Hong Kong / China

Hello everyone, or should I say “Nｉ Hａｏ　ｍａ”!
I just got back from China! Over the past 6 days I was able to spend one day in Hong Kong, four days in Beijing and one day in Qingdao. I had a really good time and was able to see pretty much all of the “touristy” sights!
Hong Kong was great, the hong kong dollar is really pretty it’s pink and purple and the exchange rate is about 7.8 hong kong dollars= $1. Beijing and the rest of China operates on the Yuan, and the exchange rate is about the same…(it might be about 7.6 Yuan to the $1).
On our first day in Hong Kong, we decided to split up because Celina and I wanted to shop and the others didn’t! Celina and I had no idea where we were going, but we hopped into a cab with a driver who didn’t speak one word of English and pointed to a location on the map that we thought was a market. He started driving and after a while we began to notice that the meter was moving pretty quickly….we finally came to a stop and ended up paying about 10 US dollars for a fare that should have been about ½ that! We got out of the cab and began looking around for the market. After a few minutes of walking around and asking different Asian people if we were in the right place (only to receive blank stares because none of them spoke a word of English) we found a blonde haired man who looked like he knew where he was going and asked him if he knew where the market was. He told us that we were about ½ hour away from where we needed to be and that our best option to get there would be to take the number 6 bus. Even though we knew nothing about where we were going we wandered around until we found the no. 6 bus stop where we met a red haired woman from Texas who had lived in Hong Kong for a while and told us that we were in the right place. We caught the bus which actually ended up being along a scenic route that allowed us see a lot of the city. Hong Kong is full of tall buildings and scurrying people. It was very exciting. I really liked it there a lot! Once we finally made it to the market we were able to do some shopping and mingle with a lot of people both locals and tourists. We found a Mc Donalds as well as a Starbucks. We decided to have some of both…..it’s been like 3 months since I’d had some Mc Donalds! I had a happy meal, and I’ve never enjoyed a burger so much in my life! When we were done with our shopping, burgers, and coffee, we headed back to where we had first caught the bus...(even though we didn’t exactly know where that was). We had made plans to meet up with the others to see a light show at the Hong Kong harbor at 8 pm. We began trying to figure out where exactly the harbor was and after asking numerous people for directions, only to be looked at with blank stares and confused looks, we were again forced to seek out anyone we could find with blonde hair. We finally found a man who stood out like a soar thumb and we asked him if he could help us. He told us that he had lived in Hong Kong for about 10 years and that in order to get to the light show we needed to take a subway train. He helped us find the subway, helped us buy our tickets and even showed us which train we needed to take…we thanked him for all of his help, before hoping on the train. I don’t know how we did it, but we managed to find the light show. It was really cool, the lights flashed to a musical soundtrack which was played over loud speakers behind us. The show kind of reminded me of the Vegas show that we always watch on the ceiling of that dome in the downtown area. We decided to head back to the ship, and no sooner did we get to our room, did we get a phone call telling us to get ready because we were going out. We took a taxi out to a strip of bars and clubs and eventually met up with the others. We had some drinks outside of the local 7-11 (where alcohol is sold at very affordable prices-unlike the prices at most of the bars) and ended up hanging out on the sidewalk outside of the bars for the majority of the evening. It sounds really strange and lame, but we had a good time….there were tons of SAS kids out and when we finally headed back to the ship, we were very ready for bed.

On day 2 I arose bright and early. I had signed up for a SAS Beijing trip, and my group was leaving at 7am! I ended up doing this trip on my own and was feeling kind of nervous because I didn’t really know anyone that was going with me. We headed toward the airport and boarded a 3 hour flight to Beijing. Once we had arrived, we immediately headed to the summer palace. The Summer palace served as a summer resort for Empress Dowager Cixi, In December 1998, the Summer Palace was placed on the World Heritage List. It is declared as an "outstanding expression of the creative art of Chinese landscape garden design, incorporating the works of humankind and nature in a harmonious whole." It is a popular tourist destination but also serves as a recreational park.
Next we headed to our hotel and checked in….I met my roommate (who wasn’t very nice), and then got ready for dinner. I had some authentic Peking Duck! It was kind of scary, but I guess it was ok considering I don’t really like duck very much. After dinner we went back to the hotel where I purchased some internet minutes, and then went back to my room to get some sleep.

