Look right...

I'm getting much better but it's worth the mention. It is SO hard for the mind to be able to reorient itself to everything being opposite! I've been here before and to London plenty of times and in parts of Asia they drove on the left side of the road (although it hardly counts as the exception often was the rule there), but wow, I really really have to pay attention when crossing the street. Every time I think it's starting to come naturally, I end up in a bit of trouble.

Now a bit of housekeeping - sorry about the days I took off the blog without explanation. I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience. Luckily for you, I have tons to write about. (and if you are Rob who only reads this on Sunday's with a cup of coffee, it should be there ready for you JUST in time!)

Friday, July 29
So as I've mentioned before, I am a HUGE fan of public transportation. While I wouldn't say Sydney has the best (no subways, metro system, etc) they do have a pretty cool option- FERRIES!! Anne and Tom walked me down to the ferry stop where I rode into Circular Quay (that's pronounced "key," not "kway," which is how I said it until I was politely corrected.) ferries are SO cool! You get a beautiful view of the city and different bays from the water, you can feel the fresh air on your face if you choose to sit outside, and, they have free wifi on board!? That just blows my mind. I didn't use it (I'm trying not to be THAT glued to my devices), but I am thoroughly impressed.



These are the things you are NOT supposed to be on the ferry.

From Circular Quay (which is located just between the Harbour bridge and the opera house, I headed to "the rocks," which is the first settlement in Sydney and SO rich with history. I first found myself at a little street fair, and I'm not really sure whether it was a regular thing or not but I outraged around for a bit. I the found myself at the Sydney Visitors Center, which lead me to the Rocks Discovery Museum. Entrance was free so I headed on in. Interestingly enough, I was there just 20 minutes before the last July lecture in a series of Friday "talks on the rocks," so I wandered the museum and then sat in on the lecture. My biggest takeaway from the museum was what small crimes the original convicts who were sent to Australia were guilty of. Over and over there would be mentions of people who had originally been sent over because they forged a one or ten pound note, or stole a loaf of bread - things that might get you a court date and a small bail in the states, not banishment to a far off prison for a few years and then either a trip back or a trip over for your wife! My other takeaway is how brutally the aboriginals were treated. Little is even known about aboriginal history as so many were killed and so much was distorted by the settlers. The main ways in which historians can learn about aboriginal ways of life are based on paintings of them done by the settlers at the time, sadly. The lecture was also very interesting because the lecturer was a half aboriginal man who is very much a mix of both worlds. He is a botanist at the botanical gardens but also participates in many dance and song performances to keep his clans traditions alive. He spoke about how it is hard to lump all aboriginal history together as there are over 250 languages and even more dialects within Australia so very much is lost or abbreviated.

For lunch I went to a really fun historic pub in the rocks called The Hero of Waterloo. I sat at the bar and ordered. It was then that I learned how fun it is to be the one with the cool accent. It's really funny the contrast between here and Asia. While there it was so beyond clear that I was a foreigner, suddenly now I look completely natural in my environment. But the second I open my mouth I become extremely interesting to those around me. Where am I from? What brings me to Australia? For how long? Etc, etc. Being on my own, I am more approachable, so I am constantly asked for directions (a lost cause and they realize it before I can even get to the second word), fir the time (and thus begins the, "oh! You aren't from around!" thing). I'm sure it an get old, but I'm really enjoying it for the time being. Everyone wants to tell me where to go, what I should be doing, etc.



My pub, opened in 1842. "Rumor has it that there are secret tunnels that connect the pub to the harbor in order to shanghai unfortunate drinkers onto ships" c/o my guidebook.




I went on to the old observatory (which is no longer functional but has a museum attached). I learned about the importance to the harbor that the observatory originally has as it was the means by which all boats could tell the time. There was also a very interesting display on an aboriginal take on the stars and their link to the earths creation.

