Update From Base

Thai Water Lilies
Originally uploaded by sheilaz413.

So the plan for Tibet: full speed ahead. I managed to convince my parents that I can do this trip by myself and return home unharmed and in one piece. I leave for Chengdu tomorrow, get my logistics to enter Tibet organized there, and then head to Lhasa early Monday morning. So far, the plan is to stay and chill for a few days in Lhasa and the surrounding areas, and then join a 4wd to go to (fingers crossed) Everest Base Camp and then back. I've heard that it might be a bit difficult, as everyone heading that way wants to go to Kathmandu, so I might go somewhere else if that doesn't work out.

Since arriving back in Malaysia, I've been running some errands, meeting up with some friends, and chilling in the comforts of an air conditioned room. Even though these things are fairly mundane, the past few days have been pretty fun, especially when I got to see some friends whom I haven't seen for a while (including Steprincess!!).

Beijing is a dramatic change from the relative calm of Southeast Asia - from just the simple environment, to the way people act, to the sheer number of tall buildings around the city. Even though I'm as used to Beijing as any local would be (after all, I am pretty much one), it still took a little bit of adjusting and getting used to. I haven't been stuck in traffic at 8am in a while!

But like I've told the twins before, in all of this summer's travelings, Tibet for me is definately like icing on the cake. I'm really looking forward to being on the rooftop of the world, and I believe that this trip will be good for me as well (in ways more than just giving my lungs an extra workout). Already, I've met so many interesting people in Southeast Asia, had so many great and unique experiences, and been to some amazing places, I feel that this coming trip is a test of everything that I have learned. If I pass, I will have truely gained everything.

Wish me luck!

P.S. The photo is one I took in Bangkok. They had some beautiful water lilies in SE Asia.

Smile

Laos Smile
Originally uploaded by sheilaz413.

Another one of my favorite pictures from SE Asia. I took this at a little Laos village somewhere between Chiang Khong, Thailand and Luang Prabang, Laos.

Kuang Si Falls

Kuang Si
Originally uploaded by sheilaz413.

This is one of my favorite pictures from SE Asia. The picture was taken at Kuang Si Falls, after Kim, Michelle, myself, and some fellow travelers finished a 3 hour jungle trek. The waterfall was beautiful, no one could resist jumping in the pale turqoise water to cool down (with or without swimsuit)...even it it meant an eye and feet infection from the stagnant water, it was all worth it!!

Self Portrait

Tuk tuk
Originally uploaded by sheilaz413.

A picture I took with the pretty girls while sitting in a Thai tuk-tuk.

Report From the Field 11

Current Location: Kuala Lumpur International Airport

With a few hours left until my flight back from KL to Beijing, I received an email from my friend, the one who was planning on joining me in Tibet, telling me that she got dysentary. Poor girl - I assume she got it somewhere in Africa (she was just in Tanzania and South Africa).

That leaves me with a problem now. I still really really want to go to Tibet, but have never traveled solo before. I think this past month gave me a lot more confidence I needed in traveling alone, but now, reality is hitting me in the face: either I go alone or don't go at all. I have waited to go to Tibet for a long time now (ok, a year, not THAT long, but still...), and with only a limited time left now before I get sucked into the "real world", I need my escape before the start. My heart is telling me one thing, but I fear that my head might fail me. One of the wise lessons of life I have yet to aquire full on is trusting in my gut instinct. My gut is telling me that I will be fine, that it will be good for me. and that I have to go.

Now, the real obstacle: convincing my family! Good thing I don't have to face any of them until tomorrow morning. That gives me 8 hours to decide a plan of action...

Report From the Field 10

Current Location: Bangkok, Thailand

It's 11 pm right now and I'm dead tired. I'm suppose to be on my way back to the hotel right now, after a night of celebrating Michelle's birthday on Khao San road. We haven't done really that much, we're all pretty much flat broke, and I'm so exhausted from the past few days that I'm really quite amazed with myself at randomly stopping at this slightly dodgy internet cafe to update my blog. Dedication, I tell you.

