Hello friends!!
A quick update from Morroco.
First of all, some of you may have heard about the bombing at a cafe in Marrakech. We are safe and sound, but the scare definitely hits close to home as we walked past that cafe many times a few short days ago.
From a place where people would seek you out to genuinely welcome you to their country to a place where any service, a helping hand or directions demands a fee, Morocco has been a complete 180 from Jordan. It's been a bit of a trial for us to get used to.
We will blog about the travels soon. At the moment I am submersed in the Royal wedding footage on CNN, the only English channel we receive.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
The last of Jordan
April 15, 2011
For the past 10 days since we've last posted, we've been making our way from the Dead Sea to Aqaba and the Red Sea in the south and then back again.
When I (Q) was 10 I first watched Indiana Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark with my family. The scene at the end of the movie is a shot of a horse and carriage running through a narrow canyon. I didn't know where that canyon was or what it was called, but from the second I saw that scene I was amazed and hoped that such a place actually existed.
Finally, 19 years later we were standing at the mouth of a narrow slot canyon called the Siq which is the entry point in to the ancient Nabatean city of Petra.
We walked the 1.2 kms down the winding canyon, passing through section where the walls were no wider than 2m. We finally came to the last corner and caught a keyhole like look at the Treasury between the canyon walls. The head to toe chills of excitement stayed with me for the last 100m until we finally emerged from the canyon to stand at the base of it. The Treasury is quite a bit taller than I had imagined, nearly 45m tall and ~25m wide. Like most structures within Petra the Treasury served as a tomb. It got it's name from a Bedouin story that a king had hid his treasure in the upper urn before going off to battle. The urn proved to hold no treasure but the name has since stuck.
That evening we bought tickets for Petra by Night, where the Siq and Treasury are lit up with 1500 candles. My friend Kelly had advised us not to rush in with the crowd but to hang back and you would have a much quieter experience. Rye and I stayed back and enjoyed the candle lit hike under a starry sky....a truly magical moment.
Our second last night we hiked to the top of a cliff to catch the sunset over the Petra valley when two Bedouins came around the corner on mules and asks us if we would like to join them for tea. We followed them to their home in a nearby cave were we enjoyed tea (mixed with about two cups of sugar, delicious!) and a warm fire. We had stayed well beyond sunset and were most likely the last ones to leave the park, which proved to be quite beneficial. Petra by Night was scheduled for later that night so the hike out was again lit by candles and this time we didn't run in to a single person....our own private Petra by Night!
The last morning I hiked back in to Petra to take everything in one last time... still getting a chill of excitement seeing the Treasury.
As we've mentioned before, the people in Jordan are incredibly friendly and helpful. Case in point happened our last day in Petra. We were sitting in our car about to leave the parking lot when a young lady approached us with 2 glasses of pepsi and welcomed us to Jordan. We went and spoke with her and her family and her father happened to be a GM of a hotel in town. He mentioned he had some contacts throughout Jordan and he insisted we join him for tea the following day so he could set us up with accommodation for the next few nights. Sure enough, he lined us up with a camp in Wadi Rum and a hotel in Aqaba each with substantial discounts. It was so appreciated!
We had wanted to stay in a traditional Bedouin camp, and Wadi Rum, a vast desert and the setting for the film 'Lawrence of Arabia', seemed to be the perfect opportunity. When our friend from Petra set us up with a camp, we just assumed we could find 4WD transportation at the visitor center. Finding the visitor center practically closed when we arrived and not having a vehicle or the necessary knowledge for desert touring, we stopped at a gas station to use a phone and call a different camp. By a crazy coincidence, the driver who was supposed to pick us up, unbenounced to us, happened to see the name of the camp written on a piece of paper we had sitting on the dash and was as surprised as we were to see us.
He drove us a short ways into the desert where there were tents made of sheeps wool, housing rugs and a queen sized bed.
We spent the evening sipping tea around the campfire and visiting with the Bedouins who run the camp, while a thunderstorm played on in the background.
For day two in Wadi Rum, we organized a 4WD desert tour to cover off some of the grand sites (sand dunes, archways and plain old gorgeous scenery) in this enormous space. To cap off the day we got a camel ride back to camp. It had to be done, but they certainly aren't the most comfortable animals to ride. The saddle, essentially a box covered with a thin blanket, didn't help matters much and the hour long journey back to camp was the perfect amount of time.
After a long day in the sun, we drove to Aqaba, a city which borders the Red Sea, and had a much needed shower to wash the sand from our hair.