Day 3 was really busy. We woke up bright and early and headed over to the Great Wall of China. The great wall was about 2 hours from our hotel so I took a little nap on the way over. There are several different sections of the wall, but we visited the Mutianyu section….which, in my opinion, is the best! The wall was built to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. The Great Wall is one of the existing megastructures and the world's longest man-made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles). We took (what reminded me of a ski lift) to the top of the wall and then spent about 45 minutes hiking along the wall. We stopped and ate some lunch (ewww tuna sandwich with extra mayo….which I definitely didn’t eat) and then headed back to where we started. The wall was really cool and I met a few girls that I ended up hanging out with and made them take my picture. The best part of the great wall was the way that we got down….There was a toboggan on the Great Wall that we could slide down. This was sooooo fun! Who would have thought that I would ever have been able to slide down the Great Wall of China!! I purchased a t shirt and then we headed back to the bus. Our next stop was the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven is the grandest of the four great temples located in Beijing. The other prominent temples include the Temple of Sun in the east, the Temple of Earth in the north, and the Temple of Moon in the west. All the buildings within the Temple have special dark blue roof tiles, which represent Heaven, and all of the temples are built without any type of screws or nails…they are all dove tailed meaning that they have been woven together…kind of cool, and definitely beautiful!
We then headed over to the silk market where we were able to get in some shopping before dinner. The market was great….there was every kind of knock off product known to man, and we also got to try our hand at some serious bargaining….I think that I am pretty good at doing this. I got a few bags/purses, and some pretend North Face jackets!! Dinner was on our own that evening, so I met up with the new friends that I’d made on the wall and we headed out to find a place to eat. We found a restaurant that looked really good, and sat down. None of the waiters spoke English, so we relied on pictures of different foods to help us order. I don’t know what we ate, but it was pretty good! After wards, we attempted to go out. I was running low on funds at this point, so I didn’t really have any drinks that evening, but we ended up having an ok time…

Day 4 we woke up early and headed to the Forbidden City which was the residence of the terrestrial Emperor. It is refered to as forbidden due to the fact that no-one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor's permission. After that we went to the Tiananmen Square which is the largest open-urban square in the world with a total area of 440,000 square meters. The square has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history. Outside of China, the square is widely known for the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
After visiting Tiananmen, we had lunch at a restaurant that served food specific to a small tribe in China…the restaurant was called Afanti and the food was really good….it kind of reminded me of Indian food a little bit. We went to the Lama Temple where we were able to see the largest Buda in the world and then headed (once again) to the silk market where I broke down and ended up doing a little bit more shopping. We had a good traditional Chinese dinner and then headed to an Acrobatics show….this was my most favorite part of my entire China trip…it was soooo good, better than Cirque De Sole (spelling?)-but sort of similar. I have a ton of pics of the show and even took some video!
Our last day in Beijing consisted of visiting another temple/garden which included a scenic boat ride which was kind of fun, having a delicious lunch at a very modern Chinese restaurant….(this was my favorite meal that I had in Beijing) and then visiting the Beihai park. Beihei Park is a large public park that is especially popular among the older crowd. In China, the average individual retires at about age 45-50. After retirement, many of the people fill their days by playing at the park. Beihei park was full of people (both old and young) playing backgammon, hackie sack, dancing, ribbon twirling and playing instruments. I thought that this was one of the neatest and most interesting things that I observed because it is so different from what we would consider “elderly activity” in the states. Instead of sitting in front of a television in some elderly home rotting away, these grandmas and grandpas were outside playing. I really liked it here! Even though the park had a large elderly crowd, we also saw lots of children and babies. Many of the baby’s had slits in their pants (for easier access for potty purposes)…this was really prevalent all over china, but I especially noticed it at this park…I took a couple pictures of baby butts! It’s actually pretty funny!
Once we left the park, we hopped into some rickshaws and sped through the narrow streets of china taking in a lot of the scenery before stopping to visit a private home. The people in this house worked as paper cutters, and did some of the most intricate and beautiful paper cutting work that I have ever seen. We had dinner at a “Western style” buffet, and then headed to the airport to catch our plane to Qingdao where our ship was now docked. This was a really icky flight with lots of turbulence and I had to sit in a middle seat. Once we finally arrived at the ship I was exhausted….I checked in and went straight to sleep!

On the last day, my group of friends finally returned from their Beijing trip….they decided to take a train from Honk Kong to Beijing and then again from Beijing to Qingdao. In total, they spent about 32 hours on a train….yuck! We slept in and then headed out to see the sites in Qingdao. It wasn’t as fun as Hong Kong or Beijing, but we made the best of it….we ate at a really good Pizza Hut, and visited a Chinese Walmart before finally heading back to the ship. Over all, I had a really good time in China. There was a lot to do, and my trip was really busy. I thought overall that people were pretty friendly and I’m beginning to notice that people throughout the world are a lot more similar than we are different- someone even asked me if I was half Chinese….funny huh? I guess my eyes are a little bit squinty.
I have a busy two days ahead of me….We will be in Japan on the 25th. I’ve got lots of papers to do and am not feeling so hot….I’ve got a pretty bad cold (again) and the sea’s are kind of rough so I’m feeling a little sea sick! Lets hope for the best! I’ll see you all in about 3 weeks!
Love, Val

Vietnam!!!