For some reason, coming back to Thailand after a month of traveling Indo China felt like coming back home, even though I'm far from home and still have to go back to Malaysia. Since my last update, I've been roaming the temples of the Angkor Wat vicinity, frequenting Angkor What, enjoying my time with the pretty girls and fellow travelers, and being enchanted by Cambodia. Along with Laos, Cambodia has been my favorite country out of the 5 that I've been to within the past 1.5 months. Despite the brutal heat (Sykai told me that recently, Siem Reap has cooled down - only 37 degrees Celcius now!), Cambodia has been lovely. The country possess a tragic beauty, a land where despite the beautiful landscape, architecture, and people, one can feel the pain of its history in the present day country. Like I wrote in my last update, it's not uncommon to see victims of landmines, child beggers, and those who truely possess nothing, save the clothe on their back. But in the face of such heartbreak and anguish, I've been inspired at the way that a smile is still so easily given and how easy it is to see the simple beauty of humanity, selflessness, and kindness.

Siem Reap itself has been amazing, and definately been one of my favorite places in Indo China. The ruins of the ancient Khmer was like nothing else I've ever seen before - in fact, the whole land has maintained a sense of timelessness. Walking through the sandstone temples with Indo-Asian motifs can really transport you back to the height of the Khmer dynasty. Even with the large number of tourists, you can still find a sense of peace and awe within its giant smiling faces and steep towers (and who are we kidding, even the number of tourists at Angkor Wat can't be compared to a busy day at any major tourist attractions in China). We even had the opportunity of watching a beautiful sunset while drinking a beer from the top of one of the lesser known temples, an amazingly clear sunset despite the fact that we are in the Monsoon season. Siem Reap itself is also a lovely little town, with an adorable Old Market, and a great bar street (Angkor What is fabulous. The buckets killed us though - I still wonder if we ever got through bucket number 3. A great quotable quote was the next day, when fellow travler Kelly asked me: "Hey Sheila, how did we get home last night?").

So now, I'm back in Bangkok, with less than 24 hours to go before I leave for Malaysia. It's still quite mind boggling to digest all that's happened in the past month - i'll save that for another day. For now, it's time to head back and get some sleep!

Report From The Field 9

Current Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Besides being very hot, Cambodia can be seen as a land of contrasts. Phnom Penh (and so far, all of Cambodia), is a beautiful city. However, one does not need to look hard to find the scars the city bears from the Pol Pot regime and the sadness of the country. There's an obvious generation gap in the country, about 50% of the population are people under the age of 17 - as for the generation before this, most are missing. As well, a good percentage of the population makes about 65 cents a day. The division between rich and poor are also very obvious. The rich drives Lexus SUVs and Mercedes Benz, the poor will follow you for blocks, begging you for money or try to solicite you to buy something. Like the older generations or those who have lost a limb to landmines (which are quite a few), the middle class also seems to be missing.

Many people still remembers the horrors of the Pol Pot regime. For one, our tour guide to the Killing Fields today is a survivor. From the age of 7 to 11, he lived with the horrors of Pol Pot. Along the way, he lost his father and 2 sisters. He also tells us that many people in Cambodia still feels the aftershocks of the event, with many survivors having nightmares and anger control problems.

Phnom Penh itself is a very lovely city. Situated right at the joining of 3 major rivers (including the mighty Mekong), the city bustles with vespas and life. Even amongst its nice hotels and casinos, the "real Cambodia" is still not hard to find. Young kids work the streets all day long, trying to sell any books (copied) they can to visitors. We made friends with a few of those, while just as many cursed us off as well (Fuck you rolls off their tongues very easily).

People are very nice. Their physical features surprised me as well - the Indianization of Cambodia can be seen quite clear in the features of many people's faces. At times, Cambodia can even feel like India.

Tomorrow, will leave for Siem Reap. Angkor Wats await.

By the way, the night out in Saigon was fabulous:

Dinner at Allybooz, a drink at the Blue Gecko (Aussie hang out spot), a drink at Saigon Saigon (Caravelle Hotel - where all the foreign correspondents hung out during the Vietnam War), a drinkt at Level 23 (Sheraton - and by a drink, I meant a drink. $7 for 1 drink!!), drinks at Go2, dancing at Lost In Saigon, then finally drinks at Allybooz again before ending the night with a few more drinks at the hotel. Fabulous.

Report From the Field 8

Location: HCM City (aka Saigon), Vietnam

Remnants of the Vietnamese War in Vietnam:
- You can still see bullet holes at the Grand Palace in Hue, a city that experienced heavy fighting during the Tet Offensive. (And half of the Palace was burned down by Napalm)
- China Beach, one of the first places where most American soldiers arrived at, have been moved several times since the war. Apparently, a tacky hotel stands where the original beach was at.
- You can still see deserted American bases around the country.
- Until quite recently, many children born were affected (physcially or psychologically) by Agent Orange. Though strangely enough, even though there were about the same number of Americans and Vietnamese exposed to Agent Orange, only 1% of American children born were disabled.
- It's still not uncommon to see beggers with missing limbs, burned flesh, or both.

