Same Same but Different

I found out where all the Swedes go in winter in case you were wondering. They all flock to Thailand and I don't blame them. In my opinion sand and sun is much better than snow and darkness. But anyway, I found myself in Thailand at the end of January to meet up with some friends. We were in Phuket and filled our days with beaches and our nights in tacky bars with go-go dancers. Eventually we did break up the pattern by visiting Koh Phi Phi Island for a snorkeling trip. It was my first experience snorkeling in tropical waters and it was amazing. I saw just about every type of fish featured in Finding Nemo. The water was incredibly clear and on the white, sandy beaches the shells can sometimes surprise you by suddenly moving because there's a hermit crab inside them.

I can see why so many tourists visit Thailand and it's not just the scenery. The food is incredible as well. When I got to Thailand I was excited to try my favorite dishes that I had at the Thai restaurants back home. But the most confusing part about eating food in Thailand (and this goes for Laos as well) is that you're supposed to eat your meal using a fork and a spoon. And the crazy thing is that the Thais don't ever put the fork in their mouth, they just use it to pile stuff onto the spoon. So whoever introduced the fork to this region of the world didn't really do a very good job. Anyway, it tastes delicious no mater how you eat it.

Eventually it was time to head to Bangkok. I fought through the smog to visit some of the palaces and temples, got my teeth cleaned (no cavities!) and a genuine Thai massage (more of a test of my flexibility) but the highlight would have to be one of the day trips that I took. The day started early and while waiting for the tour to get organized I heard some cheering from a nearby bar. I would assume that the bar was full of Americans because they were cheering about a touchdown that the Steelers had just scored in the Superbowl. It was strange to see them drinking coffee instead of beer while watching the game but then again it was eight in the morning. Kind of made me miss home for a minute but then I realized where I was going that day and got over it.

Once everyone got sorted and we were on our way we had to stop at a few boring (OK, OK, important) memorials before we got to the elephant ride. It brought back memories of riding elephants at the circus but somehow the elephants seemed a lot smaller than in my memories. Next was a waterfall with plenty of interesting tropical birds flying around. And then finally we made it to the Tiger Temple. The Tiger Temple is run by monks who first adopted an orphaned tiger and now have lots of tigers that tourists are allowed to pet and pose for pictures with. It was a little disappointing that there was such a huge number of tourists and you were moved around so quickly. Instead of actually getting to experience being up close with a tiger it felt a lot more like a photo opportunity. At least in Africa there was a sense of danger when I was in the lion cage since the guards had some very large guns strapped to their backs and there was nobody waiting in line.

One more stop at another Thai beach on the way south to witness some fire twirling, fire jump rope and participate in fire limbo (did I mention that they're not big on lawsuits in this part of the world). Finally, after deciding that the Thais were just not very generous with visas these days it was time to go to my next destination: Malaysia.

I continued south where the weather got hotter and the culture got conservative. Malaysia is predominately Muslim but thanks to lots of Chinese immigrants there are still plenty of places to buy a beer.

I started out in Penang and loved the combination of Maylay, Chinese, Indian and British cultures living together. I especially enjoyed eating all the different types of food they brought with them. It was also fun to wander around (while tying not to get too sweaty) looking at the great colonial architecture.

Next I was on my way to a place where I could cool off and strawberries are grown year-round! The Cameron Highlands is where all sorts of fruits and vegetables are grown and tourists come to look at them. There are also some really incredible hiking trails. My favorite one went through the "Mossy Forest". I visited my very first apiary (where bees are raised), a tea plantation and a couple butterfly farms but my favorite place was definitely the strawberry farm. I made friends with a wonderful guy from Bangladesh who was running the place. He insisted on feeding me all the free strawberries and whipped cream I could eat. I think he liked me.

Onward to my next stop called Pulau Perhentian Kecil, or in other words, paradise. The island had just opened up after the monsoon season so things hadn't gotten crowded yet. The sand was white the water was clear and the nightly fish barbecues were delicious. It's one of those places where you literally lose track of time. The snorkeling trip was even better than in Thailand. This time I not only go to see Nemo fish but sea turtles, sharks and sting rays. The sea turtles also came on the beach at night to lay their eggs.

I tagged along with some of the people I met on the beach to one of the most Muslim cities in Malaysia: Kota Bharu. The museums were pretty interesting but one night we were wandering around and found what looked to be a night market taking place. Upon further investigation we saw the usual animal parts, clothes and food for sale. After sitting down on the nearby lawn to drink the super sweet colorful drinks we had bought we realized that we might be a little out of place. People were gathering around and a curious woman came over to talk to us. Turns out we were at a very conservative Muslim right-wing political rally. Hmm...there goes any chance of getting security clearance anytime in the near future. We stayed for a few minutes not understanding what the guy at the microphone was saying but observing everything around us. Eventually we felt uncomfortable enough to head out of there.

