Welcome to the Good Life

 

Where to begin with this one? Well let me begin by saying that Vietnam is HOT. And when I say hot, I mean, no breeze, 100% humidity, stagnant 105 degree HOT...everyday. It made being outside unbearable, but we all still managed somehow. So if you're complaining about the cold at home, if it's still cold, I don't really know, just imagine standing outside in 105 degree weather with no breeze and no air conditioning. But I'm not complaining by any means, just wanted you all to get the whole picture. Vietnam was great. I truly had no idea what to expect, once again, so it really took me by surprise. We were there for 5 wonderful days and finally set sail this morning at 6am.

 

Day 1

 

We arrived into port around 8 am, but we decided we'd get lunch on the ship and then go out into the city a little later in the day. It's always so hectic the first morning in port with everybody trying to get off the ship and getting passports and our landing passes and everything. And the parent trip was in this port. This means that the parents can come and participate in a trip with their child, for an arm and a leg however. So we had a lot more people on the ship than we normally do, we wanted to avoid the rush. So when I finally awoke and made it upstairs to the dining hall, I was amazed by what was outside. We were docked literally in a river and on the other side was just palm trees and green everywhere.

 

After lunch, Jaclyn and I decided to just walk around the city and do some shopping and explore. That was the first time we actually experienced the heat. We took a left outside the port and started walking. It was crazy to see the traffic. It seemed that everybody in Vietnam owns a motorbike, not a car, and the traffic was intense, with so many people on the road. We walked up and down and decided there really wasn't that much to see around that area. So we walked back to the port and took the shuttle into Ho Chi Minh City. They dropped us off at the Rex Hotel which was really nice, and had some cool shops around it. We went into a few shops, spent a little money, then we went to a tailor. I was thinking of getting a dress or something made in Vietnam, because they are cheap there, but I figured that I wasn't going to be in Ho Chi Minh City that much and it was more of a hassle. But Jaclyn ended up getting a really pretty skirt made. Then we continued around the city, stopped and got a drink and a snack at a little restaurant and then shopped for a little more.

 

It got so hot and we had already shopped more than we should have, so we decided to take the shuttle back to the ship around 4. The sun there takes so much out of you. We hung out around the ship, and then got ready to go out to dinner with a few people. Around 8, Jaclyn and I took the shuttle back to the Rex hotel to get a table for all of us at the restaurant at the top. It was a really cute restaurant on the roof of the hotel. We got a table for 8 and ordered a drink while we waited for everybody else to show up. Everybody arrived a little after and we all ordered and got a few beers. The food was really good. We got spring rolls and they came attached to a pineapple, it was really creative and fun.

 

After dinner, Jaclyn and I went back to the ship to change for the night. After we changed, we decided that we were going to take a motorbike to Apocalypse Now, which was a club/bar where everyone was going to be meeting. So we walked out of the port and there were a bunch of people with their motorbikes waiting to take us. We found two nice guys and they took us Apocalypse Now. It was so much fun, don't worry Mom and Dad, I wore a helmet. We rolled up in front of Apocalypse Now and needless to say people found it pretty amusing that we took the motorbikes. We met up with a few of our friends and it was pretty packed. We got a few drinks and danced a few songs, but it was just so hot inside. And Jaclyn and I wanted to karaoke it up, so we left around midnight to find a karaoke place. We asked our motorbike drivers to take us to a place, but since it was Sunday, I guess everywhere was closed. Then we decided that we were hungry. So I asked if they could take us to a place to get Pho noodles, which is what me and my family gets all the time at home. So they took us to this place that was outside and all locals eating Pho. I ordered 4 bowls, one for me, Jaclyn and then one for each of our motorbike drivers. It was better than anything I've had at home, and Jaclyn and I ordered another bowl to share. And of course all the local Vietnamese men are staring and laughing that both of us are just devouring these noodles. After we ate, our motor bikers took us back to the ship and I went to bed.

 

Day 2

 

I was leaving for my Mekong Delta trip for 3 days on this morning so I had to be up at 7 and in the Union by 730. We got off the ship and onto the bus to head to the Mekong Delta. It took us about 2 hours to get there, and I slept most of the way there. We finally got to the river and we had a boat waiting to take us around. It was extremely hot, even right by the water. But it didn't matter. The boats were so cool, and it was so awesome to see everything. Every boat had different things to sell, like pineapples, apples, fruits, drinks, and so much more. This was their job, their home and their life, right there, all on a boat. There were so many houses just right there on stilts on the river. We had fresh fruit while we just explored the river. It was so relaxing, despite the hot.

 

After we were on the river for a while, they took us to a place where we could ride bikes and get a drink and stuff. We rode the bikes through the streets and trees and everything for like a half hour, but it just got too hot to go any further. When I got back to the place to drop off my bike, someone was holding a ball python, and taking pictures, and my friend Alison and I were immediately like, I need to do that. So when they were done, I took the python from him and put it around my neck. It was the coolest feeling ever, and he wasn't that heavy. It felt so cool, and I got a good picture, I'll try and put it up when I get a chance.

 

We continued back down to the river and instead of getting into our big boat, we got into canoes that fit three of us. Each boat had a rower, and it looked like REALLY hard work. It was so peaceful through, and our rower looked like she had it down. We just glided through the river and looked at all of the beautiful scenery, and enjoyed the peacefulness and quiet. Then as we continued for about a half hour or so, we finally met up with the other boat and jumped on it. We were pretty tired from the day and the hot sun, but we had one more stop at a local nursery to see all the local fruit and enjoy some fruit and wine. We tried all the local fruit and some fruit that I've never tried before and it was all so delicious. It was a great experience and really good. But by this time, we were all really tired and beat, and the boat dropped us off at where we would be staying for the night. We were doing a home stay in a local family's home and it was located right on the water. It was all outside and they had two large bedrooms that each had 10 little cots in them, their kitchen, the dining room outside overlooking the water and hammocks on the outside.