Hello Everyone!

I just returned from my 8th port, Vietnam, and it was amazing! I had so much fun and my time was even more enjoyable because my sister was able to meet me there! I arrived on Monday April 9 and stayed through Friday the 13th. The ship docked in Ho Chi Minh City (the hottest port I’ve been to) but I spent the majority of my time further North in Ha Noi (where it was a lot cooler). The currency in Vietnam is the Dong. The exchange rate is about 16,000 dong = $1 US. This was by far the most confusing port for me in terms of money! Vietnam is really busy and crowded, there are people on motorcycles and mopeds EVERYWHERE!!! Crossing the street was honestly one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to do….Really, I thought India was bad, Vietnam was even worse! The traffic in Vietnam was honestly one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen….I don’t think I knew that so many motorcycles and mopeds even existed!
Only pictures and video can begin to explain this phenomenon….I have both, so be prepared to look at my footage when I get back!!

On day 1 Jenn and Eduardo (her boyfriend) met me at my ship at about 12:00pm, and after a quick stop at their hotel, we headed to the Cu Chi tunnels. Cu Chi is famous for its 200 kilometer network of underground tunnels. These tunnels were created and used buy the Viet Cong forces during wars with both the Americans and the French. Beginning in the 1940’s the tunnels were used as a base from which the Viet Cong could launch strategic attacks and then seemingly disappear in to thin air. The tunnels had well hidden entrances and thick roofs capable of withstanding the weight of the tanks and the impact of bombs. Unknowingly, the US even built a base camp on top of an existing tunnel network and suffered extensive casualties before they discovered their mistake. Most of the tunnels were only about 2ft wide and 5ft high. Some of the passageways and tunnel rooms have been enlarged for easier access for the thousands of tourists who visit the tunnels each year. Jenn, Eduardo and I attempted to crawl through one section of the tunnels, but Eduardo was the only one to fully complete the task….I chickened out about half way through, and Jenn got about a quarter of the way in before turning back! The tunnels were so dark and small, and we were even in a section where they were enlarged! I felt really claustrophobic and couldn’t even imagine how it must have been for the Viet Kong who practically lived beneath the ground using these elaborate tunnel systems. The tunnels also had a shooting range where we were able to shoot some real guns like those used during the war. The AK 47 bullets were all gone, so I shot an AK1, a huge gun that was soooo loud that I screamed every time a bullet was fired! Every little while we could hear the gun shots going off in the background and it made our experience at Cu Chi even more real….It was kind of scary, but also really cool! After leaving the tunnels we headed back to Ho Chi Minh to prepare for our trip to the Me Kong/Delta area. We left Ho Chi Minh at about 7:30 pm and our drive was about 4 hours. We checked into a hotel and called it a night.

On our second day we woke up bright and early to take a ferry ride down the river to the floating market. Here we saw many people selling various things, mostly fruits and vegetables, but everyone was selling their goods from little boats, it was really neat. We purchased a mango, melon, and a bottle of water, and way over paid, but even so, we only spent about two bucks! Our boat driver stopped and purchased some pineapple from one of the vendors and gave us some….even though we weren’t supposed to eat fruit that had been opened for us, we did it anyway, and it was delicious. After spending some time at the floating market, our driver began taking us further down the river. We stopped at what looked like somebody’s personal home. We got out and were greeted by a little Vietnamese lady who told us to look around the gardens. As we wondered through the gardens, we crossed over little bridges and walked along little paths next to ponds and pagodas. The woman met us and offered us Vietnamese pears off of one of the trees in the garden…they were pretty tasty, it wasn’t until later that I realized that I may have eaten an insect located on the outside of my pear….it was only a little one and I think that I spit most of it out!! The woman then offered us some Vietnamese coffee and asked whether we wanted iced coffee or hot….Again I broke the “no ice” rule and chose iced coffee. It actually looked and tasted pretty good, but I said my prayers just to be on the safe side. The woman then taught us some words in Vietnamese (keep in mind that this spelling is probably completely wrong, but this is how the words sounded to me)
…she said that iced coffee was café de-I, and hot coffee was café dang. She also told us that thank you was pronounced like cam on! We had a lot of fun learning Vietnamese from this woman. As we finished our coffee she brought me a flower and then began tearing off all of the petals, eventually there was only the small center and stem left, then the woman told us (with a huge grin) “rabbit”- she was right, the flower now resembled a bunny rabbit-this was quite fitting since this is the first year that I didn’t receive an Easter bunny! We thanked the woman and then headed back out towards our boat.
We continued cruising down the river, observing all of the people who actually live on and along the river as they went about their daily business.
We finally made it back to our hotel, we checked out and headed back to Ho Chi Minh so that we could catch our flight to Ha Noi. After a 4 hour bus ride We made it back to HCM and stopped to grab a snack at Pho 2000…Pho (pronounced like FUH) is a Vietnamese soup that consists of broth, veggies, some kind of meat or tofu and noodles….it was pretty good and Pho 2000 is highly recommended!! Former president Bill Clinton even ate there once! After a 2 hour flight, we arrived safely in Ha Noi. It was already pretty late in the evening when we got there, and we didn’t have any hotel reservations. As we traveled from hotel to hotel searching for a place to stay, I began to feel like Mary and Joseph….there was no room in the inn! We finally found a hotel and after a quick drink at the bar, hit the sheets.