Taman Negara was where I decided to go next. Time for some more jungle trekking! This was real rainforest. I did a two-day hike through the rainforest where I donated some blood to the local leech population. I was hoping to see some elephants or tigers but instead saw deer, squirrels, woodpeckers and spiders. Pretty much the same stuff I see in my backyard at home. Oh well, I guess it is a little different when they're rainforest squirrels. Ok it wasn't all disappointing. I really enjoyed the challenge of a long hike and felt stronger and happier having accomplished it. The other highlights of Taman Negara were getting to go up on the canopy walkways and seeing the frightening and smelly bat caves.

I was a little bit apprehensive when I arrived in Singapore. I was afraid of doing something like breaking a law I didn't know about. And it was a bit of a culture shock being in a big city after so much time in the forest. The westerners who live there will tell you Singapore is like living in the movie "The Truman Show". They say it feels like a movie set because something that's broken will be fixed by the time you see it the next day. I witnessed this myself. I saw some graffiti on a wall that I hadn't noticed the day before but it was gone the next day when I walked past again. It makes you second-guess yourself whether it was there at all. The city is incredibly efficient and clean just like I had heard it would be. The other thing about Singapore is that they supposedly speak English. However, I can't understand them and they have a hard time understanding me. They speak their own version of English called Singlish and have a strange habit of adding "la" onto the end of their sentences.

By this time I had been in Asia for almost seven months. I had gotten pretty good at eating and drinking my dinner out of a plastic bag but it was time to embark on my next adventure: Australia.

Tuk-tuk? Motobike? Massaaaaaaaage?

Apparently the travel gods were not so happy about my arrival in Vietnam since it started raining nonstop for about ten days after I crossed the border. It wasn't even the wet season. I was back in a land of chopsticks and pagodas as I saw the familiar Chinese influence everywhere.

I soon found out that crossing the street in Vietnam is much different than anything else I have encountered in the world. Instead of a long line of cars the street is filled with thundering motorbikes. If you're not easily intimidated it's possible to step off the curb and have the traffic flow around you like water. It is very important to walk at a regular and predictable pace because any hesitation could cause confusion for the motorbike drivers and possibly an accident. The rain doesn't seem to be a problem either. The locals just throw on a colorful plastic poncho and try to avoid any puddles. And when the weather's nice everyone wears the ever-so-fashionable surgical masks.

It's amazing what they can carry on those motorbikes. They can load them up with huge bags of rice or carry dinner home without spilling. I've seen caskets and full-length mirrors on the back that don't even get a second glance from the locals. But hands-down the strangest thing I witnessed was when I saw someone get the shopkeeper to load up a decent sized refrigerator onto the back of his motorbike, grab onto it with his arm and take off without even tying the thing down. The shopkeeper saw my astonished expression when he turned around and just kind of let out a little chuckle and a shrug.

I have to admit I was expecting hostility from the locals due to the "American War" of my parent's generation. But even outside the tourist areas I was surprised to find friendly, curious locals and strangers that waved hello as I walked the street. There are reminders and memorials of the war scattered around the country. I visited a few like the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh and the site of the My Lai Massacre. I feel that as an American it was good to get the other side's perspective of what took place. I've seen Vietnamese landscapes in the movies but instead of bombs and helicopters it was reassuring to know I could visit this beautiful country and enjoy all the things it has to offer.

Actually one of the the very plentiful things that Vietnam offers to the world is bootlegged stuff. The Vietnamese have no issue with copyright infringement. It's fun and interesting to spot new and different ways to rip off brands. The "Gucci" store definitely does not sell anything by Gucci. The bottled water I bought looked remarkably similar to Pepsi's brand minus a letter or two. Of course everyone has heard of the copied DVDs, music and clothes brands but Vietnam was the first place I saw people walking around selling stacks of photocopied bestsellers. Every page has been copied and bound with a cover to resemble an authentic book. Clever.

The first city I visited was Hue. Tension was in the air because Vietnam was playing Thailand in the final match of a big tournament. I got my face painted with the Vietnam flag and got many cheers and even an offer for a free tuk-tuk ride because of my show of support. Vietnam ended up winning in the final second of the game that night. The enthusiasm was overwhelming. There was a lot of celebration and flag-waving in the streets. It's good to be on the winning side.