We put our things on our beds and I immediately went to lie in the hammock and read my book. It was so relaxing after such a long and tiring day. I fell asleep for a little while, as did everybody else lying in the hammocks, and I awoke to the sunrise to my right on the river. It was probably one of the most beautiful and majestic things that I have seen so far. And then I realized, wow, I am getting college credit to be lying in this hammock right now, taking a nap, looking at the Mekong River.

 

After our nap in the hammocks, we helped them make dinner and learned how to make spring rolls. I love spring rolls now, by the way. I could eat them for every meal, and have. And we learned how to make a few other things. Then it was time for dinner. They brought us out at first, the spring rolls we had made and the fried fish. Which was literally, a fish on a stick that was put in the fryer. Nothing was cut, and we had to cut off the spine ourselves and get our own meat. It was definitely an experience and we made lettuce wraps with the fish and vegetables. Then they brought us out steamed prawn, which is like a crawfish. It tastes a lot like shrimp and is really good. Our tour guide told us to try the whole thing, even the meat on the head, and I did, and it was all really good. Then they brought us a few other things like rice and chicken and pork and then pineapple for dessert.

 

After dinner a lot of us decided to just lay around, have a few beers, play cards and then we went to sleep because we were just so exhausted and had to be up at 630 am. But let me just tell you, it was extremely hard to sleep. It was really hot, even at night and without any covers, luckily we had mosquito nets. And then, at some point in the night, one of the roosters continuously began to cock-a-doodle doo. So here I am, lying in my hot bed, thinking that it's time to get up, but I looked at my watch and it was only like 4 am. The rooster continued for about another half hour or so. And then around 530 am or so, a bunch of the boats began to go out on the river and begin their work day. But the boats are really, really loud, and there was no way any of us slept through them. But that continued until about 6 and I decided to just get up and lay in the hammocks and try to fall back asleep for a little bit.

 

Day 3

 

After the long night of noises, everybody woke up and breakfast was at 7 am. We had eggs and toast and some juice and then we were on our way on the river again. We had about a 30 minute boat ride back to the mainland and then we transferred onto the ferry where we met our bus and headed to Can Tho where we were staying for the night.

 

Once we got to Can Tho we toured the city and were taken to a local fruit and vegetable market. They had so many fruits and vegetables and flowers; I’ve never seen so much in my life. It was overwhelming and I had so many smells at once. We walked around a little more and then our tour guide informed us that there was a snake and seafood market right around the corner. So we said, eh, why not, let’s check it out. I saw some of the coolest things there. There was catfish cut up into pieces. I saw the ladies skinning the live fish and cutting them right then and there. I saw a basket of snakes and another lady skinning them and cutting them up. It was so awesome to watch, and really truly a culture shock to see these little old ladies just sitting there talking with their friends while cutting up live fish. At one point, I looked over and one lady was having her hair braided while she was slaughtering these fish. But it is their way of life, and I thought it was really amazing to just sit and watch. Then I continued down the market a little more and saw cages and cages of pigs just waiting to be slaughtered, which was a little disturbing, but like I said, I just had to keep telling myself that this is a way of life for the people in Vietnam, this is their business and how they make their money.

 

After the market we checked into our hotel and then headed down the way to lunch. It was just as good as all the other places and very similar in what we had the night before. We had spring rolls, chicken, beef, vegetables, rice and then a chocolate pancake for dessert.

 

After lunch we drove to a Khmer pagoda which was a local temple. It was about an hour and a half drive both ways. We explored the temple which was pretty small and then we talked and took a few pictures with the monks. Then we were back on our way to Can Tho. I quickly took a shower and then we were off for dinner. The restaurant we ate at was right on the water and was really peaceful and beautiful. We all got a few drinks and waited for our food. The food was probably the best meal I had had so far in Vietnam. We had an awesome soup, mushroom chicken, spring rolls (of course), beef and vegetables and more fruit. But it was so good. Then our tour guide told us he wanted to take us out for a few drinks and karaoke. I was so ready for some karaoke. We got to a cute little karaoke bar, and we got our own room. It was so much fun. We sang songs like Sexual Healing, Barbie Girl, Bohemian Rhapsody and Under the Sea. After about 2 hours of karaoke and drinks, we were so tired and headed back to the hotel to sleep.

 

Day 4

 

Another wake up call at 630 am, breakfast at 7 am and then we headed to the Mekong River to see the Cai Rang floating market. It was so interesting. Everybody had their boats and just pounds and pounds of fruits and vegetables. They just rowed up to each other boats and bargained for foods. We had people come up to our ship and try and sell us some pineapple and drinks with their kids and their families. These were their homes and this was their profit. It was so amazing to just see the simplicity in it all. And to know that this is what the Vietnamese people did all day, and this is how they made their living, was an amazing and truly humbling concept to me.

 

After the floating market we continued back to the hotel and had some free time for shopping or massages or whatever. I decided to go shopping and buy a few things. I bought some shirts and souvenirs and even a silk robe. I don’t know what I’ll use the silk robe for, but it looked cool and the lady convinced me to buy it. Then after I did some money damage, I decided to head back to the hotel to pack and take a shower before lunch.

 

Around noon we headed to the restaurant at the top of our hotel to eat lunch and then we boarded the bus and headed back to the ship. The drive was about 4 and half, maybe 5 hours. We got back to the ship around 6. I unpacked and then Jaclyn and I and a few other friends went out to get a few drinks and eat dinner. There was a restaurant right outside the ship and we decided to get a bottle and share between a bunch of us. It was a lot of fun; we caught up on the last couple days and talked about all of our trips. Then after dinner, we decided that we were going to go and karaoke. So Jaclyn, my friends Erica, Eric, Alison, and Andy all got on motor bikes and rode off to karaoke. On our way out, I was flagged down by a guy wanting me to ride on his motor bike. I was confused at first, and then recognized him as the guy from the first night who took me on his motor bike. He was such a cute old guy. Jaclyn then told me that the second night her and Alison tried to get a motorbikes and he wouldn’t take her because he was waiting for me. I thought it was cute, and he was such a nice guy. He told me to make sure that I held on tight to my purse, and took care of me, and made me wear my helmet again.