As I headed back in no hurry to the ferry, I stumbled upon a little museum called The Savvanah Place, which is a collection of four connected townhouses and an attached general store built in the 1840s and housed 150 families (not al at the same time) until the last resident moved out in 1990. It was very interesting the way the socioeconomic class of residents changed in the area over the years and how little was updated over the years (the residents who lived there in 1990 still had an outhouse!)



The museum is a conservation project so nothing leftover has been taken away. This means layers upon layers of paint and wallpaper.



The four old doors. Inside each room is differently decorated to match a different time when there were residents. Many of them from memory by tenants, children of tenants, or grandchildren of tenants.
I'm pretty sure it was a very random site to visit on a first day in Sydney, but interesting nonetheless.

That night we went to see HARRY POTTER! I had been so worried when i realized the movie would be coming out while I was on my adventure. That goodness for Australia!
I was very pleased with the last movie and felt it upheld the book as well as it could burin just devastated that its all over!

Saturday, July 30
Anne and I woke up at the crack of dawn to go to the big fruit and vegetable market. It was freezing but so fun to see the huge warehouse of fresh goods. We got enough for the feast we decided to cook for the evening (more on that in a sec).



It just went in and on.

We then hurried back into town for Paddy's (Anne and Tom's 17 year old son) rugby game. Now I know very little about sports, and very little about American Football, but compared to how much I know about Rugby, I'm a football expert. The Paddy's team took a beating, but they fought valiantly (according to me, so remember the source).



I just love the rugby uniforms (this is a picture of the opposing team though), they looks so collegiate I think.

That night I put my Thai cooking classes to use at our dinner party! I made both the Tom Yum soup and the Pad Thai that we learned at our Bangkok cooking classes, and they turned out well! Score! I cant wait to do more when I get back to the states! Anne had a few lovely friends over and we ate, drank and were merry late int the night.

Sunday, July 31
Anne and I met her friend Kathy at a wonderful brunch spot overlooking Bondi beach (one of Sydney's most famous and beautiful beaches). We have been so lucky with weather and today was not exception.



The view from our balcony at brunch. It is the middle of winter here. Paradise.

I then went for a wonderful run along the two bays that surround the point that Anne and Tom live at.



I love how dramatic all the little boats are. The "gate" encloses a small nay that is called a pool in this instance.



My feet in the sand. Running on the sand may be good for you, buti find I very hard!



I guess I'll just hop on over to London then...

When I had been at The Rocks on Friday, everyone kept mentioning the Aroma Festival that was to take place today. A festival for coffee, chocolate, and teas from around the world. Well that just sounded fantastic! So Anne and I headed over to check it out. It was a zoo, but totally worth it!



Me sipping a divine white hot chocolate! I was THIS close to buying a big package to bring home and then I remembered customs. Unmarked white powder, looks a lot like...




Along side the aroma festival was the weekly rocks handicraft market. It sold beautiful clothing, woodwork, and artwork. Markets are really becoming quite a theme for me on this trip, and I must say, I'm loving it!

These evening Anne, her sister Mary (a native Aussie who now lives in Italy) and I, went for drinks at a tapas bar that their younger brother, Bill (an architect), designed. We had a fabulous time sipping wine and dining on the most delicious dishes - a trout that was sliced and tasted like smoked salmon, am amazing grilled cheese I'd never heard of, and a quesadilla made from a spicy cheese.



Me and Anne at drinks at wine library.

Sydney may not be as foreign and exotic as the places we went I. Southeast Asia, but it certainly is grand!

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Lazy day down under...

