Day 80 - 84 The Islands

Mom and I arrived late Saturday night to Phuket, which is the largest island of more than 100 islands that surround Thailand on the Southwest coast of the country on the Andaman Sea. The island and surrounding islands are probably most famous for the tsunami that hit in December 2004. From Phuket you can travel to a least a couple dozen islands around and is a big travel hub for foreigners.

We stayed right in Phuket town, because it is a good location to get to the pier where we boarded a ferry Sunday morning to take a 2 hour ride to Ko Phi Phi Don island about 40 km Southeast of Phuket. It is ranked the third most beautiful island in the world and definitely lives up to it's reputation. It is about lined with limestone cliffs, white sand beaches, and the clearest water I have ever seen. The infrastructure of the islands was completely destroyed by the tsunami in 2004 and since then they have rebuilt the one little town on the southwest side of the island that lies between two bays (NOTE: The before and after pictures of the island are unreal. Before the tsunami the guesthouses were built among the trees and gorgeous plantation on that island, but now everything is exposed because all the trees were whipped out by the wave) There are no cars or motorbikes allowed on the island. Guesthouses, shops, restaurants and few resorts line the walking paths that people can walk through to get to the beaches and the pier. We stayed at a bungalow resort that was set into one of the large hills on the island that overlooked the beach. We spent most of Saturday on the beach and swimming in the pool that overlooked the sea, then enjoyed a great seafood meal on the beach.

On Monday we did a snorkeling tour of some of the islands and the beaches surrounding Ko Phi Phi. Our first stop was Maya beach where the movie "the Beaches" was filmed with Leonardo DiCaprio. We were able to snorkel here and take a sea kayak from the boat onto the beach to walk around the National Park. From there we went to Shark's point, Bamboo Island, and Monkey Beach to do more snorkeling and enjoy the untouched beaches. A lot of the coral in the area was damaged by the tsunami, so I guess it is not as bright and vibrant as it once was but we saw over 60 species of tropical fish in a given location so it was great! We got back to the pier just as the sun was starting to set that night.

The next day we enjoyed the beaches once again before heading back to Phuket on the late ferry that night. When we arrived back to Phuket and we stayed at a resort on Kata beach, located on the Southwest side of the island Tuesday and Wednesday night before flying out Thursday morning. I guess you would call us beach bums for this portion of our trip, but it was great to be in such a beautiful place and enjoy the time together!! I had to go back to teach Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Pictures: 1. Mom in the pool at our resort on Ko Phi Phi 2. Our "taxi" service on the island 3. Monkey Beach 4. limestone cliffs that surround the island 5. Mom and I snorkeling off the boat 6. Long tail boats on the beach

Day 79 - Around Bangkok

On Saturday morning we got up to do a half day tour from Bangkok to Damnoen Saduak floating market which is about one and half hours outside of Bangkok. When we arrived we boarded a little fishing boat and did a tour of the canals. As you stroll along vendors come up to you in their boats to try and sell you things. Unfortunately we found it to be a little more "touristy" than we expected, but it was fun to see how a once upon a time these people peddled their goods along the river ways in Thailand.

When we arrived back to Bangkok we visited the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. This is probably one of the main attractions in Thailand. The palace was built in 1792 and was the main residence for the Kings until 1945 when Chitralada Palace, located about 2 miles from the Grand Palace, became the official residence for the King and his family. The Grand Palace is still used for many of the big events and celebrations in Thailand. Wat Phra Kaeo is located next to the palace and is known for the Emerald Buddha that lies inside. The emerald buddha has three different golden outfits that change 3 times a year depending on the season in Thailand. Unfortunately we weren't able to take pictures inside this Wat.

We ended the day just in time to catch a flight from Bangkok to Phuket to enjoy the islands!

Day 76 - 78 Mom Arrived in Thailand and Chinese New Year Celebration at School

Wednesday was a great day here, because my mom arrived to visit me. It was awesome to see her in the airport and know that we would get to spend the next two weeks together. One reason she came at this time was because it is the Chinese New Year, so we get Monday - Wednesday off next week, plus the school gave me another day, so it worked out with both our schedules.

The Chinese New Year falls at the beginning of the new Lunar year which this year is 2552 and the year of the ox. Wednesday at school we celebrated the Chinese New Year with the Kindergartners in the morning by singing Chinese songs and making Chinese food. All the students dressed up in Chinese costumes, which are normally red. Each of the kids also received their red envelops or ang pow, that is money given to them by their parents or elders. After lunch the Elementary students hosted a fundraiser where they sold old toys and clothing to others, along with some great Chinese food. It was a fun, new holiday to celebrate with the students!

Mom stayed around my place to sleep, swim and adjust to the time change on Wednesday and Thursday. We enjoyed a nice Thai meal and a massage those two nights!