Day 3 we woke up early and (After a delicious breakfast at our hotel) we headed out to go and see some of the city’s main attractions. Ha Noi is a really beautiful place filled with lots of cool little shops and cafés and tons of stuff to do. The first thing we saw was the mausoleum of former Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh. We had to wait in a long line of people (both tourists and locals). We weren’t allowed to take our cameras into the mausoleum and had to walk through metal detectors and check our belongings. Once we reached the doors of the actual Mausoleum we were surrounded by guards who strictly enforced rules of solemnity and respect for Ho Chi Minh. We weren’t allowed to put our hands in our pockets, laugh or look through books (Jenn and I had to find this out the hard way as we were scolded by one of the guards for snickering and attempting to read the rules from our Vietnam lonely planet book!) We entered the tomb and were able to actually look at the body of Ho Chi Minh which was incredibly well preserved….almost to the point that I felt a little skeptic….Ho Chi Minh (also known as Uncle Ho) died in 1969 and looked pretty good for being dead and gone for some 30 odd years! Anyway, the experience was really cool and after viewing the body of the late president we were able to look at his “vestige in the presidential palace area”-more commonly known as his home and office.
After this, we headed to the temple of Literature which was really cool. There was amazing architecture and we had a really good time walking around and looking at various temples and gardens. Once we’d seen all that there was to see, we headed over to the Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Ha Noi Hilton….this is the prison where they kept the American pilots who had been shot down as Prisoners of War. This sight was really interesting and sad…We were able to look at some of the original cells and even take pictures inside of them. Many of the photos that were displayed inside of the prison seemed to be in large part propaganda…for example, some of the US soldiers were shown playing volleyball, cooking, and having a great time….It was really interesting to see another side’s viewpoint of these events. After we finished at the Prison we headed over to the Ha Noi water puppet theatre. In the evening we had originally planned on seeing a puppet show, but were disappointed to find that all of the shows (during the time we were in town) were sold out! In light of this new information, we began searching for something else to do. After checking into a new hotel in the old quarter of Ha Noi, We decided to get foot massages and found an extremely nice place where we could get hour long massages for about 11 dollars each! Our massages began with our hands and arms, continued onto our legs and feet and ended with our heads and shoulders. The massage felt amazing and the women who performed them were really sweet. We were given hot Jasmine tea to enjoy during our procedures and after our massage ended I got a fresh coat of paint put on my toes! This was one of my favorite nights….we had a lot of fun!

On Day 4 we woke up early to embark on a 3 hour ride to the Ha Long Bay. The bay is a very popular tourist sight. The bay itself is full of ships and bustling with people. There are these massive rock formations that shoot out of the water making for beautiful scenery. In all, there are about 2,000 rock formations in the bay. Prior to boarding our boat for our bay tour, I was convinced to buy some pearl earrings from some women vendors. They are really pretty and I wish now that I had purchased more. When we finally got onto our boat, we headed for the top deck where chairs were set up for us to lounge on….the chairs were reclined and very comfy! After a short time, our boat stopped at a fish market on the water…this was a little shack set up right in the middle of the bay that was stocked with various types of fish including clams, crabs, shrimp, and shark, all of which were still very much alive! We were told that we could purchase some fish here and that our boat would prepare it for us to have for lunch…initially we weren’t going to buy any, but when we heard that squid was what was being served to us otherwise, we changed our minds. Eduardo and Jenn convinced me to try shark!!! We split one with some of the other people on our boat and got to select the one we wanted. We chose the smallest one which was still huge, and then had to see the market owners catch it and kill it…then the shark was given to our boat cook. We sat down for lunch on the first floor of our boat and began eating the lunch that was provided for us…it was pretty good, even the squid which we were initially so afraid of. About half way through our meal, the shark we had purchased was brought out to us on a platter….I was scared, but I tried my best to be brave and I ate some….I only took a few bites though because “what goes around comes around” and I thought that it may not be the wisest choice for a girl who is planning on swimming in the ocean to be eating something that can eat her back!! After lunch we headed toward this huge rock structure, which turned out to be a cave. As we headed inside to look around I was amazed at both the size and beauty of the interior. Although many neon lights and such had been added to make the cave more tourist friendly, and it somewhat reminded me of the cave of the winds mixed with a little bit of Casa Bonita, I still thought it was great! After we left the cave, we headed toward a little village on the water. We were given the option of taking a small boat through a small section water caves and seeing a school on the water for a $3 charge. We decided to take it and were able to take a short ride around on a small motorized wooden raft…the caves were pretty and even though we weren’t able to get out and really see the school, we got to give some candy and balloons to a few children. We then headed back to the mainland and after another 3 hour drive arrived at our hotel in Ha Noi. To our surprise, our hotel had managed to secure three tickets for us to the water puppet theatre and so we headed over to the show. The show was great…Vietnam is very well known for its water puppet shows and for very good reason. It was so good and I was even able to purchase a water puppet souvenir. After the show, we decided to grab some dinner and ended up at a very chic little restaurant. Again, I was reminded of Seany…it was very much his style! I had some amazing pasta…the best Spaghetti I’ve had in 2 ½ months!! After dinner we headed back and went to sleep.