I feel so clean and like I have so much space all the sudden! I'm not sure that I'd be this wowed by Sydney if I weren't just coming from southeast Asia where I constantly felt hot, sweaty, dirty, and like I was so crammed in with so many people! Sydney is such a lovely city, yet so very similar to home (not that I'm surprised by this, I have been here before). I let myself sleep in this morning to the glutinous hour of 10:30 am! I can't even remember the last time I went to sleep without setting an alarm and so nonchalantly strolling out of bed! I lounged and showered and read... It was so glorious!
Anne and I then went out to get manicures as I, the nail-biter, seem to have gotten through the last three weeks without ever putting my fingers to my mouth (Alicia, I hope you are reading this, you'd be so proud) and it was time to reward myself by making them prettier (and to protect them as I'm able to keep my hands much cleaner and it can be a slippery slope back to nail biting). Any who, I'm not sure how interesting that is to anyone who might be reading this, but it certainly is one thing I am very proud of myself for. The girls doing our nails were super sweet and happened to be from Vietnam, one of them from just outside Halong Bay, so that was really fun. They also told me I have "mermaid" eyes. I'm not sure what that means, but I'm going to take it as a compliment.
We then went for a walk in the city - beginning in the botanical gardens and looping over to the iconic Sydney Opera House. Anne, born and bed in Sydney, and from a family who's history is so intertwined with the city, has a story for every building and every island. She is the perfect tour guide!



Can you believe this is all ONE tree? (tree in the botanical garden)



Mrs. Macquaries Chair - in 1810, the governor's wife arrived in Sydney. He had this chair carved out of stone at the end of a road overlooking the view of the city for her pleasure.



The view from the chair. That mini island you can see became a mini Alcatraz but is now a popular location for events and weddings.



This city has such a fabulous skyline! I love how diverse the shapes of the buildings are and yet how oddly symmetrical the whole of it looks.



The opera house. The building was finalized in 1973. I find that amazing on two levels 1)that a building that "young" can be that much of an international symbol (like the Eiffel tower, the statue of liberty, etc) and 2) how modern and creative it still looks! I mean it's not like Disney Hall looks all that much more "out there", to me at least (I say that because of how painfully aware I am of how little knowledge I have on the topic - it's not like I've read any architectural literature on this matter or anything...)



The Sydney Harbour Bridge. Anne says most people from the east suburbs (where she lives, just to the east a few miles of the center of the city) have a psychological barrier when it comes to crossing the bridge to North Sydney, that thought it technically isn't that far, it really feels it. I told her we have something similar in Los Angeles -the 405.

We went home, collected Tom, who was getting back from work and went to a delicious Italian dinner at a place called "No Name," given the name because it used to be somewhat of and "underground" Italian club. Oh what fun!


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Part 2 begins...

I've been terrible and don't have a picture to show for today, but early this afternoon, after over 24 hours of travel, I arrived in Sydney! My mom's friend Anne, who was an exchange student placed in my mom's class in St. Louis during their senior year of high school, picked me up and she and her husband, Tom, have been kind enough to take me in while I'm here! We went to a fabulous lunch at a sailing club where I had delicious fish and chips and then we drove around and they gave me a bit of a tour. It is winter here and I luckily arrived on a cool but crystal clear blue sky day (the cooler temperature feels SO nice compared with the humid heat I've been in lately). I'm completely exhausted but cannot wait to take on more of the city tomorrow!

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Goodbye cruise, goodbye Asia...

The final morning of our cruise in Halong Bay consisted of a cave expedition. Sometime between 1901 and 1904 the French, while exploring Halong Bay, happened upon this island of caves (caves worn down by the pounding of water on their primarily limestone structure). It was a bit of a climb and is now a very touristy location (there are colored lights eliminating the place all over giving it a bit more of a sci-fi feel than I bet they had when they were originally discovered, but very very cool nonetheless.



View out from the mouth of the biggest cave.



The four of us standing inside one of the three caves (I think the second, medium sized one)



Does this not look like something thought up by Steven Spielberg?



Graffiti from 1905!!!

Once we were done in the caves it was back to the boat to pack (sniff), dine, and head back to the bus for the long drive back.

Alex H. and I went back to our hotel and later met back up with Alex C. for a goodbye supper at a fabulous restaurant she's learned about. We walked the streets of the Old Quarter (where Alex H and I had done a bit of last minute shopping earlier in the evening), pretty in awe of this city.

I hardly feel like I got my feet wet in Vietnam. This country is really incredible and has so much to see - you can bet I'll be back here to explore some more!