 

We arrived at this karaoke place and got a private room again. We sang some good songs from Backstreet Boys to Mambo No. 5. We only stayed about an hour, that was enough that our voices could handle and then our Harley Davidson gang headed out to the club. The club that we originally wanted to go to wasn’t open so we opted for Apocalypse Now again. We got there and it was just as crowded and hot as the night before so we decided to go to a more local bar. I get outside of Apocalypse Now and there is my guy waiting with his motor bike. He really was so great. We headed to a place called Seventeen Saloon recommended by a local guitar player. There weren’t too many people there and we ended up meeting up with our friends Matt and Robert and got a few drinks and then called it quits and headed back to the ship.

 

Day 5

 

This was the last day we had in Vietnam. Jaclyn and I woke up at about 1030 and went to get lunch in the dining hall. Then my friend Erica and I decided that we were going to go back into Ho Chi Minh City and explore the markets and other things I didn’t get to see the first day. And hit up the grocery store to stock up on snacks and things.

 

We left the ship around noon and took the shuttle into the city. The weather was still really hot, even in the shade. We stopped to get a cup of coffee and I got a mango juice smoothie…so good. Then we walked towards the market. We stopped along the way at a couple places to look, and I ended up buying a really nice North Face backpack for like $30 and I could probably fit a small infant in it, it’s a good size, but still easy enough to carry on your back. I’ll probably bring it to Beijing with me to the Great Wall. When we finally got to the market, it was overwhelming. They had so much stuff and everybody was in our faces trying to sell it to us. But we were on a mission for DVDs. So we walked a little farther and finally found a place that looked like it had legit DVDs. It was really cheap, and I got a bunch of seasons of shows, some are gifts, so I’m not going to say which ones I got, but they had everything.

 

Then we decided that it was getting way too hot and we were spending a lot of money, so we decided to make one last stop at the grocery store and then head back to the ship. So we got to the grocery store and it was literally like a modern day Target. They had everything. Granted, it was a lot smaller and less of selection than Target by far. But after almost two and a half months of no Target, anything similar is a luxury. I mean, I bought my groceries, toothbrush, soap, and then the clothing side had sports bras which I need because my idiotic self only packed one, and white tees, which I’m sure you can imagine, after India, Thailand and Vietnam, are now more brown than white. It was a great day. I even was able to get some laundry detergent to wash my clothes in the sink because laundry here on the ship is limited and not very efficient. The detergent they use isn’t that strong and our clothes barely look clean when they come back.

 

Overall, it was a successful day in our shopping adventures and grocery shopping. We got back to the ship around 5 and I read for a little until the barbecue at 6! It was such an exciting time, because like laundry, barbecues are limited here on the ship. It’s the third one we’ve had and the best one yet. They had hotdogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers (for Jaclyn), ribs, corn on the cob, pasta salad and baked beans. And then to top it all off, strawberry ice cream. It was just great and I couldn’t get enough of it. I ate until I was stuffed, and then literally fell asleep for the night because I was just so exhausted.

 

So technically we had to be on the ship last night, but we didn’t actually depart from Ho Chi Minh until this morning at 600 am. I don’t really know why still, but they have their reasons. And now we have one more day until we are at China. We arrive on Sunday and leave on Friday. I am extremely excited for China to see the Great Wall and also for the cooler weather. India, Thailand, and Vietnam were extremely hot, and China should be closer to the 60s, so I’m looking forward to pulling my pants and long sleeve shirts out again. We will be stopping in Hong Kong and Shanghai and I’m traveling to Beijing to see the Great Wall and a few other awesome things.

 

Ship life is great, and it is really hard to believe that we only have 4 ports left and April is just around the corner. Time here truly is flying by and is going to be sad once it is all said and done. But I miss all of you at home and hope you all are enjoying yourselves as much as I am. Love you all.

Thailand!

A gentle and wise guide always shines the light on the most forgiving pathway home -Robert L Castellino

I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving – we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.

-Oliver W. Holmes

Another port down and I am really sad to leave this one. Thailand was so exhilarating, exotic, beautiful, sleazy, peaceful, calm, patient and diverse. I traveled to three different places in the country and each one had so much to offer, similar and different things. It was just great to see so much in 5 days, but there was still so much more to do and see, I only broke the tip of the iceberg. I will say, Thailand had a 7-11 on almost every corner, and I was really surprised because I thought 7-11 was a domestic convenience store.
I went to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya all in 5 days and I can truly say that I came back exhausted, but don’t regret one single second of it all. I wish we had plenty more time to do everything, but I guess that means I’ll just have to come back and do the things I didn’t have time for.

Day 1

The first day we got into port around 7 am but they didn’t actually clear the ship until around 10 am. I woke up, got some breakfast and then just kind of hung out until they cleared the ship. Once they cleared the ship, Anders and I decided we were going to go to Bangkok for the day. So we got off the ship, and looked for a taxi. Bangkok was about a two hour drive from Laem Chabang (the port we were staying at). Laem Chabang was basically a port and a mall and that was as far as it went. It was a really small place and Pattaya was the closest city with things to do. But we wanted to go to Bangkok so we set out on a mission and found us a taxi driver and finally arrived in Bangkok around noon. We had him drop us off at the Grand Palace which was a truly amazing place. It was beautiful and had plenty of gold surrounding it and was such a site to see. So we get to the main gate, it is about 90 degrees mind you, and the men begin to yell at us, with their machine guns, in Thai. And pointing to their arms and legs. We finally figured out that what they meant was that we couldn’t come in because our legs weren’t fully covered (I had capris on and Anders had long shorts). But at the temples and monuments, they are extremely strict about these things. So they told us we had to come back at 230 and we could rent shorts and skirts. So we found a tuk-tuk driver (much like the rickshaws in India) and asked him to take us to the other monuments and temples around the area. So he agreed to do so for 20 Baht (less than $1) and we were on our way. He took us to one temple which was a little bit of a cultural shock. Here, you had to take off your shoes before you entered into the temple or anywhere near Buddha or alters to give your worships. But everything was in Thai and the bathrooms were through the temple. So I was unsure of whether or not I had to take my shoes off to go to the bathroom and me and Anders couldn’t find anybody to ask, so we just decided to keep them on, which was a smart thing because we would have looked very stupid going into the bathroom barefoot; everybody had their shoes on. So slowly but surely, we realized that you only have to take off your shoes when going inside the temple or worshipping Buddha at the alter.

