Finishing up the voyage (7 years later)

Well, we all know time flies, and so much life happened in the time since we sailed around the world in 2011. This post is dedicated to finishing out the Semester at Sea voyage experience, and getting to move on to present day adventures. (And yes, I know, this is the longest post ever.)

The final three places we visited after Vietnam were:

China, Taiwan, and Hawaii, before our final destination of San Diego, California.

CHINA
(Luckily, I had a saved post on China that I never published, so all I had to do was cut and paste! Here it is...)

In an effort to catch up on some of the travels that I didn't get to capture here from Semester at Sea, and also to re-live some of these memories since the prospect of international travel probably won't be a reality for a few more years now that we have little one in our lives... I am attempting to dig back into the depths of my memory and share some of the most significant moments we experienced for the remainder of our voyage.  The next stop along the way was... China!

We sailed up to Hong Kong, and I was immediately taken by the skyline --- it was very Manhattan-esque with a distinctly Asian feel.  Later in the evening we would enjoy an incredible light show of all the sky scrapers.  For some reason, arriving at the Hong Kong port felt very 'home'... I think because the actual port itself was somewhat reminiscent of the malls in Singapore, with shops and Asian bakeries.  One neat thing about our time in Hong Kong and China was that although the ship docked in Hong Kong, we had the option of traveling over land and meeting back up with the ship in Shanghai... so we decided to do just that!  This would include multiple modes of transportation to get us to Beijing, because we wanted to go to the Great Wall, as well as see the sights in Beijing. 

Our first task was to connect with one of my colleagues from back home who happened to also be traveling in Hong Kong with her fiance... so we met up with them, and got the subway station, and headed to lunch--- our first stop - Crystal Jade -- it was sooo good.  It's actually a chain restaurant, and had some really amazing food - including xiao lim bao (pronounced shaow - lim - baow), which is a soup dumpling.

We later did some sight seeing, and went to Ngong Ping 360 - a large buddah statue that required the most picturesque sky trolley ride I've ever been on - through the mountains with not a sight of city life around.  Later in the evening met up with them again for an incredible szechuan dinner, that featured red hot szechuan peppers in many of the dishes, with a deceivingly hot soup.  It was hot, but it was good.  Another cool thing we did in Hong Kong, we buckled and despite our best effort to avoid chains and replicable things from the US - we did go to Hong Kong Disney - and oh, it was SO much fun.  The park was a lot smaller, but very similar in feel and vibe.  Space Mountain was the only major ride... and again -pretty spot on.  The HK Mickey and Minnie characters were awesome.  Mark was a little disappointed because the turkey legs in Hong Kong did not live up to the super-sized one's they have in Anaheim.  The HK version was almost like a chicken leg (no growth hormones there). In the end - we had a fabulous Disney day, even though it was raining.

From Hong Kong, we took a flight to Beijing and visited amazing landmarks, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, Wangfujing, and the Summer Palace. There were lots of night-time street vendors with bugs and various delicacies on a stick. We also had a blast with the blaring techno music out of many of the stores. One playlist was so awesome, we went inside to see if they could tell us where to buy the music. Due to a little getting lost in translation - we ended up paying $20US for the shop owner's flash drive full of music. It was a great deal - because there were over 50 songs, none of which we would ever be able to find.

We also went to the Great Wall of China - which was amazing. There are many different places along the wall that you can visit, and the one we went to, Mutianyu, had a 'lift' to get up to the wall, and a tobogganed down. Another awesome memory from our time in Beijing, we stayed at the Novotel Peace Hotel, which was really nice. We asked the concierge for a recommendation of very good, and very authentic food, not Americanized. So he took us through the back of the hotel, through the kitchen into an alley. Across the alley was a dumpling restaurant, that definitely looked like a hole in the wall. We couldn't read the name of the restaurant, nor anything on the menu, but that was literally one of the most memorable meals on our trip. The dumplings were amazing, and we came back another time before leaving.

Our last stop in China was Shanghai. We flew there from Beijing, and reunited with the ship. Shanghai was great - the skyline was amazing, backdoor shopping was fun, and food was good. I wish we had more time there, but because we went to Beijing, we couldn't squeeze it all in.