This morning I got up with the sun to head to the airport. Alex H and I said our goodbyes and, I realize, this part of my adventure has drawn to a close. I'm both happy and sad to be leaving a place I wish I could stay in longer. As excited as I am to start the next chapter, I don't feel done here in Vietnam, or any of Southeast Asia, yet! That's the funny thing about travel - the more you see and do, the more you realize there is to see and do! For example, I'm sitting here (during my awkward 11 hr layover) writing this at a shopping center just outside of the Ho Chi Minh Airport - oh how much I would have loved to spend some time in Ho Chi Minh!

C'est la vie! There are worse problems.

I hope everyone at home is doing well!

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I could get used to this...

So day two was equally incredible. SO incredible, that it gets to be a part of my sponsorship series. To my Dad and Valerie, thank you so much for all your help and support with this trip. This day is dedicated to you.

The ship (our cruise line, Paloma) does one and two night cruises. We were four of the six who were on the two gut cruise, so this special day trip on a smaller boat consisted solely of the four of us girls and a very sweet newly wed couple on their honeymoon from Spain (to further how much I love THAT country, we learned that in Spain, when you get married you get an additional two weeks vacation on top of the four weeks you get no matter what!) The six of us, our guide, Long, and our private crew set sail.

We first went to one little island that had both a sandy beach and a short but rather steep hike to the top, where our extremely sweaty (I mainly mention it because we were so sweaty it is mentionable) bodies had spectacular views!



A view from the top! See how that little cluster of islands wrap around that bit of sea? How does that happen?!



Annie, Alex, and the beach!

It's amazing to me how many different plants grow on these small island! We aren't talking just one kind but hundreds and hundreds!




When we got to the bottom we were rewarded with a swim in the perfect water yet again. The crew played soccer on the beach.

From there we went to an oyster farm where we learned about the process of harvesting salt water pearls!



Our guide at the oyster farm showing a cluster of oysters whose pearls won't be ready for another eighteen months!



He then demonstrated how you open the oyster and extract the pearl. We got lucky and the pearl he extracted was PERFECT!

We boarded back onto our boat, went for another lovely swim, and had another fabulously decadent 5 course meal - this time barbecue dishes! Alex and Annie got to show off their new knowledge of Vietnamese sauces (we all have a new love for sea salt and lime with a seasoning or two - it makes everything delicious!)

Afterward we got some time to sunbath (I should note: no matter the SPF strength, we all came back from this day a different color than we started), and then kayak some more. Today, rather than kayak around a village we were in a remote part of the bay. We kayaked into caves where you could see almost nothing but the faint light at the other side, and had to dodge stalagmites (thats the one that hangs from the top right?) you could here nothing other than the dripping of freshly evaporated water trapped on the ceiling and bats chirping and fluttering. It oddly reminded me of some of the quieter parts of the pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland (my reference point, apparently, for everything). We would find ourselves in remote lagoons staring up at the awesomeness of the formations around us and the perfect jade colored water.

Then it was time to swim and relax some more before we were taken back to the main boat. The only thing lacking in my amazing and very compact camera is water resistance so it was not a part of any of these water activities, which I really am sad about, but as Alex H. Pointed out, the pictures don't really show it the way it feels so it might just be best that we try to hold some of those moments in our memory.



Alex C. and I enjoying a drink back on the big boat at sunset.

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The descending dragon...

For our last harrah in Asia, Alex and I planned an excursion to Halong bay, which, I had heard was a cluster of little islands nearish Hanoi and was a sight not to be missed while in the region. Serendipitously, my OTHER friend Alex (to avoid confusion from here on they are Alex H., the one I've been with this whole time, and Alex C., our new addition) wound up with a summer practicum for her masters in international health (yes all my friends are very smart and doing big things) in Hanoi and was able to take a day off work to join Alex H and I in our expedition. Her roommate and workmate for the summer, Annie, was able to join as well. So the four of us spent the last three days in heaven...



And I think I mean that literally.

How to even begin writing about the magic that is Halong Bay? Like the magnificence of Angkor Wat and the preciousness of Luang Prabang, I really don't know how to do any of it justice solely through words and pictures. It is truly a place I recommend everyone put on their bucket list.