The Red Sea is world renowned for it's snorkeling and scuba diving. The coral reefs are beautiful and many sites are accessible by shore... That is if you don't have a fear of sharks and of drowning. We did see a beautiful reef, but another main attraction, a ship sunken off shore, was just barely out of reach. We started swimming for it, but as the sea floor got further away from the surface and the water got darker, my heart started beating faster and faster until my brain said "Are you f@*#ing crazy? Turn around before you die"! My husband being the wonderful man that he is, didn't want to abandon me to swim for shore on my own while the 'Jaws' theme song played on repeat in my head, so he missed out on seeing the sunken treasure as well.
Since our tans have started to fade and it's not appropriate to wear a bathing suit at the public beaches in Jordan (unless you want to be the main attraction for all the young lads), we opted to hangout at the rooftop pool at our hotel for our second day.
Having absorbed the rays, we left the heat the following day and ascended the mountains to the city of Karek. The attraction of this city is the ruins of a Crusader Castle which we toured (Q thinks it was featured in the film 'Kingdom of Heaven'). Its been excavated and areas restored allowing our imaginations to run wild and I forced Q to talk to me only in Elizabeathen tongue. Unfortunately our vocabulary from that era was lacking, only remembering "hither, thou shalt, wherefore, aye and nay". It was all fun and games until Q wanted me to address him as 'your worship' and him refer to me as 'wench', apparently meaning "common woman". Needless to say, hence forth, our conversation was further minimized ;)
After our stint role-playing Robin Hood, we rejoined the present era and adventurously tackled a 'wet hike' in Wadi Mujib. In a terracotta colored slot canyon we waded across a stream and scaled small waterfalls with the aid of fraying ropes tied to rocks... certainly a unique and exciting experience.
To ease our weary muscles we finished the day at the Ma'in Hot Springs. It was something we were looking forward to, but I think we would have appreciated the steamy waterfalls more had it not already been a sweltering afternoon.
Our last two days in Jordan were spent doing one of my favorite things... Nothing at all. The only thing that makes 'nothing' better is when you are doing it at the Movenpick Resort on the Dead Sea, which is just what we did.
Our flight to Morocco was cancelled and rescheduled, so much to our dismay (insert sarcasm here) we were stuck in Jordan for an extra day.
For the past 10 days since we've last posted, we've been making our way from the Dead Sea to Aqaba and the Red Sea in the south and then back again.
When I (Q) was 10 I first watched Indiana Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark with my family. The scene at the end of the movie is a shot of a horse and carriage running through a narrow canyon. I didn't know where that canyon was or what it was called, but from the second I saw that scene I was amazed and hoped that such a place actually existed.
Finally, 19 years later we were standing at the mouth of a narrow slot canyon called the Siq which is the entry point in to the ancient Nabatean city of Petra.
We walked the 1.2 kms down the winding canyon, passing through section where the walls were no wider than 2m. We finally came to the last corner and caught a keyhole like look at the Treasury between the canyon walls. The head to toe chills of excitement stayed with me for the last 100m until we finally emerged from the canyon to stand at the base of it. The Treasury is quite a bit taller than I had imagined, nearly 45m tall and ~25m wide. Like most structures within Petra the Treasury served as a tomb. It got it's name from a Bedouin story that a king had hid his treasure in the upper urn before going off to battle. The urn proved to hold no treasure but the name has since stuck.
That evening we bought tickets for Petra by Night, where the Siq and Treasury are lit up with 1500 candles. My friend Kelly had advised us not to rush in with the crowd but to hang back and you would have a much quieter experience. Rye and I stayed back and enjoyed the candle lit hike under a starry sky....a truly magical moment.
Our second last night we hiked to the top of a cliff to catch the sunset over the Petra valley when two Bedouins came around the corner on mules and asks us if we would like to join them for tea. We followed them to their home in a nearby cave were we enjoyed tea (mixed with about two cups of sugar, delicious!) and a warm fire. We had stayed well beyond sunset and were most likely the last ones to leave the park, which proved to be quite beneficial. Petra by Night was scheduled for later that night so the hike out was again lit by candles and this time we didn't run in to a single person....our own private Petra by Night!
The last morning I hiked back in to Petra to take everything in one last time... still getting a chill of excitement seeing the Treasury.