Day 5 we woke up and headed to the airport. We had originally thought that we were going to be able to catch an earlier flight, but were disappointed to find out that we couldn’t leave until 11:30am. We hung out at the airport for a while and stopped to have some breakfast at a little restaurant that looked decent. We had just ordered our meals when suddenly, I spotted a cucaracha! I grabbed my shoe and killed him right on the spot! I was kind of grossed out, and Jenn laughed at me because here I was, a world traveler who has visited places with living things a lot bigger and scarier than roaches and I was creeped out! As if this experience wasn’t bad enough, moments after I had squished this cucaracha, another roach came along and scooped him up and carried him away to eat him!! AHHH! Cucaracha cannibalism! It was awful!
After this traumatic experience we were finally ready to catch our plane. The flight was good and once we were back in Ho Chi Minh City we headed to the Ben Tahnh Market to do some shopping. I really liked this market and got some good prizes for cheap! We also shopped along the street and I ended up finding a really pretty dress that I was able to have fitted for me. I bought it for around 35 bucks US! By this time, it was already getting pretty late, so we decided that it was about time to get me back to the ship! I was really sad to have to say goodbye to Jenn and her boy, and really sad to be leaving. Vietnam was really one of my most favorite places. I would really like to go back there
someday!

Tomorrow I arrive in Hong Kong and am pretty excited, it sounds like a really cool place. The next time I write I will have visited the Great Wall and will be only 23 days away from the end of my voyage around the world. I miss you all and hope that everything is going well at home. Love you, Val

PS. Thanks again Jenn, for helping me have an amazing time in Vietnam! I love you!

Malaysia

I just returned from Malaysia and it was great! We arrived in Penang on Monday and stayed through Thurs. Our ship wasn’t allowed to pull up directly to the dock, instead we had to drop anchor out further in the middle of the ocean and take tendered ferries across the harbor to get to the dock…it was quite a process! Malaysian Currency is the Rinkett The conversion rate is about 3.4 rinkett to the US dollar. The three main ethnic groups in Malaysia are Malaysian, Chinese, and Indian- Quite an interesting combo. Penang has an amazing shopping mall. On the first day we entered a huge mall with so many cute things and CHEAP shoes…..so many shoes! I did a pretty good job and only bought one pair of heels and one pair of tennis shoes-they are cheapies-I needed some temporary replacements because my Nikes were ruined during my jungle adventure….In the evening Michael, Adrienne, and Greg went to some other city in Malaysia so Celina and I were on our own. After we had finished shopping, we hopped in a carriage….that was pushed by a man on a bike from behind….I know, I know this already sounds like trouble…but we hopped in and asked him to take us to the ship….along the way he began taking us on this scenic route and along dark abandoned streets….we were really scared. I saw (once again) a ton of rats along the way. Finally we arrived safely back at the dock and we headed back to the ship.
On the second day, we woke up and left for our trip to the Cameron Highlands. The Cameron highlands are about 4 hours away by bus and are extremely beautiful. Unlike some of our friends who found a lot of hustle and bustle in the big cities of Malaysia, our trip was really relaxing and mellow. We did a lot of hiking through jungle, and visits to places like tea plantations, and strawberry farms. The natural scenery was beautiful and the weather was perfect….back in Penang, the temperatures are hot and humid, but in the highlands we were able to enjoy cooler weather….it kind of reminded me of being in the mountains in Colorado…during the summer of course! On our way to our hotel in the highlands, we stopped at this really old Chinese temple inside of this huge cave…it was really neat and really old. We also had lunch at this weird Chinese restaurant….the food was ok, but I had to pee, and I still don’t know how to use those squatters very well! Our hotel was really nice, and Celina and I got to be roomies again! We walked around this little town in the highlands and then we had some good nan (remember the Indian bread that looks like a tortilla) at this little pub/restaurant. I went to sleep pretty early but got well rested for our trip to the jungle the next day!