On Friday, Mom came to school with me to meet the students and the teachers. It was good for her to see where I live and work everyday! On Friday night we ventured up to Bangkok to start our sightseeing and travels for the next week!

Day 70 - 72 Vientiane, Laos

In order to get my work permit in Thailand I had to do a two day visa run to Vientiane, Laos, at the Thai embassy. On Wednesday night I caught an overnight bus to the border and spent the morning at the embassy getting all my paper work in order, etc. Then I had to wait until it was processed Friday afternoon so I spent Thursday afternoon and Friday morning exploring the smallest capital city I have ever seen. Vientianne has 3 or 4 main roads that make up the city that lies along the bank of Mekong River, that was once ruled by France so there are again many French influences in the food and architecture like Vietnam. I was able to go to the National Museum, that documented the war between French and Laos in the early 1900's and then the brutality that the Americans caused the Laos people between during the Vietnam war. The country is only about 25 years old so the poverty still remains from the warfare but it appears they are starting to develop. I went to see a the Paruxai, which was built in 1969 to commemorate for those who had fought in the revolutionary war (left pic above). The Pha That Luang is symbolically the country's national monument that displays the Buddhist religion and the sovereignty of the country (middle pic above). I also went to several different Wats that still remain standing following the wars. The damage is evident, but the people are proudly trying to preserve each of them. The presidential palace and the Tomb of the Unknown soldiers were also quick stops in the town to see!

Unfortunately, Vientiane is really not the place to go in Laos to get the true Laos experience. The mountains in the north and the caves and rivers in the central are really what is captivating about Laos or so I have heard, but I didn't have the time to see them! They are on my things to do list next trip to Southeast Asia!

Day 68 - fieldtrip to Oceanworld

After I returned from Christmas break I was asked to teach Kindergarten 1 as a homeroom English teacher for 3 hours a day, because their teacher left over the Christmas break. I will continue with my 1st grade class in the morning, but give up my 2nd grade class so I am now a teacher for 22, 3 and 4 year olds. It is a lot of fun and they are pretty good kids. I can't imagine sitting in school at that age learning but they do well and know English better than some of my Primary students.

Today they had a fieldtrip scheduled for Oceanworld in Bangkok, which is an underwater aquarium (it doesn't compare to Seaworld but was perfect for 3 - 4 year olds!) They were so intrigued by the sharks and the penguins! It was a lot of fun to see them interacting and learning in a whole new capacity. Each teacher was in charge of 3 kids so it was a nice small group to chase after for the day!! A day like this is what makes teaching so rewarding!

Day 65 - Ancient City

Well after being gone for the past couple weeks I decided to stay around Bangkok this weekend to do some more exploring. I stayed in my province of Samut Prakan and to see the highlight of the area which is the Ancient City. The Ancient City was designed by a man to capture and preserve the essence of old Thailand and historical structures that make the country famous. The 15 km area includes replicas of the most famous Wats in Thailand, a floating village, a museum, a handcrafting area, and a beautiful park area. It was nice to be there, because it is a big Thai attraction so there were very few foreigners. I enjoyed just walking around the entire park for the day! Forever I am not a fan of not seeing the "real" Wat or Buddha statue! I think I have seen so many amazing sights that this just didn't compare.

Day 59 - the highlight of the trip Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

So we definitely planned this two week trip well, because I think we saw the highlight the last day of the trip! This morning we went up to see Angkor Wat, which is one of the most spectacular sights in Southeast Asia. The national park where the Wat is located is right North of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Before doing research about the sight I thought it was just one large Wat, but it actually many different Wats (over 40) that are located around the beautiful park area. It was a place I would have loved to spend a couple days in riding bike and seeing each one, but we got up to watch the sunrise over the Wat which was built in the 1100's as a holy city during the reign of King Suryavarman II. The Wat is surrounded by a wall and moat. It has two reflection pools at the front which is magnificent in the morning rays. After we spent a while there we continued on to see 4 other Wats within the compounds. It was incredible to see how the trees and nature have grown up around some of the walls! It was just so peaceful to be riding down long roads with beautiful trees lining the way and come upon architectural structures that are so incredible. We got to spend about 6 hours in the park before catching a taxi to the boarder and a bus back to Bangkok! What a fun trip we had! We met some incredible people along the way and saw so much! (I'll post pictures soon!)

Day 58 - Mekong Delta

Today we left Phnom Penh to make our way up to Siem Reap via a motorboat on the Mekong River delta that flows through Cambodia and Vietnam and is they major source of water for the rice and fishing economy. It was a great way to see the way of life for the people along the river both on land and the floating villages. The boat was suppose to take about 6 hours, but the propeller of our boat got caught in a large fishing net in the middle the large lake the river flows through so we were stranded for about 2 hours while the fisherman untangled us. We got to Siem Reap later than we thought so we hired a Tuk - tuk to take us around the park of Angkor Wat which was beautiful. Again we got to go through the countryside and villages to see the people. That night we went to traditional Khmer dinner and dance. I think the best way to describe this day is through my pictures.