As we've mentioned before, the people in Jordan are incredibly friendly and helpful. Case in point happened our last day in Petra. We were sitting in our car about to leave the parking lot when a young lady approached us with 2 glasses of pepsi and welcomed us to Jordan. We went and spoke with her and her family and her father happened to be a GM of a hotel in town. He mentioned he had some contacts throughout Jordan and he insisted we join him for tea the following day so he could set us up with accommodation for the next few nights. Sure enough, he lined us up with a camp in Wadi Rum and a hotel in Aqaba each with substantial discounts. It was so appreciated!
We had wanted to stay in a traditional Bedouin camp, and Wadi Rum, a vast desert and the setting for the film 'Lawrence of Arabia', seemed to be the perfect opportunity. When our friend from Petra set us up with a camp, we just assumed we could find 4WD transportation at the visitor center. Finding the visitor center practically closed when we arrived and not having a vehicle or the necessary knowledge for desert touring, we stopped at a gas station to use a phone and call a different camp. By a crazy coincidence, the driver who was supposed to pick us up, unbenounced to us, happened to see the name of the camp written on a piece of paper we had sitting on the dash and was as surprised as we were to see us.
He drove us a short ways into the desert where there were tents made of sheeps wool, housing rugs and a queen sized bed.
We spent the evening sipping tea around the campfire and visiting with the Bedouins who run the camp, while a thunderstorm played on in the background.
For day two in Wadi Rum, we organized a 4WD desert tour to cover off some of the grand sites (sand dunes, archways and plain old gorgeous scenery) in this enormous space. To cap off the day we got a camel ride back to camp. It had to be done, but they certainly aren't the most comfortable animals to ride. The saddle, essentially a box covered with a thin blanket, didn't help matters much and the hour long journey back to camp was the perfect amount of time.
After a long day in the sun, we drove to Aqaba, a city which borders the Red Sea, and had a much needed shower to wash the sand from our hair.
The Red Sea is world renowned for it's snorkeling and scuba diving. The coral reefs are beautiful and many sites are accessible by shore... That is if you don't have a fear of sharks and of drowning. We did see a beautiful reef, but another main attraction, a ship sunken off shore, was just barely out of reach. We started swimming for it, but as the sea floor got further away from the surface and the water got darker, my heart started beating faster and faster until my brain said "Are you f@*#ing crazy? Turn around before you die"! My husband being the wonderful man that he is, didn't want to abandon me to swim for shore on my own while the 'Jaws' theme song played on repeat in my head, so he missed out on seeing the sunken treasure as well.
Since our tans have started to fade and it's not appropriate to wear a bathing suit at the public beaches in Jordan (unless you want to be the main attraction for all the young lads), we opted to hangout at the rooftop pool at our hotel for our second day.
Having absorbed the rays, we left the heat the following day and ascended the mountains to the city of Karek. The attraction of this city is the ruins of a Crusader Castle which we toured (Q thinks it was featured in the film 'Kingdom of Heaven'). Its been excavated and areas restored allowing our imaginations to run wild and I forced Q to talk to me only in Elizabeathen tongue. Unfortunately our vocabulary from that era was lacking, only remembering "hither, thou shalt, wherefore, aye and nay". It was all fun and games until Q wanted me to address him as 'your worship' and him refer to me as 'wench', apparently meaning "common woman". Needless to say, hence forth, our conversation was further minimized ;)
After our stint role-playing Robin Hood, we rejoined the present era and adventurously tackled a 'wet hike' in Wadi Mujib. In a terracotta colored slot canyon we waded across a stream and scaled small waterfalls with the aid of fraying ropes tied to rocks... certainly a unique and exciting experience.
To ease our weary muscles we finished the day at the Ma'in Hot Springs. It was something we were looking forward to, but I think we would have appreciated the steamy waterfalls more had it not already been a sweltering afternoon.
Our last two days in Jordan were spent doing one of my favorite things... Nothing at all. The only thing that makes 'nothing' better is when you are doing it at the Movenpick Resort on the Dead Sea, which is just what we did.
Our flight to Morocco was cancelled and rescheduled, so much to our dismay (insert sarcasm here) we were stuck in Jordan for an extra day.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Jovial in Jordan... and a wee bit of Laos
"There's two types of people, those who really, really like bowling and those who think...wouldn't it be hysterical if we went bowling?"
5 seconds before Q's power squat ripped a huge hole in his shorts
Showing the kids the ways of Beersbee
A demo of a "Cluster Bomb" at COPE museum
Our pink train to Thailand
Bangkok airport
Eating breakfast overlooking the gorgeous city of Madaba
Q looking over "The Promised Land" at Mt Nebo
The scenery on the drive to Petra
Movenpick
How'd these two grubs get past security?