I know there were many more awesome times, but I've gotta wrap this up :)

TAIWAN

Our unexpected port, in lieu of Japan because of the tsunami, was Keelung, Taiwan. I remember we got off the ship on a rainy day and wanted to make the most of this port. The first stop, buying tickets for the train to get to Taipei. We stopped in a convenience store, and I remember it vividly, this was the moment we discovered Hi-Chew! One of our friends bought it, and said we all had to try it. Before we knew it, we all pretty much bought out their inventory of Lychee and other incredible flavors.

We got to see Chiang Kai-shek, a famous memorial park with gardens, and went to the top of Taipei 101 an extraordinarily tall skyscraper. I remember we got a room in Taipei and then went out karaoke-ing in a private room until all hours of the night. It was so. much. fun. We also discovered Lychee Beer at a streetside bar/restaurant, and it was as delicious as it sounds.

The night markets were amazing - so many delicious foods, and delicacies. It's a distant, but distinct memory. One favorite moment was walking by some of the store fronts at the night market in Keelung. We saw one store - that was literally the narrowest store we've ever seen - almost like a long walk in closet. It was brightly lit - with umbrellas on one side, and, wait for it.... chicken feet on the other side. Cooked chicken feet to be exact.

Our last day in Taiwan, we took a SAS sponsored trip to Taroko National Park and Gorge. A cool perk, we got to return to the ship from our trip past the boarding time. It was a stunning place with waterfalls, scenic views, and a beautiful shrine (see below). Although this port was not on the original itinerary, we were all grateful for the opportunity to visit another country. Being our final international destination before heading back, it's safe to say we all soaked in the time being in Taiwan.

Takoro National Park

  Chiang Kai-shek

HILO, HAWAII

By this point in the voyage, we had literally been around the world, and being back in the US still felt like we were away. We stopped at the Big Island, and did some sightseeing, visiting with a local colleague who took us to University of Hawaii at Hilo and other key highlights. The landscape, food, people, all were stunning, and it was super fun to get to explore the island with friends. We had a fun last night off the ship, hanging out and playing games.

Another note - it was quite sobering to be on a land with so much rich indigenous Native Hawaiian history, that was technically part of the United States. I think at the time, there was so much more we could have been prepared for with this port, including the royal family on Oahu, and the seizure of the state.  Since our voyage I have continued to learn about the history of the islands and their native culture.

Back in SAN DIEGO

It was surreal to be home. Our bags had expanded with relics to remember and give to others as proof we actually did travel. It felt like in an instant, all of our travels had disappeared, nowhere to be found. But at the same time, we were very different and impacted personally. There were many tears as we sailed into our final destination - the community that was built on the ship was awesome. Students, faculty, staff, lifelong learners, we were all one when we were on the ship. We went through a lot on the voyage both physically and personally. Our first stop for food back on the mainland US was Lolita's Mexican restaurant - there wasn't a lot of Mexican food around the world. Even though this post is 7 years late - I can still feel, see, and remember how it felt to return to a familiar place feeling so different. I guess that's what travel does - it reminds us of who we are and how we are connected. It gives us perspectives that would be impossible to teach otherwise. And, its a nourishment to the soul to discover and engage in new ways.

The Final Destination – Meeting the Yellow Leaf in Nan

Here is the final chapter of this amazing journey. Our trip to Thailand capped off the whole adventure. We first got to Chiang Mai, spent the night there, then took vans to Nan where we visited the Yellow Leaf. It was a powerful experience. My professor has deep connections there, and we met some of her friends at a grocery store, to bring food and staples to the Yellow Leaf people (along with other items we brought from the US). The actual 'road to their village' was beautiful. Lush greenery, banana trees, rolling hills, another twisty road. We passed a few other villages that seemed much more well off (featuring school children with uniforms). When we arrived at the Yellow Leaf village, I recognized the road from a film we watched in class. The van had gotten stuck in the mud, and people had to walk toward the village. Apparently, the Princess of Thailand recently visited the Yellow Leaf, and in preparation for her visit, the government paved more of the road towards their village. The last km or so was still a dirt road.