Day 57 - Phnom Penh

We left Sihanoukville early this morning for the 3 hour bus ride back to Phnom Penh to do some sightseeing for the afternoon. After we found a guesthouse we went to the Royal Palace and some of the Wats that surround the area (we are back in Buddhist country!) but it was closed we just walked around the plaza.

The two main things we wanted to see in the city were the S-21 Museum and the killing fields of Choeung Ek.... Before I go on I will give you a brief history because I kind of think that most people do not know about the genocide that took place in Cambodia from 1975 - 1979 that was an event more devastating than the Holocaust. In 1975 a small group of people known as the Khmer Rouge (Khmer is the culturally name of the Cambodian people) took over after the US bombings (affects of the Vietnam War) subsided and ousted the reign of a man named Sihanouk. They evacuated the city of Phnom Penh by saying that the Americans are going to bomb the city and shift all the citizens out to the countryside to work the rice fields to start a communist country. They separated parents from children, wives from husbands, and sisters from brothers to place them in cooperatives around the country where they worked to produce large amounts of rice for 12 - 14 hours a day (basically slaves) to be exported to other countries for the next 4 years. The people were given very little to eat and no medicine so disease and starvation spread rapidly and people quickly started to die off because they could not survive the conditions. Any business person, professor or person with any education was taken to the killing fields to be executed by the truckload (300/day). The people were either decapitated, shot, or hung to die. Once they thought the people were dead they would pour toxic chemicals over them to be sure and start the piles of bodies on fire to hide the evidence. They also used landmines to stop people from leaving certain areas which caused the people to die or lose limbs years after the end of the genocide. Over 1.7 million people died over those 3 years and the rouge was finally taken down in January 1979 with the help of the Vietnamese government. This left hundreds of thousands of children orphaned and thousands of women pregnant because they had been raped by soldiers. Due to this the population of Vietnam today is made of over 50% of people being younger than 18 years old.

The Killing Fields was an area where the people were executed for 4 years and today they continue to excavate the grounds where we walked to find skeletons. It was very eery and somber walking through those fields. The S-21 museum is a school that was turned into a Prison during the rouge to torture women and men. The museum had one exhibit that described the history and then a large exhibit of just photos of the people and the bodies. They also had stories and photos of those who survived the genocide who watched their loved ones die and so many other forms of torture. I thought one of the most interesting exhibits was the photos and story of a Swedish man who was let into the country during the genocide because he thought he politically supported the Khmer Rouge. The Rouge hid the genocide so well he thought they were just working very hard to improve the economics of the country. He did a documentation about his thoughts during his travels and his thoughts now about what really was happening to those people. It was just something that the rest of the world knew about and because it was a so recent many of the people in the streets have lived to tell their stories so the documentation is abundant. (L: picture of excavated skeletons, M: fields where excavation has occurred, R: room in museum where piles of clothes lay from people who were killed)

I apologize if this blog is a bit heavy but I actually left out a lot.... I think my head was spinning after today. It is really hard to imagine, but you see the poverty level everywhere and the children who constantly walk with you along the streets begging for money and trying to hold your hand so it makes it very real. All I wanted to do was pick the children up to bring them somewhere safe but I couldn't. The country is still very corrupt and we ran into a couple bad/scary situations with people and heard of others because people are just trying to survive. Nothing can describe it.... In saying that though there are still tons of tourists in all the major cities with areas of posh French cafes and beautiful resort golf courses, so tourism is definitely improving some of the economic damage caused by the genocide.

Day 53 - 56 Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Monday was spent mainly on a bus or in a taxi crossing from Vietnam into Cambodia. It was amazing how within 5 miles of the border I could tell I was in a very poor third world country. The homes and the people were automatic indicators that life is not easy in this country. Ironically it was similar to being in Nicaragua so it brought back a lot of memories. We wanted to be at the beach for New Year's so we trekked all the way down to Gulf of Thailand. Small world again... we got off the bus in Phnom Penh and ran into our friend Johanna, from Australia who we had met in Hanoi and then later in Hui An, so she came with us. The three of us got a guesthouse right up from the beach and spent the next three days soaking up the sun. It was a great little beach town where there are shacks of restaurants that line the beach. During the day they have lounge chairs to relax in and at night they turn the beach into a chilled oasis where they had big wicker chairs, tables, fire dancers and fresh seafood BBQ's every night.

One New Year's Eve we went on a snorkeling trip out to 4 of the 15 different islands that surround the coast and spent the afternoon on a deserted island. The water was the clearest I have ever seen and we actually saw some pretty coral (the Lonely Planet guide says that the snorkeling/diving is nothing compared to Thailand, so I am excited for the next couple months!!) We rang in the new year with bare feet on a packed beach and enjoyed all the fireworks that people were setting throughout the night.