Dam, The Final Stop

Our last and final stop was Amsterdam (though I still need to write about the World Expo). After a 10 hour train ride, with transfers, we had to catch a city train up to Wormerveer, the suburb where we were couchsurfing. Lennert is a young, super chill IT guru who owns the three bedroom house he grew up in. He loves the company and camaraderie of the Couchsurfing community and allowed us to stay for over a week in our own bedroom.

It was great to meet up with the GA Tech architecture study abroad crew again. We got to spend the 4th of July with them drinking and eating picnic food (and of course apple pie) in the park on a gorgeous sun filled day. The number of people out and about just enjoying the fresh air was incredible, and the amount of bicycling commuters all over the canal city was staggering. The tech kids were lucky enough to have rented bikes all week for their tours and they all agreed the city is an amazing place to ride. Pedestrians give right of way and every street has a full bike lane (sometimes with medians)

Of course Joe and I visited the famous windmill village, where we tasted twenty kinds of cheese (and I found out that truffle is disgusting) and watched wooden clogs being formed. I couldn't believe that it took just five minutes from stump to shoe! During our last night in downtown, Joe, me, Ai-Lien, and Zach found a bar with old school arcade games and a huge ball pit! Joe and Zach had childhood flashbacks when they started playing (and dominating) Time Crisis. After a couple games of Jenga, which I miserably lost as usual, the bar announced last call and Ai-Lien and I decided to take a quick jump in the ball pit, because yolo ;)

The bartender had to come over and basically kick us out as they were trying to close, but it was worth it. Is it sad that my favorite part of Amsterdam was playing video games with friends? Once we left, Joe and I realized we had five minutes to catch the last train to Wormerveer so we sprinted to the station. He didn't have enough money on his card for a ticket so we snuck on the train, figuring there was no way they would be verifying tickets that late. Wrong. We saw the officer walking down the aisle and jumped off at the next stop...3 miles from Lennert's house. Joe didn't have a jacket and wanted to wait for the night bus, which dropped us at the next station whcih left us a 25 minute walk home. Three hours after leaving central station, we were finally in our bed.

We flew from Amsterdam to DC to visit Joe's family and had an incredible homecoming. As much as I love traveling, there's nothing like sleeping in your own bed in a familiar city surrounded by family.

Beer and Brats

Munich began our couchsurfing adventure! We arrived at the train station of a small suburb 20k north of the city centre and Frederic picked us up. It was late, so we greeted his wife Edyta and crashed in their quaint guesthouse. In the morning, we trained it to Munich and wandered around as has become our custom for the first day in every city. Joe's sister used to live in Munich so we met up with her old coworker for beer, pretzels, and sausage at Hofbrauhaus, one of the older beer halls in the world!

Can you guess what that design was used to cover up?

Throughout the week we spent a lot of time just hanging in beer gardens, literally large public parks with long community tables, where the only options are litre or half-litre. Apparently it is very common to drink weissbeir (wheat beer) for breakfast, which explains why their coffee was the worst we tried throughout the trip.

We were lucky enough to get invited to hike the Alps around Neuschwanstein, the gorgeous castle that inspired Walt Disney's trademark logo. Frederic and Edyta took us straight up (and I mean straight), but my converse shoes barely have enough traction for a basketball court, let alone a mountain, so I had to turn around and backtrack to the easier trail.

During our week, we stayed with three different couchsurfers. Olof is a student from Stockholm who graciously let us sleep on the floor of his dorm studio and share his tiny kitchen. Hagen literally gave us his room and bed while he slept on his couch for two nights! He took us to this awesome culture festival that had food and music from around the world and of course, steins of beer.

Couchsurfing is a community that not everyone understands or feels okay about. Of course it is an odd notion at first, asking a random person online if you can sleep in their extra space without anything expected in return. But is it a system that works based on mutual respect, courtesy, and trust. The hosts are not required to open up their home, but the 'do unto others' philosophy radiates in each person. Everyone knows you get a better feel for a city through local eyes and the couchsurfing community fosters cultural exchange as well as simple hospitality. There are always reviews you check on both hosts and guests before any agreement is made, to eliminate those who abuse the system. It is an incredible way to travel and I have met so many great people through surfing, hosting, and meeting up with fellow Couchsurfers. Don't knock it until you try it :)

Floating Through a Sinking City

So I've decided that I am skipping Milan in my blog for now because we visited the city for the World Expo and my phone died halfway through. I want to give the experience justice and need pictures from Joe's phone to do so. Onto Venice (which apparently is slowly sinking)!