We woke up bright and early and split up into cars of 7 so that we could go to the Highlands. First we stopped at this really high tower. We had to climb some really steep stairs about 4 stories high, but once we got to the top we were able to get an amazing view of the Highlands. The scenery was incredible. We also stopped at a tea plantation and got a cheesy yet interesting lesson on how tea is made and processed in Malaysia. Tea is one of Malaysia’s biggest exports and the work that tea harvesting provided is one reason why the culture is so diverse….many people from countries like China and India came to work on the plantations. We got to sample some of the tea and I was even able to purchase some to bring home with me.
After visiting the tea plantation we made our way to the highlands. The driver of our car ended up being our main guide through the highlands. We started out on this nice little track, and before I knew it we were in the middle of the jungle. The ground was really soft and squishy….only later did I find out that we weren’t even standing on the ground, but instead we were standing on a canopy of grass and shrubbery that grew above the ground and roots of the trees. For some reason I was the dirtiest girl of all time…I kept on slipping and so my pants and shoes were filthy….I wouldn’t have felt so bad, but everyone else came out of the jungle relatively clean-haha…..I am such a mess! Our path was actually pretty difficult….there were no distinct paths and we had to just follow our guide as best we could and hope that we didn’t get lost…we walked through a lot of muddy places and did a lot of uphill climbing. Throughout our hike, We were able to see different kinds of trees, flowers, and plant life. We also got to see the pitcher plant….aka…the carnivorous plants! I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed to find that the plant was relatively small and that it wasn’t carnivorous at all, but instead it was insectivorous. The plant only traps and eats bugs! I was expecting to encounter a huge man eating shrub like the one on Little Shop of Horrors. Regardless of my disappointment, the hike was beautiful and I had a good time.
After leaving the highlands, we headed back to the tea plantation for lunch…we had bananas, rice and some weird chicken….strange for a box lunch.
After we lunch we headed to this little village where we were able to try our hand at blowing a poisonous dart out of a long wooden tube. I did a bad job…..I missed the target entirely, but at least I hit the tree! We also got to see some cutie babies…there were a lot of kids just sittin around….I found this cutest baby girl and she kept on waving to me! I love her so much…..She was my favorite. After the village we were told that we were going to this strawberry farm that also specialized in serving amazing strawberry snacks!! But before we got to go to the farm we had to stop at this lame hot spring….it was dirty and so lame….but we made the best of it and pretended it was kind of cool!
Finally we were heading to the strawberry farm and wouldn’t you know it, our car broke down….well actually it just overheated! The 4 girls in the car just sat inside while the boys got out and helped collect water to pour on the engine….I think…..
Finally we made it to the strawberry farm and I had an AMAZING strawberry Sunday!! It was so good! YUMMY! We left the farm and headed back to the hotel where we had dinner before heading out to that same little pub to have more good tea and nan with a group of SAS kids.
The next morning we left at about 9 am and headed back to Penang. We made a stop at a lame market which sold nothing but strawberries and flowers….I was sad because we aren’t allowed to bring fresh fruit or plant life onto the ship so this was a lame waste of time for us….we also stopped at a Chinese restaurant for lunch….it was kind of gross-not because I am a sissy but because it really was gross! Our last stop was at this shop where people hand painted different fabrics used for clothes, or decoration….the process was kind of cool, but the stuff they sold was pretty expensive so I didn’t buy anything.
Once we were back at the dock, Celina and I decided to head back to that amazing mall to buy some last minute stuff…It was about 4:30 and our on ship time was 9 so we figured we had plenty of time. We shopped a little, and had some pizza hut before heading back to the dock. We were in line by 8pm and as we waited to board the ferried boats, we began to panic with the realization that we weren’t going to make it onto the ship by 9. It wasn’t just us, there were at least 100 SAS kids in our same situation. We waited and waited and finally were able to board a boat…by the time we got onto the actual ship, it was 9:40 pm…..ridiculous, we had just waited an hour and 40 minutes to get back onto the ship. I was so sad that I was going to get dock time….(4 hours worth) but luckily the ship administration issued us warnings instead of giving us dock time in Vietnam…this was really good considering Jenn is meeting me in Vietnam and we have a jam packed schedule! However, if I am ever late again in any of the remaining ports I will get an additional 4hours of dock time added to what ever time I get. So basically I can never be late again, and I don’t intend to!