I stopped in Hoi'an next which is famous for tailor shops. It was very exciting to think about getting clothes and shoes tailor made but I ended up being disappointed in the quality. Oh well at least I got to celebrate New Years there and ended up having a great time.

I visited a few more villages and then made it to hectic Ho Chi Minh city before deciding it was time to move on to my next destination: Cambodia.

Upon arrival in Cambodia I couldn't figure out why all the cash machines only dispense US dollars. I went around looking for something that would give me the local currency out of the ATM. Eventually I asked someone and was able to figure out that Cambodia uses US dollars for their currency and the local "Reil" is used for any change under a dollar. Hmm... well it was nice to use the familiar greenbacks for a while after all the strange currencies I had been using in the past year.

I was in Phnom Penh. Besides witnessing for the first time people riding on top of the bus I got to see things like the King's Palace, a gigantic stupa in the middle of the city and walk along the river. But sadly one of the reasons so many tourists visit the capital is to learn about the country's tragic past.

One of the first books I read when I set off on my journey was George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was written in 1949 but little did he know that the fictional world he imagined would manifest itself just 30 years later when the Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia.

In an effort to create a perfect society where everyone was "equal," the Khmer Rouge rounded up everyone in Phnom Penh and marched the ones who could make it to the countryside to work in the fields. Many wealthy or educated people were immediately killed. It was dangerous to even wear eyeglasses as it was seen as a sign of intelligence. Money was abolished, temples, libraries and anything western was destroyed, families were split up, talking to one another in conversation was prohibited, black was the only color permitted to be worn. Marriages were arranged by the Khmer Rouge for the sole purpose of procreation. Any violation of the rules meant you risked being sent away. Most likely to a prison where you were tortured until you confessed to doing something that was punishable by death.

It's not known how many people died during the regime but estimates range from one to three million. Most died of executions, overwork, starvation and disease. Much of the rice being produced on the farms ended up being sent to China in order to buy more weapons.

It's astonishing that something on this scale could have taken place so recently. It really doesn't get the attention it deserves in western society. Very few of the leaders were ever punished.

I visited one of the prisons where people were sent to be tortured. In what was once a school before it became a prison, the S-21 prison is a haunting and somber place to visit. The most moving part is the mug shots on display of all the prisoners that passed through. Each expression is different. Some look defiant while others look shocked and scared out of their mind.

The other place that you can visit is the "Killing Fields" where the people who were tortured and killed are buried in shallow mass graves. It is not for the feint of heart.

Feeling lucky to be alive I headed for my next destination. Sihanoukville is a typical Cambodian city but with a lot of great beaches. I didn't realize how low-key everything was until later when I had the beaches of Thailand to compare it to. It was great to chill out with some fellow travelers, eat fruit and drink coconuts. It was my first taste of the famed tropical paradises in Southeast Asia.

I made my way to Siem Reap where I fought off the fiercely competitive tuk-tuk drivers and see one of the highlights of Southeast Asia: Ankor Wat. But the night before I stayed up late to witness a significant moment back home in the States: the inauguration of President Obama. The guy running the bar I was in gave out free shots and we toasted to the new president. I even received a few congratulations myself. Things were looking up for the way Americans were starting to be perceived.

Ankor Wat is is a really big temple out in the middle of the jungle and it's surrounded by lots of other similar temples of various ages and states of repair. I spent a day seeing a lot of them and climbing to the top of most of them. The temples really were incredible. My favorites were where some of trees had grown in or around the buildings as if they were reclaiming the space where the were built.

As a result of all the climbing and exploring my muscles got very sore. It was time to get back to relaxing on the beach! I was off to join the sunburned Scandinavians in Thailand.

Welcome to the Jungle

China was starting to get very cold by mid-November so I decided that it was time to warm up on the beaches of Thailand. I just had to make my way across the little country of Laos to get there. The Chinese official at the border carefully scrutinized my passport and looked up several times to see that my photo and face matched to his satisfaction. He then gave me an expressionless "OK" and handed over my passport. I then proceeded over to the Laos side of the border. Once there I had to find someone to wake up the guy who could sell me a visa. I filled out the paperwork and the slightly groggy but very friendly border official eventually processed my visa and wished me well. I had just had my first introduction to the most laid-back country I have ever visited. A few more fun and interesting days later I had put off my plans for Thailand and ended up staying in Laos for over a month.