I had booked a "mobile home for 2" at Camping Villlage Jolly because it was the only thing in our budget that wasn't an hour away from Venice (which I just found out is an island). We arrived way late and found our allocated camper uncleaned and sheets unchanged. Joe took charge and spoke with the attendant who decided it was easier to just upgrade us to a deluxe room for the whole week. It was swank (for a mobile home ha). 

This little gadget makes the smoothest coffee I've ever had!

We spent most every day sleeping in, drinking an espresso (or three), catching the bus to Venice, then wandering the canals. We toured the secret back area of the Doge's Palace and got to see the prison cells (even Casanova's) and high officials offices. We also were able to walk above the largest room in the building, 53x25 meters, without a single column supporting it!

We took ferries to the cemetery island, the glassblowing island, and the lace factory island. I never knew there was such random specialized artisans in Venice! Joe bought a beautiful Venetian mask, I bought a lot of gelato. We tried a Spritz, the classic before dinner drink, which consists of Aperol (or Campari) and prossecco. It was as bitter and terrible as it sounds.

Joe loves tiramisu! I love $4 half liters of wine!

Two things I still don't totally understand though:

1) No one pays for the buses in Italy. At least in both Venice and Milan, none of the locals even cared to tap on before just taking a seat. Makes me wonder if the officials are too lazy to enforce it or if the locals just started refusing to pay for their short bus trips. Either way, we ended up paying about $20 for two weeks worth of daily round trips. Not bad.

2) Why do we change the names of foreign cities in English? In Italy, Milan is called Milano and Venice is Venezia. I think it is disrepectful to change immigrants names to something easier to pronounce and I believe it a similar dishonor to change the cities. They are usually named after a historical figure or tribe and it seems audacious to just switch letters around to ease our tourist minds. Just my two cents.

The more you travel the smaller the world becomes

Many people have noticed the small Eiffel tower necklace I always wear. I asked for it as a Christmas present in 2009 because my favorite designer on Project Runway (I’m unhealthily obsessed with tv competition shows, nbd) wore a much larger statement piece of the Parisian landmark. I don’t put too much effort into outfits so the necklace just became a staple and I’ve worn it ever since. I researched the history of the statue, learned it’s origin as an entrance gate to the World’s fair (which led to a longstanding desire to experience the 2015 World Expo in Italy), and understood why the French disliked the monstrous metal structure in the center of their short, flat, pristine, stone capital. Although I never was intrigued by the French culture specifically, my necklace evolved to become a personal motif of my desire to travel and experience the history and unique traditions saturated through Europe and Asia.

Then I landed in Paris, and within a few hours, I fell in love. The train system was so comprehensive, you can get anywhere in the city for under two bucks. The streets and sidewalks were rarely strewn with litter and often sported bike/pedestrian separation lines. Joe and I sat in a park when we first arrived and watched children actually playing tag and soccer and parents sitting watching them or conversing with other caretakers. Throughout the hour we relaxed in the cool summer breeze (which was much appreciated after a month without a moment below 90F), I could count on one hand the number of cell phones we saw being intently stared at or tapped on. Talk about refreshing.

Not only are the streets spotless, the buildings themselves are downright impeccable. My friend, Kandasi (it’s a small world when you get to have wine in Paris with someone you haven’t seen since 3rd grade), explained that there are strict codes about the cleanliness of every building facade, and it shows how much the French love and respect their city.

Thanks to Ai-Lien (roommate reunion!), we saw the Louvre, all the beautiful cathedrals, the Tech History Museum (one of my favorite stops) and got to climb to the top of the Arc de Triumph! I went to the Modern Art Museum and Picasso museum, while Joe wandered around Napoleon’s garden, Rodin statues, and the Catacombs. We joined a free walking tour - one point during which Owen Wilson biked by and stopped to listen to our tour guide until he got called out and hurried away. 