We began with a four hour bus ride from Hanoi where we met our cruise director, Long. He explained to us that his name means the same as the 'long' in 'ha long,' which it turns out means 'descending dragon.' (he said we could call him Dragon if we felt so inclined.) The 'bay of the descending dragon' gets the name because, to explain the phenomenon of the thousands (there are over three thousand if you count the main bay and its connected bay) of small islands jutting from the ocean. Depending on who is telling the story, the tale goes that the Dragon was either descending due to rage or to protect the area. Regardless, I can see how someone would need to find some explanation for the formations because they are incredible and unlike anything you could make up - another reason to be in awe of mother nature and her tremendous creativity.

We arrived on the boat and set a-sailing until we came close to a floating village. We then got in kayaks and rowed ourselves around the village. Unlike the one on the Tonle Sap in Cambodia, which left both Alex H and I with a deep sense of sadness, this floating village was picturesque and serene. It has about 300 citizens who are mainly fishermen and who have lived in the village for generations. We visited the school (not in session as it's summer holiday) where most children attend through 5th grade. You could hear laughter and chattering from the different homes. I wish I had pictures but I was too nervous my camera would fall in the ocean or end up wet as we were kayaking. It's not a memory I want to forget.

When we returned to the main boat we went for a swim in the open ocean. I have never been so comfortable in the open water. The temperature was basically body temperature - oh how spoiling! I pretty much had to pry myself out of the water after every swim from there on. Then we showered and watched the sun set.



Me, Alex C, Alex H, Annie at the sunset party on the roof of the boat.

We continued the evening with cooking class (Vietnamese spring rolls) and the eating class (eating said spring rolls) and then a seven course dinner. Did I mention we went to heaven?

That night, the four of us lay out on the rooftop deck of our cruise, looking up at the clear night sky and the falling stars and the constellations, and everything in the universe felt right.

To be continued...

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Ding DONG!

We're back in the big city! And my what Laos girls we have become. The second we got off the plane in Hanoi we were accosted by a million cab drivers (and there is an airport cab scam we read about and were determined not to fall prey to!) this is the hustlingist-bustlingest place! A few times we had the distinct impression we were going to die of moped.



View from the cab we took to dinner. Notice the pedestrians directly in front of the car. Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way... Quite frankly, we aren't sure who does...



Where we were dropped off... Notice the balloons in the background.



Somehow we found ourselves in another market (that's one in every country now...)

Well, we're off on a mini adventure and will be sans Internet for a few days. Enjoy the weekend everyone!

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March of the elephants...

Hello! Sorry about these blog delays, the Internet in Laos just isn't cooperating! Yesterday was really a special day. So special, that it is the third day in my sponsorship series! Soooooooooo to Morgan and Luc, thank you for all your support, friendship, and help making this day possible!

We began before dawn at 5am when, for the third day in a row, our alarm clock went off. Going to watch the monks leave for to collect alms each morning us a tradition in Luang Prabang that we knew wasn't to be missed. Unfortunately, due to rain and fatigue, the two mornings before it had been just a tad too painful to remove ourselves from bed (yes, even though the beds themselves were painful...) What a sight to see. In Laos, most young men (even many young enough to be called young boys) become monks for some amount of time - it is a bit of a right of passage. At about 5:30am on the dot, the monks begin filling out of the Wats to begin to collect their alms. We were told not to partake unless it was spiritually significant to us, and as we know little about it, we just stood back and watched it happen.


At first it was just a few monks, spaced out, collecting alms.


Before long, they lined the street.

We then went back to bed until our 8:30 pick up to go meet the elephants! Knowing how poorly many elephants are taken care of, we were happy to find "elephant village" a refuge for formerly mistreated and overworked elephants from the logging industry. As elephants are hard to keep up (they eat an average of 250kg and drink 150liters of water per day) they are often overworked to earn their keep. At elephant village they are free to roam the jungle all but 1-4 hrs per day (like a domestic cat, they always come back home), when they give rides to tourists. They don't seem to mind the rides as they are given plenty of bananas and taken care of by their "mahout" (basically their human life partner, we read many endearing stories about the journeys these elephants have faced with their mahout). There is also a full time veterinarian on staff to ensure the health and well being of these magnificent animals.