Sunset at the Dead Sea
Slathering on the mineral-rich Dead Sea mud
They took turns reading to each other
Proof of the lowest point on Earth (- 1300 ft)
Birthday Feast
A first
The Siq at Petra
Our first look at The Treasury at Petra
The Treasury
A reinactment at The High Place of Sacrifice... It had to be done
The Monestary
My new friend
A view from Petra with Israel in the background
A Bedouin band
Petra By Night
Sand art
Our desert camp at Wadi Rum
Not the kind of crossing we're used to
Friday, April 8, 2011
Livin' it up at the lowest point on Earth!
April 4, 2011
We have ventured a little further off the beaten track and are now in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan.
The night before we left Thailand was a new level of excitement. Having spent 2 months in SE Asia, we felt familiar with the culture and we were both looking forward to experiencing the Middle East. It was that same level of excitement that we felt when we left home and as we flew over the vast emptiness of the desert below, we were squeaking with anticipation and excitement (well Q doesn't really squeak but you get my point).
Coincidentally, about 8 months ago I met a guy on a flight to Vancouver who was from Jordan and he was very helpful in giving us tips and pointers about Jordan. He assured us that Jordan was a very safe country and that Jordanians love tourists and would be very friendly. We have certainly found that to be the case. EVERYONE comes up to us, asks us where we are from and says "Welcome to Jordan"! Even people trying to sell things at tourist locations, when we say "no thank you" they respond with "you're welcome. Enjoy Jordan". It's so refreshing and it doesn't feel like a 'stock phrase', rather, a genuine invitation to be 'at ease'.
(One of the most common greetings in Jordan is 'Ahlan wa sahlan' which translates to 'be as one of the family and at your ease')
Our first hour in the country, we accidentally ran over a boys soccer ball and when we stopped at a shop to buy a new one, every owner from the neighboring stores came out to greet Q. It was both humbling and funny, since we are very unaccustomed to this kind of attention.
Jordanians always give a welcoming greeting. We've noticed that when people greet each other, it's as though they are seeing a close friend or family for the first time in years. It's a firm handshake followed by 5 kisses on alternating cheeks. Many men also carry on the entire conversation without letting go of the other gentlemen's hand.
We stayed our first night in Madaba, a jumping off point before heading to the Dead Sea. We woke up and enjoyed a buffet breakfast on a rooftop restaurant with an incredible view of the city. The setting, a crisp blue sky, white washed Arabic style architecture surrounded by desert hills, was surreal, something we've only seen in movies.
On our way to the Dead Sea we ventured to Mt Nebo, a mountain which is said to be the place where Moses was shown ' The Promised Land' and later died. With panoramic views of an unchanged landscape, it's easy to imagine the footsteps taken by those in biblical history.
In spite of one's religious persuasions, with over 100 sites in Jordan mentioned in the bible, and hosting some of the worlds oldest civilizations, it's hard not to be moved by the history in this country.
As we drove to the Dead Sea, on roads winding through landscapes that I can only compare to the Grand Canyon, we pulled off to take a picture and were greeted by a shepard. It seemed perfectly fitting as we felt like we had traveled back in time, first visiting Mt Nebo, driving through the Promised Land and now meeting a Bedouin Shepard. It was perfect until we were shocked back into reality when the shepards cell phone started ringing. After welcoming us to Jordan and asking us for a smoke, he took off as quickly as he appeared, into the arid landscape, up hills at a pace we had to admire.
At the Dead Sea, we treated ourselves for Quentin's birthday by staying at The Movenpick, a 5 star resort, complete with infinity pools. It was beyond heavenly. Again, we received treatment that we were unaccustomed to and upon ordering room service for breakfast, we were presented with a spread I can only compare to that in the movie 'Pretty Woman' where Edward says "I took the liberty of ordering everything on the menu". The amount of food was insane.
Most of you know, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and also one of the hottest. The evaporation rate exceeds the rate of water flowing into the basin. As a consequence the salinity is 9 times higher than the ocean, making bathing an interesting experience. Due to the mineral content, the water has a very oily feel and your body naturally floats. In fact, since our center of gravity is our hips, it takes a lot of work to stand up-right, rather than float. Being able to read a book while reclining on your back without a floatation device was an anomaly we never grew tired of.