In China I had met locals who made me feel like the only westerner they had ever seen. In Laos I was about to enter the world of classic backpacking culture: flip-flops, dreadlocks and comfortable loose-fitting pants. Everywhere I looked there were girlfriends toting around obliging boyfriends and groups of guys ready to find some thrills. My first stop was the town of Muang Sing near the Chinese border. I met up with a group of travelers who were as new to Laos as I was. Together we discovered the wonders of Lao Lao (a very strong alcoholic drink that gives you a terrible hangover) and the small-town clubbing scene. Somehow we got invited the next night to a pig roast at the house of a man named Mr. Deth. It was a night of great food, lots of singing and large quantities of Beer Lao (the national beer).

My next adventure with the same group of travelers was hiking in the mountainous jungle near Luang Namtha. We decided on a three-day journey through uninhabited jungle. I had to struggle to hike up and down the steep hills but our local guides breezed through the trail in flip-flops while smoking cigarettes. The jungle was strangely silent and we didn't see any wildlife except insects and what we thought might have been a bird. But if you count leeches we saw tons of wildlife. The first day was a constant battle against the painful little suckers but the situation got better as the trail got more elevated.


For food on the trek I was introduced to local food and traditions. Sticky rice is the staple food. It is eaten with the hands and dipped or scooped into other dishes that are eaten communally. We ate off a banana leaf and I soon found out that banana leaves have many uses besides tablecloths. They are used as a very environmentally friendly packaging for food. Though often the leaf-wrapped food gets put into plastic bags anyway. I was also impressed at the skills our guides had with bamboo and a machetes. They carve up a cup for drinking in a matter of minutes.


Back in civilization after trekking through jungle it was sad to notice the scale of forest destruction taking place. Slash-and-burn farming is commonplace. Jungle gets replaced with rice farms and immense rubber tree plantations. And it's not as if all the environmental and social issues in Laos result just from the people living there. It's hard to believe that the smiling, gentle Laos people live in the most bombed country on Earth. And who do you think bombed them? That's right, I had stumbled onto yet another country that I didn't know had been bombed by the United States. But to my credit it is known as "the secret war". The U.S. tried to bomb the Vietnamese troops that moved through Laos during the Vietnam war and dropped more bombs than during the whole of the second world war. Many failed to detonate and still continue to kill or injure lots of people today.


I stopped in Luang Prabang to do some scenic strolling through the streets and see a few temples and waterfalls. Then it was on to a very interesting destinations in Laos: Vang Vieng. The bus ride there was slow, bumpy and uncomfortable but went through some of the most amazing scenery in the country. The mist-covered mountains reminded me of pictures I've seen of the landscape surrounding Machu Picchu in Peru.

When I arrived in Vang Vieng I had to do a double-take when I saw tourists just lying around in the restaurants. All the restaurants in this backpacking town seemed to have the same business model: cushions for reclining while you eat and a continuous loop of bootlegged Friends episodes playing loudly on the television.

(Mom, if you're reading this you can skip this paragraph.) But the strangest thing about this town was that it was common to see many of the tourists limping or bandaged up as they moved about on the streets. This is because the main activity for backpackers in Vang Vieng is tubing. There were all kinds of rumors about deaths and paralyzation and it is easy to see why. Take a few backpackers, put them in inner tubes on the river, give them lots of alcohol (plus a free shot of Lao Lao with every drink) at the bars along the way, throw in a few gigantic rope swings, slides and mud pits and you have a recipe for a lot of dangerous but very thrilling lawsuit-free fun!


Onward to the most laid-back capital city on the planet with the French name of Vientiane. Happily for us travelers we were thrilled to find that the French had left behind a few wine and cheese shops, French cafes and baguettes at every corner street cart. There are also some stunning temples and buildings to visit. The tuk-tuk (a tuk-tuk is a sort of small pick-up truck that makes a sound like "tuk-tuk-tuk" and is used as a taxi) drivers in the city are hilarious because they all have hammocks in the back. Occasionally it's necessary to wake someone up if you need a ride. I was also surprised to see so many Soviet flags displayed. When I asked someone about it I discovered that many Laos people are just big fans of communism.


Next it was time for an adventure. We went to a village where there was a river that flowed under a mountain. It was possible to take a boat ride through the cave to the other side so that's what we did. It was a little scary but still lots of fun. There were no hotels so we did a homestay in the village and were introduced to village life in Laos. The family actually spent the evening watching television together. I felt right at home.

Savanahket is pretty sleepy town and I was there for only a day or two. So the only thing I really remember about that place is that we were there on a Friday night and were wandering down the street and stumbled upon a celebration. It was insisted that we join in the revelry. We still have no idea what what being celebrated because nobody spoke English but it was lots of fun and even grandma ended up drinking a little too much. In exchange for the good times and some booze we taught them the Hokey Pokey.

