contrast between old and new, as well as the style of buildings and roadways - and the driving - reminds me a little bit of Quito, Ecuador. One thing I've noticed is that in all of the older apartment buildings is that on almost all of the balconies, there are shirts hanging out to dry. I absolutely love the sight of this...I'm not sure why exactly, but I think it's beautiful.

Upon arrival in Khaosan, I took some time to walk through the road and check out the market. It's a little bit overwhelming to constantly have pesky tuk-tuk drivers coming up to you and saying, "Hey pretty lady! You need ride?" I've found that if you smile, say a simple "No" and keep walking, they'll get the point and leave you alone. All in all, I've felt quite safe so far in Bangkok, despite the constant chaos.

Within hours of arriving, myself and another single traveller were given a deal by a taxi driver: we could pay 1, 500 baht (about $40, or $20 per person) to take a day trip out of Bangkok to Wat Asokaram, for three hours. I decided to go for it, since it was a place I probably wouldn't be able to see otherwise. It definitely offered a contrast from Bangkok. Instead of constant hustle and bustle, it was peaceful, with monks walking around, running water, and the cutest little dogs sleeping all over the place! There were amazing Buddhist temples and statues of Buddha everywhere...the likes of which I had only seen in pictures. I also noticed that all of the pictures in the temple featured people working, families and celebration instead of the constant doom and suffering painted in all of the churches in Europe. There was one gory picture of a man being eaten by an alligator in the temple...ah well.

Afterwards, we headed back to Bangkok. Since I hadn't eaten since that morning, I took a chance and bought a delicious pad Thai off the street for less than a dollar! I've been feeling fine all day. The key to buying from food stalls is to go where other people are going, as this indicates how safe the food is. After eating, a tuk-tuk driver offered me a three-hour tour for only 20 baht. This seemed a little suspicious to me, so I politely declined, and instead, headed to a travel agency just outside of the Khaosan area to book my trip to Krabi (gra-bee). Khaosan road is peppered with travel agencies, but all of the prices they offer are too good to be true...which they are. I ended up paying 1, 500 baht for a night bus from Bangkok to Krabi, leaving tomorrow. From there, I head to the amazing Railay Beach for some rock climbing. A shout out to my brother Sam...if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have even heard of Railay, and now it's one of the places I'm looking forward to the most on my whole trip!

So far, despite being a little stressful and always on the move, Bangkok is a friendly, safe city, with endless things to do and see. The only real complaint I have is the bed at my hostel: it is as hard as a rock...literally. However, delicious food in the restaurant downstairs and friendly staff definitely make up for it. Last night, I went to bed at 7:00pm, intending to lay down for a minute, and found myself waking up 13 hours later. Now I feel a little less jet-lagged and ready to do some more exploring. I leave at 5:00pm tomorrow, and arrive in Railay by noon or 1:00.

I'll start uploading pictures as soon as a) I take a few more and b) I can find a USB plug.

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

What I Learned on Eurotrip 2009 (better late than never)

1. You WILL see your hostel roommates naked/in their underwear. Even if you don't want to.

2. Do not walk on bike paths. If you must, MOVE if you hear people yelling in Dutch. They are yelling at you, and you may cause an accident - much like Shayla and I did five minutes after getting off the train in Amsterdam.

3. Shaving legs is overrated.

4. Deodorant is not.

5. There is no peanut butter in the entire country of Hungary. There are, however, about a dozen different types of Nutella.

6. Beer really IS cheaper than water.

7. Put detergent in the washing machine - after all, isn't that the point?

8. You likely won't know what you're eating. Just eat it anyway.

9. Yum Yum is the best brand of instant noodles. Hands down.

10. Austrian cake is to die for.

11. Don't feel bad about "borrowing" free breakfast from the hostels for lunch - it saves you a couple of Euros.

12. Get an ISIC card! It saves tons of money!

13. If you're in Amsterdam and want a coffee, go to a cafe. "Coffee shop" has a very different meaning.

14. 40, 000 really isn't that much in Hungarian money.

15. It is perfectly fine to simply nod and smile when someone randomly walks up to you and begins speaking German/Dutch/Czech/Hungarian. Unless they stop talking and anxiously await an answer. Then it's time to admit that you don't actually speak their language.

16. Stacking dolls are really, really cool.

17. German keyboards are hard to type on.

18. You CAN order a beer at McDonalds, a quarter-pounder is a Royale with cheese, and fries are eaten with mayonnaise (as stated in Pulp Fiction).

19. Schnitzel is NOT as good as it sounds.

20. Cold canned pasta isn't really all that bad. And instant noodles rarely ever disappoint.

21. Stopping and staring is a frequent occurrence.

22. There really are people out there who JUST DON'T GET IT. When you're visiting Dachau, a Holocaust memorial and concentration camp, it's not a good idea to complain about how unsatisfactory your cruise was - even if it really did suck.

23. Europe really IS as gorgeous as they say!

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com