After covering ourselves with the therapeutic "Dead Sea" mud and soaking it off in the salty brine, we took a necessary rinse and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing at the pool and watching the sunset over Israel (tough life). To finish off celebrating Q's bday we had a steak dinner and our first try at smoking shisha... Q, having never smoked anything a day in his life, is now addicted.
We are now in Petra... Stay tuned for Q's update.
We have ventured a little further off the beaten track and are now in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan.
The night before we left Thailand was a new level of excitement. Having spent 2 months in SE Asia, we felt familiar with the culture and we were both looking forward to experiencing the Middle East. It was that same level of excitement that we felt when we left home and as we flew over the vast emptiness of the desert below, we were squeaking with anticipation and excitement (well Q doesn't really squeak but you get my point).
Coincidentally, about 8 months ago I met a guy on a flight to Vancouver who was from Jordan and he was very helpful in giving us tips and pointers about Jordan. He assured us that Jordan was a very safe country and that Jordanians love tourists and would be very friendly. We have certainly found that to be the case. EVERYONE comes up to us, asks us where we are from and says "Welcome to Jordan"! Even people trying to sell things at tourist locations, when we say "no thank you" they respond with "you're welcome. Enjoy Jordan". It's so refreshing and it doesn't feel like a 'stock phrase', rather, a genuine invitation to be 'at ease'.
(One of the most common greetings in Jordan is 'Ahlan wa sahlan' which translates to 'be as one of the family and at your ease')
Our first hour in the country, we accidentally ran over a boys soccer ball and when we stopped at a shop to buy a new one, every owner from the neighboring stores came out to greet Q. It was both humbling and funny, since we are very unaccustomed to this kind of attention.
Jordanians always give a welcoming greeting. We've noticed that when people greet each other, it's as though they are seeing a close friend or family for the first time in years. It's a firm handshake followed by 5 kisses on alternating cheeks. Many men also carry on the entire conversation without letting go of the other gentlemen's hand.
We stayed our first night in Madaba, a jumping off point before heading to the Dead Sea. We woke up and enjoyed a buffet breakfast on a rooftop restaurant with an incredible view of the city. The setting, a crisp blue sky, white washed Arabic style architecture surrounded by desert hills, was surreal, something we've only seen in movies.
On our way to the Dead Sea we ventured to Mt Nebo, a mountain which is said to be the place where Moses was shown ' The Promised Land' and later died. With panoramic views of an unchanged landscape, it's easy to imagine the footsteps taken by those in biblical history.
In spite of one's religious persuasions, with over 100 sites in Jordan mentioned in the bible, and hosting some of the worlds oldest civilizations, it's hard not to be moved by the history in this country.
As we drove to the Dead Sea, on roads winding through landscapes that I can only compare to the Grand Canyon, we pulled off to take a picture and were greeted by a shepard. It seemed perfectly fitting as we felt like we had traveled back in time, first visiting Mt Nebo, driving through the Promised Land and now meeting a Bedouin Shepard. It was perfect until we were shocked back into reality when the shepards cell phone started ringing. After welcoming us to Jordan and asking us for a smoke, he took off as quickly as he appeared, into the arid landscape, up hills at a pace we had to admire.
At the Dead Sea, we treated ourselves for Quentin's birthday by staying at The Movenpick, a 5 star resort, complete with infinity pools. It was beyond heavenly. Again, we received treatment that we were unaccustomed to and upon ordering room service for breakfast, we were presented with a spread I can only compare to that in the movie 'Pretty Woman' where Edward says "I took the liberty of ordering everything on the menu". The amount of food was insane.
Most of you know, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and also one of the hottest. The evaporation rate exceeds the rate of water flowing into the basin. As a consequence the salinity is 9 times higher than the ocean, making bathing an interesting experience. Due to the mineral content, the water has a very oily feel and your body naturally floats. In fact, since our center of gravity is our hips, it takes a lot of work to stand up-right, rather than float. Being able to read a book while reclining on your back without a floatation device was an anomaly we never grew tired of.
After covering ourselves with the therapeutic "Dead Sea" mud and soaking it off in the salty brine, we took a necessary rinse and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing at the pool and watching the sunset over Israel (tough life). To finish off celebrating Q's bday we had a steak dinner and our first try at smoking shisha... Q, having never smoked anything a day in his life, is now addicted.
We are now in Petra... Stay tuned for Q's update.
Friday, April 1, 2011
The end of another chapter
Our time in southeast Asia is quickly coming to an end.