Of course we ate at least one new pastry every day, tried foie gras, kir (white wine with a dash of blackcurrant liqueur), pate, crepes, and shared a baguette, french cheese, and french wine to finish our week under the Eiffel Tower. I never thought I would love Paris as much as I did but so far, it has been the only city I could see myself settling in for more than a week.

Un"pho"gettable

Vietnam as a culture can be divided into three parts: the south, central, and north.

Ho Chi Minh/Saigon: It is difficult to decide what to call the city, but as I am a foreigner I feel I must use the politically correct title, Ho Chi Minh City, even if I do not agree with the history behind the name. It was renamed in 1976 to honor the emperor, Ho Chi Minh, after his communist northern soldiers defeated both the South Vietnamese army and the US allies. You can tell each citizen’s feeling towards the outcome based on what they name the city. We spent two nights, one day in HCMC, and that was more than enough. We were about 2 miles from the center of the city, but that didn't matter. I walked out on the main drag to grab some lunch and after the sixteenth time of almost being run over, I gave up and headed back. They say there are as many motorbikes as people in the city, and I could darn well believe that. The traffic is senseless! If you wish to cross the road, the best thing to do is stare right ahead and just walk, the bikes will swerve around you based on you pace. We chose to take the rest of this as a rest day for good reason.

We flew up to Hoi an, which could not be more opposite from HCMC if it tried. It was a lovely little beach town and the place we stayed was comprised of villas situated, each with their own small patio and outdoor furniture, around a large expanse covered in tall plants, flowers, and a beautiful pool. They even had bikes we could take out whenever we wished. After breakfast at the villa, which included eggs, baguette, bacon, coffee, and of course any fruit juice you could desire (I swear this place was like an oasis), we rode leisurely into town, which was only 3km away, or to the beach, 2km the opposite direction. There were only 2 main streets and I never once felt in danger of traffic or being too slow or even being pickpocketed. Hoi an is a must if you go to Vietnam (I think they have the best food as well).

A short flight later we were in Hanoi, northern Vietnam. It was another big city, though they have a nice night market which is blocked off to vehicles on the weekend. We chose to do a cruise our only full day there because everyone said we must go see Ha Long Bay. It is a wide bay full of thousands of small islands, natural caves, and floating fishermen's villages. It was a gorgeous sight and a nice break from the urban life. One thing Hanoi is well known for is Bia Hoi, a fresh beer that each cafe makes a weekly batch of. The taste, alcohol content, and freshness can change with each batch, so you never know what you’ll get, but for 25 cents, it’s hard to say no! The Sapa mountain area is the one thing I wish we had the time to do. It requires an 8 hour bus ride from Hanoi but the rice fields and remote villages are supposed to be breathtaking and the women take you to their home and host you for a few evenings to experience their lifestyle and culture. Next time, I suppose.

Angkor WHAT!?

We flew back to Bangkok and took a bus to Siem Reap in western Cambodia. The border was a chaotic welcoming but we eventually made it to our hotel just near Pub Street. After sitting in a minivan for the past 9ish hours, all we wanted was to sit and have a cold beer. We were low on cash because the visa for entry took the last bit we had, but no worries, thats what ATMs are for right? If the ATM would take our cards that is. Joe had found out a few days before that his bank issued him a new debit card for no apparent reason, so his current one was defunct.​My PNC Visa debit would not even be read by the ATM (my bank sees no reason why even though I tried it at 6 different atms in 3 different countries). Thank goodness I signed up for Capital One 360 when they were doing some promo to give you $200 just for creating a bank account. But oh wait, the money I transfered from my PNC account to Capital One would take 3-4 days to clear, so we were going to have to wait 36 hours until the start of the business day in the US when we only had $5 cash to our names.

I decided to call Capital One to see if they could do anything to speed up the transfer (shout out to Google Hangout app for giving me a false US phone number to call fo free over wifi). The representative was super chipper and explained that the waiting period was mandatory but that I could sign up for overdraft protection. Kind of like a short loan, I can overdraft, incur minuscule ​interest on that amount, and as soon as my transfer cleared it would automatially repay the overdraft and interest and I would be none the wiser. So we ran down to the ATM in the morning and I finally was able to pull some cash! Thank you Alec Baldwin (never thought I'd say that haha)

Throughout our 6 days in Cambodia, we saw Ankor Wat (one of the oldest religious sights in the world); ate Fish Amok, the national dish consisting of a less spicy, more frangrant coconut curry; drank many 50 cent glasses of beers; snagged a bag of sun baked, tiny w​ater clams​ from a street vendor; saw a Cambodian acrobatic circus; watched the process of silk from the cocoons of silk worms to the painstaking hand-spinning and weaving of threads; and got to meet up with our previous Atlanta roomie, Patricia!