Then as we think that we are on our way to the next monument, our tuk-tuk driver informs us that he is going to take us to some shops, which we didn’t mind, thinking okay, some souvenirs, and some cool things. Well, apparently that day in Bangkok was a special day for tuk-tuk drivers and if they took their passengers to certain shops, they were compensated with free gasoline. He took us to a bunch of tailor stores where you can have suits and dresses tailored and made for you, but not for cheap, and it took days, and we were only in Bangkok for the day. Then he took us to some really nice jewelry stores which were expensive, beautiful, but expensive, I’m still a college student. And after about 10 stores, it got a little excessive, but most of the shops had air conditioning and it was 98 degrees outside, literally, I’m not just making a reference to the one claimed boy band.

Finally, after the shops and a few monuments, it was about a little before 3 and we could finally rent some skirts and pants to go into the Grand Palace. Let me just tell you, these skirts were pretty stylish (no, not at all). But it was the only option and it worked, maybe not as fashionable with my tennis shoes, but eh, it got me into the palace. And my skirt still wasn’t as bad as Anders 1980s MC Hammer pants. The Grand Palace was absolutely breathtaking; it had so much to offer and was beaming with gold from nearly every angle. It was so bright in the sun I had to wear my sunglasses. The Buddha shrines were really amazing too. The walls had the most interesting murals on them, and each one told a story. You just walked down this huge hallway and it was like reading a picture book. It was still extremely hot, and we had to have our rented stylish gear back by 4, so we stayed at the Grand Palace for about an hour, took pictures and then called our driver to come and get us.

We asked him to take us to a nice restaurant for dinner, and he told us that a lot of the hotels have really nice restaurants, so he took us to a hotel which had 4 different restaurants. It was a really nice hotel, but the restaurants didn’t open until 6, and it was about 430. But of course, the bar was open, so we got a snack and some drinks and played some pool until the restaurants opened. We ended up eating dinner at a Japanese restaurant…I know, Japanese restaurant in Thailand…strange, but it was really good none the less. And we had some sushi, saki, and tempura, it was really good. Then they informed us that they had happy hour still going on upstairs in the top lounge, so we went for a drink or two and looked at the view of the whole city. It was so awesome, and the city was lit up beyond belief.

Around 8 or so, we called our cab driver to take us back to the ship. On our way, we saw a strip of McDonald’s, Subway, 7-11, Burger King, Starbucks and Pizza Hut. Anders decided he wanted to stop for Starbucks, and I figured I hadn’t had it in a while either, so we got a coffee and I got a muffin. Then we went next to door to 7-11 and got us a $1 Heineken large bottle for the drive back. We got back to the ship around 10 and I hung out with a few people and then decided to call it a night because I had to be up early the next morning for my trip to Chiang Mai.

Day 2

We left the ship around 8 am and headed back to Bangkok for our hour flight to Chiang Mai. We got to the Bangkok International Airport and had about two hours until our boarding time, so my friends Max, Mike and I walked around. I ended up buying a new book about drug trafficking in Bangkok (it’s really good), and then we decided to go get some good. We stopped at a nice restaurant that had some really good Thai food and then we just waited at our gate to board our plane. The plane was HUGEE and there were a lot of people on it. Our group was really small, about 10 students and then 8 life long learners. It was an awesome group, we all got along perfectly. The flight to Chiang Mai was about 55 minutes, and once again, they fed us, but I was pretty tired so I ended up falling asleep. We landed at Chiang Mai and found our tour guide and got on the bus. Our tour guide was named Gorge. He is probably the nicest and most enthusiastic person I have ever met in my life. The whole trip in Chiang Mai he was made it the best trip possible, and he loved every second of it. He was an amazing person, one who I hope to keep in contact with and see again next time I go to Chiang Mai.

We took a little drive to a temple located in the woods of Chiang Mai. It was probably the most relaxing and spiritual thing I have experienced in a long time. The temple was located in the woods and the monks lived sporadically throughout the woods, and everything was truly so peaceful. It was then that I realized how patient and peaceful Thai people were, but I also heard that you should never cross them in any way, because if you’ve ever heard of Mai Thai fighting, you know how violent these people can be. But I never came across any of the violence, and I only ever saw the peaceful and loving side. The monks were so serene and content in their lives and just wandered through the temples and surroundings.

We went to another temple next which was a more tradition temple, where you had to cover your shoulders and your legs. We walked in and they had a memorial type thing set up for monks that have passed away within the last couple of months. It was beautifully decorated and had flowers and pictures scattered everywhere. As we continued in, they asked for 5 of us to do the monk offering. Basically you presented the monk with various gifts of food or supplies, and they bless you. They had a blessing ceremony for all of us and it was absolutely incredible. They all chanted, and it was such a beautiful sound. It was such a peaceful and truly a dedicated blessing, where you could tell that they were so interested in what we were doing with Semester at Sea and in our lives altogether.

On the way to our next destination, we took a trishaw ride, which is a bicycle with a bench attached to it and they are scattered all throughout Thailand. We visited a few more monuments and temples, which were just as beautiful as the other ones. Then we had a few extra minutes so we did “monk chat” as they called it. This basically meant that we sat and talked about the lives of the monks and in return we talked about our lives. We talked a lot about schooling and the things that their schooling as a monk involved. There were a lot of similarities between our schooling and theirs. It was interesting getting a different perspective on the monks. I had always viewed them as all holy people who weren’t allowed to do so much, but it wasn’t like that at all. We had so much more in common with them than I could have ever imagined. We talked about their ambitions as well as ours, and then parted our ways.