After stopping along the way to take in a few more waterfalls and coffee farms I ended up in Don Det which is in a region called the Four-Thousand Islands. Yes, even though Laos is a landlocked country they really do have lots of islands. The islands are located on the mighty Mekong River. And what better place to celebrate Christmas than on an island in the sun? Time to party! Again! I celebrated with a big group of travelers which even included a Dutch girl that I had originally met while in Ethiopia. We started out talking about different traditions and how each of us celebrated Christmas back home but ended up deciding that the Swedes had it best. Everyone got up and danced and sang around a palm tree. The Swedes insisted that they really do dance and sing in a circle around the Christmas tree back home and that they really weren't making this up. (It made a lot more sense after lots of Beer Lao.)

Laos was lots of fun but eventually it was time to move on. Next stop: Vietnam.

Photos

Here is a listing of all the photos I have posted so far. Enjoy!

Africa

Europe

Mongolia

Korea

China

Signage

Laos

Slurp, Spit, Shove

After many failed attempts in childhood to dig my way to China I finally arrived by plane in mid-October. I started out in Beijing where the Olympics had just recently finished. So one of my first stops was the Olympic village. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get to watch much of the Olympics during my travels but it was still very exciting to see the buildings that I had heard so much about like the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. There definitely weren't as many crowds present as during the Olympic games but the Olympic village has become a new tourist site for visitors to the city. The futuristic buildings and perfectly symmetrical trees lining the wide open spaces made me feel as though I was walking through an architectural drawing.

Beijing is huge enough that what looks like only a short distance on a map can take a very long time to reach. But eventually I made my way to other tourist sites like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. I was so amazed by the Forbidden City that I spent an entire day there and I think I could have spent another. It was huge and a perfect introduction to the architecture and wealth of history in China.

While in Beijing I got my first taste of real Chinese food. One of my favorite things to eat was stuff on a stick. At night vendors line the streets and have tables full of everything you could possible think of that fits on a stick. You pick out what you want and they'll grill or fry it for you right in front of you. And of course I ate lots and lots of noodles that are supposed to be slurped loudly because that kind of noise is not considered impolite.

What is also not considered impolite is spitting. The Chinese looove to spit. Even old grandmothers will make the disgusting sounds of clearing their throat and letting one fly. At first I was intrigued and joined right in but then it got old and it got annoying hearing and seeing people do it all the time. I decided I didn't like it.

After Beijing I headed southwest to my next Chinese city, Xi'an to see the famous Terracotta Warriors. The site is huge and I was surprised to see that most of it is not yet excavated. The warriors that you see in photos have all been painstakingly glued back together once they get dug up. And what's even more amazing is that the tomb was found because a farmer was drilling a well and noticed some pieces of pottery. By looking at the location of where he drilled you can see that if he had dug even just a foot or two in the other direction he would have never found this gigantic burial. I saw some Pagodas, city walls and towers in Xi'an during the next few days but my next destination was Luoyang to see the very impressive Longman Caves.

I was surprised to find that China's tourist destinations are not full of Western tourists but of Chinese tourists. Imagine the busloads of Asian tourists you know and love back home in the US, multiply it by about one billion and you will get an idea of what a tourist spot in China looks like. They take photos of just about anything. Including me. At first I thought that I was just accidentally getting in the way of their photos but it turns out they were pointing those expensive-looking lenses in my direction on purpose. Eventually I encountered people who would ask first or wanted to pose with me and I was more than willing to do so. I was a little relieved to realize that I wasn't imagining it and that that everyone really was staring at me! Especially on the train rides.

My first introduction to train travel in China was quite an experience but I soon got the hang of it. Everyone sits in the waiting area until literally five minutes before the train boards. Then your ticket is checked and you are allowed to pass through the gates and try to catch your train which can be pretty far from the waiting area. Don't be afraid to push and shove because that's the best way of getting a seat if you haven't been assigned a seat number. Be sure to bring a container for your green tea. Boiling water is provided so you can also make instant noodles for yourself whenever you get hungry. Be sure to pack lots of seeds whether they're sunflower, pumpkin, or pine nut because cracking them open and spitting the shell on the floor is a perfect way to pass the time on your long journey. And bring enough to share. One of my favorite train rides was when I sat next to a woman who shared her pumpkin seeds with me. She spoke no English but seemed to be very intrigued with this western girl sitting next to her. She even checked the roots of my hair to see if it was the real color. She had no hair of her own because she was dressed as a monk and had it all shaved off. Another time I had a conversation with a guy and we were talking about how so many things are made in China. "Yes" he said, "and very good quality too." I think he truly believed that. My past experience with Chinese products would prove otherwise but I didn't have the heart to contradict him.