The largest downside to the cities were the harrassment of tuk tuk (scooterdriven, coveredwagon taxi) drivers on every block. I might have been able to shrug it off if they could take no for an answer. You say you dont want a ride and they follow you asking if you've seen this or that, and finally try to offer you weed as a last resort. The first phrase I learned in Cambodian was no thank you.

The most incredible thing we did in Cambodia was to visit the sights of torture and massacre of the Khmer Rouge (Khmer is the name for Cambodian people, Rouge meaning red for the color of communism). Just as we were not taught about the Northern Ireland Troubles in history class, I had no idea that just 35 years ago, the dictator of Cambodia closed of the country's borders with land mines, took captive the urban populations, tortured any and all educated citizens, and ended up mass murdering over 4 million of the country's 8 million population. How America (who was right next door fighting the Vietnam War) let this slide under our gaze is unfthomable. How such an insane man rose to power (and even gained aid from the UN) in the first place is incomprehensible. How none of those responsible for such malicious deeds have yet to be prosecuted is downright unjust. The whole visit opened my eyes to why the country is in such rubble and still trying to rebuild. It helped me appreciate each person just trying to sell a single tshirt or a couple coffees so they can feed their children. The whole country is struggling and here we are waltzing about trying to pick between the blue or yellow hammock to bring home for our backyard that is larger than their entire home. Please google the Khmer Rouge if you find yourself experiencing First World Problems and would like a reality check. It is amazing in a terrible way.

Tigers and Temples

If you ever go to Chiang Mai, you must stay at the ZZ Guest house! It is just outside the city center (which is overpriced and boring anyway) and the owner is one of the best people we have met in Asia. Boyd loves his city, loves helping others, and expects nothing but good vibes in return. We arrived around 11am and the cleaner called him on her cell to let him know we were there. He was so apologetic even though we were in the wrong for showing up 3 hours early! After checking in, he sat down with a map and drew arrows and circles of the best paths to walk and best areas for food, massages, nightlife, and markets. He pointed us to a small local market where we bought 4 thai mangos for 75cents and Joe got a jelly green tea type smoothie.

We decided on the second day to rent a scooter and Boyd got us the local deal (we paid under $15usd for 2 days of rental, insurance, and helmets)! We rode up to the mountains at his suggestion and saw some fantasic scenery. It felt amazing to zip around the winding mountain roads, which were surprisingly better paved than downtown Atlanta. After a shower, we headed to a super highly rated spa and paid $7usd each for an hour long traditional Thai full body massage (though I wimped out and went with the less pretzel bendy option that Joe got).

We ended the amazing day with another of Boyd’s must do suggestions and saw the Ladyboy Caberet. If you haven’t flipped through pictures on Joe’s fb, please do, because the Georgia State drag show has got nothing on this! The bodies on these performers are incredible and their poise and rythym (especially in 4 inch heels) were the envy of every female in the room! Easily one of the most spirited performances I’ve been to.

For our last day in Chiang Mai, we had to go play with the little tigers! There are four sizes (based on age of the cats) that you can choose from. We went with the small (about the size of a labrador) and they were so adorable! We also threw in a few extra bucks for the personal photographer but have yet to see our pics since they are on a CD and neither of our laptops have disk drives ha.

So far Chiang Mai has been my favorite city, but I think any travel is going to be what you make it. We havent stayed in hostels, so we have less interaction with travelers (though the further east we travel, the less tourists there are in general). Plus we are choosing to do the touristy things because making it out to the rural, authentic villages is just too much of a hassle with time, money, and luggage constraints. We plan to return to Asia in the future to get away from the chaos and hustle (doubke entendre intended) of the large cities. As for now we are just slowly immersing ourselves in the culture, history, and language, and learning just how much a society can adapt to their environment and circumstances.