We then took our bus to our hotel, which was beautiful. It was a really nice hotel located in a good area near all the shopping and bars and such. We checked into our hotel and had about an hour or two of free time. A few of us decided to walk around the city and grab a drink and a snack before dinner. We stumbled upon a nice little restaurant and got some spring rolls and wontons and a few beers. Then we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the group for dinner. We were taken to a restaurant that, as beautiful as it was, kind of made me feel like I was in Disney world, visiting Epcot. It was a great restaurant, but it was filled with tourists from all over the place. I felt like nobody that was a local would have eaten there, and I would rather prefer something more cultural than watching a show of people just dancing around and doing various dances. The food was really good though and that felt cultural. But the dancing was somewhat staged and not exactly the most authentic. But it was still a great time and a lot of fun.

After dinner, they took us to the local night market and dropped us off to shop. We were originally dropped off in the food market and they had every single kind of fruit you could imagine. It smelled so good. The mangos in Thailand were unlike anything I have ever tasted in the States. We continued walking through the food market and I saw a bug bar. I was so excited because I’d wanted to try the local bug cuisine, but we didn’t really have time to stop. We walked through till we ended up hitting the stands with clothes, souvenirs, DVD's, etc. I was so tired and exhausted from the day that I only ended up buying one thing. My friends Sarah and Max and I walked through the market a little more, and the market closed at 1145, and things were beginning to get packed away. So we ventured back to the hotel. I was so exhausted from the long day that I went back and watched a little bit of Man v. Wild (yes, they had the discovery channel!) and then ended up falling asleep shortly after.

Day 3

Wake up call at 630, breakfast at 7, on bus by 730. Let me just tell you, this breakfast might have possibly been the best breakfast I have tasted so far. Had I known how good it was going to be, I would have had no problem being up at 630. They had…get ready…watermelon, pineapple, dragon fruit, eggs, pork bacon, waffles with powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, maple and honey syrup, and…if it couldn’t get any better, Spring rolls…for breakfast. And they had freshly squeezed mango, pineapple, guava, orange, and tomato juice. I could have sat there all morning but they started to load the buses up and it was time to head off to the elephant conservation. The day just kept getting better.

It was about an hour drive to the elephant conservation and I couldn’t even fall asleep on the bus, I was so excited. We finally arrived and they took us right to the elephants. Two people to an elephant, so me and my friend Mike sat together and we got to ride the elephants for a whole hour through the jungle. We walked through rivers and up steep hills and down steep hills and through the vines and trees. I was LOVING it. The elephants were so amazing and huge and loving and peaceful. The elephant conservatory takes care of the elephants and trains them to go into the jungle every night, and then the workers get the elephants and bring them back to the conservation site. They are then trained to work, moving logs and doing some heavy lifting. It was really awesome. You can actually live on the conservation for a few days and learn to become an elephant trainer. You get to wash and bathe the elephants in the river, play with them, train them, feed them. It definitely seemed like a cool idea, and I wish we were staying longer so we could have played with them more.

After the hour long ride through the jungle, we sat and got to watch the elephants bathing in the river with the trainers. It was so awesome to watch, they were so happy. They were splashing each other and rolling around in the water, it was so amazing to watch these HUGE animals having such a fun time. Then they brought the elephants into a clearing to show us how they train them to do the heavy lifting with the logs and all the other stuff. When they called each elephants name, the elephants did a little bow and wave of their leg. It was really so cute. Their trunks can carry so much weight alone, it was absolutely crazy.

After the show, the elephants came by and we were able to feed them bananas and sugar canes. You put your hand out and they took the banana right from your hand. They were so eager, and their trunks felt so cool. After a few times of letting them take it out of your hand, they learned your scent, and we were able to just put the banana right in their mouth. It was soooo cool. Their tongues felt all slimy and soft. They were so cute; I just wanted my own pet elephant. I asked if I could pet the elephant and they told me I could take a picture with him. And the trainers asked the elephant to put up his trunk and he gave me a kiss. It was slimy, but they were just so awesome.

After the elephants, they took us to a place where they showed us how the silk of Thailand was made. They take the silk from the silk worm. They take the cocoons of the worms and they boil them. The silk is then raised through a little whole and then woven and made into spools of silk. It was really cool to watch. They dye the silk different colors too. We saw people making all sorts of silk blankets, bedding, scarves, etc. Then they took us to some carving shop where they showed us how they made lacquer wear. That was pretty interesting too. And finally, was the umbrella shop which is what Thailand is famous for, their umbrellas. They were all decorated so lavishly, brightly and colorfully.

After touring these shops, we had a few hours of free time before our nice dinner. For dinner they took us to this really nice restaurant that overlooked the river. It was so beautiful and the weather was perfect. Well, minus the fact that we were sitting under the trees and the leaves kept falling on my plate and I found a bug in my food more than once. But eh, I said I wanted to try the local bug cuisine. The food was delicious and we all had such a great experience.

After dinner they dropped us off at the night market again so people could shop and I decided I was going to find that bug place again. So me and Mike set out on a mission. We kind of got lost and really didn’t know where the bugs were located but just kept walking anyways. Then it started to rain a little bit and people were closing up shop, so we decided to abort the mission and go celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

We decided on a nice little bar that was outside and lights and was really small and laid back. We ran into some other friends from SAS and had a few drinks with them. We moved inside because at this point the rain had started to pour. It felt so refreshing and fresh to watch the rainstorm. After a few drinks, the boys started to play soccer with the locals and it was quite amusing to watch. The floor was still really slippery from the rain and three were quite a few tumbles, but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. We all went to another bar afterwards and had a few drinks there where the people were equally as friendly. The rain continued, but I love the rain, so it was no problem. Well, minus the mosquitoes that follow and the bug bites I have to show for it, but I wasn’t worrying about that at the time. Then we set back to the hotel pretty late, and passed out.