When we arrived, our professor was greeted with open arms, and the wife of the chief of the village came and embraced her warmly. The children gathered, and were observing us with sincere curiosity. One of the men started distributing fruits to the kids, and they were so cute, yet it was clear how impoverished the village was. It was also clear that they have made great strides in the last ten years. There were two new huts built for families, and a few families now farming on their own (thanks in part to the land my professor’s non-profit organization purchased for them). Long story short, the Mlabri (Yellow Leaf) were hunter-gatherers and years ago were enslaved by the Hmong in Northern Thailand to work on their farms. My professor learned about this, and began visiting the Mlabri in Burma, Northern Thailand, and Laos. Over the years, she gained their trust, and has been able to help them create a sustainable livelihood, They presented her with a hand-woven bag, and a man who lives in one of the new huts offered her the only thing he could, a hand-carved staff he had made. It was so touching. We got to leave our supplies with the village chief, and you could feel the rumble of the people that they were excited. The ultimate highlight for me was seeing Split Ear, who came in from working in the fields. He is an older Mlabri man who was once chief of this tribe, and was wearing a short sleeve, button down shirt and a loincloth. His name is due to his split ear that he has on the left side. No one knows how old he really is (including himself). We had seen him in videos in class and he has apparently been written about in various anthropological journals. We were told that at first he didn’t really like our professor, and wanted nothing to do with her. Over the years, they built a strong relationships based on trust and understanding. His presence was magnificent, and though there was a language barrier, he spoke to us and welcomed us with open arms, and his charm and humor emerged within minutes. It was definitely an amazing experience.

After one night in Nan, we headed back to Chiang Mai, rode elephants at a conservatory outside of the city, had lunch at a street market where they served rice in a bag along with the meat of your choice, hit up the Night Bazaar (apparently the largest night market in SE Asia), and prepared for our final journey home.

We had a 6 hour wait in Bangkok before our flight back to SFO, and 3 of my classmates and I decided to take a trip into the city to see the Grand Palace and anything else we could. This was the ultimate finale for my ‘amazing race’ parallel. My professor warned that if we don’t get back to the airport by 3, or 3:30pm, we’d miss our flight home. This led to the rest of the group deciding to stay at the airport. The four of us had confidence we could do it, and it was SO worth it! We hopped into a cab from the airport, and went straight to the palace. Then we got into tuk-tuks which drove us to another temple, and some other random side stops. It was a fun adventure. Then back to the palace we got our tickets, and began taking pictures and exploring the grounds (after John had to ‘borrow’ pants from the front, as jeans were not allowed). The palace was ornate and amazing! It seemed like everything was covered in old and jewels, and the structures, and details were incredible. After a good lap around the grounds, it started pouring rain! The timing was perfect, we had seen what we wanted to see. We regrouped near the entrance, grabbed a cab, and headed back to the airport. This was definitely a highlight of the trip for me.





I can’t put into words how much I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this trip. It was overwhelming, exciting, challenging, and exhilarating. I learned so much about myself and others, and look forward to the next adventures in life.

Renegade drop offs in Sa Pa

It is unbelievable how beautiful the road to Sa Pa was. Once again, I was taken by the intense scenery with tall lush mountains, waterfalls, clouds covering the tops, it was gorgeous dotted with bamboo trees, rice terraces, water buffalo, etc. Pictures can't capture the depth and beauty of the mountains and valleys that we can see from our hotel which are very similar. I can't tell if I like Sa Pa so much because of itself or in comparison to the previous place we were at. Sa Pa is a quaint village with lots of shops and people from the Black Hmong tribes selling embroidered items and jewelry. It's somewhat reminiscent of an Alpine Village, but its in Vietnam, with lots of ethnic minorities, and rice terraces around. The French founded this town, and made it a vacation spot back in the day. It's definitely a refreshing difference from Paso.

Yesterday we were summoned to meet in room 211 with an empty day pack. We assembled and started packing our 'inconspicuous' bags with childrens clothes, candies, toys, medical supplies, and headed down the hill. Since we weren't having much luck distributing items due to the strict commie oversight, we were going to trek into villages in the mountains and go into their homes to distribute the goods - a renegade mission! It was super fun, but not as renegade as we thought it would be. Some of the villagers spoke English pretty well - mostly due to the tourists that visit the area. It was still neat to venture into the hills, see the people and talk with them, and distribute items. Another crazy thing was taking a motorscycle back to up the twisty road, up the mountain, into town. We didn't feel like walking all the way back up, and there was a motorcycle stand that was offering rides for $1. So, who could resist? Nevermind that I have never been on a motor bike before, when we took off, I had to close my eyes. He was driving really fast, and turning on an angle at each of the turns! After a little while I got used to it, and saw the amazing views. We almost got run off the road by a van, and a herd of water buffalo, but again - made it safely back to home base. We will be visiting more villages today, but this time not so undercover. It was a fun experience.