We left the very relaxing and chill city of Luang Prabang and one 10 hour bus ride and an overnight train ride later we are back in the city of ping pong shows and #1 cobras...Bangkok!
Our last evening here was spent indulging in a few of our favorites: coconut shakes, spring rolls, Chang Beer, fresh fruit, papaya salad, fried cashew nuts with lime and sweet chilly sauce and maybe later... a banana pancake. I think it would be a bad idea not to have one last banana pancake.
The past two weeks were spent relaxing and eating delicious food in northern Laos. As mentioned earlier, the untouched landscape, unassuming locals and peaceful tranquility of Laos has impacted us differently than the other SE Asia countries. It is a place that you would plan to visit for a few days and end up passing a few months without knowing it and loving every minute of it.
As we write this blog we can't believe that we are moving on and leaving for Jordan in the morning. In a way we are both a little sad, but sad because we are leaving the familiarity that has been built up over the past months. The familiarity of coming in to a new town and dealing with the same " tuk tuk, hey man where you go?, you want massage?, good luck for you good luck for me?, new suit for you my friend? or 1 hr tour cheap cheap for you". The things that originally were annoyances but after a while become a part of the experiences. I'm also sad that leaving SE Asia marks another few months closer to the end of this amazing journey. Saying that, there have also been a few more days now than the start where Rye and I miss the comforts of home, miss family/friends and all the events that have gone on since we have left. Hearing about them via Skype and email is great, but obviously not the same as sharing in the moments personally.
We have many miles, memories and good times behind us and are looking forward to everything that the middle east has to offer.
Jordan here we come!
We left the very relaxing and chill city of Luang Prabang and one 10 hour bus ride and an overnight train ride later we are back in the city of ping pong shows and #1 cobras...Bangkok!
Our last evening here was spent indulging in a few of our favorites: coconut shakes, spring rolls, Chang Beer, fresh fruit, papaya salad, fried cashew nuts with lime and sweet chilly sauce and maybe later... a banana pancake. I think it would be a bad idea not to have one last banana pancake.
The past two weeks were spent relaxing and eating delicious food in northern Laos. As mentioned earlier, the untouched landscape, unassuming locals and peaceful tranquility of Laos has impacted us differently than the other SE Asia countries. It is a place that you would plan to visit for a few days and end up passing a few months without knowing it and loving every minute of it.
As we write this blog we can't believe that we are moving on and leaving for Jordan in the morning. In a way we are both a little sad, but sad because we are leaving the familiarity that has been built up over the past months. The familiarity of coming in to a new town and dealing with the same " tuk tuk, hey man where you go?, you want massage?, good luck for you good luck for me?, new suit for you my friend? or 1 hr tour cheap cheap for you". The things that originally were annoyances but after a while become a part of the experiences. I'm also sad that leaving SE Asia marks another few months closer to the end of this amazing journey. Saying that, there have also been a few more days now than the start where Rye and I miss the comforts of home, miss family/friends and all the events that have gone on since we have left. Hearing about them via Skype and email is great, but obviously not the same as sharing in the moments personally.
We have many miles, memories and good times behind us and are looking forward to everything that the middle east has to offer.
Jordan here we come!
An inconclusive summary...
Things we've seen, experienced and learned in SE Asia:
-Order the beer, it's cheaper than water
-The best tasting food is usually the weirdest looking at the dumpiest vendor for the cheapest price.
-Bartering is a necessary skill
- massages aren't always what they seem... but for $5 how can you go wrong?
-A smile goes a long way. People are softer than they let on.
-A VIP bus does not mean first class. You never know what you're going to get.
- with a little imagination, anything and everything can be carried on a scooter
- monks may live a simple life but they can still rock out to Justin Beaber
- hippies love dread locks and in SE Asia they grow to the floor (we have photographic proof)
- $5 can purchase almost anything
-Order the beer, it's cheaper than water
-The best tasting food is usually the weirdest looking at the dumpiest vendor for the cheapest price.
-Bartering is a necessary skill
- massages aren't always what they seem... but for $5 how can you go wrong?
-A smile goes a long way. People are softer than they let on.
-A VIP bus does not mean first class. You never know what you're going to get.
- with a little imagination, anything and everything can be carried on a scooter
- monks may live a simple life but they can still rock out to Justin Beaber
- hippies love dread locks and in SE Asia they grow to the floor (we have photographic proof)
- $5 can purchase almost anything
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)