Quirky Vietnam:
- Bathroom is known as the Happy House.
- Cats and dogs hold precarious grounds here. One wrong step and kitty or puppy will end up on someone's dinner plate (though this seems more prevalent in the North).
- Speaking of which, saw a cyclo driver yesterday whose only customers were 2 dogs.
- Lots of women on motorbikes wear hats and a scarf covering their face, leaving only their eyes exposed, and thereby causing them to look like theives in the night.

Tomorrow: a long day's drive to Cambodia.

Report From the Field 7

Current Location: Hoi An, Vietnam

Rewind:
A few days ago, while sitting at the banks of the Perfume River in Hue, a fellow traveler, Kelly (from New Zealand), defined happiness as "when your heart smiles". If her definition holds true, then yesterday my heart was bearing a big, toothy grin. The reason: we hired motorbikes to take us around the whole day to areas around Hue. For a few hours, we cruised around Hue's beautiful country side, passing green rice paddies, peaceful backwater villages, narrow street lanes no more than a yard wide, and forgotten tombs of past royalties and commoners. The highlight of the day was lunch, provided by some benevolent girls of a local nunnery. The novice nuns (all the ones I met, except one, were teenagers or younger) were delightful, and despite the language barrier, all of us were able to enjoy ourselves and learn a little bit about each other.

Arrived in Hoi An today. What a lovely place! Little lanes full of Vietnamese character, a UNESECO World Heritage old quarter, some of the most persistant solicitors in Vietnam, and more than 300 tailor shops around (it's the tailoring capital of Vietnam. And I have to admit it - I ordered myself a "traditional" Vietnamese outfit. I pick it up tomorrow. Fingers crossed it'll turn out well!). And one of Hoi An's main highlights: the beach!!!

That's where I'll be tomorrow - soaking up the rays on the beach of the South China Sea! ...and maybe jet skiing. We'll see.

By the way, photos of SE Asia and beyond will be posted at the end of the summer, when I'll finally settle down in Beijing again. Until then, I'm just focused on taking National Geographic quality photos... :)

Report From the Field 7

Current Location: Hoi An, Vietnam

Rewind:
A few days ago, while sitting at the banks of the Perfume River in Hue, a fellow traveler, Kelly (from New Zealand), defined happiness as "when your heart smiles". If her definition holds true, then yesterday my heart was bearing a big, toothy grin. The reason: we hired motorbikes to take us around the whole day to areas around Hue. For a few hours, we cruised around Hue's beautiful country side, passing green rice paddies, peaceful backwater villages, narrow street lanes no more than a yard wide, and forgotten tombs of past royalties and commoners. The highlight of the day was lunch, provided by some benevolent girls of a local nunnery. The novice nuns (all the ones I met, except one, were teenagers or younger) were delightful, and despite the language barrier, all of us were able to enjoy ourselves and learn a little bit about each other.

Arrived in Hoi An today. What a lovely place! Little lanes full of Vietnamese character, a UNESECO World Heritage old quarter, some of the most persistant solicitors in Vietnam, and more than 300 tailor shops around (it's the tailoring capital of Vietnam. And I have to admit it - I ordered myself a "traditional" Vietnamese outfit. I pick it up tomorrow. Fingers crossed it'll turn out well!). And one of Hoi An's main highlights: the beach!!!

That's where I'll be tomorrow - soaking up the rays on the beach of the South China Sea! ...and maybe jet skiing. We'll see.

By the way, photos of SE Asia and beyond will be posted at the end of the summer, when I'll finally settle down in Beijing again. Until then, I'm just focused on taking National Geographic quality photos... :)

Report From the Field 6

Current Location: Still in blistering hot Hanoi

Last time, I didn't give Halong Bay the credit it deserves. The place was amazing! At first, I was doubtful at how great it was going to be, mainly because I've seen similar things around China. But being there proved me quite wrong. Despite all the tourists there (at the docks waiting to board our boat, it was the first time in a long time that I've seen so many white people!), you really get a sense of peace and quiet amongst the rock islands and the green sea water. Almost everyone who cruise around Halong Bay also enjoys a dip in the cool Gulf of Tonkin water. However, most people fail to mention one thing about swimming in Halong Bay (Saki, you too!!)...the water is filled with jelly fish!! We didn't realize this until a British girl on our boat got stung by a big one, but the closer you look at the water, the more jellyfish you get to see.