I miss you and hope everyone is doing well. I’ll write after Vietnam. Love you, Val

India

Hello all!
I just returned from India and it was CRAZY!!

We arrived in India on a Sunday and I couldn’t have started out on a better note! I was invited to have church with the Archbishop! It was a small private ceremony with only about 9 people in attendance. I got to sit next to Desmond’s wife. She was really nice! We listened to readings from the bible including the story of the adulterous woman that Jesus protected by telling the towns people “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. I felt too proud to speak because I was already familiar with the story and I think that a few of the other students who were there had never heard it before. We sang “Jesus I adore you, and I lay my life before you, how I love you” and got to sing it in a cannon…again I was too proud to speak because I knew that song and helped keep the cannon going! It was fun! We also had communion. The Archbishop gave us the bread first….but the bread was really big…not like our good little crackers from church….this was a large piece of a biscuit. I had a really hard time swallowing it and got kind of scared that I wouldn’t be able to finish it before it was my turn to drink the wine. I forced it down just in time and was able to have a successful communion with Des. I was (and still am) so excited that I got to have that experience…..when else am I going to get to have a private church ceremony with the archbishop?

India is extremely polluted and not very clean….there was lots of poverty and disease which made me really sad, and much of it was hard to take in. My trip was so fast paced….I never slowed down, so even though I was there for 5 days, I felt like my visit was really quick.
The weather in India is both hot and humid but the culture in India doesn’t allow women to wear anything too revealing, so our knees and shoulders always had to be covered….a very uncomfortable thing to do when it is a million degrees outside.
The currency in India is the rupee (again… I know it’s strange) and the exchange rate is 44 rupees to the dollar. India is really cheap I spent a ton of money, but got a lot of stuff. The main mode of transportation in India is rickshaw. These are little motorized cars…not like the ones that are attached to bicycles. Each rickshaw can fit 3 people and they cost about 60 rupees to get around….that is like $1.50. India is also full of dogs, monkeys, cows and rats. I saw so many of them….I am terrified of rats so I had to do my best job to be brave! I though that for the most part I did a really good job! J

On our first day in Chenai India, we climbed into a rickshaw and were amazed at how crazy people drive….there is no such thing as lanes in India, and people drive like crazies!! I saw many motorcycles carrying full families….I’m talking a grown man, grown woman and like 3 kids including an infant….this was really nuts! Also, our rickshaw drivers thought that it would be a good idea to drive down the wrong way of a one way street on a few occasions….this was really scary! The rickshaw drivers get a commission from different stores if they take all of their fares to different shops before taking them to their final destination….as a result of this, we ended up visiting about 7 different little shops before finally arriving at the outside market where we wanted to be. This was kind of annoying, but we made the best of it. Near one of the stores, we were able to see a snake charmer…a man had a cobra in a basket and he played his flute and the snake slithered out….it was really neat….I have it on video….
When we finally got to the out door market we did some shopping (I got some really cool bags, and a drum) and then headed back home. On the way we stopped at this hotel to have some dinner….we ate authentic Indian food….my most favorite is the Nan which is a type of Indian bread (I think it’s because it reminds me of homemade tortillas) and these lentils called….well we just called them lentils. How funny, I went all the way to India to eat beans and tortillas! Now that is a true Mexican!! In the evening we went to an Indian welcome ceremony where we were able to get some henna drawn on our hands and see some authentic Indian dance. We were also given some bindi’s (the little dots that are placed on the forehead). We finally got back to the ship and began packing for our trip to Agra.

Day two began at about 3 am….we woke up early because our semester at sea trip left at 4 am to catch a 6:00 air plane. We had to get searched like crazy by these women behind a screen….I think I got a little bit felt up….So I was kind of sad but I guess it’s just part of the experience….
Once on the plane, we were offered really good service by stewardesses in sari’s and were given a full breakfast meal. I ate a spinach omelet-even though we were instructed by our on ship doctor to avoid spinach because it contains lead….oops! It tasted good!
Our flight landed in Deli and then we had to hop on a 4 hour train to Agra. The train was late, so we ended up sitting at the train station for about 2 hours while we waited for our train to arrive. The train station is an interesting place full of all types of people. There are beggars everywhere and many people trying to sell various items. Also, the train station was full of monkeys….kind of fun, but also kind of scary! I also saw a litter of small puppies- they were mangy and probably full of rabies, but I wanted to play with them anyway….if our train hadn’t arrived at just about the time that I saw them, I would probably have rabies right now….they were so cute!! Initially when we were given our train seating assignments Celina, Michael and I were assigned to a different car than the rest of our group… as we made our way over to the last car on the train we found ourselves feeling very scared and uncomfortable. The train was a second-class passenger train un air-conditioned and full of locals…many of them sick and kind of sketch. Here we were three little scared and stupid Americans….luckily one of our tour guides came and found us to have us sit with the rest of the SAS kids in a different car. Although the train ride was long and uncomfortable…we were hot, and people kept passing though our car begging for money-it certainly was an experience! One boy came and swept our floor and then begged for some of our funds….I gave him a pack of fruit snacks instead….I hope he liked them….they are my favorites! When we finally got to Agra, we had just enough time to check into our hotel, grab some dinner and hit the sheets.