Day 4

We awoke again at 630, breakfast at 7 and on the bus by 730. But this morning, I knew what breakfast had waiting for me, so I had no problem getting up. I packed up my bags and headed down to breakfast, which didn’t fail me. We got on the bus and headed to the Meo Hill tribe we would be visiting. We got to the bottom of the hill and there was a truck that we were to sit in the back in while they drove us to the village. When we got to the top, Gorge took us to the local nursery to play with the kids. Most did not speak English and when we first arrived, they were somewhat confused about our presence. We sat down with them for a little and played with them for a few minutes and then we all began to play and sing songs with them. They began to warm up. There were a group of kids that saw me taking pictures and came up to me curiously. I took their picture and then showed it to them on my camera. They were immediately enthused and began to pose for the camera and kept asking me to show it to them afterwards. It is such a different experience playing with children, you really grasp their culture through a child. Children don’t hold anything back, they don’t keep anything in.

Next we headed up the hill to one of the housing dwellings of a family of 8. It essentially was a large shed with a large area for the bed. Then there was a stove, a small boiling pot and then various cooking wear. Nothing too fancy, however, I did find it strange that they had a refrigerator, but I guess these things are accustomed over time. Outside they were selling blankets, scarves and various tapestries. I figured that the money from these things were their only income. Gorge also informed showed us some of the plants they grew, including opium and marijuana…for medicinal purposes he told us.

After the hill tribe visit, we continued on to one more temple which had 306 stairs to the top. We opted out of the climb and took the cable car to the top. It was very similar to the other temples we had seen, but still beautiful. After, we had lunch at a nice hotel and then headed to the airport for our flight back to Bangkok. Our flight left at 3, and we were back in Bangkok by about 4, and had another two hour drive to the port. We got back to the port at about 6 pm. I unpacked my clothes and put out some laundry and then packed my backpack back up for the night to come.

Anders and I decided that we were going to go to Pattaya for the night and get a hotel somewhere there and then go to the beach the next day. We left for Pattaya around 730 and it was supposed to be about a 20-30 minute drive without traffic, but it took us about an hour. We finally got there and found a nice hotel for about $50 a night. It was right on the beach and near all the night life. Once we settled into the room, we decided to go grab some food and drinks and check out Pattaya. We went down to Walking St. Now let me just tell you, Walking Street was a mixture of New Orleans, Miami and Mexico all in one. It looked a lot like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras, had the sleaziness of Mexico with all the strippers, she-males and crazy other things, and had the party aspect of Miami. Don’t worry, I didn’t get too crazy…I was too exhausted. But it was fun to watch everybody else. We met up with a few SAS students and got a drink and then decided to go get food, and we went to this local bar and restaurant that had awesome music and sound system. It was loud, but really nice. I actually heard new songs and saw new music videos and I forgot how out of the loop I am with the whole music scene and movie scene at home. Hope you guys are taking notes for me. We walked around for a little while longer and then decided to call it a night.

Day 5

I awoke to a beautiful view of the crystal blue beach and the white sand. Our hotel offered free breakfast (that’s what sold me) and we got something to eat and then decided to go lay out on the beach for a few hours before check out. We got down to the beach, and this nice guy helped us into our lounge chairs and then just stood by us. We were like, um okay. Then he started speaking to us in fluent Thai, no English. Me and Anders just stared at each other completely puzzled, then I put two and two together (after my experiences in India) and realized he wanted money. He told us “50 baht” and we came to find out that it was 50 Baht to rent a lounge chair. So we gave up and just decided to go lay by the pool at our hotel.

After laying out for a few hours, we packed up and got a cab back to Walking St. to do some shopping. Most everything was closed though so we walked a little ways and found another cab to take us back to the port and he took us to get some little souvenirs. Then we headed back to the port, after one last 7-11 stop.

We got back to the ship around 1 and I was just completely exhausted. After lunch I went to the gym, unpacked, cleaned the room a little, got dinner and then fell asleep FOREVER.


Today we had a cultural pre-port for Vietnam, which is only a day away. For about the rest of the month, we only have 2 days between each port. It’s that way until after Japan, and it is going to fly by. We have a little more than 6 weeks left and I cannot even grasp the fact at how fast it is all going by.

They also had a crew talent show for us tonight after the cultural pre-port. It was extremely entertaining. Edwin (our cabin steward, he makes our bed and cleans our room everyday, such a nice man) participated in a dancing version of “In the Navy”. Other crew did break dancing, singing, stand up, and some weird rendition of a Sister Act song. It got a little weird at some parts, but was in great fun, nonetheless. They basically live on this ship, so it is their home, and they are such an amazing crew, we are truly pampered on this ship. So it was nice to see them all in a different light, and we are so lucky to have them.

Sorry this is such a long one. Did a lot in Thailand and fell in love with it. It is another place that I will definitely be going back too. I heard Vietnam is a lot like Thailand so we shall see what happens there. Until next time, much love and happy wishes.

Our elephant we rode

 

Our beautiful purchases

 

F-Bar

This is what we saw when we walked into the hotel, where the club was located

Me in front of the Taj!

 

Hallo, Kama Sutra? 20 Rupee.

India. If you’re wondering about the title of the blog, that right there wraps it up. There wasn’t a single minute to just breathe and not be haggled for money. We were even haggled while riding elephants up to the top of the fort, it was absolutely incredible. We were bombarded. At first it was overwhelming, like being with a group of 83 people all wanting to do something different wouldn’t be overwhelming. Well, add to that, another 80 people haggling you for anything and everything. Things that you would probably never want in your life, but felt somewhat obligated to buy. Now, don’t get me wrong, India was an amazing experience, but at first, like everyone had been telling us, it was just all so overwhelming.

We arrived in India on a Thursday. As soon as the ship was cleared, we had to get off the ship and hop onto a bus to the airport with our group of 83 students from semester at sea. We had 3 buses full of us. We got to the airport and waited for our flight to Delhi. We got onto the flight and I was pleasantly surprised how smooth the take off and landing were. I had also heard that India was known for its unpredictable flights and for not being on time. But we were only about 10 minutes late for take off. Our flight was really nice too, AND they even fed us a meal! It was a delicious Indian meal with amazing food…on an airplane! We were definitely surprised that they fed us, especially for a 2 and a half hour flight. Once in New Delhi, we had 3 more buses waiting for us, and they greeted us with flower necklaces, that looked almost like a lei. However, we found out real fast that these were real flowers, with real bugs. So we decided to just hold them instead.