As for Hanoi, I hate to admit it, but the heat has drained most of the energy out of me. It's so hot that everyday when I go outside, my glasses fog up. It seems that all I can muster doing everyday is get some lemon juice and sit under some sort of fan or cooling device. I did get to see Uncle Ho yesterday though. The man looks pretty good for being dead for all these years. Apparently, his body is taken to Russia for a few months every year for restoration.

Lastly, even though the French contributed countless acts of oppression and cruelty, I do have to give them some credit. One of the highlight so far for both Laos and Vietnam is the little bits of European air and culture they have contributed to the two countries. For example, in Hanoi, the French style buildings really gives the city a bit of flair and feel of sophistication. The French influence food are great too - gotta love the warm, crusty French bread.

Alright, I need to find a cooler place to stay now. Will leave Hanoi in a few hours on an overnight train ride to Hue. My farewell to this great city of vespas, vespas, and even more vespas!

Report From the Field 5

Current Location: Hanoi, Vietnam

What Hanoi is like:
- Hot. We have left the cool mountains of Laos and descended onto the plane of blistering heat. The sun is very strong here, I almost feel the water from my body being sucked out of me whenever I've been in the sun for more than 5 seconds.
- A vespa here, a vespa there, vespa vespa everywhere! Most foreigners to China are surprised by the number of bicycles in China. In Vietnam, the same holds true for Vespas or similar motorbikes. Several times already, I have seen waves and waves of people on their Vespa, all cruising along, cutting each other off, hitting car bumpers, squeezing through the narrowest of streets - Vespas does it all.
- And speaking of Vespas, crossing the streets in Hanoi is a life or death adventure in itself. We were advised that no matter what happens and no matter who is driving at full speed towards you, just keep on walking at a steady pace. True enough, on my way to this little internet cafe (I'm currently sitting next to a man who's chatting with a dodgy person on MSN and a 7 year old playing computer games), I faultered when confronted head on with a small semi truck. Indeed, the truck did not move - I had to duck out of the way at the last minute.
- Language barrier. The language barrier in Vietnam has been the toughest one so far on our trip. That, combined with the heat, has claimed victim to even the heartiest of souls. I don't mind so much, but it's still a bit of an adjustment after coming from 2 countries where language has not been so much of a problem
- Chinese influence. In almost everything. What can I say, mine is a great culture. ;-)
- They can smell out anyone who is not Vietnamese. Even myself, with the most Asian of faces (and currently as black as coals), have been called out by touts who can tell, probably by instinct, my foreign air.
- Did I mention Vietnam is HOT?

On a side note (espeically Saki, if you are reading this), Halong Bay was magnificent. What a lovely place!

Tomorrow, we will be seeing Uncle Ho in his cozy mosoleum. Tonight, getting me self some beer!

Report From the Field 4

Current Location: Vientiane, Laos

Traveling is not for the faint of heart - or feet, or stomach, or any blood type that mosquitos love. Besides the daily battle with the mosquitos and the incident with the leeches the other day, my intrepid traveling buddies and I have encountered a number of other obstacles.

#1 - Rashes. Comes in all forms and can be caused by anything. Heat rash is common, and are not new to me anymore. Amongst the 3 of us, Kim has it the worst. Rows of little blood rashes have infested her legs and the underside of her arm.
#2 - Blisters. I have it fairly good this time because I invested in a good pair of Berkies back in KL. But I have learned, once again thanks to Kim, never to purchase Old Navy flip flops.
#3 - Stomach Aches. Can be caused by anything, from noodle soup that wasn't made in the most sanitary of environments, to drinking beer. For some reason, I haven't taken well to drinking beer in hot and humid conditions.
#4 - Infections. Yours truely have fallen victim to infections. I think the cause was a combination between old contacts (I forgot to bring new ones with me. Smart), and dirt in Kuang Si waterfalls water. The result is a very lovely pink eye that's slightly smaller than the other non infected eye. Pretty! But I should not complain. Of the three of us, Kim had it the worst. As of present, her right ankle is swollen to half the normal size. As well, there's a really big soar on her right ankle that started oozing puss. We think it might be a fungus infection, contracted during the 3 hour hike in the jungle (she had open soars then due to too much scratching of mosquito bites). We're probably heading to the international clinic soon...

So you see, traveling isn't all fun and games all the time. However, despite all these minor technicalities, I am loving every minute of it! All the risks and annoyances of traveling can be remedied by nights like last night - watching the sunset over the Mekong River and then eating traditional Lao BBQ over a big cold glass of Lemon Juice!