My wallet got a little exercise in this town as well. My two friends, Pam and Kim, and I met a 6 year old Black Hmong girl who was super sweet, and we were walking around with her. We bought her a whole new outfit (from head to toe), because her clothes were in such bad shape. She was beaming afterwards. It was a great experience, and we saw her later that evening wearing the clothes.

Finally, I can't believe how long this trip feels, and that I have 2 more countries to visit. Some people in our group will be leaving in a few days when we return to Hanoi, and the rest of us will trek on to Cambodia, and Thailand - where we'll meet the Yellow Leaf. It feels like we've been traveling for months, time has been really interesting out here.

Hanoi and Halong Bay

Hanoi was a great city. We stayed in the French Quarter and ventured by foot around town. The French influence on the buildings were not as striking as I thought, but the architecture and feel were definitely distinct (as well as the communist flags on every house and business - even the little pineapple stands along the road). After a day there, we headed on a bus 3 hours northeast to Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin. The drive up was awesome - passing rice terraces, villages, palm trees, homes and shacks right next to each other. The tall narrow homes (to avoid property taxes) and the big corporations stood out as well. It was very interesting. Apparently three years ago, the government built a bunch of tall homes outside of the city of Hanoi to create 'suburb-like' areas outside of the city, but no one wanted to move there, so now they are just abandoned.


Once we arrived at Halong Bay, we boarded a boat, had fresh seafood, and embarked on an overnight journey on the water. It was absolutely breathtaking (pictures coming soon) - the rocks and islands were peeking out of the water which made it look like a huge dragon - hence the name (?). We got to explore different caves in the bay, and climbed the highest point in the bay (about 500 steps) for some more amazing views. That part was really fun, but literally by the morning we were all suffering from cabin fever. Let's just say we weren't staying on any luxury cruiseliner on the water.

Then we headed back to Hanoi, and then onto a flight to Dien Bien Phu. There we visited a war memorial, cemetary, and history museum. It was reminiscent of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. One of the most memorable moments was climbing up A1 Hill, a famous site where the Vietnamese defeated the French, and all of a sudden 3 young men came running down the hill as fast as they could. We all stared with bewildered looks, then within a matter of seconds, the hardest fiercest rain we've encountered thus far hit with strong winds. We were all soaked, and our Vietnamese tour guides (who have been with us the whole time here) said it looked like the gods were shooing us away from the bunker. It was pretty powerful to see the areas, and the cemetary.




The REAL highlight of Dien Bien Phu for me has been visiting the ethnic minority village to begin some of our service. We spent an afternoon at a local schoolhouse (with walls made of bamboo and dried mud, and roofs of banana leaves and straw). Our first stop in the journey was to the Xa (Kho-Mu) people. Unfortunately the community secret police were there and the chief of the village was made to distribute the items we brought. We gave the children clothing, basic school supplies, and much more. The biggest challenge was the language barrier. I had to try hard to fight the tears away, the children looked so sad and scared to see us. Then when we started playing with them, they started to warm up to us. I played catch with this young boy (about 4-5 years old), and he wouldn't stop. I also was able to leave a SWLC bag with the teacher of the village, and took a picture with her. We were taking pictures of the children and showing it to them on the cameras... they were amazed and intrigued.

Now, I am in Paso, a small village in NW Vietnam, near the Red River, on the way to Sapa. We will be here for two nights, and will be visiting some more small ethnic minority villages, thje Black Thai (Thai Dam), and Red Zao. The road here was insanely beautiful. I don't think I've experienced a more scenic drive (other than Big Sur). The mountains were green and lush, and the road was winding all over the place. This part of the journey is definitely the heaviest and the most rewarding. Its very weird though, as we want to capture the moments on film, I can't help but to feel bad about taking pictures. The only way I can is by connecting with the kids/families and showing it to them afterwards - as part of the experience.

That's all for now. Overall, it's been absolutely amazing, humbling, and refreshing to experience another culture, interact with the people here, and enjoy the sights. The conditions of some of the homes have been eye-opening (again, somewhat similar to some areas in the Philippines). It definitely makes me appreciate everything we have, and in some ways makes me envy the freedom of simple life some have here too. I've definitely questioned the lens and perspectives by which I'm experiencing different feelings and reactions to what I've seen. It's all about the journey.

p.s. the food in Vietnam has been fantastic, and it's been fun being adventurous with our meals, but I'm definitely going to stay away from certain specialties (Thit cho). Next on the agenda after a few days in Paso, Sapa.