Day 3 we got to go to the Taj Mahal and see the sun rise. It was amazing. The Taj is huge, and it is beautiful….there were tons of people there both locals and tourists. While we were walking around taking pictures, a local woman approached me and asked if she could take a picture with me….it was so strange because here I was submerged in this whole new culture thinking about how different everyone else is and here I am the one who is really different. I got many stares and questions about where I was from….I guess that most Indians think that Americans are blond haired and blue eyed…..there probably aren’t many Mexicans in India! This scenario happened to me about 3 different times during my time in India. After seeing the sunrise at the Taj, we were able to go to a fort in Agra. I don’t really remember the story or significance of it (how sad), but it was beautiful!! The architecture was amazing and I couldn’t believe all of the detail that was added by hand. In Agra, there are many street vendors who are trying to sell their wares…many of them are children and it is both sad and annoying….a lot of times they would be really pushy and when children were trying to sell their items, I would always feel bad for not buying their little trinkets that cost practically nothing. A few times I gave in, so I have a few random little prizes like key chains that I will need to give away!
Once we left the fort we went to the hotel and had dinner. The food was surprisingly really good. Again, we had those good beans and tortillas! After dinner, we went back to the Taj to see the sun set, and this time we actually got to go inside. There was no flash photography allowed in the Taj, and we had to remove our shoes or put on these hospital booties. They were funny! The Taj has all kinds of amazing detail, and each of the floral designs throughout is composed of small semi-precious stones. I couldn’t believe how intricate the details were. Building the Taj was quite a process….20,000 people were employed for 22 years in order to get it finished. Inside of the Taj, we were able to see the tombs of Sha Jihan and his queen M_____ Jihan. This was really cool, and kind of creepy. After we left the Taj we headed back to our hotel and checked out. We then headed back to the train station to go back to Deli. This train ride was a lot more comfortable than the first. We rode in air conditioned compartments and had our own comfy seats. We were in Deli before we knew it, and proceeded to our hotel. Outside of the train station we saw many sick and diseased people. I saw a man with elephant feet….seriously they were huge. They looked like they were really painful and I felt so sad. People with crippled legs were also in abundance. I think many of them suffered from polio, and it made me sad to know that polio can be prevented with a simple vaccination. This was among the most difficult things that I saw while in India.
Our Deli hotel was really nice and we had really good rooms too! It was Michael’s birthday so we went to the club in our hotel. This was pretty fun, I bought a round of drinks for around 1800 rupees. I didn’t think anything of it until later when I realized that I had spent about $40 on long island ice teas!! I was really sad, but that was Michael’s birthday present. Needless to say I didn’t buy any more beverages that night!
We woke up the next day and headed to the Gandhiji museum. This was really cool and I was disappointed that we weren’t able to stay longer. I didn’t even get a chance to really explore the whole thing. After returning to the hotel for lunch we packed our things and checked out. At the airport I saw a man with a little St. Bernard puppy! This one wasn’t a stray….he was so cute! I just wanted to play with him! The owner was an Indian man and he said that the puppy was only 4 weeks old…his name was Ivan! I loved him!
The plane ride was kind of scary….the air must not have been working properly, and I thought I was going to die of heat stroke…..I have never been so hot and sweaty on a plane….usually I am freezing. This was strange, but we arrived safely and headed back to the ship to get some much needed sleep.
Our last day was rushed and chaotic. We headed to a place called Spencer’s Plaza (a big mall) and again took a crazy rickshaw. Our driver dropped us off on the wrong side of the street, and we spent about 20 minutes standing on a small median in the middle of traffic being scared and fearful for our lives. I was really scared….my legs were even shaking….Some locals finally had to help us to get across. the mall was cool, and I did some serious shopping. We made our way back to the ship and I got to make some last minute phone calls….they were a lot cheaper than just calling from the ship (3 min for $1).
The trip to Malaysia is a short one…we’ll actually be there tomorrow! I am really excited. I have a SAS trip planned and I am going to go and see the Cameron Highlands. I think we will be able to see jungles, waterfalls, and carnivorous plants! Can’t wait!
I love and miss you all very much! ~Val