To get there, we slugged through the muddiest of terrains. We really were on a jungle adventure.


Alex and I riding "Dala" (she had a longer name but...) can you believe I'm just sitting on her head! She kept flapping her ears which freaked me out but we later read is a sign of happiness. Dala loved bananas and would throw her trunk back to ask for more. She cleared us through 3 huge bunches- which cost the last of our Kip! How stinking cute is she though? She is 31 years old. These elephants have a life expectancy of 80-100 years!



We broke for lunch. How incredible is this view of the Laos jungle mountains?


Boarding a "fast boat" to the waterfalls.


Life on the river.


The waterfalls. It was nice to see clear water for the first time in awhile. It was so cold though! We only went in to the waist. There were baby elephants (6 and 7 years old) playing in a nearby pool!

We went home and rested up before a very special dinner at L'Elephant, one of Luang Prabang's most famous and well respected restaurants (French/Lao cuisine). The name felt fitting, and it was our last night in this very special place.

This morning we woke up, had our last breakfast in Laos (we have become verrrrry accustomed our morning banana pancakes - we both are in agreement that we could have one every morning for the rest of our lives), and packed for the next stop on our adventure - HANOI (Vietnam)!

I'll miss peaceful Laos. Both Alex and I hope to get back at some point in our lives. It really is a magical country with so much to offer.

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Singin', just singin' in the rain...

After yesterday, we officially understand why they call this (June - November) the rainy season. Now I could talk about the amazing and darling temple (Wat Xieng Thong) we went to...



Exterior...



Interior...

...or I could talk about the Royal Palace and museum...



Grand entrance (this is about all you could take, they took cameras, bags, shoes, and everything away but we learned a lot about the monarchy and the way they lived in there...)



The golden temple at the palace...

...but for me, yesterday, July 20, 2011 will always be remembered as the day I got the following cribbage hand:



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you don't play cribbage, or even if you do, this is a PERFECT hand, like the kind you only dream about, the GRAND 29!!!!!!!

I didn't think I'd ever see one, let alone be dealt one, and, have it be the winning play in a game.

This happened completely organically. Ah!

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Welcome to the world...

We continue to be charmed by Luang Prabang. Last night we went to the night market. If you have been reading this as we go, you know we've been to A LOT of markets. I knew we had to check it out but I was starting to feel marketed-out. Thank god we went - This one is truly fantastic! In typical Laos fashion there is no pushing around. A simple "no thank you" works just fine here. Almost everything there is homemade, and you can feel the greater pride the vendors take in their product.



Alex making one of many purchases.



The market goes on and on down the main street of the city. Each night at 5pm the vendors begin setting up, rain or moonshine (last night was mainly the former).

We made quite a few purchases but most are gifts (and probably for some of you reading) so I'm not going to talk about anything but one purchase. They sell a lot of baby things (things for babies, literally, luc!) and Alex and I are having a hard time not buying them despite our not having babies... We did find the cutest cloth baby books and decide we should each get one. Here's mine:



Pretend that's Alex and I despite it not being two girls...



While we didn't see a deer, we DID go to Vientiane, AND see the Mekong!



We are in Luang Prabang, and may just meet an elephant!
If you have been reading this religiously (like my mom) you'll remember the weird stop we made as we entered Laos airspace at the tiny airport - that was Pakse!



"welcome to the world" - I love that instead of "the end" and it feels very fitting to my trip.

One thing we've done a ton of in Luang Prabang is laugh - laugh for the sake of laughing, laugh because of a bad massage, laugh because our shower is over the toilet at our hotel here, laugh because Alex accidentally ordered two espressos and then drank them both resulting in a high, laugh laugh laugh. It has really been lovely.



Me stifling laughter at dinner last night...

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