Anyway, back to the Longman Caves in Luoyang. They reminded me a lot of the caves I had seen back in Turkey minus the gigantic statues. It's incredible how two "cultural relics" on opposite sides of the world can look so similar. I say cultural relics because that is what all important historical objects and sites are called in China. Signs will tell you "Don't score on the cultural relic" or "it's duty of us that obligation cultural relic". Couldn't understand that last one? It wasn't a typo. The Chinese struggle a bit with the translation on signs. I've seen signs that say "Be careful of your treasures" to mean you should watch your belongings or "Don't throw something dirty on the floor". It's as if someone was handed a thesaurus and told to go crazy. You can kind of understand what they mean and they're good for a laugh so I hope nobody ever decides to correct them.

It's not as if I hadn't made a few mistakes of my own in China. One day I stopped in a restaurant mainly because it had a picture menu and that usually makes ordering food easier. I pointed to the meal that I wanted and was startled to find that I had accidentally ordered not the drumstick-rice-veggie-duck egg meal that I had intened but the duck head-rice-veggie-duck egg meal that I was served. Oops. A second glance at the picture and I figured out that it really is a duck head in the picture. I ate everything else on the plate besides the duck head and the guy even complimented me on my chopstick abilities (many Chinese seemed to be very impressed that I knew how to use chopsticks) but noticed that I didn't finish eating my duck head when I was ready to pay. I think he was asking me if I wanted to take the duck head with me but I just smiled and vowed to try some duck at a different place next time.

Eventually I found myself in Shanghai where the smog is think, the buildings are tall and the bikes are plentiful. Actually that probably describes a lot of cities in China. Actually I could probably describe Shanghai with two words "under construction". The building frenzy is completely out of control. Anyway, there were some interesting sites to see in Shanghai like the French Concession, the Bund and the Shanghai Museum. I was in Shanghai when the results of the American election were announced. I had to find someone who knew who had won. Needless to say I did not see any dancing in the streets like I heard about back home.

My next stop was the very pretty town of Fenghuang. I met some Chinese people who were about my age and were spending the weekend in Fenghuang as well. They invited me to join their group and we spent some time seeing the sights and of course singing karaoke. I am embarassed to admit that they convinced me to sing Britney Spear's "Hit Me One More Time". I was sober. The drinking came later in the night when we had some good old Budweiser beer brewed in China.

I made a stop in the city of Kunming and then visited a smaller village where I made some conversation with the locals with my phrasebook and did some hiking where I saw lots of rubber trees. At night I ended up being invited to someone's birthday party which was of course celebrated with lots and lots of karaoke.

A month is really not enough time to see very much of China since it is such a huge country. But the weather was getting cold because it was mid-November and I was ready to head someplace warm. It was time to head south to Laos.

Kraaaazy Korea

The bright lights and crowded streets of Seoul were a bit overwhelming after all that peacefulness on the Mongolian Steppes. I had almost decided to go straight to China. But then I couldn't resist the urge to impress every Korean I meet for the rest of my life by visiting that quirky little peninsula out in the Pacific known as South Korea. I grew up in Northern Virginia and have known plenty of Korean-Americans. So when I arrived in Korea and stood amongst the sea of people all around me on the busy sidewalk I couldn't help but think to myself "So this is where they all come from!"

I started my exploration of the country in Seoul where I given a wonderful tour by a friend of the family. The tall skyscrapers, throngs of busy people, and large, efficient subway system were exactly what I had imagined experiencing in my first visit to a large Asian city. I was excited to throw out some random Korean phrases that I had learned back home such as "I'm hungry" and "where is the trashcan?" I was thrilled to be told that I have excellent pronunciation. I don't even think they were saying it just to be nice!

I visited the usual temples and tourist sites in Seoul and waved hello to North Korea at the Demilitarized Zone but one of the most intriguing experiences in Seoul and my first Korean television appearance was when I went to a ProLeague match. I'm sure most of you have never heard of ProLeague so I will explain. It is professional video gaming and works very similar to a professional sport in the US. Fans go to a "stadium" to watch two teams compete. The uniformed players (mostly teenagers who are paid to do this and devote about eight hours a day to training) compete head to head up on two booths on the stage. The action gets projected up on the main screen for the audience and three commentators talk strategy and statistics. At least that's what I'm assuming they were talking about since it was in Korean. The whole thing is nationally televised. Not many westerners frequent the matches so it was no surprise that they had to get a close-up of the westerner sitting in the audience. I saw myself on television during a rerun about a week later waving at the camera. I had a hard time following what was going on in the match but soon figured out that depending on which side of the audience of screaming girls was louder was the one that was in the lead. And then all of a sudden without warning there is a winner! The thrill of victory! The agony of defeat! All I could do was shake my head and say to myself "only in Korea..."