We finally arrived at our hotel and with much chaos, we got checked in and brought our bags to our room. Jaclyn, Craig and I shared a triple, and it was a really nice room. They had a bar and restaurant up at the top of the hotel, and the weather was so beautiful. So we sat up at the top and had a drink while the sun went down. We ordered some drinks back to our room and went downstairs to go down and get ready for dinner and the night.

Jaclyn had a family friend, Caitlin, living in New Delhi so she was going to take Jaclyn, Anders and I around for the night. She got us a driver for the night and our first stop was a local Indian restaurant. The tables had a large silver tray, with smaller dishes on them. We asked Caitlin how we were supposed to eat here, like what was the etiquette and what kind of food they served. She explained to us that you ate with your hands, and they came around and gave you everything and refilled as you liked. So it was basically a buffet that they brought to you. All the foods in India were so colorful and bright and had so many spices in them. And for the most part, they were all delicious. This restaurant had some of the most delicious food that I had ever tasted before. I can’t really remember the names of anything. But they had all different kinds of dipping sort of sauces, and you used your pita bread to dip into them. Some were green, some yellow, red, orange, spicy, sweet, every taste you could imagine. We had many helpings of everything and ate and ate until we couldn’t eat anymore. It was all so good. And then the owner of the restaurant asked us if we would be interested in going back into the kitchen to see where they made everything. And of course we wanted to go into the back. We saw all the spices and sauces and everything. They were so excited that they had us stand by the grill and took pictures of us holding the utensils and everything. It was a great experience for all of us. Then as we left the restaurant, they gave us the mark on the forehead which meant good luck and fortune.

Our next stop was a local restaurant/bar at the top of a hotel. Since we were already full with food, we decided to grab a local drink. The local beer in India is called Kingfisher. And the beer comes in 40 bottles, as opposed to a regular beer bottle. The restaurant we were at was kind of high end, and the drinks were more expensive, but we stayed for about an hour and had a drink and admired the view from the top. You could see all of New Delhi, all the cars, people, parks, etc. As we were sitting there, we even saw fireworks going off. Caitlin explained to us that it was wedding season, and weddings in India are a BIG deal, and the fireworks were for somebody’s wedding. After we finished our drink, we set out to a local dive bar also located at the top of a hotel. We ordered some drinks and got to talking to one of the men sitting next to us. We talked about India and America. He explained to us that Indians took a lot of pride in their country and wanted us to have the best time possible. Then he introduced us to the owner of the bar who also came to sit down and talk with us. They told us about places they had visited in the U.S. and we told them about Semester at Sea and the places we were going in India. After a few hours of conversation and drinks, we decided to go meet up with some other people from our group at a local club. We asked for our check and the owner and the guys that we had been talking with, informed us that the check had been paid. We were confused, but they told us that they had paid for the check, but on one condition: we had to have the best time possible in India.

Next, we went to a local club called F-bar which was located in a very nice 5-star hotel. When we walked into the hotel, we saw a mirror that had been decorated with sand and said “Welcome SAS”. We were surprised that even in Delhi (hours away from Chennai which was where we were docked), they knew about Semester at Sea. We went into the club and it was gorgeous. They had strobe lights, green lights, a VIP lounge upstairs and amazing music. We met up with everybody else and danced the night away.

Day 2

The next day we had to be up at 615 and began the day at 7. We got a later start, but we finally made it to where we were going. We went to a local mosque. It was beautiful. We couldn’t wear our shoes in the mosque and we couldn’t bring any sort of electronics (camera, cell phones, etc). It was such a humbling experience. All of the Gods were delicately placed throughout and everybody was worshiping them. It was a great experience.

Next we went to another monument in Delhi. And this is where the begging really began to kick in. We had barely even walked off the bus before people had begun to try and sell us their Kama Sutra books, elephant key rings, bangles, and anything they could sell. Sometimes you didn’t even have to bargain with them, they did it themselves. “500 Rupee, no? Okay, 450 Rupee? That’s as low as I go, no? Okay, 300, the lowest. No? Okay, just take…for 100 Rupee”. We mainly just avoided them. Then you had the beggars who just wanted money. Some of it barely made it possible to focus on the monument, but it was all part of the experience. They followed us all the way back to the bus where they stood by the door still trying to bargain. At that point I realized, it wasn’t going away, we were stuck with dealing with it for the next 3 days. It almost became amusing at that point. We started to just deal with it, and you learned to ignore them. Next stop was a fort which dated back hundreds of years ago and had beautiful architecture. We stayed there for about an hour or so and then headed back to the bus to begin our drive to Agra which was about 6 hours. On our way to Agra, we stopped for lunch which was literally located in the middle of nowhere. But the food was really good and they had a local souvenir/ food shop, so we picked up some snacks too.

We finally arrived in Agra around 8 at night. We were so hungry by the time we got there that Jaclyn, Anders and I checked in our hotel and set out for food. We went to the mall which was located 5 minutes away from our hotel. The streets were some of the smelliest I had ever smelt, but when in India. It was definitely nothing I was used to though, that’s for sure. We finally got to the mall and went to look around for food and any cool stores. We just browsed and found a few clothing stores that sold saris, scarves, and a lot of local Indian wear. We continued to look around for a place to eat, and we stumbled upon a McDonald’s! I’m not going to lie, I was very excited to eat McDonald’s. Don’t get me wrong, the Indian food is unlike anything I’ve ever eaten, but it’s always nice to have McDonald’s. And it was the first time in like 3 months. The funny thing about McDonald’s in India or India in general is that they don’t serve beef. They view the cows as a sacred animal, so all of the sandwiches were either chicken or vegetarian. I didn’t truly care, I just ordered a McChicken and French fries, and they were DAMN good. I forgot how much I had missed it. I was even going to go for a sundae, but their milk wasn’t pasteurized, and I wasn’t going to chance getting sick. Anders didn’t care, and he didn’t end up getting sick, so maybe I should have. But eh, you live and learn. After being haggled on the way back to our hotel, we decided to just go to sleep to be rested for the Taj the next day!

