I can’t believe second semester starts TOMORROW! We have been here for 5 months already, time has flown by!
We are extra excited about this semester because we’re moving!!!!!! We begged until they finally let us move to the city campus so we don’t have to live out in the boondocks anymore, so we are counting down the days until November 5th! We will still have to teach at this campus but the commute is totally worth it.
It has been strange trying to get back in the swing of things after traveling for the last 3 weeks. Although it was an amazing trip we were happy to be “home”. Yeah weird huh?! When we crossed the border into Thailand (and especially when we got to Bangkok), we felt at home again. It was familiar to us. We knew how to greet people. We knew how to get around. We noticed that before traveling we look little things for granted such as knowing how to take a taxi and knowing how to tell them where we want to go and actually getting there (we also took for granted clean sheets and toilet paper but that’s another story).
Again, I am at a loss for words trying to think of how I can begin to describe the last three weeks…so here’s a brief summary…
We started by flying from Bangkok to Hanoi, Vietnam (in the North) and then bussed our way all the way south to Ho Chi Minh City and then through Cambodia and back to Bangkok.
3 weeks. 7 cities. lotssss and lotsssss of hours in buses.
Vietnam: Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City.
Cambodia: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap.
Vietnam is truly a hidden gem. We fell in love with each city, thinking that it couldn’t get any better, yet each city kept surprising us. The French influence was very apparent in the food (BAGUETTES everywhere! which was quite the treat compared to the usual loaf of bread I buy at 7/11) and the buildings. The apartments and restaurants are very narrow and tall and are quite adorable. We thought traffic was chaotic in Bangkok….until we got to Hanoi. There are no traffic rules whatsoever. Well, if there is, noone follows them. There are motorbikes everywhereeeeeee…even families of 5 on a one motorbike…
It was also interesting hearing about the “American” war from a Vietnamese perspective- we visited the Hoa Lo Prison (the “Hanoi Hilton”) and the War Remnants museum which was incredibly eye opening as well as disturbing.
We retreated into the mountain town of Sapa for a few days which was BEAUTIFUL! It is near the China border and home to several different hilltribe ethnic groups who make beautiful embrodered blankets, bags, scarfs, you name it. We did a 2 day, 1 night trek to the highest peak in Indochina (which is Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam)…the peak is called Fansipan (or Fantsy Pants as we like to call it). It was the most physically demanding activity any of us have ever done. But our wonderful guide and porters kept us motivated with their smiles and antics. Our porters Zhao and Han showed us up as they skipped up the mountain in sandals carrying the heaviest packs without breaking a sweat, and the proceeded to cook us the most delicious meals over a fire halfway up the mountain in the middle of a bamboo forest….we were pinching ourselves as we couldn’t believe what we were experiencing…
From the north we had about an 18 hour overnight “sleeper” bus to Hoi An where we spent a couple days which was yet another charming little town and then another 26 hour bus to Ho Chi Minh City which was one of our least favorite cities but it was Ms. Jennifer Ranger’s 25th birthday! which was the highlight!
Then we headed to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was quite special for me to be in Cambodia since I studied the genocide in school and want to work in post-conflict countries in the future–it was incredible, yet devastating, to be there.
Our last stop was Siem Reap, Cambodia where we spent a day at Angkor Wat! Absolutely spectualar to see in real life! It reminded us of Legends of the Hidden Temple (remember that show?? haha)
Annnnnd we are still pinching ourselves… and feel so lucky to be able to have a job that allows us 3 months paid vacation, so we are able to travel, meet new people, learn about history, experience culture and see a new part of the world.
But for now…it is back to reality and I have lesson plans to write for class tomorrow.
(I posted pictures–link on the right. pictures will help explain better than my words!)
miss you all everyday.
love and peace.
hi tina. loved reading about your adventure even though there’s so much more i’d like to know. interesting to hear of the french influences, esp since i studied post-colonialism in school. also i was reading a travel article which mentioned how incredible halong bay is yet how hardly anyone see it. Lucky you.