My next stop was the southern coastal city to which I owe my existence, Busan. My parents met there over 35 years ago while my father was in the Army and my mother was teaching on the base. The American base doesn't exist anymore but I finally got to see the city that I have heard about all my life. I met up with some more "extended family" who were very generous in showing me around the city and introducing me to some very delicious food.

Can't make up your mind as to what to have for dinner in Korea? Not a problem! You can get a little bit of everything. Literally. Whenever you order something off the menu your table automatically starts to fill up with tiny side dishes that also double as your entertainment for the night. It's possible to spend a few hours sitting around with friends and throwing out guesses as to what it is you just put in your mouth and most likely the Koreans can only tell you the Korean word for it. But of course the most famous, beloved and recognizable side dish guaranteed to be served with every meal is good old kimchi. I don't really get why the Koreans love this spicy, garlicy fermented cabbage so much but they go absolutely crazy over it.

So when I got to my third Korean city, Gwangju, and heard about the kimchi festival that would be taking place while I was there I knew this was something I had to witness. My visit to Korea coincided with peak festival time in the country and I had already seen some very enthusiastic Koreans enjoying festivals in Seoul and Busan.

I was visiting a friend of a friend who introduced me to the wonderful world of English teachers living in Gwangju. (Thanks Kent, Leah and Stuart for your hospitality!) Westerners there get to experience something akin to celebrity status. While at the kimchi festival my companion and I were assaulted with paparazzi-like photographers and were interviewed for both a radio and television program. I did my best to praise everything about kimchi but I wonder what their reaction would have been if I had told them the truth: all kimchi tastes the same to me and it's OK but in my opinion not necessary to eat with every meal.

If I had to pick one other thing that I thought Koreans love as much as kimchi I would say hiking would have to be it. Hiking is "Good for health!" But a Korean would not be caught dead on a trail unless they were wearing an outfit made of some high-tech fabric, top-of-the-line hiking boots, an oversized visor to keep the sun off the face and walking sticks even if it's only a two hour hike. And it's not as if they're hiking in the middle of nowhere. The trails can get very crowded when they all march up the mountain at the same time.

Drunken business men, people stopping me on the street to try to help me find God, soju (an alcoholic drink), taxi drivers blatently disregarding traffic lights, plastic food in restaurant windows, convenience stores on every corner (literally), neon crosses on churches, a world-class Biannle exhibit in Gwangju and free McDonalds delivery are a few more things that I will remember about my visit to Korea. But by the end of my two weeks there my legs were getting a little cramped up from all the sitting on the floor and that's when I knew I was ready for my next stop: China.

The Sound of Silence

Horses, mountains, sand dunes, lakes, yaks, gers, and nomads. Mongolia has so much and yet so much nothingness at the same time. With the lowest population density in the world at about 1.7 people per square kilometer and some parts having only about .3 people per square kilometer, it would seem like there is just a lot of open space. Well, there is a lot of open space but believe it or not there's also lots to see and do out in the middle of nowhere.

I arrived in Mongolia at the end of August and had just completed almost six full months of nomadic travel. Obviously there would be no better place for me than to visit with the real nomads of the Mongolian steppe. I arrived in the capital, Ulaan Baatar and met up with some strangers who were looking to take a long trip out to the countryside. We got ourselves a solid Russian van, a driver we called D.C. (who spoke no English except for "lunch" and "sleep"), some camping equipment, plenty of food and water and embarked on our three-week adventure.

We began by heading south towards the Gobi desert. Usually when you think of the desert you think of sand and more sand. While there was plenty of sand there was also a constantly changing landscape. Each moment that I looked out the window it looked completely different from the last. Rocky hills turned into grassy plains and then instantly into miles of dry brush for as far as the eye could see.

One of my favorite parts about camping in the middle of nowhere was that I could experience absolute silence. It was kind of eerie at times and I can now understand people when they say "the silence was deafening". Being out in the middle of nowhere is an amazing experience. I recommend the Gobi to anyone who wants to get away from civilization for a while and feel like they're walking on the moon. Well, without the whole zero gravity and no atmosphere thing. While we were in this region the sky got so completely dark at night and without clouds so that we could see an absolutely amazing star display. It wasn't hard to spot a shooting star every few minutes.