Day 3

We woke up at 530 to set out on our trip to the Taj Mahal! I don’t think I have been more excited about anything on this trip than to see the Taj Mahal. We went outside our hotel, and we have about 20 brightly decorated horse carriages waiting to take us to the hotel. Our horse carriage driver was determined to get the best tip and got us to the Taj before anyone else in the group. We waited in the line for about 45 minutes, and then we were finally in! I literally couldn’t speak for 5 minutes while I just looked in amazement at the number one World Wonder. It was unreal, I couldn’t grasp the concept that I was standing at the Taj Mahal. I took a million pictures. We ventured down to go inside. It was smaller than I imagined inside, but beautiful none the less. We had to wear shoe booties or no shoes at all, to keep the inside clean. After a few hours of exploring the Taj, Anders, Jaclyn and I took a rig Shaw back to the hotel. A rig Shaw was a little motor bike with a three person seat attached to it. And let me tell you, the roads in India are there for decoration. Nobody drives on the right side of the road, nobody cares about lines or lanes; it’s every man for himself. But it was so exhilarating. We got to the hotel before anyone else, and went up to the top where they had a rotating restaurant to get breakfast. They had toast, beans, eggs, potatoes, and curry for breakfast. It was a good breakfast and very fulfilling. Then we headed back to the bus for Agra fort. We stayed at the Agra fort for an hour or so and walked around and took pictures. Then we were on our way to Jaipur.

The drive to Jaipur was about 5 hours again, and we made several stops along the way, so we didn’t get to our hotel until about 930 at night. When we got there, they had a welcome reception for us with people dancing and a puppet show. Once we got checked into our hotel, we were starving and went to the hotel restaurant to get food. Outside, they were doing the holi festival, which is the representation of the changing of seasons. And basically, you just take a bunch of colors and throw them on people. The colors are powders which stick to your clothing. I bought a bunch of colors in India so that we can play with when I get home. It’s a lot of fun. Then we watched a movie in the hotel room and went to sleep.

Day 4

We woke up at about 6 and went on our way to a fort in Jaipur. We got there, and don’t you worry, there were still hagglers all around. It never ended. But some were selling turbans, and Jaclyn and I each got one. I figured it would be cool to wear on the elephant ride. So we waited in line and finally got to the elephants! They had their trunks painted with such bright colors. We got on and rode up to the top of the fort. I was so excited to ride an elephant because I never got to ride the camels. But our driver told us that our elephant was a baby and that he couldn’t go very fast. So we slowly made our way up to the fort. Oh, and if you think people weren’t haggling us while we were on the elephants, you’re wrong. They found their way, lol. We finally made it to the top and toured the fort for a few hours. Next we went to the Jal Mahal which was a palace located on the water. The bus driver stopped so we could take a few pictures. Then we headed to lunch, and they had macaroni and cheese! With chicken and curry and all the local Indian cuisine also.

Next they took us to one of their friend’s textile factories. They made carpets, different kinds of Indian wear, scarves, and basically any kind of clothing you could imagine. They showed us how they made the different kinds of carpets and all the steps it took to make them. It was really impressive, and apparently takes months to make just one carpet. They showed us all the scarves and shirts and wraps they had. I even bought a few things. Next we went to the City Palace in Jaipur. It was a beautiful palace with different museums in the area. The city palace was where a lot of the events happen, and when we got there, there were a holy festival going on. There was a lot of dancing and music playing. It was really fun to watch.

We really wanted to go to the local markets so the bus dropped us off on the way back. We walked up and down the streets and looked at the different things they were selling. Everybody there was trying to get us into their shops and go see their things. It was a little overwhelming, but we managed to buy some really cool things. We took a rig Shaw back to the hotel and decided that we were going to get Pizza Hut for dinner. It was amazing and still different than the Pizza Hut in the U.S. The pizzas are a lot smaller, and we looked like a bunch of kids in a candy shop with everything that we ordered, not to mention probably strengthened the typical stereotype of fat Americans. We headed back to the hotel and ordered a few drinks and went to bed. Our flight left at 730 the next morning and we had to be awake by 430

Day 5

We headed to the airport by 515 and got there around 6. I had bought so much in India, I had to buy a new duffel in India to fit everything. But my bag ended up being so big that they had to check it. I was a little nervous for it to get lost, but I mean it was my only option. Our flight had two stopovers. We went from Jaipur to one place and then to Mumbai and then from Mumbai to Chennai. We were nervous about making it back for ship time, but everything worked out fine and we were on the ship by 2.

With all that being said, India was such an amazing experience, and I think the most changing port that we’ve been to yet. I truly felt like I was in a different country when I was in India and everything was so different. I liked the challenge and am so happy that we got to see everything that we did. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and thank you Mom and Dad. It just made me think of how much we take for granted in the States. While I’m busying worrying about what outfit I should buy or what movie to watch, there’s children in India no more than 3 years old, worrying about where they are going to sleep or when they will get another meal. I think that sometimes we get so caught up in our own trials and tribulations that we often forget that other people are facing far worse things than we've ever had to imagine. Those are just a few of my words of inspiration, and if I learned anything, it's to always treasure the good things in life.I believe that India has changed me the most so far, and I will take every memory with me. I wouldn't change a single second of it for anything.

Our next stop is Thailand and we have about 5 days till we get there. We didn’t have classes today because they knew how exhausted everyone would be after India. So today is a relaxing day. I wanted to lay out, but the weather is cloudy and rainy, but still in the high 80s, so I can’t complain. We lose another hour of sleep tonight, so technically we’re a full 12 hours ahead of you guys but with Daylight Savings time, we’re 11 hours ahead. Hope everyone has adjusted to the daylight savings time, and the weather is getting warmer. But you never know with the weather on the East Coast, it’s always so unpredictable. Miss you and love you guys! Feel free to email! csneill@semesteratsea.net