The highlight of my time in the Gobi was when we visited Khongor Els. This is where there are gigantic sand dunes rising right up out of a riverbed area and in front of some very majestic mountains. The scenery was just unreal before and after an approaching storm that left a rainbow in its wake. We had lots of fun sliding on the dunes and not so much fun getting completely sandblasted when the wind picked up. I am also proud to say that I got to ride my very first camel.

Another highlight was getting to see 5,000 year old rock carvings that would obviously be a huge tourist attraction with hundreds of souvenir stalls if they existed in a western country. It is a much different experience getting to discover something for yourself instead of signs telling you what you're supposed to see and where to see it. I found the feeling similar to waking up after our first night of camping and getting to see huge wild rams butting heads with each other (the kind that stand up and run at each other on two legs). Or seeing little birds follow our van like dolphins playing in a ship's wake. And seeing gigantic eagles spread their wings and fly away as we approached.

From there we headed northwest towards an area that the guidebook said was not frequented much by tourists. We ended up being invited to stay with many different families and sometimes got to sleep in the gers (easily transportable Mongolian houses made of wood and felt). Even though we couldn't speak the same language we were able to communicate through phrase books and photographs. There were of course rounds of vodka and even airag which is fermented mare's milk. If you think that sounds gross you should see what they go through to get the milk. Those Mongolian horses are definitely half wild. And we thought the goats they taught us to milk were hard!

Mongolians move their homes a few times a year so they can't grow crops and rely almost entirely on their animals. In fact, after travelling over miles and miles of terrain we saw only one lonely potato patch. They eat a lot of dairy products and drink "tea" that's almost entirely made of milk. This is where I would love to say we had some fantastic goat, yak and cow cheese but am sad to report that Mongolia has a truly pathetic cheese scene. The Europeans in our group barely managed to suffer through the drought. However, no matter where we went we were always offered to try the beloved airul which is rock hard dried cheese curds. Sounds delicious, right? OK it wasn't all bad. I have to say the fresh yak cream with sugar and fried bready things were great.

Life on the road is not so glamorous. Water is scarce in Mongolia so that means people don't bathe much. Since we were camping every night and living the Mongolian lifestyle I had only one shower during our three week trip. Occasionally we would stop the van if we saw a creek or would wash ourselves if we camped near a lake but for the most part we were "roughing it". We were proud of the dirt under our fingernails!

Roads in Mongolia don't really exist as we know them. Most roads are just dirt tracks that wander around, merge with others, become eight lanes across and then disappear. Sometimes we would even have to make our own. The ride was so rough we even came up with a bump level system to warn each other about the likelihood of our heads hitting the ceiling. Most times we couldn't figure out how D.C. knew where he was going. There are absolutely no signs to tell you where you are and each rocky outcrop looks exactly like the other. We found it hilarious when D.C. would pull over off the "road" when we hadn't seen another vehicle all day. Or how some of the tourists sites were out in the middle of vast stretches of land but still had parking lots.

We eventually made our way up north to a lake region. We visited an inactive volcano and got to ride horses. A strange thing about the lakes that we saw is that there are no boats. They don't seem to fit into the nomadic lifestyle. And fish doesn't fit into their diets. So if anyone has been looking for a perfect fishing spot I can give you some pretty good tips.

By this time we decided we were a bit tired of Mongolian food and let me explain why. All Mongolian dishes can be created from these ingredients: noodles or rice, onions, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and meat of various animals. It's understandable that these types of foods fit in with their lifestyle but we were craving something that wasn't chopped up to little bits or boiled to death. We got D.C. to take us to town and after about a half hour search we found someone willing to sell us a cut of meat. We were expecting maybe some goat meat if we were lucky but we somehow managed to get ourselves a fantastic piece of yak meat. Since we didn't have a grill we improvised with what we had. We cooked that yak meat George Foreman style between two rocks we heated in the campfire. It was the best steak I have ever eaten.

And finally, I cannot write about Mongolia and not mention the man who created the largest land empire the world has ever seen. Mongolians view Genghis Khan not as a murderous violent ruler as he's perceived in the west, but a legendary revered conqueror. (Interesting fact: scientists have figured out eight percent of males living in the former Mongol empire are his direct descendants. That's .5% of the world's male population or 16 million people) He is honored today with a big statue in the capital and his name on Mongolia's top brand of vodka.

Next up: Korea!